Jacksonville, FL

From my backyard garden (left to right, clockwise) I clipped sweet basil, orange mint, tomatoes and banana peppers.

Just as the cold weather ended, I put some tomato plants out and stuck a few pepper plants in a little garden spot out back. I also planted some orange mint and sweet basil—the mint is a great addition to hot or cold tea. I use the basil for vegetables, fish, beef and many other dishes. It’s one of those great all-around herbs.

I have some radish seed my daughter gave me. I plan to stick those in the dirt in a few days. If you’ve never had a radish straight out of the ground, you’re missing a real experience.

Despite boutique markets and abundant produce aisles in groceries, nothing comes close to bounty from your own garden. Maybe it’s because we’ve vested part of ourselves in tending, weeding, watering and even talking to the plants.

I put my garden in a spot near the fence, where we kept a canopy of leaves at the lawn’s edge. Maybe because nothing much had been planted there for years, and maybe because the soil is just plain rich, the plants grew healthy and tall. I still have lots of tomatoes on the vine and the pepper of course continues to grow because that’s how pepper plants work.

Ironically, a squash plant came up around the small fence we put up around the garden plot—we had to do this because of our adopted feral chicken. I have no idea where the squash plant came from. I wondered if some seed from the previous owner’s long ago garden saw an opportunity as we turned the soil.

I’m hoping to add more herbs to my garden mix.

Nothing is more pleasurable than watching your garden grow. This has to be one of the best navel gazing opportunities in the world.

When we have cookouts, as we enjoy a cold drink, we also enjoy talking about the garden.

Here’s a recipe my family enjoys, using some of my bounty. It’s a great side item for grilled food or a veggie plate.

Tomato with Feta Salad

3 medium sized tomatoes
½ block (about 4 oz.) of feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBS. virgin olive oil
Sweet basil, finely chopped
Kalamata olives

Slice tomatoes and place on coffee filter or paper towel to wick excess juice. Whisk balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Stir in feta cheese. Place tomatoes on platter, and drizzle vinegar/oil/feta mixture over tops. Sprinkle 1 TBS. of the chopped basil for garnish. Add Kalamata olives as desired for garnish.

(Photo and text by Kay B. Day)

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As the July 4 holiday approaches, we will be treated to multiple fireworks displays. I’m not talking about the officially sanctioned public displays.

I’m talking about John or Josie Q. Public lighting up the sky courtesy of a personal display that likely cost at least as much as a week’s groceries. For a family of four. From inland neighborhoods to the beaches, Jacksonville will boom and crackle with the best of them beginning Tuesday.

Since moving to Jacksonville, I’ve learned this place is crazy for fireworks. Any holiday will do. My native state of Carolina is pretty fond of fireworks too, but Jacksonville is the first city I’ve lived in where people lit up the sky and broke the sound barrier at Easter.

We’ve had a long-running drought going, so I’m hoping people who like to do their own displays will use some common sense. For those who plan to send something into the sky, I hope they’ll aim it somewhere besides my roof.

I also hope the larger boom items will go mute by 1 a.m. Big sounds in the wee hours will set our hound dog off.

I also hope parents bear in mind that while little Sam might really enjoy holding those bottle rockets in his hand, and maybe even aiming them at his buddies, neither move is a good idea. Fireworks can burn, blind and inflict other injuries on a child or an adult.

Mark A. Sibley, M.D., offers very good tips at the Florida Eye Center site, and he also provides a sobering prediction. He was speaking about fireworks on New Year’s Eve, but it bears repeating: “As past president of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, I pass on the society’s prediction that more teenage boys will be blinded in fireworks injuries New Year’s Eve than from any other cause this year.”

The Northwest Florida Daily News points out in a recent article that a new law takes effect July 1, prohibiting counties or cities from banning the use or sale of legal fireworks. Since we’ve long been able to purchase any type of firework imaginable, I’m thinking this is one of those overkill laws.

Meanwhile firefighters, emergency crews and law enforcement are guaranteed they’ll see some sort of action due to fireworks in Florida. It’s July 4. Here in Jacksonville, that translates to a hotbed of personal fireworks opportunities.

