Inweekly Oct. 20 2022

42 | Juliana Child, Hale Morrissette and Kirstin Gartner / Photo by Natalie Allgyer

Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption

WORKS!

winners & losers

winners losers

LEWIS BEAR JR. National Beer Wholesal er Association President and CEO Craig Purser and Board Chairman Peter Heimark jointly an nounced that Lewis Bear Jr. would be receiving this year's Life Service Award, the association's highest honor. When making the announcement, Purser said, "Lewis has been a titan in the beer industry for generations, running the oldest pri vately held corporation in Florida and Anheus er-Busch's oldest continuous distributorship. His family's company dates back to 1876, and today, they carry more than 300 brands of beer and op erate two distribution centers in Northwest Flori da." The Lewis Bear Company is one of the oldest family-owned businesses in Pensacola and has been an Anheuser-Busch distributor since De cember 1901. Bear is a member of the Inweekly Power List Hall of Fame, having topped the list of the most influential people in Escambia and San ta Rosa counties in 2009.

JEN MOSTERT Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund has named Jen Mostert, CPA, its chief financial officer. As CFO, Mostert will oversee all areas of the accounting and finance functions of the firm, including managing budgeting, reporting and financial analysis. Before joining the CPA firm, she served as the Andrews Research & Ed ucation Foundation's executive director and fi nance director. Mostert is a member of the 2016 Inweekly Rising Star class and was recognized as the 2015-2016 Leader of the Year by Pensac ola Young Professionals.

THE ALLSTATE FOUNDATION Big Broth ers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida (BBBSN WFL) recently announced receiving a $10,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation. The Allstate Foundation has presented BBBSNWFL with a grant for the past three years through their Help ing Hands initiative. The Allstate Foundation supports the causes that Allstate agency owners, financial specialists and employees care about most by providing Helping Hands Grants to non profits where they volunteer their time to help communities thrive. This gift provided backpacks for our Littles from Pensacola to Panama City to help make sure they were better prepared for the school year and to reach their full potential.

CHARLIE CRIST The Democratic candidate for governor hasn't caught fire with the par ty's heavy hitters and has fallen far, far behind GOP Ron DeSantis in raising funds for the elec tion's final push. The early October campaign reports show DeSantis had about $102 million in available cash in his political committee and campaign account as of Oct. 7, almost exactly a month before the Nov. 8 gubernatorial election. Crist had about $2.9 million in cash on hand in his political committee and campaign account. As of Oct. 7, Crist's Friends of Charlie Crist po litical committee had raised about $12.282 mil lion since being formed in May 2021. In July alone, DeSantis' Friends of Ron DeSantis com mittee received a single contribution of $10 mil lion from Nevada businessman Robert Bigelow. Elections are won with votes, but having plenty of cash helps.

FLORIDA LEGISLATURE This past session, state lawmakers created a $175 million fund for local projects, including bathrooms at the Vet erans Memorial Park in Pensacola, that they thought Gov. Ron DeSantis couldn't strike with his line-item veto. Still, DeSantis blocked the funding for nearly 240 projects and programs across the state last week by not taking action to release the funds. Lawmakers didn't put up much of a fight considering Hurricane Ian's destruc tion. House Appropriations Chairman Jay Trum bull, R-Panama City, agreed the funds should be "reprioritized to hurricane response rather than to those individual projects." DeSantis had to sign off on the funding "no later than September 30, 2022." Politico reporter Gary Fineout tweet ed that "the governor took this action because he had constitutional concerns that the way the Legislature structured the spending violated the separation of powers."

DONALD TRUMP The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from the former President to intervene in the litigation over documents seized from his Florida estate. The court's sin gle-sentence order noted no dissents. The order means that the assigned special mas ter and Trump's lawyers won't have access to those documents.

Lewis Bear / Courtesy Photo

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

TALES OF TRUE COURAGE

When Elizabeth Eckford dressed for her first day of high school on Sept. 4, 1957, the Black teen knew the day would be tough. She and eight others had been chosen among 85 students at the all-Black Dunbar Junior High and Parch man Senior High schools to attend Central High in Little Rock, Ark.

I interviewed Elizabeth and found her humil ity and courage similar to other civil rights lead ers that I have had the privilege to interview. When I described the Little Rock Nine's bravery during the integration of Central High, Elizabeth corrected me, calling it the "desegregation" of the school. She told me, "It was never intended that we would be included or empowered in this lim ited token desegregation plan."

Her home didn't have a phone, so the Eckford family never received a call from the head of the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP telling the nine students to come to her house before heading to school. Elizabeth, 15, went to school that Wednesday morning alone.

her eyes and a notebook tucked in her arm, she continued walking to the bus stop, which, in her mind, meant safety. "I felt it would be a respite for me, but they continued following me and threatening me. It was very, very frightening."

Four local reporters stood behind her at the bus stop, serving as a human barrier so people couldn't strike her from behind. Elizabeth re called, "When a white reporter put his arm across my shoulder and comforted me, the crowd start ed spewing hatred and vitriol toward them. It was so horrible."

Anxious to get away, she walked to a near by drug store, hoping to call a cab, but the own ers locked the door. When the bus finally arrived, Eckford said, "A woman, who had confronted the crowd and said that they should be ashamed, got on the bus with me. Two teenage boys tried to get on the bus. She kicked them back. The driver slammed the door and drove away quickly."

When I described the Little Rock Nine's bravery during the integration of Central High, Elizabeth corrected me, calling it the "desegregation" of the school.

Nothing could have prepared her for the ha tred that confronted her when she arrived. Eliza beth saw the angry white adults across the street shouting and calling her vile names, but the teen wasn't frightened because the National Guard was there. However, those "protectors" blocked her entry into the all-white high school and or dered Elizabeth to cross the street and face the hate-filled mob as she walked to the nearest bus stop to get home.

I can't imagine any teenager crossing that street toward a wall of rage intent on making the teen break down in tears and run away like a frightened animal. Elizabeth didn't. She held her head up and walked with dignity, refusing to give in to her fear.

She shared, "I heard a voice say, 'Let's hang her. Get a rope. Drag her over to the tree,' and other people were threatening my life. I turned and looked at the crowd because I was looking for help. I saw an elderly woman who had a kind face. As I turned toward her, she spat on me."

Still, Elizabeth didn't run. With glasses hiding

Nearly three weeks later, on Sept. 24, Presi dent Eisenhower sent in the Army's 101st Airborne Division to accompany Elizabeth and the other eight students inside the building, and they were formally able to begin at tending classes.

Pensacola's Eurydice and Grace Stanley wrote with Elizabeth the children's book "The Worst First Day: Bullied While Desegregat ing Little Rock Central High." Written entirely in prose and filled with images from the era, the book is an easy read for children that promotes resilience and encourages those being bullied.

While the Escambia County School Board is wrestling which books need to be restricted in its school libraries, I hope the school district will place "The Worst First Day" in every elementa ry and middle public school and J. Michael But ler's "Beyond Integration: The Black Freedom Struggle in Escambia County, Florida, 19601980," which describes the heroism of anoth er civil rights icon, Rev. H.K. Matthews, in every high school.

Their tales of courage must not be lost. {in} rick@inweekly.net

D6 RACE: WINNING THE HEART OF THE CITY

in jeopardy. I think that is so far from the case as to be absolutely funny. We are a thriving city; we have many honors, and we will continue to thrive."

'WE GOTTA ... DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT'

When Patton retired from her three-decade ca reer as an attorney in the financial services indus try, she planned to retire and travel, sailing off into the proverbial sunset of her and her husband's golden years. That plan is on hold.

"Really, what happened after retirement is that I started focusing even more on issues in the city," Patton explained.

She filled her retirement time digging deep er into municipal matters, even serving on the Northwest Florida Homelessness Reduction Task Force. It was only a matter of time before she found herself considering a run for public office.

Patton remembers the exact moment the spark was ignited. She was sitting around with family and friends, discussing issues impacting the city and what they perceived to be shortcomings or missed opportunities.

"We kind of looked at each other and said, 'We gotta stop complaining and do something about it.' So that was the moment I think the seed was planted," the candidate recalled recently.

The issues Patton identifies as key for the city are familiar to everyone—affordable hous ing, the environment, homelessness, jobs, storm water and crime.

By Jeremy Morrison

If the city of Pensacola is a body, District 6 is essentially its heart—maybe its head, too. The district holds the city's urban core, a collection of historic neighborhoods and the region's govern mental complexes.

Since 2018, Ann Hill has sat in the Pensacola City Council's District 6 seat. Following a contest ed primary contest in August, the incumbent now finds herself in a runoff this November.

The runoff has kept Hill on the campaign trail, making her case to District 6 voters, but she isn't entirely displeased by this.

"I think runoffs are challenging. What I like about it is I continue to go door-to-door and meet people," the city councilwoman said. "I get to hear their issues and develop a contact for later on, so I do like having this opportunity."

Eyeing Hill's District 6 seat is challenger Allison Patton. The candidate, a newcomer to Pensacola politics, is upbeat about the upcoming runoff.

"I feel pretty good about the prospects," Patton said recently. "As a lawyer says, 'I'm cautiously opti mistic in the outcome, and that it will be favorable.'"

Between now and the election, though, Pat ton knows she needs to be out doing the same thing as her opponent—persuading voters she's their candidate. She shared, "Get out there and meet people, hear what's on their minds and do the work it takes to earn the voters."

HILL SIDE

If Hill wins reelection, she'll be represent ing a slightly redrawn District 6. The district now includes a couple of new city areas, which ex cites her.

"Now, I have two big sections that weren't in District 6," she said. "What I need to do is apply the Ann Plan to my new sections."

