One Riverside Brings Waterfront Living to Brooklyn
With hard hat tours and leasing already underway for prospective residents, the residential component of the Northbank development nears completion as other construction continues.
ON PAGE 11
Chopra Inspires Guests at Florida Forum Series
Deepak Chopra’s recent visit inspired thought-provoking topics that touch every aspect of the human experience –from AI and medical breakthroughs to free speech and the war in Gaza.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
$3 Million Gift Strengthens Symphony
With donations totaling $3 million from longtime Jacksonville Symphony supporters Ann Hicks and couple Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock strengthening its endowment, the Jacksonville Symphony can continue its artistic excellence, community engagement and more.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
A Final Bow for the Jacksonville Debutante Coterie
The 2024 Debutante Coterie made its final, formal bow at the Christmas Ball and Presentation on Dec. 28. Normally held at The Florida Yacht Club, last year’s ball was held at Timuquana Country Club due to renovations at the yacht club. This season’s coterie included (front) Virginia Grace Burhyte, Elizabeth Bowles Ogletree, Catherine Sims Wachholz, Caroline McComb
Chester Aikens II and Chanel Aikens
Hobby, Francesca Caroline Borghese, Madeleine Graham Runnels, Emma Katherine Beard, Mary Emma Cook, Katharine Lovett Fant; (back) Mackenzie Anne Trobaugh, Addison Leigh Anderson, Elizabeth Jane Gray Hager, Lilly Anders Moore, Lucy Avery Williams, Courtney Elizabeth Thompson, Bridget Elizabeth Monahan, Hadley Sims Ropp, Lucy Walton Rachels, Reilly and Elisabeth Shapiro.
Randy DeFoor, Co-Chair, Florida Forum with Shad Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars owner, Maxine McBride, Co-Chair, Florida Forum and Deepak Chopra, MD, FACP, FRCP
A Little Love
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’re reminded of how much we truly love our neighborhoods – and the incredible people who make them thrive. This February, we’re celebrating love in all its forms, from couples who work together to the shared passion we all have for our communities. In this issue, we highlight couples like us as part of that special group who truly embody love for what we do and where we live.
Working alongside the love of your life is a rare and special privilege, one that takes not just patience but a deep bond of friendship and shared purpose. For nearly 20 years, we have poured our hearts into this community newspaper and Circles Magazine, starting from our kitchen in Avondale and growing with the help of an incredible team. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but our passion for what we do, our love for our neighborhoods, and the joy of creating something meaningful together has made every moment worth it. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day this month, we’re excited to share stories of other couples who, like us, have found the perfect balance between love, work, and friendship. We hope you enjoy reading about them as much as we’ve loved getting to know them.
There’s much to be excited about at The Resident News this month. We’re thrilled to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Circles Charity Register and Social Datebook, a publication dedicated to connecting Jacksonville’s philanthropic community. Be sure to pick up a copy of the special Anniversary Edition and find out how you can get involved in the city's most impactful social circles.
We’re also excited to introduce Circles Charity Chat, a new monthly column that will explore the world of philanthropy in our city. What starts here will evolve into a podcast and more, offering a platform to share the inspiring stories of those making a difference in Jacksonville. We can’t wait to bring these important conversations to the community.
In addition, we’ve launched our newly updated, mobilefriendly website, designed to keep you easily connected to the latest news and events.
Looking ahead, next month we’ll dive into the real estate market as we prepare for the busy spring season and all the opportunities it brings.
For over 18 years, we’ve been honored to serve as your trusted, locally-owned source for REAL LOCAL journalism, connecting you to the stories and people that shape our community. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
Pamela and Seth Williams
TO THE EDITOR Letter
The views and opinions expressed in the Letters to the Editor belong solely to the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of this publication or its editorial team.
Raising Jacksonville’s solid waste fee is a necessary, transparent, and fiscally responsible step to address an issue we can no longer afford to ignore. Our city’s current garbage fee of $12.65 per month has remained unchanged since 2010, despite the rising costs of collecting trash, yard waste, and recyclables. Today, the actual cost of residential garbage collection is $30.40 per month. This gap has forced Jacksonville to rely on loans from the general fund, accumulating an unsustainable debt that could balloon to over $500 million by 2031 if we fail to act; and this is a debt that the City must pay back. It is not fiscally responsible to allow the City to continue on this path, accumulating debt that drives us further and further into financial instability.
As of writing this, I’ve presented this proposal to five of the city’s six Citizen Planning Advisory Councils (CPACs). I’ve been met with a mix of thoughtful questions, concerns, and mostly positive feedback. Neighborhood leaders understand that inaction is no longer an option. One recurring question has been, “Why did we let it get this far?” It’s a fair question. For too long, we’ve hidden the true cost of this essential service, creating a deficit that jeopardizes other critical city functions. This issue has been highlighted by our Council Auditor’s Office (whose guidance truly keeps this city running and our budgets balanced) for years. However, the City Council has been slow to act.
By aligning the fee with actual costs, we’re not only addressing the financial shortfall but also ensuring greater transparency and accountability in how our government operates. Aligning the fee with the true cost of residential garbage collection ensures residents clearly understand what they are paying for and why. It eliminates the hidden deficits created by artificially low fees and allows the city to operate with greater accountability to what residents are paying. At the Greater Arlington CPAC, members even unanimously voted to support this proposal, recognizing it as a practical solution to an escalating problem.
This support from neighborhood leaders underscores the community’s recognition of the need for action. While some members and residents had questions and concerns, ranging from recycling issues to the idea of switching to a usage-based model,
most understood the urgency of the situation. The reality of our financial position is too clear to ignore. Facing these challenges, it’s evident that action must be taken to ensure the solid waste fee reflects the actual cost of the services our residents receive.
Some have raised concerns about the impact on financially vulnerable residents, and I share those concerns. That’s why my proposal includes a companion bill to exempt households earning less than 150% of the federal poverty level from paying the solid waste fee. This measure would ensure that our most financially vulnerable residents are protected while still addressing the city’s broader fiscal challenges.
