• A ceremonial showcasing of the new lighting on the Fuller Warren, Main Street and Hart bridges will take place on Friday, Dec. 31 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• Speaking of unveilings, a grand opening of the new Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier will be held next Thursday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. You’ll remember the old pier was destroyed a few years back by Hurricane Floyd.
• Our town’s “first lady”, former Jacksonville U. Chancellor Frances Bartlett Kinne, is out with a CD of her piano virtuosity. The cover features Dr. Fran with her late pal Bob Hope and it’s titled “Memories.”
• The Jaguars look good for next year, too. They have more money available under the salary cap than any other team, which means they can go after those fast defensive ends they need.
• One of our area’s lesser-known charities is a consortium of non-profits named the Community Health Charities, which is similar to the United Way in that it gets money through workplace giving. It’s about to make a splash starting with a Winn-Dixie sponsored luncheon next month aimed at getting company bosses involved.
• With the rise in online Christmas shopping, internet security experts are warning electronic consumers to be on the lookout for holiday-themed computer viruses. The Zafi e-mail worm in particular is causing concern. It spreads behind subject lines: “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays” and “Warm wishes from.” Once opened, the worm attacks Windows operating systems.
• It might seem longer to those of you who drive J. Turner Butler Boulevard twice a day, but a Census Bureau survey estimates Jacksonville’s average commute time at 22.9 minutes.