• Since Mayor John Peyton was running a little late for Thursday’s Riverkeeper press conference at the stadium in the team training room, Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver fielded a few questions about the room. He pointed out the TV may be the largest HD TV in the state. He also noticed former Jaguar Jeff Lageman, who’s an avid outdoorsman. “Let me put my feet on the floor and take my hat off,” said Lageman, in reference to former Jags head coach Tom Coughlin and two of his many rules. Someone in the audience also pointed out Lageman is the narrator for “The Green Monster” — the award-winning documentary about the St. Johns River.
• Speaking of the Jags, fans can catch a cool ride to games this year. Anyone who spends $10 or more at Hooters at the Landing can get a riverboat ride down to the stadium.
• One more football-related note. The season begins tomorrow so remember that parking is prohibited on East Bay Street on game days. Since permanent notices have been affixed to the parking meters, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will not place warning bags on the meters the night before games this season. Vehicles parked on East Bay Street tomorrow will be towed.
• Another traffic note: Commuters coming Downtown Monday and Wednesday mornings might want to allow a little extra travel time. Monday at the Arena registration for “American Idol” beginsat 6 a.m. and Wednesday auditions will begin at 8 a.m.
• AM-930 — which calls itself “Jacksonville’s Sports Leader” — may have to give up the title. In the spring Arbitron ratings AM-1010 finished 16th in the important 25-54 age bracket while AM-930 was 18th. The margin widened overall, from age 12 and above, with AM-1010 at 17th and AM-930 at 20th.
• Jacksonville’s medical facilities services are being touted as a tourism booster as 11 of the areas top programs have joined Visit Jacksonville to promote their services with a new Web site. Baptist Health, Brooks Rehabilitation, CyberKnife Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Nemours Children’s Clinic, Shands, St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Vincent’s, The Bariatric Center, University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute and Wolfson Children’s Hospital are part of the advertising and media campaign to increase visitor demand, recognition and economic impact in Jacksonville. To see the site, go to www.visitjacksonville.com/medical.
• City Council isn’t meeting Thursday but the Council Chambers are booked for the day. The Jacksonville Waterways Commission, chaired by Council member Bill Bishop, will meet at 9 a.m. and the Finance Committee, chaired by Council member Michael Corrigan will start budget hearings that afternoon at 1. Corrigan would have started the budget hearings that morning, but he has a First Coast Metropolitan Organization meeting at 10 a.m.