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Six Florida nursing homes are vying for “Gold Seal” status.Members of theGovernor’s Panel on Excellence in Long-Term Carewill meet Tuesday to consider applications that were submitted by the facilities.
Two of the applicants,Village on the Green in Longwood andMayflower Health Care Centerin Winter Park, are submitting initial applications.
Village on The Green wascited with several deficiencies in a summer re-licensure survey. According to the report, the facility failed to provide necessary care to two patients; failed to prevent a decrease in range of motion for two residents; didn’t maintain all its survey results for the last three years for the public to review; failed to follow up on pharmacy recommendations for one resident; and failed to ensure that the food was kept at proper holding temperatures.
The deficiencies were corrected according to a Sept. 2 follow-up visit,documents show.
Mayflower Health Care Center has also had some recent deficiencies, according to the state website Florida Health Finder. An unannounced fire, safety, life inspection conducted inearly August uncovered the facility was not maintaining its automatic sprinkler system through regularly scheduled inspections, was not executing twice-a-year drills for its comprehensive emergency management plan, and had fire doors that were not closing and locking.
A re-licensuresurvey for Mayflower conducted Aug. 3resulted in the facility being cited for not following a doctor’s follow-up orders for one resident and failing to adhere to employment background screening for two staff members
Are-licensure survey for a replacement Mayflower facilitywas conducted In October, along with a new fire life safety surveyafter a new building on the same campus was opened. No violations were found in either survey.
The Gold Seal Program was established in statuteto award and recognize nursing home facilities that demonstrate excellence in long-term care over a sustained period, promote the stability of the industry, and facilitate the physical, social and emotional well-being of nursing home facility residents. The Governor’s Panel on Excellence in Long-Term Care administers the program.
Gold Seal designations are generally awarded twice a year, and the designations are valid for two years.
There are 690 nursing home providers in Florida, but only14 nursing homes are recognized as Gold Seal Facilities.
Meanwhile, the coveted designation for four of the 14 facilities expires at the end of the year. Those four facilities —Delaney Park Health and Rehabilitation Center in Orlando;River Garden Hebrew Home for the Agedin Jacksonville;Joseph L. Morse Health Center, Inc. in West Palm Beach; andPavilion for Health Care in Penney Farms — have all submitted applications to keep their Gold Seal designation.
Members of the Governor’s Panel on Excellence in Long-Term Care will interview representatives from the nursing homes during its three-hour meeting. According to the agenda, the panel will consider testimony from the public.
Panel members will make follow-up visits to facilities to ensure they meet necessary standards. The panel will announce the Gold Seal recipients before Dec. 15.
The post Which nursing homes are Gold Seal worthy? Panel meets to discuss applicants appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
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There’s too much at stake this year for Democrats to give up on Florida, much less the entire South. That’s the message U.S. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina gave as he campaigned alongside Orlando Democrat Maxwell Alejandro Frost in Central Florida.
Clyburn reminded that it was the South who gave the Democratic nomination in 2020 to Joe Biden, who went on to unseat Republican President Donald Trump in a closer-than-expected election. Biden famously began to turn the Democratic Primary in his favor only after winning South Carolina, largely on the strength of Clyburn’s endorsement.
“I tell people all the time, we did our part in the Primary,” Clyburn told Florida Politics. “We may not be relevant in the General, where would you be if we had not done our part?”
Clyburn stumped with Frost, a front-runner to keep Florida’s 10th Congressional District in Democratic hands. Frost shocked some establishment figures winning a Democratic Primary for the open seat in August. Now in position to be the first Generation Z member of Congress, the Democrat doesn’t want Florida to be treated as less than a battleground.
“During my call time for the past year and a half, a lot of big donors are saying they’re giving up on Florida and not wanting to donate anymore,” Frost said. “I see it from the organizational side, I see it from the people-on-TV side and I see it from the money coming in.”
Clyburn attended a fundraiser with Frost on Sunday evening. Sources say the event raised about five figures. That won’t just help Frost, who is running in a district Biden won by almost 32 percentage points. Frost has donated $100,000 himself to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
At a press event at the Washington Park Library, an early voting site in west Orlando, Clyburn, Frost and other local leaders encouraged voters to cast ballots early.
They were flanked by a number of candidates including state Rep.-elect Rita Harris, who just won an open Democratic Primary in House District 44, Allie Braswell, the Democratic nominee in House District 45, and LaVon Bracy Davis, the Democratic nominee in House District 40. Orlando City Commissioner Bakari Burns attended, as well as a number of local civil rights leaders.
Clyburn shot a promotional video on the spot with Davis, and publicly announced his endorsement of Braswell immediately after the event. He held a brunch with local Democratic leaders after the press event shortly after the press conference.
“While my opponent is being endorsed by, and she herself supports, radical extremists like Donald Trump Jr., Anthony Sabatini and Matt Gaetz — people who collectively are under FBI criminal investigation and have done harm to our democracy and freedoms in Florida — I am proud to be supported by people who want to defend and protect our democracy,” Braswell said, slamming Republican opponent Carolina Amesty in the process.
“I have fought as a Marine to protect our country against extremism abroad and I’m ready to fight to protect Floridians against extremism in Tallahassee.”
Clyburn notably campaigned in a safe Democratic district instead of some neighboring battlegrounds, but noted many of the lower office candidates in attendance were indeed fighting in competitive seats.
And he noted there are races big and small where stakes are high.
“It is not a safe seat for Val Demings,” he said, referencing the Democratic nominee for Senate. Similarly, he said Charlie Crist faces a challenging road in the race for Florida Governor.
“We want people to turn up and vote from the top of the ballot, all the way down.”
The post James Clyburn, Maxwell Alejandro Frost say Democrats can’t write Florida off appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.
Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.
Pensacola Tree Service is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.
If you live in Pensacola, it’s just a matter of time that you have to do the inevitable and remove a tree.
Tree Removal Service Pensacola is a tree removal company that specializes in stump grinding, tree removal, and arborist services. They have been in business for over 10 years and have the experience and expertise to get the job done right. Fully licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that your property is in good hands.
Pensacola tree service is a company that specializes in removing trees. They have been doing this for over 10 years and they are really good at it. They also do stump grinding, which means they get rid of the stump left behind after the tree is removed. They are fully licensed and insured, so you can be sure that your property is in good hands.
The Toro Z-Master 2000 (Photo: Toro)
Toro introduced several new outdoor power equipment offerings including a lineup of battery- and gas-powered tools at the 2022 Equip Expo in Louisville, Ky.
New products from the company include:
The Toro Z-Master Revolution (Photo: Toro).
Z Master 2000. The turbo force deck is a 50 KSI 7-gauge high-strength steel deck, with a tubular chassis and an I-beam front-end. Toro’s MyRIDE suspension system adds improved comfort, according to the company. The 2000 also features several attachments to carry tools and accessories.
