• Late night patrons of the Kings Road Post Office are now finding the doors locked. The post office was open 24 hours until recent nationwide postal service cutbacks. Now, the doors are locked at 10 p.m. though patrons can still access post office boxes.
• Beginning today through Thursday, the Main Street Bridge will be closed from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. as part of the repainting/repair project. Traffic will be detoured to the Acosta Bridge. The bridge will also close at 7 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Feb. 23. Several other closures are planned in March.
• The Board of Governors of the Jacksonville Bar Association cited competence, integrity, experience and geography in encouraging President George W. Bush to nominate either Judge Waddell Wallace or Christine Milton to fill the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District. The vacancy was created by the death of Judge Ralph W. Nimmons. The board’s resolution, which was approved last week, was sent to the president, Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Sens. Bob Graham and Bill Nelson.
• It’s a small world after all. Retired Circuit Court Judge William Maness has decided to go back to school. He enrolled in a creative writing class at FCCJ, not necessarily to go on and try for the great American novel but “to try to improve my writing skills.” At the opening of the first class, the teacher came up and gave him a big hug. She is Dr. Marilyn DeSimone, the daughter of Maness’s former colleague, the late Circuit Judge Marion W. Gooding. She is also the sister of sitting Circuit Court Judge David Gooding.
• After months of investigation, Mayor John Peyton said he finally discovered the source of popular antipathy toward the new Duval County Courthouse. “What I’ve found is people are just not fond of lawyers, criminals and judges,” said Peyton. “And those tend to be a courthouse’s primary occupants.”
• Jacksonville Area Legal Aid got a strong nibble but still has no buyer for the red 1994 four-door Volvo Turbo that it received from attorney Howard Dale. It’s shined up, tuned up and ready to be turned over to the right owner . . . who would be someone interested in a bargain and helping Legal Aid in the process. Call 356-8371, Ext. 316, and ask for Kim to make an offer.
• Though recognizing the Super Bowl as an opportunity to bring more entertainment downtown, Dalton Agency executive Michael Munz says, “We need to be clear that, with or without the Super Bowl, we would be working just as hard to make the Bay Street Town Center project a success.”
• A new nightclub has opened in Neptune Beach at the site of the old De Capo’s on Atlantic Boulevard: Club Galore.