• The Jacksonville Bar Association elected its board of governors at Thursday night’s annual meeting at Deerwood Country Club. Daniel Bean of Holland and Knight; Tammy Dawson Butler of Driver, McAfee, and Griggs; Joseph Camerlengo of Camerlengo and Brockwell; Braxton Gillam IV, of Milam, Howard, Nicandri, Dees and Gillam; and Cheryl Worman of Rogers Towers were elected from a seven-candidate field. Kelly Mathis, a partner in Gobleman, Love, Gavin, Blazs and Mathis, is the 2005 president-elect. His candidacy was unopposed.
• New leader at the trust department at First Guaranty Bank: Mary Biggs Knauer, who moves into town from Legacy Trust at the beach. It also brings her closer to hubby Jerry, an eye doc whose office is near St. Vincent’s.
• Our story on the SouthTrust sign coming down from 1301 Riverplace Blvd. incorrectly stated that the bank’s branch inside the 28-story tower had closed shortly after SouthTrust was acquired in November by Wachovia. The bank’s branch is still open and switching its signs over to Wachovia. Spokesman Kevin Bezner said some corporate offices in the building might be shuffled around — standard practice during any merger — but that Wachovia hasn’t made a decision whether to stay in the building after its lease runs out in August.
• There’s a new Chief of Police in Neptune Beach. David Sembach takes over Monday for the retiring Bill Brandt. Sembach retired after 35 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
• New hotel opening in St. Augustine next week. The Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront is having its grand opening on wednesday at 6 p.m. The hotel features The Aviles Restaurant. The event is invite only.
• State Sen. Jim King used a baseball analogy to describe last week’s BRAC announcement. In a letter to Mayor John Peyton, King said the decision that no local bases would be closed was like hearing the “crack” on the bat and watching “the ball sail over the centerfield fence.”
• It’s high school graduation time and there’s one in particular worth noting. Jerry Townsend, the Episcopal High student/football player who was badly injured in a game last October against Bishop Kenny, will pick up his diploma Saturday.
• Super Bowl Host Committee President and CEO Michael Kelly is still around town, but not for long. Next week is his last before he and the family head to Miami. Kelly will assume a similar role for Miami when it hosts the 2007 Super Bowl.
LATE SCORES
National League
Arizona 6
Houston 1