• How quickly they forget: Dianne Smith, executive assistant to Council member Michael Corrigan, had an experience first thing Tuesday morning she hadn’t had in the last two years during Corrigan’s tenure as Council vice president followed by his term as president. “When I got to the office this morning, there was not a single message on the phone,” said Smith.
• The Museum of Science and History is celebrating Tonca’s, their 110-pound alligator snapping turtle’s birthday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday at MOSH.
• Local Taco Bell restaurants raised more than $24,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida during last month’s “Bells for Kids” fundraiser. The restaurants sold paper bell icons to customers for a donation of $1 or more to BGCNF with all proceeds going to the organization for programs to help area youngsters. Over its seven-year history, the campaign has raised more than $150,000, making Jacksonville one of the largest supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs in the entire Taco Bell system.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville’s new manager of special events and marketing is Christopher Ford. Troy Spurlin, whose last day was July 6, moved to New York City to continue to pursue a career in acting.
• In a story Tuesday, we inadvertently omitted the entire list of 2007-08 Downtown Rotary officers. They are: Cindy Stover, secretary; Rick Danford, assistant secretary; Jeff Quaritius, treasurer; Mark Harbison, assistant treasurer; and Bob Thayer, sergeant-at-arms. The 2007-08 directors are Richard Cassidy Jr., Bryan Cooksey III, Julian Fant III, Guy Marvin IV and Stover.
• Lorraine Sinclair has joined the Justice Coalition as its victim’s advocate. Sinclair came from a similar position in Georgia.
• According to the recent Florida Trend, there are 404 licensed dentists in Jacksonville and 415 licensed dental hygienists. Tops in the state is Miami-Dade with 1,415 licensed dentists. Two counties — Glades and Union — do not have a single licensed dentist.
• Jacksonville does lead the state in monthly frequency of fast food restaurants, with an average of 5.9 visits per month per person. Jacksonville is fifth in the state in sit-down restaurant visits per month with 3.9 while Orlando is No. 1 with 4.5.
• The Buckner Division of Children’s Home Society of Florida announced its new Board of Directors officers for 2007-08. Charles Cromer of Charles Cromer, CPA is the new Chairman of the Board. The Children’s Home Society of Florida helps children who have been abused or neglected.
“The United States is the only great nation whose government is operated without a budget. The fact is to be the more striking when it is considered that budgets and budget procedures are the outgrowth of democratic doctrines and have an important part in developing the modern constitutional rights.... The constitutional purpose of a budget is to make government responsive to public opinion and responsible for its acts.”
– William Howard Taft