Sept. 15 Issue

Independent News | September 15, 2011 | Volume 12 | Number 36 | inweekly.net FREE ▶

“It puts human back in the word ‘humanity’.”

16

“If someone’s pissed off they’ll find their own space.”

19 27

“I’m a sucker for hummus.”

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OFFICIAL PARTICIPANTS PAGE 17

GALLERY

OFFICIAL PARTICIPANTS PAGE 17

GALLERY

publisher & editorRick Outzen

production managerJoani Delezen

art directorSamantha Crooke

sales directorJennifer Passeretti

contributing writersBradley “B.J.” Davis, Jr., Joani Delezen, Hana Frenette, Ashley Hardaway, Rob “Bubbs” Harris, Brett Hutchins, Chelsa Jillard, Sarah Mc-Cartan, Jennie McKeon, Jeremy Morrison, Kate Peterson, Scott Satter-white, Chuck Shepherd

September 15, 2011 3

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winnersKING RIVERS The owner of King’s Bar-B-Q turned 70 on Sept. 9. Although he earned a good salary with a local railroad company, he followed his dream, retired over 20 years ago and opened his BBQ joint on the corner of Palafox and Maxwell streets. Great towns have great BBQ. Tuscaloosa has Dreamland. Memphis has The Rendezvous. Pensacola has King’s.

COX COMMUNICATIONS The cable company has established a new endowment in the University of West Florida School of Science and Engineering to provide support for students enrolled in majors within the school. Recipients will be selected based on their academic achievements and work in research activities within the Computer Science Department, focused on complex data visualization.

TOURISM Escambia County set lodging revenue records in both June and July. Rev-enues collected on stays in hotels, condos and rental homes in June were $23.6 million and revenues in July were $29 million. The previous record for June was in 2008 with $20.1 million, and the previous July record, which was also the all-time record, was $23.8 million in 2009. Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties broke revenue records, too. It’s amazing what not having an oil spill can do for our economy.

PENSACOLA BAY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE No matter how you look at the issue over who runs Escambia County’s tourism program, the Chamber is the big loser in this debate–its CEO running to the daily newspaper, board members and staff meeting privately on shifting the program away from the Chamber, and accusations flying about Sunshine law violations. Fingers are pointing in all directions. How much more dysfunctional can we get?

PENSACOLA CITY COUNCIL The “governing” body of Pensacola city govern-ment met three times last week for over eight hours. The daily newspaper hardly reported on any of it. Somebody is sending them a signal.

PENSACOLA’S IMAGE A self-proclaimed vampire woman was arrested in St. Peters-burg after allegedly attacking an elderly man, who was in a motorized wheelchair, outside of a vacant Hooters restaurant. The couple met at a nearby gas station, where the man invited the woman to hang out with him outside of a vacant Hooters until her ride came to pick her up. He fell asleep in his motorized wheelchair and when he awoke, the “vampire” — a Pensacola resident — was biting him. Our “News of the Weird” column is going to need a special section just for Pensacola people.

winners & losers

losers

Pensacola’s vampires

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THEY SAY…An old political strategy has been resur-rected in Escambia County. It pits people against each other without the instigator ever personally getting in the line of fire. All one has to do is say, “Well, they say you…”

If that fails to work, the person can raise the pres-sure by saying, “I heard he/she said (fi ll in the blank) about you.”

Yes, it ’s high school gossip politics, but it works in Pensacola. Maybe it ’s because the old power structures have been chal-lenged by the election of Sheriff David Morgan and Mayor Ashton Hayward, the dogged perseverance of Quint Studer and the candidacy of Lumon May.

The “controversy” over the Studers’ commitment to the Maritime Park was just such an incident. Few associated with the park thought the couple had pledged $4 million to the project, but the park’s execu-tive director and attorney insisted, only to later see their board side with the Studers.

Behind the scenes, people tried to pit Hayward and his chief of staff, the Studers and the Community Maritime Park As-sociates chairman Collier Merrill against each other. Rumors flew all over the place.

Fortunately the players kept direct lines of communication open between each other. Every “they said” or “he said” was countered with a phone call, thus avoiding confrontations and litigation.

I’ve seen the same thing since Lumon May pre-filed to run for Escambia County Commission, District 3. In a bizarre twist, May is being attacked by the “we-theys” for

taking contribu-tions from whites and also being hit by his opponent Hugh King to those same white leaders as being to radical because his brother invited Rev. Jeremiah

Wright to speak at his church. It ’s the best of all worlds for the “we-

they” game players, trying to take away May’s black and white support with one blow. What King and his handlers don’t re-alize is May has spent over 20 years help-ing people inside District 3 and coaching inner-city youth. The District knows him and his family. That personal knowledge trumps “we-they.”

The older leadership in District 3 is frightened of May. He and his friends exposed their lack of political influence when they got Hayward elected mayor over their candidate, Mike Wiggins.

If May is elected commissioner, their house of cards will tumble. They must figure out how to paint him as “too white,” “too Republican,” and somehow also “a radical African-American.”

“We-they” will be their tool. Let’s hope it doesn’t work.

{in}[email protected]

outtakesby Rick Outzen

They must figure out how to paint him as “too white,” “too Republican,” and somehow also “a radical African-American.”

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CLOSING THE BOOK ON COSTNER news

When Kevin Costner and his centrifuge machines stepped onto the stage during last year’s Deepwater Horizon disaster, oil had been spewing for nearly a month. Internet message boards seethed with frustrated people asking why the well couldn’t be ce-mented shut, nuked, stuffed with golf balls. BP had been reduced to soliciting solutions from at-home inventors, and industry regulators had utterly failed on their watch.

BP Paid Actor $52 Million for Useless InventionBy Tony D’Souza

Suddenly a movie star was going to save the Gulf? The late night talk show hosts ran with it: Letterman, Kimmel and Ferguson all cracked Costner jokes. Jon Stewart best articulated the skepticism with this one-liner: “If Kevin Costner has a ma-chine that cleans up disasters, why didn’t he use it on “3000 Miles to Graceland?”

Even Jimmy Fallon took a swipe: “[Y]esterday, BP ordered 32 oil-separating ma-chines designed by Kevin Costner. Costner said, all along, a voice kept telling him, ‘If you

build it and there’s a huge oil spill and the oil company and government have absolutely no

idea whatsoever how to clean it up, they will come.’”

The uselessness of Costner’s machines has since been widely documented. They only access surface water, can’t reach submerged oil, and never had a chance of making any dent in

the crisis. The actor ran his demonstrations using diesel, not oil, and, in the words of MIT’s Jerry Milgram, “It would take thousands of the machines to make any di� erence.”

BP ordered 32 centrifuges for an estimated $52 million.

photo courtesy of United States Coast Guard

www. a t t o r n e ygenem i t c h e l l . c om


The Guardian’s Leo Hickman was most scathing, writing on June 17, 2010, “[The machine] sounds impressive, but just how much water is there in the Gulf of Mexico? 643,000,000,000,000,000 gallons… Just how long would it take Costner’s machine to rid the Gulf of Mexico of its oil? 6.1 BILLION years.” Hickman then said Costner’s machines would burn more oil in operation than they’d collect.

Though the actor was adamant during his months-long national media junket that he was “not just hocking [my] stuff,” it’s now apparent that he was. Beginning in 1993, Costner gambled $24 million of his own “after taxes” money on developing pat-ented centrifuge technology he’d acquired from the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory.

At last year’s Aspen Environment Forum in late July, he again couched his motives in quasi-religious terms, describing how he had awaken “from a dream state after the Exxon Valdez” feeling “at a loss,” and began a search for a way to “separate oil and water at high speeds.”

When he testified before Congress’s House Science and Technology Committee on June 9, 2010, Costner was more clear: he told the committee he had assumed “industry would rush” to his centrifuges, that “thousands” would be purchased as first line spill defense. However, for 17 years his pitches to the Navy, NOAA, oil compa-nies, and various foreign governments had resulted in essentially “no response.”

In a blatant display of favoritism follow-ing Costner’s testimony, Congressman Dan Rohrabacher, R-CA, hosted a dinner for the star and members of Congress at his home, and began championing the machines. Nine days later, BP ordered 32 centrifuges for an estimated $52 million, more than double Costner’s investment. The star soon began making joint appearances with company officials, and became BP’s de facto public face of the disaster. A rival centrifuge manu-facturer, John DiBella of Ft. Lauderdale’s Enviro Voraxial Technology, complained to The New York Times, “Unfortunately I don’t have [his] good looks.”

Despite spending so much money on Costner’s machines, BP did not use them. A BP spokeswoman told the LA Times this past February, “We do have six of them in a warehouse, and there are suspicions of

more around someplace.” A September 2010 BP report on the clean-up effort made almost no mention of them at all. Costner himself has since admitted that by the time his machines were deployed in the Gulf, the oil was too deep to reach.

Certainly, BP had information that Costner’s machines wouldn’t work in the clean-up. After all, those same machines had been scorned by industry experts for the better part of two decades. So why would BP, egged on by Rohrabacher, waste $52 million chasing

Costner’s red herring? It seems natural that the disgraced com-

pany, as well as a government which had been shown to be ineffective, would want to trot Costner out in front of the cameras. In his films, Costner plays an underdog facing overwhelming odds—which is how many Americans felt in the face of the mighty oil plume. Costner beside them on TV, promis-ing a solution, turned attention away from their impotence and negligence. The money wasted on Costner’s known-to-be-ineffec-tive machines was a calculated decision to make the actor’s bad bet whole in exchange for the distraction of his image.

While BP and Rohrabacher will likely never own up to this callous episode, Costner may get his comeuppance. Last December, actor Stephen Baldwin, along with a business partner, launched a $12.5 million lawsuit in federal court, claiming Costner planned from the beginning to use the Deepwater Horizon disaster to market his machines to BP, and that he duped them into selling their shares for 14% of their value just before the BP contract was announced.

In June, US District Judge Martin Feld-man in New Orleans threw out Costner’s request for dismissal, ruling Baldwin had “adequately pled securities law violations, fraud, and other claims.” The case will be heard in May, 2012.

Followers of Costner’s business escapades shouldn’t be surprised: made an honorary Sioux after “Dances With Wolves,” Costner ignored complaints by members of the Sioux Nation that a casino he had proposed would disrespect their treaties and sacred Black Hills land. He forged ahead anyway. {in}

Tony D’Souza is an award-winning writer and journalist. His third novel, “Mule,” hits the stands this month.

