• There will be a change of command at NAS Jax. Current Commanding Officer Jack Scorby, who’s called his position “the best in the Navy,” will be transferring to the Pentagon in May. His executive officer Jeff Maclay will take over following a change-of-command ceremony May 13, according to Scorby.
• Talk of bringing the decommissioned USS Adams to Downtown and converting it into a naval museum and attraction is still out there. Now, the Navy has weighed in. According to Patricia Dolan, director of the office of corporate communications, it could cost in excess of $10 million to bring the ship to town.
• The MPS Group Championships has created a new Web site to help promote April’s tournament at Sawgrass. It’s www.mpsgroupchamps.net and includes features on WTA players, volunteer and ticket info, the tournament schedule and more.
• If you are a fan of Popeyes Chicken, the chain is offering a pretty good deal these days. For $1 you can get a coupon card worth $30. The proceeds from the “Appetite for a Cure” campaign help support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
• The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Cornerstone initiative has set March 5 for its next big Regional Economic Development Forum. It’s from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Wilson Center on the South Campus of Florida State College at Jacksonville.
• Speaking of the Chamber, it’s still taking applications for its Regional Political Leadership Institute program. There’s only one class this year and you can log on to www.jaxrpli.org for more.
• Next week’s City Council committee meetings have been scheduled for one day later in the week due to Monday’s President’s Day holiday.
• The League of Women Voters Jacksonville First Coast Chapter has unveiled their new on-line civics education program. The first module provides an introduction to Florida cities, Jacksonville government and ethics and how to navigate the City’s Web site. Check it out at www.lwvjacksonvilleleague.org.
• Anomaly Five Points continues to evolve on Park Street across from the 5 Points Theater. Owners Shea Slemmer and Emily Moody sell independently designed clothing, jewelry and paper items and opened in October of 2009. The latest addition to the shop is Underbelly, a fun lounge tucked away in the back of the store. Customer’s outer adult and inner child are equally served with domestic and imported beers and wines for the adult, and jars of candy throughout and a tree house in the courtyard at the rear of the building for the child.
• The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission (JHRC) will host a study circles kickoff event Feb. 18 and Dr. Andrew Manis will be the keynote speaker. The study circles initiative is a partnership between JHRC, OneJax and The Community Foundation of Jacksonville that’s goal is to engage the community in creating sustainable change by discussing and taking action to eliminate racial and ethnic inequities in Jacksonville. The event starts at 6 p.m. and will be held at WJCT Public Broadcasting Studio at 100 Festival Park Ave.
• Today at 2 p.m. a French delegation including the Consul General of France, Gael de Maisonneuve, will present the French Legion of Honor medal to eight Northeast Florida World War II veterans. The medal, which is the highest award the French government bestows, honors the men for their “personal and precious contributions to the United States’ decisive role in the liberation of our country during World War II,” according to the citation. The event is open to the public at the Memorial Wall on the west side of Municipal Stadium. From Jacksonville, the recipients are Roper Ellis and John Robertson. From Orange Park, Lester Ellison and from Middleburg, Rudolph Marini. From Macclenny, Elgin Barnes will attend. The other honorees come from around the region including Palm Coast and Gainesville.
• The Christian Tamburr Quartet will perform a Valentine’s Day jazz concert Sunday at 4 p.m. at Theatre Jacksonville in San Marco. There will be a reception with the musicians and Bob Bednar, host of FM-89.9’s “This is Jazz,” beginning at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the door and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Empowerment Resources, a local nonprofit organization that teaches young people life skills.