• Farah’s of Downtown, at 231 N. Laura St., is officially closed. Owner Kamal Farah will continue to operate his Bay Street restaurant, while the Laura Street space will now be occupied by Magnifcat Cafe. The new restaurant is set to open Tuesday and will offer breakfast and lunch.
• Wedding bells: Jacksonville Suns boss Pedro Bragan and Dr. Nancy Miller, principal at Hyde Park Elementary. They’ll get married Sept. 20 and leave that evening for Los Angeles. Going to Hollywood to honeymoon? Nope, to a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game.
• Skanska USA Building, Inc. has received top honors at the Florida First Coast Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors awards. Skanska received the Project of the Year and Excellence in Construction awards for its work on the U.S. Courthouse at Jacksonville.
• Mayor John Peyton joked at Tuesday’s Blue Ribbon Financial Commission meeting that he must now defer to commission member Bob Helms, also CEO of Wachovia Bank, Florida. “Bob owns me now,” said Peyton. “I got a mortgage from him last week.”
• Another familiar face is calling it a career at the Clerk of the Courts office. Sherry Colson, assistant to the clerk, is retiring next week after 30 years in the courthouse.
• City Council auditor Richard Wallace says the Council would approve Mayor Peyton’s new pay-as-you-go policy for replacing City vehicles. For the past 13 years the City has set aside money in a fund for future replacements, but Peyton wants to invest that money into City services and the general pension. Wallace said the set-aside money had already been allocated. “Council doesn’t have a way to step back from the vehicle replacement policy,” said Wallace.
• Peyton has appointed Mike Weinstein, former president of the Super Bowl Host Committee and mayoral candidate, as the “special assistant to the mayor” to coordinate the City’s Super Bowl related activities. Weinstein will work directly with Peyton, his staff, City personnel and the Host Committee and, according to the mayor’s office, will receive a “monthly stipend” of $1,000 from the City for expenses.
• There weren’t too many talkative Jags at Tuesday’s press conference. It seems most were press shy in light of recent rumors about trading or releasing Mark Brunell. Quarterback David Garrard did speak briefly, saying he’d deal with whatever happens when it happens.
• Former City Council auditor Bob Johnson, is back with the City on a part-time basis, approximately 20 hours a week. Johnson will be working directly with Mayor John Peyton and his staff on special projects. Johnson’s first assignment is a thorough review of the way the City organizes, contracts and funds solid waste activities with an eye toward identifying ways to improve services and lower costs.