• Six locals are part of the 25th class of Leadership Florida and they’ll be introduced at a Sept. 6 reception at The River Club. They are: City Council member and attorney Kevin Hyde, Solantic President Karen Bowling, JEA Chief Information Officer Wanyonyi Kendrick, Capital City Bank Community President Jeff Oody, ATS Services, Inc. CEO Deborah Pass and Whetstone Chocolates, Inc. President Virginia Whetstone. The reception is being hosted by Leadership Florida Chair-elect and JEA Chief Public Affairs Officer Teala Milton and Blue Cross Blue Shield executive and Leadership Florida Northeast Region Chair Mike Hightower.
• Tickets are still available for the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art’s “Sunday in the Park with George” this Sunday. Brunch will be served at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets are $50 for members and $60 for non-members and reservations are required. For tickets call 366-6911, ext. 210. Proceeds benefit JMOMA’s community-based education and exhibition programming.
• The Realtor Builder Tradeshow and Luncheon is Oct. 5 and booths are selling out. After one month of selling, only 26 of 100 booths are left. Last year there were more than 1,000 attendees and organizers are hoping to increase attendance to 1,300.
• Dr. Howard Schneider and his wife have spent the past six years restoring the Cheney-Cummer house in Riverside — which is on the national registry — and now the dentist would like to make sure the City retains a piece of the house. Schneider has offered to donate the historical marker to the City.
• Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist is taking an early voting bus tour. His closest stop to Jacksonville will be the Fleming Island Library in Orange Park at 9:10 a.m. Friday.
• Speaking of Crist, one of his latest campaign press releases includes a list of his young professional supporters from around the state. Only one of them is quoted, though: Ricky Caplin, president of the Jacksonville Young Republicans.
• In a Tuesday story we reported the incorrect campaign finance numbers for County Court candidate Dawn Hudson. According to the Supervisor of Elections Web site, Hudson has $160,590 in her account, of which $130,990 is in the form of a loan to herself. Hudson’s total was tops among the County Court Candidates at the end of the last reporting period.
• Watch for stalled traffic on Forsyth Street this Saturday. From 7-10 a.m., BB&T will be installing signs at the top of its building, and a helicopter will be involved. Stop and go closures will be part of safety procedures, so prepare for brief delays or avoid the area.
• The Football Season 2006 Kick-Off for Charity begins Saturday from 3-7 p.m. at River City Brewing Co. and benefits Dreams Come True. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door.
• The organizers of the 26.2 With Donna — the national marathon to fight breast cancer — will officially kick off the fundraising efforts with a party at JMOMA Thursday. AmSouth City President Marty Lanahan, Dalton Agency Vice President Michael Munz, Mayo Clinic Dr. Edith Perez and Hicken comprise the original members of The Founder’s Club and they’ve invited Mayor John Peyton to join.
• There may be good news on the way for those that are disabled and still enjoy the sport of rowing. City Council President Michael Corrigan and Council member Lake Ray met with Jacksonville U. President Kerry Romesburg yesterday to discuss creating a disabled rowing center.
• The next Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee meeting is Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. at City Hall. Council member Kevin Hyde will be the guest speaker.
• JEA may be close to selling its old central office building, the tower a block west of City Hall. Word is there’s an interested buyer and a closing could happen soon.
• A classic is coming back to the big screen, but for only two nights. “Caddyshack” is playing Friday and Saturday night at San Marco Theatre. They’ll have a putting contest, too.
• Don’t forget, the Summer Beach Run is Saturday at 6 p.m. It starts and ends at the Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. You can register at any 1st Place Sports this week.
• The Children’s Home Society’s 23rd annual Caring Chefs event is Oct. 15 from 7-9:30 p.m. at the Avenues Mall. Caring Chefs has raised nearly $2 million for the Children’s Home Society of Florida to help First Coast families. More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the food-tasting event and sample cuisine from more than 50 kitchens. Tickets are $50. For more info call 493-7739.
• The First Bank of Jacksonville anticipates an October opening of its full-service branch in the Deerwood area. This is the first time the Bank has added an additional full-service branch in its 17-year history. The bank will be located at 9802 Old Baymeadows Road.