Time to pack the bags once more....

Spending time with your family during the holidays is an important and fun activity that many enjoy as the year comes to an end.

But even though so much joy comes with visiting family members that you don’t see too often, there are also a few stressful moments you will encounter, and a lot of these will come from the actual traveling experience.   

This year, Trip Advisor projects that roughly 36 percent of Americans are going to travel this holiday. That is an increase from 33 percent last year. Of these travelers, 71 percent are traveling out of state and 41 percent are traveling more than 500 miles. 

Prices are always raised for travel during the holidays, but we will get to that. This year, if you are traveling by plane, you may encounter a new security procedure that could be a major time consumer and possibly even make you feel a bit violated. 

Many airports have already begun procedures that include extensive pat downs patting your genitals if they feel it necessary, as well as full-body x-ray scans if the patdown is denied. If you refuse the x-ray scan and decide to not fly with the airline, you could even be sued by the airline. 

Now, back to the prices. During the holidays, airlines begin to tack on fees that raise the price of your trip. For example, if you fly 14 days before Thanksgiving or later, airlines are going to add a “Turkey Fare.” 

With a turkey fare, when planes become full, the prices of the tickets begin to rise. Many airlines including American, Delta, Continental, United and U.S. Airways add of another 20 dollar holiday fee as well. 

The average round-trip ticket this November is $378, according to Fare Compare. The longer you wait, the more the tickets will cost.“A quote of $350 to $500 will be more like $550 to $600 when purchased,” The co-founder and chief executive of travel site Fare Compare, Rick Seaney, said. The average round trip during December is $420 round trip. 

If you are looking for the cheapest way to travel and you don’t mind traveling on the holidays, flights on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day are free of extra fees. 

If you are not traveling by plane, you will also notice an increase in gas prices as you travel across the country. 

The average national gas prices are averaging $2.85 per gallon, up 5 cents from last week. The average gas prices have risen 20 cents from last year, according to the Energy Department.

 

Wintzell's Oysters Deliver

Pensacola is jam-packed with seafood restaurants located all over town, including local favorites such as Peg Leg Pete’s on Pensacola Beach and The Shrimp Basket. 

When Copeland’s closed down, the building that they vacated remained empty for quite a while. Then Wintzell’s Oyster House took over the building and on June 1, 2010, opened its 12th location. 

Wintzell’s is an oyster bar that was founded in 1938 by J. Oliver Wintzell. Its menu contains all sorts of seafood, including fried shrimp, fish, crawfish and even chicken fingers for the little ones. 

But what it specializes in are oysters. 

Wintzell’s is famous for its oyster sampler. You get 16 oysters in four different flavors: oyster Monterey, oysters Bienville, oysters Rockefeller and their signature grilled oysters. All are good, but it is obvious why the grilled oysters’ are the signature dish. They come served on a piping-hot plate with cheddar cheese drenching the oyster so much that it oozes off the edges of the shell, and each oyster is topped with a single jalapeno. 

The drinks never reaching the bottom of the glass and the constant smiles and friendly attitude of the waitress accounted for a very nice lunch service. 

The restaurant was packed with hungry customers, but this did not hinder the service one bit. I was seated almost immediately, and within 10 minutes had placed my order and received my drink and a basket of buttered bread. It only took another 10 minutes to receive the oyster sampler. 

The food is fantastic, and the atmosphere is unique. There is a lot going on inside. 

The place is a little loud and cluttered with random quotes pasted all over the walls, along with large fish and neon lights. When you first walk in, there is a very nice black wooden bar to the right, which still had Christmas lights hanging from it. 

Wintzell’s is located at 400 E. Chase St in downtown Pensacola. 

They are currently only in the South but are now franchising and will be extending the restaurant chain all over the United States. 

The hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday 11 a.mm - 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. They are also open on every holiday except Christmas and New Year’s Day.

 

Elyse Therose Takes the Night

Nearly 200 people packed into the University of West Florida Commons Auditorium Thursday for a night filled with hard-hitting rock music from five different local groups competing for a $400 Battle of the Bands prize.

