• Gator Bowl visitors trying to make their way from the Southbank overwhelmed the Skyway system last week. So many people were trying to ride, the cars were packed for several hours, and JTA officials had to limit the number of people on the platform because lines were so long.
• Vestcor Companies chair John Rood has been named U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas.
• The mayor of Columbus, Ga. thanked Emergency Preparedness chief Chip Patterson and fire department administrative assistant Hilda Westberry for their help in saving the life of the Columbus’ deputy director of emergency management. Riley Land suffered a heart attack on a recent visit to Jacksonville. According to thank–you letters sent by Mayor Robert Poydasheff, Westberry helped Land’s wife locate a cell phone charger and dug up emergency numbers following the attack. Patterson made reservations for Mrs. Land at a hotel near St. Vincent’s Hospital where her husband was undergoing emergency treatment.
• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez offered the City his department’s help in matching local faith–based organizations with HUD funding. Further, Martinez told Mayor John Peyton that religious organizations should be assessed for funding “on an equal footing” with others. Faith–based organizations, said Martinez “should be assessed on their merits . . . not on their religious or secular character.”
• The St. Johns River Water Management District offered the City its help in adjusting water–use planning to growth management laws enacted by the Florida Legislature. Office of Communications and Governmental Affairs director Linda Burnette told Mayor Peyton that the SJRWMD could help the City improve its water supply planning, particularly as it’s affected by land use.
• There’s a new hotel set to open in Jacksonville Beach soon. The Marriott Fairfield Inn on First Street across from the Holiday Inn is scheduled to open by summer.
• Speaking of beach hotels, work is underway to convert the old Brampton Inn into condos.
• The Meninak Club takes this week off but they’ll be gathering next Monday to induct their new officers. Bill McCamy, the Navy vet who’s with a computer software company, succeeds economist John Godfrey as president and insurance exec John Roberts moves up to president-elect.
• The New York Times’ computer poll lists the Jaguars as tied for 20th in the 32-team National Football League.
• Martha C. Valdes-Pellino has been elected chair of the Mayor’s Hispanic American Advisory Board, succeeding Dr. Al Lopez.
• Chris Birch is the new director of ticketing for the Jacksonville Barracudas hockey team.
• The funeral last week of Gert Schmidt recalled the fact that we almost had a Ch. 10 in town. Schmidt once headed a group trying to get a TV station here and was opposed by two other local groups. The government delayed awarding of Ch. 10, but at the same time decided that the Miami owners of Ch. 12 weren’t operating properly, and put that channel up from grabs. Schmidt led the merger of the three groups and ended up as president of Ch.12.