Critics might argue that this is not the right time to raise the solid waste fee. But let me be clear: delaying this decision will only compound the problem. Continuing to borrow from the general fund not only escalates our debt but also diverts resources from other priorities like public safety, road maintenance, and parks. Acting now prevents future councils from facing an even larger financial crisis; something I cannot in good conscience pass to the next generation.
This proposal isn’t going to earn me political points or favor. In fact, I anticipated it might be an unpopular decision. However, it represents what I firmly believe is essential to safeguarding the city’s financial health and the future of our solid waste fund. I’ve been pleasantly encouraged by the mostly positive reception it has received in attending the CPAC meetings, and by residents’ willingness to hear me out and understand the scope of the problem, even if they don’t completely agree with the solution. Our citizens understand the need for difficult but necessary decisions, and I am confident they will either support this proposal or at least respect the integrity and accountability it demonstrates.
As I reflect on the discussions and questions raised during the CPACs I have attended, one saying stands out: the best time to fix a problem was yesterday, but the second-best time is today. Now is the time to address this issue, free ourselves from unnecessary debt, and ensure a stable and sustainable future for our city.
– Matt Carlucci, Sr. Council Member At-large, Group 4
A New Chapter for the Laura Street Trio
By Michele Leivas
A page is turning in the story of the Laura Street Trio as ownership of the historic buildings is about to change hands.
At the Jan. 14 city council meeting, Live Oak Contracting President and CEO Paul Bertozzi informed the Jacksonville City Council that a purchase and sale agreement (PSA) had been executed between Live Oak Estates – a Live Oak subsidiary – and the current owner and developer, ownership expected to transfer within 45 days.
Two days after that January meeting, Live Oak Contracting Director of Marketing and Development Katherine Ruttell shared the following statement:
“We’ve officially signed the purchase and sale agreement for the Laura Street Trio, and this is an exciting step forward. As builders, we understand the challenges of urban construction and are ready to bring the care and dedication needed to make this project a success. The excitement and support we’ve seen from the community have been incredible, and we’re ready to get to work.”
An ordinance is still pending with the city council regarding a proposed settlement agreement for the estimated $800,000 in fines the city said has accrued against the Trio since 2015 for code violations. City Councilmember Kevin Carrico introduced the legislation at the end of November.
Following Bertozzi’s announcement at the Jan. 14 meeting, Mayor Donna Deegan’s Chief of Staff, Mike Weinstein, informed the council that discussions surrounding lien and associated lawsuit the city had refiled against the current owner will resume now that the PSA has been executed.
“We had to put a postponement on it until this happened,” Weinstein said. “…Now we’ll sit down and revisit that. When we stopped, we were all in agreement, so there’s nothing in the way of us redoing that lien situation with new dates.”
Find a healing place in The Motherhood Space
Did you know that about 1 in 5 moms will struggle with their emotional health during the pregnancy and postpartum period?
You are not alone.
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With an emphasis on wellness, the day program is carefully designed to provide the care and resources you need most.
• Group-based therapy with psychologists who specialize in maternal mental health
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Find a healing place in The Motherhood Space
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DIA Considers Designs for Restaurant Near Friendship Fountain
By Michele Leivas
Design plans are beginning to take shape for the building intended to house a new restaurant in St. Johns River Park on the Southbank.
The restaurant would be adjacent to Friendship Fountain, with visitors passing it just as they enter the park from the roundabout near MOSH. While the restaurant would be run by a private operator, the building itself would be owned by the City of Jacksonville and leased to that third party. An example of this arrangement – municipal ownership with a third-party lessee – is Palms Fish Camp Restaurant on Heckscher Drive in the Palms Fish Camp Boat Ramp Park.
Representatives from CD+Urban Studio presented renderings to the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) Board at a public workshop at city hall on Wednesday, Jan. 15 depicting three different options for the St. Johns River Park Friendship Fountain restaurant building, ranging from a single-story structure with indoor/outdoor seating to a two-story structure with a fully-activated rooftop space for a bar and al fresco dining.
Three Concepts
CD+Urban Studio Partner Joe Cronk gave detailed descriptions of the three concepts his team had created for DIA’s review. These designs are currently at 30% complete. During his presentation, Cronk expressed his firm’s gratitude for being selected for this project.
“We’re excited to be a part of this movement of riverfront activation,” Cronk said. “We take that charge and that responsibility seriously.”
Concept A was a one-story restaurant/bar with 2,400 square feet of indoor space with an additional 1,000 square feet of outdoor seating under a covered porch and includes a detached and covered exterior bar.
The more elevated Concept B featured a two-story structure with roof-top terrace space for public viewing, with view finders installed along the perimeter of the terrace, and a ground-floor restaurant/bar. This design featured an interior bar that has an exterior wall for outdoor serving.This concept offers an extended lawn area that could be used as flex space for restaurant patrons or park goers.
Concept C included a two-story structure with a ground-floor restaurant and bar with “1,500 square feet open-to-sky dining and bar terrace” including an enclosed bar and covered dining space. Concept C also included the detached bar from Concept A.
The baseline for all three concepts is 2,400 square feet of indoor dining space with 100 seats.
The estimated base costs for each concept are $2 million (Concept A), $2.7 million (Concept B) and $3 million (Concept C).
DIA CEO Lori Boyer informed the board that the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) would be able to fund any one of these options in next year’s budget, which will include an additional $3.5 million as this year concludes that CRA obligation to the RiversEdge development.
Park amenity versus restaurant
Following the presentation, DIA board members and visiting City Councilmembers Joe Carlucci and Raul Arias shared feedback on the three options, with Concept C emerging as a favorite, though board members and council members shared questions and concerns for the architecture firm to address as it progresses toward final designs.
“The first thing is we’ve got to figure out what identity we want to do,” Arias said. “Right now I’m looking at, is the goal to bring a hospitality to Jacksonville or is it to keep it as a park for public use? We can’t have both.”
