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Rick's Blog Live Full Show: 10-14-26 · Rick Outzen: (we don’t) color on the dog

• rick's blog live 10 14 26: Hi, I'm Rick Alson, and this is Rick's Blog Live. Thank you for watching. As we're taping this show, we're all recovering from the hurricane. And we are I hope that your family and your home and your property are safe, that you've got power, you've got water. but we're this is a slug to the recovery will be. and just we're all in it together, and we will do our best to give you the most information we can on the blog and inweekly and on my social media. So you can keep up with what's going on. This show we we've gone a little different way today. We're going to be bringing you the council members for district candidates for district two and district four. we've got Larry Kuhn, Kuhn Realty, is jo joining Sotheby's International. And then we're going to have Robert Bender give you the latest on we got early voting just around the corner so that you are comfortable voting and knowing that your vote's gonna be counted, which is most important to us. This This issue is we started, I had to write it last Friday, the cover story, as the storm was, as we were preparing for the storm. We weren't sure we were able to print it, but we did. This is taking the interviews that we had on this show plus other interviews I've done on the Lincoln Park Elementary and Warrington Elementary, both being on the chopping block. What's what's going on behind the scenes? I think you're gonna enjoy that story, enjoy that story completely. Great winners and losers, good outtakes g inside the OEOC with Mayor DC Reeves and Eric Gilmore, public safety director. A lot in that issue. I tell you what, let's get started with the show. The City Pensacola has two city council races this year. We've got District 2 and District 4. District 4 is only two people have held that office for much of the last two decades. Larry Johnson, Jared Moore. Jared Moore has decided not to run, so it's an open seat, which means the we've got two rookie candidates involved here, or at least well, one is not. We have Boyce White, who's run for office before. County Commissioner. County Commissioner, your dad was very active on Santa Rosa Island authority. He certainly was. My mom actually ran for this seat, believe it or not. cool. Cool. Well, you know, we've got Boyce White running for District 4. Boyce, for viewers, who is Boyce White? Boyce White is a third-generation Pensacolian who grew up in a political charge family. Actually, I don't even know if you know this, but my Grandfather on my mom's side represented Escambia County and Alexandradi's seat and then actually went over to Jacksonville and became state senator. gosh. So it was kind of fun actually when I went through LEAP. and you go over there for legislative days. Right. And and actually get to see where he sat and and things he his voting record. So that was kind of cool. But Boyce White graduated Washington High School, went to the Citadel, then went and got my MBA out at UWF. There were no jobs for me here. back in nineteen ninety three when I graduated. So I had to do the typical thing, move to Atlanta to get some experience. I gone through that experience and came back here and been a contributing citizen for for Pittscoal ever since. Yeah, w why run for city council? Actually I didn't want to do this job. I thought Jared was doing an amazing job. And when Jared decided not to seek reelection, I preyed on it. he decided in December that he wasn't going to do it and it took me till February convince myself that I feel like Pensacola is headed in a great trajectory. I feel like DC's got a lot of good things going on. and I feel like my relationships, I've always been an ambassador for Pensacola. I didn't want this seat just to be filled with somebody who is looking for political aspirations, higher political as aspirations. I wanted somebody who really cares about Pensacola. And so I took the initiative and I took the dive. Now, as you've you know, as you've walked through the community as a candidate, knocked on doors, listened, what are you hearing from voters in District Four? The biggest thing they really get upset about is some traffic issues on on Scenic Highway, right over there by Calverts. Because apparently as soon as people make that turn right onto Scenic Highway from Cervantes, they're trying to get to the interstate and they think they can do fifty-five the whole way there. So East Petskola Heights is concerned about that. Cordova Park actually the the the parks are having some issues, so they they want to see some more mu money invested in the parks. But project or direction twenty twenty five actually funnel a lot of money in that. And it's really concerning if the if the property tax passes the inventory does away with three. Then that's gonna be hit. And then lastly, parking downtown. Th that seems to be something that a lot of people from Cordova Park or East Pensacola Heights are Even East Hill are like, I just don't go downtown, which is really sad because we got so many great things going on downtown. They just don't want to deal with parking or the technology. Yeah, when you look at your family's been here for a while, you look at you were here when the when the city had a city manager form of government where the the mayor was actually appointed for a while, appointed by the city council. the city council had two at-large members. It was t you know, and then they finally let the mayor be a voting member and elected, and John Fogg had that spot. Now we have a strong mayor form of government. How do you see the the city council acting in a government where the the mayor has a considerable amount of power? He does have power. The only thing that the council really actually has influence over is passing the budget that he's looking at. However, I feel like the city can also work as ambassadors to help the mayor accomplish these