FREE ▶Independent News | March 21, 2013 | Volume 14 | Number 12 | inweekly.net | Cover Art by Meredith Taylor

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“I’m 91, but I’m still working at it.”

16

"For me, the guitar has to obey the command of the story."

18

"It’s a really hurried glimpse of what it’s like to be onstage."

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publisher & editorRick Outzen

production managerJoani Delezen

art directorSamantha Crooke

staff writerJeremy Morrison

contributing writersJoani Delezen, Hana Frenette, Brett Hutchins, Sarah McCartan, Kate Peterson, Chuck Shepherd

internVictoria Sharp

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Jazz in

Black and White Miles Davis / photo by

Duncan Schiedt, 1959

March 21, 2013 3

winners loserswinners & losers

Bentina Terry The co-chair of the Chamber's Vision 2015 initiative for economic development, was recently named Community Leader of the Year by the Greater Pensacola Chamber for her efforts with both the initial fundraising ef-fort and the securing of its more than $8.5 million in pledges, as well as for her work with the Community Maritime Park Board and helping to ensure that several minor-ity contractors were given the opportunity to be a part of the project.

Pensacola Opera Coming off another record-setting season, the Pensacola Op-era has announced its “Secure its Future” fundraising campaign that will raise $1 million to secure the organization’s future. Its first goal is stabilize the company financially by eliminating debts, growing the endowment fund and establishing annual operating reserves. The second is to expand and enhance programming to excite opera patrons, reach new audiences and educate more children. Beaver’s Inc. Emerald Coast Utilities Authority presented its “Protector of the Environment” (POE) Award to Beaver’s Inc., operator of six Arby’s franchised restaurants located in the Pensacola area. The POE award rewards local businesses and food service establishments that promote a positive safe working and clean eating environment through the ECUA’s Fats, Oils, and Grease and Backflow Programs.

Jennifer Carroll Florida’s Lieuten-ant Governor suddenly resigned after law enforcement officials questioned her regarding her ties to Allied Veterans of the World, a phony veterans charity that owned a $300-million Internet café network that allegedly operated as mini-casinos. Carroll said in her resignation statement that she does not believe that investigators have targeted her. The former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander was the first African-American Republican woman elected to the Florida Legislature and the first African-American woman elected lieutenant governor.

Honor Our Marines The volunteer group that raised funds for the Marine Aviation Memorial Tower at Pensacola’s Veterans Memorial Park has left the contractor responsible for building its base hanging for $32,420 because Pensacola companies reneged on their pledges. The 30-foot steel clock tower, which features a 250-pound bronze bell and recorded music from a carillon, was dedicated last August.

City Workers Did city employees give up their pensions too quickly? Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford is pressing to change Florida’s retirement system, which he says is in trouble. He wants to phase out the pension plan by enrolling new state workers in a 401(k)-style investment plan. If that happens new city workers could see their pension plan drop from a Cadillac model to a pedicab.

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INVESTMENT IN KIDS

In my hometown, Greenville, Miss., the YMCA was where we learned how to play football.

All the Outzen boys, plus most of the Roman Catholic and African-American kids in the program, played for my fa-ther. Most of the teams broke even, although a couple of my younger broth-ers might have won a league champion-ship.

My dad believed in the value of team sports. He never yelled anything but words of en-couragement. He never cut corners on teaching the basics of the sport. He made every kid, not just his sons, feel special.

He grew up in the Great Depression, never knowing his father who had died when he was young. He went to a small Catholic school, St. Rose of Lima—so small that his graduating class only had five students. Yet he loved football and instilled that love in all five of his boys and most of the kids in our neighborhood.

The Greenville YMCA on Theobald Street, just a few blocks from the levee that protected the town from the Mississippi River, was his second home when he was a child. Its indoor pool, gym and game room were his after-school program.

When he returned to Greenville from

the Korean War and his sons became school age, dad became a coach and Y football was never the same. He believed every kid should play, regardless of race or family wealth. It’s why his teams usu-ally had most of the black kids. He made

sure everyone had uniforms, helmets, cleats and pads.

For a lot of the boys in the 1960s and ‘70s, Y football was the first place they played with kids of another race. Though he never talked about it, I’m sure my dad had pushback, but people didn’t tell my father “no.”

The city of Pen-sacola is debating whether a new down-town YMCA should be built at the Commu-nity Maritime Park. The naysayers get one more opportunity to bash a park that they never supported. The Y building is in step with the original concept of a public park on Pensacola Bay, the ideal substitution for the maritime museum that the University of West Florida dropped from its capital plans.

My dad, who died over 20 years ago, wouldn’t have hesitated in supporting the Maritime Y. He knew what it meant to his childhood, his children and hundreds of other kids.

What better investment can we make? {in} rick@inweekly.net

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If something seems too good to be true, maybe it is. Or, maybe there’s treasure under the water.

“I don’t think it’s a gold mine, but ...” Vince Whibbs, Jr. explained. “We know that there’s some cypress, some juniper and there’s some pine ...”

For years, a logjam has grown on the Es-cambia River, in the north of the county near McDavid. The Escambia County Commission recently contracted Whibbs’ company to clear the jam and remove derelict vessels from the river. The price was right. Maybe.

“I know we got a great deal,” said Com-missioner Grover Robinson during a February meeting, “but I just wanna make sure we’re gonna be able to get that done.”

BETTING ON THE LOW BIDEscambia County received three bids for

the logjam job. Whibbs’ company—Florida Forest Recyclers, LLC—was the lowest by far.

County sta� recommended commis-

sioners go with the low bid. Interim County Administrator George Touart expressed his reservations when the issue landed on the commissioners’ table.

“My concern is, we took three bids and discrepancy in price is unbelievable, so we’ve asked legal to look at it and they have come back to us and said you can go ahead and award this project,” Touart told the commis-sioners.

Florida Forest Recyclers bid the job at $68,498. Crowder Gulf Joint Venture, Inc., a

company based in Theodore, Ala., made a bid of $572,000. DRC Emergency Services, LLC, out of Mobile, bid $792,622.44

“There’s obviously a huge discrepancy in bids,” Commissioner Steven Barry told the board. “My understanding for the reason for that is that this is really going to be some start-up money, some seed money to get the project begun, because once the boats come out of the way, evidently there is quite a bit

of tangible value to a considerable amount of that wood that is in the logjam.”

DREAMING OF DEBRIS DOLLARSDuring a late February town hall in

Barry’s district, Whibbs explained his intentions. He said his company was bet-ter positioned to complete the job and already had the permits in place.

Whibbs—who in a former life was a prominent local attorney and one-time candidate for the U.S. House of Rep-resentatives—launched Florida Forest Recyclers with his partners after a stint in prison following his disbarment and con-victions on theft, fraud and racketeering charges. The company has been singularly focused.

“It was basically formed for the spe-cific purpose of working and removing the logjam,” Whibbs explained at Barry’s town hall.

When he looks at the Escambia River logjam, Whibbs doesn’t see a one-dimen-sional debris-removal job or a naviga-tional hazard. He sees a potential bounty in the logs, some perhaps left over from logging operations of yore.

“We think there’s between 1,500 and 2,000 logs in there,” Whibbs explained later. “Different sizes and stuff, along with woody debris.”

Insofar as the bid goes, Whibbs said

his competitors weren’t factoring in the profit potential of the wood.

“[The other companies] had no use for the wood itself,” he said. “Their bids were based on that.”

Whibbs is confident his crew—three people will work the site—can clear the jam within the parameters of the county contract and do it for the price quoted. They’ve got 180 days—“we hope we can do it in less time than that”—but won’t begin until the river’s water level drops and Gulf sturgeon spawning season has ended.

Escambia County officials sound hopeful they’re getting a good deal. They also don’t sound completely convinced.

Touart stressed to commissioners that he was “very concerned.” He said the county will “hold their feet to the fire for this money,” and that there would be no change-orders—allowing the price to balloon once work started—unless they were made for unforeseen aspects of the job—“but logs underneath the water for a profit ain’t one of ‘em.”

