• Our state legislators are heading to Tallahassee shortly after the first of the year. Gov.-elect Charlie Crist, State Sen. Pres. Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio have called a special session of the Legislature starting Jan. 16. The plan is to begin an effort to restructure Florida’s property insurance market and provide relief to state residents and business owners.
• San Marco resident Paula Foster has put her money where her mouth is. Foster noticed the City cut $22,000 from its We Care budget and rather than just raise Cain at City Hall, Foster suggested the City sell custom bricks for the sidewalks and crosswalks in areas like San Marco and Riverside. She pointed out that if 629 people paid $35 for a brick, the $22,000 would be made up. Make that 628 — Foster included a $35 check with her suggestion.
• Early numbers from area hotels indicate a big weekend ahead, according to the Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau. ACC football championship fans are filling rooms, with many hoteliers reporting sell-out or near capacity occupancy for Friday and Saturday nights. Last year’s game generated 10,000 room nights booked, weekend hotel room revenue in Duval County of more than $2 million and more than $132,000 in bed tax.
• Edward Waters College recently celebrated its 140th anniversary and part of the four days of festivities included a fundraiser. It worked. To date, the school has raised over $150,000 which will go to scholarships and operational costs.
• Postcard collector and author Andrew Bachmann will hold a visual presentation and discussion of vintage Jacksonville postcards at the Main Library on Dec. 9. The event starts at 2 p.m. in multi-purpose room No. 2.
• The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will host Holiday Hoopla for Adults on Dec. 7 and 14 from 6-9 p.m. There’ll be food, drink, live music and holiday art projects, including making wrapping paper and holiday cards. The event is free for members and $8 for non-members. For more information or to register, call 356-6857.
• Want to get a taste of Jacksonville’s best? Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and Jacksonville Magazine will present a 2007 “best of” list that concentrates on the River City’s best dining, food and night life by hosting a party with food, drink and entertainment on Jan. 18 from 6-8:30 p.m. Tickets prices range from $20 to $30. For more information, call 366-6911.
• Just in time for the holidays, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” is here. The FCCJ Artist Series presents the spiritual rock opera at the T-U Center for performing Arts Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. To buy tickets, call 632-3373 or visit www.artistseries.fccj.org.
• Dwight Menard has been promoted to vice president of risk management for Crowley Maritime Corp. Menard’s promotion is the final step in the two-year effort to consolidate Crowley’s risk management functions in Jacksonville, which involved the transfer of individuals and hiring of new risk management professionals for positions that were previously located in Secaucus, NJ and Oakland, CA.