May 3 Issue by Inweekly

“It’s difficult enough to get adults engaged.” 6

"Last year there were some piñata ninjas that came through and whacked them open right away." 20

"I got into music to basically get girls to talk to me." 23

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(page 16)

publisher & editor Rick Outzen production manager Joani Delezen art director Samantha Crooke administration/ staff writer Jennie McKeon staff writer Jeremy Morrison contributing writers Bradley “B.J.” Davis, Jr., Joani Delezen, Hana Frenette, James Hagen, Ashley Hardaway, Rob “Bubbs” Harris, Brett Hutchins, Chelsa Jillard, Sarah McCartan, Kate Peterson, Chuck Shepherd

inweekly.net

winners & losers Larry B. Johnson

Jeffrey Pribble

winners JEFFREY PRIBBLE The Escambia High School teacher is one of five finalists chosen to compete for the 2013 Macy’s/Florida Department of Education Teacher of the Year Award. Pribble was presented with a $5,000 check made possible by the Macy’s Foundation and a $500 Macy’s gift card. A $1,000 check, also funded by the Macy’s Foundation, was presented to his high school. CHARLES WOOD The Pensacola Cham-

ber’s former economic development guru has accepted a similar post with the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. Wood played a role in the creation of more than 2,500 jobs in less than five years with companies like Pall Life Sciences, Hixardt Technologies, Synergy Solutions, Jupiter, Ascend, Wayne Dalton, Navy Federal and many others.

PENSACOLA ROTARY CLUB The Rotary Club of Pensacola, in association with local clubs in India, has helped provide 485 new desks to be used by 1,455 students in 10 government schools in four impoverished Indian communities. The desks were delivered earlier this year to schools in the four Indian towns, all of which have high incidences of poverty, drop out rates, and illiteracy. Each desk seats three students, and the hope is that by providing the desks, students will be encouraged to stay in school.

losers LARRY B. JOHNSON The Pensacola City

Councilman proved that personal grudges are more important than jobs and downtown redevelopment. Though he eventually voted for the deal that helped Pen Air Federal Credit Union buy the Thiesen Building and move over 100 jobs to South Palafox Place, Johnson did his best to delay and undermine the deal because of his personal dislike for the owner of the building.

HOLLY BENSON Escambia County has

uncovered a summary report from the office of State of Florida Auditor General David W. Martin that found a systemic history of overpayments, payment errors and lack of oversight relating to the payment of Medicaid claims by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The county has been hit with a $6.3 million bill for these errors. Benson served as head of AHCA from 2008-2010.

PHONY GAS FUROR Fox News has re-

ported the way President Obama is handling high gasoline prices is one of the top issues on the campaign trail. During Bush’s last year, gas prices peaked at $4.12 in mid-July 2008. The pump prices are nationally $3.81 per gallon as of April 27, which is nearly a dime less than a year ago. Oops, another hole in Tea Party rants. {in}

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outtakes

by Rick Outzen

STIFLING THE REGULATORS Al Armendariz, the top Environmental Protection Agency official for Region 6, which includes New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, has resigned over a YouTube video of a speech in which he declared that the agency should hit polluters with its full powers. Shouldn’t that be the expectation of an EPA regulator? Well, yes, but there is a problem. Armendariz hypothesized in the speech that crucifixion might be the effective deterrent. Nailing BP’s Tony Hayward to a cross might be a little extreme for even the most radical tree-hugger, but you have to admit it might make BP think twice about taking any more risks while drilling…might. The YouTube video is of Armendariz speaking in 2010 to local businesses and government leaders. He focused on enforcement regulations on fracking—hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas extraction—which has become the new hot issue for the oil and gas industry. “It is kind of like how the Romans used to conquer villages in the Mediterranean — they’d go into a little Turkish town somewhere and they’d find the first five guys they saw and they’d crucify them,” Armendariz said. “Then that little town was really easy to manage for the next few years.”

To further explain his point, Armendariz said, “And so, you make examples out of people who are, in this case, not complying with the law. You find people who are not complying with the law and you hit them as hard as you can and you make examples out of them. There’s a deterrent effect there.” Damn right, it would have a deterrent ef fect. However, Big Oil isn’t going to sit still, not when there are billions to be made. For Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the video was what he needed to add more fuel to his campaign against EPA regulation. He used it as a club to hamper ef forts by the Obama Administration to regulate fracking, and, of course, the resignation was not enough for Inhofe. “Af ter his revelation that E.P. A .’s ‘general philosophy ’ is to ‘crucif y ’ oil and gas companies, it was only right for Administrator Armendariz,” Sen. Inhofe said in a statement, “but his resignation in no way solves the problem of President Obama and his E.P. A .’s crucifixion philosophy.” The one who got “crucified” was Armendariz. Time will tell how ef fective the deterrent is to others tr ying to regulate fracking. {in} rick@inweekly.net

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viewpoint

by Quincy “Q” Hull

DON'T CALL ME BISCUIT: THE NAME GAME In “Romeo and Juliet,” William Shakespeare posed the question “What’s in a name?” Millions of us who are descended from Africans who were held in servitude in this country have struggled with that question for generations. Nigger. Nigra. Colored. Negro. Black. Afro-American. African-American. PanAfrican. Over the last 25 years or so, I have been asked on countless occasions, “Why do you all keep changing your name?” and, “What do you all want to be called?” Why do we keep changing the name? It is important to note that half of the group names assigned to our people have been designated by others. With all due respect to the Bard, there is, indeed, much in a name. Slave owners stripped our ancestors of even the most basic right to determine the names by which we prefer to be called. Many Americans fail to realize the historic significance of this. Aside from the indigenous peoples of this land, who were summarily and erroneously dubbed “Indians,” there is no scenario in the history of this nation that

is comparable to the renaming of captive Africans. The designation of the term “Indian” represented an attempt by the invading Europeans to assign a single descriptive term for the vast and varied nations of indigenous peoples. The designation of the term “Nigger” – and several other subsequent terms – was an attempt by the invading Europeans to further subjugate the enslaved African. This “name game” was a part of a broader plan to completely sever the enslaved African from any vestige of his nature, his culture, and his homeland. One of the most recognizable effects of this nefarious action has been a collective confusion of identity. In America, most people refer to themselves in terms that display a connection to their heritage (i.e. Italian, Spanish) or to this nation (American) or to both (i.e. Mexican-American). What of a people whose connection to

their heritage has been systematically and completely severed, and whose connection to this nation was established and maintained in the most horrific ways? How can one of African descent be asked to share a name (American) with one of European descent, even as the European sits atop a mountain of wealth inherited from forefathers who amassed that fortune on the backs of Africans, and then derides him for not having a fortune of his own? Whichever name European man chooses for himself, I want no part of. So then, what do I want to be called? African. The term that I choose is African. One might argue that many of us have never even seen Africa, and share virtually no cultural identifiers with any African nation. I refer to an oft-quoted question posed by Malcolm X, "If a cat has babies in the oven, are they

biscuits?" Indeed, I am not a biscuit, though I do presently reside with biscuits. All the social engineering in the world cannot change one’s genetics or one’s soul. My genetics are African. My soul is African. Therefore, I am African. {in}

My genetics are African. My soul is African. Therefore, I am African.

Pensacolian Quincy “Q” Hull is the author of the book, “Like Crabs in a Bucket,” and the spoken word CD, “Still Black See.”

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KIDS UNLIMITED

Sara Papantonio and Mollie Johnson at A.A. Dixon / photo by Samantha Crooke

Students Give Back to A.A. Dixon by Jennie McKeon Most high school students plan their summer vacation around trips to the beach and music festivals. But for Sara Papantonio and Mollie Johnson, junior and sophomore students respectively at Gulf Breeze High School, this summer is about giving back. Papantonio and Johnson both discussed creating a free, week-long summer program for elementary school students in Pensacola. “One day before soccer, Sara and I talked about how there was a need for summer camps,” Johnson said. It was fate that brought them to A.A. Dixon Charter School of Excellence. “I talked to my dad about starting a camp and he had just talked to Rev. LuTimothy May,” Papantonio said. “We visited the school and thought ‘What a great program this will be for the students.’” 66

Rev. May, the president of the charter school’s board of directors, was especially touched by the thoughtfulness of the two young women.

“We visited the school and thought ‘What a great program this will be for the students.’” Sara Papantonio “It’s difficult enough to get adults engaged,” May said. “It took me a while to wrap my mind around the fact that two teenagers, not challenged by parents, wanted to engage the community.”

“WINNING TODAY, LEADING TOMORROW”

May offered guidance and direction, but the real work was up to Papantonio and Johnson. Before they started planning activities, money had to be raised. Sara and Mollie both raided their parents e-mail contacts and sent out letters asking for help.