Z Master 2000 Revolution. Toro says the battery-powered Z Master 2000 Revolution is built on a commercial-grade Z Master 2000 Series frame and turbo force deck. The suspended operator platform is equipped with software in the controls that enables smooth operation. Toro’s HyperCell Power System with a Battery Management System (BMS) that allows for longer run times and quick charging, powers the machine.
GrandStand HDX. The GrandStand HDX features a 31 hp Kawasaki or 37hp Vanguard engine, ground speeds up to 12 mph and 52-inch, 60-inch and 72-inch deck options. The Vanguard engine offers an Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) and Vanguard Oil Guard System that extends the life of the oil and protects the engine. The machine also features dual-capture anti-scalp roller supports.
The Toro GrandStand (Photo: Toro)
60V Max Revolution Series Handheld Tools. Powered by Toro’s Flex-Force Power System, the new line includes a dual-battery backpack that can hold two 10 Ah batteries. Toro says the 60V batteries take 50 minutes to fully charge in its new six-pod rapid charger. The batteries also power both Revolution Series handheld tools and the Toro 60V Max 21-inch Heavy Duty mower.
The post Toro launches new ride-on zero-turn mowers, battery-powered equipment at Equip Expo appeared first on Landscape Management.
Good Sunday morning and welcome back to “Brunch,” a pop-up newsletter about the 2022 campaign cycle in Florida, as well as other important information about Florida politics.
We’re at Fox Leah Farms in Southwest Florida for a horse show. It’s the first time we’ve been in the region since Hurricane Ian devastated the area. It doesn’t take long to realize that, no matter how strong the response is to what happened, this community will be digging out for years.
Be sure to check out this week’s picks for the Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics (please click here).
Cleanup is not going to come overnight.
Happy birthday to Josh Gabel, Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel, former House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders of Key West, and to TylerWinik, Director of Government & Public Affairs at the Office of Brevard Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller.
Tomorrow is the last day of the tax holiday that allows motorists to fill up their tanks without paying the state’s 25.3-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax.
Now, here’s Brunch.
— Voters are voting —
Early votes and mail ballots keep pouring in. Here is a rundown of ballot returns as of 6 p.m. Saturday.
— Vote-by-mail: Just over 1.8 million mail ballots have completed the round trip. Democrats are leading in mail ballots with 774,387 returns to the GOP’s 674,916. Third- and no-party voters account for another 355,176 votes.
Voters are doing what they do best — vote. Image via AP.
— Early voting: Republicans keep growing their lead in early in-person voting, with 352,967 votes logged compared to 191,127 for Democrats. An added 109,751 third- and no-party voters cast a ballot during early voting.
— Totals: Republicans took the lead in overall votes Thursday, and they haven’t let up. Heading into Sunday, 1,027,883 registered Republicans had turned out compared to 965,514 Democrats — a gap of 62,369 votes.
— DeSantis in Tampa on Election Night —
Gov. Ron DeSantis will watch the results come in at the Tampa Bay Convention Center on Nov. 8.
— The event will likely turn into a victory party, as polls show DeSantis up by double digits over challenger Charlie Crist; the only question is how long after 7 p.m. Central will it take to pop the cork.
Ron DeSantis heads to Tampa for what will likely be a victory party.
— By the way, while it’s an easy stumble from the convention center to the JW Marriott Tampa, we’re told the entire hotel is already booked. You may have to stay at the sorta-decent Embassy Suites nearby.
Of course, if price is no concern, the penthouse at The Edition is still available for $12K!
— Biden in FL —
President Joe Biden will rally with Democrats in Miami Gardens Tuesday, one week before Election Day, to highlight the choice voters face this election.
— Celeb power: Emmy and Peabody award-winning actor KeeganMichaelKey will be on hand to help push the message. The Comedy Central sketch show “Key & Peele” star famously appeared at the 2015 White House Correspondents’ Dinner as then-President BarackObama’s “anger translator.”
Joe Biden makes a last-minute swing through Florida.
— Top-of-ticket Dems: Gubernatorial candidate Crist and U.S. Senate candidate ValDemings will also be on hand as they both face underdog races against Republican incumbents.
— Top issues: Expect speakers to lean into top-campaign issues such as abortion access and protecting democracy.
Doors open at 4 p.m. The rally will be held at Florida Memorial University located at 15800 NW 42nd Ave. in Miami Gardens. Election Day is Nov. 8.
— Florida Dems call on Obama —
Former PresidentBarackObama will be reaching the phones of millions of Floridians this week in a robocall to promote Florida Democrats ahead of the Midterms.
— What? In the call, Obama relays to voters of the importance of this year’s election, urging Floridians to support Democrats up and down the ballot.
As Election Day nears, Florida Democrats turn to the big guns.
— Hammering the issues. Obama hits on some of the key Democratic platforms for midterms, including abortion rights — an issue Democrats have homed in on since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June. “Don’t sit this one out, because everything we care about is on the ballot,” he says.
— Will it be enough? The pre-recorded call comes as Floridians head to the polls during early voting. On Thursday morning, Republicans overtook Democrats in the polls, and the GOP has kept its lead since.
— Harder to vote —
Florida ranks 33rd in the nation for voting access, according to the Election Law Journal’s 2022 Cost of Voting Index. It’s gotten more difficult to vote in the Sunshine State since 2020.
— A big drop: Florida dropped five spots in the ranking since 2020, even as some states made it easier to vote amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Voter fraud: Republicans nationwide have sounded the alarm about potential voter fraud, despite evidence that such fraud is not significant. DeSantis signed into law last year new limits on who can collect and drop off ballots, making it more difficult to return mail ballots.
Florida is not well-ranked in ease of voting.
— Other restrictions: DeSantis and the Republican Legislature also enacted tightened restrictions on nongovernment groups’ voter registration drives and created a new state law enforcement agency to investigate voter fraud.
— Some expansion: DeSantis did sign an executive order this month extending early voting and vote-by-mail access through Election Day in three counties affected by Hurricane Ian, where voting is expected to be affected due to hardship.
— It could be worse: The report found New Hampshire ranked last for voting ease, followed by Mississippi, Arkansas and Wisconsin.
— But it could be better: Oregon ranks as the easiest state from which to vote. The state has automatic voter registration and all-mail voting.
The report concluded that Florida’s new law enforcement arm dealing with voter fraud “may lead to election interference and voter intimidation.
— Souls to the Polls —
Faith in Florida has kicked off its Souls to the Polls events and will continue getting individuals to polling places throughout the state until Election Day.
— Underrepresented communities: The group is targeting get-out-the-vote efforts in Black and Brown communities where critical races are on the ballot. In a news release, Faith in Florida claims those communities are “often ignored by candidate campaigns, and thus their voices go unheard.”
— It’s already started: Souls to the Polls events began last Saturday, Oct. 22 with events in Port St. Joe and Apalachicola and on Sunday, Oct. 23 in Chipley. On Wednesday, an event occurred in Miami Gardens and, yesterday, voters were mobilized in Largo and Opa-locka.