Hill already has some ideas, like sprucing up Graffiti Bridge's area.

"It isn't as beautiful as it used to be. People used to go out to that little gazebo and do yoga or whatever hit their fancy, but now it looks a little scary to go out to it because it looks a little wild," she noted.

Other concerns she's heard from voters in these new areas include a need for another dog park in East Hill and ADA accessibility issues at Bayview Park. This is the type of stuff that's ripe for the Ann Plan.

Drawn up during her initial run for office, Ann's plan focuses on public amenities, preserva tion, affordable housing, public safety and the en vironment. Many of the efforts the councilwoman has supported find a comfortable home within the plan, stuff like sidewalk improvements, the wa terfront-accessibility project on Bruce Beach or pushing for the establishment of a paddling trail.

Hill wants to continue focusing on affordable housing and its bigger, harrier cousin, homeless ness. Recently, the city council dedicated about $3 million in federal funds to address homeless

ness, which the councilwoman views as a step in the right direction.

"I know we like to say we can only do so much, and then the county, state and federal have to help, but we have to do our part just like anybody else does," Hill said, "and I think we've done that with our ARPA money. I think we've made some headway, and we're learning as we go and actually facing the issue, not trying to push it off on anoth er jurisdiction. But it is a huge issue."

Hill hopes voters will take into consideration the time and energy she has expended working on homelessness, affordable housing and the en vironment. And they'll appreciate the experience and knowledge she has gained through the pro cess and recognize the value of keeping her on the city council.

"I've attended every city council meeting for the past four years and probably attended almost every city council meeting for the past decade," Hill said. "I know who the staff are and their roles. I know how to work with the agenda, and I've been council president this year, you know, chosen by my peers for my leadership."

It's this experience that the councilwom an believes sets her apart from her opponent. Hill shared, "It's a case of rhetoric versus reali ty. You can promise anything, but if you have no experience and no contacts to deliver, it's only a promise."

Also, she feels confident that voters are hap py with the state of the district and city during her tenure. Hill said, "I've heard people saying we're

"Our challenges, really, are some of our ba sic needs are not being met, and I feel, as a local government, certain things are sort of critical for the enjoyment of the community," she said, list ing issues such as inadequate street lighting, not enough police presence and overgrown parks.

Aside from shoring up the day-to-day, Pat ton would also like to be more purposeful when mapping out the city's future. Take development in the downtown area, for instance, an area the candidate would like to see the city take more of a lead role.

"I am concerned that our city council says no too often to projects because the projects aren't exactly what the city council wants," Patton said, "I think that we need to be more proactive as a city, first with a strategic plan, to make sure we un derstand what our priorities are and what we want to create for our community, both downtown and otherwise. And then we need to work with devel opers to actually provide the development that we want."

And why is Patton interested in pursuing the District 6 seat, representing her constituents and working to keep the city humming, attuning her self to its challenges and opportunities? She's do ing so to help the city be where she and her fam ily want to live.

"I want to live here for the rest of my life," Pat ton said. "I want my kids to come back here. I want them to have opportunity. I want to make sure this community is the best it can be, and I didn't feel we were headed in that direction. I want to help us get there."

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D2 SEEKING "UPTOWN" DEFENDER SEAT

their neighborhoods a convenient spot around which to place toxic industries.

"My mother ended up with cancer, as well as 100% of the people that she went to school with," Powell said, noting that her brother also died from cancer linked to the exposure.

After a career in education and as a litigation manager, Powell began considering what came next. She found herself concerned with the vari ous issues facing Pensacola and soon started en tertaining the idea of running for office.

"I thought to myself, 'Well, quit trying to get somebody else to do it, why don't you? Why don't you step up to do it?' So if I'm not going to be part of the solution, I'm a part of the problem," Powell said. "I want to be part of the solution."

Appreciating Councilwoman Myers' dogged representation of District 2, the candidate began to wonder if she could continue that legacy. She decided she could.

"You know what? I can take that baton," Powell said. "I can not only be that voice, but I can collaborate with others and continue the progress that we need to make, especially with the new mayor and potentially a new staff that he will bring in."

By Jeremy Morrison

For the past 12 years, Pensacola City Council woman Sherri Myers has represented District 2, branding it "uptown" and forever rallying for the city to pay it proper respect when it comes to funds and services. The councilwoman will soon be stepping down due to term limits, and two District 2 candidates are vying for the seat in a November runoff election.

Charles Bare is not a stranger in the council chambers at Pensacola City Hall, having previ ously held an at-large seat on the council. That was back when there were two at-large seats. However, the voters eliminated the seats by ref erendum in 2013, with Mayor Ashton Hayward and his supporters arguing for a leaner, more effi cient council. The charter amendment left Bare and Megan Pratt without council spots when their terms ended.

"I felt like my term on council was interrupt ed by the change in the governance," Bare said. "I kind of felt like I had more work I could've done as a council member back then but wasn't able to because I had to come off council when my seat went away."

Also on the ballot for District 2 is Charletha Powell. Having never held an elected office and having no longstanding ties in the community— "I was one of the true unknowns"—the candidate reads her performance in the primary election as validation that the district's voters are looking for something fresh.

"I don't have any past baggage to bring with me into this current administration," Powell said. "I have a new vision, a new view; I'm a collabora

BARE BACK?

Beginning with his election in 2012, Bare was a fixture on Pensacola City Council for years, repre senting the entire city in his at-large seat and also serving a term as the council president. In 2010, he ran for mayor, coming in fourth behind Mike Wiggins, Ashton Hayward and Diane Mack.

Since rolling off the council in 2016, the candidate has run his management and tech nology consulting business. In 2018, he ran for the District 4 seat on the Emerald Coast Utili ties Authority board, losing to long-time incum bent Dale Perkins.

But what Bare's really been looking to do is get back on the city council, where he felt he had more work to do. When his family moved into District 2, he began mulling a run for Council woman Myers' seat.

saying that our district needs to have its needs addressed, and primarily, that comes to things like police and stormwater."

Ensuring that District 2 has sufficient police coverage and that its stormwater issues— par ticularly those intertwined with the restoration of Carpenter Creek—are among the candidate's top priorities. In addition to other city-wide issues, such as addressing the issues of homelessness, affordable housing and pollution, Bare has sug gested exploring some interesting ways to serve city residents better and save them money.

The candidate is quick to point out that while she plans to work to ensure District 2 receives adequate attention—she too has identified safety and stormwater as top priorities in the dis trict—Powell doesn't plan to place District 2 on a pedestal or even, as Myers famously engages, complain about focusing too much on downtown at the expense of other areas of the city.

"I look at District 2 as an artery of down

"I knew she was going to term out, and I started thinking about it and looking at the district and its needs," Bare said. "I felt like they needed somebody who could get in there and be a strong representative for the district."

He continued, "Sherri and I had talked about it for a while. And I looked at who was in there, and I thought I could do a better job."

Along these lines, the candidate has proposed looking at a couple of interesting concepts—giv ing city residents financial breaks when it comes to things like municipal recreational facilities like pools and tennis courts or franchise fees associ ated with the municipally owned natural gas com pany Pensacola Energy.

"WHY DON'T YOU?"

One of Powell's first recognitions of political representation came early in life. The area where her family is from had little political pull, making

town," Powell said. "You know, we support down town. Downtown is the heartbeat of all of our districts, and we have six other districts that are supporting that, that are arteries of that."

And while she has been engaged in issues facing the city and formed some positions during her time spent serving on local municipal boards and community organizations, Powell said that her guiding principle is centered around commu nication, both with constituents and fellow city council members, and a recognition of the value of compromise.

"I am a public servant, not a politician, and that's why I'm running for a city council posi tion versus something else at this point in my life," Powell said. "My job is not only to hear but to listen."

She continued, "We don't have to agree on everything, but through hearing, understand ing and compromise, I truly believe that we're stronger when we work together, and we can accomplish anything in an amicable way." {in}

tor; I know how to work with people and to get things done."

"I felt like they needed somebody who could get in there and be a strong representative for the district." Charles Bare

"I am a public servant, not a politician, and that's why I'm running for a city council position versus something else at this point in my life." Charletha Powell

A common-sense, proven leader working for you.

HIT

advertisement paid for and approved by Robert Bender, Republican, for Escambia County Commission, District 4.

Next fall, Baptist Health Care plans to open its new campus, cur rently being developed off Brent Lane, and it's apparent that President and CEO Mark Faulkner is excited.

"From the chair I sit in, it's hard for me to believe we're less than a year away from moving into this campus," Faulkner said during a recent media preview of the site.

Baptist announced its intentions to relocate from its E Street campus in 2019. Faulkner cred ited members across the development spectrum with keeping the project running smoothly dur ing the pandemic-plagued interim.

"We have the A-team here—architects, proj ect managers, construction and other partners," he said. "It's kept us on track."

The new campus has several different as pects to it. First, there's the main hospital with 10 floors that will house 264 beds, including ar eas dedicated to surgery, labor and delivery, and an ICU area. Next is the Bear Family Foundation Health Center, which has six floors with exam rooms and areas for multispecialty services and a conference center. Finally, the new behavioral health unit will have 72 beds, including areas for inpatient care, outdoor play areas, a garden and sensory rooms.

Brett Aldridge, senior vice president of strat egy and development, described the experience of building a new hospital as "cool and incred ible and a privilege to be a part of." He explained that the new facilities will offer the community a state-of-art health care hub, but the project is about more than health care.

"It's also about economic impact," Aldridge said, noting how the new campus will stimulate business in the surrounding area and is already pumping money into the local economy during

this development time. "On any given day, there are about 800 construction workers on this site."