SINK FORMS THINK-TANK Former Flor-ida CFO Alex Sink has established a new organization — Florida Next Foundation — focused on the future of the state. In an email, Sink, the Democratic candidate for governor in 2010, described Florida Next as “a non-profit, non-partisan, communications and research organiza-tion that I have created to gather the best ideas from everyday Floridians, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.”

Sink is following the example of Jeb Bush, who formed a similar think-tank, albeit more conservative, when he lost his first race for governor to Lawton Chiles in 1994. Bush’s non-profit was The Founda-tion For Florida’s Future and became the catalyst for his successful gubernatorial bid in 1998.

Florida Next Foundation is leasing office space in the Tampa Museum of Art. Its president/CEO is Jim Cassady, Sink’s former chief of staff as CFO and her top campaign adviser. Board members include her husband, Bill McBride, whom Bush beat in 2006, and her former cam-paign finance chairman, Richard Swann.

Sink hasn’t committed to running for governor again, but she said that her foundation will tackle how Florida can ensure for the next generation that the future is as prosperous as the past.

“Florida Next will use an aggressive platform focusing on in-teractive social network-ing, in-person policy forums around the state, opinion polling, and online surveys,” said Sink, “to reach as broad an audience as possible so Floridians can share their ideas, concerns and aspirations.”

PERKINS SNAPS ON SNAPPER REGS Emerald Coast Utilities Authority board mem-ber and charter boat captain Dale Perkins has

resigned from the Gulf Council Red Snapper

Advisory Panel to Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.

Citing emails from Steven Atran, Population Dynamics Statistician, Perkins resigned on Labor Day.

“The whole process is a charade as evidenced by the fact that they schedule meetings to take our input and then go ahead and make decisions without even holding the meetings,” said Capt. Perkins. “I am not going to lend false legitimacy to this charade by allowing my name to be used on a so called committee that has no input.

“No matter what the data shows, it is always interpreted as a need to reduce Total Allowable Catch. If we are catching to few fish, they say to reduce the quota. If we catch too many, reduce the quota. The fish are too big, reduce the quota. The fish are too small, reduce the quota.”

Perkins’ resignation coincided with a Fox Business report on federal regulation of fisheries. Fox Business interviewed Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.: “What the fishermen want is sensible regulation that takes into account a valid notion of how many fish are out there and listens to their expertise.”

Sensible federal regulations? Not likely. {in}

buzz all the political news and gossip

fit to print }}

Alex Sink use Jeb Bush’s playbook / photo by Samantha Crooke

“Turning the economy around does not happen with speeches or blam-ing others.” —Ross Calloway

“Those same tired names have got-ten this town nowhere in the past twenty years.” —Steve Kolokouris

“I hate to see our local mom and pop shops suffer.” —Teresa

“You have to have mojo to lose it…” —Gregfrom

the blog

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.

Despite spending so much money on Costner’s machines, BP did not use them.

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feature storyTHE HAMMER OR REDEMPTION?

A.A. Dixon’s Bid at aSecond Chance

By Jeremy Morrison

Chatter fills the school cafeteria on a Friday morning. Students sit in their uniforms, awaiting the final day of school before a weekend’s respite.

“I love Dora! ” a l it tle girl excitedly exclaims, expressing af fection for a cer tain popular car toon character adorning her backpack .

Students fill the cavernous hall with their early morning buzzing. Laughing. Studying. Rummaging through papers and finishing up breakfast.

The cafeteria at A.A. Dixon Charter School of Excellence is classic, mid-century Ameri-cana. A checkerboard tile floor fades beneath high ceilings as sunlight streams in from the expansive windows. On the far end, varnished floorboards of a stage peek out from behind a cloaking curtain. To the side is a kitchen and mural of the food pyramid.

The room is ideal for eating, or a school play, or a PTA meeting or maybe a dance. It was created to collect the happy howls of elementary academia, and the students are

howling plenty on this Friday morning.

Principal Kathy Colbert and her vice principal Chresal Lam-bert take to the cafete-ria PA system to make morning announce-ments. The duo may be having trouble getting

into a Friday-kind-of-mood. They ’ve got more than Saturday morning cartoons on their minds.

“We don’t feel we’re an F.”Principal Kathy Colbert

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Before the end of September they’ll need to convince the Escambia County School Board not to yank A.A. Dixon’s charter. It may be a tough sell: the charter is about $100,000 in the hole and has been labeled a failing school by the state.

Last month, the school board demand-ed that the Dixon team present them with a game plan for steering the charter onto more solid ground. The board voted 4-1 to dissolve the charter if it wasn’t satisfied with the response. Board member Jeff Bergosh was the lone dissenting vote only because his trigger finger was already itching.

“I’d like to terminate your charter tonight,” Bergosh told Colbert at the August meeting.

But the principal remains con-fident she can put enough muscle into the yoke of A.A. Dixon to avoid a nosedive. She talks about fostering a sense of community and reach-ing students on an individual level, about progress that eludes the radar of state testing. She believes in these kids, the kids living their Friday-morning, chatterbox lives unaware of the district’s ultimatum.

“ We don’t feel we’re an F,” Colber t says .

A ROUGH STARTFollowing a long run as an el-

ementary school and its more recent stint as an adult education facility, A.A. Dixon was shuttered by the Es-cambia County School District. Last year, it reopened as a charter.

No one was wowed by the new school. It was a rough first year. Bill Slayton, vice president of the school board, is a bit more blunt.

“Last year was a catastrophe,” Slayton said. “Last year we lost the principal—and I’m not even sure he had an education background.”

By the end of the school year, Dixon was heavily in debt. The school also seemed to be in an academic wilder-ness; students’ performances on the

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test was dismal, earning the school an “F” grade.

But Vice Principal Lambert, who was already on board last year, argues that the hard, cold assessment of the state doesn’t paint an accurate portrait.

A.A. Dixon certainly scored a failing grade on standardized tests. They also don’t tell the whole story.

“Specific students, yes, made great gains,” Lambert explained.

Getting 10 percent of the answers on a test correct is considerably di� erent than get-ting 50 percent of the answers correct. Both, however, amount to the same “F” grade.

Lambert points to the fact that students at Dixon improved their scores, just not enough to drag the school out of the dreaded “F” territory. Principal Colbert also appreci-ates Dixon’s students’ improvements, and points to the fact that the school started the race a few paces behind the pack.

“They were coming to us with a disadvan-tage, actually,” Colbert said of Dixon’s students, “because they were not on target.”

A.A. Dixon is located in the kind of economi-cally disadvantaged land-scape normally associated with higher crime rates and lower test scores. Many of the students at-tending the school hailed from the ranks of other schools’ poorer perform-ers. Some were several grade levels behind where they should have been.

“The students that came over are a product of the school system,” said LuTimothy May, a local minister and educa-tor who recently took the helm of the board over-seeing A.A. Dixon.

This charter was started, in part, to accom-modate these struggling students. To reach those that the traditional school system was failing to reach. This comes with inherent challenges.

“I understand it’s hard,” conceded Escambia County School Superin-tendent Malcolm Thomas. “It’s very hard.”

But the apparent disadvantage has not translated into mercy from the school board. In the eyes of charter officials, the district body remains as clinically cold as the Scantron machine grading these stu-dents’ standardized tests.

“I realize that they teach a challenging population,” said Patty Hightower, District 4 board member. “While you take that into account, what is important is that they hold their students to a higher standard. You have to set the standard for them as you would for any child.”

In the harshest of terms, the board views Dixon as poorly managed, heavily indebted and academically not up to snuff. Holding the school up in comparison to the nearby Global Learning Academy, which is touted as a state-of-the-art charter school, Bergosh warned that such poor performing schools should watch out.

“You’ve got a school board that’ll drop the hammer on’em,” the District 1 repre-sentative said. “I think that right now the hammer is above the head of A.A. Dixon.”

HOPE COMES FROM CHICAGOThe weather in Chicago is already

cooling off. It’s standard practice to carry a jacket in September.

After saying goodbye to Illinois, Kathy Colbert ditched a lot of her winter clothes and headed south for a Florida summer. A recent Pensacola chilly snap that had early morning temperatures dipping into the frigid mid-60s caught her off guard.

For a brief moment on a recent morn-ing she discussed the weather—“this is Florida?!”—and humored the social nice-ties of small talk. But Colbert was more interested in talking about the challenges that lie ahead for her new charge.

“What we have to do is look at the individ-ual needs of the students,” the newly installed principal explained in the school o� ce.

Colbert said she was no stranger to less than optimal schools. The principal, who came to the area after leaving the top post at Hoover Elementary School in Calumet, Ill., said she was up to the challenge at Dixon.

Ihatejoezarzaur.com.....or so his last trial opponent may think.

A lot of hope is being put in new principal, Kathy Colbert. She has been charged with turning things around for A . A . Dixon Charter School of E xcellence. It won’t be easy. The school is $10 0,0 0 0 in the hole and has been labeled as a failing institu-tion. / photo by Jeremy Morrison

“I think that right now the hammer is above the head of A.A. Dixon.”Jeff Bergosh, Escambia County School Board, District 1


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“I think that this school’s purpose is to really help students that have fallen through the cracks.” Nichole West, teacher

“I’ve been very comfortable in going to schools and turning them around,” Colbert said.

Those rooting for the charter’s suc-cess are certainly putting a lot of stock in the new principal. After the school’s first principal, Guy Cooper, left last year—or, as Bergosh puts it, “pulled the ripcord and jumped ship”—even the school board seems encouraged by the choice of Colbert to head up the rehabilitation efforts.

“I think the principal is just outstand-ing,” Bergosh said.

Fellow board member Slayton agreed. While stressing that Colbert has been “put behind the curve”, he wanted to believe it was possible for the administrator to turn the school around. He hopes she’s granted the authority needed to do so.

“If people come in and try to tell her what to do, that’s going to be trouble,” Slayton said. So far, everyone seems to be listening to Col-bert. And after a quick lesson on local weather, the Illinois trans-plant continued learning about her new home—like how much of a focus the local community places on pri-mary education.

“They want to see children succeed,” Colbert said, sounding encouraged.

THE MAN ON A MISSION FINDS ANOTHER MISSION

Another new player on A.A. Dixon’s ros-ter is LuTimothy May. The pastor of Pensac-ola’s Friendship Missionary Baptist Church recently accepted the chairman position on the charter school’s board of directors.

May also teaches a religion class at the University of West Florida. Ducking into his

campus office on a recent Thursday morn-ing, he explained how his new position overseeing the charter probably hasn’t won him any points with his wife.

