Accolades Appropriate for Area Success Stories Success Area for Appropriate Accolades
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Best and Brightest Residents raise a toast at RiverHops “Light the Night” Local support remained strong, as the largest fundraiser for the North Florida School of Special Education rallied donors along the Intracoastal Steve and Diane Halverson, waterway for the annual riverfront showcase. Standing are Gary McCalla, Mayor Alvin Brown with Jorge Melanie Jensen, Peggy Holt, Dr. Scott Kramerich and Ann Kramerich. and Diane Brunet-Garcia. Seated in the front; David Rinzler, Dr. Joseph Barton and Rick Beavers. See Photos on page 20 For more photos and details, see page 21 June 2015 CommunityCommunity NewsNews San Jose — San Marco — St. Nicholas www.ResidentNews.net Fiercely Local News ... Fiercely Loyal Readers Vol. 7, Issue 06 Accolades appropriate for area success stories Brian and Sarah Small Fabulous 50’s Rocked the Theatre The Florida Theatre rolled out the oldies and classic pin-up styles as patrons had a blast on the Forsyth Chase Bank, Kitchen on San Marco, 1620 -1636 Hendricks Ave., First Citizens Bank, Side Car, and V Pizza were among the winners. Street blacktop. The night concluded with patrons dancing the night away San Marco by Design, the “smart growth of North San Marco, said SMPS fact the restaurant opened in April and and cutting a rug on the theatre plan” for the commercial and residential Beautification Chairman Rob Smith, has received a warm welcome from the stage–followed by a sweet treat areas “north of the square” instituted noting that their example will continue to San Marco community. It is wonderful dessert course. See photos on page 20 by the San Marco Preservation Society, inspire other area establishments. to be recognized by someone as well has begun to bear fruit. This year in the Winning commercial awards this year established and regarded as the San Marco commercial corridor one new structure, were two banks and three restaurants. Preservation Society, she said. Another Miracle First Citizens Bank, and four renovated “We are more than thrilled to receive on Ashley Street buildings were honored by the society this award,” said Eve Markowicz, general To read more about the Preservation Society’s for their attention to detail and ability to manager of Kitchen on San Marco. Beautification Awards turn to page 8. The Clara White Mission’s 21st blend well into the existing development Markowicz expressed appreciation for the Annual “Miracle on Ashley Street Celebrity Servers” helped to bridge the gap for one of the city’s vital Betty Benfield, nonprofits, helping to feed our city’s Emmett Kelly Clowning around at Baptist homeless veterans and low-income residents. As one of the Mission’s The late Emmett Kelly, who created the memorable clown figure Weary most successful fundraisers, the Willie, based on the hobos of the Depression era, goes cheek to cheek event drew Jacksonville’s political with Betty Benfield of San Marco in the early 1960s at Baptist Hospital. and business community this year Kelly, who was a major attraction for Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey for the inspiring occasion. Circus, routinely stopped by Wolfson Children’s Hospital to entertain the Over the past 20 years, the younger patients. Often when he was in Jacksonville, he would have lunch annual event has raised with Benfield, a Baptist Hospital employee, during his visits. more than $595,000.00 Kelly worked as a mime, never uttering a word while he was in clown to aid in eliminating make-up. One day when Benfield returned home after work, she asked her homelessness in 9-year-old daughter, Betsy, to come near. “Mom whispered to me, ‘I have a Jacksonville. secret: Emmett Kelly talked to me at lunch,’” Betsy recalled. For more about Betty Benfield’s long affiliation with Baptist Medical Center, turn to page 17. AT A GLANCE • San Marco tornado clean-up Page 3 • Residents in consensus with park improvements Page 4 • Overdue makeover scheduled for Towers Page 6 • Riverwalk mosaic draws community, visitors Page 23 PERMIT NO 785 NO PERMIT • STUART FL STUART New sporting clays course opens Page 25 PAID • Tribute to inspiring fathers Page 26 US POSTAGE US JUNE 5TH, 2015 5TH, JUNE by homes In PRSRT STD PRSRT • San Marco woman takes on Lyme disease Page 35 PAGE 2 RESIDENT COMMUNITY NEWS JUNE 2015 Veteran reporter joins The Resident As summer approaches, we want to in Boston. She has also served as a sport introduce you to our new News Editor, reporter for the Anchorage Daily News in Locally Owned and Operated Marcia Hodgson, a veteran journalist Alaska, The Day in New London, Conn., Publishers with newspaper experience in Boston, and as sports editor for The Milford Seth Williams Alaska, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Cabinet and Wilton Journal in Milford, [email protected] Florida. Although you will see her byline