The result? Almost $9,000. Aloha Screen Printing also donated shirts to the camp. “It was a very easy process,” Papantonio said about fundraising. “People have been willing to help us. Hopefully we’ll get donations for food, and whatever we don’t spend will go to A.A. Dixon.” The camp, fittingly named Kids Unlimited, will be June 25-29. The camp is only open to 60 second grade to fifth grade students. Papantonio and Johnson hope the camp will continue to grow even after they graduate high school and move. . “It would be a great tradition to carry on,” Johnson said. As a junior, Papantonio has been thinking of the future beyond graduation. Her choice of college is currently undecided, but she does have an idea of what career path she might take. “I enjoy doing charity work,” she said. The 60 students will be nominated by organizations in the A.A. Dixon area. Papantonio explained she wants students who will benefit the most from the camp to be nominated. “We want children who show leadership to be involved,” she said. Kids Unlimited will get children’s bodies and minds moving with sports such as soccer, football, karate, dancing and more. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided. The camp founders hope to get big names

“It’s our job to help people who aren’t blessed like we were and improve the situation.” Mollie Johnson such as Emmitt Smith and Roy Jones Jr. to speak to the students as well as local high school football players. Speakers should embody the camp’s motto, “Winning today, leading tomorrow.” “I hope students learn they can take whatever they have and make something great out of it,” Johnson said. Students don’t lack the brain power to become successful, but they do often times lack exposure to their potential. “We hope to bring some exposure, excitement, education, example –all the ‘e’s,” May said. “We want to show them something they don’t know or haven’t seen.” For five days, parents and guardians of the selected 60 students won’t have to worry about what their child is doing all day – not to mention what they’re going to eat. cont'd on page 9> inweekly.net

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KIDS UNLIMITED cont'd from page 6

“Life is much larger than what we do for ourselves. Anyone and everyone can become the solution.” Rev. LuTimothy May “A lot of these students would probably be at home wondering ‘What am I going to do today?’” May said. “Ninetynine percent of A.A. Dixon students receive free-lunches. Even if parents wanted them to go to camp, it’s not economically feasible.”

BECOMING THE SOLUTION

The Kids Unlimited summer camp will be an eye-opener for Gulf Breeze High School volunteers as well. As Papantonio explained, most Santa Rosa County students think of the mall or downtown when Pensacola is mentioned. “No one ventures out to see Pensacola,” she said. “The camp will be just as much of a learning experience for us.” Both Papantonio and Johnson are quick to mention how fortunate they are, which just made them want to reach out even more. “It’s our job to help people who aren’t blessed like we were and improve the situation,” Johnson said. Students at A.A. Dixon Charter School of Excellence are important to May, which is why he has stepped up to support the school as board president. To have teenagers give their time, without provocation, gives May hope. “They’ve shown our community can become better when you engage yourself in the solution,” he said of Sara and Mollie. “Life is much larger than what we do for ourselves. Anyone and everyone can become the solution.” {in}

KIDS UNLIMITED CAMP

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 25-29 WHERE: A.A. Dixon Charter School of Excellence, 1201 N. H St. COST: Free, but spots limited DETAILS: To nominate a child, ask about volunteering or donating, or for more information contact Sara and Mollie at kidsunlimitedcamp@ gmail.com.

from the blog 88

buzz COUNCIL UPSET AGAIN While it eventually green-lighted the Pen Air deal, the Pensacola City Council let it be known that it was not pleased about the circumstances. “Delighted to support the deal tonight,” said Council President Sam Hall at the council’s April 26 regular meeting. “I’m just not happy about how it came to us.” After lengthy discussion, council members chose to forgive a loan to the Downtown Improvement Board as part of a deal that involved Pen Air Federal Credit Union moving into the Thiesen Building downtown and bringing 108 jobs to the area. The loan had been to the DIB for improvements to the city’s Jefferson Street Garage that DIB now manages. DIB Executive Director Kim Kimbrough estimated that the company’s move to the area would generate about $800,000 annually for downtown businesses. The Pensacola City Council was asked to forgive a nearly $80,000 loan to the DIB. The DIB made the request so that it could offer Pen Air free parking for their employees, which was a stipulation of the building’s purchase. Pen Air agreed to forgo any EDATE property tax exemptions, thus making it essentially a “wash” or better for city coffers, according to the mayor’s office. During the April 23 Committee of the Whole meeting, council members wanted more information than the Chief of Staff John Asmar or City Administrator Bill Reynolds were able to offer them. The mayor’s office was not allowed to release any details of the purchase agreement because the Pen Air board of directors had not approved it until two days before the meeting. In fact, the mayor’s office wasn’t given permission to release the term sheet until Thursday, April 26. While all members of the city council appeared eager to usher Pen Air into downtown, a few voiced concern at the regular meeting about the lack of information they were being given. Councilmen Brian Spencer and Larry Johnson spoke with Kimbrough before April 24. Hall, Megan Pratt and Maren DeWeese contacted him before the regular meeting— which Asmar suggested all members do. DeWeese said she believed the lack of background information provided to the city council was part of a pattern. “If it was a one-time instance, I wouldn’t be so frustrated,” she said, accusing the mayor’s chief of staff of routinely disrespecting the council.

“Governor Scott is blatantly wasting public money in order to make points with the Tea Party crowd.”—Betty

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President Hall claimed members of Mayor Ashton Hayward’s staff had pressured him—or “threatened” him—warning that he risked a bad portrayal in the press. “We’d be the whipping boy over this issue and we’d be painted in the worst possible light,” Hall said he was told. “And I did not appreciate that.” The city council eventually voted 8-1 in favor of the proposal. DeWeese was the lone dissenting vote.

Sam Hall

WHERE ARE THE COBIA? This is a fish sto-

ry, but not the bragging kind. Twenty-five boats competed in late April in the 2012 Outcast Cobia Invitational. After three days of fishing, the total catch was anything but plentiful. “Not many,” reported James Fink, Outcast’s hunting manager. “I think it was, like, eight.” Fink said that seeing such a low number of fish being offered up for weighing was not normal. In an average year, the tournament sees about 35 to 40 Cobia hit the scales. “No, not normal at all,” Fink said of this year’s catch. “But neither was our winter.” Normally, Cobia spawn in waters off Mississippi and Louisiana before migrating toward Florida. This year, Fink hypothesized that it didn’t ever get cold enough to trigger the migration. “I think a lot of ’em didn’t leave, personally,” he said. The Outcast Invitational is not the first Cobia tournament of the season along the Gulf Coast. Fink said that the season’s earlier tournaments had seen better results, but that the number of Cobia seemed to be “dwindling.” In a normal year, he said, Cobia stick around a bit longer.

“C.C. Elebesh says it will never work.”—Henry

“I make money when you keep buying in this store not at the pump.”—Store manager

“First week or so of May usually they push out, keep on truckin’,” Fink said. The winning fish of the Outcast Cobia Invitational weighed in this year at 69.03 lbs.

BONNER’S NEW BOARD Cindi Bonner, owner of Fitness Onboard, a Pensacola Beach-based business utilizing stand-up paddleboards (SUP) as exercise platforms, has introduced a revolutionary, patented board, the Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly, and a set of accessories that include a simplified anchoring system, an onboard dry storage compartment and a paddle clip. Fitness Onboard launched in September 2010 in Gulf Breeze and soon after found its home across from the Margaritaville Beach Hotel on Little Sabine. Bonner, a 2012 IN Rising Star, almost immediately saw the need for a custom-made board to expand the fitness experience. She began working with Mark Castlow and Jimbo Meador with Dragonfly Boatworks in Vero Beach. “They immediately grasped the concept of a `fitness board,’” she said. “We worked through a number of prototypes over the next eight months to get a board that is the right size, both as regards the length, thickness, and weight, and that sells for a reasonable price. I also incorporated a number of accessories that will make the board not only more useful in an exercise platform, but easier to use.” Bonner, a Pensacola native with a master’s degree in exercise physiology, says Fitness Onboard will be marketing the boards and will also incorporate them into her Pensacola Beach business. “I’m excited and proud that I have been able to grow this business and develop this product while continuing to be a full-time mother to two elementary school aged children,” she said. “I think the potential here and elsewhere for the Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly is unlimited. People across the country have taken to this sport. They race SUPs. They use SUPs for relaxation. They use SUPs to exercise. Now we are offering a board that is perfect for those who use the boards as exercise platforms.” When the work on the board was finalized, Bonner discussed the innovations with a patent attorney who agreed that the changes made the board’s design unique. “Fitness Onboard holds 100 percent of the patent of the `Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly,’” she says. “I think when we roll this board out people will respond very positively. This is an exciting time.” {in}

“Union + tax increase = blog gold”—Richard

Rick’s Blog has been quoted in the New York Times, Newsweek and on dozens of websites, including The Daily Beast. Read it to find out the real story behind the news. Visit ricksblog.biz. inweekly.net

illustration by Samantha Crooke

Escambia County Budget Crisis By Jeremy Morrison

Heading south, with hands in his pockets and a steady stride, Escambia County Administrator Randy Oliver kept his head down. He had only recently begun to digest the bad news. May 3, 2012

Oliver walked away from the county complex and into the afternoon. Who knows where he was going, maybe to lunch or a meeting – or, more probable, somewhere private to sob uncontrollably as he pondered Escambia County’s nearly $10 million budget deficit. “I’m a realist,” Oliver said a few weeks later, in late April. “You can’t cut $9.6 million and keep the same level of service. And the

question becomes: what do you want to cut?” Escambia County was already feeling the squeeze of a chilly economy. Although officials had trimmed some fat a few years back, this year’s budget was having to absorb a more than $3 million shortfall. But then it got really scary. “ We started hearing this rumbling of this Medicaid situation,” said Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson. 9

“Man, the crowd was ‘booing’ and ‘ahhhing, and I was sitting there thinking, ‘man, we look like five bad guys.’” Wilson Robertson In March, state lawmakers presented Gov. Rick Scott with a bill seeking to collect a 10-year backlog of disputed Medicaid claims from Florida’s counties. According to the state, Escambia County owes more than $6 million. “Randy said, ‘We can’t do this Medicaid thing,’” Robinson recalled. “‘It’s going to sink everything. It’s going to make everything fall apart.’” County officials must now decide how to deal with the projected deficit. There is no question that there will be cuts. The question is: what will Escambia County look like on the other side of the budget? “I’ll quote you what Randy said—‘it’ll be ugly,’” relayed Escambia County Commission Chairman Wilson Robertson. “He calls it ‘tremendous.’”

