Jacksonville, FL

The scoop on the tickets

Tickets for the Jacksonville Jaguars preseason game August 18 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers go on sale Sat. July 28 at 9 a.m. Fans may purchase tickets online at the official Jaguars site, or by calling 904-633-2000 (extension 3). By going to the stadium ticket office, located in the North End of the stadium, on Saturday, July 28, from nine a.m. until noon. This will coincide with the Jaguars’ first day of training camp.

The Jacksonville Municipal Stadium ticket office, located next to the West Crown Royal Touchdown Club, is open Monday-Friday from nine a.m. until five p.m.

Single-game ticket prices for the 2007 season are as follows: $42, $52, $57, $70 and $95. Crown Royal Touchdown Club seats are also available upon request. Single-game tickets for regular-season games will go on sale on Saturday, Aug. 18, at nine a.m., based on availability.

Season ticket and group tickets for parties of 10 or more are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling 904-633-2000 or 1-877-4-JAGS-TIX. (Photo of Coach Jack Del Rio is from official Jaguars press room.)

Tips for fans

The first preseason game I attended in Jacksonville taught me a few things. Here are some tips to maximize your fun:
~Dress for the heat.
~Leave early. Traffic is heavy.
~Avoid alcohol (I know it’s breaking your heart, but it’s all about the heat.)
~If you tailgate, prepare light foods that have a low spoilage index.
~Hydrate before, during and after the game (water not alcohol).

Michael Austin Davis of Jacksonville, Fla., has been missing since June 25. I promised to keep this story in the public eye in hopes someone will come forward with information. To learn more, visit these links:

Our About Jacksonville FL column July 11.

Michael Austin Davis pages at MySpace.

Web site about Michael Austin Davis at iticomputers.com.

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Jacksonville Jaguars, Preseason NFL games, Football Fans, Tailgating, Tickets NFL games, Tickets Jaguars, Michael Austin Davis missing

The Lighthouse Book Awards competition is sponsored by the Northeast Florida region of the Florida Writers Association. FWA-NE placed the top three entries in each category in the hands of legitimate acquisition editors working for major publishing houses. NE Regional director Victor DiGenti invites the public to the celebration of the awards competition this Saturday, July 28, at the Ponte Vedra Library (101 Library Blvd. in Ponte Vedra Beach) at 11 a.m.

All manuscripts have been returned from the acquisition editors who ranked the finalists. Names of the winners have been a closely-held secret for the past month. DiGenti says, “Contest Chair Terri Ridgell has refused to tell even me, saying she’s keeping the names frozen in a carton of Ben & Jerry’s Berried Treasure ice cream.”

Light snacks and drinks will be served. DiGenti invites you to come and cheer on your favorite writer or just be there for the party. Finalists are:

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE
Jean Osborn
David Pereda
Mary Kilgore
FICTION-GENERAL
Bill Barbour
John Holley
Leonard Emmel
YOUNG ADULT
Karen Harvey
Gertie Poole
Suki Litchfield
Bill Dougherty

DiGenti says finalists may bring family and friends and “pose for the paparazzi on the red carpet” before the awards ceremonies if they wish. First Place winners should also be prepared to make a brief “Thank you” speech.

DiGenti credits Terri Ridgell and all of the preliminary judges for making this first contest such a success. He says a special thank you goes to the three acquisition editors — Barbara Moore/Midnight Ink, Julie Doughty/Penguin Group and Andrew Karre/Flux.

RELATED LINKS

Visit FWA Ponte Vedra group on the Web: http://www.fwapontevedra.blogspot.com/

Visit FWA state organization on the Web: http://www.floridawriters.net/dnn/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Lighthouse Book Awards celebration, Florida Writers Association, NE Florida Writers Association, writing contests, writers’ groups

Yellowcard was formed in Jacksonville. The band has sold more than 3 million albums.

Van’s Warped Tour 2007 comes to Jacksonville today, with dozens of bands playing at Reynolds Park Yacht Center, 1063 Bulkhead Road, in Green Cove Springs. Fans are itching to hear the music crank up; there are many comments at the official Web site.

