• Mayoral assistant Kerri Stewart has been appointed by Mayor John Peyton as the interim executive director of the Jacksonville Housing Commission effective today. Stewart, a former campaign worker for Peyton, is also in charge of an initiative that is assessing the overall organization of the City’s 7,000-plus employees. Stewart is replacing Jeanne Fewell, who is retiring.
• Interesting award given out the other day by Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio. Defensive end Marcellus Wiley was the recipient of the “Golden Gobble” award, which is given to the Jags player who puts on the most weight over the Thanksgiving weekend. Word is Wiley packed on 6 pounds. Two years ago, the departed Hugh Douglas put up a number that may be tough to top: 15 pounds.
• Speaking of weight and the Jags, it’s a fine of $457 per pound that a player is over his specified weight at any time during the season. No word on who has contributed the most to that pot.
• The Tiger Bay Club will meet Friday at 11:30 a.m. at the University Club and U.S. Rep. John Mica is the guest speaker. It’s $25 and guests are welcome. Call 306-9065 to secure a seat.
• Christmas came early this year for funding-starved Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. Executive director Michael Figgins almost fell out of his chair Wednesday after receiving a large package from big law firm Rogers Towers. What was in the package? Eighty-eight checks.
• St. Vincent’s came up with a dandy fundraiser. The hospital bought a C. Ford Riley painting and, we hear, 75 signed prints for $100,000 and is selling the prints for $5,000 each. Enough have already been sold to cover the cost and it’s gravy from here on out.
• The Hyatt’s lobby renovations continue. The sports bar is supposed to open later today and the lobby restaurant should be ready for the weekend football crowds. One thing was lost in the changes: the shoeshine stand. It was replaced by a Hertz desk.
• The Chamber’s Downtown Council will install its 2006 officers at Friday morning’s breakfast meeting at the River City Brewing Company. Diantha Grant of the Alzheimer’s Association takes over as president for Travis Rigdon of Hardage-Giddens.
• The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens recently changed its admission prices. Museum members are still admitted free, but admission is now $8 for adults and $5 for seniors, the military and students. Children 5 and younger are still admitted free. Admission to the museum is free on BellSouth Free Tuesdays every Tuesday from 4-9 p.m. College students with an ID are admitted free from 1:30-4:30 p.m. every Tuesday-Friday.
• Looking to be a part of the Teal Sound Drum and Bugle Corps and are between the ages of 10 and 21? If so, the corp’s audition camp is just for you. The Drum and Bugle Corps will be holding its auditions 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Baldwin High School. Those selected will be a part of a group that will go on tour next summer all over the United States competing against other drum and bugle corps. For more information call 962-8325.
• Dining options have expanded at World Golf Village in St. Augustine. Augustinos! Italian Steakhouse opened on the Walk of Champions during the week of the World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The 165-seat restaurant is owned and operated by the same management team that brought Murray Brothers Caddyshack and the Fairways Cafe to WGV.
• The Lightstone Group announced that BJ’s Wholesale Club has leased administrative offices at Lightstone’s 8011 Phillips Highway location. The three-building complex has more than 82,000 square feet of office space and also is the address of Atlantic Home Technologies, a provider of home theater and entertainment systems.
• Come out and watch the Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum’s Amateur Night Finals to see who will go home with the cash prize. The best talent from the entire season will perform and compete against each other one more time at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum, 829 N. Davis St.
• It’s that time of year again for the Miss Jacksonville and Miss Jacksonville Teen Pageants. The 2006 Miss Jacksonville/Miss First Coast Scholarship Pageant is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Florida Theatre. This pageant is the local preliminary to Miss Florida and Miss America Pageants. This year’s Miss Jacksonville Teen/Miss First Coast Teen Pageant will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Florida Theatre. For tickets call 384-3578.
• The Willie Gary Classic Inc. office has moved out of downtown. Its new location is 3100 University Blvd. It moved from W. Water Street because the lease was up. The Classic Inc. works to raise awareness and encourage support of the football programs for Edward Waters College and Shaw University while providing scholarship opportunities for the students attending those institutions.
• Watch out for those speed traps on JTB. The police were up to it again Wednesday morning and at one point had eight vehicles pulled over at the same time, one right behind the other.