“I’ve never seen a bid come in this far apart and recommended for award,” Touart told the commissioners. “I’ve never heard—and I’m not in the busi-ness—I’ve never heard that there’s profit underneath the water in this river, but so be it if that’s the case.” {in}

Are There Riches in the River?by Jeremy Morrison

LOWBALL LOGJAM

Photo courtesy of northescambia.com

“I don’t think it’s a gold mine, but ..."Vince Whibbs, Jr.

March 21, 2013 7

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During the final week of March, the U.S. Supreme Court dives into a pair of marriage equality cases. Sara Latshaw, regional organizer for the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, is excited about the prospects. “I think this is a real time for change,” she said.

Latshaw is helping organize a candle-light vigil scheduled before the court gets down to business.

“There’s no way to tell what the outcome will be, but I hope the Supreme Court will make the right decision,” she said. “I’m so hopeful, and I want to see things move in the right direction so badly.”

On March 26, the court will consider overturning California’s Proposition 8. The next day, they will tackle the Defense of Marriage Act.

In 2008, California voters passed Proposition 8, which added a new provi-sion to the state constitution which stated “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

The proposition overturned an earlier California Supreme Court ruling, which had found that same-sex couples did have the right to marry. In 2010, the mea-sure was challenged in court, found to be unconstitutional and overturned. The decision was appealed, upheld, and again appealed, this time to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Defense of Marriage Act—or DOMA—passed both houses of congress and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. It defines marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman. Like Proposition 8, DOMA has

weathered the courts and is now headed to the highest in the land.

In 2011, President Barack Obama’s ad-ministration let it be known it considered DOMA unconstitutional. The administra-tion would no longer defend it in court.

As the court prepares to hear the two cases, demonstrations of support for marriage equality are being planned around the country. Locally, a candlelight vigil is scheduled for 6 p.m., March 25 in downtown Pensacola’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza.

Jonathan Franqui, who’s husband is stationed locally in the military, will be among the featured speakers at the event.

“We’re lighting the candles to light the way to justice, but it also shows we are here,” Franqui said. “There’s light at the end of it. This is going to be such a powerful moment.” {in}

SCOTUS BY CANDLELIGHT

all the political news and gossip

fit to printbuzz

Buzzing on the Blog The How Of The Y City Attorney Jim Messer is left hanging by Mayor Ashton Hayward and City Administrator as he tries to explain how the proposed YMCA lease for the Community Maritime Park was developed.

Valentino In Line for Lt. Governor? Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino wants to be Rick Scott’s next Lt. Governor, and his prospects have been discussed and joked about by courthouse insiders.

Was Lt. Governor Carroll forced out of office? Art Rocker, chairman of the Florida Southern Christian Leadership Conference believes so. In a statement

to the media, Rocker hinted that the first African-American female to hold the of-fice of Lt. Governor may have been forced to resign because she might have switched political parties.

Chamber Chair Gives BP Gift Card Update Sandy Sansing, chairmen of the Greater Pensacola Chamber, sent an email to the chamber board and its Vision 2015 partners to ensure them that a compre-hensive audit is under way by Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund, CPAs, to fully examine records to determine the number of gift cards received by the chamber, when and to whom they were dispersed and their current status.

Bennett files to run for School BoardThe former president of the Escambia County chapter of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Ellison Bennett, has pre-filed to run for the District 3 seat

on the Escambia County School Board. Bennett pledged to work for civil citations for young offenders and better school guidance to help more students graduate from the school district.

Gaetz Speaks Out Against Internet Cafes After law enforcements arrested people tied to a network of Internet cafes for operating illegal gambling operations, Florida Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) said he supported legislation to ban such cafes in Florida. He also said he would conduct a “top to bottom” review of his own campaign contributions as well as funds raised by the Republican Senate Ma-jority for the Republican Party of Florida during the 2012 cycle for any contributions from the cafes’ lobbyists and political ac-tion committees.

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Hustling the halls of Tallahassee, Jodi James and Bob Jordan are on a mission. They’ve been at it for weeks, since the 2013 legislative session began.

“Am I optimistic?” said Jordan. “I have to be.”

The Vietnam vet has joined James for some shoe-leather politicking. Talking to any legislator that will listen.

“You talk to ’em in the hallway, you talk to ’em in the elevator, you talk to ‘em in the o�ce,” Jordan said. “That’s the way things happen over here, as I understand it.”

When they’re able to bend a lawmaker’s ear, they urge them to support the legaliza-tion of marijuana for medicinal purposes—a one-time pipe dream that seems evermore realistic with each passing election cycle.

“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. We’re confident of that, every o�ce we go in knows that,” said James, the execu-tive director of Florida Cannabis Action Network (FLCAN). “They understand this is coming.”

For Jordan, this mission is personal.“I don’t feel like a criminal, I really don’t,”

Jordan explained. “I don’t feel like I did

feature story

by Jeremy MorrisonCover art by Meredith Taylor

10 inweekly.net10

anything wrong. It’s a moral thing for me. What? Am I suppose to let my wife die?”

Having su�ered from amyo-trophic lateral sclerosis—ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease—since the 1980s, Cathy Jordan hit upon marijuana as a sort of wonder drug. It eased her aching and the shak-ing, helped her find an appetite and cleared her bronchial tube of phlegm.

Jordan credits marijuana with helping her far outlive the five-year, ALS life expectancy death sentence doctors handed her. During the more than 20 years since her diagnosis, she has become a passionate advocate for legalization and is currently the president of FLCAN.

In late February, the Jordan’s home in Parrish was raided by the Manatee County Sheriff ’s Office. Authorities walked away with a number of marijuana plants Bob was grow-ing on the property. Walked away with his wife’s medicine.

“Anyone else who loves their wife would do the same,” Jordan said. “It’s a plant you can grow like a tomato.”

Days before the raid, the Jordans had met with state legislators to discuss a bill aimed at legalizing medical marijuana in Florida. Two days after the raid, Sen. Je� Clemens (D-Lake Worth) introduced SB 1250—the already-titled Cathy Jordan Medi-cal Cannabis Act—in the Senate. The day af-ter that, Rep. Katie Edwards (D-Plantation) filed a similar bill in the House.

“I filed the bill mainly out of compassion,” Sen. Clemens said. “It’s hard to look ’em in the eye and not try to help.”

NOT THAT HIPThis isn’t the first time marijuana ad-

vocates have pushed for change in Florida. But it might be the first time such a notion hasn’t sounded completely crazy, like some-thing from Outer Space—or California.

“Obviously, with what happened last fall in Colorado and Washington, you’re seeing a shift,” Clemens said.

Last November was a big month for marijuana in America. For the first time, voters in two states legalized pot for rec-reational purposes. That means that after a day of skiing the slopes in Steamboat Springs or touring the Space Needle in Seattle, people can go get stoned. Legally. Just because they want to.

The recreational moves of Colorado and Washington represent a gigantic leap, but they come only after years of a deter-mined shuffle, which has seen 18 states and the District of Columbia loosen laws to allow for medical marijuana. Florida has stumbled alongside this shuffle-parade since the beginning with a series of go-nowhere efforts.

In 1996, California became the first state to allow for medical marijuana after voters passed Proposition 215. That same year, remembers Kim Russell, director of People United for Medical Marijuana

(PUFMM), there was also a ballot initiative in the Sunshine State.

“1996 was the very beginning of the movement,” Russell said, noting that the initiative fizzled after a couple of years. “Florida is not that hip.”

While legalization talk has long lived on the fringe of Florida politics, the PUFMM director feels such conversation may now be more palatable—“for each state that turns it makes it easier for us”—more realistic. At least that’s what some serious people are telling her.

“It’s an issue that’s becoming less controversial as the days go on,” said Ben Pollara.

Pollara—a South Florida political strategist with significant connections to the establishment—recently signed on as PUFMM’s treasurer and is one of several heavy hitters giving the organization’s cur-rent ballot initiative an air of legitimacy. He is joined by Orlando-based attorney John Morgan—a Democratic fundraiser, presi-dential dinner guest and boss of former Gov. Charlie Crist—who has taken the reins as PUFMM’s chairman and vowed to invest some of his personal fortune into the 2014 ballot initiative. Eric Sedler—a former busi-ness partner of current presidential advisor David Axelrod—is also in the mix.

