The Buzz 1/20/22
“This is a way for our office to become involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters and the community,” Madden told Inweekly. “It is a way for my employees to have that sense of giving. It’s as rewarding for the mentor as it is for the Littles.”
She added, “I’ve got mentors from various departments within the office. They’re not all lawyers. Many of these children won’t go to college; they won’t go to law school and be lawyers. But there are all sorts of opportunities and positions within our office that would fit their career goals. We’ve got investigators with law enforcement backgrounds, tech specialists, victim advocates and legal assistants as Bigs.”
“Beyond School Walls is a program that is funded through monies our state association receives through the Department of Economic Opportunity,” BBBS Executive Director Paula Shell told Inweekly. “They felt that this program truly invested in the future of our children and the future of our communities across the state of Florida.”
Navy Federal Credit Union was the first Beyond School Walls mentor workplace. Since then, Pen Air Federal Credit Union, Mayor Grover Robinson and city hall have signed up, along with the State Attorney.
Shell said, “They start with the junior class. They follow them their junior year, senior year and then through high school graduation. Some of these Bigs say, ‘You know what, I want to stay matched.’ That’s what we’re finding.”
She added, “Our ultimate goal is that these kids are out, self-sufficient and having a living wage by the age of 26. We want to help them get there through the agency’s help and Big Brothers and Big Sisters.”
The Littles will come to the State Attorney’s Office once a month for four hours. Madden explained, “Each month, we’ll have a topic focusing on personal development. We’ll bring in a special guest every week to do a presentation on an issue. Then, there’ll be a breakout time where the Little and the Big will have one-on-one time together.”
She continued, “This has ended up being a very good fit for us. Our office is a good, safe environment for them; it’s good for us, and they get to see what we do. That’s really exciting.”
Madden wants to strengthen the office’s ties in the areas she serves.
“These children are a part of our community; they live here,” she said. “When they get out of high school, if they don’t go to college, we hope that they’ll seek some employment in our office, maybe as a legal assistant, maybe working in technology. There are all sorts of career fields available here.”
Greer Picked On Thursday, Jan. 13, Inweekly publisher Rick Outzen broke the news on his morning show on WCOA 1370 AM/104.9 FM that the Escambia Children’s Trust had picked Tammy Greer to be its executive director. Board Chair Stephanie White said, “Last night, we had a regular board meeting at 5 o’clock. We went around the room and said our top pick, and we are going to offer the job to Tammy Greer. She’s originally from Pensacola and went to PJC back in the day, then UWF.”
Board member David Peaden told Inweekly that Greer stood out during the search process.
“We had Zoom interviews for the first round, and she just popped off the screen—her energy, passion, skillset and the experience she had,” Peaden said, “And then when she came to town and went through the live interviews and her presentation, she covered a wide variety of different ideas and a plan of action for the trust, a vision that left no rock unturned. She’s spectacular.”
He continued, “We started with 67 candidates, and we whittled that down to 10. Then we had Zooms with those 10 people and narrowed it down to five. And I think we covered all the bases to ensure we got it right. Tammy’s experience includes grant writing to overseeing 67 different contracts now in her current job that supports seven different programs and oversees 48 employees. And plus, I think in her heart, she really does have a passion for this.”
Greer introduced herself to WCOA listeners. “I’m from Pensacola originally and looking forward to being back home. I have spent probably close to the last 30 years, which I hate to admit, in the nonprofit world, working with all sorts of grants and funding. I’ve done a lot of work in children’s services particularly, everything from early childhood education with Head Start programs to working in the K-12 system. I’ve even worked in the community college system, so I’ve run the gamut of it.”
Why did she want this job? She answered, “I worked for one of the largest children’s services councils in Florida, which is in Palm Beach County. I know what kind of change they can make and how much potential there is to do some really good things for the children of the community. And how having been a child in Escambia County, it just seemed to be full circle for me.”
