Jacksonville, FL

Young professionals may rely on a cell phone as a primary phone.

If you don’t have the NOAA Weather radio receiver or scanner, you do what I did once when a late night tornado warning was issued. You stay up. But now that the Duval County Emergency Operations Center has implemented a telephone emergency notification system, I can go to bed. The system is capable of automatically contacting residents in the event of a potential or pending emergency. Local officials now have the ability to deliver a pre-recorded message to residents in targeted areas of the city, or to the entire county, if necessary, at a rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour.

There’s an added advantage to this new system. It’s common for the under-forty crowd to use a cell phone as a primary number. This money-saving option traditionally would keep a cell phone number off an emergency notification list. There’s good news for these residents, and for business owners and those with unpublished numbers. (more…)

Safe Haven seeks to protect unwanted babies

The heat index in Jacksonville on Thursday topped 100 degrees—not a good day for anyone to be outside for long without water or shade. A resident of Beachwood Apartments on the Southside decided to take her trash out. What she found in the dumpster will likely be a memory she’ll carry for the rest of her life. Inside a pillowcase, along with the garbage, the female resident found a newborn baby girl. The fact the child was alive is a miracle.
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The Duval County Extension office is offering a series of workshops to help make your yard cooperate with Florida’s climate, soil and water. What should you grow? Read on.

The ideal Florida back yard features plants conducive to the amount of rain we receive, the soil in our area and the blazing heat we experience in summer months. The Duval County Extension Office is offering a series of workshops under the banner “Camp Florida Friendly.” Participants can learn how to create a Florida-friendly yard, how to landscape for wildlife and vegetables, and even how to plant for security.

The workshops at the Extension office located at 1010 N. McDuff Avenue in Jacksonville begin July 10. There is a $5 fee for each session or a $25 fee to attend all six sessions.

For more information, call 904-387-8850. Visit the Extension office on the Web, and check out the calendar pages for upcoming events.

Yesterday, I spied the butterfly in the photo above enjoying a big Lantana that grows by the corner of my office. When we bought this house about five years ago, the Lantana was a single tiny sprig nestled by some old azaleas. I made sure if someone besides me cut the grass, that little sprig was left alone. That bush is now about four feet wide and makes a beautiful blooming work of natural art. Butterflies and hummingbirds frequent it. We never have to water it; we do cut it back when cool weather approaches. My mother had a huge Lantana bush growing by her lily bed when I was a girl. So my own plant is a touchstone for my childhood.

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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.

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Tuesday’s severe storm brought much needed rain. At least one Mandarin neighborhood had trees fall; one car fell on a truck in Greenland Oaks, according to The Florida Times-Union.

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Despite a couple of drenching storms this week, our area is still in the throes of a drought. JEA has issued a report about our water supply, including conservation tips and results of testing for various unappetizing substances. The good news is our water is safe.

Water conservation practices are recommended routinely. The Florida Times-Union asked readers if they’d turn in a neighbor for breaking the liquid Golden Rule: water lawns no more than two days a week, before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Some readers would; others would not.

Months ago, Folio Weekly did a story on Jacksonville residents who use more than their share of water. Way more. Some of these individuals are high on whatever scale the upper crust uses to determine social ranking. The stats were amazing—many of the homes and pools had serious water leaks; the owners simply chose not to address them. The result, other than a whopping water bill, is a complete waste of a natural resource. FW content is not archived online, but that article was a real eye-opener.

The report that came in my mailbox Thursday is an accountability tool detailing the status of water pouring through 3,590 miles of water distribution mains ranging from two to 36 inches in diameter. Reports on testing of each grid are provided. You can learn answers to all sorts of exciting questions you didn’t know you had. Does my water contain above-average levels of arsenic? How about fecal coliform and E. coli? Where’d all that sodium come from?

In addition to test sample results, a variety of conservation tips are offered. You can even learn why our water often leaves spots on your drinking glasses and windows (spots are harmless).

JEA is our water utility. The St. Johns River Water Management District handles permits, resource maps and land acquisition to protect wetlands.

Jacksonville’s water source is the Floridian aquifer, one of the major sources of groundwater in the United States. If we’re smart, we’ll be good stewards. It’d be hard to do without water. (photos & text by Kay B. Day)

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Car buffs can have a field day Saturday, June 2, at the Jax511 event at the St. John’s Town Center. Members of the First Coast Car Council will bring their classic rides to the event for a Show ‘N Shine from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The Jax511 event officially runs from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Twenty lucky registrants selected at random will compete in a scavenger hunt. Top prize: a brand new 2007 Chevy HHR provided by Nimnicht Chevrolet. Runners up will win gift cards and gas cards. According to information at the jax511.com Web site, registration is over and the 20 hunters will be randomly selected from those who completed the contest form on the Web site. The scavenger hunt runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Rules and prizes are posted at the Web site pages.

Seeing the classic vehicles FCCC members bring is worth the trip. I visited the council’s Cruise-In in the Julington Creek area and really enjoyed seeing all those incredible cars. I talked with members like Buddy Marable, whose ’55 Chevrolet drew a lot of admiration. Marable worked in car sales and says he enjoys the Cruise-Ins because, “Everybody is friendly. There aren’t any snobs.”

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority will also have a tent at the event.

Jacksonville now becomes part of the 511 family, joining other cities across the nation and in Florida like Tampa and Orlando. The service is a great way to stay informed about traffic with “real-time” updates, and is accessible by phone or at the Web site.

Photo of classic cars at the First Coast Car Council Cruise-In by Kay B. Day.

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