Pollara and pals afford the movement inroads with the likes of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), former President Bill Clinton,

former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama. PUFFMM co-founder Russell has framed the addi-tions as a blessing.

“The team we are putting together have the expertise to get the job done right,” she

said in a statement to supporters. “This is exactly what we have been working towards for four years. God is hearing our prayers—keep up the good work!”

Such serious people have until now watched from the sidelines. But the dy-namics of the game have shifted and the A-team appears ready to play.

“It’s something that I’ve been passion-ate about for a while,” Pollara explained. “It’s something I thought about doing a couple of years ago, but the polls were not as good. It’s a different ballgame now than it was two years ago.”

In 2011, Gov. Rick Scott’s then-advisor Tony Fabrizio polled the issue of legalizing medical marijuana in Florida. The results were notable: nearly six in 10 voters would approve of such a Constitutional amendment.

This year, PUFMM commissioned David Beattie—Sen. Nelson’s pollster—to field the issue again. The results—suggest-ing that seven out of 10 Florida voters now favor legalization—have demanded atten-tion. The poll showed support across party and demographic lines.

“Florida is a reliably conservative state, a purple state, so I was a little surprised, but not really,” Pollara said. “This is not the same state as it was four years ago, eight years ago or 10 years ago.”

While the PUFMM poll showed the strongest support in areas such as South Florida and Orlando, medical marijuana

proponents also consider the Panhandle in play.

“Actually, what I find with the folks in North Florida,” said Clemens, “is that they’re very independent and want govern-ment out of their business.”

TOTAL ABSORPTION OR INTERCEPTED?

In the 1970s, a teen-age Barack Obama enjoyed his Honolulu afternoons getting high, taking “roof hits” in a VW bus and perfecting a smoking technique he and his friends called “total absorption” or “TA” for short.

When a joint was making the rounds, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss’s 2012 Obama-biography, the future president apparently liked to jump ahead in rotation. He would shout “inter-cepted!,” and take an extra hit.

It was a simpler time. President Richard Nixon had only recently ushered in Ameri-ca’s War on Drugs and marijuana was illegal across the board.

Things are di�erent now. Obama doesn’t get stoned anymore and America is a patch-work of conflicting laws.

While 18 states have laws on the books that sanction marijuana to whatever degree, the federal government still considers it to be an illegal drug. The U.S. Drug Enforce-ment Agency routinely raids establishments that are considered legitimate in-state.

The Obama Administration has o�ered a conflicted response to this state-driven issue. The October 2009 Ogden Memo indicates that federal resources shouldn’t be focused “on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.” But the June 2011 Cole Memorandum cited the federal Controlled Substances Act and clarified that “the Ogden Memo was never intended to shield such activities from federal enforcement action and prosecution, even where those activities purport to comply with state law.”

A month after Colorado and Washington voters legalized weed, President Obama sat down with ABC’s Barbara Walters. When asked about the issue, he said the adminis-tration had “bigger fish to fry.”

“It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined that it’s legal,” Obama told Walters.

The president said Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department would be studying the legal questions surrounding conflicting federal and state laws.

“This is a tough problem, because Con-gress has not yet changed the law,” Obama said in the December interview. “I head up the executive branch, we’re suppose to be carrying out laws. And so what we’re going to need to have is a conversation about, how do you reconcile a federal law that still says marijuana is a federal o�ense and state laws that say that it’s legal?”

Earlier this month, Holder said he would soon decide how best to deal with the issue. In the mean time, the United Nations has in-dicated that allowing the state laws to stand would violate international drug treaties.

Also at the federal level, two pieces of marijuana-centric legislation have been in-troduced in the House. A proposed bill from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) would create a federal excise tax on the sale of marijuana, while a bill proposed by Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) would remove marijuana from the list

“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. We’re confident of that, every office we go in knows that.” Jodi James

March 21, 2013 11

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of controlled sub-stances and allow for its regulation, much like alcohol.

As D.C. mulls the matter over, states that have green-lit medical—and, now, recre-ational—marijuana, move ahead into unchartered waters.

“The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will,” Colorado Gov. John Hicken-looper said a few days after his state passed Amend-ment 64. “This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfi sh too quickly.”

MIRACLE MEDICINE OR GATEWAY DRUG?

If the legalistic questions surrounding marijuana seem sticky, the scientifi c ones also beg for more defi nitive answers. Depending on whom you ask, marijuana is either a miracle or a mess.

Advocate groups such as NORML, or the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, point to studies that indicate pot is useful in treating conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, ALS, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain. In states with medical laws, doctors are prescribing marijuana for anxiety and appetite stimulation, while researchers are increasingly focused on emerging data that suggests can-nabinoids can reduce the spread of specifi c cancer cells.

Opponents of medical marijuana, and marijuana legalization, in general, point to the federal government’s refusal to budge from its long held position that pot is a harmful drug with high potential for addictiveness. This camp takes a more traditional view of mari-juana as a gateway drug, and validates their position with statements from the DEA, the FDA and the American Medical Association.

WHAT’S A WIN?Paul Nightingale doesn’t know what a

victory in the War on Drugs might look like. “I have no idea whatsoever,” he said.

“Ask anyone in government what does it mean to win the War on Drugs and they can’t tell you.”

The former prosecutor supposes a vic-tory might mean lower addiction and crime rates.

“But that’s what we’ve been trying to do for 40 years,” he said.

Nightingale is currently a criminal defense attorney in Pittsburgh. He is also a member of LEAP, or Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Founded in 2002, LEAP is a group of current and former members of the criminal justice community. The group advocates for the legalization of pot, for its regulation and taxation.

Nightingale pointed out that Raymond Shafer, a former Pennsylvania governor and

the chairman of President Nixon’s National Commis-sion on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, also lobbied for legalization.

As congress drafted the Con-trolled Substance Act in 1970, Nixon formed the com-mission to study marijuana abuse in the United States.

Marijuana had been slated for the most restrictive Schedule I category pending the commission’s report.

Shafer’s commission instead de-bunked years of Reefer Madness-esque misconceptions, questioned prohibition and concluded that “the use of drugs for pleasure or other non-medical purposes is not inherently irresponsible.” The report

“Anyone else who loves their wife would do the same. It’s a plant you can grow like a tomato.” Bob Jordan

Bob and Cathy Jordan with Sen. Jeff Clemens, sponsor of the proposed Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act.

12 inweekly.net12

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BOTTOMLESS CHAMPAGNE AND MIMOSAS FOR $4.95 AND BLOODY MARYS FOR $2

was, obviously, shelved in favor of the War on Drugs.

Nightingale feels the country’s current laws have proven a failure. While drugs flow freely through American society and a black market thrives, countless people have had their lives negatively impacted by repressive policies.

“Try getting student loans, try getting advanced degrees, try getting professional licenses with any kind of drug conviction,” he said, mentioning that the country’s laws have proven particularly trying for minorities. “We incarcerate our minorities at a higher rate than even the system in South Africa.”

Like Florida, Pennsylvania also has medical marijuana legislation on the table this year.

“But that bill,” Nightingale explained, “is introduced into a Republican controlled senate and the House is controlled by Republicans, as is the Governor’s house and Pennsylvania is pretty socially conservative—we’re not all that optimistic that we’ll even get a committee hearing.”

THE STRAIGHT DOPEIn 2010, voters in California tried and

failed to pass Proposition 19—the Regulate, Control & Tax Cannabis Act—that would have legalized marijuana in the state. CALM got up and running a couple of years before that.

“We started back in 2008 because we anticipated this was coming,” recalled Scott Chipman, CALM’s Southern Califor-nia co-chair.

CALM, or Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana, was formed to combat Prop. 19, but the organization is still active and op-poses legalization efforts of any kind. Last November particularly pained the folks in CALM.

“Every inch that has been given to al-low for marijuana for medical reasons has been stretched into 100 miles,” Chipman said. “There’s going to be a portion of this genera-tion—Col-orado and Washing-ton chil-dren—who are going to be sus-ceptible to this way of think-ing about marijuana. They will become addicted.”