A Sunday-before-Election-Day tradition.
— Location, location, location: Voters can catch a ride to the polls today in Vero Beach, Ocala, Plant City, Riviera Beach, Fort Pierce, New Port Richey, Jacksonville, Hallandale Beach, Panama City, Mary Esther, Hobe Sound, Delray Beach and Miami.
— A lot of outreach: In 2018, the last Midterm Election, Faith in Florida organized more than 800 houses of worship in its “Let My People Vote” campaign, when they educated voters on Amendment 4 and helped 1.5 million returning citizens get their rights restored under the new law.
— And lots more to go: The event ends on Election Day, Nov. 8, with two events — one at Williams Park in St. Petersburg and another at New Generation Missionary Baptist Church in Opa-locka.
Faith in Florida is an organization that promotes people, power and change, bringing people of faith together in a unified voice for racial, economic, environmental and social justice through a network of congregations in South, Central and North Florida. The group includes more than 800 congregations in more than 35 counties, representing 160,000 families. More information on Souls to the Polls events can be found on their website.
— TV buys —
There are only nine days left until Election Day, and campaigns are throwing the last of their ad budgets onto the small screen to sway the few remaining undecided voters. Here’s a rundown of the ads that will show up on TV this week.
— Governor: Crist’s campaign dropped another $40K on broadcast ads. According to AdImpact, the flight will run Tuesday through Monday. It directs $35K to the Tallahassee media market and $5K to the Ft. Myers media market.
Get your remotes ready; here come the ads.
— CD 23: Democratic nominee Jared Moskowitz booked $29K in ad time for his campaign in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District. The buy will run on broadcast starting on Halloween and continuing through Nov. 6 in the Miami media market. Moskowitz faces Republican Joe Budd in the General Election for the South Florida seat.
— Rubio releases closing ad —
Republican incumbent Rubio takes aim at Democrats in a new ad, which will close the ad cycle a week out from the General Election.
— Taking aim: The ad targets Democratic control in Washington, arguing that “everything has gotten worse” in the two years since Dems took the lead.
— Economy: Rubio slams Democrats for the global inflation crisis, saying “Instead of growing jobs, they grow inflation and debt.” He also criticizes energy policy, saying “they beg our enemies for oil, and they make you pay at the pump.”
— Immigration: Rubio also hits on the border, saying “instead of enforcing our laws, they let illegal aliens and drugs flood across our borders.”
— Bringing it back: The ad ties it back to Rubio’s Democratic opponent, ValDemings, saying she “supported all of this” by “voting with Pelosi 100%.”
— The ad comes as polling shows Rubio leading Demings, including a recent poll finding a double-digit lead.
To watch the ad, please click on the image below:
— Poll: Lynn, Luna locked in tie —
Candidates for Florida’s 13th Congressional District are locked in a dead heat, according to the latest survey results from St. Pete Polls.
— The two are separated by less than 1 percentage point, with Republican AnnaPaulinaLuna posting 45.9% support to Democrat EricLynn’s 45.3% support. Nearly 9% of those polled are still undecided.
— Cross-party appeal: Lynn is drawing more cross-party support than his opponent. Only 7% of Democrats said they planned to vote for Luna, while 16% of Republicans said they would vote for Lynn.
— Good news for Lynn: More Lynn supporters (56%) have already voted than Luna’s (39%), which means her campaign will need to ensure those who haven’t already cast a ballot do so by Election Day.
In the home stretch, the race tightens.
— Undecided. More than 12% of those polled who are still undecided have yet to vote.
— Details: The St. Pete Polls survey was taken Oct. 26-27 among 509 likely CD 13 General Election voters. It has a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.
The candidates are running to replace Crist, who left office amid a bid for Governor.
— Hometown hero —
Democratic Sen.Janet Cruz is facing Republican Jay Collins in her re-election campaign for Senate District 14, which is perhaps the most competitive state Senate contest of the cycle. But she’s getting some backup.
— Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is the star of a new campaign ad highlighting Cruz’s values and record serving Tampa residents in the Legislature.
— Castor’s pitch: “I’ve known Janet Cruz for over 20 years, so I know how much Tampa means to Janet. Improving the lives of every Tampa resident is what drives her. For Janet, it’s not about politics — it’s about people. It’s about making Tampa more affordable, making our neighborhoods and schools safe and free from crime, and making sure everyone has access to the opportunities they deserve.”
Janet Cruz makes her closing pitch.
— The fundraising call: The ad dropped in an email asking supporters to chip in what they can to help Cruz defeat Collins, whom she calls “an opponent whose views simply do not represent the people of our community.”
— Cruz had raised big. According to the latest available finance reports, Cruz has topped $2 million raised between her campaign and political committee since she last appeared on the ballot four years ago. Collins has reeled in about $700,000, though he has more in the tank and a DeSantis endorsement to boot.
Like Cruz’s current district, the new SD 14 is as purple as it gets, and the result could easily come down to a handful of votes. Cruz has prevailed in close contests before, however, squeaking by former GOP Sen. Dana Young by just a few hundred votes.
— Retraction or overreaction? —
The Hispanic Vote of Palm Beach County is asking that TV stations stop running an ad supporting Republican House candidate Peggy Gossett-Seidman and attacking her Democratic rival for House District 91 — or at least take the group’s name out of it.
— Radical claim: The ad, in rotation for the last week in Palm Beach County’s TV stations and paid for by the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee (FHRCC), has a frame that says that Democrat Andy Thomson “backed open border radicals.” And the fine print says, “Source: Thomson Endorsements, Hispanic Vote, Accessed 10/15/22.” Technically, The Hispanic Vote of Palm Beach County endorsed Thomson over Gossett-Seidman. But the group’s leader is protesting that the ad misrepresents the political action committee’s position on immigration. They explicitly don’t want open borders. And for the upcoming election, The Hispanic Vote endorsed 19 candidates — 10 Republicans and nine Democrats.
— To watch the ad, please click on the image below:
— ‘Racist dog whistle’: “Hispanic Vote Palm Beach County is a group of business and community leaders who support legal immigration,” said Jorge Garrido, CEO of The Hispanic Vote Palm Beach County. “Calling us ‘open border radicals’ because of our ethnicity is just another racist dog whistle being perpetrated by her campaign. Shame on Peggy.” Garrido said he wants the ad taken down and a public apology from Gossett-Seidman’s campaign. He’s been getting phone calls about the misrepresentation, he said.
— No clarity: FHRCC staffers, when questioned, did not provide a reason for why The Hispanic Vote of Palm Beach County was characterized as a group of “open border radicals.”
— Mistake? House Republican Rep. Rick Roth, who is among those The Hispanic Vote endorsed for re-election, said he thinks The Hispanic Vote is upset about seeing its chosen candidate attacked like this. “I think the issue was to link the Democrat (Andy Thomson) to pro-open border national Democrats,” said Roth, whose bid to represent House District 94 for a fourth term won The Hispanic Vote’s endorsement over Democrat Terence Davis’ challenTwitterh, who is part of the FHRCC’s leadership, said he could not understand why the consultant who put the ad together put The Hispanic Vote as a source, however. It might have been a mistake, he said.
