• Mayor John Peyton and City Council member Daniel Davis will host Saturday’s grand opening of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center and Cecil Recreation Complex. The festivities will start at 11 a.m. and feature tours, horse–drawn trolley rides, aquatics demos and the unveiling of the city’s second Art in Public Places installation.
• The JEDC’s Sports Entertainment board is anxiously awaiting the announcement of the final three roster spots for the U.S. Olympic basketball team, one of which may be taken by Shaquille O’Neal. The team will play at the new arena on July 31. Ticket sales are reportedly going well, but a few prime seats are still available
• Speaking of basketball, Al Battle of the Downtown Development Authority, has been seen walking at less than half speed, thanks to what is reportedly an injury to his Achilles tendon that he got playing basketball. There apparently is no correlation between Battle’s injury and the number of open spots on the Olympic team.
• The City is hesitant to provide a municipal labor union with a requested list of all City e–mail addresses. City IT analyst Gary Steffens worries that the list would “be a spammers jackpot.” A “massive” increase in spam and virus–related e-mails is foreseen if the list gets out. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees is competing with the Professional Association of County Employees in an election for leadership of City employees. AFSCME wants the list to ensure equal access to the e–mail system.
• Mayor Peyton has been invited to address the staff of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Peyton was invited to a July 22, conference to bring the bank up to speed on Jacksonville’s business climate.
• Reminder: the Young Lawyers Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association is hosting a judicial breakfast Thursday in Chief Judge Donald Moran’s chambers from 8-9 a.m. RSVP to Tatiana Salvador at 346-5710.
• The Library Board is considering hiring a headhunter to find a replacement for Ken Sivulich. Human Resources chief Adrienne Trott told the board to stay within bidding and public records guidelines if a search firm is used.
• The City is planning a 13-county emergency preparedness drill, which will take place in May. Details are still being discussed, but the plans should be released next week.
• Children in the Maxville area received the “keys” to the new Branch Library from Mayor Peyton as part of a ceremony Tuesday celebrating construction at the $2.1 million library. Peyton told the children “libraries are the keys to reading, learning and literacy.” The library is scheduled to open this summer.
• Rick Beseler, who retired Dec. 31 as the chief investigator for the State Attorney’s Office for Clay, Duval and Nassau counties, announced Tuesday that he is a candidate for Clay County sheriff.