Members of CALM believe that Cali-fornia’s medical allowances are a farce. Anyone—“if you get a doctor’s recommen-dation from some shiesty doctor”—can walk into a medical marijuana dispensary and buy a bag of herb.

“Members of our coalition have spent thousands of hours standing and watching who goes in and comes out of these so-called dispensaries,” Chipman said, con-tending that most of the state’s marijuana users are recreationally driven.

Legalization opponents argue that relaxing marijuana laws would be bad for society. They are worried what impact the medical movement is having on American culture.

“Everybody basically has a family member, or knows somebody with a family member, who has lost years or lost decades, or lost motivation while they have been addicted to marijuana,” Chipman said. “—

what’s even more frightening is the perception that marijuana does harm is dramati-cally decreasing since we identified it as medicinal.”

Chipman is comfortable with stereotypes. Stoners are stupid—“they are losing IQ!”—and

marijuana is a worthless weed.“The science is telling us that marijuana

is dramatically harmful, particularly to the human brain,” he explained. “That’s why we call it ‘dope.’ That’s why we call heavy and chronic users ‘dopers.’”

In Florida, Calvina Fay is fighting against legalization efforts. She is the executive director of the Drug Free America Founda-tion—formally, Straight, Inc.—and co-founder of Save Our Society From Drugs.

“We help push back against bad bills that are proposed,” Fay said.

Charging that legalization advocates’ true aim is “building a marijuana empire,” Fay said the public has been misinformed of the plant’s medicinal qualities and dis-puted the notion of a societal shift toward legalization. Rather than a trend, she sees a series of well-funded and persistent campaigns.

“If you keep trying to pour water through a board without a hole in it,” Fay said, “eventually it’ll bore a hole in it. I don’t by any means see it as a trend.”

THE POLITICS OF THE POLITICS OF POT

Roger Stone is a flamboyant political consultant and strategist with a tattoo of Nixon—his former boss—emblazoned across his back. He is very pro-pot. He’s also threatening a 2014 gubernatorial run in Florida.

“The prospect of a pot initiative on the 2014 ballot is particularly delicious because it will make every Florida candidate that year take a stand on the issue,” Stone wrote recently in a Huffington Post opinion piece.

A ballot initiative, sure to attract left-leaning voters, would also probably help Stone’s gubernatorial prospects. A former Republican—he worked for Nixon, Bob Dole and Ronald Reagan—Stone switched to the Libertarian Party in 2012.

With Stone stepping onto the stage—and Crist, who works for PUFMM’s Morgan, also hinting at a run at Tallahassee—the

“Ask anyone in government what does it mean to win the War on Drugs and they can’t tell you.” Paul Nightingale

March 21, 2013 13

UWF Downtown: A LECTURE SERIES HONORING THE ARTS &HUMANITIES

uwf.edu/cas/DowntownSeries

NATASHA TRETHEWEY, United States Poet LaureateAn Evening with Natasha Trethewey

�ursday, March 28, 2013Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, 40 S. Alcaniz5:30 p.m. refreshments6 p.m. lecture

Other Bills Before Florida Lawmakers

PUBLIC INPUT, SB 50, HB 23These bills would guarantee the

public’s right to speak at public meetings. There have been questions as to whether such a right is covered by Florida’s Gov-ernment in the Sunshine Law.

THE COMPETITIVE WORKFORCE ACT, HB 653, SB 710

This pair of bills update Florida’s Civil Rights Act of 1992 to include protections against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.

GUNS, HB 1229 , SB 1678There are a few gun-related bills in

play this legislative session. These two would require people to complete an an-ger management class before purchasing firearms or ammunition. Others attempt to rework Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, allow local governments to ban guns in certain instances. None of these are expected to survive.

DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP, HB 259, SB 196Dubbed the Families First bills, these

proposals allow couples—same-sex or heterosexual—to register as domes-tic partners. It would afford domestic partners limited rights, such as hospital visitations, buying real estate and making funeral arrangements.

ABORTION, HB 396, SB 1056Local Sen. Greg Evers is sponsoring

the Florida for Life Act in the Senate. This bill would effectively prohibit abortions in the state. In the House, Rep. Charles Van Zant filed a similar bill on the 40th

anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

CITIZENS INSURANCE, HB 7093, SB 1622These two bills are among several

dealing with Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. The aim is to funnel poli-cies away from Citizens, meant to be an insurer of last-resort.

TEXTING AND DRIVING, HB 13, SB 52, ETC.There are a number of bills in play this

legislative session that address texting while driving. Florida is one of five states without laws addressing the practice. This year’s proposals leave loopholes, but are still seen as a progressive step.

PLASTIC BAGS BAN, HB 957, SB 722These bills were introduced in order

to establish uniform criteria for local gov-ernments to use if they choose to pursue ordinances restricting retail checkout bags. Proposed criteria include an out-right ban on plastic bags and a 10-cent fee for paper bags.

SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT, SB 734This proposed act would require

that the “state of Florida and its political subdivisions observe daylight saving time year-round.”

LET THEM BUY GROWLERS, SB 1344, HB 715Currently, Florida law limits the sale

of growlers—glass jugs of beer—to 32 oz. or less, or one gallon or more; the stan-dard market size of a growler in the U.S. is 64 oz. If passed, these bills will allow brewers more flexibility. {in}

state’s medical marijuana conversation has taken on a political feel.

This doesn’t sit well with FLCAN’s James. “I’m very concerned they’re trying to

make this partisan,” she said. “I refuse to take part in any-thing that is going to be a partisan issue. The only way this is a Demo-cratic issue is if only Democrats get sick, and that’s not accurate.”

IF NOT THIS YEAR...

So far, the medical marijuana bills sitting in Tallahas-see have yet to gain traction, or a commit-tee hearing. And the 2014 ballot initia-tive—with its signature requirement and 60 percent approval threshold—is a long shot at best.

Everyone understands this.

“We still might be a little ahead of the curve, but all we can do is keep pushing forward,” said Sen. Clemens.

And while the conversation continues across the country and at the federal level, it

still sounds a lit-tle like crazy-talk here in Florida.

“It’s certain-ly a challenge,” said PUFFM’s Pollara. “Florida would be the first southern state to pass something like this. Again, it’s not a small lift.”

But the Jor-dans believe that the heavy lifting will eventu-ally payo� . That’s why Bob continues to lug such a weight around the state capitol.

“If I didn’t believe, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “It’s coming. Whether they like it or not, medical cannabis is coming. If not this year, then next.” {in}

“Florida would be the first southern state to pass something like this." Ben Pollara

14 inweekly.net14

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WEEK OF MARCH 21-27

by Jessica Forbes

art , f ilm, music , stage, books and other signs of civil ization. . .

Arts & EntertainmentSecond Exposure

Duncan Scheidt, 91, has photographed jazz musicians since 1939. Until April 20, a selection of his personal favorites from an over 70-year career will be on dis-play at the Pensacola Museum of Art.

Co-sponsored by PMA and the Jazz Society of Pensacola (JSOP) the exhibit is part of a series of programs for the “Viva Pensacola Jazz!” celebration, marking the 30th anniversary of the Pensacola Jazz Fest.

Photos from Schiedt’s archives have been reproduced over the years in a vari-ety of publications and mediums, including the epic 2001 10-part PBS series “Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns.”

Capturing artists both on and off stage, Schiedt’s collection of performance and candid photos document some of the most seminal figures in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Wes Montgomery—to name only a few.

Though his photography career began in the 1930s, Schiedt (pronounced ‘sheet’) first exhibited his photos in 1986 at a jazz festival. From there, he chose to let re-quests for exhibitions and sales of prints to occur with relatively little promotion.

“I don’t aggressively pursue exhibits,” said Scheidt, who prefers word-of-mouth networking over marketing campaigns to promote his work, the quality and impor-tance of which speaks for itself. By at-tending festivals and setting up occasional exhibits at jazz events, invitations for gallery shows developed.

As part of his personal and low-key exhibition style, Schiedt typically drives his photos to the exhibition venues in his station wagon. The photos arrive mounted and framed, ready to install.

Scheidt hand selected the photos currently on exhibit, which he regards as “his number one set.” Many of the photos are also featured in Schiedt’s 2004 book

“Jazz in Black and White,” featur-ing images along with anecdotes about the subject musicians, many of whom have be-come icons in part through images such as Schiedt’s.