Arias raised a concern regarding creating flex lawn space within the restaurant’s footprint that people could use without purchasing food or beverage items from the restaurant.
While he appreciated the idea of creating more greenspace for public use, he argued that would work to the detriment of the restaurant operator, who’d be paying for space that could potentially cost revenue were it used as picnic space by park visitors not purchasing anything from the operator’s business.
“As an operator, I would not want anybody to bring their own food,” Arias said.
Arias added it could create a liability issue as well.
Between Concepts A and C, Carlucci said he would “lean full bore into Concept C,” which he believed, like Arias, offered the best opportunities for higher revenue for the incoming restaurant operator.
“Zooming out from the bigger picture, this is going to be one restaurant of many that are going to be coming online along our riverfront,” Carlucci said. “What we don’t want is people…to get to probably one of the best spots on Southbank or along the riverfront and it’d be a lesser kind of impression.”
Community Involvement
During public comment at the conclusion of the meeting, Scenic Jacksonville Executive Director
Nancy Powell advocated for additional community involvement now that the conceptual designs have been presented to the board.
Alluding to a discussion the board had surrounding who would have control over the rooftop terrace – whether that would be under the restaurant operator’s purview or the City’s, by way of the Parks Department – Powell said community input could be helpful.
“We are excited about activating Friendship Fountain and food and beverage is something that people want,” Powell said
after the meeting. “We feel that a good next step would be to allow the general public to also review these plans and designs and understand plans related to what’s public, what is accessible, what’s not and as the designs progress.”
Additional public comments included considerations like shade, parking and possible spray from nearby Friendship Fountain.
With the feedback from January’s workshop, Cronk’s team will begin finetuning the designs and return at a later date with a more refined vision for the project.
Concept C
CONCEPT B
CONCEPT C
CONCEPT A
DDRB Greenlights Transformational Baptist Emergency Department Expansion
By Michele Leivas
Baptist Medical Center has received the green light from the Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) for an extensive renovation and expansion project at Prudential Drive.
The project calls for the expansion and renovation of its existing emergency services department and cardiovascular surgery suite, including the construction of a new, fourstory, 123,000-square-foot emergency and patient care tower. The new building would be constructed within the existing footprint that includes the current pedestrian plaza and will replace the existing emergency patient drop-off entrance, ambulance drop-off.
The plans were presented to the Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) at its Jan. 16 meeting for both conceptual and final approval, both of which the board granted unanimously.
Projects seeking DDRB approval must typically follow a two-meeting cycle, going before the board for conceptual and final approvals separately, however the staff report stated that concurrent approvals can occur under “very limited and unique circumstances.”
“This is one of those unique circumstances in that this is an infill project that is not adjacent to any public right-of-way,” the staff report stated, noting that the new building site is entirely within a parcel away from any public right-of-way.
Trevor Lee, managing partner of architectural firm Hoefer Welker, presented the project to DDRB members at the January meeting, briefly explaining the breadth of the expansion and what it will accomplish.
“This is a complex project at a complex site and we have spent the better part of the year working on this project and designing it,” Lee said. “It is one of the more, in my opinion, transformational projects for the city.”
Construction of this project will be extremely sensitive and cautious given the fact
understanding what might not be on either infrared found utilities or on plans of what our utilities might be in this area.”
“The staging and the enabling of this project is going to take a very long time,” Lee added. “We’re going to be very, very careful.”
The project was well-received by all board members, with those sharing comments all expressing positive feedback to the applicant.
This is a complex project at a complex site and we have spent the better part of the year working on this project and designing it. It is one of the more transformational projects for the city. – Trevor Lee Managing Partner, Hoefer Welker
“I am so excited about this project,” said DDRB Vice Chair Joanna Berling. “It is a beautiful addition to the campus, which is a beautiful addition to our city, so thank you and good luck.”
In addition to Hoefer Welker, the development team includes contractor Batson-Cook Construction, landscape architecture firm Marquis Latimer + Halback, Inc. and engineer Osborn Engineering.
Hoefer Welker Managing Partner Trevor Lee addresses board members at the Jan. 16 DDRB meeting for conceptual and final approval of the Baptist Medical Center expansion project.
A
orlando valle v. proficient auto transport, Inc., et al
$14.5 MILLION
(verdict, 5/4/2022)
Personal Injury: Trucking Crash
kathleen thomas* V. geico insurance company
$14.4 MILLION
(verdict, 8/5/2022)
Personal Injury: car accident
*Names changed to protect client privacy
john and debra Smith* v local glass company, Out-of-state glass company*
$4.5 MILLION
(set tlement, 8/17/2021)
Personal Injury: Workplace Negligence
*Names changed to protect client privacy
Symptoms
Numbness or tingling
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Loss of coordination or balance issues
Possible Solutions
Peripheral Nerve
Stimulation (PNS)
Symptoms
Stiffness
Pain bending over Instability or weakness
Chronic low back pain
Spinal fracture or compression
Possible
Symptoms
Osteoarthritis
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Joint pain
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Possible Solutions
Genicular Artery
(GAE)
Permit Approvals Buoy Progress at RiversEdge
By Michele Leivas
Work can finally begin on a new Southbank marina within the RiversEdge development after being delayed by leasing and permit approvals.
According to published reports, the Board of Trustees Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida approved the submerged lands lease in December and the St. Johns River Water Management District approved the associated environmental resource permit last month. These approvals will pave the way for continued progress at the Southbank development.
While work is progressing steadily on other parts of the RiversEdge: Life on the St. Johns development, the Resident News previously reported the 125-slip marina and related components - including reconstruction of a section of the Southbank bulkhead, the kayak launch and a water taxi stop, among others - had been held up
pending the approval of an environmental resource permit and a state owned sovereign submerged lands lease.