THE HUNGRY HOLE

An initial attempt to deal with the county budget crisis did not go well. The possibility of pulling the county’s $3.7 million of funding from the West Florida Public Library System filled the commission chambers with hundreds of irate library supporters sporting red attire in a show of solidarity. Chairman Robertson said he thought Oliver had “jumped

When the Escambia County Commission entertained cutting the West Florida Library System’s funding, the board heard a resounding ‘no’ from a spillover crowd of red-shirted library supporters. / photo by Jeremy Morrison the gun” by suggesting such dramatic measures and recounted a recent public gathering which had turned mean over the issue. “Man, the crowd was ‘booing’ and ‘ahhhing,’” he said. “And I was sitting there thinking, ‘man, we look like five bad guys.’” The board eventually sided with the pubic and spared the libraries. Commissioners sent Oliver back to the drawing board. A couple of weeks later, the board was presented with the possibility of closing a building inspections office in Molino. The move would have cut two jobs, thus saving the county about $100,000. “We’re cherry-picking things haphazardly,” Commissioner Gene Valentino said.

How did Oliver find himself in this position? Everything seemed fine in February. He had figured out how to survive a $3.2 million shortfall and pretty much put the budget to bed. “It wasn’t going to be easy and clean, but we could deal with it,” Oliver remembered. To deal with that initial shortfall, Escambia County’s elected officials and boards had planned to reduce their budgets by 3.1 percent. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is also planning to absorb the cost—$1.2 million—of an expiring federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant. “What we didn’t anticipate was that the state was going to pick our pocket for $6.3 million in the 11th hour of the legislative session,” Oliver said. According to the state, counties are now responsible for paying disputed Medicaid charges dating back to 2001. This hasn’t settled well as it’s traveled down the jurisdictional chain. “I find it amazing how these jackasses from Tallahassee can use local governments to balance their budgets,” said Commissioner Kevin White. “It just blows my mind.” The only local lawmaker to vote against the Medicaid bill was state Sen. Greg Evers (R-Baker). He said local officials from his district had gotten across the message. “There was no sense in pushing it back down on the counties,” Evers said, adding that he believed there were cases of counties being charged when they should not have been. “It’s like family sit-

ting around the table with their budget, you don’t pay bills you don’t owe.” In an attempt to offer the commissioners some perspective, Oliver recently compared their new $6-million problem to aspects of the county budget. The new Medicaid costs, for example, amount to twice the county’s library budget. It’s also twice the entire general fund portion of the Escambia County Area Transit budget. The Medicaid total would fund 60 percent of the road department’s budget for a year, or the parks’ department for more than three years. “So, we’re talking a large amount of money,” Oliver said. While the commissioners will explore the budget dilemma in full during upcoming workshops, each has already offered up his own preferred approaches. The bottom line remains the same regardless—it’s gonna hurt.

DIETS FROM ALL DIRECTIONS

There are two ways to deal with any budget issue—cut costs or increase revenues. Commissioners have studied these two options and arrived at several dif ferent conclusions. Commissioner Kevin White told his fellow board members that the best way to address the current financial concerns was through a millage increase. He suggested increasing the millage rate by a half mill. “A point-five millage increase will generate $6.6 million a year,” White said. “That wipes out our Medicaid problem.”

“What we didn’t anticipate was that the state was going to pick our pocket for $6.3 million in the 11th hour of the legislative session.” Randy Oliver

Escambia County Administrator Randy Oliver / photo by Samantha Crooke 010 1

inweekly.net

Kevin White / photo by Jeremy Morrison A mil is equal to a $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. Commissioner Marie Young was also in favor of raising the millage rate. “At this time, I’m not afraid to bite the bullet and say, ‘I agree with Kevin White,’” said Commissioner Marie Young. Other commissioners were adamant that a property tax increase was not the way to solve problems. “I’ll tell you right now, I am not voting for a half-point millage increase,” said Grover Robinson. “I don’t care what happens.” Young has urged the board to consider the millage increase, asking them to set aside any no-new-tax mentality in light of the extreme scenario. “What’s the big deal about raising taxes?” Young pressed. “Go on, vote that five-tenths and let’s move forward.” A few days later in his office, Robinson explained that he feels property taxes target a specific portion of society instead of spreading the burden out evenly. “Property tax is perhaps the least fair way to deal with anything,” Robinson said. “Especially when you’re talking about going up a half-mil, that’s significant.” Instead, Robinson has proposed a sales tax. He argues that a sales-based tax would more evenly and fairly distribute the cost according to a person’s consumption habits. “If the tax is too great for you to pay, then don’t buy it,” he said. Chairman Robertson is against both the millage rate increase and sales tax. He said that tax increases, in general, are “not in my vocabulary.”

“This economy is too bad to go up on taxes of any kind,” Robertson said. The chairman seemed more focused on cutting costs than increasing revenue. He said the county might be top heavy. “We’ve got some higher level management people that have been here a long time and don’t have the responsibility they used to have,” Robertson said. “We’ve got one department head that has three employees under them—that person ought to have another dozen employees under them in order to justify being a department head.” In addition to lopping off a few of the higher salaries, the chairman also has other ideas. One of them is to dip into the county’s reserves, which total just more than $15 million. “I told Randy the other day, if we’ve ever had an emergency—hurricane or otherwise—this is an emergency,” Robertson said. This notion finds little support on the board and tends to drive Oliver into cold sweats, sending him plunging into wideeyed rants about cautionary tales like Harrisburg, Pa., and Stockton, Calif. “Jefferson County, Alabama has filed bankruptcy,” Oliver warns. “For the first time last week, Los Angeles was mentioned.” Commissioner Gene Valentino has pushed for a three-cent gas tax, which would serve to finance ECAT’s departure from the county’s budget. The commissioner estimates this would free up about $4 million in the general fund.

“I find it amazing how these jackasses from Tallahassee can use local governments to balance their budgets.” Kevin White

May 3, 2012

Escambia County Administrator Randy Oliver lays out the current budget landscape for commissioners during a recent board meeting. / photo by Jeremy Morrison Although Valentino often champions the concept of a gas tax, the measure isn’t his first-choice solution for the budget shortfall. He believes other resources are available if you know where to look. “Before we can even look at the gas tax, we look at other agencies of government,” the commissioner said. “Such as the housing authority, such as the health authority, such as the SRIA—how about the reserve account no one’s talking about at the Santa Rosa Island Authority?” Escambia County funds various outside agencies, to the tune of $1.6 million. Among the recipients are the United Way ($95 ,500), Escambia Community Clinics ($431,880) and Escambia County School Readiness Coalition ($230,000). Commissioners have discussed reassessing funding and raiding the agencies’ reserves in an effort to deal with the budget problems. “There’s some accounts and reserves and cash in some places and we need to dig it out,” Chairman Robertson said at a recent meeting. Valentino has contended that the commission created some of the entities, and can also dissolve them or take over their funds. Escambia County Attorney Alison Rogers has cautioned that the accounts may be bound. As the chairman ushered Rogers into his office, he asked if she had looked into the matter further. She restated her previous opinion, “These monies are earmarked for these funds”—but noted that the agencies had donated money to the county previously. “What if they don’t make a donation?” Robertson asked. “What if we just take it?” “I’m looking into that,” Rogers replied, the office door closing behind her. “In fact, you must be reading my mind.” 212 1

SICK SYSTEM

It’s no doubt that most counties around the state of Florida are sweating out the ramifications of the retroactive Medicaid bills. Budgets and nerves will be scrambled throughout the spring. “The fact now is we’ve got a gun to our head and are pushed up against the wall,” Commissioner Valentino said.

Upon Gov. Scott’s signing of H.B. 5301, the Florida Association of Counties issued a statement calling the legislation a “body blow to taxpayers.” The association criticized the state’s Medicaid billing system and said the bill “represents the very worst in bureaucratic inefficiency and serves as a splendid example of what taxpayers resent about government.” “To say that we’re disappointed would be an understatement,” said FACP Presi-

dent Doug Smith in the statement. “Rather than correcting Tallahassee’s error-ridden Medicaid billing system, H.B. 5301 codifies it and leaves local taxpayers with the bill.” The concerns of the FACP—and county officials around the state—center around the billing methods of the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). In a resolution signed by the Escambia County Commission shortly after the H.B.