Looking at his collection in the early 2000s, Schiedt decided to visit the Indiana University Press to develop an inclusive volume of his images.

“I’m particular-ly proud of how it was put together, the art and design. The reproductions were flawless,” said Schiedt, who worked with the press to assure the highest quality of reproduction of his photos, all of which he origi-nally developed himself.

In addition to “Jazz in Black and White,” Schiedt has authored three other books that focus on musicians and/or jazz history, including a biography of pianist Thomas “Fats” Waller and a history of jazz in Indiana, where Schiedt has lived since 1951.

Aside from being a jazz histo-rian, Schiedt is a pianist himself, and recently showed off his skills at his PMA exhibit’s opening on March 7.

Surprisingly, in decades of photography, Schiedt says he has never taken a color photograph of a jazz musician. “The addition of color in jazz photos weakens the idea,” he said, of an art form he believes is best represented by the drama and contrast inherent in black and white photography. His passion for that form of processing

inspired the title of his most recent book, and of the exhibit.

Born in 1921, Schiedt fell in love with jazz and photography in close succes-sion in the mid-to-late-1930s. In 1939, a Benny Goodman concert in New York City marked the convergence of the two passions, and set Schiedt on a path he has stayed on for over 70 years.

In 1989, the Jazz Society of Pensacola held the first of three Jazz Parties, which were essentially conferences featuring nu-merous musicians and speakers. Scheidt attended and exhibited photos at that inaugural event, and struck up a relation-ship with Dr. Norman Vickers, who would occasionally see Schiedt at jazz events across the U.S. in the following years.

When looking for venues to partner with for the “Viva Pensacola Jazz!” events, current JSOP President Crystal Joy Albert said PMA was a natural fit. Having been several years since JSOP sponsored a pho-tography exhibit, the time seemed ripe to bring such a display back to Pensacola.

Vickers, a co-founder of JSOP and President Emeritus, e-mailed Schiedt to ask whether his photos would be avail-able for display, and they were. The PMA exhibit, Schiedt’s second showing in Pen-sacola, took shape from there.

Having traveled to Pensacola over two days to deliver the prints and participate in the exhibit installation and opening, Schiedt will personally return to take the photos back to Indiana.

Though not hunting down photo ops the way he used to, Schiedt still snaps shots when inspiration strikes. Said the photographer, “I’m 91, but I’m still working at it.” {in}

JAZZ IN BLACK AND WHITE WHAT: Jazz Photography of Duncan Schiedt WHEN: Exhibit open through April 20; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday – Friday; 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Je©erson St. COST: Free for members and children under 5; $2 for students (with ID) and active duty military; $5 for adultsDETAILS: pensacolamuseumofart.org

Willie "The Lion" Smith, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie / photo by Duncan Schiedt, 1950

16 inweekly.net16

The East Hill area of Pensacola is a neighborhood in the truest sense of the word. Local businesses do things their way. Artists of all types call the place home. The community is a modern throwback, but what holds its charm is the simple fact that its people know and get to know each other here.

“We wanted to put together a family-

friendly event for people all over Pen-sacola to hang out with one another and see how East Hill supports itself,” Kelly Gibson, or-ganizer of the 2013 East Hill Music Festival said. “East Hill is the very defi-nition of Pensacola to me.”

Singer/song-writer and Pensac-ola regular Grant Peeples will be headlining the fes-tival. Books lined his walls growing up. You can see that influence in his vivid storytelling—both musically and in interviews. IN recently spoke with Peeples about his roots and writing.

IN: Do you re-member the mo-ment you decided you to become a musician?  

PEEPLES: I picked up the guitar in college because I had songs I wanted to write. Plain and simple. I remember deciding to do that. It was through that decision that I became a musician. By default, I guess. It was many years later that I decided to leave my plow in the field and become a performer. I was driving home from a stu-dio where I had recorded some songs that day, and when I was listening to the play-back I thought: I owe it to these songs to try to find them some light where they can be seen. And boy, my whole life changed.  

IN: What about the first time you ever performed in front of a crowd?PEEPLES: The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival in St. Augustine, Fla. on my 50th birthday. It ’s never too late to change your major—as I like to say. I remember there being about 10,000 people listen-ing to me, but it was probably more like a hundred.

IN: As a singer/songwriter, you depend on your lyrics more than the typical rock and roll band might. How do you handle crowds when they’re less atten-tive than you would like? PEEPLES: Well, if the whole crowd is inattentive, that’s my problem. Either I’m not doing my job, or I booked myself in the wrong place. But if there are two people talking in an otherwise quiet room that

is paying attention, then those two people and I have a prob-lem. Out of respect to the room itself, I have no qualms about stopping right in the middle a song and asking—through the microphone—to let me know when they are finished so that I can do what everybody else is wanting me to do. 

IN: What’s your songwriting process like? PEEPLES: I’ve learned not to pick up the guitar until I have a good written draft of the song. Otherwise I can’t keep things authentic. For me, the guitar has to obey the command of the story. The story tells me if I’m in a minor key, if it ’s 3/4 time, if it ’s up tempo. I don’t write to a beat.  The beat goes to the story. I write from the inside out, not from the top down. The thing that gets me going might be a single couplet that ends up in the second verse. If it ’s real, if it ’s authentic, if I like the way it feels coming out of my mouth, and I know it has connective tissue running out into my universe, I’ll start nailing things to it. 

A slew of Pensacola locals will also be performing at the festival, including Betsy Badwater, Chainsaw Kelly, Said Simple, and Chloe Channell. Mondo Mike, a blues-rock outfit from Jacksonville, Fla. completes the bill.

UWF’s Bistro Blue and the latest ad-dition to the East Hill culinary family, The Yard, will cover the festival’s food needs. A number of arts and crafts vendors will also be on hand.

Our beaches and thriving downtown get a lot of the publicity these days, but the East Hill Music Festival will provide a glimpse into yet another part of what makes Pensacola what it truly is. {in}

by Brett Hutchinsmusic

Music Festival Celebrates East Hill’s Funkiness

EAST HILL MUSIC FESTIVALWHEN: 2 – 9 p.m., Saturday, March 23 WHERE: Bayview Park, 2001 E. Lloyd St. COST: $10 suggested donation will ben-efit Gulf Coast Kid’s HouseDETAILS: easthillmusicfestival.com or grantpeeples.com

Grant Peeples / courtesy photo

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musician?   talking in an otherwise quiet room that

“It’s never too late to change your major—as I like to say.”Grant Peeples

March 21, 2013 17

18 inweekly.net18

Putting on a play is, normally, not something that happens in a day. But, at Pensacola Little Theatre, “24 Hour Theatre” breaks tradition and challenges actors, writers and directors to produce an entire play in a single day. From the fi rst word on the page to the fi nal bow, it all has to come together in 24 hours.

It all begins on Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m. with auditions. During auditions, four teams of writers and directors make notes, jotting down ideas based on the actors’ strengths and talents. Then, each team chooses their cast and the writers get to work, writing

a new, original play tailored for their actors. In the morning, actors learn lines, directors’ block and crewmem-bers pull costumes and set pieces. Somehow, it all needs to come together by 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 23.

“It is nothing like a regular play,” said Renee Jordan, lead di-rector and coordinator of “24 Hour Theatre.” “Some of the plays have a theme or are about an idea, but some are just chaos.”

The time crunch also pushes months of rehearsals into just a few hours.

“Normally, you have 6 to 8 weeks to learn your lines and block-ing, but here you have about 10 hours,” said Jordan. “Normally, tech is a week. With ’24 Hour Theatre,’ it is 30 min-utes. It’s a really hurried

glimpse of what it’s like to be onstage.”Jordan believes that “24 Hour Theatre”

is the perfect opportunity for experienced thespians to challenge themselves and push the boundaries of their creativity and skills.

“It’s fast-forward theater. It’s hurried and you only get one chance to perform it,” said Jordan. “You don’t have the chance to perfect it, but it’s fun and exciting. Even for people that have done theater forever, it’s a thrill to know you can learn lines, do blocking and put a show on in a day.”