 

The performance started with The Mainstream, a four-piece band that plays mostly 90’s alternative rock covers. They played giant hits such as Sublime “What I Got,” and AC/DC “TNT,” in which they cleverly chanted “The Mainstream,” in its place. 

“It was a really fun way to kick off the show,” crowd member Kayla Cantrell said. “We knew all of the songs that were played, so it was really easy to get into and a great way to start things off.” 

Scream out Loud, a popular scream band, was up next.It changed the pace that was previously set by The Mainstream, and entered the stage with loud, distorted guitars, and lots of screaming. 

They easily had the largest fan base, with fans dancing and moshing right in front of the stage. Someone dressed in a monkey suit even joined in on the fun. The band played their set, all originals, and the crowd was singing along, word-for-word, to every song. 

“I have been a fan of these guys for years now, ever since I moved here from California,” Scream out Loud fan Daniel Skallion said. “They have always been great, but every time they play live they just get better and better.” 

Long Division, an indie rock band, also joined the competition. It was the only band to incorporate a keyboard into its music and had the obvious influences of Silversun Pickups and the Smashing pumpkins. 

“That song is about love and zombies,” vocalist Tammy Mills said after singing the opening song. 

The last band of the night took the stage for the first time as a band and seemed to really enjoy its first concert. The band acted quirky on stage, grabbing in the crowd’s attention but just were not tight enough in their first performance to take home the title. 

The night belonged to the three-member group Elyse Therose. 

With its strong melodic rock and passionate lyrics, it captivated the crowd and judges with the emotion conveyed in their music, and it ultimately took home the grand prize. 

“They were so good,” Cantrell said. “From the opening song I knew that they were going to win, they had to. I mean, of course the others were good, but to me Elyse Therose was the clear standout of the night.” 

The event was sponsored by the Center Stage Committee of the Campus Activity Board, and was funded A&S fees allocated through the Student Government Association. 

For more information on the bands that participated in the competition, visit their facebook websites.

 

Grover’s grub grabs your tongue

It’s Sunday night, you have invited all your friends over to watch the big game, and you are about to go pick up wings at one of those major chains to have snacks for the night. 

Before you hand over your money to the corporate chains that care more about the money than the food, think of Grover’s Finger and Wings. 

Michael Graham, owner, created Grover’s as a quaint, locally owned, restaurant that serves everything from country fried steak for breakfast to fried green BLT’s for dinner. They have five tables inside and three outside that stay filled. 

He is the only one of his family that works at Grover’s, but where Grover’s truly shines is in the title of the restaurant: Fingers and wings. 

With 18 different flavors, including the traditional hot, mild and barbecue, and more unique flavors like Dijon horseradish, Cajun Ranch, Asian sweet chili and curry, there is surely something everyone will enjoy. They even have a 100-wing or finger item on the menu to cover those really big gatherings. 

I ordered the honey barbeque wings and could not have been happier with the result. 

The wings are plump, juicy and delicious. One wing is about the size of two wings from Wings To Go. They are served with a very generously sized helping of ranch; this is great because you don’t have to worry about using all of it before reaching your final wing. 

Food is not the only place that this local gem excels. 

Milkshakes and desserts are a fantastic way to finish up your meal after a plate full of wings. Flavor burst ice cream cones are the new craze at Grover’s. 

These are soft-serve ice cream cones that are vanilla mixed with different flavors like chocolate, banana, strawberry, cherry, grape, orange and more. 

Topping off the homely restaurant is popular music in the background, songs like “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry and “Say Hey (I Love You)” by Michael Franti and the Spearhead were a couple of the songs played on the jukebox. 

The place isn’t a first-date type of restaurant. But when you are looking for great food in hurry and a friendly environment, Grover’s is the place to go. 

Grover’s is located at 9418 N. Davis Hwy. The hours of operation have just been extended to 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi9UNPcfV9w

The Pensacola Bay fishing bridge is a local landmark, a place where people from all different walks of life join together to enjoy one thing, fishing.