BUDGET HISTORY

Source: Escambia County, FL Annual Budget FY 2012/2013 inweekly.net

5301‘s passage, officials charge that the agency has “repeatedly and continuously billed counties for charges without supporting documentation, with duplicative costs, and for incorrect charges...” Specifically, commissioners are concerned that the county is being required to pay for people who received medical care in the area, but don’t live in the county. Recently, AHCA representatives visited with county officials throughout Florida to discuss the law’s impacts. “What we found out the other day from AHCA is that pretty much anybody can get a Florida card,” said Commissioner Robinson. “All you have to do is give an address. No one checks the address. All that matters is that it’s a legitimate Florida address. That’s shocking to me.” Commissioners have complained of Medicaid recipients listing their address as a post office, a gas station, Cordova Mall and “the woods.” Robinson said that the care of individuals who are not actual Escambia County residents should fall to the state. “It is going to require an overhaul of the system,” the commissioner said. “But I think that’s where we are. The system is broken.”

before attempting to reduce the amount of tax revenues returned to the people,” the organization said in a statement. The suit seeks to stop the state from withholding funds from counties. Escambia commissioners are hoping for an injunction before that process begins in May. “I’m hoping the lawsuit will do what most lawsuits do and that’s to delay any action,” said Robertson. “Most of these things are appealed and take years.”

NO EASY DECISIONS

And while county officials hold out hope that their lawsuit will offer some relief, or at least stall the pain, administrators move ahead with the grim designs to gut their respective municipalities of millions of dollars. “You can’t just bet that you’re going to wake up tomorrow morning and it’s going to go away because it’s not,” said Oliver. Escambia County commissioners have requested that Oliver present them with various options for cuts during their upcoming May 10 meeting. If it’s not a service the county is required by law to provide, it has the potential to be on the chopping block. “I’m going to be candid,” Oliver told commissioners. “You can’t responsibly take anything off the table.” The county administrator is expecting a string of workshops—what commissioners have referred to as “making sausage”—will be needed to tackle the budget. Tough decisions will be made. Funding will be pulled and people will lose their jobs. The commissioners could also decide to increase revenue. The board could increase the millage rate by a majority vote (three commissioners) or impose a gas tax by a super majority (four commissioners). The commissioners could also put the issues of a millage increase, gas tax or sales tax before the voters, though time is running out on the referendum options. However the commissioners decide to deal with the deficit, it will be an interesting budget season. “There are no easy answers,” Oliver said shortly after Florida’s Medicaid law was passed. “No easy decisions.” {in}

“There are no easy answers, no easy decisions.” Randy Oliver

STATE TAKES WHAT IT WANTS

Local county officials repeatedly liken the Medicaid law to a misrouted bill. They desperately want to toss it in the trash and stiff the state for charges deemed unfair. “My philosophy would be just don’t pay it,” said Chairman Robertson. “But we don’t have that option. They’ll take it.” But Florida counties do have some recourse from the state’s new Medicaid law. Forty-seven counties have signed on to a lawsuit being brought by the Florida Association of Counties against the state. Specifically, the counties have filed suit against the Florida Department of Revenue and AHCA. They are challenging the billing system’s validity, as well as the state’s ability to withhold tax revenues from local governments. “Forty counties representing 73 percent of the state’s population ask this court to enforce their state constitution and to require the legislature to play by the rules

pensacola museum of art

art in the park may 12 & 13, 2012

Seville Square Pensacola, Florida

ANALYSIS

over 100 regional and national artists

free admission to the public www.pensacolamuseumofart.org

Source: Escambia County, FL Annual Budget FY 2012/2013 May 3, 2012

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A SALUTE TO DIFFERENCE MAKERS The African American Students Association at the University of West Florida recently celebrated its successful year with its “Night of Excellence” gala. AASA 2012 Excellence and Distinction Awards President’s Award: Yashica Washington Leadership: Dwayne Manuel AASA Member of the Year: Mark Nisbett Future Leader of the Year: Pearl Mansu Super Senior: Dwayne Manuel Scholarship: Keisha Brown Community Service: Mercedes Macintosh Most Active: Lindsey Valery Politically Active: Dwayne Manuel Most Supportive Staff: Patricia Hartley Most Supportive Non-member: Keldrick Averhart Best Dancer: Jamison Durr Quietest: Mark Nisbett Most Motivated: K’yone Johnson Most Stylish Male: Geoffrey Marshall Most Stylish Female: Kayla Flemmings Most Talkative: Jonathan Delevoe Most School Spirit: The 2 Live Crew Most Athletic: Roberta Taylor Best Male Model: Geoffrey Marshall Best Female Model: Pearl Mansu

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May 3, 2012

WEEK OF MAY 3-10

Arts & Entertainment a r t , f i l m , m u s i c , s ta g e , b o o k s a n d o t h e r s i g n s o f c i v i l i z a t i o n . . .

‘Tis the season…

for crawfish! And there isn’t a better way to celebrate crawfish season than the annual Fiesta of Five Flags Crawfish Fest—which happens to be this weekend. Turn to page 16 for all things Crawfish Fest.

MAY 3-5

Back In The Swing of Things

They’ve been on the road a lot lately, but the Blue Wahoo’s are back in town this weekend with a homestand against Jacksonville. So get out and take in a ballgame or two. bluewahoos.com

MAY 10

This American Life Live

Ira Glass / courtesy photo

NPR’s This American Life is going live next Thursday and surprisingly, it’s actually coming to a theatre near you. Featuring stories by Ira Glass, writers David Sedaris and David Rakoff, music by OK Go and plenty of “things you could never do on the radio” this event is a must-see for fans of the show. Tickets are on sale now. thisamericanlife.org/cinema

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by Ashley Hardaway

That Fish Cray lunch plans at the festival on May 5, as you Among the festival’s headliners are the can get in free before 3pm. All your Cajun faHoney Island Swamp Band who formed vorites will be available to-go – just make sure their group in San Francisco is 2005 after you bring enough to share back to the office. Hurricane Katrina forced them to flee New Active military members will also receive free Orleans. While waiting to return home, admission all day Friday with military ID. the acquaintances decided to start playing cont'd on page 18> gigs together. They have since produced two award-winning albums and received all sorts of acclaim and accolades for their unique sound. Also performing will be Wayne Toups who plays a creation he WHEN: Friday, May 4 – Sunday, May 6. refers to as “Zydecajun,” and WHERE: Bartram Park, 211 W. Main St. Dwayne Dopsie, who blends COST: Free 12p.m. to 3p.m. on Friday; $5 per blues and Cajun music to form a day; $10 weekend pass; Free for active duty distinctive sound military (with ID) on Friday; Free for children that could only 12 and under be found in bayou DETAILS: fiestaoffiveflags.org/pensacolacountry. Wes crawfish-festival Bayliss & Ricochet Creek and Adam Holt will also be entertaining at this year’s festival. photo courtesy of Fiesta of Five Flags Past festival goers know not to In China, they’re lightly floured leave the kids at before being deep-fried and served home – after all, with beer. In Russia, they’re soaked there’s plenty for in milk and then boiled in broth that’s them to do, and been flavored with dill and onions. In it’s never too early to France, they’re used as a garnish. Honey Island Swamp Band / courtesy photo indoctrinate them into the church Here, we make them into pies, put “We’re all about the food, enterof Cajun Cuisine. This year’s them on our po-boys, fry them, boil them, tainment and atmosphere at this year’s weekend is packed with activities make bisque with them, and use them as an Crawfish Festival,” explained Whitney Fike, Friday, May 4 for the little ones. The Children’s excuse to throw a big party. Yes, it’s safe to Event Coordinator for Fiesta of Five Flags. 3 to 5:30 p.m. Area features face painting, arts say no other place on earth is as obsessed And this year guests can look forward to Practical Factors & crafts, and the ever-popular with the crawfish as the South. digging into jambalaya, etouffee, boudin, 6 to 8 p.m. NASCRAW crawfish race. In case that brief glimpse of the crawcrawfish pie and red beans and rice in covWes Loper While everyone’s favorites refish’s gastronomic oeuvre was not enough ered seating as they experience the best 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. main, Fiesta of Five Flags has made to sell you on the point, consider this: Over Cajun, zydeco, southern rock and swampDwayne Dopsie some changes to this year’s plans 16,000 pounds of crawfish will be brought pop the area has to offer throughout this that locals are sure to appreciate. in for the Fiesta of Five Flags 28th Annual three-day event. After all, what’s a Cajun Saturday, May 5 If you work downtown, make your Crawfish Festival – that stuff cray. celebration without a little Fais do-do. 10 to 12 p.m. Season Ammons 12:15 to 2 p.m. Head here on SunIf Crawfish Festival has Louisiana Crawfish the best places to get crawWes Bayliss and Ricochet Creek days when they do their come and gone and you and Seafood, Inc. fish when they’re in season. 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. traditional crawfish boils still can’t get enough, 937 Creighton Road Bayou Boys with corn and potatoes and Cajun Specialty Meats then head to the following 478-1333 4:30 to 6:15 p.m. 600 East Heinberg St. take the heat off with a Fat places to get your fix: Pensacolacrawfish.com Adam Holt 469-9400 Tuesday frozen daiquiri. Hailing from Louisi6:30 to 8:30 p.m. cajunspecialtymeats.com Just don’t have too much The Break ana, their crawfish can Hadley Castille and the Sharecroppers Band Cajun Specialty Meats fun, or you might find 65 Via De Luna Drive, Penbe purchased boiled and 9 to 10:30 p.m. has crawfish anyway you yourself asking, “Since sacola Beach seasoned by the pound, or Honey Island Swamp Band want it: crawfish pies, when did New Orleans get 932-0864 live by the sack. crawfish stuffed baked poa beach? ” Stop by on Sunday to Sunday, May 6 tatoes, crawfish etouffee, enjoy $10 flats of Crawfish. Joe Patti’s 11 to 12:15 p.m. and crawfish and corn Cub’s Crawfish 524 S. B St. Ryan Balthrop and Brooks Hubbert soup to-go. Or dine-in to Bamboo Willies 11125 Lillian Hwy 432-3315 12:30 to 2 p.m. get one of their Crawfish 456-7551 400 Quietwater Beach joepattis.com Hadley Castille and the Sharecroppers Band Po-Boys (sautéed or fried) Authentic Cajun cuisine Road, Pensacola Beach Get them live by the 3 to 5 p.m. along with a cup of their (red beans and rice, jamba916-9888 30-40 pound sack or cooked Wayne Toups seafood gumbo. laya, po-boys) and one of bamboowillies.com and seasoned in store.

