Daily Record Financial News &
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 113 • Three Sections
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year Kay Park of Alimacani Elementary sits among her third-graders to listen to a student presentation. Park is big on students sharing their work with others, which helps them take ownership of the work while becoming comfortable with public speaking.
Photo by David Chapman
Ollie’s sees up to 4 local stores
Life of teaching, loving kids
By David Chapman Staff Writer The first week of school can be rough for any kid, especially the ones who don’t want to say goodbye to mom. Jenna Pugh remembers shedding a few tears early in Kay Park’s first-grade class. Then came hugs from Mrs. Park that chased away the sadness. “I remember her being so warm and loving,” said Pugh. It’s not all Pugh remembers.
There was Mrs. Park singing. Or Mrs. Park dancing. Just ways to keep everyone learning and engaged. “She was just a fun teacher,” said Pugh. That was in the early ‘90s at Alimacani Elementary School. While the fashion styles, technology and curriculum all have drastically changed nearly 25 years later, Park has remained a constant for students. Park has been in the business of teaching kids for 32 years, but this Workspace continued on Page A-7
Park recently was selected among five finalists to receive the Teacher of the Year honor for Duval County. The teacher of 32 years moves on to the state competition this summer.
Photo provided by Kay Park
Award-winning educator takes interactive approach in class
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, which registered the claim of “good stuff cheap,” sees Northeast Florida as up to a four-store market. The Pennsylvania-based chain will open its first Jacksonville store, possibly by the end of June, in the former Babies “R” Us space in the Regency Park Shopping Center in Arlington. Real Estate Vice President Jerry Altland said another one to three stores could open next year throughout the metropolitan area. “We’re looking at all the sides — east, west, north and south,” he said. At 45 to 55 full- and part-time employees at each location, that means a potential area workforce of 180 to 220 people. It also represents up to a $4 million investment. Ollie’s says its initial average cash investment is $1 million per store, which includes store fixtures and equipment, inventory and pre-opening expenses. In addition, Ollie’s will affect retail occupancy rates because it backfills store space that other tenants have vacated. Altland said it takes second- and third-generation buildings. Its first area store will be in 40,150 square feet at the end of the Regency Park Shopping Center next to American Signature Furniture. Landlord Brixmor Property Group said the lease boosts occupancy to 70 percent. The city approved a $150,000 build-out by Five D Contractors Inc. at the 9400 Atlantic Blvd. center. Altland said the average store is 33,500 square feet, although some, like at Regency Park, are larger. He didn’t know how large the next Jacksonville area stores might be. The Waycross, Ga., store is the closest to Jacksonville. Altland said Northeast Florida is a logical expansion step. “It makes sense for us coming down from Georgia,” Altland said. He said Ollie’s has been looking at Jacksonville for a year and a half. A real estate director said in January 2015 that Ollie’s had Mathis
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JEA board defers decision on new solar policy By Max Marbut Staff Writer Sometimes, the best course of action is to take no action. That’s what JEA’s board of directors decided Tuesday when it deferred a vote on the utility’s proposed net metering policy for customers who have rooftop residential solar power generating systems. Paul McElroy, JEA CEO, recommended delaying action until voters decide in November whether to adopt the “Solar Devices or Renewable Energy Source Devic-
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es Exemption from Certain Taxation and Assessment” amendment to the state constitution. If enacted, the amendment would authorize the Legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation the assessed value of solar or renewable energy source devices and prohibit consideration of residential solar panels when assessing the value of real property for tax purposes. The amendment also would protect a utility’s customers from having to subsidize those who install residential solar systems, said JEA Chief Financial Officer
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Melissa Dykes. The utility’s existing solar policy allows customers with rooftop solar systems to sell electricity they generate but do not need for their homes to JEA. The utility pays more per kilowatt-hour for the solar power placed into the grid than it costs the utility to generate the same amount of electricity with fossil fuels. The proposed change in solar policy would reduce the amount paid by JEA to solar system owners — about 11 cents per kilowatthour — to what JEA charges to
deliver electricity to their homes, about 7 cents per kilowatt-hour. The board heard nearly two hours of public comment on the issue from representatives of the residential solar industry, homeowners who installed rooftop solar systems and advocates for the energy industry, environment and Jacksonville’s low-income community. Local residential solar suppliers and sales representatives said reducing the credit to solar system owners who send excess electricity to the utility would harm their livelihoods by making the
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product more difficult to sell. Jeff Winkler, head of administration and strategy for United Way of Northeast Florida, supported the position that if JEA pays solar owners more for electricity than it costs the utility to deliver it, other customers are in effect subsidizing solar owners. He said 50 percent of Jacksonville’s population either lives below the federal poverty standard or even if their income is above the poverty line, they struggle each month to pay basic living expenses. JEA continued on Page A-4
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