“I wasn’t supposed to be on any more boards,” May laughs.

The minister, who is also UWF’s as-sistant of student support services and a chaplain with the Escambia County Sher-iff ’s Department, deemed the situation at Dixon worthy enough to devote his time to. He grew up nearby. His mother attended school there as a child.

“I got involved because they needed some intervention, some help, some direc-tion,” May explained.

A major complaint of the school board last year was that Dixon’s board was full of out-of-town, absentee members. They felt

the board didn’t give the charter the atten-tion it deserved.

“It’s kind of hard to be passionate about what’s going on when you’re 500 miles away,” said Superintendent Thomas.

Another prob-lem the board had with the school was the lack of com-munication flowing from the charter. Bergosh seemed particularly miffed

by the school’s hiring of an out-of-state consulting firm against the express wishes of the district.

“That’s not how you start out a good relationship,” Bergosh said.

Upon taking over the reins on Dixon’s board, May approached the Superinten-dent to discuss how the two entities might patch up their relationship. Communica-tion topped the list.

“I asked, ‘What is the problem?’” May recalled. “He said, ‘Lack of communication.’ I said, ‘That’s a problem you won’t have.’”

LuTimothy May is many things: minister, teacher, husband and father to name a few. Is he also the man who can lead A . A . Dixon into the light? / photo by Jeremy Morrison

12 inweekly.net12

The team at A.A. Dixon is making efforts to establish a better line of com-munication with the school board. May said it’s one of the most obvious and simplest improvements the charter can make.

“That’s the basis for most problems in any relationship—com-munication,” May said. The chairman of the board said he had commit-ted himself to head the group for a limited time, probably a year.

“I’m really there to weather the storm,” said May.

The pastor feels he’s already making a difference. And if he suc-ceeds in steering A.A. Dixon out of the dark and a child is better off for it, then it makes it all worth it.

“The question becomes, will you stick your neck out?” May said. “What more worthy cause?”

Conveniently Serving a PurPoSe

Waiting for the school day to begin, Jennifer Jackson sits with her daughter in A.A. Dixon’s cafeteria. As a student in the early 1980s, she attended classes here herself.

“I love this school,” Jackson smiles. “This is my school.”

The woman’s daughter is 7 years old. She’s supposed to be in second grade but is a year behind. Jackson enrolled her here in hopes of bettering her chances of success.

“She’s learning better,” Jackson reports. “The teachers, they’re understanding, they try

to help with my daughter the best they could.”Many of the students attending A.A.

Dixon were not doing well at their previous schools. The charter’s intent is to cater to these students.

“I think that this school’s purpose is to really help students that have fallen through the cracks,” explained Nichole West, who teaches remedial math and reading at Dixon. “They’re given a chance.”

Joanna Coleman has a son in f irst grade at the charter. She said she was attracted to the smaller classroom sizes, as well as the structure and conformity of uniforms.

“I was looking for a school that was more hands-on,” Coleman said. “It was a better opportunity for him to grow as a child.”

Kelly Brown has two children enrolled at Dixon. She said she was just looking for

a “change of venue” from the traditional school system. Her kids are reportedly loving it.

“She just told me today she’s going to be on the student council,” Brown says of

her fourth-grade daughter. “She’s really excited about that.”

Admittedly, other parents have confronted her about the family’s decision to send their children to Dixon. Why voluntarily attend a fail-ing school?

“I really feel that that grade was really unfair,” Brown said. “I just tell them, ‘I know what accomplish-ments my children have made going to A.A. Dixon.’”

May said many of the school’s students are also living in an envi-ronment full of stress. In addition to educational challenges, kids may also be facing numerous other chal-lenges: economic hardships, familial strife or even car problems.

Colbert agreed.“A lot of the students are at-

risk,” the new principal said. “We have to make sure at school we are providing a very warm and fuzzy

environment.”May described it as taking a more

“holistic view”. He said the individual needs of each child will be taken into consideration throughout their educa-tional journey.

“The regular school system is not able to be as flexible,” May said.

A group of students f ile into a line in the hallway of A . A . Dixon Charter School of E xcellence in Pensacola. The charter is on shaky ground with the Escambia County School District. / photo by Jeremy Morrison


The minister also said the school helps foster a sense of community in the area. His mother and other residents who at-tended school there over the years enjoy having a vibrant, youthful facility in the area again.

“It’s right in the heart of neighbor-hoods,” May said, talking about nearby residents enjoying the institution’s revival. “They can remember what they felt when they walked those halls. They felt love. They felt passion.”

Colbert said she envisions the school as a “nucleus in the com-munity”. She said there was already plenty of history on which to base such a relationship.

“It’s almost like a pillar in the community,” Colbert said. “Everyone knows A.A. Dixon.”

Bergosh has a dramatically different take on the charter. He doesn’t feel the school will be able to offer students the education they require.

“I tell’em, look, what you want to do is walk the halls,” Bergosh said, questioning why parents of prospective students would choose to send their children to A.A. Dixon over another charter such as Global Learn-ing Academy.

The school board member considers himself a cham-pion of charter schools. He went on to say that Dixon was not cre-ated with the pur-est of intentions. He said it felt like “something the adults put together to benefit themselves”.

“In many cases,” Bergosh explained, “I’ll just be quite blunt with you—parents do what’s convenient for the parent.”

The harsh and The MellowThe Escambia County School Board gave

A.A. Dixon until Sept. 2, the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting, to get a plan together. The school needs to address both academic concerns and financial shortfalls.

Bergosh said the continuation of the school’s charter until that meeting should be viewed as “an olive branch”. When it comes time for the school to plead its case, the board member said it’d take a “miracle” to satisfy him.

Bergosh pointed out that Dixon’s enrollment numbers, which play out in harsh reality via funding, have been drop-ping since the start of the school year. Two weeks into September the school reported the number at 145. While Colbert puts the magic number at 190, Bergosh said he thinks they need 230 students to make things work.

“They’re definitely in a vice grip right now,” Bergosh said.

Vice Principal Lambert attributed this year’s decline in student numbers to “nega-tive press”. Several parents pulled their

children out of the school following media reports that the school board issued its re-quest for a plan aimed at redemption. He’s confident enrollment will increase once it’s realized the charter will be sticking around, and administrators aren’t entertaining the option of failure.

“That particular question—We don’t even address,” Lam-bert said, growing riled in the school’s office. “That’s not even a thought, we don’t even entertain that direc-tion. We’re going to be here, we’re going to serve the needs of these children.”

Parents who currently have their children enrolled in the school certainly hope so.

“Closing it would be a big mistake if it ever came to that,” said Brown.

Still waiting back in the cafeteria with her daughter, Jackson said she’s able to walk her 7 year old to class. If the school closed, something as basic as transporta-tion becomes a big deal.

“If this school wasn’t here,” Jackson said, “I wouldn’t know what to do.”

May and Colbert are hoping for the best. They like to think they’re building a relationship with the school board.

“We’re all just basically one village,” Colbert said

May even hopes the district will take more of an interest in schools such as A.A. Dixon: “They should be at the door. What else can we do to make you more successful?”

The gen-eral vibe emanating

from the district is a little less warm and fuzzy.“I don’t think A.A. Dixon is best for the

kids,” he said. “And I don’t think they’re gonna make it.”

Bergosh did say he is the “most con-servative” member on the school board, and that several other members are “a lot more mellow”. He predicted a good day for Dixon if its team “put together some-thing halfway decent”.

“In this case they might be alright,” Bergosh said.

Fellow board member Slayton seemed to want to believe in the new voices behind Dixon.

“I think they have a chance,” he said.Hightower, as well, is pulling for the charter. “I think that, you know, they know what

they’ve got to do,” the board member said, adding that she felt the school could rise to the occasion. “I hope so. I know that they want to do what’s right.”

May has absolutely no doubts. He sees too much potential.

“You go to that cafeteria any day of the week, you walk those halls, you’ll see—you’ll see,” May assured us. “If you walk away without seeing a sense of worth, I don’t know what kind of blood you have inside of you.” {in}

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“If this school wasn’t here, I wouldn’t know what to do.” Jennifer Jackson, parent

“we’re going to be here, we’re going to serve the needs of these children.”Vice Principal Chresal Lambert

14 inweekly.net14

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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 . . .

arts + entertainmentarts + entertainmentarts + entertainment

Who’s Hungry?Seventeen of your favorite restaurants

featuring some of their most famous signa-ture dishes for $5 or less—that’s what you’ll get at this weekend’s “A Taste of Pensacola Beach” event. pensacolabeachchamber.com

September

Let’s CupIf you appreciate a good cup co� ee, The Leisure

Club is hosting a “cupping” event on Saturday Sept. 17 at 3:30 p.m., just for you. In addition to learn-ing about the method the pros use to evaluate the aroma and fl avor profi les of a co� ee, you’ll also get a chance to sample three South American co� ees. Added bonus: the event is free. tlcdowntown.com

17

Finally!We’ve been looking for-

ward to this show for a while and it’s fi nally here! Okkervill River and Wye Oak today (Sept. 15) at Vinyl Music Hall. vinylmusichall.com

+

What’s Better Than Happy Hour?

How about happy hour with Bacardi drink specials and DeLuna Fest ticket giveaways? That’s exactly what you’ll get to-day (Sept. 15) if you spend your happy hour at the Fish House.

15

20

21

It’s A ClassicThe Saenger Theatre is brining back

their “Classic Movie Series” Friday, Sept. 16, during Gallery Night. The movie will be “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Screening starts at 8 p.m. pensacolasaenger.com

1616

SeptemberSeptember

Finally!We’ve been looking for-

15

If you appreciate a good cup co� ee, The Leisure

17

That’s exactly what you’ll get to-day (Sept. 15) if you spend your happy hour at the Fish House.

Who’s Hungry?Seventeen of your favorite restaurants

featuring some of their most famous signa-

20

featuring some of their most famous signa-ture dishes for $5 or less—that’s what you’ll get at this weekend’s “A Taste of Pensacola Beach” event. pensacolabeachchamber.com

21Seventeen of your favorite restaurants

featuring some of their most famous signa-

20

21

16 inweekly.net16

Every Gallery Night is special in its own right, but Friday, Sept. 16, looking at art will have a bigger impact on the community.

