• More than 700 trips were taken by 362 riders last Monday on the first day of the new JTA Riverside midday trolley service. JTA Executive Director and CEO Michael Blaylock said the numbers “far exceeded our expectations” and at least one of the merchants along the route is pleased with the results. Philip Harbison of Zoe’s Kitchen in Five Points said the trolley riders pushed his business up 15 percent last week.
• Neil Gornto has joined the Law Offices of L. Lee Lockett as an associate attorney where he will focus primarily on criminal defense and appellate law. Prior to joining the firm, Gornto was with the Public Defender’s Office.
• Since last August, Plaza III The Steakhouse at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel has offered some items on the lunch menu at a reduced price to employees at the County Courthouse and people who were just visiting to serve as jurors. The promotion has been so well-received the restaurant is now offering the $7.99 special on six selections to everyone from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• RLS Group was recognized by the Baptist Communicators Association at the W.C. Fields Awards in Nashville. The agency received several awards for print, audio-visual, newsletters and a Grand Prize, the Arthur S. Davenport Award for Exceptional Achievement in Public Relations and Development. The RLS Group is a full-service advertising and public relations agency founded in 2001 with offices in San Marco.
• Taylor Morrison recently announced the newly merged home builder’s executive team leading its Northeast Florida division. The new team includes: Division President Richard Dalton, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jeb Koury, Vice President of Finance David Rey and Vice President of Construction Dale Dubberly.
• Attorney Robert Morgan of Ford, Bowlus, et al., is one of the authors of the Florida section of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, CPAs Guide to Long term Care Planning. Better known as the “Guide,” Morgan was not paid for his efforts and was included due to his practice in elder law and as an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal School of Law.
• To help boaters enjoy a safer summer on the water, the City’s Waterfront Management and Programming Division is hosting the first-ever “JaxParks Safe Boating Day” Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Northbank Riverwalk near the Landing. In 2007, there were more than 1 million boats registered in Florida with 34,500 of them registered to Duval County residents who use the 25 boat ramps and 10 canoe/kayak launches operated by the City.
• How windy was it on Bay Street? It was so windy Friday it blew out the eternal flame at the County Courthouse.
• City Council member Bill Bishop is up for appointment to the Northeast Florida Regional Council where he’ll replace Council Vice President Ronnie Fussell.
• Speaking of Council, at Tuesday’s meeting a resolution marking the 80th anniversary of Jackson High will be introduced.
• The City’s Recreation and Community Services Department has produced the final draft Huguenot Memorial Park management plan. The pages aren’t numbered, but there are eight sections (and several subsections within each), it is over an inch thick and weighs 2 pounds 13 ounces.
“Campaign promises are—by long democratic tradition—the least binding form of human commitment.”
– U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia