• Bus riders returned 11,000 of the 36,000 survey forms the Jacksonville Transportation Authority distributed to mass transit users this summer. The results are still being tabulated, according to JTA director of external affairs Mike Miller. Now that bus riders have been surveyed, Miller said the JTA is working on a plan to survey the opinions of people who don’t use mass transit.
• This year’s Halloween Doors & More promises to be even bigger than last year’s inaugural event. It’s Oct. 14 at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. The benefit for Community PedsCare — a pediatric palliative and hospice program that supports children with life-threatening conditions — is being hosted and sponsored by some of Jacksonville’s most affluent. Jaguars owners Wayne and Delores Weaver are the honorary chairs while the Petway Family Foundation and Zurich Insurance are the presenting sponsors. It’s a bit pricey, too: $100 for adults and $50 for children age 2-12. Oh yeah, wear a costume but nothing scary.
• As of Jan. 1 City Council will make do with only 18 members for six months. Reggie Fullwood, who ran unsuccessfully for Audrey Gibson’s Florida House Dist. 15 seat, resigned to run. Win or lose, Fullwood’s resignation was effective at the end of the year. Council Director Cheryl Brown said Council could have opted to hold a special election to fill Fullwood’s seat, but with City elections four months later, Council decided against a special election.
• Attorney Paul Harden made a rare appearance wearing socks at Thursday’s Jacksonville Economic Development Commission meeting. No, it wasn’t because of the meeting. “I have to go to court today,” he said.
• The speaker for the Chamber’s Nov. 14 Military Appreciation luncheon at the Hyatt is Vice Adm. James G. Stavridis, a senior military assistant to the secretary of defense. Stavridis graduated from the Naval Academy in 1976. He’s won numerous military decorations and authored or co-authored several military training publications.
• Speaking of the Chamber, it recently won two communications awards. Its monthly publication — aCCess — won the American Chamber of Commerce Executives’ 2005 Award for Communications Excellence. The Chamber’s small business center’s brochure and workshop catalog also won the Outstanding Communications Award from the Florida Association for Chamber Professionals.
• Tickets are on sale now for “Animal Farm,” a puppet musical playing at the Florida Theatre April 11. The show is based on George Orwell’s tale of barnyard animals rebelling against the man – literally – and forming a democracy in which all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. The serious tone of the story contrasts the visual event description that calls the puppets “naïve and childlike.” Tickets are $25 and $12.50, show at 7:30 p.m.
• Those Downtown Vision, Inc. ambassadors were busy last month. The men and women in orange picked up 376 bags of trash, gave 663 sets of directions and escorted 57 citizens to their destinations during August, according to DVI calculations.
• Speaking of DVI, the nonprofit’s 6th annual meeting is Oct. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hyatt. Steve Moore, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C. Economic Partnership, will speak about promoting a downtown experience. Call 634-0303 for more information or to RSVP.
• QuiltFest 2006 will be held at the Prime Osborn Center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 22-23 and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 24. QuiltFest, Inc. of Jacksonville is holding the event to preserve the heritage of quilting and exhibit their art. One-day admission is $8. Call 268-6970 for more information or to buy tickets.
• Change of command up at the submarine base at Kings Bay. Next month, Capt. William F. Traub will take over the USS Florida from Cmdr. Gregory M. Ott.
• The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has funded a nationwide continuous glucose sensor human trial. One of the researchers named to the $6 million research project is Tim Wysocki, Ph. D., director of the Center for Pediatric Psychology Research at the Nemours Children’s Clinic. Nemours joins institutions including Yale University, the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Stanford University and others in the project to develop an artificial pancreas.
• The League of Women Voters and the Florida Community College at Jacksonville Women’s Center are sponsoring a forum titled “Does My Vote Count?” on Oct. 4 in the Main Auditorium at Kent Campus on Roosevelt Boulevard. The forum and panel discussion will be hosted by Mary Wilson, newly-elected national president of the League of Women Voters. Admission is free and open to the public. For information, call 633-8311.