goals. And I know one of the biggest goals that DC is trying to accomplish is economic development. And my relationships, I feel like, at the federal level and at the state level can truly help accomplish that. I I've going to the Citadel, I've got friends from all over the place, you know, that that live in Atlanta, that live in DC, some of these power areas that At my age now, these guys are now running businesses. Mm-hmm. And they're trying to find a place to actually work remote or or run their business remote and live in the area that we like to say, you know, thousands live, millions wish they could. Yeah, if you look at economic development, what do you think the city's doing right and what could they do better? I think that actually Quent has done a really good job of trying to model Pensacola after other cities that attract people and and live downtown. And I actually I just attended the civic leadership conference that he had where they brought down the mayor from from Greenville. And Greenville is actually one of the most vibrant when you're getting Greenville, South Carolina. Yes. the the gentleman actually maybe he's a cousin, because his last name's White. But he he He's done some amazing things with Greenville, just revitalizing and making that a place where everybody wants to live. And when you actually have that, it be it success begets success. Right. And and so businesses look at, yeah, I want to bring kids here or I want to bring my family here, raise kids here. The biggest obstacle, I think, in that is the school board. And I I I like Patty Hightower I think they've tried to do a good job. I think we really did our county a disservice by going back with an appointed superintendent. Because when we were appointed, when we were elected, we were the sixty-fourth of sixty-seven counties for school. And that's just absolutely horrible. What what you as a city council member, what could you do to help the schools in your district? That's that's a tough one as city council. I mean you gotta stay in your lane. Right. And so but I mean I can certainly advocate for if if When it comes back up trying to get another elected or I'm appointed superintendent, if we can do that, or elected, encourage sharp people to actually run for that position. Running for a an elected position is just not a lot of fun. Right. It's a grind. It is. You've got And there's there's so many psychological barriers to entry that smart people and sharp people just don't want to do it. And plus actually you also got to put yourself out there, be ready to accept criticism, because as soon as you put yourself in in that fish bowl. People are gonna come after you. And so I just prepare and sharp people for that and let them help them overcome the obstacles. That's about the best thing I can do in that regard. We've got about two minutes left. It goes by fast, doesn't it? So which is great. A great conversation happens that way. T the first question is as a council member, you have to have a matrix in how you look at issues. So if you're given an issue with a lot of different options in it, what's gonna be the thing you're gonna Hung on hang on to first in trying to make a decision. I don't know if you remember a campaign that Escambay County had or Pensacola Beach had leaf foot footprints only. Right. I want to elaborate on that and say, well, why don't you build a sand castle, an organic sand castle, that somebody else can actually come improve upon. So that's what I want to do is actually put the structure in place so that generations after me can look at Pensacola and be proud of it and actually call it home and and want to recruit other people. Get that vibe that I have the where I just really want to make sure that this is where people want to live and they're excited. Good, good. So so you've got I'm gonna give you about 30 seconds or so to give your your elevator speech to the voters. You can look at the camera, tell them why they should vote for voice wise. Well basically what you're down to two choices. It's it's basically me or or my opponent, who who is a great, nice guy. But at 31, it's not his fault. He just doesn't have the experience, the bandwidth that I have. And if Amendment three passes, we're gonna be in trouble. First things that are gonna get hit are parks. Now, my experience at 58, I've served as East Hill Neighborhood Association president. I'm the current zoning board of adjustments chair. I've served the city. I have a very servant heart, Rick, and my contributions and experience are gonna be able to help propel us into where we want to go. Great boys, thank you so much. I appreciate it. We'll go ahead and take a break, we'll pay a few bills, we'll be right back. 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Grow something beautiful. My name is Bill Sadler. I'm the general manager with Empire Truck Sales here in Pensacola, Florida. I've been advertising with Blab TV for well over 20 years. Blab TV has been a huge success for the growth and success in our company. Blab reaches the local community. It's an advertising venue that really reaches our target audience and customers. It's not a week that goes by that we don't see somebody out in the community that says, hey, I saw your show on Blab TV. It was great. My name is Bill Sadler and I am Blab TV. Gilmarine, your one-stop shop for all your boating needs. We offer a vast selection of parts, accessories, and electronics. Discover our range of used boats in every size, shape, and brand, all ready to get you on the water today. And we provide expert advice and top-notch customer service to ensure you have the best boating experience. We service all outboard, inboards, stern drives, jet drives, and personal watercraft. Our certified staff will get you back on the water. Visit Gilmoreen at thirty five forty one West Fairfield Drive, Pensacola. I'm Rick Alston. This is Rick's blog live, elections, elections, elections. You're gonna hear a lot about it from us at In