Community First Credit Union will invest $1.7 million in its branch redesign in Arlington.
The building at 767 Merrill Road was built in the 1980s. The location is the credit union’s busiest in terms of members (12,000) and daily transactions (15,000 per day). It’s located within the city’s Renew Arlington Initiative.
The 3,100-square-foot branch has 10 employees.
It’s the first freestanding building to adopt the organization’s “branch transformation,” joining the Riverside office that opened in January.
The overhaul will feature a redesigned exterior and interior, including signage, parking facilities, lighting, landscaping and entrance and exit.
It is expected to be completed in about four months after construction begins in early April.
Governor vetoes several area projects
Gov. Rick Scott had not received a copy of the state budget approved Friday by the Legislature, but he didn’t waste time declaring what he didn’t like.
Scott vetoed $256 million in projects “that do not provide a significant return on taxpayer investment,” he announced in a Tuesday release. Several of those projects are in Northeast Florida.
The St. Johns River ferry again will not receive additional state funding after Scott axed $1 million for a second project phase. The Downtown Investment Authority won’t get $1 million for an urban homesteading pilot program it sought.
Others include the Jacksonville Arboretum, which won’t receive $250,000 for a stormwater improvement project; Guiding Stars of Duval County program, part of the Early Learning Coalition of Duval, will not receive $500,000; and Beaver Street Enterprise Center was denied $300,000.
Winn-Dixie launches wildlife learning program with cards
Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie, has launched an “Animals of America” collector card program to educate young shoppers about wildlife found in their own backyards.
Through May 3, customers will receive a free four-pack of cards with every $20 purchase, while supplies last.
Each of the 54 cards features an American animal and fact, designed for children to collect, swap and organize in a poster or album.
The company worked with zoologists from the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to create the cards that represent species from six habitats — coastal, swamp, desert, mountain, home states and backyards. The mascot for the program is Billy the Bear, an animal character inspired by Billy the black bear at the zoo.
The cards also have “hero” animals for the seven states — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina — where Southeastern Grocers reaches.
HOBNOB names executive chef
Roger Regulacion has been named HOBNOB executive chef, joining the Brooklyn restaurant as it launches service in the next two weeks.
A native of Hawaii, Regulacion earned his culinary degree from First Coast Technical College.
He has cooked for national and local concepts like Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion, Bistro Aix and Galangal Thai Cuisine.
Dinner service begins March 25. The restaurant will be closed March 27 for Easter and begin lunch and brunch service April 4.
The 4,560-square-foot, 165-seat restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday along with brunch and dinner Saturdays and Sundays.
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra adds two to staff
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra has added two to its team, with the hiring of Amanda Lipsey as director of grants and sponsorships and Luke Witchger as orchestra personnel manager.
Lipsey will work with development staff to secure funds to help fulfill the symphony’s mission and future. She will manage an activity calendar for the foundation and public sector constituents, in addition to identifying funding opportunities.
Lipsey has been involved in fundraising since 2006, when she became the grants write for the Los Angeles Opera.
As personnel manager, Witchger takes responsibility for the human resource management of orchestra staff. That means ensuring symphony activities are executed in compliance with regulations, developing and managing budgets related to personnel and managing individual contracts and auditions.
He held a similar position at the North Carolina Symphony.
For more information on the symphony, visit jaxsymphony.org.
Alimacani Elementary School teacher Park named tops for the year
Alimacani Elementary School teacher Kay Park was named the 2016 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year.
The third-grade teacher was honored Saturday at the 25th annual EDDY Awards.
Park was recognized for her leadership within and beyond school walls in the areas of being a mentor, an educator and a volunteer, according to a news release. She’s been in the public schools system almost 30 years.
She has a 96 percent rating for the 2014 Collaborative Assessment System for Teachers and strives for her students “see our role models in action.”
Park will compete for a statewide title.
The EDDY Awards is an initiative of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund as part of a yearlong effort of celebrating Duval County’s best educators.
Other finalists were Douglas Brown, honors and advanced placement U.S. government teacher at Fletcher High School; Dionne Clayton, guidance counselor as Paxon School for Advanced Studies; Jaime Plauche, mathematics lead teacher at Fishweir Elementary School; and Darryl White II, language arts and athletic director at Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School.
For more organization, visit eddyawardsjax.org.
Scott appoints Browning to water management district
Gov. Rick Scott has appointed John Browning to the St. Johns Water Management District.
Brown, of East Palatka, is president of Browning Consulting and Browning Packing. He serves as a member of the Florida Transportation Commission, Floridians for Better Transportation and the Florida Chamber of Commerce board of directors.
He succeeds George Robbins for a term that ends March 1, 2020.