• Six folks who lost their positions with the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission have all landed with the City in some capacity. Ginny Walthour is with the Public Information Office; John Alderson went back to the Office of General Counsel; Claire Kelly moved to Environmental Resource Management; Sharon Grant is with Accounting; Libby Oglesby was moved to Fire & Rescue; and Jane Bouda went to Housing & Neighborhoods.
• Big day for JTA Friday. They are hosting a groundbreaking for the new San Marco development near the Kings Avenue garage at 11:30 a.m. The project will include two new Hilton Hotels, office and retail space. That afternoon at 3, JTA will officially open the Regency Bypass. The bypass ramp has been open for a few weeks.
• Correction to a Thursday story on the World Golf Village. Honours Golf owns the two golf courses at the World Golf Village, not the entire 6,200-acre property. Also, Cathy Harbin is the general manager of the two courses — Slammer & Squire and King & Bear. Jack Peter is the chief operating officer of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
• The Jacksonville Waterways Commission will meet Thursday at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers. Also Thursday, the Gator Bowl Association meets at 5 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza.
• The third issue of the year of Christie’s Great Estates is out and only one Jacksonville property is listed. It’s a 2,725 square-foot riverfront condo in the Riverside-Avondale area and it doesn’t include a price. The most expense house in the state is in Delray Beach. The house sits on 2.5 acres of beach front property and it took three years to build. It’s not cheap, either. It’s being listed for $36.95 million.
• Cmdr. John Lobb is retiring as commander of Naval Station Mayport. The ceremony is set for Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. at the Ocean Breeze Conference Center at Mayport.
• The Oct. 3 “First Wednesday Art Walk” will celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville will host “26.2 with Donna,” part of the National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer. Copies of the inaugural event poster signed by artist Kurtis Loftus will be available for sale. The Art Center on Adams Street near The Carling will celebrate its first anniversary and present artist Marsha Hatchers “Drawing with Paint.” CSX will also present the first-ever “Keep on Living” Safety Walk at the Florida Theatre. More than 40 venues participate in Art Walk each month, with many offering live entertainment and refreshments.
The same people who tell us that smoking doesn’t cause cancer are now telling us that advertising cigarettes doesn’t cause smoking.
– Ellen Goodman, U.S. political columnist