• You may have noticed the folks in the Office of General Counsel look pretty casual these days. It’s their summer attire — Memorial Day to Labor Day — and unless they are headed to court, no ties are the norm and golf shirts are fine.
• If you paid attention to the recent announcements regarding Jacksonville Economic Development Commission appointments you noticed one was reappointed, one filled a vacancy and two others filled new spots. Thanks to a J-Bill that eliminated the Downtown Development Authority, the JEDC now consists of nine members instead of the previous seven.
• Correction. In a City Note Wednesday we said that State Rep. Jennifer Carroll, who supports leaving Cecil Field as is, didn’t tell Mayor John Peyton where to send an official letter letting the Navy know the City doesn’t support returning Cecil to the Navy. Carroll did advise Peyton to send a letter to the Inspector General, the BRAC Commission and the Navy.
• Duval County Tax Collector Mike Hogan has a simple philosophy that directs his emphasis on customer service. “People don’t like to pay bills to begin with,” he said. “They like it even less when they have to wait in line for 40 minutes to do it.”
• The 26th Annual BellSouth Greater Jacksonville VIP Kingfish Tournament is July 17 and officials have announced the number of boats fishing the VIP event will be limited to 125 entries, including sponsor boats. Tournament Executive Director Mike Wheeler said that limiting the number of teams competing will make the VIP tournament more attractive to captains who want to know how many other boats they are competing against for the first prize – $50,000 cash.
• Palmer Hall Floors is closing after 28 years in business here. Owner Barbara Hall, who took over the company when husband Palmer died in 1999, is retiring.
• Experience Main Street will take place on July 20. Christian groups will line the street from the Main Street Bridge to the Trout River Bridge with games, food, and prizes.
• The City Council chambers’ upgraded audio/visual equipment got a workout during Monday’s Finance Committee meeting. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office showed a 10-minute DVD musical montage celebrating its Police Athletic League.
• The City is closer to identifying tenants for the Ed Ball Building. The Information Technology Division will move into the eighth floor, one floor below the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. Building Inspections will move to the second floor while the Public Defender’s Office will likely take up two floors. Renovations are under way. The City will start moving in in September after Wachovia moves out.
• Noted City Council meeting enthusiast Martha Shirko had a lot on her mind following Monday’s Finance Committee meeting. As Shirko approached the podium for public comments, Council member Lad Daniels asked, “And you want to say how we screwed up Tuesday night?” Shirko responded: “Well, it’s not just that.”
• HabiJax will hold its 2nd annual charity auction and casino night Aug. 19 at the River Club. The event features food, spirits and plenty of Vegas-style gaming.
• The University of North Florida is looking for a permanent dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The former acting dean of the college, Dr. David Jaffee, was appointed to vice president for undergraduate studies. He will assume the roll Aug. 7. UNF is currently doing an internal search, but will begin looking across the nation in the fall.
• St. Vincent’s will institute a campus-wide ban on all tobacco products effective July 1. They’ll even encourage those smoking near the hospital to put out their cigarettes or cigars.
• No, it wasn’t raining: If you walked through the lobby at Independent Square Friday morning and wondered why all the “Wet Floor” signs in the building were lined up from the elevators to the Bay Street entrance, it was because an incontinent service dog left a 300-foot trail. The security staff directed traffic around the slippery spots and said it was the first time they could remember being on Puddle Patrol.
• A photo journal exhibit, “One Heart at a Time,” will be on display at the Main Library’s third floor until Aug. 19. The pictures show ill children from developing countries who have been treated for congenital heart disease by Wolfson Children’s Hospital. The Patrons of the Hearts exhibit will be featured with the library exhibit “Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America’s Women Physicians” at the July 5 Art Walk. Refreshments will be provided and the Patrons of the Hearts founders will talk.
• The Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission is having a public hearing about the proposed designation of Fire Station No. 5. The Wednesday hearing is in regards to a City of Jacksonville proposed ordinance that will designate the property on 347 Riverside Ave. as a City Landmark. The meeting will be in City Hall at 4 p.m.
• Senior citizens felt a little insecure at the Mayor’s Older Buddies quarterly luncheon after the guest speaker spoke about hurricane preparedness. Don Hall, interim deputy director of the Emergency Preparedness Division, stressed to the group how important it was to start preparing early and plan an escape route. After his speech, a man in the crowd asked him where they could go during a hurricane if they had special needs. Hall responded by saying they do not publicly release that information, but it is important to register with the division so they know what the needs are.
• An ironic lesson in life. The University of North Florida is offering Life Lessons Seminars for those 17-25 to teach young adults how to make life decisions. The first seminar, money management, begins July 13 for a fee of $20.
• Speaking of UNF, the brand new Macs in the broadcast lab were recently stolen. Broadcast students had to go almost a month without any editing technology.
• To add to UNF’s recent woes, approximately 34 student employees went a month without pay because the HR department did not properly file paperwork and miscommunicated with the students during a system update, according to several UNF sources.