After the bridge was destroyed by hurricane Ivan, Pensacola quickly began working on rebuilding the bridge.

Their goal was simple, make a new bridge and make it better.

The new bridge has left many of the locals who were familiar with the old feeling “unhappy and crowded,” local fisher Charlie Weeks said.

The new bridge was designed narrower, causing traffic jams throughout the day.

Alongside a more narrow bridge, it is also a shorter bridge causing tight corners for fishers.

With a shorter bridge, fishers find themselves in shallow water unable to catch a decent size fish.

The bridge was built with many positives, it is a much more sturdy and clean bridge, but despite its positives, local fisher Chris DeFrayne said, the “negatives out way the positives.”

The bridge is currently free to all and will begin charging eight dollars per person soon. 

Black History Arts Festival

On February 20 Black History month was celebrated in the Belmont-DeVilliers area of downtown Pensacola with the 7th annual Black History Arts festival.

“The turnout has been great this year and the music has kept everyone in a relaxed and peaceful mood,” said M Hakima, local artist and owner of Wise Angel Gallery.

People were dancing in the street as the music played, most popular being the songs of Bob Marley.

Food was a main attraction at the festival as well, ranging from gator-on-a-stick to gumbo. Those cooking the food stayed busy as the lines never seemed to die down.

Cox communications was the only sponsor of this event, and the local artist hope that they will continue to be sponsors in the future.

27th Annual Pensacola Jazz Festival Celebration

Jazz Festival

On April 11, the 27th Annual Pensacola Jazz Festival kicked off its second day of the weekend in Seville Square with music, food and art.

“This is a yearly event that me and my wife love and never miss,” local guitar teacher Gary Seaman said. “The food is always amazing, the art is beautiful, and the music is excellent. Plus it gives you the opportunity to mingle with others in the area who share a common interest.”

With the lawn area full of people sitting in chairs brought from home and blankets placed on the ground, the day began by dedicating the first three hours to local school bands. The schools that contributed were the Escambia High School Jazz Band, Navarre High School Jazz Band, Tate High School Jazz Band, Northwest Florida State College Jazz Band and Pensacola Junior College Jazz Band.

“This is the first time I have played jazz fest, and it was one of my greatest experiences ever,” Tate High School jazz musician Catie Spear said. “I just hope that I will be able to experience this next year too.”

After the final school band exited the stage, there was a short break in order to get the stage set up for those performing next.

During the break the kids area, “Jazz JHams for Kids” with Mike Potter, was opened where the kids were provided harmonicas and kazoos to play music themselves.

Throughout the rest of the day, those who attended listened to music from jazz musicians such as Guffman Trio, Aaron Weinstien and Howard Alden Duo, Loren Pickford Quintet and the Donald Vega Piano Trio.

The Phillips Piano Competition Winner Trio also performed and received a standing applause from many in the crowd once his performance was through.

After 27 years, the Pensacola Jazz Festival continues to draw crowds year after year.

"When i first moved here to Pensacola, a couple of buddies told me about this jazz festival downtown," local jazz fan Tim Hauck said. "Ever since then I've been coming back, its so much fun."

Sea Grass Declines Continue, Restoration In Process

On Wednesday the manager of the Northwest Florida Aquatic Preserve visited the University of West Florida to speak on the decline of sea grass in the coastal area.

Manager Shelley Alexander said that between the 1950’s and the 1990’s, 50 percent of sea grass in the coastal waters has disappeared, and almost all has gone from Pensacola bay.

Sea grass is a plant that grows under water, providing food and shelter for fish and other animals.

“Sea Grasses are a habitat that’s very important for fish and shellfish as forging and protection and breathing grounds,” Alexander said.

There are four aquatic preserves which Alexander manages, Yellow River Aquatic Preserve, Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve, Ft. Pickens Aquatic Preserve and St. Andrews Aquatic Preserve.

In order for sea grass to grow, 20 percent of the sun absorbed by the ocean, needs to be able to reach to sea grass in order for it to receive the proper amount of nutrients to continue surviving. The clearer the water is the more sunlight reaches the sea grass enabling it to grow.