As you may already know, Ap-petite for Life su� ered a major fi re during the early morning hours of Thursday, August 18. The kitchen was destroyed along with more than $75,000 worth of food. The commu-nity didn’t waste any time. From local businesses o� ering their services to the outpour of volunteers diligently scrubbing soot o� of salvageable items, Appetite for Life has had a lot to be grateful for in these trying times.

“Good is coming out of this,” said Robert Bellanova, board president of Appetite for Life. “I am so proud of our citizens.”

Bellanova was actually out of town during the fi re and didn’t return until that Sunday.

“I felt so futile,” Bellanova said. “They sent me pictures while I was away, but when I physically went there Monday morning it was so dishearten-ing. Everything was blackened and charred.”

Thanks to Hallmark Elementary School, Appetite for Life clients still received their two meals a day. The school o� ered its kitchen to the nonprofi t organization so that no one would miss a meal.

“That was the biggest blessing,” Bel-lanova said.

It was important to Bellanova and the rest of the Appetite for Life sta� to ensure that clients received their nutrition, be-cause the organization feeds those who are infected or a� ected by HIV/AIDS and other terminal illnesses. Appetite for Life serves more than 34 percent of the HIV/AIDS

population in Escambia County and their dependents. Whether they are receiving home-delivered meals, making their bi-weekly stop at the food pantry or providing Ensure to those with a prescription, Appetite for Life nourishes the forgotten ones without government funding.

It was the Arts for AIDS Awareness that contacted Appetite for Life and put together an art sale to raise funds for renovation. The sale will take place at the Sole Inn and Suites, 200 N. Palafox St., from 5 to 9 p.m.

Of course, this isn’t just trying times for Appetite for Life, while there is still a reces-sion buying art isn’t always a priority. How-ever, if you buy a piece of art you will help Appetite for Life since 100 percent of the

proceeds will go directly to the organization and go home with a memento of the cause.

“When you look at the art later it will remind you that you helped Appetite for Life,” Bellanova said.

It’s amazing what art can do. You can sell it to raise funds, or you can use it to spread the word. In 7-year-old Jasmine’s case it was news clippings. Jasmine took pic-tures and news articles to her local grocery store to spread awareness and ask shoppers to donate food. When she brought in the dona-tions she created quite a stir.

“She brought in two cans and said she wanted to help,”

Bellanova said. “I invited her in and we set the cans with the rest of the food and she said ‘I’ve got more’.”

When they get to the car, there’s Jasmine’s mom, baby broth-er and 436 cans and boxed goods.

“No one could say ‘no’ to her with the innocence of her face and sweetness of her intent,” Bellanova said. “It puts human back in the word ‘humanity’.”

Jasmine didn’t stop there. She took her news clippings to her school, Redeemer Lutheran Elementary, and now classrooms are in competition with each other. The classroom with the most donations for Appetite for Life gets a pizza party.

Maybe you don’t have the time to collect 436 food items like Jas-mine, but whatever monetary value you can donate, whatever time you can spend to help clean up you’re helping people in great need of charity. For some of the Appetite for Life clients, one more meal

means one more day.“Our mission is to feed people that

wouldn’t eat otherwise,” Bellanova said. {in}

by Jennie McKeonart

APPETITE FOR LIFE FUNDRAISERWHEN: Gallery Night Friday, Sept. 16, 5-9 p.m.WHERE: Sole Inn and Suites 200 Palafox St.DETAILS: To donate art, call 850-380-2994 / For Appetite for Life 850-470-9111, [email protected]

Feeding the Appetite for Life

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1. 600 South/New World Landing, 600 S. Palafox St.: They will be featuring Signature Designs by Unique Flower/Plant Arrangements and musi-cians Jeremy Gibson (in Atrium) on piano, guitar and vocals - pop and folk, and Mike Eagan (out-side in courtyard), solo entertainer/songwriter. They will also be participating as a donation site for Manna Food Pantries during the Canstruc-tion competition.2. Adonna’s Bakery and Café, 114 S. Palafox Pl.: John Whexeler will be performing from 5 to 9 p.m., and we will have a Gallery Night Grand Opening and lots of specials!3. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox Pl., Old Escambia County Courthouse: The Old Court House on Palafox street houses one of the finest galleries in northwest Florida — the Artel Gallery — and will have the Canstruction competition sculp-ture designed by Bay Design.4. Beach Ball Realty, 240 E. Intendencia St.: Come join us for the grand opening of our new location and view the works of artist Chris Reid. Chris Reid paints outdoors directly from life, en plein air, or from imagination. She finds her inspiration in the subtle beauty of natural sur-roundings, and she strives to capture a subject with a bold use of color and intensity of light. It is through these elements that she is said to “express the poetic mood of a situation.” You can find her paintings in galleries, national juried shows, private exhibits and collections nationwide.5. Belle Ame’, 112 S. Palafox Pl.: The grand open-ing celebration will take place during Gallery Night! Belle Ame’ Bath and Body has designed a line of unique, handmade skin care products including soaps, lotion, bath bombs, bath salts and exfoliating scrubs. All of the products are handcrafted, each individual soap bar is hand cut and packaged, and all containers are hand bottled and labeled. The products are formu-lated with pure essential oils, distinctive blends of fragrances, and some of the best ingredi-ents that Mother Nature has to offer. Along with Deborah Dunlap properties, they will be featuring the Canstruction sculpture created by Artisan’s Architecture.6. Blazzues, 200 S. Palafox Pl.: Blazzues will be featuring live music and specials all night!7. Blue Morning Gallery, 112 S. Palafox Pl.: Every-one is invited to stop by the Gallery on Gallery Night, September 16th from 5 - 9 p.m. to view art and meet the artists of the Gallery, including a dozen new artists who have joined the Gallery since the last Downtown Gallery night. With

fresh, exciting new work, Blue Morning's Featured Artists in September are jewelers presenting a large and varied array of art-jewelry From the "Jazzed Jewelry Show" which runs from Sept. 4 through

Oct. 15. Sweet Prospect will be providing musical entertainment, and Dove Chocolate sampling will once again greet guests during the evening. Artists in the show are Jan Kurtz, Donna Freckmann, Becky Makla, Mara Viksnins, Christine Chandler, Joy Ox-ley, Meghan McMillan, Marcia Holland, Delia Stone, and Gila Rayberg. Many pieces display new moods, twists, and inspirations. Join us for the fun.

8. Destination Archeology Resource Center, 207 E. Main St.9. Digital Now Reprographics, 282 N. Palafox St.:

Join us for another awesome Classic & Exotic Car Show at Gallery Night NORTH, coordinated by Iron Horse Restorations. Palafox Street will be closed from Wright to Gregory streets. The MARSHAL JOHNSON BAND will be entertaining us with some take-no-prisoners vintage rock & roll at 280 N. Palafox St. Air Mania will be with us again, so bring the children and come on down. The Global

Corner will have children’s activities celebrating the culture of Russia. Soft Rock 94.1 will be here with the Nemours Coloring Wall to bring out the kid in every-one. Dennis Boyce will be doing live life sketches. Oh

Snap! Cupcakes will be enticing our taste buds with some new sweet treats, and will be donating to the Manna Food Bank. Digital Now will be displaying history regarding the local Canstruction events. We will also have a representative from Manna Food Bank on hand to accept your donations of canned foods. Help support the Manna Food Bank - bring a canned good donation, and come out for some free fun and entertainment. We will also be enjoying Art in the Park in the median from Garden Street up to Wright Street. Art in the Park will feature several gifted artists and artisans with photography, paintings, jewelry, pottery and more. Come out and purchase a thing or two and get a jump on your holiday gift purchases. Spaces are still available for artists; call Digital Now at 434-2525 and ask for Pam.10. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 Palafox Pl.: Past gradu-ates of our DK Kids Camps will be in the Culinary Theater promoting the fall season of Kids Cooking Classes. Local cookbook author, Autumn Beck, will be on hand for a meet and greet and book signing of her book “Skinny Ninnie’s Kitchen.” STOA Architects will have their sculpture, created for the Canstruction competition, on display!11. Dog House Deli, 30 S. Palafox Pl.12. Don Alan’s, 401 S. Palafox Pl.: Featuring the fi ne art and painted glassware of Beege Welborn.13. Dollarhide’s, 41 S.Palafox Pl.: At Dollarhide’s, hear star piano students from local teacher’s stu-dios from 5 - 6 p.m. Following the performances of these talented young people — ranging in age from 7 to 19 — listeners are invited to stay and enjoy the incredible piano skills of native Pensacolian Allen Paul, who now teaches and performs in Miami.14. Elebash’s, 36 S. Palafox Pl.: Elebash’s will be playing host to architects Dalrymple | Sallis as they compete in the annual Canstruction competition.15. Elise Coastal Dining, 22 N. Palafox St.: Will be featuring the artwork of Diane Brim, our current artist in residence.16. First United Methodist Church/Perry Home

Co� ee House, 6 Wright St.: Located inside the Historic Governor Perry Home, they will be featuring local artists & musicians, a generous selection of co� ees, teas and pastries, as well as tours of the Perry Home and Wesley Abbey.17. Global Grill, 27 S. Palafox Pl.: Paintings from local artists including Quenby Tyler, Riece Walton and Reese Foret. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 ▶▶

Most art galleries don’t have skateboard-ers wheeling around the art. Most art gal-leries feature art that is done on a traditional canvas and hung on a blank, white wall.

But that’s the beauty of Gallery Night. You can experience an array of art and break free of what is considered traditional and expected. At Waterboyz you can experience the unexpected on Gallery Night Friday Sept. 16. Instead of blank, white walls, artists start with a blank sur� oard or skateboard.

“The art doesn't necessarily have to be skate or surf inspired, but art has been a big part of the skate and surf scene for many years so it's very likely it will be the subject matter for some of the works of art,” said Kyle Schmitz, graphic designer at Waterboyz in an e-mail interview.

The idea from the show came from artist Catherine Nichols who partnered

with Waterboyz for the event. Artists have until Monday, Sept. 12 to submit their art. Best in show wins $250. The Tricked Out Art Show will also feature a live mural painting and music. Those who attend will also have the chance to design their own shirts and have it screen-printed for them.

Some artists to look out for include: Ashton Howard, Famous Gabe of Hula Moon Tattoo, Ben Bogan, Kris Markovich, and Ukiah Myers.

Waterboyz does have one thing in common with traditional galleries. That’s diversity.