PENSACOLA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL

“We’re all about the food, entertainment and atmosphere at this year’s Crawfish Festival.” Whitney Fike

CRAWFISH FESTIVAL

Entertainment Schedule

May 3, 2012

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THAT FISH CRAY cont'd from page 16 CRAWFISH BOIL

NASCRAW crawfish race / photo courtesy of Fiesta of Five Flags If you overindulged during lunch on Friday, and then do it again that night – no judgment – then join the masses on Saturday, May 5 to run off all your indiscretions at the 38th Annual Fiesta 5k and 10k Run/ Walk. Starting at 7:30am, the 10k will begin at Pensacola State College, while the 5k will start from Scott Street and 12th Avenue in East Hill. Both races end at Seville Square – and conveniently near the food.

An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people will enjoy the festival over the three-day weekend that attracts visitors and tourists to Pensacola from throughout the region. It’s events like this that Fiesta supports as a way of “promoting Pensacola through events that celebrate our rich culture and historical ties.” And if there is anything Pensacola does right, it’s festivals that are built around food. {in}

Pieced, Glued and Painted April 16 - May 31, 2012 at Gallery 88 Reception: Thursday, May 10, 5-7 p.m. at the WUWF Studios

Local Gulf Coast artists and longtime friends Darlene Homrighausen and Donna Freckmann open a new collaborative exhibit that showcases their skills in the art of collage, while demonstrating the explorative nature of this particular medium. Pieced, Glued and Painted brings together the distinct styles and kindred spirits of these featured artists in one unique display. Both Homrighausen and Freckmann compose their work using small amounts of paint on canvas or paper as a background to enhance the larger portion of the collage. The exhibit may be viewed Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., at Gallery 88. Please join us for a special reception to meet the artists on Thursday, May 10, 5 - 7 p.m. at the WUWF Studios.

More information about Gallery 88 is available at wuwf.org or 474.2787.

Basics: To do a Crawfish Boil right it’s recommended you do it outside and on top of a propane gas burner. You will also need a big stockpot (think 80 quarts). It’s times like these having a Chef as a friend, or a neighbor that’s obsessed with frying turkeys at Thanksgiving, comes in handy. Before you get started, make sure to soak the live crawfish in fresh water for about 10 minutes to purge them of all their mud.

Ingredients: 1 30 pound sack of live crawfish 1 12 ounce bottle of hot sauce 1 26 ounce box of table salt 3 ounces shrimp and crab boil concentrate 10 new potatoes, cut in half 8 ears of corn, cut in half 4 pounds of Andouille sausage, cut into manageable size 4 small onions, cut in half Clean your crawfish (if you bought unpurged, most are) by soaking them in plenty of fresh water for ten minutes. Fill your stockpot halfway up with water and bring to a boil on your burner. Then add hot sauce, salt and shrimp & crab boil concentrate. Add potatoes, onions, corn and sausage and cook for 10 minutes. In the meantime, cover picnic area with newspaper and get some trashcan liners in cardboard boxes to make for easy disposal of crawfish shells. Take out corn, sausage and potatoes (if done) and add half the batch of crawfish to the pot. After it comes back to a boil, wait five minutes, then cut off heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Skim crawfish and fixins’ out of the pot. Serve on the picnic table. Do not dump out water. Bring water back up to boil and repeat step five with the second batch of crawfish.

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Hold On To Your Sombreros Boys Sharp, originally from Portland, Ore., is a mild mannered bartender at Hub Stacey’s downtown by day, and at night (and on days off), an event promoter. He has been running expositions and organizing

participation was less than it will be this As Sharp said, “Nitehound busses year. I ended up getting two busses this are by far the best, they have great sound year to accommodate the requests for systems and, of course, stripper poles. tickets. It will be a big event this year, the The bus ride from downtown to the beach excitement is building.” is a real highlight of the evening.” As you can imagine corralling people, Each place that you who are dispersed around a bar drinking, and the rest of the crew can be a bit like herding cats. Sharp said visit will feature $3 custom that they have someone who provides a prepared shot specials, countdown to the partygoers to let them and $1.50 Mexican beer. know when the bus is leaving for the next Paddy O’Leary’s has spot, “Some of the timing is directed by the prepared a Mexican car crowd. If they are ready to go, we leave.” bomb, a variation of the IN asked Sharp if he had ever lost Irish car bomb; this one someone during the evening. “A couple is tequila and limejuice people were tired and went home from the dropped into a Mexican beach,” he said. “As you can imagine we beer. Many of the paralso gained a few who wanted to fill in.” ticipating bars will already have Cinco de Mayo patrons, so when the bus unloads, the real fiesta will begin. Hub Stacey’s, 6:00 pm When you get to Paradise Bar and Intermission, 6:50 pm Grill, Sharp said, “We will have three Play, 7:40 pm piñatas filled with mini liquor bottles, to Pensacola Beach, 8:15 pm condoms and other top secret items. Last Paradise Bar & Grill, 8:45 pm year there were some piñata ninjas that The Dock, 9:35 pm came through and whacked them open Paddy O’Leary’s, 10:15 pm right away.” Additionally, “There will be *subject to change raffle prizes for things like bar tabs.” There are only 50 spots available and Paradise Bar and Grill will also provide they are going fast. You can purchase them a special room rate for those that would at Play, through Sharp at Hub Stacey’s or rather not leave the beach after a night on on facebook.com/cincodedrinko. {in} the town. Even on the bus you will be treated to some extra goodies provided by the vendors and sponsors. A professional photographer will be on the bus to capture all the WHEN: 6-11 p.m. Saturday, May 5 antics. When the bus returns to WHERE: Hub Stacey’s, 312 E. Government the downtown area, there will be St. taxis waiting to take you home. COST: $25 “We will be adding more DETAILS: facebook.com/cincodedrinko stuff, and more things to do, as

“We will have three piñatas filled with mini liquor bottles, condoms and other top secret items." Dustin Sharp

You may or may not be of Hispanic descent – but you can still celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the best of them. On Saturday, May 5, Dustin Sharp has something special planned for your drinking pleasure, the second annual Cinco de Drinko. Cinco de Drinko is a celebration of Cinco de Mayo, which means fifth of May in Spanish, Pensacola style. The holiday, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated nationwide with events ranging from large-scale parades to gatherings at local cantinas. It marks a day to highlight Mexican pride and heritage. In 2005, the U.S. Congress proclaimed that the people of the United States should observe Cinco de Mayo with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Cinco de Drinko will be just the event to help you obey the proclamation – appropriate or not.

the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series across the country – another way to supplement his income. According to Sharp, he lived in Tucson, Ariz., prior to moving to Pensacola, Fla. “Where I came from Cinco de Mayo was a huge celebration, really big there. When I got here, no one was celebrating the holiday properly.” “My birthday is really close to the date, May 6, and since I was already partying on May 5 at the beach and elsewhere, I decided to make an event out of it.” “Originally there were only small, or no choices, for Cinco de Mayo events. I started putting together the pub crawl, it started rolling from there and others got interested,” said Sharp The event is sponsored by Nitehound Party Buses and Limousine Service. For a mere $25, you can board a party bus after hanging out at Hub Stacey’s, get a cool shirt made especially for the event, head over to Intermission, then Play, and later head to Pensacola Beach to visit Paradise Bar and Grill, The Dock, Paddy O’Leary’s and then it’s back on the bus to return downtown.

