• City Council President Daniel Davis is under considerable pressure with the current budget process, and he may be under even more pressure from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1279, representing City of Jacksonville employees. In an e-mail to Davis, Local 1279 President Arthur Finley said his group is currently in negotiations with the city, and that “when making your decision on the budget, we request that money is set aside to provide fair raises for the City’s employees.”
• The budget crunch has forced the closing of another community resource, the Housing Resource Center of the Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition of Jacksonville. Interim ESHC Chairman John Edwards announced the news in a recent letter to Mayor John Peyton. Edwards said the Coalition itself will also be reducing staff and resources.
• State Sen. Jim King is asking Mayor John Peyton for help in memorializing the death of Jacksonville resident and former State Senate President Lew Brantley. “I believe it would be fitting for our community to pay homage in some way to Senator Brantley’s public service and contributions,” King wrote to Peyton.
• The owners of Day or Night Moves in Neptune Beach had their sign application rejected by the City of Neptune Beach. The owners have painted a huge mural on the west facing side of their building which shows a sun and a moon. They must now go before the City’s Code Enforcement Board to get approval of a variance.
• Paul Riel has tendered his resignation as a member of the Jacksonville Housing Authority. Riel recently moved to St. Johns County and is ineligible to serve.
• Rear Adm. Michael Vitale will take over as commanding officer of Naval Air Station Jacksonville during an Oct. 12 ceremony at the Westside base. Vitale will succeed Rear Adm. Mark Boensel.
• Old San Jose on the River developer Jim McGarvey Jr. is looking for mayoral help in getting an area of the development’s riverfront rezoned under the Manatee Protection Plan. McGarvey plans to build a private, 60-slip boat facility and needs help from the City to have the area changed to an unrestricted zone. The development is currently in what’s knows as Manatee Plan Zone 12, which is restricted and doesn’t permit multi-family boat slips.
• Adam Hollingsworth, Mayor John Peyton’s policy chief, has been invited by Jacksonville Community Council Inc. to serve as a member of the management team of the organization’s next study which is on infant mortality. The study starts in October and runs through April.
• If you have a question for Sir Richard Branson, one of this year’s Florida Forum speakers, send your question(s) to [email protected]. Branson asked to be interviewed, so Co-chair of the Forum Stacy Berg is asking the public for questions they would like answered when he speaks Nov. 13 at the Florida Theatre.
A tattoo is a true poetic creation, and is always more than meets the eye. As a tattoo is grounded on living skin, so its essence emotes a poignancy unique to the mortal human condition.
— V. Vale and Andrea Juno