• Next month’s Fraternal Order of Police luncheon will honor the FOP’s retired members. It’s Nov. 8 at the FOP headquarters on Beach Boulevard.
• Gray Edwards, the City’s Planning Commission chairman, isn’t happy with the results of his commission’s last meeting. According to Edwards, a full agenda and about 50-60 interested citizens went to waste after a quorum didn’t attend the meeting. Said Edwards in a letter to the commissioners, “It is important to note that, not only was the public inconvenienced for the meeting, the deferrals have a ‘domino effect’ since neither the Land Use and Zoning Committee nor the City Council can move forward with the items.” The commission consists of Edwards and seven others.
• Speaking of not pleased, put City Council member Lynette Self in that boat, too. Seems JTA held a meeting last Thursday night at the Regency Square Library about the Atlantic Boulevard/Southside Boulevard intersection — which is in Self’s district — and didn’t notify her. Self contends this puts her and her Council assistant in a tough spot when constituents call about the proposed changes to the intersection.
• The Mayor’s Office of Performance Auditing and Management Accountability has completed its review of the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation, Entertainment and Conservation. The audit makes several recommendations that staffers say would save the City more than $900,000. The recommendations include eliminating 34 currently vacant positions, a realignment of the park maintenance staff and examining the joint-use agreement with the Duval County School Board regarding a more equitable arrangement for the capital and maintenance costs associated with public swimming pools.
• If a Florida Department of Transportation recommended change is approved, it’ll be slower going on a portion of Beach Boulevard. The FDOT is suggesting lowering the speed limit from 55 to 45 miles per hour.
• The City’s United Way fundraising campaign is in full swing and several groups are helping the cause. Ida Jackson of the Planning Department is heading a committee and on Halloween her crew is holding a chili cook and bake sale at the Florida Theatre. Five bucks gets you a bowl of chili, a drink and a chance to vote on the winner. Things start at noon on the fifth floor.
• The 5th Annual Ford, Miller & Wainer law office “Farm Party” is Nov. 9 at the McCormick Ranch off County Road 210. It’s invite only, but the invite is kind of funny. It promises “shooting, cigars, dark liquor, steak dinner, no dessert.” Also, “no response-no steak.”
• Members of the Duval Delegation have been invited to a forum Tuesday at the Schultz Center for Learning. The City’s Adult Services Division, the Duval County Council on Elder Affairs, ElderSource and AARP Florida are hosting the forum during which the Delegation will hear about issues facing senior citizens. The forum gets underway at 10 a.m. followed by lunch.
• Thursday night at 7 the Thursday Night Drinking Club will kick off Georgia-Florida weekend early at Dive Bar on East Bay Street. A $5 donation will benefit Kessler Mentoring Connection and get you your first drink free.
• The Jacksonville Aviation Authority’s Cecil Field has won the Florida General Aviation Airport of the Year Award from the Florida Airports Council and the Florida Department of Transportation. There are 112 public-use general aviation airports statewide.
• Club Paris owner Fred Khalilian must have a new project in the works. He is moving out of his temporary digs at Berkman Plaza and is shipping his lime-green Lamborghini to South Florida.
• Winn-Dixie, the Jaguars, Second Harvest Food Bank and the City are partnering to raise food for this this year’s 12th Annual Jaguars Family Food Drive. The partnership will be officially announced during a news conference Monday at the Winn-Dixie on Baymeadows Road and 9A.