• Mayor John Peyton has softened his tone when answering questions about a new convention center. He now says he believes “great cities have great convention centers,” and said earlier this week that “hosting home and patio shows and cheerleader competitions doesn’t exactly make us a player in the convention business.” However, he still says the City has more pressing needs than an improved convention center. The topic is unlikely to get serious consideration from Peyton until after the Super Bowl. On the other hand, Peyton said the time is now to fix Jacksonville’s youth literacy. “People say it will take a generation to fix. Quite frankly, we don’t have a generation to wait.” Peyton dedicated $6 million in this year’s budget to teaching Duval County’s 13,000 four-year-olds to read.
• For those who’ve been asking about Lefty, the City Hall Annex rooster that was attacked by a pack of wild dogs a few weeks ago, he’s still recovering at a local bird hospital, and according to the City’s Animal Control office, he’s eating more and his recovery is progressing well.
• Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver says he isn’t looking to activate the agreement he has to have an Arena Football team in the arena. “We have enough to do (with the Jaguars) right now,” he says. “If anyone else wants to take the team, we’ll be glad to get them with the league.”
• Former Greenscape of Jacksonville president Lane Welch says some Bay Street tenants are concerned about how the City’s Bay Street improvements will affect the street’s oak trees. According to Public Works, the trees will be replaced by Washingtonian palm trees.
• Another interested observer of progress on Bay Street is Wayne Weaver. Weaver was asking reporters before a Wednesday press conference about the schedule for the streetscaping project, which is supposed to serve as the City’s Super Bowl entertainment district. “If they’re going to get that done by the Super Bowl, they’d better get going,” said Weaver.
• On the eve of training camp, the Jags haven’t been the only ones pursuing an off-season conditioning program. Members of the local sports media have been slimming down as well. Radio personality Mike Dempsey said he’s dropped 40 pounds. His secret? “I stopped eating so much.” Sports anchor Cole Pepper has followed his own weight loss plan that he refers to as “the fatkins diet,” which has allowed him to drop about 20 pounds.
• Bon voyage to Mayor Peyton. He sets off today for the British Virgin Islands where a chartered sailboat awaits he and wife Kathryn.