New Hampshire. Pamela Bradford Williams in both editions of The Resident, Marcia’s As a student in Washington, D.C., [email protected] main focus will be the San Marco edition. she was part of an investigative team Advertise with Us! A native of Wellesley, Massachusetts, that won the collegiate award for depth Call 904.388.8839 or email: Marcia has a Bachelor of Arts degree reporting in her region from the Sigma Debra McGregor in political science from George Delta Chi Society of Professional [email protected] Washington University, a certificate Journalists. At the Anchorage Daily Tarryn Bradford of creative writing from Washington News, she won three writing awards [email protected] University in St. Louis and a Master of from the Alaska Press Club. Marcia Hodgson For our media rate card visit: Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Marcia and her husband, Bob, moved www.residentnews.net the University of Tampa. to Florida in 1993 where she worked mother, she is now ready take pen and Send Us News! As a student, Marcia worked part- as a reporter and photographer for The pad in hand and continue her journalism Editor: Kate A. Hallock time in the sports department of The Beaches Leader and The Ponte Vedra career – this time in the historic districts News Editor: Marcia Hodgson Washington Post. After graduation, she Leader. After taking more than a decade of Riverside/Avondale and San Marco. [email protected] wrote feature articles and worked in the off to bring up her daughters, Celia Hope Show Marcia how friendly we Southerners newsroom The Christian Science Monitor and Hillary, and to care for her ailing Design Production: are and give her a warm welcome! Josh Garrett, Joe Bahret, Danielle Smith-Boldt 1650 Margaret St. #310 Correction Jacksonville, FL 32204 Best Vacation Ever Phone: (904) 388-8839 In the article, “Cyclists cautiously Fax: (904) 388-2209 optimistic about city progress,” Will this be the year you take your best vacation ever? Share which appeared in the May 2015 San www.ResidentNews.net your vacation trip with our readers and send photos and Marco edition of The Resident, it was description to [email protected] no later than July 19 noted that the Federal Department of Transportation has agreed to and we’ll include it in our August issue. Prizes will be awarded construct a separate pathway across to winners of all ages for Best Vacation Ever! the Fuller Warren Bridge to connect The Resident is a monthly newspaper mailed to homeowners in Riverside, Riverside with San Marco. It is the Avondale, Ortega, Murry Hill, San Marco, San Jose and St. Nicholas. For advertising information please call 904.388.8839. Editorial submissions Florida Department of Transportation, are welcome, but subject to editing at the publisher’s discretion. Facts and statements expressed in the editorial content are not necessarily those of which is working on this project. The the Resident. All content is copyrighted and may not be reprinted, copied or Resident regrets the error. reproduced without written permission from the publisher. ©2015. JUNE 2015 RESIDENT COMMUNITY NEWS PAGE 3 San Marco cleans up after tornado By Marcia Hodgson trees like matchsticks, ripped power lines Resident Community News from their poles and shingles from off roofs. A swath of “straight-line winds” Things are finally settling down, continued to wreak havoc south and east after a tornado swept through San of the path until shortly after 6 p.m., the Marco on April 25. weather service said. According to the National Weather Ten days after the storm, residents were Service, an EF-1 tornado touched down still cleaning up. In the backyard of a home about 5:52 p.m., cutting a 3.45-mile along Hendricks Avenue, the whirring alley through San Marco after pushing buzz of a chainsaw could be heard as men ashore from the St. Johns River just worked to minimize scattered trees so they south of River Oaks Park. In its wake, could be sent through a wood chipper. In neighborhoods just south of Hendricks an adjacent yard, a ruined cement shed Elementary School were littered with could be seen, its sides and roof crushed, fallen limbs and debris. while the planks of a fence, which formerly Ruined shed behind a home along Hendricks Avenue The initial damage was tightly clustered hid the yard from Hendricks Avenue, lay to a path of approximately 200 yards, the broken nearby. then they cleared it to one lane and things Across the street, the winds lifted up National Weather Service reported. As As Hilton Tyre picked up debris in slowly got back to normal. The city has part of his neighbor’s roof, flinging it the tornado crossed Phillips Highway, front of his home on Shirl Lane, he said been very responsive,” he added. “I was against a metal carport until it came to several businesses sustained roof damage he wasn’t home during the storm, but pleasantly pleased that the city responded rest across the street, Mahle said.