“We had sea grass down to Six meters in 1950, but in 1952, the depth of the sea grass is limited to only two feet,” Alexander said. “So everything below two feet is nonexistent.”

The sea grass decline is not a new issue. Since the 1960’s, sea grass population has been declining and has seen little recovery over the years.

Water clarity is a major factor in the growth of sea grass, but that is not the only issue. Over fishing, extremely shallow waters, and propellers from boats are among the main issues of sea grass growth and disappearance.

Florida law states that any activity other than leisure activities such as motor boats, kayaking, snorkeling and swimming in a sea grass preserve, will result in a $1000 fine. This is the first year, after many years of trying, that this has been instated.

A sea grass restoration project has begun in Florida. Units have been transplanted to help stabilize scars from boat propellers. They also consist of Halodule Wrightii, a fast growing pioneer species, and are enhanced with quality sediments.

For more information on sea grass and other environmental issues around the gulf coast, visit www.EmeraldCoastKeeper.org to join a non-profit environmental group and start finding ways to help.

 

Huntsman Petrochemical Corp.

Escambia County is the fourth worst polluted county in the nation due to the amounts of chemicals facilities around the area release into our air and water.

Among these facilities are places such as Solutia and Gulf Power, which are big names around the area. Huntsman Petrochemical Corp., located in Cantonment, is the fourth largest polluter in Escambia County.

Huntsman Petrochemical Corp. was founded in 1970 by Jon M. Huntsman. They are a manufacturer and marketer of chemicals used to make everything from footwear to plastics and paints. It is a company of over 12,000 employees, and they produce 33 billion pounds of product annually according to www.huntsman.com.

They release about 183,572 pounds of chemicals annually, according to the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory. Among these chemicals are: Acrylic Acid, Dibutyl Phthalate, Maleic Anhydride, N-Butyl Alcohol, Phthalic Anhydride and Vandium Compounds.

These chemicals are toxic and can lead to many human health issues. The most toxic of the chemicals released by Huntsman Petrochemical Corp. is the Acrylic Acid.

Acrylic Acid is ranked in the worst 10 percent of hazardous chemicals to ecosystems and human health, according to www.scorecard.org. Human health consequences from Acrylic Acid include immunotoxicant, Respiratory Toxicant and skin or sense organ toxicant. Hunstman Petrochemical Corp. emits 7,089 pounds annually all through On-site disposal, according to the TRI reports on the EPA’s website.

158,208 pounds of Dibutyl Phthalate, 11,457 pounds of Maleic Anhydride, 6,664 pounds of N-butyl Alcohol, 136 pounds of Phthalic Anhydride and 0 pounds of Vandium Compounds were disposed of On-site in 2008.

On-site disposals are emitting of chemicals into the air, body of water, disposal at the facility land, and disposal in underground injection sites in the area that the facility is located in, making it a local issue.

Health effects caused by the other five chemicals released by the factory include: Kidney toxicants, reproductive toxicants, gastrointestinal or liver toxicants, neurotoxicants and development toxicants, causing health issues ranging from liver failure to becoming unable to reproduce.

Many of the chemicals emitted by the company are believed to be cancer causing toxins, according to www.scorecard.org.

Although Huntsman Petrochemical Corp. released large amount of pollution, throughout the past 15 years they have been lowering their chemical emitting. In 1995, 422,317 pounds of toxic chemicals were released. In 1999, there were 313,900 pounds emitted, and in 2008, they dropped to 183,572 pounds released.

Public contact for Huntsman Petrochemical Corp., Russ Stolle, was unable to comment about the toxins released by the company.

Huntsman is not just lowering their toxic chemical releases; Jon Huntsman Sr. has dedicated more than $250 million toward cancer research and treatment.

In 1999, Huntsman Petrochemical Corp. started a cancer research and treatment center, the Huntsman Cancer Institution.

"We will place into society assistance for those who suffer, hope for those who may need inspiration, and education for those who may feel the challenge but do not have the means." Huntsman said on www.huntsman.com.

