Downtown art plays triple role as sculpture, bike rack and monument to black history
As motorists enter downtown from the Main Street Bridge, they will be greeted by a sculpture that spells out DUUUVAL – a rallying cry that resounds throughout the Jaguars stadium during football season but originates from the local hip hop scene of the ‘90s. The sculpture, entitled “Changing Perspective,” is the only perspectival word-based bike […]
Exonerated prisoner shares his story with at-risk youth
When Valentino Dixon spoke to children at the Springfield-based nonprofit Sanctuary on 8th Street about his journey of being convicted of a crime he did not commit and spending 27 years in prison before being exonerated, their eyes and ears took it all in and they eagerly asked him questions about his experience. Since he […]
Pest control expert shares tips on fighting Formosan termites
When reports of termite swarms and infestations are made, thoughts naturally turn toward older, wood-framed structures as sites for drywood termite nests. But when it comes to that nasty import, the Formosan subterranean termite, homeowners of all construction types beware. Formosan termites need and thrive on moisture, which can be found in and around any […]
City study uses bacteria-based product to reduce algae blooms
It may seem counterintuitive but introducing bacteria into stormwater ponds could be the very thing that tips the scales toward making the waterways healthier. The City of Jacksonville’s Environmental Quality Division (EQD) will be doing just that during an 18-month study of nine stormwater ponds during which Microbe-Lift, a blend of specially formulated strains of […]
Marina service project freshens up Sanctuary on 8th grounds
More than two dozen people gave up a Saturday morning June 8 to spruce up the grounds at the Sanctuary on 8th Street before the nonprofit’s summer camp began the following Monday. The community service project was initiated by The Marina at Ortega Landing, an IGY Marinas property, and included patching holes on the […]
Historical society releases list of endangered structures
Twelve buildings are on the Jacksonville Historical Society’s 2019 Endangered Properties list, which includes two new structures. New to the list are Snyder Memorial Methodist Church, 226 N. Laura St., built in 1903 and a refuge in the early 1960s for victims of the Axe Handle Saturday attack on civil rights demonstrators; and Genovars Hall, […]
If the walls could talk: Details vague about house swap deal
If ever a house needed walls that could talk, it could well be the one at 1880 Shadowlawn Street in Avondale. The house is hiding a mystery that only the walls themselves might be able to solve for sure. The house’s origin is clear enough. Built in 1924 for real estate and insurance salesman Addison […]
Lanier leaves lasting legacy, embodiment of St. Vincent’s mission
Throughout her long career in fundraising, there are two words St. Vincent’s Foundation President Jane Lanier never allows to slip from her lips – contribution and donation. “Gift is the right word,” she insists. “Philanthropy is connecting people’s hearts and treasures. It’s someone’s heart and the treasure they have that they want to share with […]
