Mentors return to teach baseball, grow mission
Jacob Svejkovsky, 23, of Riverside, knows what it means to have a good mentor and strives to be one. The Robert E. Lee High School graduate and employee at the Timuquana Country Club could be the oldest member of the 16-year-old RBI Camp held every summer in Murray Hill Park. “My first year we had […]
Detergent provides object lesson for summer art camp
Annie Pajcic’s annual summer art camps could be called famous among the circles of tween and teen girls in Jacksonville. Nearly 500 local girls attended one of the three one-week camp sessions in July, held at St. Johns Presbyterian Church. “ThouArtExalted started when my daughter was going into fourth grade. I very quickly realized that […]
Teen creates photo book to overcome phobia
Ever since she was chased by a Dalmatian named Smiley at the tender age of five, Carly Gare has been afraid of dogs. A year ago, the 16-year-old used her iPhone to help conquer her fear, and the small picture book, “San Marco Dogs,” was born. Gare, a Mandarin resident who spends many hours visiting […]
Graduation ceremonies never get old
You might say Shirley Barton, of Ortega Forest, is devoted to St. Matthew’s Catholic Church and School, and to her nine chil-dren, 23 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. On June 1, Barton attended her 18th eighth-grade graduation ceremony at the school, this time for granddaughter Ashlyn Barton. The ritual began in 1970, when Barton watched her […]
Teacher, students together find courage to lead
It takes more than a little courage, as a young white female, to face 20 young African American men and talk about injustice and how to overcome it. Likewise, at-risk sophomores and juniors at Robert E. Lee High School draw on wells of courage to honestly share feelings about peer pressures and negative experiences. Lee […]
DA wins Grammy recognition
The Music Department at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts has been selected as one of the top three high school music programs in the country by the Grammy Foundation. DA was selected as a 2016 Gold Signature School, and will receive a $3,500 grant from the Foundation to benefit the school’s music department. Dennis […]
Local teens take superhero personas to new heights
Coming soon to a theater near you and … in Kenya. “The Pride Part II,” a locally produced Christian film, debuts first at the Murray Hill Theatre this month and then heads overseas for its international debut later this summer. The superhero-themed films were produced by D-Life Ministry, a youth group at St. John’s Presbyterian […]
Local school stands test of time; celebrates 100 years in education
It’s not every year that a school gets to celebrate a centennial anniversary. Those words from Dinah Stewart, principal of Central Riverside Elementary School, kicked off a day-long celebration on May 19, beginning with posting of the colors at 9 a.m. on the school lawn. After acknowledging distinguished guests, which included former principals and teachers, […]