Weekly and on the blog, and from our supervisor of elections. We got with the got him with us today, Robert Bender. Robert, thank you for joining us. Okay, Rick, thank you. We are we're on the Vote by mail is going strong. had a little hiccup with the post office, but that is the post office is coming back online after the hurricane. Early voting starts next week on the 19th through the 31st, 8 to 6. Walk through early voting, how that process works for everyone. So one is that you can go to any one of the 10 sites that you want to. So again, open 13 days, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. So flexible for your schedule. Schedule. Usually even later in that afternoon after 5 30, you usually see things die down. So even if there's a line earlier in the day, come come late in the day. And just like election day, if you're in line at 6 p.m., you'll get you'll get to vote. So any one of those 10, we've got them scattered around the country, around the county. and as I say, if if you're headed out of town and realize, I want to vote, stop by, see them at the century courthouse. They would love to see you. you know, but so anyway, it's it's one of those things that's offered, and and so we expand from From the eight mandatory days to the 13 days leading up to the election, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. And we're you know, we've got all the the possible locations, all the no no the official locations available, of course the scamia votes gov as well as in weekly, we've been been been putting those days those locations out. and it is it's important to remember, and I think I'm glad that you brought it up, is that you can vote anywhere. So if you're working downtown, but you live in Eulah, you can still you can go vote over at your office or go to the downtown library. You know, there's so many different convenient spots to do. now the other thing that that also can help you in this process is you can also get a copy of your ballot before you show up at the poll. Right. So we did mail about 120,000 sample ballots ahead of the storm. 20,000 would have been put in the mail on on Thursday. I said, no, let's wait until after the storm. I didn't want them in in post office. Post, you know, in in in post office where something could have happened. Happen or or in the mailboxes as the storm's blowing, wind in there, rain in there. And so we s we mailed the last 20,000 yesterday. and so that should get to everybody. You you your sample ballot's available online at iscambiavoats.gov and and it'll be just like you have it. You can print it out, mark it up however you you want to take it that in with you. But yes, so the the we use ballot on demand technology, so when you check in, just like you would on election day, instead of printing A little receipt for you to take to the to the ballot issuer to get your ballot at your precinct. It just prints your ballot right there, so just as if it it makes sure that you get the right ballot, everything like that. You go vote it, put it in the tabulator just like you would on election day. The the ballot's tabulated right then, and and you voted. Right. And you get to see that you know the machine shows that it got read. Correct. Which all those things, all that security is involved in it. the you know, when when you look at it, I think the ability to be able to see your ballot. ahead of time. What we're going to do it in weekly is we will be doing our election guide on the twenty second. And we'll have a copy of of the ballot in there also and and help you prepare to it because you need to do the homework. There are a lot. How many pages is the ballot this year? Just front and back, 17 inch. And and so we have that first column is going to be all your your federal and state offices. So the US Senate, Congress, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and then the cabinet. So CFO, agriculture, and and attorney general will be in that first column. Second columns where you'll have your your House of Representatives for House Districts one or two, and then any local races that you may have, like a county commission, an ECUA race. Then we go into retention of judges. So we have one Supreme Court justice and then three first DCA judges, and then you'll see your city of Pensacola races there, and then amendment one is all The front. Now, amendment one will float. It is a two-page ballot, so we have it in two places on the front, two pages on the back, both vote both sides of page. so four places you you can see it. The ballot issuer should tell you to vote both sides. the equipment operator, when you go to to turn in the ballot, will say, Hey, did you remember to vote both sides? so you should hear it twice, read it four times. but on the back it's uniform. Amendment two, amendment three takes its own column up, and then the county referendum on local option sales tax is the end of the You know, when you go in and and you can go to your website, and I would recommend people doing this, is you can actually look at the different candidates that are in the race. You can look at their finances. You can see how much money they've raised, who's donated money to them, you can see how they've spent their money. There's a lot of information that's available for all the candidates to use. Some of them put big long profiles, biographical information, others will list websites and other things, but you can look at their finances. Which I've we've always found to be fascinating. So that there's a lot of information that's available on the Supervisor of Elections website. Now, Robert, when when someone goes to vote, and this will apply to the general, and we'll we'll do another show before the general election, but what what do you need to bring with you when you go to vote? So the important thing is I want voters to understand you shouldn't expect to have a different experience than you've had before. You don't need to bring your birth certificate. That's why