• It’s a big time in the life of Hyde Park Elementary School Principal Nancy Miller. She was on the T-U front page Wednesday, getting a hug from President Bush, and next Saturday she’ll get a wedding kiss from her new husband, Jacksonville Suns General Manager Pedro Bragan. They’ll get hitched in Historic St. Andrew’s and then walk to the adjacent ballpark for the reception.
• A couple of local attractions have been recognized by a national publisher. Rand McNally, in the 80th edition of its road atlas, has announced the 2004 Best of the Road Awards. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens and the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine both made the list of sights worth seeing.
• Tysen Duva, Ryan Fuller and Tishia Green have joined the law firm of Coffman, Coleman, Andrews & Grogan.
• Best wishes to attorney Alison Miller, who is moving to Texas.
• Arbus magazine has new headquarters. The publication is now located in St. Marks Court in San Marco.
• Looking way ahead: the City’s “Jacksonville Day” lobbying trip to Tallahassee is March 25.
• Ecumenical note: U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, who’s an Episcopalian, is the honorary chair of Catholic Charities’ Black and White Ball Nov. 8.
• If Ch. 12/25 sports reporter Jeff Prosser looks a bit pooped, it’s because he played a lot of golf earlier this week. He and PGA Tour player Len Mattiace played a marathon at the TPC as a benefit for The First Tee youth golf program. They got pledges for the number of holes they played and staggered in at dark with a total of 126 holes each. That’s seven full rounds.
• Another golf note. The Players Championship will move the Benefactors Club tent from the clubhouse lawn to the hill between nos. 16 and 18 for the tournament in March. They’ll still have clubhouse access, but now they’ll have a view of the golf, too. If you want to be there, packages start at $7,000.
• Mayor John Peyton is conducting a national search to replace Animal Care and Control Chief John Merritt, but it’s apparently not happening fast enough for some. Peyton recently received a letter with 62 signatures calling for Merritt’s job.
• Ch. 4 sports director Sam Kouvaris is looking at plenty of graduation presents: he has one finishing college, one finishing high school and one finished 8th grade this year.
• City Council members have been invited to a “Hard Hat Preview” of The Carlington project. The tour is scheduled for Wednesday, followed by a reception at 11 E.