• New sports columnist at the T-U. He’s Sam Borden from the New York Daily News and he starts after Thanksgiving. Borden replaces Mike Freeman, who left a couple of months ago for cbssportsline.com.
• The Tax Collector’s Office in the Yates Building that handles vehicle tags and titles is temporarily closed. A leak last week turned into a broken pipe that flooded the office. Most services are being handled by the tax office across the hall, but some customers are being sent to the University Boulevard office. No word on when the office will reopen.
• After being closed for several months, Don’s Barber Shop in The Carling is open again.
• The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual Leadership Trip is in full swing and many City officials are gone, but not as many as in years past, according to some in City Hall. Only eight City Council members — President Michael Corrigan, Elaine Brown, Art Graham, Kevin Hyde, Pat Lockett-Felder, Lake Ray, Art Shad and Gwen Yates — made the trip to New Orleans.
• Speaking of Corrigan, he is making good on his promise as Council President to “finish what we started.” Last week Corrigan officially established the Zoning Code Rewrite Special Committee. The committee is chaired by Council member Sharon Copeland who is joined by Lad Daniels, Ronnie Fussell, Graham, Suzanne Jenkins, Mia Jones, Lynette Self and two ex-officio members, Jim Register and Deno Hicks. The special committee will finalize several years of work done by the City’s Planning and Development Department and several consultants all working to modernize the City’s Zoning Code. The committee has until March 31 to report its findings and propose any necessary legislation.
• Starbucks Coffee is kicking-off the holiday season by creating a winter wonderland for the first annual Starbucks and Take Stock in Children school supply drive next Thursday. The company will make it snow in Jacksonville at 119 Bartram Oaks Walk beginning at 6 a.m. Mike Weinstein, president of Take Stock in Children, will be on hand, as will students from Julington Creek Elementary and Fruit Cove Middle schools singing carols.
• First Bank of Jacksonville opened its first branch location Wednesday in Baymeadows. For more on the event, see page 6.
• Downtown Vision, Inc. is trying to connect artists with owners of vacant Downtown properties. Executive Director Terry Lorince said several artists have come to her seeking empty storefront spaces to use as studios/informal galleries until a paying tenant is found. Interested property owners can contact Lorince at 634-0303.
• Two new hires at Renaissance Creative Services: Lauren Weedon and Ashley Dains have been appointed account managers for the real estate marketing, brand development and public relations firm.