• Correction to a Wednesday City Note. The University of North Florida’s lecture series is known as the “Distinguished Voices Lecture Series.” Also, according to Joanna Norris, UNF’s assistant director of media relations and events, tickets to the series are not available at the school’s box office.
• The Arthritis Foundation is seeking volunteers to become “Arthritis Ambassadors.” The condition affects more than five million Floridians and there are various ways to help serve the foundation’s missions, including being trained to teach programs and provide services, speak to civic groups or work in the office with mailing and answering phones. To find out how to participate, call 800-741-4008, ext. 231.
• Sole practitioner Tracy Tyson Miller has achieved Board Certification as a social security disability advocate through the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification.
• The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s offices and laboratory in Tallahassee has been named as the “Bob Martinez Center” after the former governor. Martinez served as the state’s chief executive from 1987-91. His accomplishments to preserve Florida’s environment include promoting and signing the Surface Water Improvement Act and the Solid Waste Management Act. He also worked to protect the Everglades, prevent natural gas and oil exploration and leasing off Florida’s coasts and proposed and signed Preservation 2000 in 1999, a $3 billion environmental land acquisition program and predecessor to the current “Florida Forever” campaign.
• The Chamber is making a push to get more aviation business and this summer they’ll do a first: sharing a booth at the prestigious Paris Air Show.
• The daniel kids home raised a record $160,000 at their golf tournament and auction last week at Timuquana. Previous best: $75,000.
• If you noted some people scratching around the old JEA site on the Southbank this week, here’s who they were: representatives of a major company looking to relocate here.
• The two new faces at the City Council offices are Angela Ryan and Kimberly Martin. After a series of temps the past several months, Ryan and Martin are full-time, permanent administrative assistants.
• Three big-name authors will be in town for this year’s “Much Ado About Books” luncheon. Sandra Brown, Brad Meltzer and Luanne Rice comprise the three-person keynote speaker panel. The event is April 21 at the Osborn Center.
“In baseball, home plate is where you begin your journey and also your destination. You venture out onto the bases, to first and second and third, always striving to return to the spot from which you began. There is danger on the basepath—pick-offs, rundowns, force-outs, double plays—and safety only back at home. I am not saying, as a true fan would, that baseball is the key to life; rather, life is the key to baseball. We play or watch this game because it draws pictures of our desires.”
— Scott Sanders, U.S. educator, author