The fast paced setting allows writers and directors to produce organically, letting

them play to actors’ strengths and even alter scripts on the spot to make the play as strong as possible. The result is a play that

is tailor made for the cast, an opportunity that actors don’t normally receive.

“24 Hour Theatre” isn’t only for experienced actors, it is the perfect op-portunity for new actors, people who have thought about acting, and those who haven’t acted in a while to get exposed to theater and to get a feel for the stage. Each play runs about 10 minutes, allowing for a brief exposure to the stage, and the writer and director teams try to cast all who audition.

Jordan also considers “24 Hour Theatre” a perfect opportunity for actors at other local theaters and performing groups to come together.

“We have a lot of theaters and groups in Pensacola, but it ’s important for all of us that do community theater to intermingle as much as possible,” said Jordan. “We are all doing the same thing and it ’s important to know that ev-eryone is welcomed everywhere.”

In that spirit of collaboration, local improv group Improvable Cause will be performing at “24 Hour Theatre.” To put their improv

skills to the test, the troupe will have their own writer and director team writing a scripted play just for them.

They will also contrib-ute mayhem, which Jordan believes is always needed in “24 Hour Theatre.” “People come to the show to see a train-wreck but it always seems to come together,” said Jordan. “Normally, if there is a problem, the only people that notice are the actors. But this year, with the help of Improvable Cause, we are throwing a few curve

balls so it might be more of a train-wreck. We are just letting them

create a little bit of havoc this year.” But Jordan assures that, even with a

little bit of havoc, “24 Hour Theatre” will still showcase local talent and highlight the depths of the cast’s and crew’s creativity, all in a unique theater experience.

“This year, we have a group of writers that have all written before,” said Jordan. “We are lucky to have amazing writers and directors that are sure to make the produc-tion a blast.” {in}

by Lilia Del Bosque Oakey Whitehouseculture

STUDIO 400 PRESENTS: 24 HOUR THEATREWHAT: Five plays that are written, casted, and performed in 24 hoursWHEN: Auditions are Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m. Performance is Saturday, March 23 at 8 p.m. WHERE: Pensacola Cultural Center, 400 S. Jefferson St.COST: $10 DETAILS: pensacolalittletheater.com

is tailor made for the cast, an opportunity train-wreck. We are just letting them

“It’s fast-forward theater. It’s hurried and you only get one chance to perform it.”Renee Jordan

From Page to Stage in 24 Hours

March 21, 2013 19

THURSDAY 3.21‘RETURN TO CLAY AND FIRE: WOOD FIRED CERAMICS BY BEN TWINGLEY’ 8 a.m. Gal-lery 88, inside WUWF 11000 University Pkwy. Through April 26. 474-2787 or wuwf.org.‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA AR-CHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php.ARTEL ‘FAMILY’ 10 a.m. Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox, 1st floor of the Old Escambia County Courthouse. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org.‘POSTCARDS FROM PENSACOLA’ 10 a.m. Through April 6. Blue Morning Gallery, 21 S. Palafox. 429-9100 or bluemorninggallery.com.‘THE JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHY OF DUNCAN SCHIEDT’ 10 a.m. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamu-seumofart.org.HISTORIC PENSACOLA TROLLEY TOUR 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Pensacola Visitor Center, 1401 E. Gregory St. 941-2876 or beachbumtrolley.com.PLAY HAPPY HOUR 4 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 466-3080 or iplaypensacola.com.WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. Ninth Ave. 433-9463 or aragon-winemarket.com.VEGAN DINNER AT EOTL 6 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. 429-0336 or eotl-cafe.com.AFRICAN DRUMMING CLASSES 6:30 p.m. $2-$5. Gull Point Community Center, 7000 Spanish Trail. For more information contact, 291-2718, 324-4928 or hurreyupstageandfilmworks.com.

live musicKEN LAMBERT 1 p.m. Florabama, 17401 Perdido Key Dr. 492-0611 or florabama.com.BO ROBERTS, RHONDA HART, AND MARK SHERILL, TROY BRANNON 5 p.m. Jared Ash-ley, Rollin in the Hay, The Rez 10 p.m. Florabama, 17401 Perdido Key Dr. 492-0611 or florabama.com.THE DAVENPORTS 6 p.m. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com.LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 6 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.DEW AND YOUR FRIENDS 6 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. paradisebar-grill.com.JORDAN RICHARDS 7 p.m. Peg Leg Pete’s, 1010 Fort Pickens Road, Pensacola Beach. 932-4139 or peglegpetes.comJAMES AND FRIENDS 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E Government St. 469-1001or hubstaceys.com.THE REVIVAL TOUR 7:30 p.m. $18- $20. Featuring Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato, Jenny Owen Youngs, Matt Pryor. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, vinylmusichall.com BRAD BARNES OPEN COLLEGE JAM 7:30 p.m. Goat Lips Beer Garden, 2811 Copter Rd. 474-1919.KARAOKE WITH BECKY 7:30 p.m. Sabine Sandbar, 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 934-3141 or dalesbigdeck.com.TIM SPENCER 8 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. Pensacola Beach. 932-2211 or sandshaker.com.DUELLING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.KRAZY GEORGE’S KARAOKE 8 p.m. Lili Mar-lene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.ALVERADO ROAD SHOW 9 p.m. End O’ The Alley Bar at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government

St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.DANCE PENSACOLA 9 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. VAMPIRATES, DENOUNC-ER, AND MORE 9 p.m. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or pensacolah-andlebar.com.BLACKWATER 9 p.m. Chan’s Nightclub, 610 E. Nine Mile Rd. 477-9961 or chanspen-sacola.com.COLLEGE DANCE NIGHT: DJ TONY C 9 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.EXTREME KARAOKE WITH G.C.P.C 10 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 466-3080 or gulfcoastpartycrew.com.

FRIDAY 3.22‘RETURN TO CLAY AND FIRE: WOOD FIRED CERAM-ICS BY BEN TWINGLEY ’ 8 a.m. Gallery 88, inside WUWF 11000 University Pkwy. Through April 26. 474-2787 or wuwf.org.GULF COAST MUSTANG AND ALL-FORD MEGA CAR SHOW 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Come see the Mustang Club and other car clubs that will be shown: European Car Club, Deep South Mopar Chapter, Emerald Coast Jeep Club, Panhandle British Car Association, Falcon Club Of America Southern Coast Chapter, Christian Motorcycle Association, Bad Boys Hot Rod And Custom Display. Ford Racing Trailer Display. Cars, hot rods, motorcycles, Jeeps and more. There will also be food and vendors pres-ent. Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 W. Mobile Highway. 221-4425 or gulfcoastmustang-club.orgTAI CHI AT FLORIDA BLUE 8:30 a.m. Free. Florida Blue, 1680 Airport Blvd. For information, call 202-4188.‘THE JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHY OF DUNCAN SCHIEDT’ 10 a.m. through April 20. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.ARTEL ‘FAMILY ’ 10 a.m. Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox, 1st floor of the Old Escambia County Courthouse. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org.‘POSTCARDS FROM PENSACOLA’ 10 a.m. Through April 6. Blue Morning Gallery, 21 S. Palafox. 429-9100 or bluemorninggallery.com.MAKE YOUR OWN ORNAMENT, FLOWER, PAPER WEIGHT or SWEDISH BOWL 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $25-$95 The workshops offer a short but comprehensive introduction for people to become familiar with the process of working molten hot glass. Students will be able to pick out their color then design and create a piece of glass with the assistance of our professional glass artists. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guil-lemard St. For information or to sign up for work-shops call 429-1222 or visit firstcityart.org.PLAY HAPPY HOUR 4 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 466-3080 or iplaypensacola.com.WINE TASTING AT SEVILLE QUARTER 5 p.m. Palace Café at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Govern-ment St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.WINE TASTING AT CITY GROCERY 5:15 p.m. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. 469-8100.