The new campus represents a $636 million in vestment in the local community. Since January of 2021, more than $16 million has been paid out in construction worker wages. Insofar as the campus and the services to be offered, Vice President of Operations John Porter summed it up with a sen tence—"Everything is bigger."

This doesn't just pertain to size, though the facilities are larger. Porter explained that Baptist officials were aware they were being presented the rare opportunity of developing a new facility from the ground up.

"We're building a building," Porter said. "This is our chance to get it right."

Progress on Baptist's new campus is evident as it rises near I-110. Up close, it's evident all the more. In the main hospital facility, interior paint ing is underway on the first six floors, while cab inetry is being installed on the first four, and tile work is ongoing on floors one through three. In the Bear Family Foundation Health Center, all the drywall is up on the first five floors, with cabine try, tile and plumbing ongoing below. The building pad is complete for the behavioral health unit, and most of the site's utilities have been installed.

SACRED AGREEMENT Filmmaker Elrico Tun stall and Ascension Sacred Heart have reached an agreement on the name of Tunstall's film proj ect. When the project was initially announced this summer, the movie and subsequent tele vision series was called "Sacred Hart." The film is a drama about Dr. Darin Brooks and his fam ily, who struggled to keep Sacred Hart Hospital open. It was filmed in the old Sacred Heart Hos pital building on 12th Avenue.

Tunstall told Inweekly that he had been go

ing back and forth with Ascension's legal team

possible with them, to let them understand and, of course, to let the whole public, in general, know We actually never used their property as far as go ing on actual Ascension grounds and shooting, us

Habitat is launching a land trust, so that land that is donated or acquired by the organization may be deducted from the total cost of an overall housing project. This approach is expected to re duce the cost of a house by about 30%.

The way Habitat's land trust would operate is that the property would be used for the devel opment of affordable housing, with the eventual owners taking on a deed with a restriction that es sentially ensures that the property will remain af fordable in perpetuity.

"Once the land is in that land trust," explained Young, "it will remain there forever. The land trust is going to become a very powerful tool for us to go back to our roots, our foundation of what we want to do."

verbally say that we would be called 'Sacred' from this is a community project that was put together to enhance our community, not to cause division,

The movie will premiere over two days in early

tie viewing at the WSRE PBS Jean & Paul Amos

lowing day, a community celebration of the movie release will be held at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

HABITAT ESTABLISHES LAND TRUST As the dynamics of the economy evolve, particu larly rising housing costs, so do the dynamics of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity's operations.

"The dream of homeownership became out of reach for so many people," Sam Young noted re cently. "We're heading back into an environment where people making a median income can never ever afford a median-priced house."

As president and chief executive officer of Pensacola's Habitat, Young has seen a change in the population that the organization assists with getting into a starter home. Whereas Habitat previously focused its energies on people earn ing 30% of the median income, the rising cost of property together with comparatively stagnating income levels has led to the organization working with people earning between 60-80%, or even as much as 120% of the median income.

"We have had to leave some of these people behind," Young said of those at the lower end of the income spectrum.

When Young surveys the group's clients these days, they tend to fall into the middle-income, backbone-of-community categories, such as teachers and police officers. He said, "The folks that are critical for us to run our economy, that is whom we are serving."

While rising housing costs are beyond Habi tat's control, the organization is trying a new ap proach to its mission to alleviate some of the burden associated with the increased costs. Young said, "We as an organization cannot change the economics, but we as an organiza tion are committed to helping people make up that gap."

Habitat built 41 houses in the local area this fiscal year, with another 33 home repair projects. That's a jump from last year's COVID-hindered 27 closings but lower than 2023's expected 60 clos ings. With this new land trust established, the lo cal Habitat branch hopes to continue to expand and deepen the pool of people it serves, helping them attain, as Young noted, one version of the American dream.

"For so many of us, the core of that American dream revolves around home ownership," he said.

EDATE RENEWAL Since 1992, the Econom ic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption (EDATE) has been a tool to incentivize busi nesses to relocate to Escambia County and en courage local businesses to expand. Over the last three years, Escambia County has had eight active EDATE ordinances that have helped create 5,400 new jobs and $1.2 billion in capital investments.

Elevate Escambia has been formed by local business leaders to help pass the renewal of the EDATE program on Nov. 8. Banker Bruce Vreden burg chairs the group, and he shared with Inweek ly the importance of the program.

"Years ago, we used to have, at the state level, Enterprise Florida, which had a lot more funding," Vredenburg told Inweekly. "Over time, through various administrations, that's been drawn down, and much of the burden in terms of economic de velopment has been transitioned to the counties."

He continued, "And so where we used to rely to some degree on the state to provide funding to assist us in economic development at the coun ty level, essentially that's been placed solely on us. The EDATE is the only financial tool that we have to offer incentives for businesses to expand or re locate to Escambia County."

Two success stories stand out in the history of the program—Navy Federal Credit Union and Ascend Performance Materials. Combined, these companies created nearly 6,000 new jobs and drive more than $380 million in investments in Es cambia County.

Florida Statute 196.1995 authorizes the EDATE incentive, which grants a property tax ex emption for up to 10 years when businesses ex pand or create jobs. Companies must gain ap proval from the county before taking advantage of the incentives.

It's been 10 years since voters last renewed the measure, which passed by a sizeable mar gin—61%. Other Florida counties that take advan tage of the state's EDATE program include Or ange, Miami-Dade, Polk, Sarasota, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Pinellas, Bay, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Brevard, Lee and others. For more informa tion, visit elevateescambia.org.

SOCKTOBER West Pensacola Elementary School will kick off its annual "Socktober" service project this month, with a goal of collecting 900 pairs of new socks this month.

Each year, West Pensacola Elementary cel ebrates Socktober during the month of Octo ber. Faculty, staff, students and families collect new socks to donate to nearby homeless shel ters. Last year, the school collected 816 pairs of new socks.

"At West Pensacola, we say we have BIG hearts and strive to provide our students with op portunities to give back to our community," stated West Pensacola Principal Christine Baker. "Sock tober is a great event that allows our school to provide an often-forgotten resource to others in our community."

Donations can be dropped off at the school's

front office during regular hours, Monday-Fri day. West Pensacola Elementary School is locat ed at 801 N. 49th Ave.

LIFEVIEW GROUP Lakeview Center hit a milestone one year after separating from Bap tist Health Care, with a rebrand and a new par ent company, LifeView Group.

"The name 'LifeView' does two things," said Allison Hill, president and CEO of Life View Group. "First, it says we are here for you any time on your 'life' journey. Second, it keeps 'view' as part of our name to honor our 67-year legacy of service under the Lakeview brand."

Lakeview Center is known for mental health care, having started in 1954 as a small children's guidance clinic and grown into what is today the most comprehensive behavioral health agen cy in Northwest Florida. The organization also provides child welfare, foster care and adop tion services from Escambia to Walton coun ties through FamiliesFirst Network. Nationwide, its affiliate Global Connections to Employment offers jobs and career services for people with significant disabilities.

Lakeview Center, FamiliesFirst Network and Global Connections to Employment will maintain

their names and operate as separate divisions of LifeView Group, but they will have updated logos and branding to fit the LifeView brand.

"In naming our new parent company, we took more than 200 suggestions from our team members," said Hill. "We landed in the perfect place to jumpstart the journey of our organiza tion for many years to come."

REMEMBERING JULIAN OLSEN On Tuesday, Oct. 11, the city of Pensacola celebrated the life and legacy of Julian "Ole" Olsen Sr., its first Parks and Recreation Director. Olsen was a pioneer who established many programs during his 28 years of service to the city from 1928-1956.

He was instrumental in the development of Bayview Park, creating the Julian Olsen Youth Track Meet, youth athletics, amateur boxing matches and a swimming program at Bayview. He also helped establish many youth centers includ ing Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Cen ter, Fricker Resource Center and Bayview Com munity Resource Center.

Olsen served as the president of the Florida Recreation and Parks Association for two years, receiving an Achievement Award from the FRPA for outstanding service to his community and the

State of Florida. Olsen was also active in the Na tional Parks Association.

UNITED WAY PACESETTERS Several busi nesses lock in their donations to United Way of West Florida during the summer months. The suc cess and excitement generated by the activities of the Pacesetters inspire other organizations to fol low their lead when running their own campaigns.

"We are thankful for the generosity of these organizations and their employees," said Laura Gilliam, United Way of West Florida president and CEO. "Their contributions will help people in Es cambia and Santa Rosa counties improve their ed ucation, health and financial stability. Now, we're counting on the rest of the community to increase that impact and strengthen our community."

The 2022 Pacesetter companies are Baptist Health Care, Beard Equipment, Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County, Goodwill Gulf Coast, Kia Autosport, Regions Bank, Synovus, United Way of West Florida and Warren Av erett. Florida Power & Light added a check for $96,600, which brought the total to $192,892. Donations to United Way of West Florida can be made by texting UWWF to 26989 or online at uwwf.org/#donate. {in}

Rosa

Paula Andrews Douglas Bates Jud Brandt

Jeremy

Branning

Troupe Brewer Meredith Bush Will Dunaway

Marcela Fishbein

Megan Fry

Kia Goldsmith

Daniel Harrell Charles James

Alfred Lojo Glenn Lovett

Alan Manning Sara Martin Bruce Partington

Jason Peterson Scott Remington

Mike Schofield

Richard

Sherrill

Andrew Spencer

Will Stokes

Rhett Williams

FemFest RETURNS

By Dakota Parks

Kirstin Norris Gartner juggled baby moni tors and a chef's knife while preparing dinner for her family during our Inweekly interview. For the new mother and founding organizer of FemFest, she wasn't sure whether or not the inter sectional feminist festival would come back from its two-year pandemic hiatus—that is, until the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Charged with its mission of creating spaces for people of all backgrounds to share their voices, advance equal ity, educate the community and raise funds for organizations which advance the cause of femi nism—Gartner knew that we needed FemFest now more than ever.