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it gets closer to the date,” said Sharp. “Last year this event landed on a Thursday and the

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happenings

Hot Glass Cold Brew / courtesy photo

THURSDAY 5.3

‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA ARCHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php. ‘GARDEN OF EDEN’ 10 a.m. through Jun 2. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org. ‘EDEN REVISITED’ 10 a.m. through May 19. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org. ‘BREAKING THE CONTRACT, MENDING THE WHOLE’ 10 a.m. through May 19. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org. ‘DAZE OF WINE AND ROSES’ 10 a.m. through Jun 1. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org. ‘YOUR SECRET WAR’ 10 a.m. through Jun 1. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org. ‘RGB RGB RGB’ 10 a.m. through May 10. TAG, University of West Florida, Bldg 82. 11000 University Pkwy. 474-2696 or tag82uwf.worpress.com. ‘WELCOME TO MARGARITAVILLE’ MARGARITA TASTING 2 p.m. Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Rd., Pensacola Beach. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com. PLAY HAPPY HOUR 4 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 466-3080 or iplaypensacola.com. WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. Ninth Ave. 433-9463 or aragonwinemarket.com. HERB CLASS AT EVER’MAN 6 p.m. $2 for non-members. Ever’man Natural Foods, 315 W. Garden St. 438-0402 or everman.org. VEGAN DINNER AT EOTL 6 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. 429-0336 or eotlcafe.com. BLUE WAHOOS VS JACKSON GENERALS 7 p.m. Maritime Park, 449 W. Main St. 934-8444 or bluewahoos.com. ‘PARALLEL LIVES: KATHY AND MO SHOW’ 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

live music

JAZZ AT GREGORY STREET ASSEMBLY HALL 5 p.m. Gregory Street Assembly Hall, 501 E. Gregory St. 607-8633 or gregorystreet.com. HOME GROWN NIGHT 5 p.m. Florabama, 17401 Perdido Key Dr. 492-0611 or florabama.com. THE DAVENPORTS 6 p.m. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com. LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 6 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

KNEE DEEP BAND 7 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com. MAC ARNOLD 7 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com. CHARLIE ROBERTS 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com. KARAOKE WITH BECKY 7:30 p.m. Sabine Sandbar, 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 934-3141 or dalesbigdeck.com. TIM SPENCER 8 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 9322211 or sandshaker.com. DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. DJ MR LAO 8 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. ALVERADO ROAD SHOW 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. COLLEGE DANCE NIGHT 9 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

FRIDAY 5.4

PLAY HAPPY HOUR 4 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 466-3080 or iplaypensacola.com. WINE TASTING AT DK 4:30 p.m. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com. HOT GLASS COLD BREW 5 p.m. $20-$25, reservations requested. Belmont Arts Center, 401 N. Reus St.429-1222 or belmontartscenter.com. WINE TASTING AT SEVILLE QUARTER 5 p.m. Palace Café at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. WINE TASTING AT CITY GROCERY 5:15 p.m. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. 469-8100. WINE TASTING AT EAST HILL MARKET 5:30 p.m. 1216 N. Ninth Ave. BLUE WAHOOS VS JACKSON GENERALS 7 p.m. Maritime Park, 449 W. Main St. 934-8444 or bluewahoos.com. ALAN JACKSON 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaciviccenter.com. ‘PARALLEL LIVES: KATHY AND MO SHOW’ 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com. LIGHT OF THE MOON TOURS 7:45 p.m. $7-$15, tickets required. Pensacola Lighthouse, 2081 Radford Blvd. 393-1561 or pensacolalighthouse.org. SWING DANCING 8:30 p.m. American Legion, 1401 Intendencia St. $5. 437-5465 or pensacolaswing.com.

live music

TOMATO 4 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com. TIM SPENCER 6 p.m. 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 5494444 or the-oar-house.com. ACOUSTIC TRAVELERS 6 p.m. 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com. FOR TRU 7 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com. SAWMILL BAND & GUESTS 7 p.m. Chumuckla’s Farmers’ Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Rd., Pace. 994-9219 or farmersopry.com. STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES, THE MASTERSONS 7:30 p.m. $25-$30. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com. DESTIN ATKINSON 8 p.m. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com. DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. DJ MR LAO 8 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. REDDOG 8 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com. HOLLY SHELTON AND DAVID SHELANDER 8 p.m. Ragtyme Grille, 201 S. Jefferson St. 4299655 or ragtyme.net. KONTRABAND 9 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Rd., Pensacola Beach. 9169888 or bamboowillies.com. ALVERADO ROAD SHOW 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. SCHOFIELD 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. BANANA REPUBLIC 9 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com. FISH OUT OF WATER 9 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com. JAMES ADKINS 9:30 p.m. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

SATURDAY 5.5

38TH ANNUAL FIESTA RUN 7:30 a.m. Government and Adams Streets. 255-1610 or pensacolarunners.com.

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inweekly.net

happenings

‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA ARCHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php. 28TH ANNUAL PENSACOLA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL 10 a.m. $5-$10. Bartram Park, Downtown Pensacola. 433-6512 or fiestaoffiveflags.org. ‘BREAKING THE CONTRACT, MENDING THE WHOLE’ 10 a.m. through May 19. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org. ‘DAZE OF WINE AND ROSES’ 10 a.m. through Jun 1. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org.

‘YOUR SECRET WAR’ 10 a.m. through Jun 1. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org. ‘GARDEN OF EDEN’ 12 p.m. through Jun 2. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org. ‘EDEN REVISITED’ 12 p.m. through May 19. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org. ‘RGB RGB RGB’ 12 p.m. through May 10. TAG, University of West Florida, Bldg 82. 11000 University Pkwy. 474-2696 or tag82uwf.worpress.com. MOM’S MATTER 12 p.m. Food, drinks, crafts, kid’s activities and information for parents. H.K. Matthews Park, 3100 N. 12 Ave., 316-1198. PLAY HAPPY HOUR 4 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 466-3080 or iplaypensacola.com. BLUE WAHOOS VS JACKSON GENERALS 6:30 p.m. Maritime Park, 449 W. Main St. 934-8444 or bluewahoos.com. ‘PARALLEL LIVES: KATHY AND MO SHOW’ 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com. LIGHT OF THE MOON TOURS 7:45 p.m. $7-$15, tickets required. Pensacola Lighthouse, 2081 Radford Blvd. 393-1561 or pensacolalighthouse.org.

live music

FLIP FLOP BOYS 3 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Rd., Pensacola Beach. 9169888 or bamboowillies.com. TOMATO 4 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com. TIM SPENCER 6 p.m. 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 5494444 or the-oar-house.com. ACOUSTIC TRAVELERS 6 p.m. 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com. POSI TONES 7 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21

Celebrate Mother’s Day Open for Lunch & Dinner

Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com. SAWMILL BAND & GUESTS 7 p.m. Chumuckla’s Farmers’ Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Rd., Pace. 994-9219 or farmersopry.com. KRAZY GEORGE KARAOKE 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 4691001 or hubstaceys.com. KARAOKE WITH MARK ESKEW 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s at the Point, 5851 Galvez Rd. 497-0071 or hubstaceys.com. AN EVENING WITH KELLER WILLIAMS 7:30 p.m. $18-$20. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. 6076758 or vinylmusichall.com. DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. LISA ZANGHI & JIM ANDREWS 8 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com. KONTRABAND 9 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Rd., Pensacola Beach. 9169888 or bamboowillies.com. BANANA REPUBLIC 9 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com. ALVERADO ROAD SHOW 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. SCHOFIELD 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. FISH OUT OF WATER 9 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com. KNEE DEEP BAND 9:30 p.m. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

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SUNDAY 5.6

WORSHIP ON THE WATER 11 a.m. Tent Stage, Florabama, 17401 Perdido Key Dr. 492-0611 or florabama.com. 28TH ANNUAL PENSACOLA CRAWFISH FESTIVAL 11 a.m. $5-$10. Bartram Park, Downtown Pensacola. 433-6512 or fiestaoffiveflags.org. PLAY HAPPY HOUR 4 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 466-3080 or iplaypensacola.com. ‘STRAIGHT NO CHASER’ 7 p.m. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. 595-3880 or pensacolasaenger.com.

live music

VIBE IRIE 3 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Rd., Pensacola Beach. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com. TOMATO 4 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com. TIM SPENCER 6 p.m. 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 5494444 or the-oar-house.com. ACOUSTIC TR AVELERS 6 p.m. 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com. JOHN HART & FATTY WATERS 6 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com. THE SUPERVILLAINS 7 p.m. $8-$10. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com. BROOKS HUBBERT III 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 4346211 or sevillequarter.com.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

May 3, 2012

music

by Kate Peterson

Behold the Duke and Duchess The night before Earle was scheduled to jet off to Australia for the first stop of his tour, IN had a chance to talk to him. He said that his family and pets had just

songs, I was not old enough for bars – only coffee houses. I was in a military town; Vietnam and politics were a big influence I grew up with it. When I was 17, I was noticed by Townes Van Zandt. He was a big deal, a huge influence and a mentor.