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(Top photo)Sunday services as well as community events are held at the Lakeshore property. (Bottom photo) Sal Palmeri and Francine Cianflone, students at Florida Coastal School of Law, talk in the Lakeshore chapel after participating as volunteers in a community event.

I visited the Lakeshore property for Shepherd of the Woods Lutheran Church recently. My family and I sometimes visit the original church at 7860 Southside Blvd. The Christmas Eve service is our favorite because the music is amazing and the members always extend a warm welcome. I wanted to see what the 40-acre site on Columbia Park Court off Greenland Road looks like; it’s close to our Mandarin home and there’s a 9:45 a.m. service every Sunday. The Lakeshore service is nontraditional contemporary.

Shepherd of the Woods is a big congregation—the Southside sanctuary offers several choices for Sunday worship as well as a Saturday worship.

If you visit either facility and talk to the members or Pastor George L. Johnson, you’ll find yourself welcomed warmly. During my recent visit, Pastor Johnson told me about the church’s mission in Lima, Peru. The church Web site reports 33 members are participating in this third endeavor, to help with construction and repairs, building tables, purchasing school uniforms and school supplies, and providing evangelism and outreach training and materials. The Web site also says the Jacksonville congregation volunteers in Peru will continue to construct the second story of Emaus Church with the nearly 3,000 bricks which will provide classroom space for the school. This energetic group has added on to their ministry plans the addition of building two new homes for two very poor families in the community next to Emaus church.

“We want to care for our members around the world,” Pastor Johnson told me.

Locally, Shepherd of the Woods undertakes a broad mission as well, assisting area charities and nonprofit organizations, and offering a variety of classes and enrichment opportunities. There are Spanish classes, adult education classes and social opportunities for people of all ages. The church also makes the Lakeshore property available to community groups for activities.

All in all, Shepherd of the Woods takes its mission seriously, whether the benefits come to Jacksonville or to our distant neighbors on the other side of the world.

For complete information about worship and missions, visit the Shepherd of the Woods Web site.

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Recently a car crashed through the back fence of my neighbor’s yard. The driver appeared to have injuries, with glass shards in his face and bruises. I’ve often wondered who picked up the tab for the fence he destroyed, the outbuilding he leveled, and damages to shrubbery and trees. Cars routinely speed down Loretto Road. Speeding incidents increase dramatically late at night.

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I’ve received letters and notices in the mail about Personal Injury Protection. The Florida Association of Insurance Agents sums it up tidily. “Originally enacted in 1971, Automobile No-Fault Insurance, also known as PIP (Personal Injury Protection), is a required coverage under Florida law. It covers the insured driver and passengers for accident-related injuries, regardless of fault, with payment made directly to the insured(s) by his/her own insurer. Unless reenacted, the No-Fault system will cease to exist (sunset) October 1, 2007.”

The Florida Times-Union reports area hospitals are upset about the expiration of PIP, noting, “Hospitals rely on the mandatory medical coverage provided by auto insurers to help pay for care provided to accident victims, especially those without health insurance.”

Health insurance companies probably won’t be too happy if the No-Fault insurance sunsets, because that will increase their own claims.

Right now, there’s a lot of room for improvement in PIP. I am required to buy this insurance, even if I don’t need it, since I have health insurance. But in general, PIP is viewed as an opportunity for fraud and inflated billings. Everyone is familiar with the whiplash scenario. You have a minor scrape in traffic and suddenly the very healthy person you bumped into has a slew of medical problems.

Here’s a really intriguing aspect of PIP, pointed out by the Times-Union: If the PIP law is allowed to sunset, Florida motorists who are considered “safe drivers” will not be required to buy auto insurance, said Julie Baker, spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. A safe driver is a motorist who has had no driving convictions (such as speeding fines) in the past three years, or had his license revoked or suspended in the past seven years.

I’d say this is a pretty important issue. Legislators need to address it. (Text and Photo by Kay B. Day)

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Jacksonville distributor Omni United USA Inc. is on the list of companies who sold allegedly faulty tires manufactured in China.

