• Clarification. Only the e-commerce and dealer tag departments in the Tax Collector’s Office in the Yates Building are temporarily closed due to a broken water pipe.
• Darla Wilson, coordinator of the Duval County Legislative Delegation, discovered this week that there are still good Samaritans. Wilson went to the bank Wednesday morning and withdrew $20 so she’d have some money for lunch, but somehow lost it. She reported it to the security personnel at City Hall, but was sure she would never see the missing Andrew Jackson again. City Call Center Customer Service Representative Dee Wilson found the bill, took it to the security guard and asked if anyone had reported losing some money. When he answered in the affirmative, she immediately handed it over and it was returned to its rightful owner. “I have a restored faith in humanity,” said Wilson.
• The first meeting of the recently-created City Council Zoning Rewrite Special Committee is set for Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers.
• Christmas is well over a month away, but you’ll soon see the Salvation Army’s red kettles and bell ringers. The official kick off of the annual Yule time fundraiser is Nov. 17 at noon at the Avenues Mall. City Council President Michael Corrigan will open the event.
• A $9 million redesign project is underway at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Riverside. The main goals of renovating the 34,000 square feet of space are to improve directional signage and increase outpatient capacity. The design is by JSA Architects Interior Planners and the project is scheduled for completion by January, 2008.
• Sheriff John Rutherford is the featured speaker at the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s next board of directors meeting. It’s Nov. 16 at 8 a.m. in the Chamber’s Hadlow Boardroom and Rutherford will talk about his Gun Bounty Program. The Chamber recently led a campaign to help raise $200,000 for the program that’s aimed at getting guns off the street.
• Protecting Communities is holding two workshops aimed at building mutual trust, collaboration and understanding between residents and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. They will be held at the Carpenter Shop Ministry at 1601 N. University Blvd. Monday and Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. The series is part of Mayor John Peyton’s “Seeds of Change: Growing Great Neighborhoods” initiative. The workshops are free and open to the public. For more information call Bill David or Joan Dolbear at 630-4911.
• Lucy Bravo, the assistant marketing director for SMG, is leaving the facilities management company for a position at Jacksonville University. While at JU, Bravo said she plans to get her degree in Biology and eventually go to dental school.
• The Tourist Development Council will hold its quarterly meeting Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. in Council Chambers.