“We hope the show will blend the varied, eclectic styles of Pensacola's artists with the hardcore edge, creative verve and ecological awareness of the surf and skate culture,” said Courtney Fell, marketing and events coordinator for Waterboyz in an e-mail interview. {in}

Skate Park ArtBy Jennie McKeon

OFFICIAL PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS FRIDAY'S GALLERY NIGHT:

TRICKED OUT ART SHOWWHEN: Gallery Night Friday Sept. 16WHERE: Waterboyz 380 N. 9th Ave.DETAILS: waterboyz.com 433-2929

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18. Grand Reserve Cigar Shop, 210 S. Palafox Pl.: Join us for a Jazz Combo live music!19. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox Pl.: James Adkins and Friends will be playing on the Balcony from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.!20. Indigeaux Denim Bar & Boutique, 122 S. Palafox Pl.: Featuring art work by Evan Levin.21. Intermission, 214 S. Palafox Pl.: Come hear local music.22. Jewelers Trade Shop, 26 Palafox Pl.: Join your friends and family as we capture our summer paradise with help from local landscape artist George P. Wilson, III. We will be hosting works inspired by his home in Gulf Breeze and his exten-sive travels throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. Enjoy the last few days of summer with refreshing beverages, mouth-watering treats, and live music fit for a summer beach side bash.23. Jordan Valley Café, 128 S. Palafox Pl.: The café serves a variety of Mediterranean and Greek dishes.24. Nacho Daddies, 34 S. Palafox Pl.25. New York Nick’s, 9 S. Palafox Pl.26. Pensacola Little Theater, 400 S. Jefferson St.: Will be a participating donation site for Manna Food Pantries during Canstruction.27. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 South Jefferson St.: Join us at Gallery Night for a kid-friendly opening reception and book signing with award-winning children’s author and illustrator Janeen Mason. Mason’s original illustrations from her many books are featured in the museum’s new exhibition “Drawn to the Storybook”. Mason’s writing and illustration credits include “Gift of the

Magpie,” “Lucinda’s Lamps: A Mermaid’s Guide to Lights in the Sea,” “Color, Color, Where AreYou, Color?” and the “Kissimmee Pete,” “Ocean Com-motion” and “Pirate Pink” series, among many others. Mason, who lives in Stuart, Fla., is active in the state’s arts community and an advocate for children’s literacy. "Children's picture books are a primary source of inspiration which have enormous consequence in our culture,” Mason says. “They provide the introduction to a lifetime of creative imagination and appreciation for the arts. This is powerful juju in a landscape of ever accelerating technology." For more information, visit janeenmason.com.28. Play, 16 S. Palafox St., Second Floor.29. Polonza Bistro, 286 N. Palafox St.: We will be open for business the evening of Sept. 16, celebrat-ing Gallery Night. Come enjoy Art exhibits by local artists, beer, wine, coffee and our limited menu.30. Quayside Art Gallery, 17 E. Zaragoza St.: Quay-side Gallery will be honoring the solo work of Con-nie Boussom in Quayside’s East Gallery. Her color-ful show is titled “A 30-Year Retrospective of Art.” Also, the gallery will be holding art demonstrations on its various floors. Artists demonstrating their work include Betty Woods, Mary Lou Nikoli, Laurie Flynn and Kathy Graham Sheppard.31. Ragtyme Grill, 201 S. Jefferson St.: They will be featuring live music with musicians Michelle West (inside) and The Blenders, in Deluna Alley32. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox Pl.: From 5 - 8 p.m. in the Palafox lobby, Trista Blouin of Look Who Just Blouin Photography will be showcasing some of her best photographs and selling her new

digital package just in time for family holiday ses-sions. Saenger Classic Movie Series Sneak Peak: 8 p.m., FREE showing of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” starring Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers and Buster Keaton. Come help us with our market research for our upcoming Classic Movie Series! The Saenger will also be a participating Canstruction venue and will have a sculpture created by Bullock Tice Associates.33. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St.: Kick off Gallery Night with the Canstruction Award Ceremony, 5 p.m., at Seville Quarter! Seville Quarter’s Gallery Night Art in the Streets con-tinues! Seville Quarter will also be a participating donation site for Manna Food Pantries during Canstruction. Seville Quarter has invited over 50 local artists and vendors to showcase their skills, crafts and artwork in the street in front of the historical complex. The Seville Quarter show will have that arts festival feel that everyone loves. Mark your calendar now for one of the best Gal-lery Nights of the year. Enjoy an evening of shop-ping, dining and live entertainment in historic downtown Pensacola’s Seville Quarter.34. Sole Inn and Suites, 200 N. Palafox St.: Kathy Lyon will be performing in the courtyard. In the lobby: The Arts for AIDS Awareness, along with local artist. Sole Inn and Suites, volunteers and sup-porters of the HIV/AIDS community will be holding an art sale for Appetite 4 Life. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to Appetite 4 Life to assist with the recovery from the devastating fire.35. Spotted Dog, 194 N. Palafox St.: Will be a Canstruction site featuring the Canstruction

creation created by Hatch Mott McDonald. In addition, they will be featuring the work of local artists Kate Owens, Heather Mitchell, Allison Shamrell and Irmi Presuttio.36. Susan Campbell Jewelry, 32 S. Palafox Pl.: Come view a unique collection of handmade and gallery-quality jewelry.37. The Great Southern Restaurant Group, The Courtyard at Seville Tower, 226 S. Palafox Pl.: Jackson's Steakhouse, Fish House, Atlas Oyster House and the Deck Bar will be hosting live enter-tainment from Lucas Crutchfield in the courtyard at Seville Tower along with beer and wine spe-cials. In addition, we will be featuring the artwork of local photographer Barrett McClean.38. The Leisure Club, 126 Palafox Pl.: Featuring the paintings of Evan Levin.39. Truth for Youth, 432 Belmont St.: Will be a participating donation site for Manna Food Pan-tries during Canstruction.40. Vic & Ikes, 104 Palafox Pl.: They will be featur-ing 'Indaglo' playing on the Palafox Place sidewalk from 6 - 9 p.m., and in the lounge will be Acoustic Travelers, playing from 8 - 11 p.m. They will also have a face painter right outside for the children, and Pensacola Bay Brewery will be on hand to showcase and introduce the Brewery's delicious frosty brews.41. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox Pl.

Street CloSure SponSored by Stella artoiS, HopJaCkS pizza kitCHen and tap room, digital now, Sugarland inC., Seville Quarter and vinyl muSiC Hall.

offiCial partiCipantS for tHiS friday'S gallery nigHt Cont'd:


She feels like a really good live show offers the audience some-thing to look at. There’s just one little problem.

“We don’t dance,” said Reuben Wu, keyboardist and one of the founding members of Ladytron.

But who needs the visual eye-candy of dancing? On the stage, La-dytron paints a picture with sound.

What’s great about a Ladytron set is that you get a completely different experience live than you would just listening to the album. The band has struggled for years to re-create their electronic-pop sound on stage.

“It’s taken us a long time to get to a point where we were happy with our live sound,” Wu said. “We were just trying to re-create our music and it didn’t have the same punch. We have a lot of compo-nents in our music and only a finite number of hands.”

It was around 2004 that Lady-tron found a happy-medium be-tween the studio and live versions of their music.

“We realized that it ’s not just about good music on stage, but combining the blueprints of the original music and making live music,” Wu said. “We added live drums and guitars and since then the live shows have become their own being.”

Ladytron are all about progression. Af-ter 12 years together and their fifth album — “Gravity the Seducer,” set to release Tuesday, Sept. 13 — the band is still creat-ing sounds that are unbeknownst to even the biggest of fans. Wu describes their last

album “Velocifero,” from 2008, as having “a lot of driving energy.” With “Gravity the Seducer,” it ’s almost as if the band has reached their destination.

“It ’s more laid back,” Wu said. “I think with every record we produce we do something original. We wanted this

to be dif ferent, less of a con-ventional Ladytron album and something more cinematic.”

Ladytron also consists of Helen Marnie, handling lead vocals and synthesizers, Mira Aroyo, also on vocals and synthesizers, and Daniel Hunt, synthesizers, electric guitar and vocals. Even though a decade

has passed, the band is still as laid back as their latest album. No Fleet-wood Mac drama here.

“It ’s a stable equilibrium,” Wu said. “If someone’s pissed off they’ll find their own space.”

While many bands consist of a quartet of dirty boys, Ladytron has two girls who contribute to the sta-bility. And let’s face it, the tour bus is most likely cleaner thanks to them.

“It’s not that clean, but clean enough,” Wu said.

Deluna Fest will mark the first time Ladytron has been to the Pan-handle. The band already has high expectations based on their previous Florida encounters.

“I’m looking forward to the show [at Deluna Fest],” Wu said. “Gener-ally, Florida crowds are amazing.”

Even after all that Ladytron has accomplished, Wu hopes to see many other firsts in the band’s future.

“We would really love to branch out and work on other projects,” Wu said. “We want to push ourselves and expand our creative horizon.” {in}

by Jennie McKeonmusic

Ladytron takes Electropop to the Stage

photo by Michele Civetta

LADYTRON AT DELUNA FEST WHEN: Oct. 13-16 WHERE: Pensacola Beach COST: $189.95 General Admission Weekend PassesDETAILS: delunafest.com

to be dif ferent, less of a con-ventional Ladytron album and

photo by Michele Civetta

“It’s not that clean, but clean enough,”Reuben Wu

Chicken Fingerz, Wings, Zalads® and more.

Kids Night Tuesdays and Thursdays1451 Tiger Park Lane • Gulf Breeze

850.932.72892640 Creighton Rd. • Pensacola

850.477.0025© 2008 Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. “Zaxby’s” and “Zalads” are registered trademarks of Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc.

27 S. 9th Ave.433-WINE or 433-9463

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20 inweekly.net20

THURSDAY 9.152011 HEALTH FAIR 8 a.m. All health screenings are free and include cholesterol screening, diabetes screening, body mass index, bone density, blood pressure and more. L.I.F.E. Center, 5988 Highway 90, Bldg. 4000. 484-4491 or pensacolastate.edu.

‘IT’S 5 O’ CLOCK SOMEWHERE’ MARGARITA TASTING 2 p.m. Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margarita-villehotel.com.

WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Thursdays. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. Ninth Ave. 433-9463 or aragonwinemarket.com.

SUNSETS AT PLAZA DE LUNA 5:30 p.m. John Wheeler will perform and Blues Clues will entertain the kids. Plaza de Luna, at the end of Palafox. 435-1695 or cityofpensacola.com/cra.