Greer added, “There’s so much potential to do so much good, and I think it’s a wonderful opportunity. I know it sounds trite, but I really do just want to be of service in my hometown.”
She is working with ECT on her contract. Greer has given a 30-day notice to her current employer, Gulfcoast Legal Services in St. Petersburg, and hopes to be on the job in Pensacola by March.
No Longer Daily The Pensacola News Journal announced that it would no longer print a Saturday edition, effective March 26. Instead, the newspaper owned by Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper chain, will only offer a digital version to its subscribers.
Executive Editor Lisa Nellessen Savage wrote in the announcement that other newspapers in the Gannett network have also dropped their Saturday print editions. She assured readers that subscribers “will receive a full digital replica of the newspaper that day, filled with the same amount of local, state and national news, advertising and features such as comics and puzzles.”
“Our commitment to local news remains our No. 1 priority, and this move allows us to invest more deeply in our content while recognizing that the platforms on which people consume that news continue to evolve,” said Savage.
Auditors Coming It took over a year, but the State Auditor General is ready to audit the Tourist Development Tax records of Escambia County Clerk Pam Childers and the county. Former County Administrator Janice Gilley and Childers—quietly called “Laverne & Shirley” by courthouse insiders—fought the independent audit.
Childers even threatened Visit Pensacola officials that the audit would harm their operations, apparently attempting to discourage the Tourist Development Commission from looking at her books.
On Wednesday, Jan. 12, Childers and Commission Chair Jeff Bergosh received a letter from audit manager Derek Noonan, CPA that outlined the objectives of the audit and the responsibilities of Childers and county officials. A teleconference was held to go over the letter and the auditor’s requirements when they arrived on site.
Served On Monday, Jan. 10, the city of Pensacola posted notices at the homeless encampment under Interstate 110 notifying individuals of the Monday, Jan. 31, deadline to vacate the encampment. City Code Enforcement officers have walked through the encampment to speak with the campers about the pending evictions.
In its press release, city officials said, “As the I-110 encampment has continued to grow, so have public health and safety concerns in the area, which is located on Florida Department of Transportation property that is leased to the City of Pensacola.”
People living in the encampment have until the end of January to collect their personal belongings. Up to the deadline, the city will work with local organizations to connect homeless individuals with shelters and other available options.
Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 1, the city will thoroughly clean and sanitize the area and collect any remaining personal items. Any items left behind will be safely stored until Wednesday, March 16. During this period, individuals will have the opportunity to collect their belongings as indicated in the posted notices.
Sword & Shield Tactic The Escambia County Commission voted 4-0 to accept a settlement agreement with David Bear, who has tried for more than two years to get Commissioner Doug Underhill to release his Facebook posts and comments.
Bear agreed to remove the Board of County Commissioners from any further litigation over the records request and waive the county from paying his legal fees, $190,000, that he has incurred in the lawsuit. However, Underhill hasn’t been dropped from the case.
In exchange, the county agreed to the stipulations that Underhill ignored the county’s social media and technology policies when he used Facebook to discuss county business. He failed to produce public records from his Facebook accounts requested by Bear until a court order compelled him to do so.
If the BCC ever reimburses Underhill for his legal expenses associated with the lawsuit, the board will have to pay Bear’s, too.
The lawsuit is still active in federal court. Underhill withheld 24,000 pages of Facebook posts and messages. He argued his social media communication was not a public record because the county did not “specifically authorize Underhill to create the record or speak on its behalf.”
Last March, U.S. Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon reviewed the pages Underhill withheld and ruled several were public records. She cited several court cases that shot down the commissioner’s interpretation. Cannon wrote, “To conclude otherwise would contravene the very purpose of the Public Records Act by diminishing the transparency expected for those holding public office in carrying out their official duties.”
Underhill has continued to dispute the judge’s ruling and withheld 129 pages in question. His attorneys have requested a new review of the legal issues surrounding them.