Global trade creates complex relationships. Jacksonville Business Journal says Omni United USA Inc. is a subsidiary of a Singapore-based company, Omni United Pte. Ltd. The company sold tires manufactured by China-based Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. and imported by Foreign Tire Sales.

The tires are light truck radials that could fall apart on the road.

Consumer Affairs reports a lawsuit has been filed against FTS over a fatal traffic accident in Pennsylvania in 2006:

The suit says tread separation caused a cargo van carrying four passengers to crash, killing two passengers and injuring the other two. The light truck tires were sold under the names Westlake, Telluride, Compass and YKS.

FTS has filed an $80 million lawsuit against the Hangzhou Rubber Company and notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TSA of the defect. FTS had conducted testing after warranty requests increased. Consumer Affairs says, “Visual analysis revealed that some tires seemed to have an insufficient or missing gum strip — a key safety feature to preserve the integrity of the belts.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told Fox News, “We want a full tire recall to take place.” The agency has notified Foreign Tire Sales. The Hangzhou tires were sold to the following distributors: Tireco, in Compton, Calif.; Strategic Import Supply, in Wayzata, Minn.; Omni United USA Inc., in Jacksonville, Fla.; Orteck International Inc., in Gaithersburg, Md.; K&D Tire Wholesalers LLC, in Carlsbad, Calif.; and Robinson Tire, in Laurel, Miss.

NHTSA is a great resource for safety and performance information about tires. For more information, visit the tire information pages at the NHTSA Web site.

(text by Kay B. Day; photo from NHTSA Web site (safercar.gov); photo is not representative of recalled tires.)

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Mandarin Park is a favorite place for my family; we like to go in the late afternoon. We take a cup of coffee and watch the boats come in. You can also have a lot of fun watching for Manatees here.

The Florida Times-Union features a write-up about a new report on the status of the St. Johns River. The report was furnished by the St. Johns Riverkeeper and the Public Trust Environmental Law Institute of Florida.

A total of 298 violations occurred during a 20-month study period. Sanitary Sewer Overflows totaled almost 266,000 gallons of material, with the majority relating to sewage.

Increasing development in Northeast Florida may make this problem even worse in the future. The river is our greatest asset, says the Riverkeeper Web site, with “billions of dollars realized in commerce, tourism and industry.” The site notes the unique character of the river:

The St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida at 310 miles and one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north, dropping less than 30 feet from its source to its mouth, or about 1 inch per mile.

The river is home to 183 species of fish and is designated as an American Heritage River, one of only 14 rivers in the entire United States to receive this prestigious national recognition, the site says.

Privately funded, the St. Johns Riverkeeper is an objective voice for our river. The organization depends on private donations, and different levels of membership that begin at modest rates are available. Visit the Web site to join and to learn more about the river. The full report is also posted there.

Above all the features I’ve found after moving to Jacksonville, the St. Johns is the most magnificent. We’ve been entrusted with an incredible resource. It’s up to us to see it stays healthy. (photo and text by Kay B. Day)

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I’ve written about Barbara Jean’s Restaurant for another site, but it’s worth repeating here.

Once a month or so, my husband and I set aside a Saturday for a beach date. We head to Mickler’s Landing for a long walk. This is our favorite beach in the area because it’s not very commercialized. Unless of course you count the mansions fronting the ocean. We usually go around 2 p.m. because chances are better for a parking space in the paved lot. There are outdoor showers for washing the sand off your feet. There’s also a lifeguard on duty now, for those who like to swim. It’s fun to watch the surfers who love to hit the water regardless of the weather.

I always get great photos at Mickler’s. One of my favorites is an elaborate sand sculpture—the creation looks like an alien. You can find pretty shells, and there are supposed to be shark’s teeth, but I haven’t found any of those yet.