Ultimately, the 34-acre project will accommodate more than 750 multifamily units, 200 luxury condominiums, a 125-slip marina and 120,000 square feet of retail space. The mixed-use development will also include 200,000 square feet of office space and a 200-room boutique hotel. Its system of four public parks - Central, Marshfront, Fitness and Northwest parks - will connect to the Emerald Trail and feature art installations, including “The Pearl,” a custom designed piece by New York-based architect Marc Fornes, which will be the project’s centerpiece, installed in the development’s Central Park.
According to City of Jacksonville Parks Community Program Manager Garrett Callis, the RiversEdge parks system and boardwalk are on track to open this spring.
Residential Component of One Riverside Nearing Completion
By Michele Leivas
The residential component of Brooklyn’s One Riverside development is on track to complete next month with hardhat tours and leasing already underway for prospective residents.
Live Oak Contracting is leading the vertical construction of the mixed-use development, consisting of 270 apartment homes coming online along the Jacksonville riverfront. Live Oak Contracting Division Manager Kirby Ingram said crews are in the final stretch on the residential buildings, with the detached amenity building already turned over to the owner and currently operating as the leasing office. He added crews were on track to complete the parking garage and Building 4000 - its adjoining residential building, which is already leasing - in January, clearing the way for residents to begin moving in.
The second residential building - Building 3000 - is freestanding and will include a ground-floor restaurant with a patio overlooking both the Riverwalk and the river itself. The restaurant space is complete and ready for buildout, which will begin once an operator is secured. Kirby said it’s elements like these that set the project apart and help integrate it into the surrounding community.
“We see this as more than just an apartment community - it’s about creating a lifestyle destination where people can live, dine, and connect with the waterfront in a way Jacksonville hasn’t seen before,” Kirby said.
Kirby said Live Oak is also bringing a separate commercial space to the project “designed to bring even more energy to the area.” Possible uses for the space could be a co-working space or another “vibrant commercial use.”
“It’s an exciting opportunity to create a mixed-use environment that connects work, living, and recreation all in one place,” Kirby added.
Next in line for Live Oak’s construction are the outdoor amenities, including the pool, grilling stations and Riverwalk connection. A permit was issued Dec. 2 for the installation of an in-ground commercial swimming for One Riverside residents and guests costing $300,000, to be completed by contractor Island Pools, LLC.
“What’s exciting about One Riverside is that it offers more than just a place to live–it’s a waterfront lifestyle with walkability, dining, and outdoor recreation built in. With Jacksonville’s growth, we know people are looking for communities that offer convenience and a true sense of place, and this development delivers exactly that.”
The development is replacing the former Florida Times-Union building. Atlanta-based TriBridge Residential is the developer. Live Oak Contracting is overseeing the residential component while Fuqua Development is handling the retail component, including the incoming anchor Whole Foods Market planned for the site.
The project broke ground in 2022.
St. Johns Avenue Construction Continues for Resurfacing Project
By Michele Leivas
Construction crews along St. Johns Avenue are working on new bump-outs and other pedestrian safety improvements as part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) SR 211 Resurfacing Project from San Juan Ave to I-95 (under the Fuller Warren Bridge) project.
According to FDOT Community Outreach Specialist Jacob Pickering, the bumpouts residents may have spotted under construction last month at radius returns are to “prevent parking and improve safety sight lines at the intersections just north of the Avondale shopping area.”
These are among the several pedestrian safety upgrades included in the overarching resurfacing project as part of Target Zero, a statewide FDOT initiative intended to “reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on Florida roadways to zero,” Pickering said.
These upgrades serve as an integral measure of FDOT’s statewide safety initiative titled Target Zero, which aims to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on Florida roadways to zero.
– Jacob Pickering
FDOT Community Outreach Specialist
As the year progresses into warmer weather, residents will see the milling and resurfacing begin, though the project also includes sidewalks, ADA curb upgrades, new traffic signals, highway signage, new bike lanes and shared-use lane markings.
The construction of the St. Johns Avenue bump-outs is expected to last into early February. Watson Civil Construction, Inc. is the contractor overseeing this project, which is estimated to cost $11 million and began last fall. It is currently still on track to complete later this year, weather and other unforeseen circumstances notwithstanding. More information on the project can be found at www.nflroads.com
rendering by Kimley Horn shows the marina planned for the Southbank at the RiversEdge development.
Construction crews are working on bump-outs along St. Johns Avenue as part of the pedestrian safety improvements in the SR 211 Resurfacing Project from San Juan Ave to I-95 project.
Construction at One Riverside continues to make strides as the development's residential towers near completion.
Collaboration, Connection and Chemistry
Couples who live and work together
By Lauren Weedon Hopkins
In honor of Valentine’s Day this month, we’re excited to feature 14 couples who share not only their lives but also their workspaces. It’s a unique dynamic, filled with joy, challenges, and special moments that come with balancing both love and business.
Dr. Eduardo and Kathleen Balbona, Art of Medicine, PA
Ed and Kathleen met in medical school. “She was a teaching graduate student and I was taking the class,” said Ed. “She was really good at dissecting cadavers.” Fast forward, the couple are married, having children, and living in Jacksonville. After working in corporate medicine for several years, Ed decided to open his own practice in 2002. “When you are starting out, you don’t have any money to pay anyone, so I asked Kathleen to join me,” laughed Ed. “The two of us did everything to get the practice going.” Ed says he tries not to talk about the office at home, which can be difficult. “Medicine takes over your life; it’s who you are,” said Ed. “Kathleen sees it and knows that sometimes, I’m just being a doctor, I’m not ignoring her. She has that insight.” The couple have survived hard times, including when Hurricane Irma destroyed the office. “Since we work together, we depend on each other, we didn’t turn on each other,” said Ed. Kathleen, who has a PhD in biomedical research, introduced Ed to birding, a hobby they now both enjoy, which has taken them as far as the Galapagos Islands.
Dori and Christian Thomsen, Soluna Yoga + Spa After running into each other in college, the Ritz bar in Jacksonville Beach and a Jaguars game, Dori and Christian soon came inseparable. They have been a couple for 20 years and recently celebrated 10 years of Soluna Yoga + Spa. “After a busy workday, it’s comforting to have someone who knows exactly what is being talked about as we share the highs and lows of the day,” said Dori. “We can process and unwind together, which not only helps us manage stress but also strengthens our bond.” When they’re not working, they love to spend time cooking together, tackling house projects, and going on spontaneous road trips. “Our biggest tip for couples considering working together is to travel and experience the world together,” said Dori. “Immersing yourselves in new experiences and challenges will build trust, and teach you how to navigate uncertainty –skills that are invaluable when it comes to running a business together.”
3 Shircliff Way Dillon Building, Suite 322 Jacksonville, FL 32204
San Jose Blvd Suite 103 Jacksonville, FL 32223
Kiley Wynne Efron and Sam Efron, Taverna and Taverna Oceana
Sam and Kiley met at a restaurant in San Francisco and only worked together a short time before falling in love. They moved to Jacksonville with the shared goal of opening their own restaurant. Soon, they were having lunch at Cafe Carmon, one of Sam’s favorite spaces, and designing their own eatery, not realizing a year later, they would be opening Taverna in that very place! “We share a passion for food and wine that was infused into our daily lives so we deeply connected over that,” said Kiley. “Restaurant management and ownership involves an intense work schedule and lots of late nights, so it helped that we were on the same page, and living the same lifestyle.” After 16 years of marriage and business, Kiley and Sam are most proud of their children and their two restaurants’ success. “We are both creative people, so we have made space for individual and professional creative growth,” said Kiley. “We have allowed our roles in the company to change, while making sure our marriage and relationship come first.”
Kerrie and Daniel Hileman, Fore Score Golf Tavern and The White Magnolia Bridal Collection Meeting during their senior year of college, Kerrie and Daniel moved to Jacksonville within a year and soon after, opened The White Magnolia, which was Kerrie’s dream. After 8 years, Daniel joined her full time in the bridal shop, and 3 years later, they also opened Fore Score. “It’s so nice having a built-in support system,” said Kerrie. “We understand the pressures each other are under, and we can celebrate each other's wins on a deeper level. We are both creatives, so it’s fun to be able to bounce ideas off one another at any given moment. It's also invaluable to have someone who knows you so well and can give feedback, even if it's tough to hear sometimes.” Running two successful businesses and raising three boys keeps the Hillemans very busy, but the family makes time for annual vacations, boating in the Florida Keys and skiing in Colorado. “Working with your spouse can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with unique challenges,” said Kerrie. “We think it’s important to define each person’s role so that its clear who is taking on which pieces of the business as well as establish boundaries between work and personal life as much as you can. Also, embracing each other’s strengths and differences can make you a stronger, more efficient professional team.”
Marie and Eric Juchniewicz, Hugh’s Riverside Automotive
Marie and Eric met while working together at the same McDonald’s in Gainesville. After marrying and moving to Middleburg, Eric began working at Hugh’s and Marie joined him 14 years later. The couple commutes to Riverside together, which gives them time to connect. “Conversations for some couples are reduced to a series of texts,” said Eric. “We have time during our shared commute to have conversations.” The secret to their success? “We decided that there was no need in arguing over trivial topics or things in life that we had no control over,” said Eric. “We are a united front for our marriage and our business.” The two are so intertwined, the office even served as the location for their daughter’s wedding during the pandemic! When they aren’t working, Marie and Eric enjoy spending time on their farm in Starke. And after 26 years of marriage and two children, they still go on dates.
Jane and Jeff Chefan, ONE Sotheby's International Realty, Chefan Group
A mutual friend introduced Jane and Jeff, and shortly after marrying, they moved to Jacksonville and started a business together. He was a building contractor and she helped with bookkeeping and design selections. “We enjoy being together so it’s fun to collaborate on ideas and solutions whether at work or at the dinner table,” said Jane. The couple have worked together for 35 years and both have a good sense of humor, trust, love, respect and similar interests. “Laugh as much as possible while working together,” Jane recommends, as she recalled getting locked out during an open house and having to climb through a small window to get back in. “Listen with an open mind and be patient and kind. Learn from mistakes and keep the past mistakes in the rearview mirror.” The couple’s proudest accomplishment is their two daughters, who also live in Jacksonville with their young families. When they aren’t working, Jane and Jeff love to spend time with their grandkids, travel, go boating, play golf and tennis, visit new restaurants and chill out with their four-legged babies, Lillie and Daisie.
Mindworks focuses on the realm of positive psychology, cognitive psychology and social psychology, delivering both first-hand experiences and opportunities for reflection, context and understanding. Topics explored include: Decision Making, Habits, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Emotions, Influencing Behavior, Memory and Altered States of Consciousness.
Megan and Phil Visali, The Players Group
Melissa and Ethan Gregory, Allison James Estates and Homes
Fun-loving Melissa and Ethan met on the adult kickball field, playing for a team called Surrender the Booty. They decided to start working together after they had their first child. “We thought it would offer us work/life balance and allow us both to support our family while having the flexibility to be there for the major milestones,” said Melissa. They take a tag-team approach, so they never miss an important moment with their two kids. Melissa names understanding what each other deals with at work as the biggest perk to working together. Ethan handles the transactional items, while Melissa focuses on the marketing. “We draw boundaries so that work doesn't take over our whole lives,” said Melissa. “It's nice for each of you to have a lane that you can thrive and flourish in.” The couple enjoys traveling and trying new things. “We'll go on interesting dates where we learn a new skill like throwing pottery, glassblowing, ax throwing, or kayaking to name a few,” said Melissa. “They give us quality time away and allow us to catch up, typically while having a laugh at ourselves.”