Bear told Inweekly that Underhill is “basically saying emails, interoffice memos, etc. are not public records coming from a county commissioner as long as they’re not authorized by the county commission themselves.”
However, according to Bear, the commissioner took the opposite position when Scott Miller sued Underhill for defamation. Bear said, “In his previous lawsuit, (Underhill) utilized this fact that these are public records when he communicates on social media. He’s actually sworn through an affidavit that that is him doing his job as a commissioner in order to get the protection from any type of lawsuit like defamation so that he’s immune to it.”
Bear continued, “And our judge said, essentially, you can’t use your position as a sword and a shield, which is what he’s trying to do.”
Bear didn’t want to sue the county, but Underhill created the problem when he refused to hand over the public records.
“I didn’t really want to sue the county,” he told Inweekly. “I just wanted them to hold him accountable because he was violating my First Amendment rights. He was violating the public record laws.”
Bear added, “That’s why that stipulation of facts is important is because they are saying these were public records, and he refused to turn them over. Had he turned them over originally, we never would’ve been in this lawsuit.”
Hide & Seek The News Journal published its article on Underhill’s Facebook woes on the front page of its Sunday, Jan. 9 edition. However, online readers didn’t see it until 6 a.m. the following morning.
David Bear asked reporter Jim Little why the delay and was told the daily newspaper’s readership is greater online on Mondays. Former sports reporter and mayoral candidate DC Reeves came to his former employer’s defense, saying the editors didn’t want it to get buried online on Sunday.
The funny thing is that attacks on the other commissioners printed in the Sunday editions often make it online on Friday mornings, not Mondays. Management doesn’t seem to be concerned about those articles getting buried.
Pensacola Pink Panther
Sarasota police claim a Pensacola man, Stephen Diamond, 52, captured in Georgia, is their suspect in a home burglary in their city. On Nov. 23, home surveillance cameras captured the burglar entering the home and leaving with a safe containing $200,000 in jewelry.
The police released a photo taken at a toll booth of the suspect driving a silver BMW X3 with a stolen temporary tag from Georgia. Sarasota authorities say Diamond faces numerous charges in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
Perdido Work Day The Escambia County Natural Management Resources Department seeks volunteers to prune and remove plants for a future coastal demonstration garden. A volunteer workday is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Perdido Key Community Center, 15500 Perdido Key Drive.
Volunteers must register for the event in advance. If under the age of 18, they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the event. Contact Samantha Bolduc at (850) 595-3460 or smbolduc@myescambia.com to register.
The Natural Resources Management Department received a $10,450 grant from the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program for the Perdido Key Coastal Demonstration Garden. The garden will showcase native plant species approved for use under the Perdido Key Habitat Conservation Plan and demonstrate various landscaping techniques specific to the coastal environment. Signage will inform visitors about the plants and techniques used for each area. The project includes the development of a landscaping brochure to be distributed to area homeowners and property managers.
How-to Series The Spring, a Studer Community Institute initiative, has launched a workshop series to cover the key topics entrepreneurs face as they start and grow their own businesses. Attendees will hear from local experts on topics like creating a business plan, protecting your business, the key to getting funded, managing finances, marketing your business and optimizing social media.
“One of the most difficult things about opening a small business is making sure you have a working understanding of topics that will affect your success day today,” said SCI Chief Entrepreneur Officer DC Reeves, who opened Perfect Plain Brewing Company in Pensacola in 2017. “This series is filled with people who were impactful on many journeys in entrepreneurship—mine included—and will do the same for anyone thinking about opening their own business.”
Throughout the series, skilled speakers will provide tips, insight and resources entrepreneurs need to set their business up for success. Each workshop, taking place in the SCI Building at 220 W. Garden Street, will include networking, presentation, and time for questions and answers. Attendees will also receive a free one-day pass to The Spring Co-Working Space and two hours of conference room access.
Purchase a ticket to one workshop for $20 or purchase a bundle and attend all six for only $100. For more details and tickets, visit thespringpensacola.com/how-to.
