• The Chamber has hired Jennifer Strickland in the member relations department. She was one of those dropped by the Gator Bowl Association in its budget crunch.
• A group of foreign journalists will be here next week to look over things. They’re from industry publications.
• Big boost for Wolfson Childrens Hospital. Proceeds from its big events — the Art & Antiques Show, the Florida Forum — plus gifts from the Women’s Board came to $2,008,218.98.
• Mary Goldsmith has joined PBS&J as the business development manager for the firm’s Northeast Florida district. In addition to business development she will also be responsible for expansion of the company’s state and local presence and community involvement issues. Goldsmith’s past experience has included serving as a legislative aide to several state senators and representatives, most recently the late Rep. Don Davis of Jacksonville. PBS&J was ranked 25th among the nation’s engineering consulting firms by Engineering New-Record magazine.
• Shugar Shack at The Carling is temporarily closed again. A sign put up by ownership says you’ll know it’s open again when the red, yellow and green balloons are flying.
• New feature at the Landing is those massage chairs you see at the malls. It’s $1 for two minutes and $5 for 10.
• Culhane’s Irish Pub in Atlantic Beach will celebrate its third anniversary this weekend with music and drink specials starting Friday.
• Speaking of the beach, the remodeled Taco Bell on Third Street is open. Has a very Southwest look to it.
• Gary Yeldell, of the Jacksonville law office of Harper Gerlach, was recently appointed to the board of directors for Communities in Schools of Putnam County, Inc. It is a non-profit organization that mentors young people as they progress through school and prepare for life.
• There’s an organization in Jacksonville that for 54 years has been known as “Cerebral Palsy of Northeast Florida.” Today it’s known as “New Heights.” According to Director of Development Patricia Thornton, “We were having people who had been given our telephone number as the contact for service hang up when we said, ‘cerebral palsy.’” Only 13 percent of the agency’s clients have cerebral palsy and New Heights also provides services for people with spina bifida, Down’s syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities. “Our mission is turning disabilities into capabilities through independent living and employment skills,” said Thornton.
• When he was installed as Council president 11 months ago, Daniel Davis asked each Council member to get the private sector involved in the community. He suggested that through the “Adopt a Road” challenge, each member could either adopt a road themselves or convince a private group or business to adopt a road. Council member Art Graham sent an e-mail to his 17 colleagues last week reminding them that there are four weeks left in the challenge. So far, Jax Rugby has adopted a road in Graham’s district, Westside Baptist Church in Ronnie Fussell’s district, TV-25 in Dr. Johnny Gaffney’s district, Firehouse Subs in Stephen Joost’s district and Ray Holt personally adopted a road in his district. Graham also encouraged his fellow Council members to “get there before the (Council president and vice president) installation on June 26.”
• Boat slips may be a little tough to come by this weekend. The marina at Metro Park is being dredged, so boats for the Jax River Rally Charity Poker Run will be docking near The Landing for the event. An estimated 100 boats will take part in the Poker Run and they will be stopping at eight tables along the river to pick up playing cards to form the best poker hand. The course uses about 150 miles of the St. Johns River with the start at The Landing and the southern-most point on the shores of Palatka. Boats capable of speeds of 100 mph or more will start at 10 a.m. Saturday and all others will start at 10:15. All proceeds from the race and silent auction will go to the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation.
• The Georgia/Florida Professional Youth Rodeo is at the Equestrian Center this weekend. Things get underway at 10 a.m. Saturday and at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
• Jacksonville University has named Dr. Joseph McCann III the new dean of the Davis College of Business. He’ll officially begin July 1.
“Unless the people can choose their leaders and rulers, and can revoke their choice at intervals long enough to test their measures by results, the government will be a tyranny exercised in the interests of whatever classes or castes or mobs or cliques have this choice.”
– George Bernard Shaw, Anglo-Irish playwright and critic