Staff bloggers

This announcement came to me too late to use in print, so hopefully some folks will see it here:

CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT: Jan. 2 (Friday) 11:00 AM and 7:30 PM.  REBECCA HOLBROOK-LOAR (Soprano) and DENISE WRIGHT (Piano) in concert.  Friday Musicale Concert Hall, 645 Oak St., Jacksonville.  (904) 355-7584.  www.fridaymusicale.com.  Open to the public.  Admission FREE. 

Photos from the event are here.

Even if you don't live in the area and even if you're a Grinch (like me), the annual luminaria celebration in Riverside/Avondale can be heartwarming and fun.

It doesn't bring a "bah humbug" to my lips like so many things do around Christmas, perhaps because it's not steeped in consumerism and marketing. It feels old-fashioned. At any rate, I will be folding down the tops of little white bags and lighting votives and I look forward to the community being out and about.

The poster above was designed by local artist Leigh-Ann Sullivan. (Thanks, Jim Love from State Farm for sending the image.) You can get one for $20 if there are any left, but only 100 were printed so they might be sold out. Kits are $6. Go to the Riverside Avondale Preservation house at 2623 Herschel St. to get kits or inquire about a poster.

Here's a list of events going on in addition to the actual luminarias, courtesy of Jim Love:

The Luminaria Bike Ride
6:00 pm Enjoy a leisurely group ride through the lantern lined streets of Riverside and Avondale to see the decorations and festivities of the “Festival of Lights” and get some great exercise. Riders will gather in the Park & King area near European Street and City Cycle on Park St. All riders are required to have helmets and front and rear lights on their bikes. The ride will last approximately 1½ hours.

Avondale United Methodist Church – 1651 Talbot Avenue
6:00 pm: Avondale UMC Bell Choir will perform a beautiful selection of Christmas music. A bluegrass band will fill the night with holiday music on the lawn of the church.

Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd – 1100 Stockton Street
6:00 pm: A concert will be held in the Sanctuary, with the choir singing Christmas carols accompanied by Good Shepherd’s magnificent pipe organ. The church is located at Park and Stockton streets.

Grace Church of Avondale - 1638 So. Edgewood Avenue
6:00 pm: The Grace Church will sing Christmas carols and pass out hot cocoa, cider and cookies. The church is located at the corner of Edgewood Avenue and Herschel Street.

Riverside Baptist Church – 2650 Park Street
6:30 – 7:30 The Chancel, Children’s, and Handbell Choirs will perform a variety of new and traditional Christmas carols in the beautiful and decorated Sanctuary that will leave a lasting impression! This is an opportunity to hear Jacksonville’s largest and grandest 1925 Skinner Pipe Organ and admire this magnificent Romanesque Revival architectural masterpiece created by Addison Mizner.

Riverside Avenue Christian Church – 2841 Riverside Avenue
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm On the front lawn of the church, angels, shepherds, wise men and the Holy Family are joined by a variety of live animals to re-tell the story of the Nativity – the Birth of Christ. Join us for a glimpse into the story of the Christmas season.
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Children can have their picture taken with Santa and complete two Christmas craft projects in the church Fellowship Hall (1st floor).

6:15 pm – 8:30 pm A variety of musical presentations will be offered in the Sanctuary located on the second floor: 6:15 pm “Sounds of the Season” with Marilyn Parrish, pianist; 6:45 pm Christmas Carol Sing-a-long; 7:00 pm The Don Thompson Chorale; 8:00 pm Christmas Carol Sing-a-long; 8:15 pm Procession of the Live Nativity “Hallelujah Chorus”

Riverside Park United Methodist Church - 819 Park Street
5:30 pm Riverside Park United Methodist Church will present “Light a Candle”, a Christmas Concert in Riverside Park featuring the “Seeking VII Band”. This concert will feature a full assortment of Christmas music. The band will play amid the backdrop of hundreds of lighted Luminaria lanterns lining the park.

St. Paul’s Catholic Church – 2609 Park St.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Acclaimed Harpist Mary Jane Ballou and Organist Alex Primavera will perform traditional Christmas music in St. Paul’s stunning Sanctuary before, during, and after the 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Advent Season Mass. Mass celebrant will be St. Paul’s Pastor, Fr. Jan Ligeza, who is also an extremely accomplished musician.

Trinity United Methodist Church – 3889 Eloise Street
6:00 pm Trinity United Methodist Church will have an open sanctuary with the organist playing Christmas carols.

Trinity Lutheran Church - 1415 So. McDuff Avenue
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Trinity Lutheran will celebrate the full spiritual depth of the season with their Luminaria Night mission called “Help the Hungry on Luminaria Night”. While you are out enjoying the lights and festivities on Dec. 21st, please bring non-perishable food items to help the needy in our area. Just follow the luminaria lit path from the corner of Park St. and McDuff Ave. to the food pantry location in the Trinity Lutheran Church building.

I voted early at the Murray Hill branch library yesterday, the first time I didn't wait until Election Day. I got there with my husband and neighbor at 11:30 a.m. and waited a little more than an hour to vote. (The site opened at noon.) By the time we left, the line was around the building. I'm guessing the people at the end of that line waited at least three hours.

I didn't mind waiting -- I was worried the line at my precinct would be even longer tomorrow. Plus, it's done and over with now and I don't have to stress about it. My experience was smooth; no hiccups. How was your experience?

