Registration opens for Jacksonville Light Boat Parade
Bring canoes, kayaks, sailboats and houseboats — they’re all welcome.
Registration for the 31st annual Community First Jacksonville Light Boat Parade is open for boaters interested in participating in the Thanksgiving weekend tradition.
Deadline is Nov. 20, with the event at 7 p.m. Nov. 28.
Participants will receive a customized boat tote and burgee boat flag along with an invitation to the captain’s celebration at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel Jacksonville for food, drink and prizes.
Additionally, prizes are awarded for best decorations on vessels under and over 30 feet, along with the best sailboat or commercial club.
For information, visit jacksonvillelightboatparade.com.
FSCJ to host students for Manufacturing Day
Florida State College at Jacksonville will take part in Manufacturing Day/Month on Friday by hosting more than 600 Jacksonville middle- and high-school students.
The students will have industry tours to 16 high-tech manufacturing sites in Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. The joint effort is among Florida TRADE at FSCJ, Career Source of Northeast Florida, the First Coast Manufacturers Association and corresponding school districts.
“With the old saying ‘knowledge is power,’ it is extremely important we present local opportunities to inform students and parents about career opportunities in regional and national growing industries as early as possible,” said Mike Collins, FSCJ program manager for the Florida Department of Labor Trade.
The tours are designed to introduce manufacturing to local middle and high school students to attract them to the advanced manufacturing industry.
Participating organizations are BAE Systems, Carlisle IT, Caterpillar, Cenveo, Florida Machine Works, Gerdau, Johnson Controls, Main Recycling, Rayonier, Rulon, Safariland, Saft Battery, Soler Palau, Vac-Con, Vistakon and West Rock.
Alfred, Kilbane to lead JAA board of directors
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority board of directors elected Ray Alfred as chairman for the 2015-16 year that begins Thursday.
Alfred is president and CEO of Emergency Responders’ Industries Inc. and is a former fire chief for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
The board also selected Patrick Kilbane as vice chair, Teresa Davlantes as secretary and Giselle Carson as treasurer. The three are attorneys
The seven-member board comprises three members who are appointed by the mayor and four who are appointed by the governor. Each can serve a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms.
Beaver Street Fisheries among first for certification
Beaver Street Fisheries Inc. recently was awarded the Country of Origin Label Supplier Certification for being compliant with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The certification, also known as COOL, is a labeling law that requires retailers like grocery stores, supermarkets and warehouse stores to notify their customers with information about the source of certain foods.
Those foods include muscle cut and ground meats; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, peanuts and pecans.
Beaver Street Fisheries is among the first suppliers to be awarded the certification after the USDA launched a pilot to award companies that lead the way with compliance.
The company can now be used by the USDA as an example to other suppliers on how to comply with regulations.
Art reception to showcase pretrial detention pieces
The Cathedral Arts Project will host an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 7 for an exhibition of artwork created by students in its class at the Duval County Pre-Trial Detention Facility.
The class is taught by local artist Tony Rodrigues and began in January, meeting twice each week through the end of June. It consisted of 15 incarcerated males ages 13-17 who passed through the program that focused on abstract expressionism.
“Students that attended classes regularly gained confidence and became comfortable using proper terminology and talking about their creative process,” said Rodrigues. “Showing this level of vulnerability was a giant step for many of the students.”
The reception will at the Heather Moore Geraghty Community Gallery in conjunction with Downtown Art Walk. It will celebrate the work of nine individual students, in addition to several collaborative pieces. It’ll be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting Cathedral Arts Project programs.
Frisch elected NASL board chairman
The North America Soccer League board of governors elected Jacksonville Armada FC owner Mark Frisch as its chairman.
He immediately assumed the role for the 11-team league.
Frisch is executive vice president of Beaver Street Fisheries, which is a leading importer, manufacturer and distributor of frozen seafood products from the U.S. and around the world.
He also serves as chairman of JAXUSA Partnership, the regional economic development organization of the JAX Chamber.
Frisch spearheaded the effort to bring soccer to Jacksonville as founder and CEO of the Sunshine Soccer Group, which established the Armada. The club is in its first year.
Scott reappoints Hudak to state board
Gov. Rick Scott reappointed Dr. Mark Hudak to the state’s Medicaid Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee.
Hudak is a pediatrician at the University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville. He’s reappointed for a term that ends June 30, 2017.
The committee develops and implements voluntary Medicaid preferred prescribed programs, as mandated by the Florida Legislature in 2000.
M Shack heading to Nocatee
Nocatee is adding a local burger business to its menu.
M Hospitality Restaurant and Catering Group announced it will add one of its M Shack restaurants to the Nocatee Town Center.
It will occupy the end-cap space of a new 12,000-square-foot retail center being developed by Skinner Bros. Realty.
The building will be completed by the end of the year. Construction for M Shack is expected to begin in mid-January, with an opening date slated for May.
The 2,400-square-foot restaurant will seat 75 customers inside and 50 on its covered patio, linked by a shared indoor/outdoor bar.
It will be the fourth M Shack location in Northeast Florida, following restaurants in Atlantic Beach, the St. Johns Town Center and Riverside.
Booker T. Jones at the Ritz on Saturday
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Booker T. Jones will perform at the Ritz Theatre and Museum at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Jones is a multi-instrumental and former front-man for Booker T. & the MGs, the “accidental” band formed in 1962 at Stax Records while members sat in the studio waiting for rockabilly singer Billy Lee Riley.
The band was known for hits “Green Onions” and “Melting Pot” before Jones went solo and released eight projects. He’s worked with Eddie Floyd, Otis Redding, Rita Coolidge, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Elton John and many others during his career.
He was inducted in 1992 and has won four Grammy Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement in 2007.
For information about the show, visit ritzjacksonville.com or call (904) 807-2010.