After meeting at an insurance industry Christmas party, the following year, Megan and Phil began working together, which they have done ever since. Phil even proposed to Megan during a corporate convention. “We love the fact that we have so many common interests and goals, not only professionally, but personally,” said Megan. “It's been so rewarding to work with someone who has the same passion and vision as you do. Working with your spouse also allows you to always have a person to brainstorm with or vent to.” Megan admits it can be hard to get out of work-mode at home. “It’s our biggest struggle. We both want our business ventures to be successful within the community, but at the same time, having a strong family unit is just as important – if not, more,” said Megan. “We try to dedicate certain days and/or times to family time and leave work to the side. Family dinners, game shows, and board games are all common occurrences for us during the week.”
A unique way they stay personally connected is through cold plunges together, a favorite mental challenge.
Brittany and Mike Cooney, Gemma Fish + Oyster
Since Brittany and Mike met while working together, it was a natural decision to continue working together after they got married. “Our work is our life!” exclaimed Brittany. “We love what we do and it’s who we are. Everything about our businesses intermingle into our life. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.” The couple own and operate San Marco’s Gemma Fish + Oyster as well as Ember & Iron in St. Johns. Brittany says working together is the best thing a married couple could do for their relationship. “It’ll break you down at times but build you up 10 times stronger,” she said. “When you go down in flames with someone and climb back up, your bond becomes extremely strong. We have been through many rough roads, stressful nights, and tough times in our business and it’s made our marriage very strong because of it.” When they aren’t working, Brittany and Mike enjoy going on runs together, spending time with their six children and doing anything adventurous, like indoor skydiving.
Katie and David Ward, Introduced by mutual friends 16 years ago, Katie and David run a family business that has served the local community for 42 years. “The best part of working and living together is that, unlike most people, you get to spend the entire day with your best friend,” said Katie. “Plus, we never miss a meal together.” Their 4-year-old son is often at the office as well when he’s not in school, which keeps the office interesting, like the time he ordered $3,800 worth of Amazon goodies on his dad’s computer, and it was not discovered until a U-Haul delivery arrived! “We try to keep a sense of humor and find a way to laugh at each other and with each other,” said Katie. While it can be a challenge to keep work and home separate, they make an effort to “switch off,” and enjoy quality time together. “We love hosting Saturday night Kitchen Karaoke with our friends and neighbors, because nothing says 'we're relaxed' like belting out 80s hits after a couple of cocktails,” said Katie. “It's the perfect recipe for laughter, bad singing, and some of our best memories.”
Kelly and Clinton Ross, Davalt Optical
Kelly and Clinton Ross worked together for several years, building their respective professional experiences in opticianry and a solid double foundation as co-workers and friends before “sparks flew,” Clinton said. With a proven track record of working well together, they decided to take over Davalt Optical from its founding owner. Working together just works for them. “Once you get over those boundaries and kind of put away the ego, it’s the way to go,” Clinton said. Kelly and Clinton lean on each other’s strengths at Davalt Optical: Kelly said her strength lies more in math and numbers while Clinton is more the people person – “although I hate to admit it,” she said. They share a passion for their business as the second-generation owners of Davalt Optical and would have a sea otter or a monkey for a pet, if they could.
Nancy and Rich Darlow, The UPS Store #3458
Lovebirds Nancy and Rich met on the first day of college and decided to open The UPS Store upon recommendation of Rich’s father. “It was a chance to work in a new environment,” said Rich. The couple admits they don’t really separate home and work and their biggest challenge is “not killing each other!” laughs Rich. They often work separate shifts and enjoy dinner out at the end of the week. Key to their success is “lots of patience,” said Rich. “Our proudest achievement as a couple is we have grandkids who work for us!” In their free time, the Darlows enjoy cruising and wine tastings.
Missy and Scott Riley, Stellers Gallery and Missy Riley Art & Pieces
Missy was an art consultant looking for paintings for a client, when she walked into Stellers Gallery and met Scott. “We both admire and respect each other,” said Missy. “We definitely don't always agree with styles or tastes but somehow we know how to compromise. And I don't always win!” Missy says the best part about living and working together is supporting each other in both aspects and frequent communication. The couple has a healthy work / life balance because they have clearly defined their roles in business and at home. This is also her recommendation for couples who are considering working together. “Stick to your roles, use your strengths and let them use theirs,” said Missy. “And by no means, do not discuss business issues after a drink or two!” In their free time, the Rileys enjoy spending time with family and friends, and getaways for great dinners out near their home in Willmington, NC.
Keith Johnson and Chris Hardison, Design Additions
Laurie and Tony Jarvis, Cool Moose Cafe
Keith and Chris met through mutual friends while living in Savannah, and working together just happened naturally. “Design Additions started as a weekend hobby we both enjoyed, and over the years, it grew into the thriving business it is today, 24 years later,” said Keith. “Our love for each other is the foundation of our partnership. It’s not always easy, but mutual respect and patience make it work. We truly are each other’s best friends.” Working together also means having the same schedule, which is especially helpful since they both teach, and the consistency is great for raising their two children. At work, they play to their strengths: “Chris is more the front person handling the merchandising and display windows,” said Keith. “I am more involved in the production of our furniture pieces and the back office stuff - like paying the bills!” In addition to date nights, communication and thoughtful gestures, trips to New York City to “plunder” keep their relationship strong.
Tony noticed Laurie at the salon next door at Cool Moose Cafe and was able to get her phone number for a coffee date. He was running the cafe on his own and asked her for help. “She responded by telling me she had my back, took up a significant burden of the management, and we have had each other's back ever since,” said Tony. He says balancing work and life, and staying connected with his wife, are not an issue for the couple. “It's way more challenging when we are not working together because at that point we have separate problems and agendas at work and it's harder to get on some page,” said Tony. “The best part of living and working together is that we intuitively divide and conquer together.” Sometimes that means Tony does the dishes and folds laundry! When they aren’t working, Tony and Laurie enjoy spending time with their two sons, and trips to Little Talbot Island, Amelia Island, and the Golden Isles.