The turnout so far has simply been amazing. I've never waited more than two minutes to get to a voting booth and the volunteers are always ecstatic to see a "youngster" come in. A guy in line behind us said the biggest difference he noticed was the younger crowd. He said he's used to being the only young guy around at the polls. It's fascinating and exhilarating. I feel, as many people have said, as if I'm taking part in a historical event. This election, no matter the outcome, will be written about and remembered. Perhaps apathy is dead, or at least dormant.

I'm interested to hear from those out there who voted early. How long did you wait? Why did you go early? For those who go on Nov. 4, I'd like to hear about your experience, too. We love comments.

I tried out the new Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Riverside on Saturday. It's across from Publix where Qdoba the fake Mexican Grill used to be. Let's just say it was fine, whatever. Eh. Maybe they need another guy (or a gal) to give them advice on making things tastier. I dunno, I'm not a food critic. Have you eaten there yet? What did you think?

Maybe I'm just jaded because the burgers my neighbor grilled the other day were far superior. They were fresh venison mixed with Maverick Ranch buffalo, and we put them on Publix French hamburger rolls. I know, French hamburger sounds like an oxymoron, but they're good. His wife whipped up some ranch dressing and we had some Alexia rosemary and olive oil fries that come frozen. They were better than Five Guys' fries.

I think Five Guys is (maybe) a step up from the Qdoba that was there before, but I wish something memorable would move in. You know, somewhere I'd be excited about eating. Somewhere that contributes to the area's distinctness.

That brings me to another rant... What's with the invasion of chains? Why can't we get more interesting independent places? Is the rent too high for creative, local entrepreneurs to have a chance? I'll look into how much the rent is over there.

Independent businesses tend to offer more variety. Take Primi Piatti on Park Street, for instance. The handmade gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce is fantastic, as are the desserts made by the owner. The desserts have a distinct European flair - not too sweet. It's not the same old blah Italian fare you can get anywhere. And 13 Gypsies is great, too. We need more restaurants like them that aren't boring and mediocre. I hate being a dining drone! And it's not in the spirit of Riverside.

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now.

I traipsed through my neighborhood a few hours ago when it stopped raining for awhile (it's back now). There were lots of other sightseers out, too. Hmmm, it seems a storm really brings out a sense of community. What would it be like if the walking/biking community was always so robust?

People were everywhere snapping photos of all the crazy flooding, including me, as you can see by the photo album on this site. There was even a guy (the one on the left) riding his bike and text messaging while the water was almost to the top of his wheels. It's only halfway up in the photo, but the water gets deeper toward the middle of the intersection. I wonder if he was sending photos to his friends who are somewhere dry, like the midwest.  

I'm feeling lucky that my street didn't flood, but it came pretty close. Makes me wonder what it would have been like if a Category 1 had hit us head on like was the forecast at first. I mean, this was a not-too-strong tropical storm and the river still overflowed its banks. Yikes. Something to think about.

Here's a photo of my husband and our dog at Stockton Street and Riverside Avenue. She wouldn't go out this morning in the wind and rain, so the lull seemed like an opportune time to walk her. Please note the plastic bag in my husband's back pocket in case she, well... Oh, and this was before my husband decided to change into shorts and sandals to go wading to the river's normal edge. Don't ask me why, but a lot of people were doing that.

That's all for now. Please stay safe on the roads! Check out my photo album for more in Riverside. There's also tons of photos on Jacksonville.com. 

All-

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Click here for a searchable database of the 2007-2008 FCAT grades.

2007 - 2008 FCAT grades were released today. For a searchable database of area FCAT grades, click here

Faced with about $86.6 million in lost revenue and rising costs, the Duval County School Board is looking into cuts that would affect individual schools and employees. Suggestions include dropping middle school athletics; stopping magnet school bus routes; slashing funding for art, music and P.E. by $1.7 million; cutting health care benefits by $6 million; and reducing workdays for employees. We want to know: are these the right cuts? Should there be different options on the table? Should there be cuts at all? How concerned are you about what's being suggested? Give us your opinion.

News submitted by the Mike Peterson Foundation:        12 local students named Stars of the MonthFoundation’s “Just Read It” program celebrates reading improvements
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 4, 2008) – The Mike Peterson Foundation is honored to announce this month’s 12 winners of its “Just Read It” program, a reading incentives program developed in partnership with Duval County Schools. Students in grades three through eight have the opportunity each month to be named a Star of the Month, honoring their achievements in reading. Winning students will receive a VIP tour of Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, in addition to a private meet and greet with Peterson and a personalized award on Wednesday, March 5, 2008.
March winners are:
Elementary School CategoryAntonio Singleton 3rd grade St. Clair Evans Academy Najee Whyte 3rd grade Ramona Blvd. ElementaryVanessa Ruales 4th grade Twin Lakes AcademyDarius Shivers 4th grade West Jacksonville ElementaryBiala Alfirjani 5th grade Brookview ElementaryZoya Williams 5th grade Louis Sheffield Elementary
Middle School CategoryDerriniquka Smith 6th grade Jefferson Davis MiddleMichael Ball 6th grade DuPont MiddleAl Prince 7th grade Fletcher MiddleMegan Nelson 7th grade Joseph Stilwell MiddleTimothy Stewart 8th grade Mayport MiddleTyler Taylor 8th grade Landmark Middle      

Peterson created the Mike Peterson Foundation as a means of giving back to his hometown of Alachua and his NFL hometown of Jacksonville.  The Foundation’s mission is to support families in need in the community and to stimulate the positive development of youth through football, academic and other outreach projects. For additional information, please visit www.mikepeterson54.com.