• City Council President Kevin Hyde might have to start a new political campaign for himself soon. Hyde was the guest speaker at a Jacksonville Bar Association luncheon Wednesday and JBA president Alan Pickert introduced him as the man “who I believe at some point will be the next mayor of Jacksonville.”
• Diners eating at Juliette’s in the Omni this week were treated to a scenic view of the lobby. With renovation work happening inside the dining room, most of the tables have been moved just outside of the restaurant. Besides dodging regular customers, Juliette’s servers now have to dodge thru traffic from the Omni and the Wachovia building.
• Lex & Terry may be off the air in Jacksonville but they are still broadcasting from Jacksonville’s Clear Channel studios. Studio sidekick and newsperson Kim McCafferty is still with Lex & Terry, who are still broadcasting in syndication all over the country.
• The final bills aren’t in yet but it looks like the tab on the new Main Library is going to be right at $101 million. That’s $6 million over the original $95 million price tag.
• The Jacksonville Port Authority is having its Puerto Rico Summit II Tuesday and oddly enough it won’t be in Jacksonville. It’s at the Seranata Beach Club in Vilano Beach just north of St. Augustine.
• Former Mayor John Delaney is enlisting the help of current Mayor John Peyton and it has nothing to do with Cecil Field, the Better Jacksonville Plan or the contract dispute between the City and the Jaguars. Seems Delaney, who is UNF prez these days, is working to beautify the Kernan Boulevard entrance to the school. When the entrance was built, traffic poles were installed. The poles now have peeling paint and rust and have been deemed defective, but haven’t been replaced. Delaney says he’s not sinking any more money or effort into his project until the poles are replaced.
• Legislation has been filed that would appoint DeLois Hollinger, Bank of America senior vice president of premier banking, to the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. Hollinger would replace outgoing member Fred Franklin, an attorney.
• More on mayoral appointments: Andy Sikes and Chris Flagg have been nominated to join the Downtown Design Review Committee. Sikes and Flagg would replace Michael Saylor and Kelly Elmore, respectively.