"When I began writing songs, I was not old enough for bars – only coffee houses." Steve Earle Steve Earle / photo by Ted Barron Raspy, powerful voice, tough life, political activist, television star and country music genius – that is Steve Earle, and we are lucky enough to have him coming to play for us. Earle has been playing music since 1975. His first album, “Guitar Town,” went gold in 1986. Many know Earle best for his song, “Copperhead Road,” on the album of the same name. Earle’s most recent album is titled: “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive,” named after a Hank Williams song. He also wrote a book with the same title. The album is strewn with songs written in response to what is going on in the world. Over his many years in the music business, he has posted the following numbers: 13 studio, six live and seven compilation albums, 23 singles and 13 music videos. Earle is a three-time Grammy Award winner. He has had parts in HBO’s “The Wire,” “Treme” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

loaded up in a van to head off to Tennessee and, as he put it, “It is a moment of quiet and that is weird.” IN: Why did you originally get started in music? EARLE: I grew up in a pretty musical family – my dad and uncle both played music. I listened to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Hank Williams records, to name a few. They were my uncle’s records. I liked a lot of music. I was not an athlete. At about 11 or 12, I got a guitar. I got into music to basically get girls to talk to me. IN: Does it work, playing music to get the girls to talk to you? EARLE: Works with some. IN: Who were your early influences? EARLE: Style? Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan – acoustic all the way. My Dad said no electric guitars. I liked the style of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. When I began writing

IN: Do you still have some of those songs you wrote before you turned 17? EARLE: Oh, I can’t remember any of them now. I threw everything away from that time. I had moved on. I am sure there was a song with some girl’s name in the title.

IN: Your musical collaboration choices run the genre gamut. What sways your decision to work with someone? EARLE: It is a matter of staying interested. Moving to New York has been a big influence on my musical diversity. It is harder as you get older to see it all and take it all in. I don’t like to alienate anyone or anything. I have been listening to my iPod a lot. I like to collaborate; it helps you come up with your own music. IN: Who do you listen to these days? EARLE: Recently, I was backstage for Bruce Springsteen’s show at the Apollo. I really like The Low Anthem from Providence, R.I., and Joe Pug from Chicago. IN: Where is your favorite place to play, either venue or country? EARLE: That is hard to say. In Europe, the venues are normally theaters and they sound really good. Clubs are fun. Country venues are not so fun. IN: What do you think of the current political climate?

EARLE: I missed the Occupy Wall Street group being moved out of Zuccotti Park by about three days. I knew a lot of the group that was there – they are all people in their late 20s and 30s with degrees. They are the first generation who has had the door slammed in their faces. Using social media to their advantage was the edge. This country continues to recover – it will take a while. I am voting for Obama again, and I am way left of a Democrat. Voting is the most important thing we can do. Vote to be involved. IN: On your latest album, “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive,” you have a song called “The Gulf of Mexico,” tell us about that song and the meaning. EARLE: I was in New Orleans shooting the HBO show “Treme” when the BP oil spill disaster struck. It was so heartbreaking; we all thought we could contribute something to help. We didn’t know how it was going to turn out. All the shrimp are not back. Oysters are not back. The oil has not disappeared. I grew up on the Gulf Coast, and my wife is from Mobile, Ala. It is drilling gone wild there and in Texas. No one in Louisiana gets royalties from oil, yet it is important to their way of life. They believe the oil companies are on their side. Oil companies do not generate as many jobs as fishing does. The residents both rely on, and are afraid of, the oil companies. They don’t say anything negative. {in}

STEVE EARLE AND THE DUKES

WHAT: Steve Earle and The Dukes with The Mastersons WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 4 WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox Pl. COST: $25-$30 DETAILS: vinylmusichall.com

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music

inweekly.net

by Sarah McCartan

Isles: A Soundtrack of Pensacola IN: Is songwriting a collaborative effort for Isles? Isles: Totally. We all throw around ideas until the music kind of becomes something we think sounds good, or catchy, or dreamy or whatever sound we’re looking for.

Mikey Maleki, Brandon Warren, and Tobi Echevarria / photo by Kelly Carpenter Meet Isles—the newest dreamy musical number in town. While the band possesses a certain laid-back demeanor and whimsical charm, get ready because this well-equipped quintet is rapidly and unexpectedly awakening a sound that is a far cry from what Pensacola is accustomed to hearing. In just a matter of a few short months, Isles is already making waves, generating music that is proving to be an essential listen. The music serves as a soundtrack of sorts—capturing the sounds, the vibes and the nostalgia that is Pensacola. Currently, Isles is introducing Pensacola to this music, one demo at a time, online through their Bandcamp page. The initial three demos, each entitled something representative of a particular locale, collectively yield a beachy, lighthearted, airy feel and are maintained by plenty of synth, melodic vocals and even introduce the pan flute. With that, each track also has its own distinct characteristics. Upon first listening to their latest track “East Hill,” one will note that the track carries the same magnetism as the quaint neighborhood itself.

Along with dedicating time to their do-it-yourself recording sessions, Isles is bringing their sound to life on stage, having played several shows locally, as well as the recent Tour De Fun Festival in Tennessee. The next local opportunity to see them live is Wednesday, May 9, as they take the stage at Sluggo’s with Tennessee’s Blastoids and Hu G. Whales. To fully capture the essence of Isles in both the present moment and as they gaze into the immediate future, the group answered a few questions for the IN. IN: What is Isles all about? Did it begin with one person’s vision? Isles: We (band members Tobi Echevarria and Brandon Warren) started off backing up “Kodak to Graph” (band member Mikey Maleki’s solo project), which led to us forming a new band, Isles. As far as what we’re about, it’s nice to be able to create new music with people you’ve never really played with before. Everything sounds fresh. And we have a lot of instruments and great studio gear to create with. This makes it super easy to come up with ideas and get them down immediately onto the computer.

IN: Can we expect a full-length album of any kind in the upcoming months, or additional demos in the meantime? Isles: Whenever we have free time, we meet up and record. We are currently working on our first full-length release that will have eight songs. It should be done by mid-summer. We might post more songs, but we want to get the full album done, and get it out to people as soon as we can. Whether intentional or not, Isles is without question positioning themselves to become not just a band you will want to hear more than once, but a band that you will not be able to stop listening to. {in}

“It’s nice to be able to create new music with people you’ve never really played with before. Everything sounds fresh.” Isles

IN: Some bands do concept albums. You guys seem to have created a sort of conceptualized or themed band. Was this the intent from the beginning? How has this driven the sound of Isles? Isles: Tobi came up with the name Isles. We live on the water – each one of us is like an island in the band – we try and create music that reflects where we live. Like bands from California, New York, Brazil, or wherever, we’re going for a “local” sound – and a little nostalgia at times, maybe. IN: How does your live sound differ from the recordings? Isles: Recordings are set in stone, WHAT: Isles with Blastoids and Hu G. Whales parts played, etc. When we play WHEN: 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 9 live we change things slightly to WHERE: Sluggo’s, 101 S. Jefferson St. make it challenging for us. But COST: $5 mostly they sound like the recordDETAILS: 791-6501; islesmusic.bandcamp.com ings. We also use the computer to play some of the recorded parts during our live shows.

ISLES

E r i c D. Ste v e n s on Personal Injur y | Criminal Justice 919 N. 12th Avenue Pensacola, Florida 32501

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mypensacolaattorney.com • email: eric@mypensacolaattorney.com

May 3, 2012

PYP HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! Check out our teams and what they have been working on to see where you might fit it.

MEMBERSHIP TEAM:

The mission of the Membership Team is to illustrate the benefits of PYP membership. PYP allows individuals to grow as leaders, network with other professionals, learn more about our area, and give back to our community. PYP members have proven that a group of young professionals can make a difference! A new event that the team sponsored this year was the New Member Bowling Night, which was a huge success! New members were able to meet PYP Board members and committee chairs in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The Membership Team is also in the process of contacting businesses to join the PYP membership benefits program, which will allow PYP members to receive discounts for various products and services throughout our region. Overall, 2011 has proven to be an exciting year for the Member Services Team.

NETWORKING TEAM:

The mission of the Networking Team is to allow PYP members to network with each other, and to encourage the professional and social development of PYP members. The Networking Team works with other local organizations in order to offer a variety of events to our members. The Networking Team periodically brings all of PYP together for special events. We have had the pleasure of planning the following events for 2011: Monthly Pub Clubs at area restaurants The Annual Holiday Party Speed Networking Luncheon Evening with Pensacola Symphony Orchestra The Annual Dinner at Pensacola Yacht Club Monthly Culture Clubs with Pen-

sacola Museum of Art Opera in a Trunk The Networking Team has many events in the works and could not thrive without the constant involvement of our wonderful members and the support of our sponsors!

