• Downtown Vision, Inc. is asking downtown building managers to keep their lights on for tonight’s NFL Kickoff concert at Metropolitan Park. “We just want to make sure the city will be as bright as it can be,” said DVI spokesperson Lyn Briggs.
• Swamped by the storm were the river taxis, which lost at least four good business days. They’re back on the water and hoping tonight’s concert will make up for some of the lost business.
• Angry residents unable to reach JEA Wednesday jammed phones lines at the mayor’s office and City Council regarding power outages. The JEA lines were so busy even City Council members were unable to get through. All the mayor’s office could do was take names and street addresses and forward them to JEA. Later in the day, Council members and staff met with JEA representatives to figure out how to handle the calls.
• There won’t be any room at the Adam’s Mark Hotel through Friday, now that Frances has moved out of town, and conventioneers have arrived. The U.S. Power Squadron has booked half of the hotel’s rooms, while response teams from insurance firms and electrical companies are in town to assess the damage left by the storm.
• The Willie Gary Classic football game will apparently go ahead as scheduled Saturday. Alltel Stadium managers said earlier this week the game might be postponed due to Frances and poor ticket sales. But City officials met with game organizers Wednesday and said the game was on.
• No word yet on whether Snyder Memorial’s mystery buyer will swoop in to take the building off the City’s hands. JEDC officials said in August they had an unidentified party interested in the building and that they expected to hear by the end of August if the deal was going to happen. If a buyer can’t be found by October, the City will likely take possession of the building.
• Jacksonville Community Council Inc. will host its annual meeting Sept. 23 at The Schultz Center. It runs from 8-9:15 a.m. Cost is $15 per person. They’ll also release the Public Education Reform Study.
• The Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association will meet at noon, Sept. 22, at the Omni. Speakers will be U.S. Magistrate Judges Marcia Morale Howard and Monte C. Richardson. RSVP by Sept. 17 to 798-5451.
• For those who have been around long enough to remember, Saturday is the 40th anniversary of The Beatles performance at the old Gator Bowl.
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