"The day that the Supreme Court overturned Roe, I was rocking my son to sleep and crying. In his nursery, I have the Better South Beliefs framed above the rocking chair, and it talks about a wom an's right to her own body," Gartner explained. "So I was sitting there crying over these beautiful words, feeling angry, sad and hopeless at the state of our country. I felt the weight of responsibility to bring FemFest back, and I texted Hale Morrissette a few days later, and we both agreed that we had to do something. It's a scary time to be a person with a uterus in this country. It would be irrespon

sible of me not to use the resources that I created to do something about it."

At its core, FemFest was created to inspire joy amidst the heavy and emotionally draining work of feminism and community organizing. Although Gartner explained this year's festival may be shrouded in a somber and poignant ambi ance, she hopes that the evocative art, music and storytelling provides a sense of comfort and em powerment to those in attendance. Gartner and her co-organizers plan to do that by hosting two nights of programing back-to-back at Artel Gal lery later this month.

Her Roots: A Southern Woman's Song

Rooted in this power of collective storytelling, the first FemFest event, "Her Roots," combines music and personal stories to explore and expand the notions of Southern womanhood. This new event was conceived by Gartner and Juliana Child, the assistant artistic director for Pensacola Children's Chorus. Set against the backdrop of a stereotypical Southern porch where stories are shared amongst generations of women, this inti mate space will break down the barriers between

audience and performers while intertwining monologues with choral pieces.

"This concert is celebrating the strength of the bonds that can be created between women— relationships that women have with one another, supporting one another," Child explained. "One piece within the performance is called 'Lineage,' and it's celebrating our ancestors and generations of women that came before us—the shoulders we're standing on. In many cultures, women are the keepers and bearers of traditions and stories, so we wanted to create a musical event that cel ebrated that and shattered preconceived notions that people have about Southern culture through the lens of women's experiences."

The monologues shared will include vulner able stories that explore themes of abortion, mi sogyny and racism. With more than 20 performers and a program of choral pieces composed almost entirely by women from the South, the concert aims to not only highlight the diversity and inter secting identities of Southern women but also expand the understanding of womanhood itself.

"In our call for singers, we tried to be as inten tionally inclusive and welcoming as possible by acknowledging that the definition of womanhood

is expanding," Child said. "I come from a vocal and choral background where something as simple as which part you sing in a choir is deeply gendered. So, it was important to reach out to cisgender women, transgender women and people who identify anywhere along the spectrum of woman hood and femininity, including nonbinary people who feel comfortable in spaces that center the ex periences of women or have this lived experience of womanhood. Some people are threatened by this, such as Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs), but we're hoping the event can broaden these perspectives. If those among us who are the most marginalized can be free, it creates more freedom of expression for everyone. It should excite us all that the definition of womanhood is constantly expanding and evolving."

As Child explained, "Her Roots" not only centers a diverse group of singers, but it also provides them with a space to explore gender presentation and wear whatever they are most comfortable in—unlike many professional choral concerts which adhere to a strict gendered dress code. This constant evolution is at the heart of FemFest. By creating and holding a space for feminists and womanists to gather, they can cen

Kirstin Gartner, Hale Morrissette and Juliana Child / Photo by Natalie Allgyer

ter the stories of marginalized groups who face systemic injustice.

"From the very beginning of FemFest, we discussed the importance of using our positions of privilege as white, cisgender people who live above the poverty line—who have this disposable income to invest into grassroots organizations— as a force for good," Gartner explained. "We have to make sure that we're using our privilege to create spaces for other marginalized people to come in and not just sit in the audience but to also participate, tell their stories and share their voice. That's why we are constantly partnering with local organizations and activists. I hope that FemFest continues to spark this conversation in Pensacola and brings a sense of security to those of us who feel scared or threatened from their rights being infringed upon. I want people to feel empowered to share their own stories once they leave."

After more than three years of femalefocused arts and advocacy events, FemFest has raised over $13,000 for local beneficiaries. Pro ceeds from this year's two-day event will benefit Sister Song, a national activist organization dedi cated to reproductive justice for women of color. "Her Roots" will also include an art fair and resource fair with vendors ranging from legal services and nonprofits to mental and reproductive health.

"At its core, FemFest is a celebration of in tersectional feminism that also recognizes the current political moment we're in. It's a weekend where people from different walks of life can stand together behind the causes that are impor tant to them while holding space for each other to feel, express and process the whirlwind of emo tions surrounding our various identities. I hope 'Her Roots' can be a catharsis for people and that we raise a lot of money for people who need that support the most right now," Child said.

Womanhood in Lavender: Renaissance Noir

For Hale Morrissette, "Womanhood in Lav ender" is about creating a space of one's own—a space for Black women to gather, celebrate and create art together. As FemFest's most popular and well-attended event, Morrissette hopes that bringing it back for night two this year can help bridge a gap in the community and educate at tendees about the experiences and struggles of Black women through its diverse lineup of performers including musicians, actors, dancers, poets and visual artists.

"Just imagine you're walking into this event— the lights are low, there's an illuminated altar full of sunflowers and candles, and there's a throne there. In the background, there is some upbeat music like Solange Knowles playing while someone's talking in a real sultry voice reading poetry or dancing. One year, we even had a live boudoir photo session happening. All of the art on the walls is created by Black women and vendors are laughing and selling their artwork. There is so much happiness radiating in the room. It's just a night of Black women existing however they see fit in this creative space together. It means a lot to me, because Black women don't typically get a space of our own," Morrissette said.

As a womanist abolitionist, Morrissette is a dedicated activist and community organizer fighting against race and gender inequality, police brutality, mass incarceration and com munity violence. Her journey to womanism—

a term coined by Alice Walker that focuses on uplifting women of color— is integral to her work both as a community organizer and as the orga nizer of "Womanhood in Lavender."

"My journey started off with unlearning a lot of things that society told me was a Back woman's place," Morrissette explained. "I thought I had to accept sexual harassment, and I thought it was just a part of how the world worked. I thought I had to accept having to choose either being Black or being queer. Then I realized what it means to be a mother and what it means to fight for the liberation of all people. Womanism speaks to the fullness of who I am."

By welcoming this fullness and intersection ality, Morrissette is able to use their voice to speak out on a myriad of interconnected issues and place this at the forefront of their organiz ing efforts.

"The overturning of Roe v. Wade sparked this immediate need for FemFest to come back and raise money, because there are dire conse quences to this ruling," Morrissette explained. "It's a violence against the whole body—not just people with ovaries. Everything is connected. As an abolitionist, I can already see arrests happening to women in other states. There is going to be a push to incarcerate even more minority and Black women or Black people that violate any of these anti-abortion legislations. It's a life-or-death issue that introduces even more violence to women that can't afford an abortion or who might suffer abuse from a spouse because of an unwanted pregnancy. Murder is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women."

These issues are at the forefront of FemFest and its beneficiary, Sister Song, a reproductive justice organization focused on women of color. Like Gartner, Morrissette hopes that "Woman hood in Lavender" can offer a reprieve from the physical and emotional burnout of organizing and fighting against unjust systems. This year's theme is "Renaissance Noir," which celebrates the influx of Black creativity, community and artistic activism.

"The Black renaissance is the celebration of new art," Morrissette said. "Beyoncé has definitely influenced this, but I just wanted to emphasize the Blackness of it all. I've been saying for a while that we're in the midst of a Black renaissance in Pensacola. There are so many people within our community doing amazing things. Black artists and businesses are blooming. I wanted to be able to highlight that. 'Womanhood in Lavender' really represents the creativity and soul that we pour into our community. The personal is the political, and it's our way of standing in our glory. We're go ing to have fun while we do it, but we are going to hold our space." {in}

FEMFEST 2022

WHEN: Her Roots: A Southern Woman's Song: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28

Womanhood in Lavender: Renaissance Noir: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29

WHERE: Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox PRICE: Suggested donation $10; proceeds go to Sister Song*

DETAILS: Facebook @femfestpcola, Instagram @femfestpensacola

*For more information on the nonprofit organi zation that FemFest is raising funds for, visit sistersong.net.

Arts & Entertainment

Staying Punk and Getting Emotional with Cristy Road

By C. Scott Satterwhite

ferred to as a Latina artist, a queer artist, a figurative artist, a punk rock musi cian. They're all valid, and I think elevating specif ic elements is sometimes necessary to let people see my relevance.

INWEEKLY: Do you see your various art forms— visual art, music, and writing—as independent or connected to your oth er art forms?

sign for Kathleen Hanna's charity Tees4Togo and created a set of her own unique tarot cards. As the latest Artist-in-Residence for the 309 Punk Project, Road will bring her talents to Pen sacola for a week that culminates with an artist re ception at the punkhouse in Old East Hill. In this interview, we talk about her art and culture, along with the artists who have influenced Road over the years as she returns to Pensacola.

INWEEKLY: You're pretty prolific and multi faceted in your work. I don't want to pigeon hole you, so how would you describe yourself as an artist?