HERB CLASS AT EVER’MAN 5:30 p.m. Free. Ever’man Natural Foods, 315 W. Garden St. 438-0402 or everman.org.

‘FAMILIES COOK: SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE SEAFOOD’ 6 p.m. $60. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com

VEGAN DINNER AT EOTL 6 p.m. Thursdays. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. 429-0336 or eotlcafe.com.

‘WATERED DOWN KEGS OF RUM’ RECEPTION 6 p.m. TAG Gallery, University of West Florida,

11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. 474-2696 or tag82uwf.wordpress.com.

WINE COCKTAILS AND GOURMET BUFFET AT LEE HOUSE 7 p.m. Thursdays. Chef Blake Rush-ing presents a gourmet buffet and wine cocktails paired by Amber Rushing. $40 per person. For reservations, call 384-4333. Lee House Pen-sacola, 400 Bayfront Parkway.

THE VINYL ID 7:30 p.m. $15. Sanctuary in the Groves, Theatre West, 9732 Sidney Road. 380-6119 or sanctuarytheatrewest.com.

PHINEAS PHOGGETTES 10 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

live music AVENIDA 16 6 p.m. Beach Stage, Juana’s Pago-das, 1451 Navarre Beach Causeway. 939-2130 or juanaspagodas.com.

COMMON THREAD 6 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or the-grandmarlin.com.

LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 6 p.m. Thursdays. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

WEST SIDE PLAYERS 7 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesisters-bluescafe.com.

KARAOKE WITH BECKY 7:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Sabine Sandbar, 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 934-3141 or dalesbigdeck.com.

KRISTIN LONG 7:30 p.m. Thursdays. 600 South Atrium, 600 S. Palafox. 432-5254 or 600south-palafox.com.

STEVE HALL 8 p.m. Pagoda Stage, Juana’s Pago-das, 1451 Navarre Beach Causeway. 939-2130 or juanaspagodas.com.

OKKERVIL RIVER, WYE OAK 8 p.m. Doors open. $15-$20. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com.

ZLAM DUNK, SUMMER PEOPLE, HOT CHA CHA 8 p.m. $8. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or handlebarpensacola.com.

DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Thursdays. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

DJ MR LAO 8 p.m. Thursdays. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

SKYLINE KINGS 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 932-2211 or sandshaker.com.

TIMBERHAWK 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. Thursdays. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Gov-

ernment St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

LIVE MUSIC 9:30 p.m. Thursdays. Intermission, 214 S. Palafox. 433-6208.

FRIDAY 9.16FOUR-PERSON SCRAMBLE GOLF TOURNA-MENT 11 a.m. $60 per person. Must register by Sept. 12. A.C. Reed Golf Course, NAS Pensacola. 436-8552.

ANGEL’S GARDEN ART SHOW 4 p.m. Proceeds from art sales benefit Favor House. Corner of 12th Avenue and Gonzalez Street. 435-9555.

WINE TASTING AT DK 4:30 p.m. Fridays. Distinc-tive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com.

‘BIG NIGHT OUT’ DINING FOR CHARITY AT THE MELTING POT 5 p.m. All sales will benefi t United Way. Reservations requested. Melting Pot, 418 E. Gregory St. 438-4030 or meltingpot.com.

GALLERY NIGHT FUNDRAISER FOR APPE-TITE4LIFE 5 p.m. Sole’ Inn and Suites, 200 N. Palafox. 380-2994.

WINE TASTING AT SEVILLE QUARTER 5 p.m. Fridays. Palace Café at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

GALLERY NIGHT 5 p.m. Downtown Pensacola, Palafox Street from Wright Street all the way down to the water. 434-5371 or downtownpen-sacola.com.

happenings

Pensacola First Upscale Chinese Fusion Restaurant

Ste C, 5912 North Davis Highway (behind Rooms to Go) * (850) 912-8669Monday-Thursday: 11am - 10pm | Friday-Saturday: 11am - 11pm | Sunday: 11am - 9pm

Where you can have a great meal and a great time

Featuring a Full Bar & a New Martini Menu

Specials:Tuesday Lady’s Night: after 8 pm

$4 cocktail and $4 wine4-5-6 Menu: From 4 pm til 6 pm

Choice of wine, cocktail, appetizer for $5 $6.99 Lunch Special: comes with an egg roll,

a krab rangoon, and soup or rice choiceMon thru Wed: 2 for $20 Meal * Comes with

an appetizer, a choice of soup or rice for the entree and a dessert

L i v e M u s i c a t S h a r k F i n e v e r y T u e s d a y N i g h t w i t h J o n e s & C o m p a n y


‘DR AWN TO THE STORY BOOK’ KID-FRIENDLY RECEPTION 5 p.m. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.

WINE TASTING AT CITY GROCERY 5:15 p.m. Fridays. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. 469-8100.

WINE TASTING AT EAST HILL MARKET 5:30 p.m. Fridays. 1216 N. 9th Ave.

PANHANDLE TIGER BAY CLUB MEETING 6:30 p.m. The Capital Steps will perform after dinner. $50 for non-members. Reservations required. New World Landing, 600 S. Palafox. 497-1684 or panhandletigerbay.com.

‘LIGHT OF THE MOON TOUR’ AT PENSAC-OLA LIGHTHOUSE 7 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $7-$15 . Reservations required. PensacolaLighthouse, 2081 Radford Blvd. 393-1561 or pensacolalighthouse.org.

‘HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING’ 7:30 p.m. $14-$30. Pensacola

Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

THE VINYL ID 7:30 p.m. $15 . Sanctuary in the Groves, Theatre West, 9732 Sidney Road. 380-6119 or sanctuarytheatrewest.com.

‘A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM’ 8 p.m. Free. Saenger Theatre , 118 S . Palafox . 59 5-38 8 0 or pensacolasaenger.com.

‘LETTERS & NOTES FOUND ON THE WIND-SHIELD AT THE PIGGLY WIGGLY PARKING LOT’ 8 p.m. Donation requested. Reservations required. Loblolly Theatre, 1010 N. 12th Ave. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com.

BURGERS, BREWS & BLUES 8 p.m. Fridays. Featuring Destin Atkinson. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com.

SHAKERFEST WEEKEND PELIWACKER PAR-TY 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 932-2211 or sandshaker.com.

happenings

Since opening last year, 5 ½ Bar — locat-ed at 5 E. Garden St., and attached to Vi-nyl Music Hall — has become an upscale hot spot for downtown Pensacola. More recently, 5 ½ has hosted the weekly Awesome Mondays, featuring drink specials, music and works of local art. In an effort to branch out, however, on Sept. 19, 5 ½ will feature Canadian songstress Billy the Kid and the Southside Boys performing a free concert.

Called “one of Canada’s rising stars” by See Magazine, Billy the Kid (real name Billy Pettinger) will be making her first appearance in Pensacola. The Vancouver native, currently on a tour of the United States, expressed her excitement about the upcoming show. An old friend of Vinyl talent booker Chris Wilkes, Pettinger stated that the show will be a gigantic re-union of old friends.

"If anything it should be just a huge jamboree hangout.”

Having previously fronted pop-punk outfit Billy the Kid and the Lost Boys, this is Pettinger’s first tour with the Richmond, Va., based Southside Boys, whose members she claims to have stolen from two Richmond-based bands she liked.

Touring in support of her latest CD “Ours,” Pettinger seems to embody a decid-edly D-I-Y aesthetic. She sings, plays guitar, piano, drums, bass, and harmonica. She cred-its her influences as the singer-songwriters who set out to describe the trials and tribula-tions of the everyday person. She described her music as “coming from a person who likes Ryan Adams, Neil Young, Springsteen and The Band, if that means anything."

In an effort to thank fans for their support, Pettinger has made her latest CD “Ours,” which she credits as entirely friend funded and supported, free for download at www.billythekidonline.com.

As far as future goals, the 29-year-old Pettinger expressed contentment with the direction of her career, and looks forward to future recordings.

“If life continues to go as it is go-ing, that's really all I could ever want,” she explained. “We'll make a record every year, play around, then I get to go back to my Bat Cave of a room and write all over the walls (I seriously do this).”

The 21+ show will feature the usual Awe-some Monday drink specials, as well as live music from Brooks, and art from Evan Levin. Billy the Kid and the Southside Boys are sched-uled to perform from 8-10:30 p.m. {in}

Awesome Mondays Get More Awesome By James Hagan

BILLY THE KID AT 5 1/2'S AWESOME MONDAYSWHEN: Monday, Sept. 19 WHERE: 5 ½ Bar, 5 E. Garden St.DETAILS: billythekidonline.com

photo by Jennifer Picard

For ECUA customers, taking care of

removing an unwanted item is just

a mouse-click or phone call away.

Whether it’s a stove that leaves

you cold, an over-tired mattress,

or your mother-in-law’s pre-

historic couch, ECUA’s BulkyWaste Program is here to

help. All you have to do is

call 476-0480 or e-mail

[email protected]

to schedule this free, once-

monthly service. You pick up

the phone and we’ll do the heavy lifting.

On the given date, set out the item(s) scheduled for pick-up at

the curb and that couch will be history in more ways than one.

And, we don’t just pick up ugly furniture – the items we accept

are listed above.

Bulk Waste Items include:CouchesMattressesChairs

DressersStovesRugs

CarpetsVacuum CleanersBicyclesBags of clothesGrillsToilets

22 inweekly.net22

for more listings visit inweekly.net

PHINEAS PHOGGETTES 10 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

live music JEFF IVANOFF 3 p.m. Tiki Stage at the Pool, Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

KILLARNEY 5 p.m. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org.

SUPERHERO, TOP OF THE ORANGE 5 p.m. Free. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com.

JAMES ADKINS 5 p.m. Free. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 5 p.m. Fridays. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

WAYNE HALL & DAVE POSEY 6 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

MARC KAUL 6 p.m. LandShark Landing, Mar-garitaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Road. 916-9755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

INDALGO 6 p.m. Vic & Ike’s American Bistro, 104 S. Palafox. 912-8569 or vic-and-ikes.com.

POSI TONES 7 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

MIKE EAGAN 7 p.m. 600 South Courtyard, 600 S. Palafox. 432-5254 or 600southpalafox.com.

SAWMILL & GUESTS 7 p.m. Chumuckla’s Farm-ers’ Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Road. 994-9219 or farmersopry.com.

KNEE DEEP 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com.

SOUTHBOUND CRESCENT 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s at the Point, 5851 Galvez Road. 497-0071 or hubstaceys.com.

