• Two days after killing plans for a City Hall gym, Mayor John Peyton found a no-frills way to get an early morning workout. Peyton was sprinting down Hogan Street Thursday toward City Hall and a 9 a.m. homeland security meeting. He said he “hates to be late,” but he made the meeting on time.
• Speaking of the City Hall gym, Peyton’s decision may not have been popular with the 170 City employees who bought memberships, but it appears to have pleased the taxpayers. In the two days since his decision was reported, the mayor has received daily e-mails and letters of support. Nobody has written with an objection.
• Michael Seelie is the new partner at the law firm of Bullock, Childs, Pendley & Reed.
• Addie Asay is the new law clerk for Judge Harvey Schlesinger.
• 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.
• Dave Roman, chief of public information for the City, is returning to the private sector. Roman is joining The Boardwalk Group in Jacksonville Beach as vice president of creative and interactive services.
• City Council approved a resolution applauding the work being done by the Duval County Teen Court, a youth diversionary program for first-time offenders who have committed petty crimes. The recidivism rate for those who go through the program is less than 2 percent. The 500th offender is expected to be adjudicated this year.
• After seven years at Holland & Knight, Michael Buckner’s last day was Wednesday as he opens Collegiate Solutions Inc. in Hollywood. The new business is a sports consulting company designed to assist colleges with NCAA compliance.
• Jacksonville University is the latest state school to get a license plate. It will be available by the end of the month.
• The Peyton administration is taking a second crack at installing voice mail for the mayor’s staff. Chief of Staff Scott Teagle told the City’s Information Technology Division that he prefers a two-line system. The main line would still get a live answer, while a second line would route callers to voice mail.