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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."
CPAC's next meeting is scheduled for March 16.
"I am absolutely fed up with implicit bias and micro-aggression because that is something that has shown itself on this committee." Hale Morrissette
BALLPARK UPGRADES The city of Pen-
sacola 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 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, metering 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 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}
WEEK OF MARCH 11-17 Arts & Encouragement
hope, help and other signs of humanity at a time when we really need it...
40 Years of Informing, Engaging and Entertaining
By Savannah Evanoff
Pat Crawford, 1983 / Photo Courtesy of WUWF When Pat Crawford started at NPR, some people didn't even know what the acronym stood for.
National Public Radio was a relatively new concept then—especially in Pensacola.
Crawford, the current executive director, began in 1982, just a year after WUWF aired via FM 88.1 for 100 miles in almost every direction, serving people from Baldwin County, Ala., to the city limits of Panama City, Fla.
Half of his job then was just letting people know they existed … and why. "The hallmark of NPR is that it is factbased journalism," Crawford said. "And that says it right there in a nutshell. With what's been happening in our country and in the world, particularly in the last decade, more than ever, that's something people really want to know they can listen to and know they'll get some mixed viewpoints."
And they aren't just shouting platitudes at each other, he said. "It's people disagreeing philosophically on things, but they do it in a really civilized manner," Crawford said. "I think civility and fact-based journalism are the hallmarks of what NPR stands for. I'm proud to have made this my career and proud to have been with this station for almost 40 years because of that."
As WUWF celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2021, Crawford recalls how much the station has grown … the community, too.
When WUWF first aired, it was formatted like a traditional NPR station—a morning edition in the a.m., "All Things Considered" in the afternoon and classical music filling the spaces in between. If graphed, listenership would look like a hammock between two tentpoles, Crawford said.
The station has always had a commitment to jazz music, too. It's one of the three organizations that started Pensacola JazzFest.
Digital radio changed everything.
Suddenly, they had three channels to fill, with one completely devoted to classical music—still is. The third channel turned into SightLine, a radio reading service for the vision impaired.
Because of that change, they were able to focus more on the news. What makes WUWF special is how in tune it is with the community, Crawford said. "Our news people are out there pursuing stories that we hope have an impact on the local audience," Crawford said. "We are all about the community. We can rely on NPR to do the national news and international news, but for us, the people who are actually here at the station, our focus is on the local. What can we do to improve the community? How can we use what we have to help community organizations who are maybe struggling?"
Every quarter, the station picks a nonprofit to promote for its Community Spotlight.
Crawford started RadioLive in 1988, and it's been his baby ever since, he said. It's also another chunk of what sets the station apart.
He started the live performances with exclusively local musicians but expanded later when his perspective changed. "There's some great artists out there around the country that people in Pensacola are never going to hear of if we don't let them hear from them," Crawford said. "I've been very fortunate to get many of them to come on the show live. Hearing them live, that's what it's all about. You can play their records all day long, but you have to actually experience some of these people."
Crawford credits the audience for keeping the program alive. "It's like a giant hug to all of the artists who come on here," Crawford said. "The reason we stage it like we do, with the audience on three sides, is because it is … it's like they're surrounded by love. All of the artists tell me the same thing. I haven't had an artist come on the show that hasn't said, 'When can I come back? I love this audience; I wish this audience would come with me on the road.'"
It's a tribute to Pensacola, Crawford said. "That's the kind of feeling I had when I moved here with everybody that I encountered in terms of the radio station," Crawford said. "That's a big thing about Pensacola. It's warm; it's welcoming; it's inviting. We get a lot of bad press nationally for weird things that happen in Pensacola, but I've never found a community that is more loving and welcoming to people coming in from outside."
Audience is everything, too. WUWF has to rely on its listeners because it has to raise half of its budget from sources other than the university, Crawford said. "Listeners are amazing," Crawford said. "They come through. And during the last year where a lot of people have suffered and a lot of businesses have suffered, we have seen our listeners steadfast. They've stayed right with us. And some of them have even increased their support. That is so heartening to all of us here to know they truly value what we do."
The University of West Florida and its administration have also been nothing but supportive, Crawford said.
"We often say, we are probably one of the most visible parts the university's outreach," Crawford said. "People know that because every hour when we do our station ID, we always say, 'From the University of West Florida.' It's been a great relationship."
