• The rumors are swirling again, but currently there are no plans for a San Marco Publix, according to Duane Stevens, community affairs manager for the grocery store chain. “We hear all the time that people want one, but there’s nothing to report,” he says.
• The Elks Building on Laura Street has a couple of new tenants. Kreinest and Associates, an advertising and marketing firm, has opened an office on the second floor, and Madame T Productions, a stationary design company, will open its national headquarters June 1. The vacant Smoothie King space is also drawing some interest, but nothing definite yet. Also, work to complete exterior renovations is set to begin next week and a new aluminum sign will be going up soon.
• It’s only been open for about a month, but Block & Barrel Deli, which was owned and operated by the Radisson on the Southbank, will close within the week. According to Radisson officials, the deli just didn’t generate the response they had hoped for.
• Edward Lane, a partner in the Hughes & Lane law firm, has accepted Mayor John Delaney’s invitation to join the Jacksonville Housing Authority board.
• Can’t get in touch with Sheriff-elect John Rutherford these days? He’s busy doing transition interviews.
• Word is City Hall has a new nickname: “Peyton Place.”
• City Council’s Cheryl Brown clarified a recent City Note in which we said the Council was arranged alphabetically during last Friday’s meeting. Actually, the new members were sitting in the seats of those they are replacing.
• Tourist Development Council grant assistant Mary Beth Mickey has left the TDC to pursue other ventures.
• The Florida Theatre is looking for volunteer ushers.
• Now that Mayor-elect John Peyton has named his transition team and support staff and established an office in the Annex, the next goal is to make it easier for all to get into the building. That problem should be solved soon, as everyone will apparently be issued “non-employee” ID badges. Parking around the Annex? That’s a whole other issue.
• The Moonlight Movies series returns to the SeaWalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach May 30 with a showing of “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”
• Recommended: Sunday breakfast at Sun Dog Diner. Great cheese grits.
• The City’s new Neighborhoods magazine is out and it’s a comprehensive guide to City parks. It covers everything from pools to hiking trails to community centers to athletic complexes.