Gossett-Seidman’s campaign noted that The Hispanic Voice’s Twitter account had tweets that could be construed as an open border agenda. Garrido, however, did not know about the Twitter account. Its most recent activity goes back to 2012.
— Birthday for a cause —
Former Florida Secretary of Commerce Jamal Sowell celebrated his 40th birthday by giving back. The now-president of Indelible’s Business Solutions division reportedly raised nearly $10,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubbing Pine Hills, with donations still rolling in.
— Giving back: Sowell is an alum of the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida and credits the program for providing experience and lessons that allowed him to become a Pat Tillman Scholar, a Unified States Marine Corps Captain and Florida’s Secretary of Commerce.
Jamal Sowell hits the big 4-0.
— What he’s saying: “The Boys & Girls Club was a safe harbor that nurtured my interest and talents. It was a haven for me to explore my interests in a safe environment. At this stage in my life, it was important to me that I return the investment the community made in me.”
— ‘Indelible’ contribution: Sowell’s company, Indelible, which is one of the nation’s fastest-growing management consulting firms, sponsored the event, allowing 100% of proceeds raised to go toward the Boys & Girls Club. Sowell oversees the firm’s tax and audit, risk management, regulatory compliance and strategic development consultancy portfolio.
— An ‘indispensable asset’: That’s how Indelible CEO Joshua Hay described Sowell and the reason they were “honored” to sponsor the event allowing him to give back. The company hopes “to continue supporting initiatives such as this.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need them most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Of the club’s teen participants, 97% expect to graduate from high school and 88% expect to complete some form of post-secondary education.
— Down the whale —
Population estimates for North Atlantic right whales declined again this year, according to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, to around 340. A slowing of the right whales’ decline isn’t enough, though, to take away from the fact the species is on a quick route to extinction.
— Basic math: More whales are dying every year from fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes than are being born. Scientists believe every North Atlantic right whale death the past 50 years is human-caused — none are dying naturally, and the species has no predator. Pushback is ongoing regarding federal measures to provide safe waters for the whales.
— Lost progress: Gains made in population recovery before the whales’ “unusual mortality event” began in 2017 are gone, with numbers approximating what they were in 2001. “In the ensuing decade, the population increased by 150 whales; that tells us this species can recover if we stop injuring and killing them,” said Philip Hamilton, senior scientist at the New England Aquarium.
North Atlantic right whales calve off the coasts of Florida and Georgia every winter. Image via Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
— It gets worse: A new study detailed that there are fewer female right whales that are even capable of successfully reproducing. “The evidence that females are not maturing to have calves is very disturbing, and the current trajectory for breeding females is shocking,” said Peter Corkeron, senior scientist at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. “But there is an important ray of hope in this analysis. If we can eliminate entanglements, then there’s a good chance that the cohort of females who haven’t started calving yet will do so.”
— Bucs bust —
If you want to know why the Bucs are struggling at 3-5 midway through the season, well …. let’s ask Rex Ryan.
— Ryan’s reaction: He’s the former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills coach who now does commentary for ESPN. “This team is old and slow,” Ryan said. “You talk about unwatchable on offense — they are unwatchable on offense.” By the way, that’s before the Bucs were gashed for 231 yards on the ground by the Ravens — 204 of that came in the second half when they played keep-away in an eventual 27-22 win.
— Just the facts, please: Ryan wasn’t just shooting off at the mouth. He used statistical evidence to make his case. The Bucs’ offense ranks 31st in the NFL in average top team speed, ahead of only the Indianapolis Colts. And their average team age of 27.1 makes them the oldest team in the league. Of course, the age number might be skewed a bit by 45-year-old Tom Brady. But the longer a player is in the league, the more likely they are to get hurt, and the Bucs have had a ton of injuries starting in the middle of last season and continuing this year.
— Another blow to the defense: The Bucs lost another key defensive player when linebacker Shaq Barrett injured his Achilles tendon against the Ravens. He will undergo surgery and miss up to nine months. Barrett turns 30 on November 17. If the Bucs continue to struggle and miss the playoffs, it could trigger a rebuild and a roster purge. Either way, we’re probably seeing the final games of Brady’s unmatched career.
The Bucs are ‘old and slow’ — says Rex Ryan.
— Brady’s frustration grows: Brady’s well-publicized personal life came into focus again on the morning after the Baltimore game. He announced that his long-rumored divorce from supermodel Gisele Bündchen was final. He also has uncharacteristically struggled on the field. The current three-game losing streak is his longest in 20 years. And with rumors of a possible shake-up in the coaching staff beginning to surface, there is little time to right the ship. Oh, and the Bucs’ next game is Nov. 6 against the defending Super Bowl champion L.A. Rams.
— Underdog repeat? —
Major League Baseball is a marathon. Until it isn’t, that is. Baseball purists pride themselves on how the 162-game regular season produces teams worthy of a championship. But last year, the Atlanta Braves proved all that matters is being hot at the right time. It’s the same way this year.
— Phillies on fire: The World Series is underway, and the Philadelphia Phillies hold one of the two spots. Last year, the Braves won 88 games (compared to 107 for San Francisco and 106 for the Dodgers and Astros). But Atlanta rode hot pitching to knock out the Dodgers in the playoffs and the Astros in the World Series. At least Atlanta won its division. That’s more than we can say for the Phillies this year.
— Let ‘em all in: MLB expanded the playoffs this season to 12 teams, and we might as well get used to that. That’s how the Phillies, who finished 14 games behind the Mets in the National League East with 87 wins, made it to the postseason party. Is that bad? Maybe it is to those who believe it’s their responsibility to keep the purity of baseball alive, but there’s no doubt it created extra excitement. If the Phillies win, will it cheapen the World Series? Some would say yes, but baseball’s postseason has become a demolition derby that is must-watch TV.
The Phillies are headed to the World Series. Image via AP.
— Goodbye Dodgers and Yankees: The 111-win Dodgers didn’t survive their first-round series, falling to the Padres (who then lost to the Phillies). The Yankees (99 wins) went meekly in the American League Championship Series, falling in four straight to the Astros. Would America have preferred to watch Yankees slugger Aaron Judge battle Dodger pitching in the Series? Maybe. But the unpredictability of baseball’s postseason is what makes it compelling.
— Now it’s a sprint: The bromide that binds in baseball is that the season is a marathon, not a sprint. But the postseason is a sprint, and one or two bad games can wreck a full season’s worth of work. Too bad. As The New York Times noted, the early-round playoff chaos means the system is working.