ROAD: I guess the pigeonhole is a little helpful sometimes. I would describe myself as a firstgeneration Cuban American artist of the illustra tive punk rock queer feminist persuasion, maybe. I think it's always context. I'm an illustrator, but I'm also a songwriter and a graphic novelist, and all those things are important to me. I've been re

Yes, always. From the narratives in my songs—which are usual ly about love or compan ionship during some hells cape—to the narratives in my books, they're usual ly about the same people or events. The same global tragedies inspire the glob al narratives or the interest in telling my story. I haven't written a memoir since 2012, but all of those titles were created with the in tention of placing my nar rative in a larger context, whether it's my book about abusive relationships and drugs or my book about being a closeted teen in a red state. I do see a di vide between my art and music. Art can be more universal, but punk rock is its own subgenre of communication that isn't even always that popu lar in the scheme of modern pop-punk.

INWEEKLY: The first time I saw your art was in relation to political activism, usually con nected to political bands. Do you see the two, your politics and art, as intertwined?

ROAD: I started making art and releasing it in my zine "Greenzine" in 1997 as a response to isolation, loneliness, watching a world commit right-wing crimes while I sit round try to make friends but ac tually get vapidly made fun of. It began as a punk rock fanzine where I obsessed over bands, name ly Green Day, East Bay punk bands, whatever lo cal ska band was owning my social life, and even tually the DIY punk rock scene, where I often got mad shit for my incessant need to fan-out. I al ways included some kind of narrative about me and my friends getting made fun of, but ["Green zine"] was mostly interviews and record reviews. It evolved into narratives on body autonomy, sex

uality and reclaiming "feminism" from what I saw as white women's movements—as a teenager in Miami, raised by Latinas who all held multiple jobs and did not identify with American feminism in the '80s and '90s. Political warfare is where my voice felt at home, whether or not punk rock was the soundtrack. By 2002, I started talking about the abusive relationship that shaped my relation ship to punk rock and DIY and idealized notions of revolution. As a kid, I was obsessed with social movements and any act of humanity rising up, al ways reading about the polarizing wars between socialism and capitalism. I grew up with the ef fects of the embargo, watching my family in Mi ami show up for my family in Guanabacoa [Cuba], albeit resisting the right-wing doctrine of Miami, all the while learning of the migration of so many communities I grew up around—Cuban, Hai tian, Nicaraguan and Dominican. Through it all, my family (of women) raised me and my sister and my cousins in what always felt like home, but of ten included battlefields against capitalism and/ or men. By 2003, my zine about punk rock evolved into a zine about social justice and existing in "al ternative" community, that is often straight or rac ist or not particularly eager to justify the humanity of promiscuous girls who are survivors of violence. That was my narrative. And to be real, I find it sad when anyone, of any gender, can't fangirl out on their friends' bands. Trust me, they will thank you.

INWEEKLY: I'm sure a lot of people are thank ful of your fangirling. Your art is amazing, and your style is very recognizable. Standard in terview question time—who were some of your influences?

ROAD: The art of Frida Kahlo, Coop, John Kric falusi, Kathe Kollwitz and Archibald Motley are probably the first visual influences that inspired how I draw figures and landscapes. I saw some of their work when I was such a small child; I had no idea what was going on, but I wanted to live in it. Archibald Motley's portrayal of communi ties at dusk was so fucking perfect to me. A lot of the vibe [in my own artwork], however, is so en trenched in punk rock that it keeps me unmarket able, but I don't mind. The black outlines and the need to show every detail is very important to me. Sometimes buildings look older than they should, but that sadness and truth is comforting to me. That energy is super influenced by Aaron Comet bus. I'll never forget in the late '90s feeling this connection to his music and art, and how I related to how it made punk feel, as a community and as a general voice, more so than the leather and spikes and ransom note text. I also loved the classic ico nography and aesthetic of, say, Raymond Petti bon and the layouts of Germs records or Bikini Kill

records—to name my favorites—but I also loved Pushead and Disney, so fuck a bunch of walls. My aesthetic is all over the place. The feeling, howev er, is not, and I think that's what keeps it personal ized and punk and emotional and Miami and Cu ban and everything else that is my own.

INWEEKLY: Speaking of, what role does your culture play in your art?

ROAD: It's a profound foundation. Punk rock was such a savior at first, but I was not whole. I was just trying to find a net. What I knew of culture as a first generation Cuban-American was com plex and Catholic, not wild and queer and exces sively decorative or loud. So I dug deep into these parts of my soul. My biological father is an amaz ing painter who was not present for my childhood or teen years. My family's trauma, merged with his abandonment, created a dynamic of love and compassion with a lot of protection, where let ting loose and freaking out almost felt dangerous. So the more I connected with a raw, individualized version of my cultural identity, the more my art thrived. It was insane to see the power I harnessed and the soul I felt when I started doing something as simple as, say, writing songs in Spanish. Howev er, nothing compares to ancestral magic—setting up altars for my abuelas and abuelos and the Ori shas who've followed me since birth. Aligning my art with the messages I get from my spiritual path has all been super grounding, as a Cuban Ameri can woman with a polarizing connection to Mi ami, but also as a punk rocker who found so many homes around so many white people or straight people. I need to feel connected to culture in my bones, because I can't control who holds me.

INWEEKLY: Artistically speaking, what ex cites you these days?

ROAD: Obviously, still the revolution and Green Day. But no, really, I'm still inspired by watch ing communities rise up or watching collapse and wondering what the hell I can do. And I'm inspired by love and nature and feeling my heart open. I've had a kind of whirlwind life of being married to my work, falling hard for people, but never find ing long term love. The older I get, the less I relate to most of the people in my life. So it's profoundly special, feeling safe enough to have feelings. {in}

CRISTY ROAD ART RECEPTION

WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21

WHERE: 309 Punk Project, 309 N. Sixth Ave.

COST: Free, but donations are accepted

DETAILS: 309punkproject.org, croadcore.org

happenings

HALLOWEEN EVENTS

BOO AT THE ZOO Boo at the Zoo runs each weekend through Oct. 30. Have your little ones don their favorite costumes for a fun time at the Gulf Breeze Zoo's Boo at the Zoo, located at 5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with the last admission at 4 p.m. Tickets are $9 for members and $19.95-$25.95 for regular admission. Visit gbzoo.com for details.

The Zoo will be decked out for Halloween fun complete with bounces houses, face painting and, of course, our Ambassador Animal Headquarters. Explore the trick-or-treat trail, featuring more than 50 vendors with candy, treats and toys.

GALLERY NIGHT: FRIGHT NIGHT This month's Gallery Night is Friday, Oct. 21, from 5-9 p.m., and the theme is "Fright Night." The featured artists are a collective of artists, members of the Pensacola Muralists. View live paintings created by members Caroline Holland, Eniko Ujj, Patty Sauces and Dylan Nadsady throughout the evening. Crow Road will play at 7 p.m. For more information, visit gallerynightpensacola.org.

HOWLOWEEN Take a haunted walking tour and take part in a costume photoshoot Satur day, Oct. 22, at 4:30 p.m., at Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave.

PERDIDO KEY WITCHES & WEREWOLVES

HALLOWEEN PADDLE RIDE Enjoy a spooky-themed paddle rides, costume contest, trick or treating and more Saturday, Oct. 22, at noon. The fun starts at the Galvez Boat Launch. Proceeds go to Keygulls PK Mobile Food Pan try. For more information, visit facebook.com/ keygullscorp.

CANDY BAR BINGO Join Bodacious Book store, 110 E. Intendencia St., Friday, Oct. 21, from 4:30-5:30 p.m., for Candy Bar Bingo Night. Bring a full-size candy bar for every round of Bingo you want to play. Winner takes all. Visit facebook. com/bodaciousbookstore.

HALLOWEEN AT PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Join Pensacola Arts Market for a spooky good time. Trick or Treat with PensaPride at Pen sacola Arts Market Saturday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m.4 p.m., at 1401 W. Intendencia St. Enjoy candy, costumes, games, local artisans, handcrafted

goods, vintage & local eats. All ages are welcome to join in trick or treating. Costumes encouraged.

BOODACIOUS HALLOWEEN STORYTIME AND KIDS' HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARADE AND CONTEST Visit Bodacious Book store and Café, 110 E. Intendencia St., at 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, for a special Halloween story time. Then, head to Bubba's Sweet Spot, 405 S. Palafox, immediately after for a costume parade from the Bookstore to Bubba's Sweet Spot as well as a kids' costume contest. Enjoy $3 Halloween treat decorating (Oreos and Rice Krispies) and kids' activities. First prize for the costume contest is a bucket of candy, second is a free scoop of ice cream and third is gummy candies. Winners will be chosen at 12:45 PM. Must be present to win.

SPOOKY SUSHI NIGHT Visit Bodacious, 407D S. Palafox, 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, for a spooky sushi class. Cost is $69. For more informa tion, visit bodaciousshops.com.

ARCHAEOLOGY ON TAP: HOW FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY DECOMPOSED THE VAMPIRE MYTH Visit Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox, for the next "Archaeology on Tap" pro gram. Walk in and grab a drink to hear UWF An thropology Associate Professor Dr. Allysha Win burn present "Staking the Claim: How Forensic Anthropology Decomposed the Vampire Myth," 6-7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26. Visit facebook. com/oddcolony for details.

MUMMY & ME CHARCUTERIE Visit Boda cious, 407-D S. Palafox, 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28, for a Halloween-themed charcuterie class. Cost is $85. For more information, visit bodaciousshops.com.

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Get ready for Halloween with an adults-only showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Blue Wahoos Sta dium, 351 Cedar St., 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28. Come in costume and be prepared for an immersive experience. Tickets are $20 and include a prop bag. For more information, visit facebook.com/ bluewahoosbaseball.

