• A new promotion at the Landing offers shoppers a free lobster dinner. The lobsters are sitting at the bottom of a tank with a mechanical hook hanging from above. Shoppers who are able to extract a lobster can have it cooked free by the Steakfinger Station. Each pass with the hook costs $2. Steakfinger employees said they’ve seen lots of lobsters caught since the booth opened last month.
• High-speed Internet access is being installed at the Omni that will improve services for meetings. The new equipment will permit satellite downloads and teleconferencing. With 14,000 square feet of meeting space, the Omni can make accommodations for groups from five to 700.
• Downtown Vision, Inc. has six new Ambassadors to provide assistance to people in the 90-block Business Improvement District. Chuck, Jay, Liz, Brian, Leon and Al will join Jimmy Johnson, a new manager hired to assist Joe Snowberger. The Ambassadors, who were hired Dec. 8, are in training and will be on the streets today.
• Attorney Lanny Russell used to have a fool-proof plan to get calls through to the mayor’s office. Communication chief Susie Wiles’ husband has the same first name. “Whenever I called, they would ask me to identify myself, I would just say my name. They put me through every time.” he said. “Unfortunately, Susie eventually caught on.”
• Construction on the new Main Library is moving right along. Work on the third floor is already underway.
• City Council vice president Elaine Brown has two signed pledges and six requests for meetings to discuss her bid for the Council presidency.
• We incorrectly said last week that U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle was the House minority leader. Daschle is the Senate minority leader.
• The City Council is inviting local business owners to a one–hour forum Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art. The class will allow attendees to familiarize themselves with the legislative process and develop their ability to effect proposed legislation that could impact their business.
• Human Resources Chief Adrienne Trott sent a mass e–mail to City employees, describing comments made by their labor negotiator as “intentional lies designed to deceive employees.” Trott was responding to an e-mail sent by the Professional Association of City Employees that said the City had proposed to “forever end all across the board and cost of living pay increases for supervisors.” The City wants to base pay increases on performance rather than giving them across the board, said Trott. She said PACE’s comments were meant to distract attention from two years of unsuccessful negotiating.