— Brunching Out —
Tally Fish House & Oyster Bar, a family restaurant owned by Chip and Amanda Evans, combines a friendly atmosphere with good service, fresh fish, a full bar and weekly specials: whole Maine lobsters on Mondays, Oyster Tuesdays, Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays, All You Can Eat Shrimp and $8 martinis on Thursdays and live music on Friday nights. Brunch, with bottomless mimosas and bloody marys for $15 (with the purchase of an adult entree), is available on Saturdays and Sundays.
— Setting: The nautical-themed fish house has the bonus of both a private dining room and a covered outdoor patio, especially appealing now that it’s fall. There’s live music on the weekends and on Sunday morning, talented acoustic guitarist Kade Williamson started our day off on the right note.
Get your seafood on at the Tally Fish House & Oyster Bar.
— The menu: Fish and seafood are featured in several dishes such as shrimp and grits, blackened grouper and grits, shrimp breakfast burrito, shrimp and crab omelet, and my choice, the Fried Green Tomato and Crab Cake Benedict on a biscuit. The green tomato was juicy and crisp and the crab cakes were nicely done, and well-seasoned. We also ordered The Captain’s Breakfast, which is a generous plate of three eggs, several slices of bacon or Azur sausage, biscuits, sausage gravy and cheese grits. Among other choices: French toast, chicken and waffles, chicken and biscuits and waffles and whipped cream. You can also order off the dinner menu.
— Details:Tally Fish House & Oyster Bar, 6800 Thomasville Rd.; 850-900-5075. Hours: Brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, with regular hours until 10 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, with regular hours to 9 p.m. Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.
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For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to boost out-of-state candidates down the stretch, offering 25 minutes of Long Island sound Saturday for Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin.
DeSantis appears on his way to a decisive win against Charlie Crist next month, offering the confidence to devote time on the penultimate weekend of the campaign to a Republican polling seven points behind the incumbent in a Democratic stronghold.
“If you are tired of the same old same old story, you have the power to turn the page,” DeSantis said. “This will be the 21st century version of the shot heard around the world. Let’s get it done.”
DeSantis related what Zeldin could do to what he’s done as Governor, including his decision to crumple and trash a letter from Democrats urging more COVID-19 mitigation.
“I can tell you, Lee Zeldin, he would be making the same types of decisions,” DeSantis said.
The Governor pivoted to critiques of other candidates, including Georgia’s Stacey Abrams. Her winning would “spark” a wave of “Georgia refugees coming into the state of Florida,” DeSantis contended, before holding forth on people who came to the state in recent months.
“I’ll have people come up to me, give me a big hug, and say ‘thank God for Florida, I couldn’t take it anymore,”” DeSantis said of people moving from other states.
He noted that he was “happy to have folks” who came to Florida via “in-migration.”
“These are my people, they’re voting for me, don’t get me wrong,” DeSantis said. “But man, do you really want to continue policies that are doing that?”
DeSantis also talked up Zeldin’s commitment to the rule of law.
“Florida is a law-and-order state. I am a law and order Governor. If Lee Zeldin gets into office, New York will be a law and order state, and he will be a law and order Governor,” DeSantis said, noting that Zeldin would be tough on criminals.
“Lee Zeldin will not coddle these people. He will hold them accountable,” DeSantis said.
Regarding riots after the George Floyd murder, DeSantis said Zeldin “would have stopped that in his tracks.”
“In Florida I called the National Guard immediately, we were not going to let our cities burn down,” DeSantis said, saying that“back when that happened (Zeldin) would’ve done the same thing.”
The Governor touched on other familiar subjects, including vaccine mandates and differences between Florida and New York’s approach to them.
“Those mandates were not based on science. They were engineered to force your compliance with their agenda,” DeSantis contended, venturing into rhyme.
The post Ron DeSantis makes New York pitch for Lee Zeldin appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
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U..S. Senate candidate Val Demings is set to hit South Florida Saturday, meeting with voters and hosting a Black Women Lead caravan ahead of the November General Election.
Demings, who is challenging Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. MarcoRubio, will start the day in Miramar with U.S. Reps. YvetteClarke, Sheila McCormick and DebbieWassermanSchultz at a canvass launch with voters and volunteers.
Then, the former Orlando Police Chief will join the Black Women Lead caravan launch in Miami at 1:15 p.m. with Clarke and McCormick. From there, Demings and the Congresswomen will head to an early vote meet and greet in Miami Gardens at 3:30 p.m. This
This evening, Demings will stay in Miami Gardens for a salon talk with Sisters for Demings.
As Demings continues to campaign, recent polling continues to show Rubio comfortably leading his Democratic challenger — including one showing him ahead by double digits.
The growinglistofsurveys echo that of the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida, which spoke by phone with 622 likely voters Oct. 17-24. The study had a 4.7-percentage-point margin of error.
For Demings supporters, the results are dejecting. Fifty-four percent of those polled said they plan to vote for Rubio compared to 43% who side with Demings. The rest refused to answer or said they didn’t know whom they’ll pick at the ballot box.
Respondents also spoke of how their friends and family members were likely to vote. The spread was even direr for Demings, with 48% saying they were certain their friends and family preferred Rubio and 31% believing Demings would get support — a 17-point difference.
Six percent said their friends and family were split evenly between the two candidates, while 16% said they weren’t sure or refused to answer.
Election Day is on Nov. 8. Early voting is now underway.
The post Val Demings campaigning in South Florida Saturday appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.
Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.
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The man accused of breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s California home and severely beating her husband with a hammer appears to have made racist and often rambling posts online, including some that questioned the results of the 2020 election, defended former President Donald Trump and echoed QAnon conspiracy theories.
DavidDePape, 42, grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, before leaving about 20 years ago to follow an older girlfriend to San Francisco. A street address listed for DePape in the Bay Area college town of Berkeley led to a post office box at a UPS Store.
DePape was arrested at the Pelosi home early Friday. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she expected to file multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and elder abuse.
Stepfather Gene DePape said the suspect had lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and had been a quiet boy.
“David was never violent that I seen and was never in any trouble although he was very reclusive and played too much video games,” Gene DePape said.
He said he hasn’t seen his stepson since 2003 and tried to get in touch with him several times over the years without success.
“In 2007, I tried to get in touch but his girlfriend hung up on me when I asked to talk to him,“ Gene DePape said.
David DePape was known in Berkeley as a pro-nudity activist who had picketed naked at protests against local ordinances requiring people to be clothed in public.
Gene DePape said the girlfriend whom his son followed to California was named Gypsy and they had two children together. DePape also has a child with a different woman, his stepfather said.
Photographs published by The San Francisco Chronicle on Friday identified DePape frolicking nude outside city hall with dozens of others at the 2013 wedding of pro-nudity activist GypsyTaub, who was marrying another man. Taub did not respond Friday to calls or emails.
A 2013 article in The Chronicle described David DePape as a “hemp jewelry maker” who lived in a Victorian flat in Berkeley with Taub, who hosted a talk show on local public-access TV called “Uncensored 9/11,” in which she appeared naked and pushed conspiracy theories that the 2001 terrorist attacks were “an inside job.”