The band Yellowcard, formed in Jacksonville, will be there; Bayside, K-OS, and Pepper are among many others performing.

According to the Web site at the time we’re posting this column (11 a.m.), tickets are not available online. There is a map available, and a stage grid you can print out.

A fan’s post at the Web site message board provides some sound advice–here’s a verbatim:

Have fun everyone today, also please if this is your first concert stay in the back please, if you go to the front more than likely your going to be pushed alot and hit by alot of crowd surfers and youll be miserable and hate it so stay back and have fun.

My daughter has gone to this concert, and she had a lot of fun. She also says the place was packed. “I got stepped on, hit on and everybody had water guns.”

It gets very hot, so hydrate yourself before, during and after. Temperatures will rise to the upper 90s, which means a heat index topping 100 degrees. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain.

Another fan gives some great advice, “Don’t be a poser. Make it back alive.”

~~~~Recommended links:

For full details, visit the official Van’s Warped Tour Web site:
http://www.warpedtour.com/warpedtour/concert5.asp?id=28237&tour=52

Visit Yellowcard’s fan site:
http://www.yellowcardrock.com/bio.aspx

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Warped Tour 2007, Jacksonville FL, Yellowcard, concerts, bands, heat, music

What do enlightened singles do for entertainment in Jacksonville? Follow these recommendations for nightlife from two of Jacksonville’s finest.

One thing about Jax. We have some of the prettiest, smartest women on the planet. So I searched for two young professionals to deliver up confessionals about places they like to go for stellar entertainment. I also asked them if they’ve ever come across a celebrity at a Jacksonville club.

Haley Blount and Tara Allison Newton responded to my requests—both women are friends of my daughter Jen. Haley works in the education field; Tara works in criminal justice.

Haley likes to dance and sing. She says, “After much debate (over wine and cheese, of course), this was the conclusion I came to—although there are numerous “hot spots” around Jacksonville that I seem to enjoy (i.e., The Bricks at the beach is always a good time; Dueling Pianos off Southside always makes me sing and dance my heart out; and Aromas is a great place to chat over wine), the one place that I have consistently been and had a magnificent time is the Mark Bar, which is downtown. Always a great, diverse crowd, bartenders are quick to take your order, and the music always encourages me to dance like a rock star!”

Tara, shown here with her boyfriend Orlando Garcia, opts for the beaches. She says, “One of my favorite places to go is the Atlantic. It’s a club right off First street (I am sure you have heard of it). A lot of people do not like that place, but I always went there on Thursday night, ‘Ladies Night’, for free drinks. They always played “booty music” which I love to dance to. Occasionally they would play 80s music and even if you didn’t like either of those, they play either 80s but mostly reggae in the bar next door; they are connected. They also have an outdoor bar for the nice nights and it is right on the beach so you can look over onto the ocean. I don’t think I have ever seen a celebrity, but some unknown rapper was trying to get his name out and had his whole crew on a big tour bus handing out demo tapes. He invited me and a couple of my friends onto the tour bus, then tried to take us back to his hotel room…we got off quickly after that!! Funny story. I think that is as close to a celeb as I’ve come to.”

So there are your recommendations from a couple of Jacksonville’s liveliest, loveliest smarties.

Coming up for 80s fans, classic rockers Poison will be in the River City for a concert September 2 at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

For additional information about Jacksonville nightlife, visit JaxBars on the Web.

Enjoy your weekend, be wise, and be safe!

(Photos courtesy of Haley Blount and Tara Allison Newton)

Community Alert: The family of Michael Austin Davis is still hoping his disappearance will have a positive outcome. A tip was received from a person reporting a possible sighting in Gainesville, Fla. If you have friends or relatives in the Gainesville area, please make them aware this young man was last seen in his home city of Jacksonville on June 25. For full details and contact information, read our July 11 column, ‘Vanished without a trace.’

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Nightlife, Singles, Clubs, Dancing, Bars, Poison, Concert, Memorial Arena, Jacksonville Entertainment, Missing Persons