When Crawford looks to the future, he hopes to stay on the forefront of technology. He wants to have as strong of a digital presence and a social media presence as they do on the air. "That would be my dream that people would wake up in the morning, they'd have their clock radio set to Morning Edition," Crawford said. "And when they have time to sit down for breakfast, they'd immediately go online to wuwf.org and find out more about what's going on and what stories we're doing."
Crawford is the heart of the station. His interest in radio dates back to childhood, when he ran wires to his neighbor friends' houses to broadcast music to them. He later started a real radio station at a small liberal arts college in Virginia. It's still there. "That's when I was hooked," Crawford said.
The first broadcast of "All Things Considered" coincided with his senior year of college. He thought he would do commercial radio. "The first time I heard NPR, a light bulb went off in my head, and I said, 'No, that's what I wanna do,'" Crawford said. "I don't want to do this other stuff. I want to do what these people are doing. That's what I did from that point on and never looked back."
People often point out how close he is to retirement age. The truth is, he is past retirement age, he said. "I don't even think about that because I look forward to getting up every day and coming to work," Crawford said. "There hasn't been a single day when I haven't wanted to come into the job. I have a staff that is amazing. It's very much like a family here."
The station is his life, Crawford said. "Everywhere I go, people say, 'Oh, you're from WUWF? We love WUWF,'" Crawford said. "And they mean it when they say love. That's just great. That's different from some other public stations. We're a little different than a big urban market, and I like it that way. I like being where we are. I think that's the magic of the Panhandle." {in}
Attending "normal" events might not be happening yet—but that doesn't mean local businesses and nonprofits aren't still keeping the community connected in creative ways. NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS
sacola Habitat for Humanity will be hosting their fi fth annual award-winning Pensacola Habitat Food Truck Festival on Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, at Community Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity has been working hard to plan a safe, unique event during these di cult times in order to continue raising funds to support their mission of building homes, communities and hope in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Each week, Pensacola Habitat will release a "habi-hint," or clue, to the public regarding exciting, new elements of the festival. Participants will be entered into weekly drawings to win various prizes. Visit Pensacola Habitat's Facebook page, facebook.com/pensacolahabitat, for more information.
UNION PUBLIC HOUSE LIVESTREAM FUNDRAISER FOR KRIS NAGLE
Union Public House Pensacola is hosting a livestream benefi t Sunday, March 14, starting at 1 p.m. to raise funds for 28-year-old Kris Nagle who has been in the hospital for weeks fi ghting complications from Guillian Barre Syndrome. Five bands, including Hello Crescendo, Guts, True Blue, Exophagy and NoCo, will be performing a live stream from UPH. Watch online at facebook.com/unionpensacola. Funds can be donated online through Venmo at @UPHFundraiser and Cashapp at @$UPHFundraiser. Donations will be accepted through March 31.
CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTIONS IN
MARCH Animal Allies will be at Pet Supermarket at 6857 N. Ninth Avenue on Saturdays, March 13 and 27, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Come by and fi nd your fl u y BFF or talk to Animal Allies about opportunities to donate, foster or volunteer. All cats are up to date on shots, tested negative for leukemia, and adoption fee includes spay or neuter with microchip and fl ea pill. Minimum donation fees are $85 for kittens up to one year and $75 for adults. For more information, visit aafl orida.org. CALL TO ARTISTS
KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL PIECES
ADRIFT ART SHOW Pieces Adrift is a community art exhibition and auction that educates viewers about the harmful e ects marine litter has on our coastal ecosystem. All pieces submitted to this show are made of at least 50% reclaimed waste material to inspire onlookers to rethink their trash in a creative way. Art that is donated will be open for public auction, and proceeds will benefi t Keep Pensacola Beautiful's programming initiatives in 2022.
To participate in Keep Pensacola Beautiful's upcoming Pieces Adrift Art Show & Auction as an artist, visit facebook.com/keeppensacolabeautiful for a link to the signup form. Artists of any level are welcome to join.
EMERALD COAST REVIEW SEEKS REGIONAL WRITER, ARTIST SUB-
MISSIONS The Emerald Coast Review is collecting quality fi ction, nonfi ction, poetry, contemporary, emerging and experimental works along with the best of art, graphic design and photography. Residents from the following counties are encouraged to submit—Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa and Bay (Florida); Mobile, Escambia and Baldwin (Alabama).
To view guidelines and submit work, visit wfl f.org/ecr. Submissions close April 30. Accepted submissions will be announced and writers will be notifi ed that their piece(s) will be published in the ECR in Fall 2021.
