• U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Gerald Tjoflat will be welcomed as an honorary member today of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville. It’s the first meeting of the Downtown club of the new year.
• The inaugural “Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Anniversary Celebration” will be from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 22 at City Hall. The event will be held to honor “Keep Jacksonville Beautiful” founder Mayor Jake Godbold and to recognize program sponsors and volunteers. Ticket information is available through Vivian Harrell at 630-3420 or e-mail [email protected].
• New year, new card...the Duval County Supervisor of Elections Office began mailing new Voter Information Cards Dec. 29 to over 529,000 registered voters of Duval County. The Voter Information Card contains the following information: voter’s registration number, date of registration, full name, party affiliation, date of birth, address of legal residence, precinct number, name of supervisor and contact information of supervisor, and other information deemed necessary by the supervisor. New cards are sent out every two years on the odd year. The return mail helps the office keep records up to date.
• An anniversary unceremoniously passed Dec. 29. Tuesday was the 46th anniversary of a fire that erupted in Jacksonville’s Roosevelt Hotel 1963, which was one of only two luxury hotels in Jacksonville at the time. This distinction meant it was a temporary home to some of the masses who attended the Gator Bowl. The fire took the lives of 22 people and over 100 were injured, including 20 Jacksonville Firefighters, in what is still the single worst one-day death toll in the history of Jacksonville.
• Foreign policy expert Dr. Richard Haass will visit the University of North Florida Jan. 11 as part of the Distinguished Voices Lecture Series to present “President Obama’s Foreign Policy Challenges.” Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent, nonpartisan membership organization and think tank that helps its members better understand the world and foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. at UNF’s University Center and is free, but tickets are required. To order tickets, go to http://capricorn.anf.unf.edu/ticketing/haass.asp.
• Correction. In the recent City Note regarding The Blood Alliance and its Gator Bowl ticket promotion, the organization’s Web site was incorrect. It should have read www.thebloodalliance.com or www.igiveblood.com.
• The Museum of Science & History is registering contestants for its Jan. 23 LEGO Competition. Builders (K-9th grade) can compete as individuals or in teams of up to four people to construct original LEGO designs in one of four categories: astronomy, history, physical science or natural science. Prizes up for grabs include $100 MOSH gift cards and the chance to have their LEGO designs displayed at the Museum. Registration is $15 per contestant and $5 per guest. The deadline for registration and payment is Jan. 19. To download the registration form visit www.themosh.org.