• The Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library sold thousands of books at the Great Jacksonville Book Sale last weekend, but there was some inventory remaining when the event came to an end. Enter the Rotary Club of Jacksonville. The club has arranged for the unsold books to be shipped to schools and libraries in Belize, where English is the official language.
• There’s also some news from the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville: The final figures are in for the 2008 Holiday Gingerbread Extravaganza at Historic St. Andrews Church. The event raised more than $75,000 which will be used to support Ronald McDonald House, HabiJax, the Jacksonville Historical Society and other local charities.
• Reported before, but now official: Smith Hulsey & Busey Chair Stephen Busey was approved Tuesday by City Council as the newest member of the Jacksonville Port Authority’s board of directors. Busey fills the spot vacated by Andrew Fogarty.
• Former Office of General Counsel and Rogers Tower attorney Brenda Ezell is branching out on her own soon. Ezell is currently with Edwards Cohen as a commercial real estate attorney, but her last day is Friday. Beginning next week, she’s opening the Ezell Law Firm at 4651 Salisbury Rd. and will practice in the areas of real estate transactions and title insurance among others. Ezell is also a member of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission.
• Duval County School Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals will hit the lobbying trail soon looking for support for his board’s resolution that seeks JEA money to help pay for school programs and teachers. Mayor John Peyton, City Council members and the JEA board are on his list. The School Board passed the resolution last week.
• The local census office is holding an invite-only open house next Thursday. Sidra Finlay will run the office, which will conduct the local 2010 census on behalf of the United States Department of Commerce. The office will report to the Atlanta Regional Office, which also oversees the census offices in Alabama and Georgia.
• According to the latest Jacksonville Journey report, all 15 Team Up after school programs are up and running with over 1,800 students enrolled. Also, 28 nonprofit agencies have agreed to conduct 66 summer camps this year. Those camps are eight hours a day for eight weeks.
• Fogle Fine Arts & Consulting along with Millworks Design Studio is throwing a Beach Boulevard block party today from 5–8 p.m. The St. Nicholas based art and design studios will feature new inventory and feature wine and refreshments. For more info, contact Lesley Hamilton at 296-1414.
• The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville is hosting its 33rd Annual Arts Awards April 14 at the Moran Theater during a luncheon with guest speaker Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. The general reception starts at 11:30 a.m. and lunch is at noon. Tickets are available to the public for $55. For more information, go to www.culturalcouncil.org.