• The speculation that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would speak at Wednesday’s Military Appreciation Luncheon was just that - speculation. The speaker will be Bob Natter, a retired admiral who’s been hired by the City to lobby against base closures.
• The Main Street Bridge’s extended closing from June 11-21 will include no boats except for the tall ships coming downtown for the weekend visit. The bridge will be closed for 10 days.
• Glenn Wright of Lynch Management takes over this month as president of the Exchange Club. The president-elect is Doug Klippel of Hogan Assessment Systems.
• It wasn’t a big weekend for the horse Smarty Jones, who lost the Triple Crown finale, but the interest in the horse race carried the downtown dog track to a million-dollar Saturday. You could bet on the horse race at the track here.
• Landscaping is underway at the airport’s new overpass. Some big palm trees are included. And just in time for passengers of Independence Air, the new airline that starts flights to Washington soon.
• The City deserves applause for pulling the plug on some soggy streets, according to Bryan Croft, vice president of Holmes Stamp & Sign Co. on San Marco Boulevard. After two nights of rain, the company’s parking lot was under water. Croft went online on Wednesday and sent an e-mail to the City, asking for help. A truck was out there Thursday morning, fixing the problem.
• If you drop by The Landing for lunch this week, don’t be alarmed if you see a number of pirates skulking around. They’ll be out promoting this weekend’s Sail Jacksonville, which will feature an assortment of tall ships.