WINE TASTING AT EAST HILL MARKET 5:30 p.m. 1216 N. Ninth Ave.Meter Rentals $5. T.T. Wentworth Museum, 330 S. Je¤erson. 595-5985 ext 111.PERDIDO KEY WINE AND ART FEST VIP EVENT 5:30-8:30 p.m. $25 per person or $45 per couple. Spirits will be high at this VIP gathering where people can sip amazing wine and sample some of the Gulf Coast’s finest appetizers under the stars. A silent auction, live music and other entertainment are among the features at the VIP event. Guests will choose winners in a competition between chefs. Soccer fields next to the Sacred Heart Group, 13160 Gulf Beach Hwy. visitperdido.com.“TALKING SMACK: THE SAILING VESSELS OF THE GULF COAST FISHING INDUSTRY” 6 p.m. Public lecture. Bay County Public Library, 898 West 11th Street, Panama City. 595-0050, ext.103 or flpublicarchaeology.org .PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS 7 p.m. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolaiceflyers.com.JSOP STUDENT JAZZ COMPETITION FINALS 7:30 p.m. The live finals of the Jazz Society of Pensacola’s 2013 Student Jazz Competition is free and open to the public. The competition includes three divisions: College Instrumental, High School Instrumental, and Jazz Vocal. Finalists will compete for cash awards to further their jazz education. Each finalist will perform two songs, with backing by a professional rhythm section, before the three judges and the live audience.  Additional perfor-mances by an All-Star group of professional jazz musicians.  Winners announced at the conclusion of the evening, with a short jam session to include all finalists to close the show. Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd, Building 8. 433-8382 or jazzpensacola.com.3 GAME SPECIAL 8:30 p.m. $12, includes shoes. DeLuna Lanes, 590 E. 9 Mile Road. 478-9522 or delunalanes.com.SWING DANCING 8:30 p.m. $5. American Legion, 1401 Intendencia St. 437-5465 or pensacolaswing.com.‘STAND UP COMEDY SHOW’ 9:30 p.m. Big Easy Tavern, 710 N. Palafox. bigeasytavern.com

or 208-5976. COSMIC BOWLING 11 p.m. DeLuna Lanes, 590 E. 9 Mile Road. 478-9522 or delunalanes.com.

live musicJOHNNY BARBATO TRIO 5 p.m., The Big Earl Show, Sam Glass Trio 5:30 p.m., Tall Paul & Kristi Bobal 5:45 p.m., Lee Yankie Trio 9:30 p.m., Jared Ashley,10 p.m., Trunk Monkey 10:30 p.m. Florabama, 17401 Perdido Key Dr. 492-0611 or florabama.com.LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 5 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.PAXTON NORRIS BAND 6 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. paradise-bar-grill.com.RONNIE LEVINE 6 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com.DOWNTOWN BIG BAND 6:30 p.m. Gregory Street Assembly Hall, 501 E. Gregory St. 307-8633.3 AMIGOS DUO 7 p.m. Peg Leg Pete’s, 1010 Fort Pickens Road, Pensacola Beach. 932-4139 or pegleg-petes.com.KARAOKE WITH BECKY 7:30 p.m. Sabine Sand-bar, 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 934-3141 or dalesbigdeck.com.MIKE BOCCIA 7:45 p.m. Goat Lips Beer Garden, 2811 Copter Road. 474-1919.SCOTT KOEHN 8 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. Pensacola Beach. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.HEATHER LUTRELL 8:30 p.m. Tin Cow, 102 S. Palafox. For more information, call 466-2103.THE BLENDERS 8:30 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E Government St. 469-1001or hubstaceys.com.DAYJOY AND MORE 9 p.m The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or pensacolahandlebar.com.CLASS X 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. Pensacola Beach. 932-2211 or sand-shaker.com.BLACKWATER & BUZZCUTT 9 p.m. Chan’s Nightclub, 610 E. Nine Mile Rd. 477-9961 or chanspensacola.com.

happenings

The “Family” exhibit at Artel Gallery / photo by Suzanne Robbert

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for more listings visit inweekly.net

happeningsIRENE TORRES & THE SUGAR DEVILS9 p.m. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 20 S. Palafox. hopjacks.com.LIVE MUSIC 9 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.DJ MR. LAO 9 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.HOTEL OSCAR 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.THE REZ 5 9 p.m. Lili Marlene’s at Seville Quar-ter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.THE ALVERADO ROAD SHOW 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequar-ter.com.

SATURDAY 3.23PALAFOX MARKET 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox St. palafoxmarket.com.NWFAEYC ANNUAL SPRING CONFER-ENCE 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. The North-west Florida Association for the Educa-tion of Young Children (NWFAEYC) is pleased to present Daniel J. Hodgins as the speaker for the Annual Spring Confer-ence. For the NWFAEYC Conference, Mr. Hodgins will present: Looking through the Eyes of Boys and Girls; Children Who Take You to the End of Your Rope; and Supporting Children Who Color Outside of the Lines. Doors will open at 8 a.m. The conference is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. Fees include lunch. Continuing Education Credits (.5) are available and will be free for members and $15 for non-members. Registration forms must be postmarked by March 18. First Presbyterian Church, 33 E. Gregory St. 932-1647.GULF COAST MUSTANG AND ALL-FORD MEGA CAR SHOW 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Come see the Mustang Club and other car clubs that will be shown: European Car Club, Deep South Mopar Chapter, Emerald Coast Jeep Club, Panhandle British Car Association, Falcon Club Of America Southern Coast Chapter, Christian Motorcycle Associa-tion, Bad Boys Hot Rod And Custom Display. Ford Racing Trailer Display. Cars, hot rods, motorcycles, Jeeps and more. There will also be food and vendors present. Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 W. Mobile Highway. 221-4425 or gulfcoastmustangclub.org.SPECIAL OLYMPICS HOSTS AREA SUMMER GAMES 9 a.m. Special Olympics Escambia/San-ta Rosa will be hosting Area 1 Summer Games, which includes Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Cheer on local Special Olympics athletes as they compete in Tennis, Soccer, Bocce, Volleyball, Cycling and Track & Field events. Opening Ceremonies at 9 a.m. at the track will include the lighting of the torch and Color Guard.  The day will continue with individual and group competitions. This is a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand how Special Olympics programs benefit, building life-skills for our athletes and promoting social inclusion. This event is free and open to the public. Corry Station athletic facili-ties. 291-6234 or SpecialOlympicsEscambia.org.SEAGRASS AWARENESS CELEBRATION 10 a.m-2 p.m. A free family event. Activities will include live marine life in touch tanks, “eat a sea-grass bed,” make a shark tooth necklace, seining,

games, fishing, marine creatures, arts and crafts, food, displays, explore a seagrass bed, boating safety, fishing, kayaking and more. Shoreline Park South, Shoreline Dr.MAKE YOUR OWN ORNAMENT, FLOWER, PAPER WEIGHT or SWEDISH BOWL 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $25-$95 The workshops offer a short but comprehensive introduction for people to become familiar with the process of working molten hot glass. Students will be able to pick out their color then design and create a piece of glass with the assistance of our professional glass artists. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guil-

lemard St. For information or to sign up for work-shops call 429-1222 or visit firstcityart.org.‘THE JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHY OF DUNCAN SCHIEDT’ 10 a.m. through April 20. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.ARTEL ‘FAMILY’ 10 a.m. Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox, 1st floor of the Old Escambia County Courthouse. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org.‘POSTCARDS FROM PENSACOLA’ 10 a.m. Through April 6. Blue Morning Gallery, 21 S. Palafox. 429-9100 or bluemorninggallery.com.INTRODUCTION TO UNDERWATER AR-CHAEOLOGY PRESENTATION AND BUILD-A-BOAT ACTIVITY 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Children’s Event. Bay County Public Library, 898 West 11th Street, Panama City. 595-0050, ext. 103 or flpublicarchaeology.org.25TH RIVERWALK ARTS FESTIVAL 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Family event with visual and performing arts, childrens activities, live entertainment and great food. Riverwalk Park, Downtown Milton. 981-1100 or santarosaarts.org.HUMANE SOCIETY ADOPTION EVENT 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m Humane society dogs will be available for adoption. Petco, 1670 Airport Blvd. 432-4250 or humanesocietyofpensacola.org.PERDIDO KEY WINE AND ARTS FESTIVAL noon-8 p.m. The Perdido Key Area Chamber of

