• Florida Coastal School of Law is sponsoring a golf tournament to promote the school’s sports law program. It’s March 31 at the Champions Club at Julington Creek. The tournament starts at 8 a.m. and is a four-man scramble. The entry fee is $55 and information is available from Brent Gammon at 349-4502.
• The Toyota Gator Bowl will raise its payout to $5 million (from $3.2 million) and that means a raise in ticket prices, too. The club seats go from $55 to $75, for instance, though renewals will be $65. Ticket prices will stay the same for the ACC Championship game.
• A big crowd turned out for last week’s game between the Jacksonville Suns and their parent club, the Los Angeles Dodgers and according to team president, Peter Bragan Jr., it was the first visit to the Baseball Grounds for many of them. Bragan said lots of folks asked him about the location of the bathrooms, ATMs and other things that would indicate a first visit.
• Speaking of the Suns, apologies to Peter Bragan Sr. In a cutline last week, we failed to mention the chairman of the board is also an owner of the team.
• Attorneys Wayne Hogan and Brian Cabrey were elected to Florida’s Children First’s board of directors. Hogan serves on the FCF litigation and development committees; Cabrey was elected vice president at the group’s annual meeting. FCF is a statewide, non-profit organization that fights for the rights of at-risk children.
• Jon Kitchen is the new general manager at Queen’s Harbour Country Club.
• Erin Moody, the former spokesperson for the elections office here, is in Tallahassee these days. She’s the deputy press secretary for gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist.
• The Jacksonville Symphony Guild is holding a kickoff event for the 2006 Symphony Showhouse in Springfield. It’s April 22 at Klutho Park from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This year’s Showhouse is Oct. 7-22 and plans are to feature two homes in the Springfield neighborhood.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield executive Mike Hightower has been tabbed by the American Heart Association to serve as this year’s chair of the 2006 Heart Walk. Last year, the walk raised $1 million and Hightower is looking to up that by 25 percent. It’s Sept. 9 at Metro Park.
• The annual Gateway Classic football game is set for Sept. 2 in Alltel Stadium and this year’s match-up will feature Bethune-Cookman College and Southern University. Classic executive director A. Ray Brinson would like the City to consider making the game an annual Labor Day weekend event.
• Local attorney Jack Capra has been appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to serve on the State Retirement Commission. Capra is an assistant general counsel with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and an at-large candidate for City Council. Capra earned a Purple Heart while serving in Iraq.