After our walk, we head to Barbara Jean’s, a restaurant located at the old Ward’s Landing site on the intercoastal waterway. Southern Living says the crabcakes here are the best, and I’d have to agree. The she-crab soup is superb; great quality crab meat in a concoction seasoned to perfection. The menu offers a variety of seafood dishes. You could just about make a meal of the homemade bread—pumpkin bread, jalapeno corn bread and wheat rolls. You can pick sides from a large selection of homemade vegetable dishes; the squash casserole is my personal favorite. Dress is casual; prices are reasonable. Directions are available at the Web site.

Weather permitting, we sit on the deck and watch the boats cruise the waterway. Birds entertain us with their antics. The view from the deck offers a panoramic natural scene–there’s nothing developed on the shoreline across from the restaurant. We’ve often wondered why bugs aren’t bothersome when we eat out here–after all, this is Florida. I suppose the birds eat them all. After a glass of Chardonnay, we head back home and listen to music. I’ve made several CDs from selections at iTunes just for our beach days.

Nothing breaks the tedium like a beach date. It does a body–and the spirit–good.
(photos and text by Kay B. Day)

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Literacy is a challenge for some Northeast Florida residents. This is a followup to last week’s story about Literacy Pros of Jacksonville. Volunteer Michelle Worley (center) talks with authors Victor DiGenti (left) and Dorothy K. Fletcher (right) during a recent event Worley coordinated at Barnes and Noble in St. Johns Town Center.

Literacy Pros of Jacksonville, Inc., held their very first fundraiser Saturday at Barnes and Noble in the St. Johns Town Center. Customers who picked up a book fair voucher from the organization’s display tables, or those who printed the form online, could present it to the cashier at checkout. Literacy Pros would then get a percentage of the sale.

Donations are a necessity for this all-volunteer group, whether they come as cash or time. “We don’t have any staff,” says Michelle Worley. “We’re an all-volunteer group.”

The group trains individuals to effectively teach basic literacy skills, and to prepare interested tutors to become Certified Literacy Trainers.

A 1999 study by the Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. found the literacy rate in Northeast Florida hovered at approximately 53 percent. According to LPOJ, almost 50 percent of adults on welfare lack a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.

The biggest challenge for volunteers, says Worley, is the “time commitment.” Worley works full-time herself, at Wachovia Bank, but she says, “The other part of my life is literacy.”

As part of their fundraiser, LPOJ invited Jacksonville authors Dorothy K. Fletcher and Victor DiGenti to talk about writing and sign their books for guests. Dorothy has contributed to literacy in a big way—in addition to being an award-winning author, she taught English and writing in Duval public schools for 35 years.

DiGenti, also an award-winning author, is a key figure in the Florida Writers Association—he’s regional director for our area. FWA has about 800 members.

Literacy Pros has parnered with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to provide workshops for inmates interested in becoming tutors. The group also works with worship groups on training tutors, as well as corporations and schools.

Literacy is one of the single greatest weapons a community can employ in dealing with poverty and the crime that often follows. If you’d like more information about Literacy Pros, visit the Web site.

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We think this snake is a Southern Black Racer. He seems to enjoy the shrubbery and the Sagos that ring our yard.

I’ve stepped on him or his kin as I pull weeds in my small backyard garden. I’ve admired him as he suns in the Sago branches, or in the other shrubs along the front of our house. We think he’s a Southern Black Racer, a common species in these parts.

I’ve thanked him silently for helping to keep our lizard and rodent population under control, and hopefully, for helping keep other snakes that aren’t as friendly under control as well.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Web site refers to the Black Racer as a “slithering garbage pail.”

My husband shot this photo Saturday morning. Until I uploaded it to the computer, I couldn’t appreciate the length of this snake. What we have appreciated many times is his curious spirit—the way he raises his head, probably looking for prey. He shouldn’t run out of food anytime soon because we have many species like lizards and frogs in abundance. I’ve also seen a few mice in the area around the pool house.

He’s startled me at times. One afternoon as I returned with groceries, I came within inches of him. He was sunning on the walkway in front of our door. I set the bags down and possibly from the ground vibrations, he took off. Another time, he decided to get an up-close look at my daughters as they sunned and swam near the pool. Probably because of their ear-piercing screams and hysterics, he took off.

