• Condolences to the family of long-time mayor’s office receptionist Naomi Glover. She passed away Friday after a long battle with
cancer.
• The Downtown Development Authority board welcomed Tuesday its newest board member, Karl’s Clothier owner and former City Council candidate Jay Jabour.
• The scooter shop on Hendricks Avenue will have a new business neighbor come
January. Birkam Yoga will be taking over 1630 Hendricks Ave., which previously housed an art/gift shop.
• The United States Postal Service hasn’t found a new downtown post office site, but according to a postal representative, “about a half dozen businesses of all kinds” have expressed serious interest. Meetings with each business will take place over the next few weeks, but there is no word on when anything could be signed.
• Eclate Jazz Club will hold a grand opening Friday evening and according to owner Vince O’Roark, the club may be open for lunch soon after. Originally, lunch wasn’t going to be an option until sometime in January, but following the closing of Portabella’s and the Desert Rider on Bay Street, O’Roark decided to reconsider.
• JEDC director Kirk Wendland’s rare appearance at Tuesday’s DDA board meeting drew a tongue–in–cheek round of applause from the board members. “I should come here more often,” joked Wendland. “I usually just get kicked around by my board.”
• Previous studies have suggested a need for 2,400 parking spaces around the new Duval County Courthouse, yet the garage plan approved Tuesday by the DDA will only supply 1,300. The reason? City parking consultant Mark Rimmer said the demand estimate was scaled back because jury members will be shuttled to and from the courthouse. He also said the area already has 200 unused on–street spaces.
• DDA managing director Al Battle says he’ll provide the mayor’s office with a draft proposal for a downtown parking plan by the end of the week. Battle said an organizational structure for parking management should be in place by the end of the year.
• After a 15-year hiatus, the Florida Police and Fire Games (formerly the Florida Law Enforcement Games) will return to Jacksonville in 2005 and 2006. The games feature 42 events that will take place over eight days with an estimated 5,000 participants. The games began in 1972-73 and were held at The Bolles School. The last time Jacksonville hosted the event was 1988-89. The games are awarded on a two-year basis, and, in 2004, organizers will wrap up their second year in Fort Pierce.