Commerce and Visitor Information Center spon-sors the event, showcasing artists, musicians, vendors and wine distributors. For $15 a guest will receive a commemorative wine glass and five tastes of wine. Additional tastes cost $2, or $8 for a full glass. The selections will be palatable to everyone from a casual wine fan to a connois-seur. Visitors who spend three nights in lodging on Perdido Key may qualify for a $50 gas card. Soccer fields next to the Sacred Heart Group, 13160 Gulf Beach Hwy. visitperdido.com.3RD ANNUAL LIGHTHOUSE DAYS FESTIVAL 12 a.m. Celebration of the Pensacola Lighthouse

and lighthouses in general. A family event with music, food, arts and crafts, and children’s activities. Pensacola Lighthouse,2081 Radford Blvd, NAS. 393-1561 or pensacolalighthouse.org. EAST HILL MUSIC FESTIVAL 2-9 p.m. Day-long event filled with fun, food & fantastic musical performances featuring Grant Peeples, Said Simple, Betsy Badwater and Chainsaw Kelly. Other festival activities include a Kids Perfor-mance Stage, Food & Beverage vendors, Arts & Crafts Vendors, Aerial Swing Yoga Demos, and Thai Massage & Structural Integration Demos. There is a $10 suggested donation, with all proceeds benefitting Gulf Coast Kid’s House, Escambia County’s child advocacy center. Food, beverages, beer & wine will be available for purchase, no coolers permitted. Bayview Park. easthillmusicfestival.com.PLAY HAPPY HOUR 4 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 466-3080 or iplaypensacola.com. ‘A STARRY,STARRY KNIGHT’ AUCTION FOR QUALITY EDUCATION 5 p.m. $40. The 24th annual “A Starry, Starry Knight” fundraiser presented by Catholic High School. Appetizers, dinner and dessert will be served by Nancy’s Haute Affairs from 5:30-7 p.m. There will be a Silent Auction beginning at 5 p.m. and a Live Auction beginning at 7:30 p.m. Master Card and Visa accepted for auction items. Early

reservations are encouraged. Pensacola Catholic High School. 436-6400 ext.123 or Pensaco-laCHS.org.GHOST HUNT 8 p.m. $20. Is the Pensacola Lighthouse haunted? The Travel Channel and SciFi’s Ghost Hunters (TAPS) think so. Join this ghost hunt in the historic 1869 Keeper’s Quar-ters and see if the ghosts are willing to meet you. Follow in the footsteps of TAPS using real ghost hunting equipment. Bring your own equipment or share ours (some items available for purchase in the Gift Shop before tours commence.) Tours are two hours in duration. This tour does include

a trip to the top of the Lighthouse for a look across Pensacola Bay, weather permitting. Per Coast Guard Safety Regulations backless/open toed shoes are not permitted to climb the tower stairs. We recommend this tour for children 12 and over only. Pensacola Lighthouse, 2081 Radford Blvd, NAS Pensacola. 393-1561 or pensacolalight-house.orgLAVELL CRAWFORD IN CONCERT 8:30 p.m. Presented by Jokers Wild Comedy Tour. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox Pl. 595-3882 or pensacolasae-gner.com.COSMIC BOWLING 11 p.m. DeLuna Lanes, 590 E. 9 Mile Road. 478-9522 or delunalanes.com.

live musicJOE OCCHIPINTI SMALL GROUP JAZZ 10 a.m. The Drowsy Poet Coffee Company, 86 Brent Lane. 434-7638.WB SEARCY 12 p.m., Dave and Joe Show 7 p.m. Peg Leg Pete’s, 1010 Fort Pickens Road, Pensacola Beach. 932-4139 or peglegpetes.com.NEIL DOVER BAND 5 p.m., J. Hawkins Band 5:30 p.m., Jared Ashley Duo 8 p.m., Rusty Tabor 9 p.m., Lee Yankie and Hellz Yeah 10 p.m., Trunk Monkey 10:30 p.m. Florabama, 17401 Perdido Key Dr. 492-0611 or flora-bama.com.DAVE MEADOWS 6 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com.

PAUL KILLOUGH 6 p.m. Crabs We Got ‘Em, 6 Casino Beach. 932-0700 or crabswegotem.com.PAXTON NORRIS BAND 6 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. paradise-bar-grill.com.FISH SANDWICH 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s the Point, 5851 Galvez Rd. 497-0071 or hubstaceys.com.DEADLY FISTS OF KUNG FU 8 p.m. $5. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, vinylmusichall.com.WES HEATH & THE WHISKEY BAND 8 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. Pensacola Beach. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.DUELLING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.CIVILIZED NATIVES 8:30 p.m. Tin Cow, 102 S. Palafox. For more information, call 466-2103.PETTY CASH 9 p.m. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 20 S. Palafox. hopjacks.com.PETER B’S KARAOKE WITH DJ CHRIS UPTON 9 p.m. DeLuna Lanes, 590 E. 9 Mile Road. 478-9522 or delunalanes.com.

Chainsaw Kelly will be at East Hill Music Festival this weekend /courtesy photo

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HOLY HANDGUNS One of the many deci-sions greeting Pope Francis, as Salon.com pointed out, is whether to o� cially recognize a Patron Saint of Handgunners—as urged by a U.S. organization of activists for more than 20 years. According to legend, St. Gabriel Possenti rescued an Italian village from a small band of pillagers (and perhaps rapists) in the 19th century by shooting at a lizard in the road, killing it with one shot, which sup-posedly so terrifi ed the bandits that they fl ed. No humans were harmed, activists now point out, signifying the handgun was obviously a force for good. The head of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society has noted that, however far-fetched the “lizard incident” may be, it was rarely questioned until U.S. anti-gun activists gained strength in the 1980s.

CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE Though Americans may feel safe that the Food and Drug Administration approves a drug only for certain specifi c uses, the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York ruled in December that drug company salespeople have a First Amendment right to claim that drugs ap-proved for only one use can be marketed for nonapproved uses, as well. Doctors and bio-ethicists seemed outraged, according to the Los Angeles Times, generally agreeing with a University of Minnesota professor who called the decision “a complete disgrace. What this basically does is destroy drug regulation in the United States.”• Denials of disability allowances in the town of Basildon, England, near London, are handled at the Acorn House courthouse, on the fourth fl oor, where a� icted people who believe they were wrongly rejected for ben-efi ts must present their appeals. However, in November, zealous government safety war-dens, concerned about fi re-escape dangers, closed o� the fourth fl oor to wheelchair-using people. Asked one woman, turned away in early February, “Why are they holding dis-ability tribunals in a building disabled people aren’t allowed in?” (In February, full access resumed.)• Among the helpful civic classes the city

government in Oakland, Calif., set up earlier this year for its residents was one on how to pick locks (supposedly to assist people who had accidentally locked themselves out of their homes), and lock-picking kits were even o� ered for sale after class. Some residents were aghast, as the city had seen burglaries increase by 40 percent in 2012. Asked one complainer, “What’s next? The fundamentals of armed robbery?” (In February, Mayor Jean Quan apologized and canceled the class.)

WE MUST KILL THIS LEGISLATION BECAUSE TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE FOR IT In February, the North Carolina House of Representatives Rules Committee took the unusual step of pre-emptively burying a bill to legalize prescription marijuana (which 18 states so far have embraced). WRAL-TV (Raleigh-Durham) reported Rep. Paul Stam’s explanation: Committee members were hearing from so many patients and other constituents (via phone calls and emails) about the importance of medical marijuana to them that the representatives were feeling “harassed.”

INEXPLICABLE Two teachers and three stu-dent teachers at a Windsor, Ontario, elemen-tary school somehow thought it would be a neat prank on their eighth-graders to make them think their class trip would be to Flori-da’s Disney World, and they created a video and PowerPoint presentation previewing the excursion. The kids’ exhilaration lasted only a few days, when they were informed that plans had changed and that they would instead be visiting a local bowling alley. Furthermore, the teachers captured the students’ shock on video, presumably to repeatedly re-enjoy their prank. (When the principal found out, she apologized, disciplined the teachers, and arranged a class trip to Niagara Falls.) {in}

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