QUALITY OF LIFE TEAM:

The Quality of Life Team examines local issues in our community such as poverty, education, health, environment, and housing. The goal of this team is to identify community conditions that affect quality of life, acquire adequate education on the issues, and then determine a plan of action that our members can pursue in order to make a difference. Not only are we making a difference, we are also having fun! A sample of the organizations we volunteer with: Bridges to Circles Program Ronald McDonald House Habitat for Humanity Art in the Park - Pensacola Museum of Art City of Pensacola Parks & Recreation Events Junior Achievement United Way Corks n’ Canvases - Big Brothers Big Sisters Fill a Bowl and Pick a Bowl - Manna Food Bank

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM:

The mission of the Economic Development Team is to increase the involvement of PYP in economic development issues that affect the Pensacola area. Team members will stay informed of all local and state organizations that affect the economy. The Economic Development Team has partnered with the Government Affairs Team to help manage the Better Pensacola Forum, which conducts the yearly quality of life survey, an ongoing series of webisodes and publications which highlight issues in Pensacola and Escambia County. PYP members were successful in

raising awareness about the renewal of the EDATE (Economic Development Ad valorem Tax Exemption) which is an important tool used to attract and retain businesses to Escambia County.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM:

The mission of the Government Affairs Team is to focus on local city and county government. This team is responsible for presenting issues to the PYP Board for evaluation and for making recommendations on actionable items. The Team also educates our membership on local government and upcoming initiatives. Some of the great events sponsored by the Government Affairs Team this past year include: Government Affairs Team Chair Stephanie Terek was the host for all of the Better Pensacola Forum webisodes that were produced in 2011 PYP Government Affairs Team Day in Tallahassee Joint Event with Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council Raising Better Awareness of Local Issues

May 17 Pub Club Landshark Landing @ Margaritaville 5:30p – 7:30p May 29 QOL: Bridges to Circles Cathedral of Sacred Heart Parrish Hall Shifts at 4p & 6p

For more information on Pensacola Young Professionals or to join please see our website Pensacolayp.com or contact Director Rachael Gillette Pensacola Young Professionals 41 N. Jefferson St. Ste 108 Pensacola FL 32502 (850) 332-7820

WWW.PENSACOLAYP.COM

EVENT CALENDAR May 3 Culture Club Pensacola Museum of Art 4p Setup; 5p Doors Open May 4 Chick-fil-a Leadercast Hillcrest Baptist Church 7a – 3:30p May 10 Membership/Networking Hellenback Again 5:30p – 7:30p May 14 PYP Board Meeting Office of Rodney Rich & Co. 5:15p May 16 Government Affairs Apple Annie’s @ Seville 5:30p – 6:30p

SCAN TO SIGN-UP FOR PYP MEETING REMINDERS

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news of the weird

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inweekly.net

by Chuck Shepherd

CONDO DEVELOPER LARRY HALL is already one-quarter sold out of the upscale doomsday units he is building in an abandoned underground Cold War-era Atlas-F missile silo near Salina, Kan. He told an Agence France-Presse reporter in April that his 14-story structure would house seven floors of apartments ($1 million to $2 million each, cash up front), with the rest devoted to dry food storage, filtered-water tanks and an indoor farm, which would raise fish and vegetables to sustain residents for five years. The 9-foot-thick concrete walls (built to protect rockets from a Soviet nuclear attack) would be buttressed by entrance security to ward off the savages who were not wise enough to prepare against famine, meteors, nuclear war and the like. Hall said he expects to be sold out this year and begin work on another of the three silos he has options to buy.

sports team executives emails that threatened them with violence for having stolen his “ideas” for winning “championships.” One of the victims was a former general manager of the Chicago Cubs, a team that famously has not won a National League championship in 66 years, nor a World Series in 103. • In April, Arizona (recently the home of cutting-edge legislation) almost set itself up for the impossible task of trying to prohibit any “annoy(ing)” or “offen(sive)” or “profane” language on the Internet. The state House passed the bill, which was endorsed 30-0 by the state Senate, ostensibly to make an anti-stalking telephone regulation applicable to “digital” communications. (Just as the bill was about to go to the governor for signature, sponsors suddenly realized the futility of the bill’s directives, and on April 4th, withdrew it.)

CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE Dan O’Leary, the city manager of Keller, Tex. (pop. 27,000), faced with severe budget problems, was unable to avoid the sad job of handing out pink slips. For instance, he determined that one of Keller’s three city managers had to go, and in April, he laid himself off. According to a March Fort Worth StarTelegram report, O’Leary neither intended to retire nor had other offers pending, and he had aroused no negative suspicions as to motive. He simply realized the city could be managed more cost-effectively by the two lower-paid officials.

GAY RIGHTS IN LIMBO (1) The Missouri House of Representatives, after several times rejecting “sexual orientation” as one of the legally prohibited categories of discrimination, managed to find another category in March (to join “race,” “religion” and so forth) that is deserving of special protection: licensed concealed-weapons carriers. (2) The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in April that Joshua Coman, convicted of having sex with a dog, does not have to register as a sex offender. Activists had urged that the sodomy law on which Coman was convicted be declared unconstitutional, since it appears to equate human-animal sex with man-man and woman-woman sex. However, the Court declined, instead noting that Coman had been convicted of a misdemeanor and that only felons are required to register. [St. Louis Public Radio, 3-11-2012]

THAT SACRED INSTITUTION (1) A federal court magistrate in Melbourne, Australia, decided to split a divorcing couple’s assets in half in February after listening to tedious details of their 20-year marriage. The “couple” lived apart except for vacations and kept their finances separate, constantly “invoic[ing] each other,” according to the Daily Telegraph, for amounts as trifling as a $1.60 lightbulb. (2) Though many Americans act as though they are in love with themselves, only Nadine Schweigert became an honest woman. She married herself in March in front of 45 family members and friends in Fargo, N.D., vowing “to enjoy inhabiting my own life and to relish a lifelong love affair with my beautiful self.” And then she was off on a solo honeymoon. [Herald Sun (Melbourne), 2-27-2012] [Fargo Forum, 3-15-2012] UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT In January, Ms. Navey Skinner, 34, was charged with robbing the Chase Bank in Arlington, Wash., after passing a teller a note that read, “Put the money in the bag now or (d)ie.” According to investigators, Skinner subsequently told them she had been thinking about robbing a bank and then, while inside the Chase Bank, “accidentally robbed” it. • Emanuel Kuvakos, 56, was arrested in April and charged with sending two Chicago

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS Amateur Hour: (1) CVS supervisor Fenton Graham, 35, of Silver Spring, Md., was arrested as the inside man (with two accomplices) in two drugstore robberies in April. Surveillance video showed that in the second heist, the nervous perp evidently failed to take the money with him, and Graham (the “victim”) was seen taking it out to his forgetful partner. (2) Kyle Voss, 24, was charged with four burglaries in Great Falls, Mont., in April after coming upon a private residence containing buckets of coins. According to police, Voss first took the quarters and halfdollars ($3,000), then days later he returned for $700 in dimes and nickels. By the third break-in, the resident had installed surveillance video, and Voss was caught as he came back for a bucket of pennies. {in}

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

May 3, 2012

my pensacola

Settlement Announced

Justin Spence

Day Job: Outside Sales Representative, Ram Tool & Supply Co. Pensacola Resident Since: October 2005

Good Eats:

I love sushi, and Tuesday nights at Fish House and Atlas are half priced – can’t beat it! Also, sharing a Butcher Block pizza at Hopjacks with a pint of Pensacola Bay Brewery’s Riptide is great for ending a long week! Best lunch is, hands down, Nacho Daddies – their tacos are great!

Retail Therapy:

Shopping, really? I’m a guy so I don’t frequent one place too much, but I’m single so I guess one day I’ll have to go visit Patrick at Elebash Jewelers.

Outdoors:

I’m an old Alabama boy at heart – I love Pensacola’s beaches, but camping out is my favorite. Whether it’s Ft. Pickens, Blackwater River State Park, or mixing in a little diving at Vortex Springs, there will be a campfire close by. Also, I love playing baseball in the Pensacola Men’s Baseball League during the spring and summer – great guys and a ton of fun!

Arts & Culture:

When I’m at the beach, Sammie and the crew at The Break are awesome. They have great live music and drink specials, always. When I’m downtown, Intermission is where you will most likely see me. It’s always great people, great friends and a great atmosphere.

Pensacola is so lucky to have so many talented local artists. I enjoy the Culture Clubs hosted by Pensacola Museum of Art. Also, anything and everything the Saenger Theatre does is brilliant. They always do a great job appealing to every taste – symphony, opera, Broadway, comedy and concerts – you name it those guys do it, and do it well!

Nightlife:

Never Miss Events/Festivals:

Watering Holes:

I’m a serious music lover so the addition of Vinyl Music Hall to Palafox was the best thing that could’ve happened. If there is music playing in that building it’s better than a coin flip’s chance I’ll be there. Those guys do an awesome job bringing in the best local and national artists. Combine that with the intimate atmosphere and it is the place to see live music.

We have so many festivals it’s really hard to pick a favorite. Gallery Nights are a must, and the Crawfish Festival and Bands on the Beach. Practically everything the Pensacola Young Professionals put on – whether it’s their golf tournament or annual charity ball – I’m in! This article truly isn’t big enough for me to name all the ones that I enjoy. I can’t pick just one. {in}

Do you want to tell us how you see our city? Email Joani at joani@inweekly.net for all of the details.

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Independent News | May 3, 2012 | inweekly.net