 

I Live in a Toxic Town, How About You?

Anniston was a quiet little town home to about 24,000 peoples. A beautiful town, one full of tradition and friendliness, often considered the “model town,” Tara Hulen, author of “Dispatch from Toxic Town,” said. In 1890 and in 1942, Anniston was made into a military town with Fort McClellan came around.

Fort McClellan originally seemed like a vast improvement for the residents of Anniston, bringing in thousands of jobs. But jobs were not all that Fort McClellan Brought with them. They brought many lethal chemicals with them as well, which they would eventually release out into the public’s environment.

So many toxins at such high levels have been released in Anniston that the birth defect rate was astronomical, and early death caused by cancer was extremely common. Eventually this beautiful little town was destroyed by toxins released into the atmosphere and the water, driving residents away.

This scenario is particularly scary to me because I feel, in a slight way, that our town of Pensacola can relate to this towns problem. We are a town of many beauties. We have a nice beach, friendly people, and we are a military town as well.

After reading “Dispatch from Toxic Town” I visited http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/ and http://www.scorecard.org/ to explore further the pollutants in the Pensacola area. What I found was shocking.

Although Pensacola is a military town after doing some research, I found that aside from the large number of 3,662 pounds of chemicals release from the military base, it was not the main source of pollution from the town of Pensacola.

Companies such as Solutia Inc. and Gulf Power Co. Plant Crist are dominating the pollution here. Solution released an astonishing 25,500,247 pounds of chemicals, followed by the 10,276,006 pounds released by Gulf Power, according to www.scorecard.org

Of all of the toxins released, what exactly are they? At the top of the list we find Nitrate compounds, followed in order by Hydrochloric acid, formic acid, methanol, cyclohexanol. Hydrochloric acid was the one that caught my eye. According to www.scorecard.org, hydrochloric acid’s health rankings are “ranked as one of the most hazardous compounds (worst 10%) to ecosystems and human health.”

With that being said, Pensacola had 9,725,276 pounds released into their environment placing this horrible toxin as the second most released toxin in Pensacola.

Reading these studies I have learned that Escambia County is in the top 10 percent for worst toxic emissions in the United States.

 

A Rational Forum

An open forum was held Wednesday in the Haglar Auditorium at Pensacola Junior College to discuss the current and future state of the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) drinking water.

The forum was organized by Emerald Coast Keeper Chasidy Hobbs after the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a study stating out of the 100 largest water suppliers in the United States, the ECUA was ranked last. Hobbs’s goal is to move past this and focus on what is going to be done.

“This panel was organized in order to move past the Environmental Working Group study,” Hobbs said.

This is Hobbs’s first major job as newly appointed Coastkeeper.

Seven other speakers, including both ECUA and EPA employees as well as Environmentalists, attended.

EPA’s Region 4 Drinking Water Section Chief Dan O’lone was first to speak. He began with the history of water regulations working his way to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The SDWA was enacted on December 24, 1975 and has been amended two times (1986 and 1996) since then.

“There were 19 contaminates in that first round of regulations, one microbiological, there were 6 organic, 10 inorganic and turbidity, turbidity is just the murkiness in the water, and radiological gross output was regulated.”O’lone said.

There are 5800 public water systems in Florida, and in the panhandle there are 432, drinking water supervisor John Pope said. There are three types of systems that are regulated by the DEP. The most focused on system is Community water systems, followed by schools, factories, and daycares, and then gas stations, restaurants, and interstate rest stops.

In the 1970’s 20 contaminants were monitored, in 2010 80 contaminants are monitored including Nitrate and Nitrite, Inorganic contaminants, organic contaminants, synthetic organic contaminants, lead and copper, radiological contaminants, bacteriological contaminants and chlorine and pH levels.

Chlorine is sampled for daily, where as bacteria are sampled monthly from multiple sites, and chemical and radiological are tested quarterly, annually, or longer, according to Pope’s PowerPoint.

“Panhandle residents have some of the safest and most abundant potable water in the world,” Pope said.