A pair of web blogs posted in recent months online under the name David DePape contained rants about technology, aliens, communists, religious minorities, transexuals and global elites.
An Aug. 24 entry titled “Q,” displayed a scatological collection of memes that included photos of the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and made reference to QAnon, the baseless pro-Trump conspiracy theory that espouses the belief that the country is run by a deep state cabal of child sex traffickers, satanic pedophiles and baby-eating cannibals.
“Big Brother has deemed doing your own research as a thought crime,” read a post that appeared to blend references to QAnon with George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984.”
In an Aug. 25 entry titled “Gun Rights,” the poster wrote: “You no longer have rights. Your basic human rights hinder Big Brothers ability to enslave and control you in a complete and totalizing way.”
The web hosting service WordPress removed one of the sites Friday afternoon for violating its terms of service.
On a different site, someone posting under DePape’s name repeated false claims about COVID vaccines and wearing masks, questioned whether climate change is real and displayed an illustration of a zombified HillaryClinton dining on human flesh.
There appeared to be no direct posts about Pelosi, but there were entries defending former President Donald Trump and Ye, the rapper formally known as Kayne West who recently made antisemitic comments.
In other posts, the writer said Jews helped finance Hitler’s political rise in Germany and suggested an antisemitic plot was involved in Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine.
“The more Ukrainians die NEEDLESSLY the cheaper the land will be for Jews to buy up,” the post said.
In a Sept. 27 post, the writer said any journalists who denied Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election “should be dragged straight out into the street and shot.”
____
Republished with permission from The Associated Press.
The post Suspect in assault at Pelosi home had posted about QAnon appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.
Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.
Tree Services in Pensacola is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is campaigning with three Democratic candidates and in support of a city referendum Saturday at early voting sites around the county.
The goal, a press note from Democratic consultant said, is to “encourage voters to make their voice heard this critical 2022 election cycle.”
Levine Cava will first visit the North Miami Public Library, located at 835 NE 132nd St., where she will campaign at 11:30 a.m. with social worker and nonprofit executive Marleine Bastien.
Bastien is competing in a runoff against North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime to succeed Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime on the County Commission.
From there, she will depart for Miami Beach City Hall at 1700 Convention Center Dr. to campaign at 12:45 p.m. on behalf of Democratic former Bay Harbor Islands Mayor Jordan Leonard. Leonard faces Republican reality TV star turned stay-at-home dad Fabían Basabe for the seat representing House District 106.
She’ll also join Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson in advocating for the passage of Miami Beach Referendum 1, which would allow for the construction of larger buildings in the city’s North Beach Oceanside Resort Overlay District.
The overlay would include the grounds of the Deauville Hotel — a historic property at 6701 Collins Ave. renowned for hosting the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy that’s scheduled for implosion Nov. 13 — and vacant properties north and south of the hotel.
If passed, the referendum would allow for the construction of a new hotel with a minimum lot size of 150,000 square feet and at least 150 rooms. The project would be allowed to be built with half the density required of other projects in the city, provided the owner builds a public recreation facility and beach access onsite.
Then at 1:30 p.m., Levine Cava will travel to the Vizcaya Museum at 3251 S. Miami Ave. in Miami to campaign with Democratic lawyer A.J. D’Amico, who is running against GOP insider and former Lee County Commissioner Vicki Lopez for the soon-to-be open seat representing House District 113. Both won their respective Primary races Aug. 23.
Recent survey data shows D’Amico with a tentative 5-point lead over Lopez among likely voters in HD 113, which covers Key Biscayne and parts of Coral Gables and Miami. However, the survey had a 5.2-percentage-point margin of error, meaning the two are in a statistical tie.
Early voting is now underway at 28 polling sites across Miami-Dade. Polls will remain open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 6. They’ll reopen on Nov. 8, Election Day.
— 11:30 a.m.: North Miami Public Library, 835 NE 132nd St. to campaign with Bastien
— 12:45 p.m.: Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Dr. to campaign with Richardson in support of Miami Beach Referendum 1, and Leonard, candidate for HD 106.
— 1:30 p.m. Vizcaya Museum, 3251 S. Miami Ave to campaign with D’Amico, candidate for HD 113.
The post Daniella Levine Cava to back Democratic Miami-Dade candidates at early voting sites Saturday appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.
Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.
Pensacola Tree Service is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.
Tallahassee is celebrating one homecoming weekend and two gamedays Saturday, and top Senate Democrats will be there to build excitement for the schools and Sen. Loranne Ausley.
Senate Democrats will take a day-long pitstop in the Capital City to celebrate Florida A&M University’s homecoming football game against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Florida State University’s game against Georgia Tech. Joining Ausley on the penultimate day of the ‘Florida Freedom Tour’ in North Florida will be Democratic Leader Lauren Book and incoming President Pro Tempore Jason Pizzo.
Just this once, Ausley and her Senate District 3 opponent, Republican Corey Simon, will likely find themselves rooting for the same team. Ausley is locked in a tight re-election battle against Simon, a former Seminole who was an All-American during the team’s 1999 championship season. While both candidates will be rooting for the local schools, their real focus is 10 days down the road — Election Day.
Ausley and her posse will begin their fourth morning together at the FAMU homecoming parade at 8 a.m. Next, they’ll make their way toward Doak Campbell Stadium to tailgate for FSU from 10 a.m. till noon. Finally, from 2 p.m. till 4 p.m., the trio will find themselves back with Rattler Nation for the FAMU tailgate outside Bragg Memorial Stadium.
Ausley isn’t the only candidate expected to be there. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist will attend the FAMU homecoming parade and the homecoming football game beginning at 2:45 p.m., ahead of the 4 p.m. kickoff.
The next day, Ausley, Book and Pizzo will mark their last day of the bus tour together with visits in Leon, Gadsden, Dixie and Lafayette counties. They will participate in Sunday services, wave signs and connect with local voters.
Senate Democrats launched their first-ever bus tour Wednesday in an effort to turn out voters who don’t typically get visits from state politicians, particularly Democrats. The next stages of the bus tour will support Sen. Janet Cruz, Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil, Raquel Pacheco and Janelle Perez in their “frontline” Senate races.
Ausley is the incumbent Democrat most at risk of losing her seat next month. With SD 3’s expansion into a total of 13 counties, geographically the largest in the state, it grew from a seat that voted for President Joe Biden by 9 percentage points in 2020 into one he would have carried by only 3 points. That, plus Ausley’s underperformance as compared to Biden in 2020 and the recent reversal of Democrats’ fortunes in the polls, puts Ausley’s seat on the line.
“We’re getting dangerously close to losing ground, so it is all hands on deck,” Pizzo told reporters Wednesday.
SD 3 covers Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor and Wakulla counties.
Ausley served in the House from 2000 to 2008 and from 2016 to 2020 and was elected to the Senate in 2020, giving her 14 years of experience representing parts of North Florida.
