• The law firm of Pappas, Metcalf & Jenks is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an open house Thursday from 4-7 p.m. at the St. Joe Building. Tours of the new office and live music are part of the celebration.
• Nancy Olson, with the International Department of the JEDC, is part of a group leaving Friday for a good will tour of China. First on the list is a visit to Ying Kou, Jacksonville’s sister city in the northeast part of the country, near North Korea. The group will work on rejuvenating the relationship with Ying Kou, with which the city has been allied since May 1990. During the two-week trip, she will also look at establishing friendship arrangements with small port cities around Shanghai.
• McDonald’s has agreed to be the title sponsor of the annual men’s basketball game between Edward Waters College and the University of North Florida on Nov. 8 at the UNF Arena. Starting next year, the women’s teams are also going to compete in what will be a doubleheader. The colleges are hoping future games may be televised.
• If the woman working the counter at The Magnificat Cafe looks familiar, it could be because she had a hot dog cart outside of the BellSouth building for almost three years.
• That unusual mascot dressed as a sub roll roaming downtown Tuesday was promoting Quiznos Subs.
• Apologies to Judy Truett, director of community services for the City. We misidentified her in a recent photo.
• Former T-U columnist Poke McHenry adds another year today. He’ll celebrate with his monthly haircut at Frank’s Barber Shop in Five Points.
• Spotted along the Northbank Riverwalk by the Landing: eight adult manatees.
• The new Uptown at LaVilla jazz restaurant has a happy hour every Wednesday through Friday.
• Gators offensive tackle Max Starks was asked Tuesday if Georgia defensive lineman David Pollack is the best player he’s ever blocked. Pollack is good, Starks said, but he said Jags defensive tackle John Henderson, who played against Starks while at Tennessee, might be better.
• Even though their spokesman says they “treated him like family,’ a local auto performance store might want to re-think its radio commercials. Their spokesperson is T.J. Slaughter, who was released by the Jags Tuesday following his arrest on weapons charges.
• The Florida Coastal School of Law will host the Northeast Florida Environmental Summit 2003 Nov. 13 and 14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Taking part will be U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, State Sen. Jim King and environmental advocate Honey Rand, author of “Water Wars — The Story of People, Politics and Power.” The topic will be “Road map to the Future: Charting a Course to Protect Our Fragile Environment.” For information or to register, call 680-7758.