On the precipice of a divisive presidential election, there’s a manual available for those frustrated with their government and looking for change.
“America, The Owner’s Manual: You Can Fight City Hall — And Win” is penned by Bob Graham, a former U.S. senator and Florida governor, and Chris Hand, his former press secretary who also served as chief of staff for former Mayor Alvin Brown.
The book explores how citizens can engage government directly to help usher in change and provides detailed examples of how it’s worked in the past. Chapters also provide advice from civic experts and focus on specific skills.
The step-by-step guide costs $33 and is available on amazon.com.
Tax Collector Michael Corrigan receives Legacy Award from group
Duval County Tax Collector Michael Corrigan received the Legacy Award from the Florida Tax Collectors Association for his office’s financial operations.
It’s given by a five-person panel comprising government financial executives from throughout the state who review four areas of competency: innovation and automation, customer focus, budgeting and the office’s annual audit.
Corrigan previously earned an Excellence in Financial Operations Award, with the Legacy Award given because his office further enhanced those areas.
University of North Florida nature trails reopen after Hurricane Matthew
After being closed due to the impact of Hurricane Matthew, the University of North Florida’s nature trails, Osprey Challenge Course, Lake Oneida and picnic areas are open after tree removal and safety inspections.
There still is a small area of the trail from the lake beachfront to the picnic spots that will remain closed until a leaning tree can be removed.
When accessing the picnic area from the Golden Pavilion, school officials recommend using the sidewalk on UNF Drive.
Gameday Xpress ready for college football
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s Gameday Xpress will be up and running for a couple of upcoming local college football matchups.
For the Oct. 29 Georgia-Florida and Nov. 5 Navy-Notre Dame games, the shuttle service to and from EverBank Field will be available from Downtown and suburban lots.
The park-and-ride Downtown lots are at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, Kings Avenue parking garage and the Jacksonville Landing. Passes are $7.
Suburban lots will be at the Armsdale Park-n-Ride, 3191 Armsdale Road; Wingate Park, 277 Penman Road S.; and Philips Highway and Butler Boulevard. Passes are $12.
The Landing and Armsdale Road locations are available only for the Georgia-Florida game.
The service begins at 12:30 p.m. for the Georgia-Florida game and 8:30 a.m. for Navy-Notre Dame. The service concludes one hour after the games end.
Skyway hours also will be extended for both games.
On Oct. 28, the day before the Georgia-Florida game, service will run until 1 a.m. Oct. 29 and operate 9 a.m.-midnight on game day.
For Navy-Notre Dame weekend, hours will be 6 a.m.-2 a.m. Nov. 4; 8:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Nov. 5; and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Nov. 6.
FSCJ reading series starts Saturday
Florida State College at Jacksonville’s JaxbyJax reading series will kick off Saturday and continue Oct. 28, both acting as a precursor for the monthly event.
From 2-8 p.m. at FolkFood’s Hogwild Hogwash, attendees will hear brief readings from a sampling of JaxbyJax 2016 authors Tim Gilmore, an FSCJ English professor; Caleb Sarvis, a fiction editor for Bridge Eight Magazine; and writers Heather Peters, Frances Driscoll and Tricia Booker.
The other session will be noon-1 p.m. Oct. 28 in the FSCJ Center for Civic Engagement at the Jessie Ball duPont Center. Gilmore will return and be joined by author Sohrab Fracis, poet Fred Dale and editor Nan Kavanaugh.
Visit jaxbyjax.com or call Gilmore at (904) 616-3884 for information.
City department hosting events to help area veterans
The city’s Military and Veterans Affairs Department this week is presenting its 17th annual Homeless Veterans Stand Down, a three-day event providing assistance to homeless and at-risk veterans.
It begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds with a job fair.
Starting 8 a.m. Friday, the city will host a legal day, when veterans can meet with local attorneys to discuss issues. The event will be at the Jacksonville VA Outpatient Clinic.
And at 9 a.m. Saturday, there will be a resources fair for issues like employment, housing, medical and dental needs. It will be at the fairgrounds.
For more information, visit bit.ly/2doCR55 or call (904) 630-3680.
Rescheduled 'TEDxFSCJ: Engage' is now Nov. 5
A TEDx-inspired production being formulated by Florida State College at Jacksonville students, faculty and staff will be Nov. 5 at the school’s Downtown campus.
Hurricane Matthew forced the cancellation of the original Oct. 8 production.
The event will feature nine speakers who directly or indirectly impact the school and the Jacksonville community.
The speakers and topics are:
• Ranna Abduljawad, “Raising a Muslim Daughter in America”
• Allishia Bauman, “Saying Positivity Forward #Withlovejax”
• Jen Deane, “Mutual Rehabilitation: Inmates and Shelter Dogs Socializing Each Other”
• Jessica Gregory, “Destigmatizing the Mentally Ill”
• Rebecca Levy, “Engaging a Movement”
• Marquiese Mervin, “Represent! Diversity and Equity in Arts Education”
• Emily Michael, “The Confluence of Disability and Imagination”
• Travis Pinckney, “Moving from At-risk to Action”
• Jared Rypkema, “Think Like a Storyteller”
To see the speakers’ biographies or for more information, visit tedxfscj.com.
Dailey developing choral series
Darren Dailey, Jacksonville Children’s Chorus artistic and executive director, is developing a choral series of works for adult and children’s choirs around the world to perform.
They serve as Dailey’s “endorsement” of pieces for choirs to include in their repertoire.
He was approached by Galaxy Music about the project. His first two releases are “We Sing Alleluia” by Tom Shelton and Camilla Pruitt, which is about inclusiveness, written in the Christian tradition and in English. The other, “A New Psalm (Psalm 98)” by Ken Berg, is in the Jewish tradition and written in Hebrew.
Dailey said as the series develops there will be songs with Latino and African-American influences, as well as works by female and male composers.