• The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission meets Wednesday. Projects on the agenda include ASEC and Xorail. Aviation Systems Engineering Co. of Maryland wants to add up to 10 jobs at its Jacksonville location at an average salary of $79,242. It requests a Qualified Targeted Industry tax refund of $50,000, with $10,000 from the city and the remainder from the state. Xorail, formerly Southwest Signal Engineering Co., is considering creation of 55 headquarters jobs in Jacksonville at an average salary of $57,000. It requests a QTI refund of $165,000, with $33,000 from the city and the rest from the state.
• That JEDC meeting is at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Ed Ball Building at 214 N. Hogan St., eighth floor. The Cecil Commerce Center development agreement also is on the agenda.
• Last week, several candidates officially filed to run for mayor in the 2011 election and Monday, another candidate joined the campaign. Democrat and former Clinton administration aide Alvin Brown officially filed paperwork and now is an active candidate for the position. He and candidates who filed last week were not required to turn in their campaign finance reports for the first quarter, but several other candidates did.
• Mayor John Peyton will join Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver and Team Teal officials today at the Stadium for a a status update on Jaguars ticket sales. A new ticket-sales initiative, Teal Deals, will also be unveiled along with the report during the 2:30 p.m. announcement.
• F. Sutton McGehee, chairman and CEO of Mac Papers Inc., was elected board chairman of American Enterprise Bank of Florida. McGehee is a founding director of the bank. The $200 million community bank at Gate Parkway and Butler Boulevard is celebrating its sixth anniversary.
• Gov. Charlie Crist recently appointed two people to the board of trustees of Florida A&M University, including Solomon “Chuck” Badger, a retired administrator for Florida State College at Jacksonville. He was reappointed for a term that began April 1 and will end Jan. 6, 2015.
• The Blood Alliance has a new director of donor resources after it recently hired Robert Sanchez. Sanchez has 10 years in the blood bank business, supervising call centers and mobile recruitment in Chicago, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.
• If you attend this year’s Players Championship, you’ll notice a big change at the finishing hole. According to tournament chair Harold Tool, the plan is to cover the stands at No. 18 and pump in air-conditioning.
• Speaking of The Players, again this year all of the birdies made during the tournament will help the community. The Birdies for Charity contest allows people to pledge a certain amount per birdie, with that amount going to their charity of choice. Last year, there were 1,502 birdies made over the course of the four-day tournament.
• Have you noticed the trees and flowers in the planters along Laura Street have been removed? It’s the next phase of the renovations planned for Laura Street from the Landing to Hemming Plaza.
• The Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League play their opener Friday against the Orlando Predators. According to managing partner Jeff Bouchy, the game is going to be televised live by the NFL Network. Kickoff is 8 p.m.
• Deerwood Country Club hired Adam Fannon as general manager starting May 1. Fannon is general manager of Chenal Country Club in Little Rock and has more than 15 years of experience managing private clubs in Arkansas, Ohio and Tennessee and Arkansas. Deerwood’s former g.m, Rocky Staples, is general manager of San Jose Country Club.
• The City has been recognized by Enterprise Florida with a Corporate Investment and Community Impact Award for bringing Saft America to Cecil Commerce Center. The development deal was called “Project Thunderbolt” and the City will be recognized by Trade & Industry Development magazine.
• Good news for salads and burgers across the country. The word at the Jacksonville Farmers Market is that tomato prices are expected to come down in the next two weeks.