VENDORS AND CRAFT EXHIBITORS FOR JAZZ PENSACOLA 2021 Jazz Pen-
sacola is calling arts and crafts exhibitors to submit applications for the 2021 Pensacola JazzFest planned for May 15-16 at Seville Square in historic downtown Pensacola.
Application forms can be downloaded at jazzpensacola.com. Only original art and handmade crafts will be accepted. No commercial/ mass-produced products will be accepted.
All entries are $200 for a 10-by-10-foot canopy or smaller. All fees go to support Pensacola JazzFest, a free event for the community. For more information, call Jazz Pensacola administrator Alice Crann Good at (850) 433-8382, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., or visit jazzpensacola.com.
FOO FOO FEST GRANT APPLICATIONS
NOW OPEN Pensacola's Foo Foo Festival o cially announced its plans for its seventh annual events, taking place Nov. 4-15, 2021.
In 2021, the Pensacola Foo Foo Festival will once again fund top-scoring grant applicants, with the number of grants to be awarded contingent upon the number of submissions. This year, the Foo Foo Festival will provide up to $315,000 in grant funding, and grant applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding. All organizations, businesses and community partners are encouraged to participate as "Friends of Foo," receiving visibility at the 12-day event. To apply for this year's Foo Foo Festival, visit foofoofest.com.
The Foo Foo Fest team will continue to monitor developments surrounding COVID-19 leading up to November's events and will fully cooperate with any instructions heeded for Escambia County by local and state o cials and the CDC.
The Foo Foo Fest grant application is Friday, April 30, 2021. On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, there will be an announcement of the public grant scoring.
For more information, visit foofoofest.com.
ARTS & CULTURE
STUDENT MASK SHOW AT ARTEL
GALLERY View the Student Mask Show at Artel Gallery, located at 223 S. Palafox, March 2-11. For more information, visit artelgallery.org.
Choral Society's Comeback
By Jennifer Leigh
After months of research, Zoom meetings and strict safety protocols, the Choral Society of Pensacola will be performing this weekend. But it won't look like any performance you've been to before. "Well, it's certainly the Choral Society's fi rst performance in a parking garage," said Charlie Smoke, executive director of the Choral Society of Pensacola.
This Saturday, the Choral Society will perform "Songs of Ireland," a program of traditional and contemporary Irish songs as well as music from Scotland and Wales in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.
While choruses were labeled COVID "superspreaders," the Choral Society has been working to provide a safe environment for both the singers and audience. They started with Zoom meetings in September and then in person with safety protocols developed by Interim Artistic Director Dr. Peter Steenblik, who is also the director of choral activities at the University of West Florida. "Dr. Steenblik kept abreast of the research on the virus and its spread, studied the guidelines from the CDC and other health organizations, and researched the procedures being followed by other choral organizations," explained Smoke. "Our protocols include rehearsing outdoors, wearing specially designed masks for singers and standing 6 feet apart."
Choral Society members are asked to carefully monitor their own health and follow safety procedures outside of rehearsals. Everyone has been "completely cooperative," said Smoke. "These adjustments have allowed the Choral Society to maintain our continuous reputation," he added. "The only known
PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S
DREAM PLT will present a family-friendly version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" 7:30 p.m. on, March 11-12, and break in musical activity during our 86year history was during WWII."
Saturday's half-hour performance will be masked and distanced—for both singers and audience. The audience will also need to bring their own seating, if they choose. It's a less-than-ideal situation, said Smoke, but singers were willing to make that sacrifice to perform. "(They want) to grow as musicians and maintain a sense of community," said Smoke, "and to o er some entertainment and inspiration to our audiences."
And while the parking garage is no music hall, Smoke said it will provide some "cathedral-like acoustics." More importantly, the venue allows air to circulate, which is a key safety protocol. "One might feel overwhelmed by the amount of active sound," said Smoke.
So while we haven't yet returned to "normal"—whatever that may be—Saturday's performance is a welcome sign of progress. "One thing is certain—our organization has learned a lot through this experience," said Smoke. "Although we might return to 'normal' next season, we are certain to incorporate some of the tools and procedures we have developed. Our group is stronger having had this experience."
SONGS OF IRELAND
WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday, March 13 WHERE: Parking garage at 316 S. Baylen St. COST: Free, but donations welcomed DETAILS: choralsocietyofpensacola.org
March 18-20 and 3 p.m. on March 14 and 21 at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Je erson St. Tickets are $16-$31. On Thursdays, tickets are half price. Streaming is also available. For more information, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.