ZALLOWEEN "Zalloween," hosted by Zarzaur Law, 100 S. Palafox, is 4-6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 29, and will include candy, games, a fire truck that kids can explore from the Pensacola Fire Department, free mini snow cones, an arts and crafts station

with First City Art Center, Pensacon, candy and crafts with Pen Air Federal Credit Union, a handson creepy crawly exhibit with Animal Tales LLC and more. A kid's costume contest will kick off at 5 p.m. with four age group categories and a $100 first prize for each age group. The first 250 kids in costume will also receive a reflective trick-or-treat bag and a pumpkin strobe light.

THE WITCHING HOUR Join Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St., for cocktails, spooky décor, costumes, tarot card readings and more, 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29. Visit facebook. com/perfectplainbrewingco for details.

BARKTOBER AT BOODACIOUS Join Boda cious, 407-D S. Palafox, Saturday, Oct. 29, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., for their Barktober dog costume con test. There will be prizes for best costume, most well-behaved pup and most creative dog name. There will also be a pup-cup eating contest.

WAHOOLOWEEN AT BLUE WAHOOS Come in costume to the annual Wahooloween cele bration at Blue Wahoos Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 29. Trick or treat begins at 5 p.m., and a showing of "Hocus Pocus" begins at 6 p.m. Admission is just $7. No outside food, drinks or chairs permitted. Concessions will be open. Get your tickets by visiting the link at facebook.com/ bluewahoosbaseball.

STRONG STREET STUDIO PUMPKIN PAR TIES This year, Strong Street Studio is offering a mix of shopping options for your convenience with multiple sales online and in studio. New Inventory will be released for sale online as well as in the studio. Studio sales are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, located at 109 N. A St., Unit B. Details at strongstreetstudioglass.com.

HOWL O' WEEN Head to Perfect Plain Brew ing Co., 50 E. Garden St., Sunday, Oct. 30, for its fifth annual Howl O'Ween Pet Costume Con test. Registration is at 1 p.m. and the contest is at 2 p.m. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrew ingco for details.

PENSACOLA HUMANE SOCIETY BARK TOBER FEST Make a date with your best furry friend and treat him or her to a howlin' good time at the Pensacola Humane Society's annual Bark toberfest, Sunday, Oct. 30, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,

Adoption • Paternity • Dependency/DCF Hearings

Prenuptial Agreements • Postnuptial Agreements

Divorce • Child Custody and Timesharing Child Support • Child Support Modifications

Alimony • Collaborative Divorce • Divorce Mediation • Pre-Suit Family Law Mediation

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

happenings

at Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. Animal rescue organizations will be on hand with adoptable dogs and plenty of information about different programs each offers such as volunteer ing, fostering, donation needs and more.

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

ANIMAL ALLIES BINGO Animal Allies Florida is hosting Bingo at two locations. Dates are 7 p.m., Nov. 1 and 22, and Dec. 6 and 20, at Scenic Hills Country Club, located at 8891 Burning Tree Road. $10 for 30 cards. At The 5 Barrel Brewery, 121 S. Palafox, dates are 6 p.m. Oct. 11 and 25, Nov. 15 and 29, and Dec. 13 and 27. $10 for $10 rounds. Proceeds go to help local animals. You must be 18 years old to play. Visit aaflorida.org for details.

LIGHT UP LEARNING Studer Community In stitute's annual Light Up Learning hosted by Su per Bowl champion Josh Sitton will be held at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20, located at 351 W. Cedar St. The annual fundraising dinner will bring guests on-field at Blue Wahoos Stadium for an evening of gourmet food and drinks and incredible silent auction items for a great cause. More information on the event is available at studeri.org.

FISH FRY FOR FAVORHOUSE Mark your cal endars for Fish Fry for FavorHouse, 5:15 p.m., Fri day, Oct. 21, at Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Ce dar St. This event is held during October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This year's event will honor the life and service of Sue Hand, who dedicated her life to helping survivors of do mestic violence (DV) and sexual assault. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at favorhouse.org.

ARTS & CULTURE

PENSACOLA FAIR SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

The Pensacola Fair is Thursday, Oct. 20-Sunday, Oct. 30. located at 6655 Mobile Highway. General gate admission is $14 for adults, $6 for children ages 4-11 and free for children 3 and under. Unlim ited ride wristbands are $25 for Monday-Thursday (also good on Sunday, Oct. 30) and $30 for FridaySunday. Individual ride credits will also be avail able. There is also a $5 parking fee.

For more information on the Fair, call (850) 944-4500 or visit pensacolafair.com. You can also join us on Facebook at facebook.com/pensaco lainterstatefair.

Thursday, Oct. 20

•Fair hours: 4–11 p.m.

•Entertainment: Cat Country 98.7 BIG Lip Sync Battle Finals, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21

•Fair hours: 4 p.m.–2 a.m.

•Entertainment: Creedence Revived-Tribute to CCR, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 22

•Fair hours: 11 a.m.–midnight

•Entertainment: Headgames–A Tribute to For eigner,7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 23

•Fair hours: 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

•Entertainment: Prettiest Cow Competition, 6:30 p.m (Livestock Arena)

Monday, Oct. 24

•Fair hours: 4–11 p.m.

•Entertainment: Joe Nichols, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 25

•Fair hours: 4–11 p.m. Ladies get free admission from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26

•Fair hours: 4–11 p.m.

•Entertainment: Youth & FFA Livestock Auc tion, 7 p.m. (Livestock Arena) Thursday, Oct. 27

•Fair hours: 2–11 p.m.

•Entertainment: The Beach Buoys-Tribute to the Beach Boys, 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28

•Fair hours: 4 p.m.–2 a.m.

•Entertainment: White Tie Rock EnsembleTribute to Styx and Van Halen, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29

•Fair hours: 11 a.m.– midnight

• Entertainment: Parmalee, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30

•Fair hours: 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

"EXPERIENCE A NEW PERSPECTIVE" AT WEST FLORIDA PUBLIC LIBRARIES MU

SEUM SERIES WFPL has partnered up with area museums to showcase a sample of their collec tion. Join us and learn about the Pensacola area's rich culture, art and history. Collections on view at Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. Pensacola Heritage Foundation will be at the Chappie James Museum, 11:30 a.m., Oct. 20.

BRADLEY COPELAND AT EASY GOING GALLERY The next featured artist at Easy Go ing Gallery, 701 N. V St., is Bradley Copeland. His work will be on view through Nov. 15. An opening reception is Thursday, Oct. 20, from 6-9 p.m., with an artist talk at 7 p.m. Visit facebook.com/ easygoinggallery for details.

LOST PENSACOLA EXHIBIT Join the UWF Historic Trust for an exhibit opening and artist talk 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, at Voices of Pensacola, 117 E. Government St. "Lost Pensacola" is a poster exhibit that examines lost icons from Pensacola's past by Joe Vinson.

PEACE, PAWS & FALL Take part in a DIY tie dye bandana event 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave.

THE HONOR HER FOUNDATION INC. AND KATE TREICK PHOTOGRAPHY: "WE SEE YOU" The Honor HER Foundation Inc. has teamed up with Kate Treick Photography to present "We See You" Season 3, a photo exhibit saluting our Female Veterans in Pensacola and the Florida panhandle. The unveiling of the exhibit will be held Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St. This is a free event. The exhibit will be on display until Oct. 30.

WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CIN EMA ART PCA is located at the Studer Com munity Institute, 220 W. Garden St. Watch "The Watcher" 1 p.m. Oct. 22. Classic films are available for free through the PCA website. Visit pensaco lacinemaart.com for more information and the latest showtimes.

TABLE TALKS AT THE TRUST Join the His toric Trust for a monthly lunch and learn series on the third Wednesday of the month at the Voices

of Pensacola Multicultural Center, located at 117 E. Government St., from noon-1 p.m. The program is free—just bring your lunch and enjoy a casual opportunity to learn about a variety of topics. For more information, please email hparchives@uwf.edu or call (850) 595-5985, ext. 125. The next date is Nov. 16 with Scott Sat terwhite of 309 Punk House.

STUDIO SOUTH CLASSES The Socks 201 class is Oct. 26 is Slippers 201 at Studio South Yarn Co., 955 E. Nine Mile Road, Unit 101. Visit studiosouth yarnco.com for details.

BLITHE SPIRIT UWF Theatre's latest produc tion is Noël Coward's comedy Blithe Spirit with performances at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29, and 2:30 p.m., Oct. 23 and 30, at UWF Mainstage Theatre, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. For tickets, visit uwf.edu/cfpa.

INFERNO BURLESQUE Inferno Burlesque will perform at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22. Tickets are available at vinyl musichall.com.

FESTA DEI MORTI Join Primo Paradiso Lodge for their October potluck and cultural presenta tion, "Festa dei Morti" Sunday, Oct. 23, at 885 N. 70th Ave. The event will feature a special per formance by Carlo Canapa of the Italian Cultural Society of Pensacola. Come learn about Italian traditions and superstitions and please bring a dish to share. RSVP by Oct. 22 by emailing primo paradiso@gmail.com.

BROWN BAG OPERA The next Brown Bag Opera is Tuesday, Oct. 25. Visit the opera house at 75 S. Tarragona for a free daytime show from noon-12:45 p.m. Visit facebook.com/pensaco laopera for details.

ART AMONG FRIENDS ANNUAL EXHIBI-

TION Art Among Friends will have their fourth annual Exhibition at Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. The show runs concurrently with the Cinco Banderas Collections show through Nov. 18. The exhibit is free to the public, and the gallery is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.

Art Among Friends, composed of 16 local artists, has been painting together monthly since 2018, and each member has been painting for over a decade.

MOVIE NIGHT AT ALGA BEER CO. Visit Alga Beer Co., 2435 N. 12th Ave., every Monday at 7 p.m. for movie night. Follow @movie_night_at_ alga_ on Instagram to find out which movies will be featured each week.

