• Repairs to the Northbank Riverwalk are almost complete. Only a small portion of the Riverwalk in front of the Hyatt and the Courthouse parking lot remain closed.
• Our top teachers will be recognized at the annual EDDY Awards April 12 at the Osborn Center. The awards are sponsored by The Alliance for World Class Education. Among the awards is the Duval County Teacher of the Year.
• After being vacant for nearly six months, the West Abrey building off of Plymouth Street in Murry Hill has found some new tenants. New Mexico-based Photographer Darrin Sanchez and Graphic Designer Cru Designs will rent two lofts in the duplex for their new production Studio, Cru Productions. Renovations of the space are set to begin in August.
• One hump or two? The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is offering camel rides through the end of May. Four full-grown, trained camels will be available near the train station at Main Camp next to the leopard gazebo. Rides are $5 per person and photographs may be purchased. “For most, this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Janet Johnson, director of operations. The Zoo is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week.
• It’s a long way off, but the organizers of the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair will kick off this year’s fair on Halloween. It’ll run until Nov. 11.
• Speaking of the Fairgrounds, big book sale this weekend. The books are anywhere from 50 cents to $2.
• City Council member Art Graham is requesting $50,000 from funds available to his district. The funds are for what’s called the Kristen Visbal Sculpture Project — an eight-foot high by six-foot wide sculpture of a young girl on a green sea turtle. The sculpture will be in Atlantic Beach and the total cost is $115,000. The Atlantic Beach Public Arts Commission is picking up the rest of the tab.
• The Strand is holding its official grand opening March 15 with an after-work party. Formal invites will be sent out soon, but anyone interested in the Southbank condo tower can get a virtual tour on The Strand’s Web site.
• The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville has hired Allison Graff as the program manager for its Art in Public Places Program. Graff was most recently the program coordinator for an arts and literacy family workshop series at the Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida. The Cultural Council is the City’s official local arts agency.
• If you’re reporting income of more than $1 million, be sure to file carefully. According to the IRS, one of 16 taxpayers filing at the six-figures and over level last year were audited, up 33 percent from 2005. Audits of taxpayers with incomes of $100,000 or more were also up by 18 percent last year, the biggest increase in more than 10 years. Also, parternships and “S” corporations were audited 34 percent more often last year. If you decide to go to court over an audit, be advised the IRS reported a conviction rate of 91.5 percent last year.
“Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn. They teach you there’s a boundary line to music. But, man, there’s no boundary line to art.”
– Charlie Parker, jazz musician