• It looks like Farah’s Food Mart and New York Deli on Bay Street will soon add an area for private parties next door. Because of its proximity to the courthouse, the new space will aptly be named “Farah’s Jury Room.”
• The Gator Bowl Association will hold its Committee meeting next Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Radisson.
• CarMax, the enormous new car lot on Atlantic Boulevard will have its grand opening on Tax Day (April 15). Company President and CEO Austin Ligon will be in town. CarMax has 61 stores in 26 markets with plans to build 34-44 new stores between 2005 and 2007.
• Some changes at Palmer Course Design Company in Ponte Vedra. Ed Seay has been promoted from executive vice president to president, Erik Larsen has been promoted to executive vice president and the company’s namesake, Arnie himself, is now chairman of PCDC. Also, word is Seay is working on a book.
• Council member Lynette Self plans to sit down with the Mayor’s Parks Task Force in a workshop on April 14 to go over the mayor’s Parks Task Force Report. As chair of the Recreation, Community Development and Education committee, the report is a big deal to Self.
• Council President Elaine Brown has formed her nominating committee for this year’s Robert O. Johnson “Good Government” Award. She’s asked Mayor John Peyton (or a designee) to team with Council VP Kevin Hyde, Property Appraiser Jim Overton, Council Auditor Richard Wallace and Rick Ferrin of Jaxport.
• Longtime City employee Al Kinard will be recognized for his work during the Super Bowl. You remember Kinard as the “Mayor of RV City” during the annual Florida-Georgia football game. Kinard retired from the City and went to work for a logistics company but came back to help with Super Bowl preparations.
• The City is going to kick in $5,000 for this year’s 4th of July celebration in Jacksonville Beach.
• The Downtown Development Authority will meet on April 27. In a City Note we ran on Monday, we mistakenly mentioned that meeting would be happening on April 20.