LIFE DRAWING GROUP AT ARTEL Artel's life drawing group meets every Monday, except holi days, from 6-9 p.m. in Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. For more information, contact Melvin at (850) 549-8783 or visit artelgallery.org.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Enjoy shop ping for a variety of handcrafted wares at Pensacola Arts Market Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 1401 W. Intendencia St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, hand crafted unique gifts and more. Admission is

Modern Eldorados | Oct 25 Country

a&e happenings

free. For more information, visit facebook.com/ pensacolaartsmarket.

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

GALLERY 1060 JURIED SHOW View works in all media from local artists through Oct. 21 at First City Art's Gallery 1060, 1060 N. Guillemard St. Show will feature work from members and nonmembers. Visit firstcityart.org for details.

SURVIVING THE WILDS OF THE PAN HANDLE The Art Gallery at the University of West Florida presents "Surviving the Wilds of the Panhandle" by artist Justin Quaid Grubb from through Nov. 11. Artwork will be on display at TAG, located in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Bldg. 82, 11000 University Parkway.

SÉANCE: PHOTOGRAPHS BY SHANNON TAGGART A collection of photographs that explore the communities and phenomena associ ated with spiritualism, séance circles, mediumship and the devices used for communication with the spirits. On view at Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson, on view through Dec. 4. Visit pen sacolamuseum.org for details.

GREETINGS FROM PENSACOLA Postcards were one of the ultimate promoters of person, place and thing during the first half of the 20th century. Journey through the development of the postcard and Pensacola's postcard past while becoming acquainted with Curt Teich, the world's most successful postcard publisher. On view through September 2022 at Pensacola Museum of History. Visit historicpensacola.org for details.

SUDDENLY AMERICAN: A MEETING OF HERITAGE AND COUNTRY This exhibit looks at the transition of Florida from a Spanish territory to an American region, which formally occurred in 1821. Florida's embattled history dates back much farther than 1821. From refusing independence during the American Revolution to wanting their own freedom in 1810, Florida loved to cause prob lems. The United States eyed the region early on, using the Seminole Wars as an excuse to seize territory before turning to diplomatic means to acquire Florida. The Adams-Onis Treaty, de bated and initially agreed upon in 1819, resulted in Spain ceding control of East Florida to the United States. At the same time, Spain also agreed to give up all claims on West Florida, in essence giving the entire Florida territory over to the United States. Ratified in 1821, the treaty was cause for celebra tion in Pensacola, the capital of West Florida, as it officially became part of America. On view at Pensacola Museum of History through Dec. 23. Visit historicpensacola.org for details.

CELEBRATE! 50 YEARS OF THE GREAT GULF COAST ARTS FESTIVAL This exhibit ex plores the incredible story of the volunteers who keep the festival alive. Through the past five de

cades, little has made a larger impact on the city than the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival and those who dedicate their time to ensuring it remains a vibrant affair in the heart of Pensacola. On view at the Pensacola Museum of History through Febru ary 2023.

TEXTILES OF THE TIMES: REGENCY ERA DRESS MAKING

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

SIT AND SPIN Meet other knitters and spin your yarn on the first Saturday of the month at Studio South Yarn Co., 955 E. Nine Mile Road, Unit 101. Visit studiosouthyarnco.com for details.

SCRIPTEASERS WITH PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE Scripteasers, Studio 400's and Pen sacola Little Theatre's Script Reading Club invites you to monthly script readings at PLT, 400 S. Jefferson St. Want to bring your scripts for the group to read and discuss? Contact Pensacola Little Theatre to get in queue. The group reads prospective scripts for future seasons as well as new scripts that need a table read before the next edit. Not a playwright but love to read out loud? This is your easy, fun theatre night. Fascinated by the play selection process? Sit in for a listen and usually a lot of laughs. Visit facebook.com/pen sacolalittletheatre for more information and the latest dates.

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

OPEN MIC COMEDY AT BIG TOP BREW

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

NEW SUMMER CLASSES AT STUDIO

SOUTH Studio South Yarn Co. has new summer offerings—crochet and knitting classes for all skill levels as well as openings for the exclusive mem bership to "Unwind" on Thursdays and Saturdays, and finally, free "Knit in Public" pop ups at various Pensacola locations. Visit studiosouthyarnco. com and follow SSYC @studiosouthpensacola on Instagram to find out the next sit and knit spot around town.

CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Performing Arts (MMPA), a boutique performing arts studio located at 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 238, will be offering a limited class schedule this fall. MMPA offers professional

dance, fitness and "Mommy and Me" instruction for all ages and skill levels with weekly classes including, but not limited to, Creative Movement, Ballet/Jazz Combo, Broadway, Tap, Showstop pers, Acting and Voice. Classes will be provided for children as young as 2 years old (with a parent or guardian) through adult.

More information about Mixon Magic Per forming Arts can be found at mixonmagic.com, by contacting hello@mixonmagic.com or emily@mix onmagic.com or by calling (850) 221-7438.

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS AT FIRST CITY ART Classes include glass blowing, ceramics, painting and drawing, kiln-forming, stained glass and more. For a complete list of classes and times, visit firstcityart.org.

FOOD + DRINKS

WHOLE HOG "MACELLERIA" WITH SPOT TED TROTTER CHARCUTERIE: A DEMO AND DINNER EVENT The next Angelena's Supper Club is Thursday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m., lo cated at 101 E. Intendencia St. The Whole Hog Supper Club features Chefs James Briscione and Kevin Ouzts of Atlanta's Spotted Trotter Char cuterie. Reservations are required. Tickets are $180 per person and available on Eventbrite.

URBAN SOUTH TAP TAKEOVER Join Perfect Plain Brewing Co. 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, for their first tap takeover with Urban South. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for details.

BLACK OUT BINGO Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St., hosts bingo nights 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 19 and 26. Details at facebook. com/perfectplainbrewingco.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAYS Support your favorite college football teams at Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. Wear your game day gear and get 15% off your beer tab. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.

SAINTS SUNDAYS Deck out in your game day gear and watch your team on the big screen at Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. Get 15% off your tab when dressed in Saint's game day gear. Sundays Aug. 13-Jan. 8. Visit facebook.com/ perfectplainbrewingco for details.

FINE WINE FRIDAY Visit The Nest General Store at 11 S. Palafox, Ste. C, on the first Friday of every month for a wine tasting from 6-8 p.m. It's $35 a person and includes charcuterie and the op portunity to try their monthly wine club offerings in house. Visit thenestgeneralstore.com/events for more information.

MONTHLY WINE TASTING IN AGAPI GAR

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

SUNDAY FUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE WELL

The Well, located at 42 E. Garden St., has expand ed its offerings with a Sunday Funday Brunch cock

tail menu including items such as Spicy Paloma made with Mezcal, a cold brew cocktail with Irish whiskey, a cucumber-infused spritz and a Bloody Mary spiced with house-made hot sauce and gar nished with fresh pickled vegetables. Price range is $9-$12. Brunch hours are Sundays from noon-4 p.m. Other small plate offerings are available Thursday-Saturday from 4 p.m.-one hour before closing. For more information, visit facebook.com/ thewellpensacola.

BAYOU BUZZ COFFEE TASTING TOUR

Seville Savories Food Tour will host a coffee tour of downtown Pensacola Tuesdays-Fridays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tickets are available online at se villesavoriesfoodtour.com.

WINE WEDNESDAY Visit The Nest General Store at 11 S. Palafox, Ste. C, every Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. for a wine happy hour. Deals in clude $1 off listed by-the-glass wines, a waived corking fee, charcuterie plates and a $15 'wine flight' option. Visit thenestgeneralstore.com/ events for more information.

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

TABLETOP TUESDAYS AT THE 5 BARREL

Join The 5 Barrel for a special Tabletop Tuesday event at 6 p.m. every Tuesday in March. A wide

variety of games ranging from the classic chess to the crowd favorite Catan will be available. Players are welcome to bring their own games.

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

THURSDAY TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE 5 BARREL Gather a group for a weekly Thurs day Trivia Night Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. at The 5 Barrel. Find out more at facebook.com/ the5barrel.

THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT

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

FINE WINE FRIDAY Visit The Nest General Store the first Friday of every month for a wine tasting from 6-8 p.m. Tickets are $35 per per son and includes charcuterie and the opportu nity to try our monthly Wine Club offerings in house. Visit thenestgeneralstore.com/events for more information.

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free will astrology

WEEK OF OCTOBER 20

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): "We must be willing to let go of the life we panned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." Aries mythologist Joseph Campbell said that, and now I'm passing it on to you just in time for the Sacred Surrender Phase of your astrological cycle. Make sage use of Campbell's wisdom, Aries! You will generate good fortune for yourself as you work to release expec tations that may be interfering with the arrival of new stories and adventures. Be brave, my dear, as you relinquish outdated attachments and shed defunct hopes.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes before be ing discarded. Then they languish in our soil or oceans, degrading slowly as they cause mayhem for animals and ecosystems. In alignment with current cosmic rhythms, I'm encouraging you to be extra discerning in your relationship with plas tic bags—as well as with all other unproductive, impractical, wasteful things and people. In the coming weeks, you will thrive by focusing on what will serve you with high integrity for a long time.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Achilleas Fran gakis is a professor of electron microscopy. He studies the biochemistry of cells. In one of his re search projects, he investigated how cells inter act with the outside world. He didn't learn much about that question, but as he experimented, he inadvertently uncovered fascinating new infor mation about another subject—how cells inter act with each other when they heal a wound. His "successful failure" was an example of what scien tists sometimes do—they miss what they looked for but find unexpected data and make serendip itous discoveries. I suspect you will experience comparable luck sometime soon, Gemini. Be alert for goodies you weren't in quest of.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Renowned Brazilian novelist Osman Lins was born un der the sign of Cancer the Crab. He wrote, "I will now live my life with the inventiveness of an en gineer who drives his locomotive off the tracks. No more beaten paths: improvisation is the rule." In the coming weeks, I am all in favor of you, my fellow Cancerian, being an inventive adventur er who improvises liberally and departs from well-

By Rob Brezsny

worn routes. However, I don't recommend you do the equivalent of running your train off the tracks. Let's instead imagine you as piloting a four-wheeldrive, all-terrain vehicle. Go off-road to explore. Improvise enthusiastically as you reconnoiter the unknown. But do so with scrupulous attention to what's healthy and inspiring.

about heaven and hell for now. Turn your atten tion away from perfection and fantasylands and lofty heights. Disregard pathologies and muck and misery. Instead, explore and celebrate the pre cious mysteries of the world as it is. Be a connois seur of the beauty and small miracles embedded in life's little details. Find glory in the routine.

