• The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair’s Squeal Appeal campaign, featuring “Pinky the Pig,” was selected as the Best Advertising Campaign at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions convention. Marketing Director Gayle Hart, who co-designed the campaign with Shawn O’Shell of the Scott McRae Agency, accepted the award.
• Speaking of the fair, it’s moving to November next year to avoid conflicts with the Florida/Georgia game. The 2004 dates are Nov. 3-14.
• As the headquarters for the 2005 Super Bowl, the Adam’s Mark Hotel is certainly anticipating the arrival of the big game. There’s even a digital clock behind the front desk which is counting down — by seconds — the time left until kickoff.
• Michael Sones and Michael Altenback, the developers for San Marco’s Home Street Lofts, told the Downtown Development Authority that all 12 of the development’s market–rate condominiums have been sold. The project is still under construction.
• City Hall was a little less active than normal Friday. According to the security guards at the front desk, in four hours they signed in 16 people — “most of them homeless.”
• The chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Jeffrey C. Crowe, will be in town Jan. 21 for a speaking engagement at Jacksonville U. Topic: Securing the Supply Chain: Cargo, Trade and the American Economy.
• The Landing is preparing for our visitors from Maryland and West Virginia. T-shirt displays featuring the two Gator Bowl teams were being set up Friday.
• The executive director of the United States Conference of Mayors said in a letter that he wanted Mayor John Peyton to be an “active” member of the municipal lobbying group. Tom Cochran met Peyton during Harvard leadership classes. Cochran invited Peyton to the group’s January meetings in Washington D.C., where a meeting with President Bush may be in the offing. Membership in the USCM would cost Jacksonville $19,739, according to an application form.
• U.S. Attorney Paul Perez told Chief of Staff Scott Teagle that the U.S. Attorney’s office for Florida’s Middle District needed Jacksonville’s input to create a regional Hate Crimes Working Group. Perez said the FBI was already working with his office to reduce crimes of bias and prejudice and invited Teagle to a Jan. 14 meeting.
• The Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art is offering free lunchtime tours Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 12:30 p.m.
• In response to a citywide ºbike trail proposal by City Council member Art Graham, Laura Hallam, president of the Florida Bicycle Association, said she would be happy to take a look at the plan. Hallam, who is based in Orlando, said she would want to make sure the trails could meet certain safety criteria.