we're also not gonna see agencies that are polling locations across Florida, not just Escambia County, but across Florida, because Florida has already validated the the the voters on their rolls as as citizens. so there's no reason for them to show up when when they aren't on the rolls to begin with. so that's where I really hid. Don't expect a different experience. But but you need to bring a photo and signature ID. We had a number of people that were voting in the primary that said, We're so glad you guys are finally doing photo and signature ID. For 30 years now, Florida has required a photo and signature ID. The other thing is that although the the list is is paring down, that's not happening in 2027. So the same photo ID that you used in 2024, you could use again this year as long as it's still valid. so it'd be things like military ID. Now they don't have a signature on there, so you may need to show. A credit card that has your signature on it, or your social security card, or something like that. But your passport, your driver's license, identification card issued by the HDSMV, you can do benefits card. You can still do a student ID, neighborhood association, or retirement center ID, but but those last three student ID, retirement, and HOA will be going away in 2027. military ID, benefits cards, things like that, concealed carry, and And then federal, state, government employee IDs. All before we go, we're we're wrapping up this segment pretty quick. Is the the other thing is brag about your accuracy rate in tallying votes? Well, again, so we have an independent automated system that we run all the ballots through and we compare that result to the vote of the tabulated one. Every year that we've done it, over 99.99 percent. the state allows for a 0.5 percent variance, and of course, we're well well with Than that less than 0.01%. And usually the difference is people haven't filled in the ovals properly. So one system will read it as an undervote, one system will read it, we'll see that marking on the peripheral of the oval and count it as a vote for someone. And so and it just shows that the votes that are re the the results that we're releasing are accurate. And we're doing that in lieu of doing that hand count of one race from two precincts. We're looking at every race on every ballot, drilling down to early vote, vote by mail, election day. So we're not just seeing that Rick had a hundred votes. We're seeing where those hundred votes came from by precinct and type of vote, drill down as far as we can to make sure that that all those are correct. Well, great. So but yes, it's it's a great I listen, having been on both sides of it, I think it just shows how accurate our elections are. And so Robert, thank you. Thank you for coming on and doing it. We'll go ahead and take a break. We'll be right back. Well I think it's all about local, and I'm a big believer in local. So I think anytime you can carry a message out locally, it's important. And I think it's anytime the person that delivers the service can also deliver the message, which is unusual. You have the people that actually deliver the project doing the talking, and I think that's a huge difference and a lot really makes a huge value difference for the consumer. So I'm really just so grateful that we have this local opportunity with Blab TV. 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We've got two city council races that are important for city residents. One is the District 2 race, and the other is District 4. We've got with us Brian Cole, who's running for District 4, which is an open seat. Brian, thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me, Rick. Who is Brian Cole? I I absolutely hate that question, Rick. I know what I struggle with the most. I'd I'd rather talk about stormwater or taxes or any of the nuts and bolts of it. professionally I'm I'm a I'm a contractor. I work in property restoration. Probably most people would not know me from that side of my life. They've probably interacted with me somewhere else along the line, whether that was when I was a volunteer firefighter or when I was a youth sports coach. I still am a youth sports coach, mostly just with my kids school. I'm a Pensacola guy. I'm a local who just really loves this community. I'm raising my two girls here, my wife and I. Thank God for my wife, she's doing most of the raising. Right. And Really, I'm just somebody who wants to take some responsibility for what the city becomes over the next four years. Where were your volunteer firefighter? So I was a volunteer at Station Seven, which is Ferry Pass, and then transitioned over to Station Two over in Beulah. Ferry Pass became a combination station. They had career firefighters. My dad was a firefighter, and the same reason he joined was the same reason I joined, as nobody else was there. And sometimes people gotta step up to the plate and put in the work. And when they had a a career element that was really handling it and they had ample volunteers and the men and women out in Beulah were short handed. I I just started making the commute out there 'cause that's where they needed the help. W what do you think how does that prepare you to run for city council or be involved in in any municipal government? 