• Take that, OPEC and Hugo Chavez: City Council President Daniel Davis is drafting a resolution to “Urge the Northeast Florida Congressional delegation and the United States Congress to remove existing restrictions and encourage new domestic exploration for and production of oil.” The legislation also points out, “The price of crude oil and the gasoline produced from it have skyrocketed,” and “The importation of a majority of our needed oil costs the American economy billions of dollars in cash exported to foreign producers.”
• Take that, Part 2: Council member Kevin Hyde is also concerned about energy. He sponsored Resolution 2008-480 which urges all JEA electric customers to “Learn and implement measures to lessen the impact of rate increases.” It also “Urges City government to study and implement additional energy conservation measures in public buildings and facilities.”
• The first pitch in the Elected Officials vs. Media softball game Friday has been moved from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The clash will be held at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville prior to the Suns vs. Huntsville Stars Southern League game.
• Duval County Public Schools, the Jacksonville Children’s Commission and the Jacksonville Journey Faith Coalition have partnered in an effort to recruit more mentors. An interactive training course will be held Saturday from 8:30 a.m. -noon at The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship at 5119 Normandy Blvd. Topics will include diversity, communication skills and youth culture. Volunteer applicants must undergo a thorough background screening before being placed with a prospective student. To register contact Dewitt Robinson at 390-2960.
• The Downtown Winn-Dixie store at 777 Market St. has been under renovation for months and the date for the grand reopening has been pushed back from June 1. Pat McSweeney at St. John & Partners handles Winn-Dixie’s public relations and declined to divulge the exact date of the ribbon cutting, but it’s on Mayor John Peyton’s calendar for July 9 at 5:30 p.m.
• According to the Supervisor of Elections Office, as of Monday there are 217,306 registered Democrat voters in the county, 184,385 registered Republicans and 84,986 others for a total of 486,677.
“The truth is, I do not want that office. When the American people choose a President they require him to remain awake four years. I have come to a time in life when I need my sleep.”
– Grover Cleveland, U.S. president