Jacksonville University will give degrees to almost 900 students Saturday at one of the largest graduating ceremonies ever at the university.
Armen Keteyian, an 11-time Emmy Award winner, will receive an honorary degree and is the ceremony’s keynote speaker.
“I was humbled to receive the call from President Tim Cost and honored to have the opportunity to address the JU graduating class of 2014,” Keteyian said. “I’ll do my best to pass along a few life lessons from a State U grad without boredom and with an emphasis on humanity, integrity and, most importantly, brevity.”
Paul Davis Restoration wins national award
Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida received top office and leading staff awards during the parent company’s annual convention. The local franchise office, associates and project managers received the honors among 500 of their peers who were in attendance. They earned the top award for overall sales and contents cleaned among 25 Florida offices in the district.
Jaguars to host job fair for guest services employees
The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for guest services employees for the upcoming season.
The job fair will be noon- 4 p.m. May 18 and 4-8 p.m. May 19 at the East Touchdown Club at EverBank Field.
Free parking will be available on the east side of the stadium in lots C and D. Professional dress is recommended.
Available positions include food service, bartenders, cooks, prep staff, servers, bar backs, dishwashers, cashiers, merchandise supervisors, sales associates, security, ushers and ticket takers.
Local historic preservation projects to be honored
As part of May being National Preservation Month, the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission will honor 23 projects and services at its annual awards ceremony at 6 p.m. May 8 at the Main Library.
The commission’s annual award recognizes projects and services that promote historic preservation in the Jacksonville area, with categories of Heritage Education; Residential and Commercial Rehabilitation; Architecturally Compatible New Construction; Preservation Projects and Services; and Archaeology/Historic Landscapes.
The awards will be presented by the commissioners, with Chairman Jennifer Mansfield acting as master of ceremonies.
Red-light camera violations to start at Merrill and Townsend
Red-light camera violations will begin starting at noon Thursday for the southbound approach of the intersection of Merrill Road and Townsend Boulevard. The one-month grace period began April 1.
The fine for running a red light is $158 when captured by camera, $262 when issued by an officer.
Asian American Heritage Month kicks off today
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month will kick off today with a 10 a.m. news conference at City Hall featuring Mayor Alvin Brown; Ed Callao, chair for the Mayor’s Asian American Advisory board; Crystal Broughan, Jacksonville Sister Cities Association president; and Joanne Davis, World Languages for Duval County Public Schools supervisor.
Winners for an art contest also will be unveiled at the news conference.
May is annual celebrated across the U.S. as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, with a goal to highlight significant impacts Asian Americans have on the country’s cultural vibrancy and economic future.
The Avenues announces three new retailers
The Avenues mall will have three new tenants, one open now and two in the coming months, Simon Property Group Inc. announced Tuesday.
See Natural Sign Nails Spa opened last month in a 771-square-foot space on the mall’s lower level next to Icing. The spa provides organic nail-care products.
The Winey Wench opens its doors this spring and will be located downstairs across from H&M. The 5,066-square-foot retailer is a café-style art school that features a wine and gift shop. Classes are 21/2 hours, with the store also offering wine tastings. The shop provides brushes, paint, easels, aprons, instructions and a canvas for guests.
Sweet Factory will open this summer in the mall’s upper level next to Victoria’s Secret.
The 800-square-foot specialty store specializes in bulk candy retailing by offering candy, chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, toys and wedding and event candy.
Ace Martin to be inducted into Jacksonville Jazz Festival Hall of Fame
The city’s Special Events Office has announced Ace Martin as an inductee to the Jacksonville Jazz Festival Hall of Fame. The hall recognizes those who have greatly influenced and made contributions to Jacksonville jazz.
Martin is the instrumental music chairman at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and has been with the school since it opened in 1984. Under his direction, Douglas Anderson’s jazz band has been invited to play for local, state, national and international jazz festivals.
Major achievements include performances at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago; Le Rondeveau Jazz Festival in Nantes, France, and Lucerne, Switzerland; the first Jazz Awareness Month at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; the National Grand Champion of the Creative Arts National Workshop; and the Fiestaval Music Festival.
Jazz Piano Competition finalists selected
Five finalists have been selected to compete in the 2014 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition being held May 22 at the Florida Theatre.
New York jazz pianist Lisa DeSpain; Berklee College of Music graduate Matt Savage; New York native Oscar Perez; and University of North Florida students Ryan Slatko and Aaron Lehrian will compete.
“The Jacksonville Piano Competition has been called ‘the best kept secret of the Jazz Festival,’” said Jack Melvin, owner of Keyboard Connection Piano & Organs, which is sponsoring the event. “The five musician finalists who have been chosen through blind judging will be bringing it on stage at the acoustically pleasing Florida Theatre.”