The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra added four members as contract players for the 2016-17 season. The additions are:
• Katherine Caliendo, a New Jersey native who comes to Jacksonville after symphony positions in Houston and San Antonio. She will play second horn.
• Tristan Clarke, formerly of the Charlotte Symphony. He also has experience with symphonies in Atlanta and Boston, along with the Boston Pops. He will play principal trumpet.
• Jonathan Kuo, a Los Angeles native who began his musical career playing piano before moving to violin. He played with the New World Symphony for two years. He will play violin.
• Brian Magnus has performed with symphonies in Austin, Dallas and Las Colinas, Texas and Shreveport, La. He will play cello.
Two Khans talk football and the other football
Shad Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham Football Club, met Saturday in Chicago with London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Khan presented the mayor with a Jaguars jersey and helmet before the two spent 20 minutes discussing issues related to both brands of football as well as the connection between London, Jacksonville and the United States. Khan invited the mayor to Wembley Stadium to watch the Jaguars host the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 2.
Brosche, school board members receive environmental awards
City Council member Anna Brosche and the Duval County School board were among the 34 honorees recognized last week during the 24th annual Mayor’s Environmental Awards. They received the inaugural Scenic Jacksonville Award for Civic Engagement & Environmental Stewardship. Brosche recently had a bill approved that appropriates city funding to plant a tree at each of the county’s 160 public schools. Pictured above are council President Lori Boyer, school board Chair Ashley Smith Juarez, Scenic Jacksonville board member Rachel Cocciolo, Brosche, city Community Affairs Director Charles Moreland and school board member Scott Shine.
Aviation authority board elects officers
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority board on Monday elected Patrick Kilbane as its chairman for the 2016-17 year that begins Oct. 1.
Kilbane is director of the divorce advisory group, general counsel and wealth adviser at Ulmann Brown Wealth Advisors. Additionally, he serves on the 4th Judicial Circuit Nominating Commission.
He was appointed to the aviation board in 2014 by Gov. Rick Scott.
Also elected were Giselle Carson as vice chairman, Jay Demetree as secretary and Russ Thomas as treasurer.
Carson is a shareholder at Marks Gray, Demetree is president of Demetree Brothers Inc. and Thomas is CEO of Availity.
Anheuser-Busch hosting Oktoberfest
The Anheuser-Busch brewery in North Jacksonville is getting into the seasonal spirit by hosting an Oktoberfest celebration Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.
The two-day event will be highlighted by German cuisine, culture and beer in a traditional festival atmosphere.
In addition to carnival games, pumpkin bowling and the like, there will be live music by Austin Park, The Swinging Bavarians, One Step Ahead of the Law and others.
Tickets for Sept. 30 start at $10, while Oct. 1 tickets begin at $20. VIP tickets and packages also are available.
For information, tickets and a schedule of events, visit oktoberfestjacksonville.com.
UNF fares well in college rankings
The University of North Florida has been ranked as one of the better options in Florida in a study recently published by USA Today.
College Factual, an online tool and ranking system that helps students select colleges, ranked UNF No. 13 of 37 in the state in the “Best Colleges for the Money” category and No. 20 of 37 in the “Top Quality Overall Best Colleges” section.
College Factual ranked more than 1,300 colleges with key rating factors, including how well the institution retains and graduates students and the boost in expected earnings.
Jaycees to honor young leaders
The Jacksonville Jaycees is recognizing young leaders as part of its first Young Professional Awards at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Salem Center.
The awards will recognize professionals ages 18-40 in categories associated with academics, business, government, community and science.
For a full list, visit jaxyoungprofessionals.com.
The nomination period ends Oct. 15, with three finalists selected per category. Online voting will take place until Nov. 1 to determine winners.
The Jaycees are the area’s version of the Florida Junior Chamber of Commerce and were founded in 1922.
Baptist Medical South breaks ground on tower expansion project
Baptist Medical Center South has broken ground on an eight-story patient tower being built on the hospital's 32-acre campus at Interstate 95 and Old St. Augustine Road.
The 152,000-square-foot tower will have 138 patient beds, which will bump Baptist South’s total to 407. The addition is expected to be completed in early 2018.
The tower’s first four floors will be initially completed to provide expanded surgical space, labor and delivery patient rooms, medical surgery rooms and support space. The rest will be completed on an as-needed basis.
A third five-story medical office building is in the works to house primary care and specialty physicians’ offices along with a four-story parking garage.
Eye-care professionals merge
Maida CustomVision and Florida Eye Specialists merged their businesses this month.
CustomVision’s Dr. Jerry Maida and Florida Eye Specialists doctors Amit Chokshi and Akbar Hasan have treated more than 24,000 eyes with laser vision correction.
Chokshi received fellowship training in LASIK at the New York Eye and Eye Infirmary and served as director of laser correction at the University of Florida. Hasan completed his fellowship training in cornea and LASIK surgery at Duke University and served as the former laser vision director at Mayo Clinic.
The collaboration also marks Florida Eye Specialists’ sixth location.
University of North Florida music school to host Jacksonville Sings!
The School of Music at the University of North Florida will host its sixth annual Jacksonville Sings! event Thursday-Saturday at the UNF campus.
The event features almost 250 singers from 30 high schools in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, in addition to 100 college students.
The public will have the opportunity to attend two concerts.
The UNF Showcase Concert will be 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Lazzara Performance Hall. It will feature the UNF Chorale, Wind Symphony and UNF student soloists among others.
The other will be The Invitational Honor Chorus Finale Concert with guest conductor Eric Whitacre at 5 p.m. Saturday in the same location.
Tickets are $10.