• Despite facing a tight budget year, Duval County School Superintendent John Fryer presented a check for $91,000 to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Fryer said the money represented a commitment to the symphony and to music education.
• After La Cena owner Jerry Moran sent Chief of Staff Scott Teagle some colorfully worded e–mails decrying the City’s after–hours parking policies, Teagle’s assistant reminded Moran the correspondence is public record and open to the media. Moran said Teagle and COO Lynn Westbrook are trying to figure out parking solutions for downtown’s nighttime visitors.
• According to a University of North Florida study, Florida Community College at Jacksonville contributes annually about $725 million to the local economy. The college buys about $14 million in supplies from local suppliers and provides a better educated workforce for local employers, the study said.
• If you noticed a lot of people wearing orange and purple colors Monday, it’s because Mayor John Peyton declared the day Citywide School Spirit Day and asked everyone to show their support for Edward Waters College by wearing the school colors.
• With no downtown post office, finding a book of stamps can be a chore. Downtown Emporium in Independent Square has stamps for sale, but they mark up the price by about $1.
• Nine students will graduate Friday from the 14-week culinary program at the Clara White Mission. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. at the Mission.
• The Christian Legal Society will host Albert “Bud” Toole at its Friday meeting. It begins at 12:15 p.m. at The Seminole Club. RSVP to [email protected].
• The Super Bowl Host Committee has launched its event sanctioning process with the release of the online sanctioning application. Sanctioned events receive limited use of the Host Committee logo for marketing and promotional purposes.
• Karpeles Manuscript Museum is hosting its Cards at the Karpeles poker night Nov. 15 from 7-10 p.m. Preregistration is required. Call 356-2992 for details.
• The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Bank of America Family Series opens at 3 p.m. Saturday with Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.” The performances introduce children, parents and grandparents to the joys of music. Also included are the popular preconcert activities and Symphony Guild Instrument Zoo. Four greyhounds who are up for adoption also will stop by for a preconcert visit. The concert is sponsored by The Weaver Family Foundation. For ticket information, call 354-5547.