• Jacksonville attorney John “Jake” Schickel of Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Posgay announced his candidacy for president of the Florida Bar Thursday. Schickel has served as a member of the Bar’s Board of Governors, is a founding member of the E. Robert Williams Inn of Court and will be sworn in as the president of the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates at the organization’s awards ceremony Dec. 11. The last Florida Bar President from Jacksonville was Henry “Hank” Coxe of The Bedell Firm who was elected in 2006.
• Veterans Day may have been Thursday, but that doesn’t stop people from continuing to recognize the sacrifices veterans have made. The Mad Cowford Comedy Improv will allow veterans in free for its show starting tonight at 8:15 p.m. at the Northstar Substation on Bay Street.
• More than 70 Duval County Schools will have a leadership change of sorts Monday when business and community members take part in the “Principal for a Day” project. The program is designed to give the private sector a look into the daily lives of educators and students, begin a relationship with the school and promote increased academic achievement.
• The eyes of the nation don’t just focus on Jacksonville during Monday Night Football. City Council President Jack Webb and council members Richard Clark, Johnny Gaffney and Art Shad were flooded with nearly 300 e-mails sent from coast to coast requesting, “As the largest city in Florida without anti-discrimination protections that include sexual orientation or gender identity, I urge you to take swift and immediate action to make Jacksonville a welcoming and accepting place for all people.” Some came from Jacksonville residents, but most were sent from states including California, Arizona, Minnesota, New York, Maryland, Illinois and Nevada. The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission is developing a request to add gays, lesbians and transgender people to the list of people protected from job, housing or access discrimination in Jacksonville.
• The Arc of Jacksonville has canceled its Nov. 20 “Orangefest” date to allow the oranges to get “perfectly juicy.” While the Dec. 4 date remains on the schedule, Dec. 5 has been added to allow people to pick their own baskets of oranges from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Grove House at 2940 Claire Lane. The event is a fundraiser for The Arc of Jacksonville, a nonprofit that provides advocacy and services to individuals with developmental disabilities.
• The Sulzbacher Center’s 13th Annual “Give a Good Night” cards are available for purchase. Each card features artwork created by a child at the center and proceeds help provide a warm bed and a hot meal for area homeless. For more information, visit www.giveagoodnight.org.
• Another sign of the holidays will be set at storefronts throughout Jacksonville this weekend. The Salvation Army will hold its “Red Kettle Kickoff” Saturday during the Riverside Arts Market.
• Stein Mart Inc. plans to open a store in the Colonial Promenade Lakewood Shopping Center at San Jose and University boulevards, leaving the existing store at University Shopping Center. “The new store will offer a location that is more convenient to our customers, as well as surround Stein Mart with other attractive co-tenants,” said Stein Mart President David Stovall. The 30,000-square-foot store should open in the spring.
• Mary Tappouni of Breaking Ground Contracting, Lisa Sheppard of the City of Jacksonville Planning and Development Department and Corie Baker of JSA Architects will present a program on the “Sustainable Restoration of Historic Homes” at the Residential Summit of the Greenbuild 2010 International Conference & Expo in Chicago next week. Greenbuild is the world’s largest green building conference, hosted annually by the U.S. Green Building Council.
• Coral Gables-based YIP Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in forensic accounting, financial investigations and other services, opened a Jacksonville office to cover the Northeast and Central Florida markets. The office is in the Blackstone Building Downtown.
• Lindsey Ballas, business development chief at the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, has been named one of the “Top 20 Women Under 40” by the Commercial Real Estate Women Network. She joined the JEDC in 1995 as a targeted industries coordinator.
• The World Affairs Council of Jacksonville and the University of North Florida will co-host an evening with T.R. Reid, author, NPR correspondent and Health Policy Fellow of the Kaiser Family Foundation. He will discuss “The Healing of America: The Quest for Better, Cheaper Health Care.” The event will be 7 p.m. Tuesday at UNF’s University Center. Complimentary tickets are required and can also be reserved at www.unf.edu/lectures or by calling 620-2117.
• WJCT Public Broadcasting recognized Pat and Wayne Hogan for their philanthropic efforts and achievements as part of National Philanthropy Day Wednesday. Pat Hogan is a health promotion consultant and health education facilitator for Corporate Care Works Inc. Wayne Hogan is a founding partner of the Terrell Hogan firm.