• Still no word on personnel decisions at the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. The next commission meeting is Jan. 20.
• The Chamber’s Downtown Council opens 2005 this Friday with Wachovia boss Bob Helms, the Chamber chair, as the speaker. It’s at 7:45 a.m. at the River City Brewing Company.
• Gator Bowl staffers took a couple of days off but you saw Alex Langston around town. he was getting lunch for wife Christina, who works in the City’s Special Events Office.
• The condo-style railroad cars near Alltel Stadium are all installed and about half have been sold. Among the buyers: the Nimnicht car companies and W.W. Gay.
• Co-owner Benny Guzman says the opening date for the Twisted Martini is firm at Feb. 14. The restaurant/bar in the Landing will be open for Super Bowl weekend guests, then will close to get ready for regular business.
• It’s official: City Council vice president Kevin Hyde is running for Council president later this year. To discuss his intentions further, Hyde has scheduled meetings with colleagues Glorious Johnson, Pat Lockett-Felder and Gwen Yates. No indication yet on vice presidential candidates but we wouldn’t bet against Daniel Davis and Mike Corrigan making a run, among others.
• Congratulations to the City’s Jill Leavy. Formerly a communications manager for the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, Leavy is making the move to City Hall where she’ll be doing some writing for the Mayor’s Office.
• Speaking of moves, the Jacksonville Landing’s Rachel Kaltenbach is also enjoying new digs. Don’t worry, she didn’t go far. Kaltenbach relocated in a larger office next door that was occupied by former Landing general manager Janice Lowe.
• It’s a good time of year to in the home furnishing business. City Council member Art Shad recently added on to his San Marco home and he’s currently shopping around for some higher-end furniture.
• The Stanton School on Ashley Street will serve as a temporary shelter for the homeless in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. The school will provide shelter, food and showers from Jan. 25 through Feb. 7. The Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition is looking for donations for the center. Priority items include toiletries, towels, foot powder, blankets, food, water and chairs. They’ll also take money.
• City officials were blindsided by the news about the possible retirement of the John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier, but the City’s director of military affairs, Dan McCarthy, says he’s confident that the naval base at Mayport will remain a carrier base, even without the JFK. It seems that Mayport is the only Atlantic deepwater port between Norfolk and the Panama Canal. Shuttering Mayport would mean the Navy would have to dock all of its Atlantic carriers in Norfolk, which McCarthy described as a logistical struggle and a security risk.