• The Florida Bar is offering a new Fastcase Webinar to help people hone their research skills. Don’t worry if the May 18 Webinar passed by, there will be another at 1 p.m. June 16. Go to www.floridabar.org for more information.
• On-site preparations for the 2009 Jacksonville Jazz Festival began Monday when a trailer that will be the headquarters for the construction crew was delivered and set up on Forsyth Street. A stage will be built at the corner of Forsyth and Laura streets for the festival which begins Thursday evening at the Florida Theatre and continues through Sunday along Laura Street from Hemming Plaza to the Landing.
• Paco Saldana, the director of guest services for The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, has been named one of six finalists in a nationwide search for the “Faces of Travel.” Sponsored by the U.S. Travel Association, the contest will identify a single spokesperson to communicate the importance of travel in America to media, policy makers and business stakeholders. Applicants were asked to create a brief video showcasing the impact of business travel on themselves and their communities. A panel of judges selected Saldana’s submission after receiving hundreds of entries from across the country. The finalists were chosen based upon their creativity, public speaking ability and passion for the travel industry. A public vote will determine the contest winner. The top six videos can be viewed at www.MeetingsMeanBusiness.com/FacesofTravel.
• Reality Check First Coast, the region’s first seven-county visioning project, will meet Thursday at the St. Johns County Convention Center at World Golf Village. Among other activities 300 government, nonprofit and business leaders will use more than 50,000 Lego bricks to envision what North Florida will be like in terms of population density and employment 51 years from now. By 2060 the region will have 1.6 million new residents and 650,000 additional jobs, requiring more housing, transportation, utilities and other infrastructure.
• The Cornerstone Regional Development Partnership, the economic development division of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, will host its second quarterly luncheon of 2009 June 5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Michael Ward, chairman and CEO of CSX, will be the featured speaker. Tickets for Cornerstone Investors are $40 for individual tickets and $400 for a corporate table of 10; Chamber members, $55 for individual tickets and $550 for a corporate table of 10; non-members, $65 for individual tickets and $650 for a corporate table of 10. Call 366-6600, ext. 7601 for reservations or information.
• It’s been open for a little over a week now, but the High Tide Burrito Co. in San Marco is celebrating its grand opening Friday from noon–6 p.m., with an offer of a free burrito for those who attend. The new restaurant, at 1538 Hendricks Ave., will also be taking donations for The Bridge of Northeast Florida, of which it is a member.
• The 2009 Symphony Guild Designer Showhouse started Saturday at the Ortega Landing Condominium and Marina. The annual fundraiser will both raise money for the Jacksonville Symphony Guild while showcasing the two model condominiums (this year’s models are green) on the Ortega River. The event will run through June 7.
• National funky pizza chain Mellow Mushroom is opening a new restaurant in Jacksonville Beach. Construction is underway at 1018-2 3rd St. N. (next to Harry’s) and according to its Web site, it will be open this summer. The chain has two other stores; one in Southside and one in Fleming Island.
• The “longest practicing attorney in Jacksonville” plans to return to his law office soon, and continue his 60th year in the practice. Attorney and former 4th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Bill Maness is recovering from a brief illness at River Garden Hebrew Home for the Aged. He is undergoing physical rehabilitation and was in good spirits when contacted Tuesday.
• Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) is looking for volunteers to help at the Riverside Arts Market and at the organization’s office at 2623 Herschel St. At the market, there are two shifts at the RAP booth, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 1-4:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to set up and take down the booth and promote RAP. For more information contact Jim Love at 710-0200. People who could greet visitors and answer phones at the office Tuesday-Thursday can call Susan Grich at 389-2449.