• The Jacksonville Bar Association got a nice surprise when Special Counsel stepped in as a major sponsor of Thursday’s Law Day luncheon at the Hyatt. The midday luncheon features former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Judge Joseph W. Hatchett’s speech and presentation of the Liberty Bell and Lawyer of the Year awards.
• One noticeable thing about the Jaguars as they went through a weekend training camp: less pounds. Most notable are defensive lineman Marcus Stroud and wide receiver Reggie Williams. The rookie class started work and the traditional hazing started, too. ‘I just tell them to keep their sense of humor and realize it all will end,” said veteran wide receiver Jimmy Smith. “Everyone in the locker room went through it.”
• Andy Johnson says his weekday talk show is going well (AM-1530, 2-6 p.m.) and so is his health. He broke a foot and “I’ve finally gotten off the Rush Limbaugh painkillers,” referring to the national talk show host who got hooked on the medicine.
• City Council vice president Kevin Hyde might not have been in Europe with the other City leaders but he was on the road Friday. Hyde was teaching an advance topic seminar in South Florida. Another councilman down that way: Reggie Fullwood, who was in the Keys.
• Prepared food vendors have returned to the Hemming Plaza Farmer’s Market. You’ll recall they were taken out of rotation a few months back after area restaurants complained they were losing a chunk of their regular lunch business. However, organizers of the Friday event said the market suffered without them and asked them to return.
• If you need help mounting a successful political campaign, just ask City Council member Art Shad. Shad, who took office about two years ago, read more than a dozen books about running a campaign prior to entering the race. “When I decided I was going to go for it, I went to Amazon.com and bought every book they had on the subject,” he said. “There were about 18 and, in the end, I took a little bit of information from each one. But I guess it was worth it because it worked.”
• City Council member Sharon Copeland spent a lot of time last week clarifying some misleading information. Copeland was on the receiving end of several angry calls after a television news report made it appear she supported removing large oaks in Mandarin to make way room for power lines. The trees to which she was referring were, in actuality, less than three inches in diameter.
• If you happen to be downtown after dark, you may notice something unusual about the Bisbee, Marble Bank and Florida Life Buildings: They’re lit from the inside. No, the Laura Trio is nowhere near being refurbished, but the owners, the Police and Fire Pension Fund, said they wanted to make the buildings look more attractive after hours. “It isn’t much, but we think having them lit up in the evening really adds something special to the downtown skyline,” said Fund administrator John Keane.
• The Burrito Gallery, downtown’s newest popular lunch spot, keeps getting hotter ... literally. If you think you can handle it, the restaurant will make any menu item extra spicy at no extra charge. Just ask and keep your water nearby.
• Big winner at the dog track Sunday. Someone hit the tri-super bet for $42,000.
• Downtown commuters from the west got their first ride on the new Riverside Ave. this morning. The new lanes from the Acosta Bridge to Forest Street opened and now work will start on the old lanes.
• The Symphony Showhouse will produce some traffic jams and not on the roads. This year’s showhouse is in two condos at VillaRiva and there’s not much room to maneuver. They expect 10,000 again this year but will spread it over four weeks instead of the usual three.
• Alas, our rugby team’s season has ended. Daytona Beach took our boys 13-3 in a regional tournament at Danville, Va. over the weekend.
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