• Today is the 21st annual American Diabetes Alert Day. Free blood glucose screenings will be administered from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Avenues Mall, Orange Park Mall, Gateway Mall, Regency Square Mall and the St. Johns Town Center. In Northeast Florida, more than 100,000 people have diabetes, and shockingly almost one-third of those individuals do not know that they have the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association.
• Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland, Duval County public and private schools along with local colleges and universities will hold the 2009 Countywide Student Voter Registration Drive today through Thursday. Last year, 55 public and private high schools, colleges and universities participated and 7,716 students were registered resulting in the 18-25 year old age group being the largest percentage of registered voters in Duval County. Since Holland was elected in 2005 the office has registered more than 16,000 Duval County students.
• Yesterday’s photo of former President Bill Clinton with Hank and Mary Coxe was provided courtesy of Joe Reilly of democracyphoto.com.
• Follow up: As reported in last week’s Daily Record, the proposal for aspects of City-owned Boone Park in Avondale and Southside Park on Hendricks Avenue to become privatized is being discussed. Now the public will get to voice their opinion during a public meeting April 6 at 6 p.m. in the Lynwood Roberts Room at City Hall.
• The City’s Special Events Department is calling all artists to submit their work for consideration in “Art in the Heart of Downtown,” an art show and sale along Laura Street which is part of the 2009 Jacksonville Jazz Festival May 22-24. Those submitting art work may enter many categories, including clay, digital, drawing, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, sculpture and wood. Interested artists can obtain a printable entry form and detailed information at www.jaxjazzfest.com. For more information about the 2009 Jacksonville Jazz Festival and Art in the Heart Downtown call 630-3690.
• According to U.S. Census Bureau reports released last week, from July 2007 to July 2008, Jacksonville grew by more than 15,000 people. In 2007, totals were 1,297,813 while the 2008 figures showed 1,313,228. The total represents Baker, Clay Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
• Concerning State Bill 538, regarding the redefinition of “creditable service” for determining prior service that goes toward police and firefighter pensions, State Rep. Charles Van Zant, in a response letter to Mayor John Peyton, said he would request the definition to “remain as is.” Peyton sent Van Zant a letter to explain how a redefining of the terms would cause problems for Jacksonville taxpayers.
• The Jacksonville Bar Association Young Lawyer Section will host a Judicial Breakfast Wednesday for Circuit Court Judges in the Civil Division in Chief Judge Donald Moran’s Chambers from 8-9 a.m.
• The Seaport/Airport Special Committee will meet at 4 p.m. today in the Lynwood Roberts room at City Hall. It will discuss proposed ordinance 2008-1055 which would create criteria and standards for evaluation of a business’ proximity to projects in public proposals.
• Mary Anne Johnson, of Orange Park, is a registered paralegal with the Florida Bar, but was left off of the list of Jax-area Florida Registered Paralegals in Monday’s edition.