I wrote about that event; this story was the beginning of my relationship writing for the local section of the Florida Times-Union.

Of course, I don’t know if he’s a beautiful boy or girl, but I do know this snake has done good things for us. He isn’t very aggressive. Otherwise, the day I stepped on him he’d have got a good bite out of my foot.

Because of the racer and other wildlife like backyard birds, possums, and the occasional turtle, we leave edge around the backyard fence and we try not to over-prune the large bushes.

Development is taking every available green space in our community right now. It’s as though every patch and every tree has a bulls-eye painted on it. I figure providing a substitute home is the least we can do for wildlife. (text by Kay B. Day; photo by Randy Day)

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Florida Times-Union investigative reporter Beth Kormanik studied 18 months of calendars, meeting notices and minutes issued by the Jacksonville City Council. Apparently council members gathered at a number of restaurants like Woody’s Bar.B.Q., and also at bars like The Twisted Martini. The public wasn’t invited to wine or dine at these events, and if official council business was discussed, a violation of the Sunshine Law may have occurred.

On Friday, popular Times-Union columnist Mark Woods penned humorous commentary about these off-site gatherings.

State Attorney Harry Shorstein has presented the Duval County grand jury with some information about potential infringement of the law by council members. Shorstein told the Times-Union it may take “about a month” for the jury panel to decide whether further action is warranted.

The paper says council President Michael Corrigan (shown in photo above) introduced an ordinance this week to ensure compliance with the law.

Florida has had a “Sunshine Law” in some form or another since 1909 with the passage of the Public Records Law. At the present time, the City Council Web site has an expansive collection of information available.

Hopefully, the Grand Jury will a close look at what Kormanik found. Rules for conducting the city’s business in an open and public manner are non-negotiable. (text by Kay B. Day; Corrigan photo from City of Jacksonville Web site)

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Dorothy K. Fletcher heads into a Washington, D. C. hotel. Fletcher and I read together at the U.S. Library of Congress for “Florida Poets Arrive.” Fletcher appears at Barnes and Noble in St. John’s Town Center on Saturday as part of a Literacy Pros event.

Literacy Pros celebrates a dedication to adult literacy at Barnes and Noble in the St. Johns Town Center (10280 Midtown Parkway) on Saturday, June 16. The Bookfair runs from opening to closing, 9 a.m.-11 p.m., when a percentage of every sale made will be donated to Literacy Pros. Jacksonville authors Dorothy K. Fletcher (Zen Fishing and Other Southern Pleasures) and Victor DiGenti (Windrusher series) will talk with guests and sign books from 4-6 p.m.

That evening features music by Damien Lamar and Laurel Lee from 7-8 p.m. Lee has a great Web site; you can find out about the new CD Why don’t we get married featuring Laurel Lee and the Escapees. Lamar is well-known in Northeast Florida, and his selections offer a variety of styles. Visit Lamar’s Web site to learn more.

I’ve read with Fletcher on many occasions, and her poetry and prose weave stories of the past and present, illustrated by specific events and happenings in the South. She has a low-key sense of humor; she loves to talk writing. DiGenti is a key figure in writing events around Northeast Florida because he’s regional director for the Florida Writers Association. DiGenti’s first novel was praised by actress Betty White and it’s popular with cat lovers of all ages. Both are award-winning authors with several books in the marketplace and they enjoy talking to people.

The Web site for Literacy Pros says the organization was founded in 2003 by “a local group of dedicated literacy volunteers. These trainers and tutors were interested in finding new ways to deliver literacy training to the community.” A recent success story is the Prison Literacy Program in conjunction with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office.

Events like this provide a great way to help worthy organizations and have some fun at the same time. So pick up a book, sip on some coffee or tea and enjoy the music on Saturday.

You’ll need a voucher to be sure the sale is tagged for Literacy Pros; for convenience, you may print one from the Web site. (photo and text by Kay B. Day)

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Literacy in Jacksonville, Education, Reading, Authors, Books, CDs, Musicians, Northeast Florida support groups, Zen, cats, mystery, poetry, novels, volunteers, booksigning Jacksonville, memoir

Josh Scobee, field goal kicker for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, reads to children who participate in at-risk programs for youth administered by The Bridge, at Barnes and Noble in Mandarin.