'Cause I think it is good training. It it is good training. I'll tell you what it's really good training for is making do, right? We we had to we had to we had to survive with with limited equipment in some cases and we had to survive with with limited training, you know, as volunteers, we're only able to to commit so much time to the types of training, not just the amount of training, right? You've got to have training in hazardous materials, you've got to have training in, you know, rescue operations, you've got to have training in a variety of things that when you're a a contractor or you are a tree trimmer or you are somebody else inside of the community doing something else, having another job. And and this is your your volunteer, your civic obligation. It's it's it's pretty it's pretty interesting. I I I can say that. As far as how that's specifically prepared me for city government, I think the biggest thing it it showed me was our individual departments are really trying to make it work. I saw firsthand our county government, you know, not the city inside, the amount of effort they were going through to just try and stretch those budget dollars, to just try and make things work. It it gave me a a real perspective on where problems usually are. It's not in how the individual departments are operating. I think we've got great department heads inside of the city. I've been really fortunate over this last year to get to meet most of them. And I think they've got their heads screwed on right. I think they're doing really good work. I think they're making really good use of the resources we're giving them. I'm not sure we're putting the right resources where they need to go. You know, you've been knocking on doors, you've you've met the voters in District Four, as a candidate, which is different than as a neighbor. Sure. what are you hearing from the public as you move around? I have heard a little bit of everything. You know, some of the most common concerns I hear are in regards to our tree canopy, downtown parking, and There's these these sort of surface level problems that that people recognize, right? They bring up things about the schools, and obviously city council doesn't have anything to do with how the school board operates. they bring up issues of you know cost of living, they bring up issues that that seem very far away. And I think a lot of them, if you do a root cause analysis, if you actually take the time to figure out what is causing this problem, you'll find that it's an economic issue. Most of the time we don't have the opportunities that another community does. And so we lose a lot of people. We hit we have some great kids come out of this community. We have really talented individuals that call this their hometown that have not been here in 10 or 20 years because Atlanta pays more, because Gainesville pays more. Well how can a coun a council member impact that? Well, I think we're seeing that unfold right now with how the Birdon project is is going through at the port. We can see that our city has a a real hand to play inside of economic development. We have an economic development department at the city. Steve Baham is the the director there. I've had a chance to talk to Steve, and him and I are on the exact same wavelength. One of the challenges we have as a city, for a very long time, we have focused on trying to attract new businesses to the area. And we've put a lot of chips into you know trying to bring in business. But there's effort that could be used, there's resources that could be shared with local businesses that are already here that are producing something, right? They're they're producing a a product or they're producing a service that goes outside of the city limits. And that's really what you want in an economy is you want things that bring dollars into the the the pool, right? We have money leaving the pool constantly and we're sharing money inside of the pool constantly, but we need businesses that bring money into it. I would like to see us provide the same amount of effort and the same amount of energy into supporting some of those local businesses that are here that are bringing new dollars into the community as we are spending time, energy, and money on tracking. What what would be one of those businesses? You know what's interesting is I met a young entrepreneur. He's got an engineering firm. And what he's trying to do is he's trying to create a sort of connection to the details of engineering and structural engineering, specifically for construction, that can be exported across the entire state. One of the biggest challenges usually is you know geography. He's gotta go, he's gotta look at it, he's gotta go sign off on certain things. And so he's trying to, from Pensacola. He's trying to run a business that exports services into other places. All right. I see that. Yeah. All right. I cannot believe that's been So you just want to get rid of me. Yeah. No, but I do have other people that need to be in that chair. But the you know, the two things, two questions I'd like to hit before before we we sign off with this segment is is one is every Council person, and I've been on a council in Gulf Breeze, you have to have a matrix in how you make your decisions. What will be the the the most important thing you'll look at when you have a decision in front of you that has multiple choices? So my kind of guiding light is is it's a little it's a little silly, but it's a it's a saying, right? A society grows great when old men plant trees that they'll never sit in the shade of. If the decision is a short-term gain for me, That's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking to change how Pensacola operates as a city long term so that my children's children can call this place home, they can have a a place to live, they can have an economy to participate in. And that's gonna be my guiding light. What is best for us long term? Good, good answer. the next you got you we're down to thirty seconds. Thirty seconds. the I'll give you a little bit more, I'll give you a minute. It's to give your elevator speech for the for the audience. Why why should they vote for Brian Cole? Sure. If you are looking for a councilman who cares about this community, who wants good things for it, who's put in the legwork. I've attended every single city council meeting, agenda conference. The experiences I have both in the community and outside have prepared me for this job. I would be honored for your vote, and I will be available. Great. Brian, thank you so much for coming on. First chance for us to really sit down and meet. It was enjoyed it. So we're gonna go ahead and take a break. We'll have other council members on throughout this show. Thank you for watching. We'll be right back. At A1 Automotive, we do it all. All kinds of repairs for all kinds of vehicles. We do AC repairs, we do suspensions, we do pre-purchase inspections. We'll diagnose your problem and get it fixed. Free brake inspection. We can provide financing for any work we do. Veteran owned, military, and first responders discounts. A1 Automotive, 403 Beverly Parkway, Pensacola. I'm Emily Echeveria. I'm the Marketing Communications Director for Council on Aging of West Florida and the host of Coming of Age. In the past, Council on Aging has relied heavily on print and radio, but in the age of social media algorithms and smart devices, we know how highly prioritized and sought-after video content has become. Our audience really responds to video content, and yours will too, especially the high quality of video that Blab produces. 