After his college football career, Simon played in the National Football League and has since been a community volunteer and CEO of Volunteer Florida. Both live in Tallahassee.
The post Senate Democrats’ bus tour for Loranne Ausley spends game day in Tallahassee appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
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Aiming to put a new spin on doing one’s democratic duty, an Orlando civic engagement center will be leading “Salsa to the Polls” for early voting election days starting today.
TheAlianza Center’scanvassers this past year have been able to convince 7,000 voters to either register or update their registrations. But, actually getting these new voters to the polls might be a challenge, saysCristina Robinson, chief of staff at the Alianza Center.
So, there’s going to be dancing. And decorated cars leading a caravan that starts at 2 p.m. today from theOsceola County Supervisor of Elections Office.
“We’ll be stopping at the early voting locations,” Robinson said. “We’ll get out and we’ll be doing some salsa dancing.”
Central Florida experienced a large influx of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, Robinson said. And although it is a territory of the United States, some of the political procedures are different, Robinson explained.
Electing a Senator, for example, is an entirely new experience for Puerto Ricans. Four political parties run the country, but none of them go by the same names that are used here.
“All of those nuances are very new to Puerto Ricans who come from the islands,” Robinson said.
Next weekend, the Alianza Center will repeat the same procedure in Orange County.
Latinos are the fastest growing U.S. racial and ethnic group since the last Midterm, thePew Research Centerfound. They represent 62% of the total growth in U.S. eligible voters between 2018 and 2022, the research found. Turnout among this group has typically trailed other groups, the same study says.
In Puerto Rico, Election Day is a holiday — a celebration with food, festivals, fairs and parades. And the island’s voter turnout is higher than the United States’. “Salsa to the Polls” is trying to capture some of that tradition, Robinson said.
“It’s about bringing our culture and having fun and trying that into civic engagement and exercising our right to vote,” Robinson said.
The post ‘Salsa to the Polls’ aims to boost Latino and Hispanic voting appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
If you live in Florida, you need to remove a tree from your property, but you're not sure how to go about it or if it's even safe to do yourself.
Removing a tree can be a daunting task. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up hurting yourself or damaging your property.
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A Leon Circuit judge says plaintiffs in a redistricting lawsuit may depose Gov. Ron DeSantis and a top aide.
Circuit Judge Lee Marsh issued an order on Oct. 27 quashing efforts to protect DeSantis and Deputy Chief of Staff Alex Kelly from being forced to testify. The decision makes way for both to answer questions in videotaped depositions.
Kelly drew Florida’s new congressional map, one approved by the Legislature on April 21, after DeSantis vetoed a map produced by the Legislature during the Regular Session.
The Governor’s involvement, unprecedented in modern Florida history, drew immediate criticism for producing a map with 20 districts won by Republican Donald Trump in 2020 and just eight won by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump won Florida that year by just 3 percentage points.
The map he vetoed from the Legislature has 18 Trump districts and 10 Biden districts. Notably, the Legislature’s map had been crafted by House redistricting committee staff led by staff director Leda Kelly, Alex Kelly’s wife.
Shortly after DeSantis signed the map drawn by his staff, civil rights advocates sued, contending the map intentionally diminished the voting power of Black Floridians by eliminating two districts where Black voters control the outcome of elections. In one of those, the map forced incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Lawson to run in a different Republican-leaning district against Republican U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn.
DeSantis publicly argued during the legislative process that prior maps, which drew Lawson’s district to span from Tallahassee to Jacksonville, violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by using racial motivations to draw lines.
Plaintiff attorneys in a state lawsuit argued in a hearing earlier this month that both DeSantis and Kelly need to answer questions about how the map was crafted.
Marsh cited a Florida Supreme Court decision regarding Florida’s redistricting process in the last decade. Then, Justices determined legislative privilege did not protect elected lawmakers from testifying because the state constitution outlaws “improper legislative ‘intent’ in the congressional reapportionment process.”
Ultimately, lawmakers had to testify about the reapportionment case in court, and Justices determined a congressional map approved by the Legislature was drawn to benefit the Republican Party in violation of the constitution. That led to the Supreme Court replacing the congressional map mid-decade.
“In this case, plaintiffs alleged that the Governor (through his staff) drew the congressional district map that was ultimately enacted into law,” Marsh wrote in his court order. That means courts need to hear from DeSantis and from Kelly in order to determine if the map was crafted in violation of the constitution.
Marsh also notes several exceptions were allowed in the consideration process for the congressional map. The cartography was submitted through a public portal, but while all other submissions required disclosure of all individuals who collaborated on the mapmaking process, Kelly shared no such information.
Ultimately, Marsh dismissed arguments by DeSantis’ Office that executive privilege would protect DeSantis or Kelly from testifying in the case, largely because both acted not in an executive capacity but a legislative one in crafting a map that would be sent to the Legislature for consideration.
But Marsh does say depositions and evidence in the case will only be allowed pending in camera review to see if any communications presented there are protected by attorney-client privilege.
Image Orders (1) by Jacob Ogles on Scribd
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If you live in Florida, you need to remove a tree from your property, but you're not sure how to go about it or if it's even safe to do yourself.
Removing a tree can be a daunting task. If you don't know what you're doing, you could end up hurting yourself or damaging your property.
Pensacola Tree Service is here to help. We are experts in tree removal, stump grinding, and tree trimming. We will safely remove the tree from your property and leave your yard looking great.
Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to see something strange? Come with us and you will see this, our town of lobbying.
Our apologies to Danny Elfman, but the title track from a movie about two worlds colliding is the perfect fit for our annual rundown of how the men and women working in The Process are helping you enjoy one of the best holidays of the year: Halloween.
According to the Florida Retail Federation, Halloween 2022 is going to be one for the record books.
A survey conducted by its partner organization, the National Retail Federation, nearly seven in 10 American shoppers plan to celebrate the holiday this year, and they’ll each shell out $100 on average — that comes out to $10.6 billion in spending nationwide, which is a $500 million increase year-over-year and a whopping $2.6 billion more than 2020, when the pandemic was competing for the scare crown.
If you want a preview of who will be knocking on your door Monday night, the same survey asked shoppers what costumes they’re picking up for the kiddos and, just like the last year, Spiderman took the No. 1 spot. Batman and Superman were the only other trademarks that registered, with Halloween staples such as witches, ghosts and pirates filling out the rest of the Top 10.
Since retailers will be busy counting their Halloween windfall, they’ve handed off their advocacy needs to a team of lobbyists that includes FRF president Scott Shalley and in-house advocates Lorena Holley, Grace Lovett and Gina Sisk. The squad of contract lobbyists includes Angela Bonds and French Brown of Dean Mead and Jon Johnson and Darrick McGhee of Johnson & Blanton.
Halloween, of course, is about more than shopping.
The holiday sprang from Samhain — and by that we mean the Gaelic festival, not the low point of Glenn Danzig’s career — which marked the beginning of winter, or the “dark half” of the year, when days become shorter and people are more likely to hear something go bump in the night.