AVENENA 16 7:30 p.m. Sabine Sandbar, 715 Pen-sacola Beach Blvd. 934-3141 or dalesbigdeck.com.

JEREMY GIBSON 7:30 p.m. Fridays. 600 South Atrium, 600 S. Palafox. 432-5254 or 600south-palafox.com.

REDDOG 8 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

ACOUSTIC TR AVELERS 8 p.m. Vic & Ike’s American Bistro, 104 S. Palafox. 912-8569 or vic-and-ikes.com.

DESTIN ATKINSON 8 p.m. Fridays. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com.

DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Fridays. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

DJ MR LAO 8 p.m. Fridays. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

HOLLY SHELTON AND DAVID SHELANDER 8 p.m. Fridays. Ragtyme Grille, 201 S. Jefferson St. 429-9655 or ragtyme.net.

TRUNK MONKEY 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 932-2211 or sand-shaker.com.

THE REZ 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

TIMBERHAWK 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

THE MODERN ELDORADOS 9 p.m. LiliMar-lene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

LIVE MUSIC 9 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

LIVE MUSIC 9:30 p.m. Fridays. Intermission, 214 S. Palafox. 433-6208.

REMEDY BLEND 9:30 p.m. Free. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

SATURDAY 9.17PENSACOLA CYCLING CLASSIC 8:30 a.m. Adventures Unlimited, 8974 Tomahawk Landing Road. 623-6197 or pensacolacyclingclassic.com.

FLORA-BAMA VOLLEYBALL OPEN 8 a.m. Flora-Bama, 17401 Perdido Key Drive. 492-4660 or perdidokeyopen.com.

BAYVIEW PARK SPRING FLEA MARKET 8 a.m. Bayview Park, 2000 E. Lloyd St. 436-5190 orplay-pensacola.com.

GULL POINT NEIGHBORHOOD FLEA MARKET 8 a.m. Gull Point Community Center, 700 Span-ish Trail. 494-7360.

PALAFOX MARKET 8 a.m. Saturdays, rain or shine, through Dec. 17. Martin Luther King Plaza on North Palafox Street between Chase and Garden streets. palafoxmarket.com.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SEPTEMBER MEETING 9:15 a.m. Lucia Tryon Library, 1200 Langley Ave. 432-9743 or lwvpba.org.

ANGEL’S GARDEN ART SHOW 10 a.m. Proceeds from art sales benefit Favor House. Corner of 12th Avenue and Gonzalez Street. 435-9555.

‘TASTE OF THE BEACH’ 11 a.m. Event includes food from 17 restaurants, a Corvette show, live entertainment and more. Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce, 735 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 932-1500 or pensacolabeachchamber.com.

UNITY FEST 1 p.m. Five Flags Speedway, 7451 Pine Forest Road. 944-8400 or 5flagsspeedway.com.

WINE TASTING AT WINE BAR 2 p.m. Satur-days. $5 goes toward rebate on featured wines. Wine Bar, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 476-3830 or chanswineworld.com.

happenings


24 inweekly.net24

On the rocks, or straight up. With a Splenda, or agave syrup - you can do seem-ingly whatever you like to your cocktail of choice and it is relatively accepted - though perhaps silently criticized. Try putting an ice cube in a glass of warm Cabernet on a hot summer day and watch the eye rolling begin!

It’s this laissez-faire attitude towards cocktails that has kept bartenders busy for centuries; concocting new drinks and tweaking old ones. However, there’s one facet where cocktails have been continu-ously overlooked. Wine dinners are often seen: five courses of food paired with five different wines, while even beer pairings have begun to make their way into the ritziest of establishments. But where are the cocktail dinners? It seems the three-cocktail dinner has been relegat-ed to appearances in Mad Men and that’s it.

Perhaps it’s time we start treating the cocktail to the same luxury our favorite wines currently experience - marrying them with food.

the high-brow apéritif and the low-brow appetizers

“In my opinion...a good cocktail can be just as complex and food friendly as a Bordeaux blend or a Belgian Trappist Ale,” Patrick Bolster, rockstar bartender of 5 1/2 explains. “The Italians do it just as good as anyone else with their delicious aperitifs, digestifs, and vermouths.”

So, perhaps the bold aperitif is the way to start a cocktail pairing off. The term originates from the latin work aperire, which means “to open.” The aperitif history can be concretely traced back to 1846 when a French chemist, Joseph Dubonnet, created a wine-based drink that included quinine, which sought to fight off malaria. The me-dicinal concoction however was very bitter and so he added various herbs and spices - the resulting brew was so delicious people who had little chance of contracting malaria began to drink it. It was very popular with the French Foreign Legion soldiers abroad - and oddly enough - the housewives back

home. Nowadays, aperitifs are still popular in the cafes of Italy, especially in the hours following the end of the work day. Rather than cook for oneself at home, many prefer to head to the cafes to have a few cocktails and nibble on some light dishes.

The following cocktail is bold enough to not need fl amboyant accompaniments. A simple array of light appetizers (crostini, olives, various tapenades) will please the palate while letting the drink have its moment.

mojito and pulled pork springrolls

“Mount Gay Rum comes from the oldest existing distillery in the world and that’s what we’ll be using in our drink today,” Layne Schumann, resident bartender at Vic and Ike’s — and my instructor for the evening — says as he counts out a pour. Picking up a muddler he crushes the mint before adding some ice and simple syrup.

The result? A perfectly balanced and delightful drink. Not that there’s not room for creativity. When it’s my turn behind the bar he cuts me up a few pieces of watermelon I’ve been eyeing and throws it in the tumbler. The ending drink is summer in a glass.

The Mojito is a close ancestor of a drink that dates back to Cuba sometime around the 16th century. Its predecessor was known as “El Draque” - having been named in honor or Sir Francis Drake. Back then it was made with Tafi a, a stronger and somewhat harsher cousin of rum, and was mixed with lime juice, sugar and mint to take the edge o� .

The modern day Mojito is a mellower version of “El Draque.” Being that it hails from Cuba, it practically demands to be paired with pork and being that it incorporates the cooling qualities of mint - a little spiciness.

mexican coffee with “margarita” cupcakes

The beauty of pairing cocktails with food is that you can tweak the drink to match your food. With wine and beer you’re stuck - you can’t exactly make your bottle of Bordeaux taste sweeter if that’s what you’re in the mood for. Perhaps the best course to play around with your cocktails is the des-sert course. I’m using tequila, but you could easily make a whiskey based concoction and pair it with pecan-praline cobbler or sweet potato ice cream.

by Ashley Hardaway

food newsChef’s Table at Elise

Elise is hosting intimate, twice monthly dinners at their “Chef ’s

Table” - which overlooks the open-air kitchen. Patrons can relax while

talking wine with their certified sommelier, or while learning from

the master’s in the kitchen. $75 plus tax and gratuity - wine

pairings are an additional $50. Sept. 14 and 28. For more information and

reservations call 332-7227

Rosh Hashanah at Jackson’sOn September 28, along with their full menu, Chef Irv Miller will pre-pare a traditional Rosh Hashanah

feature. Dishes include challah, beef pot roast, sauteed green

beans, red sweet peppers with caramelized leeks and raisin kugel.

Wednesday Sept. 28, 5:30 p.m. $29 per person. For reservations call

469-9898

A Taste of Pensacola BeachPensacola Beach’s best restaurants are featuring some of their favorite dishes - all for $5 or less - at Casino Beach. Seventeen of the area’s res-

taurants will be participating, includ-ing Grand Marlin, Laguna’s, Hilton

H20, Paradise Bar and Grill and Peg Leg Pete’s. Live entertainment.

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17-18, 1-4 p.m. 932-1500. For details contact

pensacolabeachchamber.com

Cocktail Class at Vic and Ike’sI got to go behind the bar for this article to learn about the magical

Mojito at Vic and Ike’s - and now you can too! Vic and Ike’s will be hosting

Cocktail Classes at 6 p.m. every Wednesday. Guests will learn about the cocktails being prepared, nibble

on delicious food, and make three (full size!) cocktails themselves. Great for the start of a bachelor/

bachelorette party. Future classes include drinks like Pimm’s Cup, Mint Julep, Margaritas and Daiquiris. It’s a

don’t miss - I had a blast! Wednesday nights, 6 p.m.

$30 per person. For reservations call 916-8569.

EAT THIS WITH THAT

The Boulevardier Cocktail

5 1/2’s Patrick Bolster discovered this cocktail while perusing through Ted Haigh’s “Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.”

2 parts rye whiskey or spice-forward bourbon (Buffalo Trace is recom-mended)1 part Campari1 part sweet vermouth (Dolin and Punt E Mes for Patrick)Dash of bitters (Angostura for Patrick)

Add ingredients to a mixing glass, then add ice and STIR-never shake this cocktail. Strain mixture into desired vessel and add a twist of orange peel for garnish/fl avoring.

Mojito10 fresh mint leaves1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges2 tablespoons simple syrup1 cup ice cubes2 oz white rum1/2 cup club soda

Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass. Use a mud-dler to crush the mint and lime. Add 2 more lime wedges and the simple syrup, muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture. Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Pour the rum over the ice, and fill the glass with carbonated water. Stir, taste, and add more syrup if desired.Garnish if desired.


tips:Critics cite that cocktails kill your taste

buds so you won’t taste your food anyways. I don’t believe this. However, keep this in mind when pairing cocktails with food: don’t pair a terribly strong, intensely flavored drink with a weak dish.

Pace yourself. Wine’s alcohol content

generally varies from 8-16 percent. Beer is generally 4-6 percent. A cocktail can easily reach 20 percent, depending on the heavy that pours. The key is a balanced cocktail - for taste and for pleasure - and perhaps consider making smaller cocktails, rather than full pours if coursing them out.

Remember - Taxis are your friend. {in}

Pulled Pork Spring RollsIngredients

1/2 pound ground pork1 1/2 cups of shredded coleslaw2 green onions, thinly sliced2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro1/2 teaspoon sesame oil1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic1 teaspoon chile sauce1 tablespoon cornstarch1 tablespoon water12 (7- inch square) spring roll wrappers4 teaspoons vegetable oilDirections

Preheat oven to 425 F Place pork in a medium saucepan. Cook

over medium high heat until evenly brown.

Remove from heat and drain.In a bowl, mix together pork, cabbage,

carrot, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic and chile sauce.

Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl.

Place approximately 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture in the center of the spring roll wrappers. Roll wrappers around the mix-ture, folding edges inward to close. Moisten fi ngers in the cornstarch and water mixture, and brush wrapper seams to seal.

