• It’s a small world, even out to sea. On a weekend visit to the nuclear carrier USS Enterprise, council members Kevin Hyde and Michael Corrigan were surprised to bump into some of their neighbors. Both met pilots serving with Naval Air Station Jacksonville units who live a few blocks away in Avondale.
• Speaking of the Enterprise, give Hyde and Corrigan some points for bravery. The crew affectionately refers to the nuclear-powered Enterprise as “The Mobile Chernobyl,” and the “Three-Quarter Mile Island.”
• The price of a Coca-Cola is going up. The company announced the increase took effect March 1 and is the result of an increase in the cost of raw materials and fuel. The increase effects bottles, cans and fountain syrup.
• The City is holding an education fair Tuesday at City Hall from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Renaissance Room on the first floor. Representatives from local colleges and universities will be on hand to talk about undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Looking for an honest used-car dealer? Head to Regency Saturn on Atlantic Boulevard where the sales staff includes a youth pastor and several church members.
• Ever wonder how they hoist those huge letters onto the facades of buildings to spell out Modis, Wachovia, etc...? The Wachovia building on the Southbank used a helicopter over the weekend to affix its new signs.
• Sen. Steve Wise thinks the state needs to start working on plans for evacuating its elderly and infirm residents during hurricanes. Those residents are often reluctant to leave their homes leading to last-second disasters. Witness the bus filled with elderly people that caught fire in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
• The Fraternal Order of Police’s Flag Football League starts March 18. Games are played Saturday mornings at PAL on Monument Road. For more info call Robbie Freitas at (904) 398-7010 ext. 21.
• The 2006 Police Fire River Rally charity Poker Run is June 8-11. More than 150 powerboats will compete by picking up playing cards at designated areas along the St. Johns River for a chance to win prizes. Call (904) 654-5959 for more info.
• Bill Cosby was in town recently and performed at the Florida Theatre as part of a MaliVai Washington Foundation fundraiser. Cosby didn’t stay downtown, though. He spent the night at Casa Marina in Jacksonville Beach where he made a huge impression on the staff and other guests.
• The mayor’s office may be setting up a computer in City Hall for the public to view staffers’ e-mails, but that won’t be the only way for the public to read through them any time of day. Marilyn Young, Metro editor for the Times-Union, has requested that all e-mails currently available for public viewing be forwarded to the T-U, who will then post them on their Web site.