When the Irish, Manx and Scottish peoples ditched Celtic paganism for Christianity, Samhain went through several mergers, acquisitions and rebrands … we’ll spare you the minutiae on Dziady, Calan Gaeaf, Hop-tu-Naa and the rest of the also-rans. What matters is that the world eventually agreed to call it Halloween and to appoint tooth decay as the official mascot.
This was a gut punch for dentists, who learned a valuable lesson: leave the lobbying to the pros.
The Florida Dental Association, which represents the interests of DDSes and DMDs across the state, relies on in-house advocates Alexandra Abboud, Andrew Eason, and Joe Anne Hart as well as Team J&B for its lobbying needs
But, as people with a full set of teeth know, hygienists are also important contributors to oral health — if you disagree, remember that they have a tray of sharp objects and even they would never purposefully harm you … well, it’s your word against theirs.
Dental hygienists are represented by the aptly named Florida Dental Hygienists’ Association, which looks to Leslie Dughi and Aimee Diaz Lyon of Metz Husband & Daughton when it needs a hand in the Legislature.
Dental professionals have since worked through the stages of grief and learned to accept that sugar is an essential part of a happy Halloween — just brush your teeth before bed and floss occasionally, OK?
One thing that sets Florida apart from the rest of the world is that anyone within our border who looks at a mirror and says “Candyman” three times (or is it five?) will receive a burlap sack full of sugar instead of meeting their demise at the hands of a Clive Barker creation.
That’s because sugar is a big industry in Florida, and U.S. Sugar is the biggest name in the business.
The company and its affiliate farmers are hard at work in the Glades producing the core component of decent candy and, perhaps by design, the Sugar Express does not stop in Tallahassee. It’s no matter, because they have a massive team representing them in the Capitol.
Just as sugar is far from the company’s only export, the following is far from an exhaustive list of their lobbyists: Brian Ballard and Bradley Burleson of Ballard Partners; Gregory Black of Waypoint Strategies; Charlie Dudley and Cory Guzzo of Floridian Partners; David Browning, Mercer Fearington, Seth McKeel, Sydney Ridley and Clark Smith of The Southern Group; Richard Heffley and Kelly Horton of Heffley & Associates; Frank Mayernick and Tracy Mayernick of The Mayernick Group; Kirk Pepper of GrayRobinson; Christopher Smith of Tripp Scott PA; and Screven Watson of Screven Watson & Associates.
Florida Crystals is the other big name in the Sunshine State sugar industry. Their team is just as mighty. It includes Bill Rubin, Heather Turnbull, Melissa Akeson, Erica Chanti, Christopher Finkbeiner and Matthew Sacco of Rubin Turnbull & Associates; Al Balido, Frank Bernardino and Edgar Fernandez of Anfield Consulting; Michael Corcoran, Jacqueline Corcoran, Matt Blair, Will Rodriguez and Andrea Tovar of Corcoran Partners; Marty Fiorentino, Davis Bean, Joseph Mobley, Mark Pinto and Shannan Schuessler of The Fiorentino Group; Jeffrey Johnston, Amanda Stewart and Anita Berry of Johnston & Stewart Government Strategies; and Rhett O’Doski and Sean Stafford of McGuireWoods; and Katie Webb and David Santiago of Colodny Fass.
Handing out candy isn’t the only way to celebrate Halloween. If you’re feeling particularly festive, Universal Studios hosts the holiday’s premiere festival: Halloween Horror Nights.
For the unfamiliar, the after-dark event draws in tens of thousands of people who want to get spooked by actors who cannot legally hurt them but are trained to give them the strong impression that they might.
This year’s edition features 10 haunted houses that offer several flavors of fright — slasher movie villains, creepy crawlies, occult staples, Mesoamerican cryptids and underground kenophobia are all on the menu. Universal Studios isn’t shy about tapping into Universal Pictures’ extensive portfolio of horror IP, which includes some of the most iconic monsters ever to appear on the silver screen.
The original set includes Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, the Phantom of the Opera, the Invisible Man and the Creature From the Black Lagoon.
Pedants sometimes include the Hunchback of Notre Dame but despite being played by iconic horror actor Lon Chaney, who was also the Phantom, Quasimodo is — at most — the Pete Best of the Universal monster lineup.
That said, Universal Studios is one of the top destinations in Florida, and it has lobbyists from some of the top firms on retainer. Their team includes Brett Bacot, Mike Grissom, Jim Magill and Kimberly McGlynn of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney; Will McKinley, Angela Dempsey, Fred Dickinson, Erik Kirk and Sophie Smith of PooleMcKinley; Margaret Timmins of Timmins Consulting; and in-houser Melanie Becker.
If a trip to Orlando sounds like too much work, Halloween is the best day of the year to sit back and stream your favorite horror movies — at the very least, they’re a festive way to kill time between door knocks.
Sunshine State cinema savants can pocket this piece of trivia: Creature from the Black Lagoon was shot in Florida — more specifically, Silver Springs, Wakulla Springs and Jax.
The definitive “deep ones” film went on to be considered a classic, but there’s been few other “Fresh from Florida films” to be so honored in the 65 years since it bowed. Sorry, Bradford County, as much as you try to scare campers with the mask and chainsaw routine, the real Camp Crystal Lake is in New Jersey.
However, if Film Florida gets its way, that could change. The trade association has been fighting for years to lure film productions back to Florida, most recently through an innovative grant model. It hasn’t cleared the Legislature yet, but it gains a bit more traction every year.
The renewed interest is thanks in part to the team at The Advocacy Group, including Al Cardenas, Slater Bayliss, Stephen Shiver, Sarah Busk Suskey, and Chris Chaney — no relation to Lon, as best we know.
Of course, not everyone is into creature features. For those that want a little Sci-Fi mixed in, all-time greats such as It Came from Outer Space, or The Thing are always good picks. Speaking of which, John Carpenter is a criminally underrated horror director — in addition to The Thing, he was behind Halloween, In the Mouth of Madness, The Fog, the film adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine.
Christine was a 1958 Plymouth Fury. The two-ton slab of steel got about 10 miles per gallon in the city, meaning that over the summer it would have been less expensive to be carted around by an Uber driver than the soul of a crushed assembly line worker.
A Plymouth badge hasn’t been slapped on a new car in 20 years, but if you’re in the market for some American muscle there are options.
Fred Motor Company is the largest U.S. auto manufacturer and, at least for now, still make new cars with V8s. The industry juggernaut is represented by Fred Baggett, Gus Corbella, and Hayden Dempsey of Greenberg Traurig.
Another option is General Motors, which is still rolling Camaros and Corvettes off the line. Chevy’s team in the Capitol includes Warren Husband, Jim Daughton and the rest of the MHD crew.
No matter how you plan to celebrate Halloween, remember that it’s the one day of the year when you should reject the “be yourself” message from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Seriously — no costume, no entry.
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