• Fighting fish fakery: Florida Agricultural and Consumer Services has unveiled a new Web site that will help consumers determine whether the grouper they buy is the authentic species or a substitution. Florida accounts for more than 90 percent of the nation’s annual grouper harvest and because of its limited supply and relatively high price, the fish has been targeted by unscrupulous merchants who want to profit from its popularity. There have been cases where restaurants, wholesalers and retailers have substituted a lesser-value fish and mislabeled it as grouper, a crime under Florida law. To determine if a fish is fake or for real or to report possible violations, visit www.FL-Seafood.com.
• The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will host the 15th annual Teddy Bear Affair Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Zoo. The event sponsored by Nemours Children’s Clinic is for children ages 3-12. Children can bring their teddy bears or other stuffed animals during those two days to receive free admission to the Zoo. The “injured” stuffed animals will receive special treatment by the staff at Nemours. Other events will be going on throughout the two days.
• Those thinking they have what it takes to win CBS’ “Survivor” can try out for the show Saturday at the Krystal on A1A in Jacksonville Beach from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This fall mark’s the 16th year of the show, which started in England in 1992.
• The Jags and the Indianapolis Colts play a home-and-home series every year and now City leaders may get involved in a similar trade off. Jags owner Wayne Weaver has asked Mayor John Peyton to join him on a trip to Indianapolis — at the invitation of Indy Mayor Bart Peterson — to look at how the home of the current Super Bowl champions has revitalized its downtown. “This might be an interesting opportunity in that the revitalization of their downtown is much further ahead than we are here in Jacksonville,” wrote Weaver.
• Speaking of Peyton, he got 15 letters/postcards Friday from area small business owners all seeking his financial support of the Small Business Resource Network at the University of North Florida. The SBRN may become a victim of looming budget cuts.
• The new Council members are taking the recent Sunshine Law issues seriously. Clay Yarborough and Bill Bishop sent a notice out last week informing everyone from the Office of General Counsel to the media that they inadvertently ended up at the same July 5 meeting of the Greater Arlington Civic Council at the Regency Square branch library. “Neither Council Member was aware the other would be present for the meeting prior to arriving,” said the notice, which also included a brief recap of the meeting.
“Information networks straddle the world. Nothing remains concealed. But the sheer volume of information dissolves the information. We are unable to take it all in.”
– Günther Grass