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I talked with Zoe Ann Boyle yesterday about summer day camp for children at The Bridge of Northeast Florida, an organization offering support for education, nutrition, health and counseling for at-risk youth. Boyle told me something, citing study findings by Johnson & Johnson, that astounded me. “African-American children,” she says, “are 50 to 60 times more likely to drown.”
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Recently, the Mounted Unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office hosted a “Family Fun Day.” The families were invited to tour the Mounted Units facilities. They also watched equestrian and canine demonstrations and learned about JSO’s Aviation Unit.–photo courtesy of City of Jacksonville press room

Typical zoning and rezoning matters as well as addressing the way citizens can change the city charter will be visited by the Jacksonville City Council at the regular meeting on Tuesday, June 12, at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at 117 W. Duval St., City Hall, 1st Floor, Council Chambers.

Jacksonville is for the most part a well-run city. It’s a daunting task to manage a city this big—the Chamber of Commerce likes to remind us we’re the largest city in land mass in the contiguous United States.

Another item on the agenda relates to auditing the tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, clerk of the courts and sheriff a minimum of once every five years. This is an accountability matter; it seems to be a good management tool.

Council will also give a nod to Jacksonville’s 185th birthday—our city was founded by Isaiah Hart on June 15, 1822.

The public can attend council meetings. If you aren’t inclined to go, you can take a look at the preliminary agenda on the city Web site.

Note: We’ve had severe storms rolling through since early this morning. I’m posting late today because it’s been necessary to shut down the computer. Jacksonville has some sensational lightning shows, and this morning’s was a real piece of work.

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Jacksonville Fl, City Council, Zoning, Audits, Meeting, 185th Birthday Jacksonville Fl

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I might not have noticed them if it hadn’t been for our hound. I’d just got out of bed, and walked out back so Shadow could tend to his morning business. Usually, he heads right to the edge of our yard. Instead, as I sipped my coffee, he stopped dead in his tracks.

I walked over to see what had engaged his nose—we often joke our hound is a prisoner of his nose.

Two tiny bats lay on the deck.

Although I’ve certainly seen bats darting around after sundown, I’ve never found one dead. Did they have rabies? A biologist I wrote for once told me to never touch a dead bat because of that possibility. Was someone putting out some sort of poison in our neighborhood? The way the two creatures were positioned seemed strange. I told my husband it looked as though they held hands as they fell out of the sky together. We dubbed them “the twins.”

Although it was Sunday, Cyndi Marks called me within a few hours of receiving my email full of questions. I included a photo. Marks is executive director of the Florida Bat Conservancy. Like so many others who work on behalf of wildlife, she’s dedicated. How many executives would phone a journalist on a Sunday?
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Jacksonville has to be one of the best garden spots in the world. Everything I’ve planted seems to thrive. One of my favorite projects is my kumquat tree.

I picked mine up from a nursery and hardware store on San Jose Blvd. I planted it last spring, hoping I’d get at least one of these small citrus fruits. By mid-summer, the tree was full of tiny, white blossoms giving off a sweet scent. As we enjoyed our Christmas holidays, I harvested my bumper crop of kumquats.

I did an article about my experience with this small, edible-peel citrus for Christian Science Monitor.

Kumquat Growers Inc., an organization for industry growers, has great recipes on the Web site. The organization was kind enough to give us permission to use some of their recipes for my CSM article.

I learned that my tree is a Meiwa. Fruit from this variety is best eaten whole. The Nagami kumquat we see in groceries during November is the best one for cooking or baking.

Technically, the kumquat isn’t a member of the Citrus genus, having been classified in 1915 in its own genus, Fortunella. Many growers say the fruit was introduced to the United States by Japan.

It’s fun to grow something that I can harvest in the winter, long after my tomatoes and peppers have been picked and eaten. If you want to grow something really special, try a kumquat. (photo & text by Kay B. Day)

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