Briefly discussing the study conducted by the EWG was Bill Johnson, an ECUA employee for nearly 20 years.

“When I saw the report on television one night a few weeks ago about a claim of worst drinking water, I was frankly astounded concerned, and finally angry,” Johnson said.

Johnson agrees with Pope that ECUA’s drinking water is perfectly safe and said that the fear the public is feeling is an “irrational fear.” He said that the risks faced from drinking water, are far less than those of smoking cigarettes or flying on a plane.

“I have been on airplanes, I have eaten peanut butter, but just as Dr. Sisskin said, that was my choice,” Jason Godwin, an environmental science major at the University of West Florida, said. “You have to have water to survive.”

Godwin attended the forum with high hopes, but was left feeling slightly unsatisfied and unimportant.

“Although they presented a lot of valuable information, I was left feeling overheard,” Godwin said. “I feel that ECUA heard our complaints and breezed right over them.”

Dr. Enid Sisskin, a biology instructor at UWF, was asked to speak about the health effect of low quantities of chemicals found in ECUA’s water. Her response was simple, “We don’t really know what a lot of the health effects are.”

The test that are actually conducted to find out the effects, are conducted with only one chemical, she said, whereas the public drinking water contains many chemicals at once.

“There have been very, very, very few studies done on combinations of chemicals,” Sisskin said.

ECUA uses a Sand and Gravel aquifer which, although convenient, are highly vulnerable to contamination.

“The most prevalent material in the wells was inorganic,” Carl Mohrherr, Research Associate for Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, said.

“There’s an indication that the soil is an incredible treatment device in itself” Drew Richard, Director of Engineering ECUA, said. That is not all that is needed, that is why they have treatment plants.

After the speakers of the forum were through, the floor was open to questions from the audience, many with the same response. “Irrational fear?” Tim Hauck, concerned citizen and father, was one of those with the same response.

“Irrational fear! What is he talking about?” Hauck said. “Look at the number of deaths caused by cancer in our area. Look at their ages, this is not an irrational fear, this is a legitimate fear.”

To take a stand, there are many things that can be done on day to day bases that will help, including not using chemicals, Mary Gutierrez, environmental planner, said.

“Many commonly used chemicals around the home are toxic,” Gutierrez said.

For more information on what you can do to help visit www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org

 

Chasidy Hobbs

University of West Florida instructor, Chasidy Hobbs, visited campus Wednesday to discuss the environmental issues she will cover in her newly appointed position at Emerald Coastkeeper, for the non-profit environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance.

The Waterkeeper alliance was originally started by John F. Kennedy Jr., and is an international non-profit environmental group. Hobbs is one of the four members in the Emerald Coastkeeper, a branch of Waterkeeper Allaince. This branch monitors all bodies of water ranging from Perdido Key to East Bay.

Her first major assignment was originally planned to cover the off shore drilling on the gulf coast. That was until the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a “scary” study. This study stated that out of the 100 biggest water suppliers in the United States, Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA), the major water supplier of the gulf coast, had more harmful chemicals than any other major water supplier.

After reading this study, Hobbs researched the criteria used to collect this data and discover that their ranking system was significantly flawed. The procedures used by the EWG were not properly done, where one water supplier would have their water tested only once, another would have their water tested five times, Hobbs said. The more test they take, the more chances they have of finding chemicals, she continued.

One of Hobbs greatest concerns is the fact that the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) has no regulations on the standard of water. Although the water from the ECUA contains 35 different harmful chemicals, they are not required to regulate these chemicals.

“Less than 100 of the 60,000 chemicals that are used throughout the United States, are actually regulated,” Hobbs said.

Also, you shouldn’t switch to bottled water quite yet. “There is much more oversight for the municipality ECUA than there is for that water company,” Hobbs said. She then continued mentioning the harmful chemicals that are absorbed from the plastic bottles, which are made from oil.

After this issue is cleared up, Hobbs’s next big assignment is going to be re-focused on off shore drilling off the panhandle. She also is looking to expand her organization significantly starting with finding a good toxicologist.

“I have big big dreams for the organization,” She said.