FCCJ serves up great education for students, great deals for non-students

By Laura Jane Pittman
NJM Correspondent

NORTH JAX — It’s final exam time, and the students nervously enter their classroom, darting their eyes at the “mystery boxes” on tables.

When their professor gives the okay, they divide into small groups and get their first peek at their exam materials — one pork tenderloin, one whole snapper, one whole chicken, one pound of haricot vert (French green beans), one pound of Arborio rice and one head of Boston lettuce.

The clock is ticking on the final exam for their class at The Institute of the South for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, located at the North Campus of Florida Community College at Jacksonville, near the intersection of Dunn Avenue and Interstate 295. The assignment: Create a three-course meal from the mystery box contents.

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By Nanette Woitas Holt
NJM Editor

NORTH JAX — Imagine something that could make your neighborhood a nicer place to live.

If you’re willing to describe it to officials with the City of Jacksonville and follow a few other requirements, there’s a good chance they’ll give your neighborhood association $5,000 to help make it happen.

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Ray Holt was born and raised in North Jacksonville. He is the publisher of North Jax Monthly.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been driving across town a lot lately to my wife’s obstetrician. We’re expecting a baby girl in April, and the delivery will (hopefully) be at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Riverside. That 30-minute drive — plus the complaints I’ve heard from neighbors — has made me wonder why we don’t have an acutecare hospital in North Jacksonville.

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For years, a sizeable tax base was made available to the city by homeowners paying for a well and septic tank in areas where the city would not provide water and sewer lines. A well and septic tank is a sizable investment for each homeowner.

The same areas would normally provide a much smaller tax base to the city if classified as something else, like timber land for example, instead of a home. The Timucuan development — with its 6,000-plus acres, numerous planned commercial locations, and 10,000-plus planned new homes — will give the developer a sizeable profit, and at the same time, give the city a huge new additional tax base to collect from each year.

I do not think it is fair for both the developer and city to receive huge profits, and then ask the homeowners on wells and septic tanks to pay to connect to city water and sewer lines, when that development goes in. It’s a connection the city would not provide, when the homeowner built. But the city has enjoyed the tax base the homeowner made possible by paying for a well and septic tank.

It is not the homeowners fault the city would not provide water and sewer service, when he built years back. The city should provide the connections free, since the city did not pay for the homeowners well and septic tank.

— R. Kent Wooldridge, Thomas Mill

Editor’s note:

There’s been a lot of concern about this issue recently. We explain what you can expect in answers in this issue’s You Asked For It section

New bus routes created for North Jax residents

Main Street resurfacing project continues

Interstate 95 projects bring more lane closings, detours

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• Men’s Wearhouse is the latest to sign on as a River City Marketplace tenant, says Ed Eickhoff, a spokesman for the developer, Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust. The chain started in 1973, when George Zimmer — now famous for his gravelly proclamation, “You’re gonna like the way you look. I guarantee it!” — opened a store with his college roommates in Texas. The merchandise consisted largely of polyester sport coats from his father’s coat manufacturing company. In 1992, the company went public, offering stocks to fund an expansion. By 1998, annual revenues exceeded $1 billion. The stores now offer suits, sportswear, shoes, ties, accessories and tuxedo rentals. The company also owns a chain of dry-cleaning stores and the K&G Fashion Superstore chain, which has about 77 store across the U.S. In 2006, Men’s Wearhouse was again named by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America. To learn more about the company, log on to www.menswearhouse.com.

We’ve searched public records and spoken to our sources to let you know about:

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Leah Danielle Kasper celebrated her first birthday Dec. 20. Her parents are John and Melissa Kasper, of Oceanway. “After three boys, God showed us His sense of humor and sent us a little princess,” her parents say. “Needless to say, she receives a lot of attention and will be very protected by her three big brothers.”

Susan “Suzie” Grace Hiott will celebrate her first birthday Dec. 30. She lives on Eagle Bend Island with her parents, John and Amanda Hiott, and her brother, Dylan. “Suzie started walking at 10 1/2 months, and now spends much of her time chasing her brother and her two cats and two dogs,” her parents say. “She loves being outside and going on adventures to the zoo.”

Micah William Futch will celebrate his first birthday Jan. 15. He is the son of Wesley and Michelle Futch, of Oceanway, and brother of Noah, 8, and Seth, 7. “Micah is a very happy baby,” his parents say. “But he’s happiest when he is playing on the cash register at his daddy’s store.”

Andrew “Drew” Ian Guerrero will celebrate his first birthday Dec. 30. He is the son of Andrei and Marisa Guerrero, of Daybreak Woods, and the grandson of Carmen Matson, a teacher at First Coast High School. “His nickname is cookie monster, because he loves cookies,” his parents say. “He just began crawling and getting into everything. He is adored by his big sister, Maura, who is 2.”

Want to brag on your baby?

If your little one will be celebrating his or her first birthday in January or February, please send us the information by Jan. 5.

Submissions should include the baby’s full name and date of birth, the parents’ first and last names and the baby’s general area of residence, such as Oceanway, Dinsmore, Heckscher Drive, etc. Other information that may be included: siblings’ first and last names; grandparents’ first and last names; and one interesting thing about the baby, such as a cute talent, an unusual favorite pastime or a funny anecdote.

Submissions must include contact information for the baby’s parents — that information will not be published. Please e-mail complete information and a picture to: babyface@northjaxmonthly.com or mail to: North Jax Monthly, 731 Duval Station Road, Suite 107, Box 145, Jacksonville, FL 32218.

Submissions will run on a space-available basis, and may be edited. Photographs will not be returned.

We look forward to introducing your beautiful baby to our community!

Golden Anniversary

Philip and Mary Osborne celebrated their 50th anniversary Dec. 9. They were married half a century ago in Fayette, Mississippi, and have lived in Highlands for about 38 years.

The Osbornes’ children — Cindy Kirby, Robert Osborne and Lynn Overbey — hosted a party to celebrate the milestone.

The Osbornes have nine grandchildren and one greatgrandson. They are active members of North Jacksonville Baptist Church.