• Lefty, the rooster who hangs out around the City Hall Annex and is downtown’s unofficial mascot, was attacked Thursday by a pack of four or five wild dogs. Some workers at an office across the street witnessed the attack and ran outside to stop it. The rooster was still alive when animal control officers arrived to transport him for treatment. At last report, Lefty was in fair condition and the prognosis for a full recovery is good.
• The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra board has rejected a contract agreement with the musicians that called for a reduction in salary and benefits. A tentative agreement had been reached by both sides, but the board said a request by the musicians calling for additional time off to earn some of the income they would lose was not acceptable.
• The JEDC’s began a two-month self-evaluation this week, looking for ways to streamline the commission. The JEDC staff has already figured out how to streamline its daily presentation of background material to the different advisory committees. “I’m going to be briefer in my comments only because everybody tells me I need to,” said JEDC executive director Kirk Wendland before he addressed the Downtown District Committee. Wendland also cut off committee member Mike Harrell, a CB Richard Ellis senior vice president, when he suggested the Downtown Development Authority could use more staff. “I think the reality is, we’re going to be doing more with less, not less with more,” said Wendland.
• City Council member Lynette Self was recently honored by the Police and Fire Pension Fund, which referred to her as a “silent warrior.” The crowd laughed when one onlooker remarked “she wasn’t so silent” when she was chair of the Land Use and Zoning Committee.
• Developer Mike Langton is pushing hard for the City to let him redevelop the Bisbee, Florida Life and Marble Bank buildings. In 2002, the City accepted Signet’s proposal over Langton’s. “It makes sense to me,” said Langton, “that if your first place guy can’t do it, why not go to your number two?” Langton said he’s been trying to make that point to the Downtown Development Authority, however DDA managing director Al Battle said a new Request For Proposals is the best course of action.
July 4 is coming and there’s going to be plenty to do downtown. For a look at all the activities, check out Downtown This Week, available today at various locations.