• The Chamber’s annual lobbying trip to Washington is next week and they’ve lined up a good list for the locals to meet including both of Florida’s senators, ABC newsman George Stephanopoulos and political pundit Charles Cook. The trip is Tuesday-Thursday and the mayor is scheduled to lead the delegation.
• School superintendent Dr. Joseph Wise gets his first look at the major business community on May 23 when he speaks at the Chamber’s quarterly Cornerstone luncheon. It’s at the Hyatt.
• An ad in the Times-Union’s classifieds lists “Jax oldest bar & grill” for sale but the broker won’t tell you which one it is. You have to sign a non-disclosure first. The cost is $440,000 and it’s been in the same location since 1945.
• At the May 23 City Council, a new Council president — likely current Council VP Michael Corrigan — will be elected and no one is happier about it that Allison Miller, aide to Council President Kevin Hyde. “The champagne is on ice,” said Miller. Aide to the Council president is traditionally one of the busiest jobs in city government.
• The Salvation Army asked us to remind folks that its May 18 tour of facilities starts at the senior center and goes to several other facilities. Because the Salvation Army is providing transportation, they are asking that those interested to RSVP to 301-4847 as soon as possible.
• According to an e-newsletter from Mayor John Peyton to all City employees, about 300 positions could be eliminated as the 2006-07 budget is finalized, with “could be” underlined for emphasis. “At this point, this is only a possibility, not a certainty,” said Peyton.
• There will be a public meeting to discuss the recent events and project changes to the Post and College Streets Improvement Project tonight at Lee High School’s cafeteria. A flyer passed at out the intersection of Post and Margaret explains that the City has proposed changes to Post and College Streets without public comment. You can e-mail comments to those putting on the meeting at [email protected].
• Couple of new additions at St. John & Partners. Jessica Dunn has joined the advertising and PR firm as a technical producer and Debra Hammack is the new assistant accounting manager.
• The Cummer Art Gallery will feature the St. Johns River Thursday with photography of the Jacksonville community and the river. The Cummer Cafe Night, in partnership with the St. Johns Riverkeeper, will host The “St. Johns River: Captured Through the Lens” with a special exhibition of Ansel Adams photography. Food, drinks, a scavenger hunt and music by the Rebecca Zapen Jazz Ensemble will be provided during the event that starts at 6 p.m. Non-members are required to pay an $8 fee.
• Suddath Relocation Systems, a provider of relocation services, warehouse and logistics services, announced the promotion of Mark Chesser to director of fleet services and quality. Chesser will be responsible for developing and implementing processes and procedures to ensure quality of service. Also, Paul Gleason has been appointed to vice president of operations.
• Florida Trend magazine reports that more than 1,000 people are moving to Florida each day. What does that mean to Jacksonville? According to Colliers International Market Report released by Colliers Dickinson, an estimate of 72 people per day are moving to the five-county Jacksonville metropolitan area. Currently, there are more than 1.24 million people in the Jacksonville MSA. That number is projected to increase to 1.37 million by 2010.
• Speaking of Florida Trend, this month’s dining article features local restaurant owner and chef Matthew Medure, who owns two restaurants — Matthews at San Marco and Restaurant Medure in Ponte Vedra — and a catering business.
• Lots of big names on the invitation list of celebrity chefs for the Clara White Mission’s 12th Annual “Miracle on Ashley Street” Celebrity Chefs & Servers Luncheon. The May 26 event benefits the homeless and disadvantaged from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Clara White Mission on Ashley Street. Celebrity servers include state Reps. Audrey Gibson, Aaron Bean and Jennifer Carroll. Eight City Council members will also be servers including Council President Kevin Hyde.
• Clarification. In a story Monday we incorrectly said the International Visitor Corps of Jacksonville was a division of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Also, in the same story we neglected to mention that an Argentinean legal delegation in town last week also met with Paul Perez, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.
• For women who enjoy free massages, facials and health screenings, next week could be a dream come true. The Duval County Health Department is hosting the Women’s Health Expo May 15-18 to recognize the National Women’s Health Week. The weeklong event includes free health screenings for blood pressure, diabetes and breast cancer at eight area health centers and the Smith Auditorium on West 6th Street. Free evening workshops about creating a family health tree, stress management and talking to your daughter about sexuality are also among the topics of discussion.
• Theatre Jacksonville in San Marco just announced the lineup for its 87th season. Highlights include William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” in September 2006 and the musical “Guys and Dolls” for June 2007. A complete listing can be found at www.theatrejax.com.
• Speaking of Theatre Jacksonville, it’s holding a casting call for “Much Ado About Nothing.” Auditions will be held May 21 at 6 p.m. Available roles range from princes to gentlewomen attendants. Aspiring actors should prepare a classical monologue that lasts two minutes or less. No word yet on the casting for “Guys and Dolls,” so theater fans will be waiting quite a while to see who gets to play Sky Masterson and sing “Luck Be a Lady.”
• FreshMinistries has launched a “Virtual Warehouse” designed to make donating more efficient. According to a recent press release, massive donations during the harsh hurricane seasons have overwhelmed relief workers. Rather than have the public physically drop off their used goods and hope for the best, FreshMinistries has set up a supply and demand board modeled after Web sites like eBay. The public can post their unwanted items, and those in need can request specific items (like furniture or school supplies). FreshMinistries then tries to match available items for volunteers to deliver directly to needy homes. Visit www.warehouse.freshministries.org for more information.