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And I can help people, I can walk them through that. And this is Rick's blog live. This is where we bring the newsmakers to you. We're we're covering the city council races, but there's been big news in the realty world. Kuhn Realty, Larry Kuhn and his group have joined Sotheby's International. Larry, thank you for joining us. Thanks for having me, man. Appreciate You have grown exponentially over the last what, seven years? Seven years. You know, and why the move with Southern because you've been operating without an affiliation. Why do this? they came to me in January, late January this year. and it's a process. This is not easy. And I just felt like it was time. I think when you're a business owner you always look further down the road and just seeing where real estate's going and what that brand does for my agents and also our clients that we serve and gets their exposure out there, I just felt like it was time to make the move. Well talk a little more about what w what will it do for your clients? Sure. How does that help? I mean the connections that Sotheby's has globally is it's unmatched. You know, they've been around fifty years as of this year, but the Sotheby's name has been around for a long, long time. Right. That everybody knows. But a perfect example is I launched today, I get an email w within probably 30 minutes of launching from a developer who also owns a Sotheby's brand and is coming into our city to develop and said, Hey, we already had a representation, but we want to stay with Sotheby's. And now that we have a proper presence here. We see the value in Southeast. cool. So that was cool. He's coming here and building eighty homes and meeting with him on Friday. So just that quick is just really hard to seeing the dividends up there. That makes you feel good right up there. That was nice. Yeah. W Coon Realty, what's what's the secret sauce? I mean, y'all have grown so much in seven years and handled some huge deals. Yeah, we I have a lot of really, really good agents and They I s feel like when you sell Pensacola, w we're blessed. We get an easy thing to sell for the most part. The lifestyle here, where the kids go to school, and just overall quality of life, I think is unmatched. I mean, I'm born and raised here. I never went to high school with your daughter, but it's just they every agent has l kind of lived in different areas and has kids at different schools and can really match with clients really well and just kind of sell that lifestyle to them. Which is really nice. But we just got really hard workers. I think we provided something different that the marketplace wanted and they wanted some independence and you know, someone that was from here representing them. So it was just it was right place, right time, seven years ago, and I think it is right now. So Yeah, when you when you look at it it of course you're hitting a a a seven year period which coming out of COVID has been red hot. I mean, it was it it and you see, you know, you know, people are scrambling, you know, scrambling to try to find homes and homes at different price breaks, and it it's it's been a challenge. You know, when you look at your company, the what's the what's the edge? I mean you talked a little bit about it, but if you if if you're selling Pensacola, what what are you selling? How do you sell it? i I mean it starts with this is where you go fish, this is where you go eat, this is where you go drink. I mean, that is stuff to me that's valuable. It's not just opening a door and talking about the house. You're like you're an ambassador to the city. You know, where do you go get health care? Who's your doctor? Who's a guy who's gonna be a roofer? I mean, you're their connection and we've had such an influx of people that have not been here and had that lifelong connections. So we've got that built in with our network of vendors and just relied upon people that can help our clients with a drop of a hat. You know, you think about it, and I I when the storm was approaching, I was also going through my head thinking, okay, we've had a tremendous influx of people who haven't been through a hurricane. So as as a newspaper and as a blog, we were trying to help prep people to understand this is what it's gonna be like. You know. And I can imagine on y'all's end, You know, the people that y'all put in homes, the people that are looking for homes, they're they're starting to see this as the weather can be a challenge here. Yeah. We call it a weather tax. I mean, you get this great lifestyle, but sometimes you're gonna get a tax and this is what it is. So luckily it wasn't too much damage, but it it's gonna be a road recovery. It will be. It will be. And and and what the great thing is we've been through it before. some are easier than others. This one it's still early. I mean we're we're we're recording this on Wednesday, October fourteenth. and we're just now have gone to press conferences and listened to the numbers. I think they're saying on the personal damage right now inside the city is