• City Council member Mia Jones sat in on the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission meeting Thursday, telling commissioners they will be seeing a lot more of her as she tries to steer more of the City’s development dollars toward her Northside district.
• Auchter Company president Brad Glass took his seat for the first time Thursday on the JEDC. Glass said his first meeting was painless: “I was sure they’d start me out with the Landing incentive package or something.”
• In return for his support of the Jacksonville Public Library system, Mayor John Peyton will be given a 60–day check out period and unlimited renewal privileges on library books.
• A touch of Las Vegas is coming to the Omni. Junior Achievement will host a Casino Night Feb. 26 as a fundraiser for the organization. A silent auction, live music, celebrity dealers and, of course, a wide selection of gambling activities will highlight the evening.
• Have you missed Ch. 12/25 personalities Tim Deegan and Donna Hicken? They’ll be back Monday; they’ve been in Costa Rica.
• A clarification to our recent story on the Smith & Greene law firm. We said Deborah Greene worked for an attorney who did private investigation when in fact it was personal injury.
• The Public Relations Society of America and the Sunshine (Florida) chapter of the National Black Public Relations Society began collaborating Thursday to “offer programs that will showcase and accommodate the many perspectives” of alliance members. The new group envisions “more opportunities for all area public relations professionals and strengthened public relations services for local businesses.”
• JEDC executive director Kirk Wendland says plans for the mayor’s requested streamlining of the commission have not yet advanced to the policy level. “We’re still determining what the goals are. Once those are in place, we’ll get down to what policies will be implemented to achieve them.” Wendland did manage to streamline the JEDC’s first meeting of 2004. The meeting lasted just an hour. Wendland joked the short meeting and his concise, 3–minute Director’s Report were his late Christmas presents to the commission.
• The Vietnamese Association of Jacksonville will host a New Year (Tet) Celebration Jan. 25 at the University of North Florida. The festivities begin with food and drink at 4 p.m. in the Robinson Student Life Center’s banquet hall. Entertainment begins at 6 p.m. and includes a martial arts demonstration Vovinam, Dragon dance, traditional and contemporary song and dance, a fashion show of tradition ao dai and a traditional ancestral memorial ceremony. The event is free.