• OneJax has announced the recipients of its 2011 Humanitarian Awards. Delores Barr Weaver of the Jacksonville Jaguars receives the Gold Medallion for lifetime achievement. Receiving the Silver Medallion are Martha Barrett of Bank of America, Nat Glover of Edward Waters College and attorney Mark Green with Dale, Bald, Showalter, Mercier & Green. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Vice President Mike Hightower will chair the awards dinner, scheduled May 26 at the Hyatt Downtown.
• AT&T has awarded Communities In Schools of Jacksonville more than $130,000, part of a $1.5 million grant, to fund the addition of three site coordinators to provide at-risk-students with academic support and other resources. CIS of Jacksonville is one of 14 winning affiliates and is using the funding to place full-time site coordinators in A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology, Raines High School and Forrest High School.
• What’s a winter break for students without some studying? Duval County Public Schools is providing winter packets to the community for students to stay sharp. K-12 students, parents and community members can visit www.duvalschools.org and print out grade-appropriate materials for students during the break, which starts Dec. 20. Students return to class Jan. 3. Math, reading and science worksheets are available, as well as links to online assistance for students.
• GreenPointe Holdings LLC, founded in 2008 by Ed Burr to create and develop communities throughout the Southeastern U.S., launched its GreenPointe Homes homebuilding division. It will complement the company’s existing land acquisition division of GreenPointe Communities and its infrastructure division of GreenPointe Pathways. Former Pulte Homes executive David Smith is leading GreenPointe Homes alongside Paul Wyatt, vice president of construction, and Vicki Bratvold, president of GreenPointe Realty.
• The Downtown Development Review Board of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission approved at its meeting Wednesday an exception to the sign regulations for the Wolfson Children’s Hospital/Adult Tower currently under construction. Three signs will be allowed on the building. Board members determined the signage would not constitute “visual clutter” based on the distance from nearby roadways and also considered the need for identifying the building on the Baptist Medical Center campus.
• DDRB also heard a presentation from JEDC Executive Director Ron Barton about proposed legislation to create statutory standards for surface parking lots Downtown. He is scheduled to present the plan at today’s meeting of JEDC commissioners.