over seventy two million dollars. it is gonna be a you know, it's it's gonna be an expensive comeback. How with the Sotheby's label now, how does that change your operation on what you're all are doing? So the beauty of it is it will be Coon Sotheby's International Realty. So I'm a hundred percent owner, still the broker. but for me it allows if I'm going to list your house, Sotheby's has different avenues of exposure from Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and the list is endless. And they have good exposure on the social media front. So I can go to you and guarantee that your home will be on these sites. You know, some agents kinda just throw it out there, but the the proof's in the pudding and I can reserve that and have it on a certain channel at that time, as well as just the global network of other agents that we can send it out to and have clients. it's really powerful stuff. Are you seeing more people interested in Pensacola? Coming from the outside looking in. For sure. I mean how why not? You know, it's it's it's definitely more attractive. And we're seeing a lot of push from both our sides, from the Orange Beach and Thirty A that have they've overdeveloped and it's priced them out and sometimes they've cashing out and coming over here and getting a better, you know, we've got good healthcare here. Right. We got a great airport here. You know, there's a lot of stuff that these outside markets don't have that we can provide. Well, Larry, I appreciate you coming out. Congratulations. For sure. Thanks for having me. This affiliation is is new. And and you're right, the Sotheby's name is known internationally. So it it'll be exciting to see w how y'all grow from here. For sure. Thanks for having me. All right thanks for coming. We'll take a break, we'll pay a few bills, I'll be right back. Hi, I'm Emily Echiveria, Marketing Communications Director for Council on Aging of West Florida, where we're dedicated to helping seniors and their families live healthier, happier, and more connected lives. That's why I'm proud to host Coming of Age, an engaging show highlighting local experts, community partners, and ambassadors of the programs and services making a difference locally. Watch Coming of Age Wednesdays, 3.30 on Blab TV and anytime on YouTube. And remember, enjoy life. You've earned it. I learned during my military service that she trained every day to fight and fight to win. If you've been injured in an accident, you already know one thing for sure. The insurance companies are gonna fight you for every dollar you deserve. At Michelson Booth, we settle most of the cases we handle. But if the insurance companies choose to fight, well, we're okay with that too. If you've been injured in an accident, choose a law firm that's got the resources, training, and stomach for the fight. Michaels and Booth, don't be a victim twice. I'm Andrea Housen, practice coordinator for Derek Jones Facial Plastic Surgery. Dr. Derek Jones is amazing. He's double board certified, he's skilled, and he's been doing this show with Blab TV for almost two decades. If you're looking to grow your business, Blab TV has an amazing reach in this local viewing area. We always hear we saw you on Blab Television. I'm Andrea Hausen with Derek Jones Facial Plastic Surgery, and I am Blab TV. Gil Marine, your one-stop shop for all your boating needs. We offer a vast selection of parts, accessories, and electronics. Discover our range of used boats in every size, shape, and brand, all ready to get you on the water today. And we provide expert advice and top notch customer service to ensure you have the best boating experience. We service all outboard, inboards, stern drives, jet drives, and personal watercraft. Our certified staff will get you back on the water. Visit Gil Marine at 3541 West Fairfield Drive, Pensacola. Thank you for watching. I'm Rick Altson. This is Rick's blog live. The goal is to get the newsmakers in front of you. We've got two races in the city of Pensacola for the City Council, District 4, and District 2. We got with us right now Sherry Myers. Sherry, thank you for joining us. thank you for having me. Always. What do you see now about city government? That you might not have seen before. And well, you know, why come back? That's a great question. And what I want to do is answer that today. All right. Because it's an important question. So when I left city council, I, you know, I was term-limited out and I accepted that. I never planned on running for city council again. I didn't. Never entered my mind. So some things happened though that changed my mind and I want to talk about those today. All right. So basically, when I left, I w I was done. I thought. So when I left, there was a million dollars and a line item budget for a community center at Tippin Park. And that was something that I couldn't believe it when it happened that Grover said, you know, that was a top priority for him. However, I kept seeing the money go other places. I mean, the city had issued an RFQ. We had, I think, six or seven contractors submit a responses and we hired one. We planned a community wide input session for Tippin Park residents community and then for some reason I never knew why it was canceled and that was in probably the latter part of 2022. So anyway, things rocked on and other candidates ran for my seat, Charles Bear being one of them, and I supported him because I had known him from city council and I had worked on other campaigns of his. And he asked me if I would support him, and I said, yes, if you promised to fight for us. That was very important to me. And he said, You know I will. And I believed him. So getting back to Tippin Park. So on January the nineteenth of twenty twenty three, that was the day I went down there and received the recognition as Council Emeritus. I didn't see Tippin Park on the agenda. I mean, it wasn't on there, but it was. And it was in A budget resolution. They say the devil is in the