• Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton had this comment Thursday about getting through 2009 in view of the predictions that it will be the end of the year before the economy begins to rebound: “One week’s already gone so that means we have only 51 more.”
• Speaking of the JEDC, a group called First Coast Racing has approached the JEDC about its SunSpeed project, a concept that involves building a motorsports park at Cecil Commerce Center. The group would like to build four venues, attracting over 500,000 people annually. The project isn’t likely to happen, though. According to Barton, a motorsports park doesn’t fit into the development profile at Cecil.
• “Chops” — local filmmaker Bruce Broder’s award-winning documentary that traces the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts jazz band’s journey to victory at the Duke Ellington jazz competition in New York City — will be screened Saturday night at the University of North Florida. The lights will go down at 7 p.m. in the theater at the UNF Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and may be purchased in advance by calling 620-2878.
• The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department is starting the new year with some new equipment. One of the pieces the department got was an AutoPulse. The cardiac life support system delivers consistent compressions over a victim’s entire chest, something human hands can’t. Also, it doesn’t get tired.
• Speaking of JFRD, you’ll see plenty of them during the Feb. 7 Climb Jacksonville event during which runners will scale all 42 floors and 838 steps of the Bank of America tower to raise money for the American Lung Association. Members of JFRD participated in a similar event last year in Miami and raised $12,000 for the ALA.
• Pam Paul, a former member of Mayor John Delaney’s administration, is this year’s recipient of the Episcopal Children’s Services Children’s Champion award. Paul will be recognized during the organization’s Feb. 5 annual luncheon at the University of North Florida’s University Center.
• One of the many events scheduled to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Day today includes a dance at the Kennedy Center at 1133 Ionia St. from 6-9:30 p.m. It is a free event presented by JaxParks and refreshments will be provided. For more information call 630-4100.
• The Ethics Commission will meet on Monday at 5 p.m. at City Hall and one of the items on the agenda is to interview candidates for a vacant seat on the Commission. The three candidates that will be interviewed are Scott Shine, Cheryl Grimes and Leslie Goller. Shine owns a business consulting firm and has been an advocate for public access to area beaches, Grimes is executive director of The Alliance for World Class Education and Goller is an attorney with Terrell Hogan. An applicant will be selected after the interviews.
• Gov. Charlie Crist’s pen has been flowing with appointments for the judiciary lately. Wednesday he appointed General Magistrate Kenneth Gillespie to the 17th Judicial Circuit. Gillespie, 41, is a Florida native who has served in General Magistrate for the state of Florida in the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County since November 2004. Crist also appointed Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Marva L. Crenshaw to the Second District Court of Appeal On Wednesday. Crenshaw, 57, is a Florida native and has served as Hillsborough County Circuit Court judge since August 2000.