• This month’s First Wednesday Art Walk includes two new stops. Both the Magnificat Cafe on Laura Street and Tunnelvision in the SunTrust building will host art shows. Other stops are the Landing, 100 Laura Street, Snyder Memorial building, Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Arts & Design Center and the North Florida Artist’s Cooperative on Monroe Street.
• Maryland Terrapins coach Ralph Friedgen said he was surprised by all the autograph seekers he encountered at the Landing during his stay in town. The reason? They were all West Virginia fans. “I’m always blown away whenever people want a picture of me,” said the coach.
• The Chamber’s Cornerstone division says it has seen a significant increase in small business activity this year. Its Small Business Center has assisted in projects creating 113 new jobs, up 39 percent; 168 retained jobs, up from 60 jobs last year; and capital investments of $10.5 million, up from $6.3 million last year.
• Passenger traffic at Jacksonville International Airport was down 1.7 percent from last fiscal year. Cargo was down slightly at .1 percent below last year.
• Fire Chief Richard Barrett said the City is considering moving its Riverside station. The river apparently cuts its response area in half, and Barrett said the station’s technology support facility is inadequate. Two new stations are due to open Feb. 7, with seven more to follow over the next year and a half. The City is renovating 17 stations.
• More fire news: Chief Barrett said his department has nipped its problem with firefighters taking weekend and holiday sick leave. In the past six months, Barrett said his firefighters took nearly 12,000 hours less sick time than for the same period last year. Barrett attributed the decrease to tighter supervision and increased morale.
• The Chamber’s Downtown Council has added a second bus to its Friday tour of downtown so you won’t be left standing in the parking lot at the River City Brewing Company. They’ll board promptly at 8, and $10 gets you the ride, a box breakfast and a chance to hear either City Council member Suzanne Jenkins or DDA director Al Battle tell you what’s going on.
• In town: Mike McCollum, son of BellSouth boss Jim McCollum. He’s out of grad school at the University of Georgia and is working for Pattillo Construction.
• Architect Jack Diamond is the speaker at Monday’s Rotary Club of Jacksonville meeting at the Omni.
• You’ll see a healthier Mayor John Peyton next week. We hear that he and wife Kathryn have been toning up at an Arizona spa this week.
• The next issue of Downtown This week hits the stands this afternoon. On the cover: The Florida Theatre.
• The new pier in Jacksonville Beach is starting to become much more visible. The project is on schedule and should open in late spring or early summer.