Teen singers perform for Pope at Vatican
Teenagers from Jacksonville helped Pope Francis ring in the new year when members of the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus Touring Choir (JCC) joined with the Upper School Chorale and Honors Chorale from the Episcopal School of Jacksonville to perform during the Papal Mass at the Vatican Jan.1. Jacksonville’s historic neighborhoods were well-represented in both choral organizations […]
The Way We Were : Bob & Barbara Swindell
Bob Swindell says that his and Barbara’s love story is the “greatest one ever told.” “We’ve been married 57 years, 5 months, 26 days and 2½ hours,” he announced, glancing at his watch during an interview at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2018. With a steel-trap memory, tempered and honed by deep affection for his […]
The Way We Were : Sarah Towers Van Cleve & Dr. Robert Van Cleve
“Growing up in Avondale was the most perfect childhood,” remarked Sarah Towers Van Cleve. “I had cousins close by, a neighborhood full of kids; we walked to Fishweir Elementary School, waded in the creek and played everywhere. I had everything a child could want. I had loving parents, a nursemaid, Emma Gould, who was also […]
Residents threaten lawsuit unless drainage issue fixed
After suffering standing water and soggy grass in their backyards for nearly a year, two Madrid Avenue residents are taking legal action against the developer of San Jose Estates. On January 26, David and Lynne Robison joined their next-door neighbor Kevin Conner in hiring a lawyer to notify San Jose Estates LLC, the developer of […]
New doggy daycare to open before summers ‘dog days’ arrive
Amended Feb. 8, 2018 After housing a professional adult-attended daycare center 12 years ago, a one-story concrete building at 1075 Hendricks Ave. was proposed to be razed in 2009. Instead, for the next nine years the building languished. Now it will see new life as a daycare center for “fur babies.” The Hendricks Avenue property, […]
Locally-produced film premieres, nears movie deal
Less than 24 hours after a private showing of the latest Duane A. Sikes Productions short film, “Ortega River Rats,” Sikes received an offer for feature film distribution from a film distributor. The premiere of the “concept” film was held Jan. 21 at the Sun-Ray Cinema for a standing-room-only crowd of cast, crew and supporters. […]
Doggy daycare and ‘people’ pub proposed for Brooklyn area
Dog parks are great places to let your pooch romp with other four-legged friends, but what do you do in the meantime? Kanine Social thinks it may have a unique answer. Owners Daniel Moffatt and Dustin Fries plan to repurpose nearly 12,000 square feet of an existing 15,434-square-foot warehouse at 580 College Street for a […]
Former filling station to house Nashville barbecue franchise
First Coast Energy, which owns and operates Daily’s convenience stores, recently demolished a long-defunct station at 5344 Ortega Blvd. to make way for a business of a different kind. Instead of putting in a Daily’s, the company will lease the property to Ortega residents Virginia and Todd Ogletree, who will own the first Jacksonville franchise […]
More restaurants planned for Brooklyn area
City of Jacksonville property, known as the Jug Handle, in Brooklyn is being considered for commercial/retail development. The Jug Handle is used as a storm water retention basin and includes a turnoff for motorists exiting the Acosta Bridge and desiring to enter the Florida Times-Union property across Riverside Avenue. In July 2017, the Downtown Investment […]
