• The going away breakfast Wednesday for Council aides Sandra Henderson and Mike Tolbert is still on, but they’ll be shy one guest. Tolbert, who worked for Faye Rustin, packed up last week and went to New Orleans for a vacation (no,. he isn’t related to the other Mike Tolbert, the political insider.) Henderson will stay with Jerry Holland when he takes over as Supervisor of Elections.
• The Community Foundation sent the Mayor’s Office a letter thanking them for the $35,000 the City donated to the Rally Jacksonville! fund. Problem is, the letter was addressed to former Chief of Staff Audrey Moran, who left the Mayor’s Office in June, 2003.
• Skanska USA has promoted Robert Utsey to be vice president of development for the Florida division and he’s relocated to Orlando. He was the point man on getting the Federal courthouse work here as well as the original (and ill-fated) county courthouse contract.
• A bill is working its way through the Legislature that would rename a portion of three roads around town. One is a section of New Kings Road that would be renamed in honor of Taye Brown, one of the original Better Jacksonville Plan project managers who died in a car accident a few years ago.
• The Art in Public Places Trust Fund may have a new name soon. A Council ordinance would amend the name to the Tille K. Fowler Memorial Artwork Trust Fund.
• Local AmSouth President Marty Lanahan has been appointed to the Cultural Services Grant Committee.
• Good news for businesses along Main Street between First and 12th streets. The Florida DOT is about to sink $2.459 million into beautification and streetscaping. The project has been given Priority 1 status.
• Kelly Delaney will be honored at JMOMA on Friday as the inaugural Memphis Wood Society Excellence In Teaching Award recipient. After the ceremony, JMOMA will open its newest exhibit, “Activating Space: Sculpture as Environment” and “Transitions: Sculptures & Prints” by Joe Segal.
• Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Jacksonville. The club has raised more than $150,000 for its polio eradication project goal which was set in 2002.