West Dentistry Celebrates 20 Year Anniversary
January 5 marked the emerald anniversary for West Dentistry, under the leadership of solo practitioner and owner Dr. Jacqueline West
The Park Street practice offers general and cosmetic services, providing a one-stop shop for its patients, whether it’s routine cleanings, dental surgery or cosmetic procedures.
“I’m just full of gratitude; it’s been quite a journey,” West said.
Throughout these 20 years, West has remained at the same location, though she acquired an additional practice in 2015, folding those patients into her existing office two years later following a substantial expansion. This expansion created the space for a new, two-story waiting room, three additional dental chairs and meeting and break rooms for staff. West has a surgeon that rotates through her practice and that expansion also allowed her to bring those
surgeries in-house so her patients wouldn’t have to travel elsewhere for their surgeries.
Looking forward, West plans to continue providing the same quality service to her patients at her Riverside location, including the cosmetic side of her practice, from clear aligners and porcelain veneers to teeth whitening and gum contouring – and more.
“That’s kind of the fun part over doing fillings all day,” West said.
West said something as simple as a smile can have a profound impact on someone’s life and she enjoys working with patients on their “smile makeovers.”
“It really does change people’s personalities,” West said. “It changes how they feel about themselves, it changes their dating lives or marriages. Everything.”
West Dentistry is currently accepting new patients. It is located at 2301 Park Street.
Jacksonville Symphony Announces
New Section Violinist, Kaiyuan Wu
The Jacksonville Symphony has hired Kaiyuan Wu as a Section Violinist for the 2025/26 season, following a highly competitive audition process. Wu, who will begin his role in September 2025, brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished educational background. Born in Shanghai, China, Wu began playing the violin at the age of four and received his early music training at the Elementary School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music, studying under Professor Lei Fang. He went on
to earn a Bachelor of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he worked with renowned instructors Wei He, Ian Swensen, and Chen Zhao.
Throughout his career, Wu has won several prestigious competitions, including the 2017 SFCM Violin Concerto Competition and the 2019 MTNA Chamber Music Competition. He has performed internationally at leading festivals and concert halls, and currently plays a 2016 violin made by Robert Brewer Young.
MURRAY HILL
Dr. Jacqueline West
Kaiyuan Wu
A New Pitmaster in Five Points
Marcus Hill has always loved putting a smile on people’s faces. For more than 20 years, he did it by cutting hair at the barber shops and salons he owned.
Now, he does it through food - BBQ, to be exact.
Hill opened Holy Smoke Barbeque in Five Points last August. This is his second location for the restaurant, with the first being over on McDuff Avenue.
Hill is no stranger to the Five Points community, having been a resident there for roughly 40 years. When he began to tire of cutting hair, he started looking for his next venture.
“One day I just started barbecuing at the house and I started living it just like I did cutting hair all those years,” Hill said.
Residents may recognize Hill’s brick-and-mortar restaurants by the food truck from which they evolved. In total, Hill has been making people smile with his barbeque menu for a decade.
“I just enjoy seeing people smiling and enjoy them seeing my work and my craft,” Hill said. “It’s pretty much the same thing with barbecue. I know I can’t please everybody but I think I’m doing something right.”
Holy Smoke Barbeque is located at 818 Post Street in historic Five Points.
A Passion for Vintage and Antiques
Opening Delightfully Strange Finds in Murray Hill was a full-circle moment for Shawn Strange.
After all, just a few years ago, she had worked in that very same location when it was Antiques and Such, owned by Wade Hampton, who passed away in 2023.
“I absolutely owe him a big thank you for giving me the opportunity to work there because it was a huge part of me being able to do this,” Strange said.
Members of Hampton’s family came to her grand opening on Saturday, Jan. 18 to support Strange in her new venture.
“It was a really beautiful day,” Strange added.
Delightfully Strange Finds (Antiques, Vintage, Home Decor and More) is the culmination of a lifelong passion for just that - fun, interesting and unique items Strange has found and, in some cases, lovingly restored and refurbished, for people to discover and love anew. Some of her inventory currently comes from her own collection, built up over the years, though she is constantly searching for new pieces that catch her eye.
“I’m very passionate about recycling and upcycling,” Strange said.
Strange does do consignment for smaller items with a goal of starting a consignment book for people to add their items to and she would act as a broker between seller and buyers. She also plans to hold monthly vendor markets, similar to the one she held for her grand opening.
Delightfully Strange Finds is located at 4302 Plymouth Street, at corner of Plymouth Street and Roosevelt Boulevard.
Jacksonville History Center Appoints First Chief Development Officer
The Jacksonville History Center has appointed Maureen Towers Natkin as its first chief development officer.
Natkin’s appointment began in December and Natkin said she’s honored to fill this position during a particularly “pivotal” point in the organization’s journey to fulfill its mission of fostering a strong and informed community of today through public education of its past.
Natkin joins a team of eight staff members at the Jacksonville History Center, led by CEO Dr. Alan Bliss. This new position was made possible through a grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, matched by an anonymous donor.
“Bringing an accomplished fundraising professional to our team reflects our ambitious plans to meet Jacksonville's public history needs in the decades to come,” Bliss said.
Natkin comes to the history center, most recently, from Ability Housing, where she served as its development and engagement director, though she has nearly 14 years of experience in nonprofit leadership
beyond that position. Natkin said her job has been to show people how their support can make “tangible impact” for an organization.
Fundraising remains a crucial component to the success of the history center, Natkin said, and fostering community relationships to sustain that component is just as vital. She said engaging the community through these fostered relationships will help ensure the history center remains “a vibrant and relevant part of Jacksonville’s cultural landscape.”
Natkin said she sees future fundraising effort opportunities for community education and outreach. While fundraising has already helped secure the renovation of the Florida Casket Company building – the future home of the Jacksonville History Museum and Archive –Natkin added that project will also require additional fundraising as it shifts into its final phase.
“[The final phase includes] completing the interior design and furnishings, creating themed, experiential exhibits for the building’s first two floors, campus landscaping, and renovations to Old St. Luke’s Hospital,” Natkin said.
