is something that has shown itself on this committee," she said, urging CPAC members to "step back and stop kissing ass to this police department, and let's talk about stuff that needs to change."
"I am absolutely fed up with implicit bias and micro-aggression because that is something that has shown itself on this committee." Hale Morrissette CPAC's next meeting is scheduled for March 16.
BALLPARK UPGRADES The city of Pensacola will soon be doing some work over at Maritime Park's baseball stadium. At his Monday, March 1, presser, Mayor Grover Robinson said the work was part of the new lease with the Blue Wahoos and the minor league team's new association with the Miami Marlins. "There are about 40 cities with stadiums that no longer have teams since Major League Baseball took over Minor League Baseball," the mayor said. "We're very fortunate that Pensacola is one of the sites that Major League Baseball wants to continue to stay, and we're excited that we think this lease structure that we've got with the Wahoos really allows us to do that." One aspect of the work involves upgrading the field's turf. Robinson noted that the upgrade had been needed for a couple of seasons already. "Now we're going to the Miami Marlins who also have a desire for all of their minor league players to experience the same field, the same turf that if they make it all the way up to Miami that they'll have," the mayor explained. Another part of the work involves changes to the stadium's lighting. This
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upgrade is an MLB request, with the league preferring a uniform lighting experience across its collection of fields. Robinson said, "The batters, the pitchers, the players—they all experience the same lighting." Finally, the city also intends to relocate the ballpark's bullpens to a safer location. The mayor said, "I think Major League Baseball has been very focused on safety, and they want us to do the same thing." In total, all this work at the Blue Wahoos' ballpark will run about $2 million. The Wahoos will be paying for it, with the city's Community Redevelopment Area reimbursing via a cut in rent cost. "We may not be able to move the bullpens this year, but if we can get the lights and the turf done by the time they're looking to start in May, this will be a very good thing," Robinson said.
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has hired Marlene Santos as executive vice president and chief customer officer effective March 15. For the past two years, Santos served as president of Gulf Power Company, a NextEra Energy subsidiary (NextEra). Before that, she served as NextEra's Chief Integration Officer for its acquisition of Gulf Power and two other acquisitions. At Gulf Power, Santos led the work that improved safety by over 90%, reduced operating costs by almost 30%, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 20% and improved reliability by 50%. "I am excited to have Marlene join our team and bring her deep experience in delivering outstanding, industry-recognized customer service that is known for its innovation and customer centricity," said Patti Poppe, PG&E CEO. At PG&E, Santos will be responsible for the customer contact centers; programs supporting energy efficiency, electric vehicles, rooftop solar, demand response and low-income customers; billing, meter-
ing and account services; marketing and communications; and Regional Leadership Teams that PG&E will form as part of its regionalization efforts.
VIRTUAL EDCAMP WSRE invites PreKfifth grade teachers in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties to take part in a virtual PBS KIDS Edcamp for Florida Educators from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 27. Registration is free at wsre.org/ education. Participants of this Zoom conference will join other teachers from across the state for peer support and sharing ideas that improve classroom practice and positively impact student learning. This will be the first statewide PBS KIDS Edcamp offered to teachers. PBS KIDS Edcamp is a gathering of educators connecting through shared experiences and peer-led conversations with a PBS twist. Teachers conceived Edcamp, and the model was initially sparked by informal conversations on social media, which later inspired participant-driven, peer-led gatherings. In partnership with Edcamp, PBS now uses this model to support educators of young children as a platform for teachers to connect, share, and help others who face the same challenges. DISTRICT 4 NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP North Davis residents will have the opportunity to dispose of yard debris and other items free of charge Wednesday, March 17. Only residents in the designated cleanup area can participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. Residents in the cleanup area will simply leave eligible items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by Escambia County and partnering agencies. All debris must be at the curb directly in front of your residence by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. The cleanup will run
until noon. Please keep tires and paint cans separate from all other debris. Do not place piles under low-hanging lines or near poles, fences or mailboxes. For more details, visit myescambia.com/cleanup.
MARCH MATCHNESS Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Northwest Florida (BBBSNWFL) has launched their March MATCHness recruitment campaign. Throughout March, BBBSNWFL aims to recruit 30 Bigs in 30 days to help fill their bracket and match new mentors with local youth from Pensacola to Panama City. "March is one of our favorite months at Big Brothers Big Sisters," says BBBSNWLF CEO and president Paula Shell. "To be able to recruit new volunteers in a fun and creative way makes sharing our message even better. Fill our bracket and be one of 30 new Bigs to dribble into a relationship with a Little. They need us now, more than ever!"
"To be able to recruit new volunteers in a fun and creative way makes sharing our message even better." Paula Shell To play off the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) March Madness basketball tournament, BBBSNWFL has created this fun campaign to recruit mentors for its life-changing mentoring programs. This is the perfect time to ramp up volunteer recruitment efforts as there are almost 100 children who are currently waiting for their Big Brother or Big Sister. Approximately 70% of the waiting list are boys, so there is a critical need for strong, caring and supportive male mentors, as many of the boys come from a single-parent household. Anyone interested in becoming a Big can visit the BBBSNWFL website at bbbsnwfl.org/get-involved. {in}
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