• The official grand opening of Gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher’s Duval County headquarters is today at 4 p.m at the Republican Party headquarters on Beach Boulevard. Gallagher’s host committee includes Vestcor Vice President Mark Farrell, Zurich Insurance Service Chairman Tom Petway, Clerk of the Court Jim Fuller, Tax Collector Mike Hogan, State Rep. Dick Kravitz and several others.
• How serious are some folks at the beach about preventing a Wal-Mart from coming to Neptune Beach? The owner of the Wine Warehouse on Atlantic Boulevard across from the proposed Wal-Mart site is using his advertising sign to promote a different message: “Very nice Wal-Mart 8 minutes up the road” it says.
• Since it was Kids Field Trip Day at the Baseball Grounds on Monday, you’d think the Suns’ mascot, South Paw, would have been around for the kids. Nope. According to an usher, South Paw has a full-time job during the week and day games are tough to get to.
• Better watch your semantics when asking the Jaguars about season tickets. If you call and ask for the “cheapest” ticket available, you will be director to the “least expensive” ticket.
• Mayor John Peyton has requested that a member from the Duval County School system participate in a new committee. He requested in particular Walter Carr, director of civil services and labor relations, to be appointed to the Review Civil Service Action Team. The School Board agreed.
• Speaking of the School Board, it’s also throwing Peyton a reception for participating in the Duval County Public Schools’ Assessment of Readiness and Capacity. Superintendent Joseph Wise and William Slotnik, executive director, Community Training and Assistance Center will also be celebrating with Peyton April 20 in the Schultz Center.
• Speaking of Wise, he will be the featured speaker at the second quarterly Cornerstone luncheon set for May 23 at the Hyatt. Registration begins at 11:30 and the program gets underway at noon.