Arrange spring rolls in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with vegetable oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn rolls over. Bake 10 minutes more.

Serve with Mae Ploy, a sweet-chile sauce that can be found at local Asian grocery stores and even Publix, now.

Mexican CoffeeWhile Irish Co� ee uses whiskey, Mexican Co� ee uses - you guessed it - tequila! It’s sweetened up with a bit of mocha liqueur and a dollop of whip cream.

1 oz. of your favorite tequila 1 oz. mocha liqueur 2 oz. hot co� ee 1 dollop whipped cream

Add the tequila and liqueur to hot coffee. Top with whipped cream. Contemplate life on an existential level.

Margherita CupcakesThere’s tequila in your co� ee, so might

as well put a little in your dessert as well. Tequila is used as a glaze on the cupcakes and whipped into the frosting, so these cupcakes have a subtle kick and are sure to satisfy your devilish sweet tooth. These “for adult only” cupcakes won’t be found in your local store.For the cupcakes:3 cups fl our1 tablespoon baking powder1/2 teasp salt2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened2 cups sugar4 eggs, room temperatureZest and juice of 3 limes1/2 teaspoon vanilla1 cup buttermilk1 tablespoon tequila

DirectionsPreheat oven to 325 F.In a medium bowl, whisk

together fl our, baking powder and salt.

In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs one at a time. Blend. Add the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla extract.

Reduce speed to low and add 1/3 of the fl our mixture, then 1/3 of the buttermilk, alternat-ing until fi nished. Mix until just incorporated, do not over-beat.

Divide the batter into line cupcake pan. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven, brush with tequila. Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.

Tequila Lime Frosting:2 sticks unsalted butter, at room tempera-ture5 to 6 cups powdered sugar1 tablespoon lime juice1 teaspoon lime zest1 tablespoon tequila1/8 teaspoon salt

To make the tequila lime buttercream frosting, place butter in a mixer’s bowl. Beat until butter is fl u� y. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar, salt, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar until the frosting is of good consistency. Pipe frosting onto cooled cup-cakes. Garnish with small lime slices.

26 inweekly.net26

“When I get to Africa, I have to worship him,” said Elizabeth Osei, part-time fi rst lady of the Akwamu people of eastern Ghana, speaking of her husband Isaac, who is the Akwamu chief. “When I get back, he has to worship me” (because Elizabeth is the presi-dent of the couple’s New York City taxi com-pany, where they work 12-hour days when they’re not Ghanian royalty). Isaac’s reign, according to an August New York Times report, covers several months a year and requires divine-like wisdom in adjudicating his people’s disputes. Another New Yorker with a prestigious double life is Mohamed Mohamed, a state transportation bureaucrat, who recently returned to his cubicle in Buf-falo, N.Y., after nine months as prime minis-ter of Somalia. The Bu� alo News reported that the Somali native, though shocked by the level of the country’s dysfunction, at least got to stand up to “terrorists, pirates and warlords” and “address dignitaries from the United Nations.”

Cultural Diversity The convenient Russian myth that “beer” (up to 10 percent alcohol by volume) is a “soft drink” will end shortly, following the enactment of restrictions signed by President Dmitry Medvedev in July. Beer had been rapidly replacing vodka as the country’s primary alcoholic beverage, as people drank it with impunity around the clock in public places (since they pretended they were consuming nothing more power-ful than a “cola”).

• Until recently, impoverished Indone-sians sought to cure various illnesses (such as diabetes and high blood pressure) by lying on railroad tracks as trains approached, thus allowing electrical charges from the tracks to course therapeutically through their bodies. A combination of anecdotal successes and dissatisfaction with the state-operated health care system led to the instances in which hundreds at a time lay on the tracks, according to an August Associ-ated Press dispatch.

What Goes Around, Comes Around: In February, 12 villagers from a South African shantytown allegedly burned down a pas-tor’s home and killed him out of anger and fear that he was using an “invisible penis” to seduce women. The accused, who are due to answer for their superstition in court in September, according to African Eye News Service, became 11 in May when one of the men died mysteriously, and those 11 are now terrifi ed that the pastor’s family has placed an active curse on them.

Latest Religious Messages My Rules: The Aug. 6 revival spectacular in Houston, billed as a day of prayer and attended by 30,000

people at Reliant Stadium, was also billed as a day of fasting, which apparently took at least a few worshipers by surprise, and Reli-ant’s concession stands (which were open all day) only added to the temptation to ignore the fast. One otherwise-devout man from San Angelo, Texas, told the Texas Tribune that it was OK for him to eat because of an “agreement” he “made with God earlier.”

• Defi ning “Smite” Down: Fed up with the theft of Bibles from the Basilica of San Salva-tore al Monte in Florence, Italy, the Francis-can priests in charge posted signs and spoke prayers urging the pilferer to repent. In the event that he does not, reported London’s Daily Telegraph in August, the prayer asked that the thief be a� icted with “a strong bout of the (runs).”

Questionable Judgments My Kids Live With a Child-Killer? John and Kristine Cush-ing married and raised two daughters, but Kristine became mentally ill and in 1991 killed the girls as they slept. She was hospitalized for four years and eventually monitored for 10 more. Meanwhile, John divorced her and married Trisha, and they raised two sons, but eventually divorced and reached a shared-custody agreement. By 2005, Kristine had been approved by California doctors to return to society, and soon she and John re-connected. Understandably, Trisha became horrifi ed at the prospect that Kristine might relapse, in which case her and John’s two sons would be at risk. In August, a judge in Seattle (where John and Kristine once again cohabit), infl uenced by Kristine’s clean re-cord since her release, turned down Trisha’s request for sole custody.

America In Decline Direct Pipelines from the Pentagon to U.S. Enemies: (1) A U.S. military investigation disclosed (according to a July Washington Post report) that at least four of the eight Afghan trucking fi rms involved in a $2.16 billion Pentagon contract designed to ferry supplies to American troops are likely to have employed subcontractors with direct ties to the Afghan Taliban. (2) United Nations investigators revealed (according to an August New York Times report) that about half of the U.S.-supplied weapons for Ugandan and Burundian troops to battle the Somalian terror group al-Shabab have ulti-mately wound up in al-Shabab’s hands. (The poorly paid Ugandan and Burundian troops apparently found arms sales more profi table than fi ghting terrorists.)

by Chuck Shepherdnews of the weird

Send your weird news to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or [email protected], or go to newsoftheweird.com.

From Universal Press Syndicate Chuck Shepherd’s News Of The Weird

© 2011 Chuck Shepherd

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Good Eats: I’m a sucker for hummus, and every time

I walk into Hopjacks I order it. And it doesn’t help that the kitchen never closes before 2 a.m., so when I’m craving a late night snack I know I can go up there in my pj’s and won’t be judged.

During football season, I like to go to The Break for their drink specials and their fantas-tic wings. If you have never had their wings you are missing out, because they are to die for - honey BBQ, please. I love Sunday Fundays up there, too! They usually have a table set out full of food, i.e. hot dogs, chili, chips and dip etc…and it’s FREE.

About once a month my boyfriend and I will go to Shan Kishi in Gulf Breeze for Hibachi. We just love that place. They are so friendly and entertaining, and the food is fan-tastic! They also have some of the best Sushi I have ever had.

I love living in East Hill, and a major perk is that I live down the street from City Grocery. They have my favorite sandwich EVER! The St. Charles…turkey and Gouda - ah it is sooo Gooda! Plus, if I want a Sessions (it’s a beer) or glass of good wine with my lunch, I have that option. I think they encourage it. Oh, and don’t forget to get a sandwich punch card.

Retail Therapy:First o� , I hate shopping for clothes, but I

was very excited when Indigeaux opened up downtown because they have the styles I like. Plus, the owner is so friendly…I never see her without a smile on her face.

I will hold on to a purse until the straps break, it begins to discolor, or my boyfriend says “I think you need to get a new purse”. So when it was time to retire, my beloved friend and I stopped into Intracoastal Outfi tters and, lo and behold, there she was, a beautiful green Kavu purse. She goes everywhere with me, even if I’m dressed to the nines. Thanks, Wes, for introducing us.

Now for my dangerous retail habit; buying music. When I lived near Best Buy I would go there almost once a week, just for some new tunes. Thankfully, I moved far away so it wasn’t as easy for me to hop on over. Then, Revolver Records opened up downtown. I have sort of moved away from CDs and have a newfound love of vinyl. If Eric doesn’t have it on vinyl he will find it for me. Thank you, Eric, for opening another music shop. I really missed your East Hill CD exchange.

Watering Holes:Working in the bar industry for almost 10

years, I have made friends with at least one bartender at almost every bar from the beach to downtown. As a bartender, you have to spread the love so that those bartenders will come see you and do the same. When I am on the beach for my Sunday Funday, I start o� at The Break where I can usually fi nd Brooks Hubbard looping it up or Timber-hawk belting out some “Wagon Wheel”. Then, I gotta go to Paddy’s and hopefully catch Seamus so I don’t have to do a car-bomb by myself. Last stop of the day is Para-dise, just the name needs no explanation.

Gotta show love to one of my jobs which is bar tending one night a week at The Wisteria. I have worked there for almost two years, and just can’t give it up. Not to mention having one of the coolest bosses who lets me taste the new beer on tap as soon as I get to work. I have to taste it so I can explain to the custom-er how it tastes. Sometimes, if I get o� early enough at the Wiz, I’ll go up to The Azalea to have a night cap and say hi to Charles.

Lately, it has been too hot to go to the beach. I know, right? So, we will do Sunday Funday at Ozone. Hello, $3 margarita.

Nightlife: Downtown on a Friday or Saturday night,

we usually start at Blazzues. After that we head down to Play and always end the night at Intermission.

Outdoors: One of my favorite things to do is walk out

on Quietwater Boardwalk at night and check out the water. I love trying to catch a glimpse of some marine life. Once, I saw a baby sting ray. So cool!

Another hot spot for me is the Gulf Pier. I always hope to see some dolphins or a giant sea turtle. I like turtles!

Arts & Culture:Gallery Night is one of the best events I

think downtown has, but have you checked out Palafox Market? I’m pretty stoked that it is in the top ten medium-sized markets in the country!

Hot Glass Cold Beer is a pretty cool event at the Belmont Art Center. Various glass blowers display their art and do some demonstrations. With your entry fee, you get a hand blown glass mug and they will put beer in it for free! {in}

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