• BellSouth has renewed its title sponsorship agreement with the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament for two more years. BellSouth’s name will be on the annual offshore fishing contest through 2008. This year’s tournament will be July 17-22 at Sisters Creek Park on Heckscher Drive.
• Ever feel like your paycheck is getting bigger but your bank account isn’t? You’re not alone according to the U.S. Labor Department. The department’s annual report on employee compensation found that workers’ salaries and benefits rose 3.1 percent last year. Unfortunately inflation rose by nearly 3.4 percent, so those heavier paychecks felt lighter.
• Cuts in the City’s 2006 budget have some people in City Hall giving up their wheels. Director of Neighborhoods Ros Philips (Chevrolet Impala), Administration and Finance Director Cal Ray (Chevrolet Trailblazer), Planning and Research Division Chief Phil Bruce (Chevrolet Lumina) and Procurement Director Devin Reed (Impala) gave up their City-funded rides. The cars will be put in the City’s pool of replacement vehicles for its current fleet. The move reduces the City’s fleet by five cars.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service honored The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens’ bird staff for helping to reintroduce migratory whooping cranes into eastern North America. Last year Zoo staffers helped build a temporary holding site for the birds in Marion County. The site was completed in December and is now providing temporary shelter for the endangered birds.
• Jacksonville is amassing an impressive Navy fleet at Naval Station Mayport. The base now has 22 homeported ships, according to a briefing sent out by Dan McCarthy, the mayor’s top military adviser. The number is six more than military analysts expected. Last year’s base realignment process and the coming addition of the newly built USS Farragut helped avoid an expected drawdown. A new building is under construction at the base to support Commander Destroyer Squadron 6, a command unit relocated to Jacksonville from Pascagoula.
• Can’t decide on flowers or gold for a Valentine’s Day gift? Hemming Plaza Jewelers lets you do both. The jeweler is selling real roses dipped in 24 karat gold for $49.95 a piece.
• Jacksonville Community Council Inc., wants your help in deciding the direction of Jacksonville. Each year, JCCI convenes citizen committees to conduct concentrated studies addressing significant community problems and develop recommended solutions. JCCI seeks suggestions from its members, community leaders and the general public to help determine the major issues the council will study. If you have an idea, submit to www.jcci.org or call 396-3052. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 20.
• The new BJ’s Wholesale Club on Phillips Highway will hold an official grand opening Saturday and they will start early. An employee rally gets underway at 7:10 a.m. No ribbon-cutting, though. Store officials have instead decided to break bread, as in a four-foot loaf of bread. The store opens to the public at 8.
• Longtime Springfield activist (and occasional candidate) Harry Reagan used to be the editorial voice of Ch. 4 and now his daughter has gone to the other side of the media fence — she’s a graphic designer at the Times-Union.
• The Twisted Martini is a Landing hot spot and they’re coming up on their first year, so they have a present for you — a free drink any night of their anniversary week (Feb. 22-26) from 9-10 p.m. Another anniversary: CVB President John Reyes has been here a year.
• The Chamber’s Business After Hours party comes downtown on Feb. 23 at the new library.
• The Dignity U Wear organization has its underwear promotion coming March 5-6. “Undie Sunday” is for churches and the next day is “Undie Monday” for businesses. They need underwear and you can donate yours at various drop points around the area.