But Inweekly will never let you forget the arts. With Pensacola’s expansive arts scene, there are numerous holiday productions to choose from. We’ve featured Pensacola Little Theatre’s (PLT) “A Christmas Story” and Ballet Pensacola’s “The Nutcracker,” as well as a calendar of other holiday arts events. Read more.
Outtakes—The Florida Way Takeover: When he ran for president, Gov. Ron DeSantis touted “the Florida way” and tried to position himself as the catalyst for a new conservative national vision. His mantra was “Make America Florida.”
At his 2023 State of the State address, during the weeks leading up to the announcement of his campaign, DeSantis said, “We defied the experts. We bucked the elites. We ignored the chatter. We did it our way, the Florida way, and the result is that we are the number one destination for our fellow Americans who are looking for a better life.”
However, during the early primaries, he found that not every Republican wanted to be more Florida. Voters preferred another Floridian: Donald Trump. Despite his failed campaign, Gov. DeSantis may still get his wish. Trump’s second administration has a Florida flavor. Read more.
Fluoride Debate Not New for ECUA: A national debate is raging over the public health practice of fluoridating drinking water, and Emerald Coast Utilities Authority is preparing for the possible ramifications. According to the Florida Department of Health, Escambia County is among 36 Florida counties with public water systems that actively fluoridate their water.
Heated debates over whether to add fluoride to drinking water in the county date back 60 years. The City of Pensacola added fluoride to drinking water in 1963, but that practice lasted only two years before the city council voted 6-4 to halt it. Supporters of the practice collected signatures for a referendum but fell short of the required number.
Dr. V. Paul Bruno, a dentist who served on the city council, estimated that removing fluoride from the water would cost Pensacola residents $250,000 annually in dental care. His estimation did not sway the public. Bruno and fellow fluoride proponents Roger MacDonald and Vince Whibbs Sr. lost their council seats in the 1965 municipal election. Read more.
Preserving Atlanta’s Punk Past with Ivette Spradlin: Punk isn’t just music; it’s a way of life, a DIY community and an incubator for radical creativity. Artist, photographer, professor and filmmaker Ivette Spradlin has spent much of her career documenting subcultures—from punks and skateboarders to Cuban exiles and female-identifying artists. Growing up immersed in Atlanta’s punk scene, she began capturing the creative zeitgeist around her.
Now, Spradlin revisits those formative years with her latest project, “Wild Wild West End,” a three-part film series that chronicles the lives of hundreds of punks, artists and dreamers who lived in Atlanta’s West End warehouses during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Thanks to a Florida Humanities Grant, the 309 Punk Project will host two public events examining punk culture, art and history. The first event, “Art and Counterculture: A Talk with Erica Lyle,” will take place on Friday, Dec. 13, followed by a screening of Spradlin’s first film in the series on Saturday, Dec. 14, accompanied by an exhibition of art and photographs tied to the documentary. Read more.