detail. Well, honey, let me tell you, it was really in the detail. I had no reason to even look at a budget resolution because I didn't think it had anything to do with Tippin Park, with the community center. So when I get home, I get a call. From a friend of mine who had been down there with me, and she had reason to stay there. So she called me and she said, Did you know they took all of that money out of the Tippin Park Community Center? And Charles Baer voted for it. I was shocked. I was. I I I I was devastated. So That put the fire in the belly to run? No. No. No. No. No, it didn't. Okay. I didn't even think about it. But what I did do is I went back and and looked at it, and it was shocking to me that he sat there and he was prepared to take nine hundred thousand dollars of LOST money that our district does not. get very much of and I've got the statistics to prove it, just in case you want to know. But Jennifer Brer is said, wait a minute. We can't do take everything away from them. You can't buy anything with $100,000. She gave a very passionate plea to save some of that money. And then she did a very clever thing. She just said, Well, let's change it from tipping community. resource center and athletic program to Tippin Park. So right now there's four hundred about four hundred and twenty thousand dollars in there for Tippin Park. So he did support her amendment. He did do do that. We're gonna run out of time. But well anyway, it's all all it started with Tippin Park, okay? But that is not what propelled me or caused me to want to run again. All right. So so tell me why. I I'm not I'm gonna stay to the question. You don't we've only got about three minutes left, so we better do it. It's because I I know that I'm the name you can trust, the name people know, and I am a name if I give your promise, I am going to keep it. And I will tell you why I didn't keep it if I don't keep it. But I can tell you that I am always responsive, always was for anybody who called me, they got a call back. For anybody who texted me, they got a text back. For anybody who sent me an email, and you know what? I can prove it because when I left, I asked the city. I said, I want a thumb drive with all of my emails on there because I wanted to be able to prove my response. And so I responded to people no matter where where they are. And I and I worked on a lot a lot of issues throughout this city. So so we've got we've we've got a minute left. Okay. And what would you say you the what was your proudest accomplishment as a council member? My proudest accomplishment as a council member is that I made it a point on almost every agenda to have an agenda item with my name on it because the charter says The city council is the governing body, it is the legislative body. And I was going to have something on there one way or another, whether it was an ordinance or resolution. So that is the big difference that I see now is when I look at an g an agenda, it looks like the mayor is sponsoring everything. And you know what? I get along fine with DC Reeves, by the way. And we are working on some projects together, Carpenter Creek being one of them. So if you look at my little flyer there, it tells you what basically my priorities are. Fire station number three is the thing that I'm the most proud of because it's all about LOST and how we use LOST and What is is a priority? Fire station number three on Summit got rebuilt because of me. Right. Sherry, thank you so much for coming on. The nine minutes goes fast. Always does. It always does. We'll go ahead and take a break. We'll be right back. I'm Dr. Derek Jones, a double board certified ENT and facial plastic surgeon. And I'm Andrea Housen, practice coordinator for Dr. Jones. Join us every third Tuesday at 8 p.m. as we explore today's most popular facial rejuvenation and cosmetic procedures. We'll discuss both surgical and non-surgical options, answer common questions, and help you understand what treatments may be right for you. You'll see real results from patients. Plus, we'll keep you updated on our offices and where you can meet us in the community. The most important thing for any client once they first call us is let's get you into the treatment that you need. Right. Let's get you better. Right. Let's make let's help you come back stronger and let's take all these other details of how you're gonna deal with the rental car, how you're gonna deal with the insurance agent. Let's take that off your plate. Give it to us and then you go work on getting better and we're gonna give you updates and you're gonna call us with questions instead of five or or ten other people. Nestled in the heart of Pensacola, Dorothy's is a one-of-a-kind community-driven cocktail bar by Oasis Florida, created to sustain vital HIV and STI care across the Florida panhandle. Inspired by the Wizard of Oz, rooted in inclusion and dripping with character, Dorothy's is a welcoming space with award-winning Oz-inspired cocktails, food by Steel Pony Diner, and an unmatched atmosphere. Join us seven days a week in downtown Pensacola, located directly across from Maritime Park and the Blue Wahoo Stadium. Go back to being a kid again. Head on over to Bubba's Sweet Spot. 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They matter and what happens in city government. you look at Robert Bender, we have I'll have him on a lot because we're in an election cycle. I want you to have as much information so you're you're comfortable voting. And Robert does a great job. we've been very fortunate since World War II. We've only had four supervisors of election, and we're known for running the cleanest, best elections in the state of Florida, if not the entire country. And Robert Bender is a great inheritor of that legacy. So please pay attention to that segment. We're gonna do our best as we keep moving forward, giving you updates on the hurricane recovery. And we've got tons of other issues. please go to the blog rixblog.biz and I'll be back next week.