• To celebrate ExpressJet’s new service in Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority will host a party in the River Club for local business leaders, government officials and airline executives from 8-9 p.m. on Monday.
• City Council Dist. 8 candidate E. Denise Lee is holding her official campaign kick-off party 1 p.m. Saturday at her campaign headquarters on Lem Turner.
• The USS John F. Kennedy is on the way to being decommissioned, but a few locals may have a chance to take one last ride on the aircraft carrier. According to the City’s Chief of Military Affairs Dan McCarthy, “a handful of people” may get to board the ship in Norfolk, Va. Feb. 26 for a trip to Boston. The JFK will return to Mayport and officially be decommissioned during a March 23 ceremony.
• Some of the Metro Diner’s most popular menu items have joined the Yates Family YMCA on Riverside Avenue, the first of several partnerships combining fitness and nutrition planned by the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast. The new Metro Cafe offers seating inside or on the patio with a view of the river, and take-out is also available. Selections include meatloaf, roast turkey, grilled chicken, sandwiches, salads, soups, muffins baked on-site, fresh fruit smoothies and gourmet coffees and teas. The cafe is open Mon. - Fri. from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Good news if you live in Arlington: The JTA finished the Fort Caroline Road project yesterday, a full week ahead of schedule. The road had been closed since Jan. 7 to install a culvert at Cowhead Creek, part of the final phase of the Wonderwood Connector project that will link A1A in Mayport with 9A in Arlington.
• Tickets are now on sale for the first-ever University of Florida vs. Florida State University baseball game in Jacksonville. The game will be played April 3 at the Baseball Grounds with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Tickets cost $8.50 - $15.50 and are available at the Baseball Grounds box office by calling 358-2846 or at www.jaxsuns.com.
• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Super Bowl Sunday is one of the year’s most dangerous days to be on the road due to the number of people who drive while impaired. The agency also reports that males age 21-34 are most likely to be involved in auto crashes or drive while impaired and are among those least likely to wear their safety belts. Research also shows that demographic is the core audience for major sports events like Super Bowl. AAA Auto Club South and Budweiser have partnered to provide rides home and tows for cars – confidentially and free of charge – to anyone who has had too much to drink. The service will be available Friday through after the game on Sunday by calling 1-800-AAA-HELP.