• Changes going on at the Ponte Vedra Beach Chamber. Linda Wilson, who took over the director’s spot after leaving the Jacksonville Chamber, is now on “an indefinite leave of absence” after just three months on the job. Another not on the job: manager Jeff Johnsen and the World Golf Village hotel have parted ways.
• Two weeks into the smoking ban, bartenders at San Marco’s European Street say the bar business has slowed. However, they are selling more food to diners seated near the bar now that the smoke has cleared.
• Carlotta Wells of the Clerk of the Courts office is quite a Daily Record fan. The courthouse employee maintains a scrapbook of all our articles mentioning the Clerk’s office dating back over 10 years ago.
• Big doing at the Adam’s Mark Hotel this week. Over 500 are here for a national property manager’s meeting.
• Jaguars publicist Dan Edwards is still in a neck brace after surgery for a ruptured disc but vows he’ll be ready by next week’s season-opening practice.
• Congratulations to attorney John “Jake” Schickel. He’s been elected chair of WorkSource. He’s served on the WorkSource board of directors since April 2001.
• The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded $20,000 to the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville for its Living Inside program for incarcerated youth. It’s the second time the Cultural Council has received the grant.
• Mayor John Peyton is the speaker at Friday’s Downtown Council meeting. It’s at River City Brewing Company, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
• The Haydon Burns Library is continuing its digitization project by accepting donations of postcards, photos, rare books, vintage maps, small artifacts and printed material dated pre-1925, from the Northeast Florida region. The materials will be digitized and put on the library’s website. The library is also scanning family histories from family bibles for the website. The bibles will be returned. Call 630-2972 to make a donation.
• Divas Nail & Hair Paradise has opened at 1424 San Marco Blvd. next door to The Corner Brasserie. Owner Trenea Shuford has another location on San Juan Avenue and said the shop will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.