• Mayor John Peyton used Vestcor’s John Rood’s swearing-in ceremony — he’s the new ambassador to the Bahamas and a commission member — to lobby State Fish and Wildlife Commission leadership on a couple of local issues. The discussion focused on the health of the local shrimping industry, which is threatened by a glut of foreign product, and the growing number of boaters using Jacksonville’s waterways.
• The director of the Duval County Health Department told Mayor Peyton the recent hurricanes revealed the need for the county to keep a database with the names and needs of those requiring special care, the elderly and handicapped for instance. Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen requested $40,000 to hire a health professional to maintain the database.
• The Duval County Legislative Delegation has published its first member’s report, recapping the 2004 legislative session. The glossy magazine highlights legislation and appropriations that Delegation members sponsored this year. It’s available at the Delegation office in City Hall.
• City lobbyist Brad Thoburn, who is still without power, wasn’t sure if he would be attending the NFL Kickoff concert at Metro Park featuring Jessica Simpson. “I’m not sure what I’ll do,” Thoburn said Thursday morning. “Either way I guess I’ll be sweating.”
• City Council president Elaine Brown narrowly avoided a pointless flight Thursday. Brown, who was planning to attend a League of Cities conference, was moments away from boarding her flight when she got a call that the meeting was canceled. The reason: it was scheduled to take place in Key West, which was being evacuated in anticipation of Hurricane Ivan.
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