• The Skyway wasn’t working as of noon Thursday. JTA has been trying to repair the automated system and sending trolleys to the Skyway stops to minimize the inconvenience to riders.
• WJCT radio news reporter Lucy Nalpathanchil has left the station. She’s working for WNPR in Connecticut now. Scott Kim is WJCT’s new reporter.
• Road racing fans will appreciate the line-up that will be at Amelia Island March 9-11 for the 12th Annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Racing’s “golden era” drivers such as Sir Sterling Moss, John Surtees, John Fitch, Herschel McGriff, Brian Redman and Vic Elford will attend the event to talk about road racing in the 1950s and ‘60s.
• Nicole Bryan has resigned her position as development officer and staff liaison to the Philanthropic Initiative Program with The Community Foundation. Bryan has two young children and plans to stay home with them.
• Northeast Florida Community Hospice will open its Westside Center for Caring during a Jan. 6 ceremony that includes brunch, a program and tours of the new facility.
• Edgewood Bakery in Murray Hill will hold its annual Holiday Open House from 5-8 p.m. Saturday. Guests can sample holiday baked goods, win door prizes and peruse the bakery’s home decor sales and specials.
• The Convention Center Task Force has named its steering committee members aside from the previously announced three including M.G. Orender of Hampton Golf, Inc. as committee chair, Ron Barton, executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission as city liaison and John Reyes, president of the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau as industry advisor. The members are: Kelly Madden, North Florida regional president of Wachovia Bank; Don McClure, president of Clarkson-McClure Associates; Bob Rhodes, of counsel with Foley & Lardner; Ron Townsend; Phil Tufano, general manager of the Hyatt and Mark Wood, CEO of the Milton J. Wood Company. The first full meeting of the Task Force will be held in late January, with recommendations and an action plan to be delivered by October. A Steering Committee orientation meeting will be held next Friday at 10 a.m. at the Main Library in Multi-Purpose Room 2.
• Waiting until the last minute for anything is never a good decision, but if you are in desperate need of a personalized award or trophy, Awards Unlimited on Hendricks Avenue can handle most any small job same day.
• Clarification. A City Note Wednesday indicated a J-Bill sponsored by State Rep. Stan Jordan that addresses how the City’s General Counsel is appointed may be dead after not getting City Counsel approval. According to Jordan’s office, Jordan can still push the bill through the Duval Delegation and on to Tallahassee for approval by the full Legislature.