This will be wise advice for you to keep in mind during the next nine months. I expect you will be attempting at least two kinds of homecomings. For best results, plan to travel by different routes than those that might seem natural and obvious. The most direct path—the successful passage— may be circuitous.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): In recent years, art historians have recovered numerous master pieces that had been missing for years. They in clude a sculpture by Bernini, a sketch by Picasso, a drawing by Albrecht Dürer, and a painting by Titian. I'm a big fan of efforts like these—search ing for and finding lost treasures. And I think you should make that a fun project in the com ing weeks. Are there any beautiful creations that have been lost or forgotten? Useful resources that have been neglected? Wild truths that have been buried or underestimated? In accordance with astrological potentials, I hope you will ex plore such possibilities.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): The most im portant experience for you to seek in the coming months is to be seen and respected for who you really are. Who are the allies best able to give you that blessing? Make vigorous efforts to keep them close and treat them well. To inspire your mission, I offer you three quotes. 1. Franz Kafka said, "All the love in the world is useless if there is a total lack of understanding." 2. Anais Nin wrote, "I don't want worship. I want understanding." 3. George Orwell: "Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood."

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Libra poet Wal lace Stevens said that the great poems of heaven and hell have already been written, and now it is time to generate the great poems of earth. I'd love to invite all Libras, including non-writers, to apply that perspective in their own sphere. Just forget

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Here are two top Scorpio pastimes: 1. exploring and deploy ing your intense, fertile creativity; 2. spiraling glee fully down into deep dark voids in pursuit of deep dark riches. Sometimes those two hobbies dove tail quite well; you can satisfy both pursuits simul taneously. One of my favorite variations on this scenario is when the deep dark void you leap into turns out to actually be a lush wonderland that stimulates your intense, fertile creativity. Accord ing to my analysis of the astrological omens, that's likely to happen soon.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): In the com ing days, maintain strict boundaries between yourself and anyone or anything that's not healthy for you. Be ultra-discerning as you de cide which influences you will allow to affect you and which you won't. And rather than getting sour and tense as you do this, I recommend you proceed with wicked humor and sly irony. Here are three saucy self-protective statements you can use to ward off threats and remain inviolable. 1. "The current ambiance does not align sweet ly with my vital soul energy; I must go track down some more harmonious karma." 2. "This atmo sphere is out of sync with my deep precious self ness; I am compelled to take my deep precious selfness elsewhere." 3. "The undertones here are agitating my undercurrents; it behooves me to track down groovier overtones."

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): "I don't want to be made pacified or made comfortable. I like stuff that gets your adrenaline going." Sagittar ian filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow said that. With the help of this attitude, she became the first woman ever to win an Academy Award for Best Director. Her film was "The Hurt Locker," about American soldiers in Iraq who dispose of unexploded bombs while being harassed by enemies. Anyway, Big elow's approach is usually too hard ass for me. I'm a sensitive Cancer the Crab, not a bold Sagittarius the Centaur like Bigelow and you. But I don't want to assume you're in the mood for her approach. If you are, though, the coming weeks will be a favor able time to deploy it. Some marvelous epiphanies and healing changes will be available if you for swear stuff that makes you pacified or comfortable.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Author Jan Richardson tells us we can't return home by tak ing the same route we used when we departed.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): While asleep, have you ever dreamt of discovering new rooms in a house or other building you know well? I bet you will have at least one such dream soon. What does it mean? It suggests you want and need to get in touch with parts of yourself that have been dormant or unavailable. You may uncover evoca tive secrets about your past and present that had been unknown to you. You will learn about new resources you can access and provocative possi bilities you had never imagined.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: What do you pretty well that you could ultimately learn to do with brilliance and mastery? newsletter.free willastrology.com {in}

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freewillastrology.com freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2022

Improvise enthusiastically as you reconnoiter the unknown. But do so with scrupulous attention to what's healthy and inspiring.

Some marvelous epiphanies and healing changes will be available if you forswear stuff that makes you pacified or comfortable.

news of the weird

FOR THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING Pres ident Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus took the opportunity of a meeting at Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Oct. 7 to present Rus sian President Vladimir Putin with a birthday gift, the Associated Press reported. Putin turned 70 years old that day, so naturally, Lukashenko pre sented him with a gift certificate for a Belaru sian tractor. (Tractors are a source of pride in that country's industry.) Lukashenko told re porters that he uses a similar model in his own garden; Putin, however, did not comment on the gift. Instead, he addressed issues such as con flict between ex-Soviet nations, fighting terror ism and illegal drugs.

THE CONTINUING CRISIS Electric cars, trips to space, Twitter—it's never enough for seri al entrepreneur Elon Musk. Now, Reuters re ported, the joke's on buyers who snapped up 10,000 bottles of Musk's new perfume, Burnt Hair, in just a few hours—at $100 a pop. "With a name like mine, getting into the fragrance busi ness was inevitable—why did I even fight it for so long!?" Musk wondered on Twitter. The per fume is described on The Boring Company's website as "the essence of repugnant desire." "Just like leaning over a candle at the dinner ta ble, but without all the hard work," it boasts. The scent won't start shipping until September 2023, so you can cross it off your Christmas list for this year.

AWESOME! Ray Ruschel may not be the fast est or strongest defensive lineman on the North Dakota State College of Science football team, but he brings his best game and more to the team, the Associated Press reported. Ruschel, 49, works as a night-shift mechanic at a sugar beet factory. He decided to enroll at the college to study business management, and he learned he was eligible to try out for the football team— reviving his high school career of more than 30 years earlier. Ruschel's coach gives him high marks: "His personality ... he's just a really lik able guy with an ambition not to leave any stone unturned," said Eric Issendorf, who's one year younger than Ruschel. With about a dozen plays per game, Ruschel has helped his team secure a 4-1 record for the season, and they're hoping for a national championship.

ARMED AND CLUMSY On Oct. 6, Burlington (North Carolina) police officers responded to a call around 7 a.m., the News & Record report ed. A homeowner told them that as he walked from his car to his front door, an armed man ap proached him and tried to force his way inside the house. The two struggled, and a gunshot grazed the victim's chest, but he wasn't seriously injured. The victim was able to slam the door on the suspect—or, more precisely, on the suspect's hand. As investigators processed the scene, they found a glove with a severed finger inside, which they used to identify Vernon Forest Wilson, 67. He was booked on multiple charges in Alamance County and held on $250,000 bond.

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENT Youth pas tor Cory Wall of the Fairview Baptist Church in Greer, South Carolina, misstepped in a big way on Oct. 5 when he distributed "I (heart) hot youth pastors" stickers to the young members of his congregation, Only Sky reported. After some social media backlash, Wall admitted that his "joke" was a "mistake," but his church was more reticent about the incident: First, the church sent a private email to members saying it had dis cussed the matter with Wall and he "understands this should not have been shared with the stu dents." When that wasn't enough, Fairview is sued a public statement on Oct. 9, allowing that the sticker was "offensive to some" and confirm ing that Wall had been placed on administrative leave. Upset congregants are reportedly praying for more.

PEOPLE WITH ISSUES Police in Smithfield, Utah, responded to a domestic violence call on Oct. 8 that didn't turn out how they expected, KUTV reported. Rachelle Clingo Walker, 35, told officers that her husband had struck her during a psychotic episode, but Walker's husband had video that portrayed a different story. In the vid eo, Walker can be seen "trying to bring out the victim's 'other personality' by speaking in incan tations," the report noted. She's shown gripping his arm "tighter, cutting into his hand with her nails." When the husband tells her to stop, Walk er grabs a pair of scissors and holds them "above her head in an intimidating fashion," not allow ing him to escape. He finally got away from her, and she called police. Walker was arrested for aggravated assault, unlawful detention and oth er charges.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL In Seminole, Florida, 56-year-old Paul James Sinclair sum moned his inner 8-year-old on Oct. 10 as he at tempted a bank robbery. Sinclair, according to The Smoking Gun, entered a Chase branch with his hand under his shirt making "the shape of a gun with his finger," arrest records said. He ad vised teller Desiree Stefanik not to "push any buttons" as he waited for her to hand over the loot. Sinclair got away with only $120 and was arrested shortly after the incident.

EWWWWW On Sept. 13, ophthalmologist Kat erina Kurteeva, who practices in Newport Beach, California, shared with her Instagram followers a troubling video, Oddity Central reported. Dr. Kurteeva documented the removal of "forgotten" contact lenses from an elderly patient's eye—23 of them, to be exact. Some of them were so old they had turned green. "They were essentially glued together after sitting under the eyelid for a month," she wrote. "Don't sleep in your contact lenses!" she warned. {in}

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