• Nelson Cuba has been reelected for a third term as president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5-30. He was unopposed in the election and said, “My job is to fight for the rights of our officers while they are busy protecting our citizens whether on a beat or in the jail. You can’t fully appreciate the nature of the job until you see what they deal with day in and day out.”
• Morton’s The Steakhouse on the Southbank is usually open only for dinner, but will be serving lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays in December. Also offered every weekday in December is a pre-set holiday lunch for groups, companies and organizations that book the restaurant’s boardrooms for private functions or holiday celebrations. For lunch or dinner reservations, call 399-3933.
• The state of Florida seems to be performing quite well in providing many services, according to its own reporting. Gov. Charlie Crist’s new state Web site, FloridaPerforms.com, provides a running scoreboard on how Florida is doing in the areas of public safety, health and family, education, economy and taxes, transportation and environment and conservation. According to the site, nearly all of the 35 performance indicators within those categories are either maintaining current levels or improving. Only two areas, the housing market and access to health care, are seeing worsening trends. For more information, visit http://floridaperforms.com.
• Dick Williams has been named the new CEO and executive director of Learn to Read, Inc., North Florida’s oldest agency providing free basic adult literacy training. He spent 30 years in the broadcast industry including the past six as general manager for Cox Radio in Jacksonville. Williams has served on the boards of directors for Junior Achievement of North Florida and the Florida Association of Broadcasters. Williams also currently represents Dist. 4 on the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency.
• Special Olympics of Duval County (SODC) and Barnes & Noble at the St. Johns Town Center are partnering to raise funds for the training and competition for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Nov. 30 through Dec. 2 from 9-11a.m. the store will donate a portion of each purchase made with a special Bookfair voucher to SODC. Funds raised will help cover the costs of training and enable the organization to increase the number of athletes and events in the area. Vouchers are available at www.soflduval.org or call 307-4221.
• A group known as the 29th & Chase Neighborhood Association – which is in City Council member Denise Lee’s district — has asked that legislation approving the deal to lease the community center at Simonds and Johnson Park to the Tony Boselli Foundation be postponed. In a letter, the group says it appreciates Boselli’s efforts, but wants more access to the center.
“The courtrooms of America all too often have Piper Cub advocates trying to handle the controls of Boeing 747 litigation.”
– Warren E. Burger, former Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court.