Maureen Towers Natkin is Jacksonville History Center’s first chief development officer.
Max Strange, Lily Strange, Joe Ripley, Diantha Ripley, Cindy Strange, Emmy Strange, Shawn Strange, John Mortenson, Lynda Follenweider celebrate the grand opening of Delightfully Strange Finds on Jan. 18.
Holy Smoke Barbeque owner Marcus Hill
Photo: Hugh Morris
Cummer Museum Announces Key Appointments for Strategic Growth
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has appointed three new staff members: Amy Pierce as Chief Development Officer, Mary Mantey as the Doolittle Family Director of Gardens & Horticulture, and Brianna Sharpe as the Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole Associate Curator. This curator position is named in honor of Jacksonville native Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, an internationally acclaimed educator, scholar, and transformational leader.
“We are focused on enhancing the museum experience for our visitors and positioning the Cummer Museum as one of the country’s premier institutions,” said Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D., George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director and CEO. “The expansion of both our fine art and living collections is central to these goals. Amy, Mary, and Brianna bring passion, perspective, and expertise to our efforts, and we are excited to welcome them to our team.”
Amy Pierce
Fred Cromwell Isaac Recognized with Florida Bar Pro Bono Award for Decades of Service
Fred Cromwell Isaac, a respected attorney from the 4th Judicial Circuit, was one of 21 lawyers honored by the Florida Bar during a ceremony at the Supreme Court of Florida on January 16. Isaac was recognized for his longstanding commitment to providing free legal services to low-income and disadvantaged individuals, contributing over 150 hours of pro bono work in the past year alone.
The Florida Bar President Pro Bono Service Award, established in 1981, celebrates the significant contributions made by lawyers across the state to assist those who cannot afford legal representation. These awards highlight the vital role of lawyers in ensuring access to justice for all, regardless of financial means. This year’s awards were presented by Florida Bar President Roland SanchezMedina, Jr. in a ceremony that also featured
the presentation of the prestigious Tobias Simon Pro
Isaac, who has been practicing law for over 50 years, has earned a reputation for his tireless dedication to public service. Throughout his career, he has volunteered his expertise to hundreds of clients through organizations such as Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and the Jacksonville Bar Association. In recent years, he has focused on providing direct legal services to individuals and nonprofits in need, often at no cost. Isaac selflessly represents clients who might not be able to have a voice in court.
In the past year, Isaac’s pro bono work has included the administration of three probate cases, providing estate planning services to critically ill clients, and managing several contract negotiations and disputes. One of his most notable
contributions involved more than 100 hours of work on a contract litigation case that took over two years to resolve. Isaac waived all fees for this client, a military veteran.
In total, Florida lawyers contributed more than 1.7 million hours of pro bono service during the most recent reporting period, from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, amounting to an estimated $11.6 million in donated legal services. Isaac’s efforts continue to reflect the profound impact lawyers can have on their communities, ensuring that justice is accessible to all, regardless of their financial situation.
Isaac's recognition at the Supreme Court ceremony is a testament to his unwavering commitment to justice and service to those in need, and it underscores the critical role of pro bono work in Florida’s legal community.
Symphony Hits a High Note
The Jacksonville Symphony has announced $3 million in donations from longtime supporter Ann Hicks and couple Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock. These gifts will strengthen the Symphony’s endowment, ensuring continued artistic excellence and supporting music education and community engagement.
Hicks, a Jacksonville native, contributed $2 million in honor of Music Director Courtney Lewis’ 10th Anniversary Season. She has been a dedicated supporter of the Symphony, funding initiatives like the David M. Hicks Piano Series and a Steinway concert grand piano.
“It’s rewarding to celebrate Courtney’s decade with the Symphony,” Hicks said. “Under his leadership, the orchestra has reached new heights.”
Ward and Glock donated $1 million to support the Jennifer Glock Endowed Clarinet Chair, continuing their legacy of artistic support. The couple previously contributed to COVID-19 relief efforts, helping the Symphony thrive during the pandemic.
“Supporting the Symphony is an investment in our community,” Ward said. “It enriches lives and strengthens our local economy.”
The gifts reflect the community’s belief in the Symphony’s role in enriching lives and its cultural impact on Jacksonville.
“These contributions will inspire, enrich, and unite through music for generations to come,” said Steven B. Libman, President and CEO.
Bono Service Award.
Mary Mantey Brianna Sharpe
Fred Cromwell Isaac with Florida Bar President Roland Sanchez-Medina, Jr.
Art Ventures Names 2024 Ann Baker McDonald Award Winner
Marsha Hatcher is the recipient of the 2024 Ann McDonald Baker Art Ventures Award.
This honor comes with a $20,000 unrestricted grant, awarded to a local artist deemed to have brought distinction to Northeast Florida. This is the largest grant of its kind in the region and named for the late Ann McDonald Baker, a driving force behind the creation of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Greenscape, the Arts Assembly (now the Cultural Council) and The Community Foundation’s Art Ventures Initiative.
With her mastery of several artistic media, Hatcher has captured her experiences traveling the work through her artwork. Her work has exhibited in the Ritz Theatre and Museum, the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens, the Beaches Museum and History Park and Yellow House, among others. Hatcher also used her art to speak on issues surround racial injustice and is a two-time recipient of an Art Ventures grant. One of those grants was for her “Premeditated, Extrajudicial” exhibit at the Museum of Science and History.
“Marsha’s work over three decades truly speaks for itself,” said Isaiah M. Oliver, President of The Community Foundation. “Her contributions have made an enduring impact on helping Jacksonville cultivate and retain its talented emerging artists.”
New Board Members Join Sanctuary on 8th Street
Nonprofit Sanctuary on 8th Street has announced the addition of two new board members: Lidija Barauskas and Brian Hultgren
Barauskas is with the Bedell Firm, where she has worked as a criminal defense attorney since 2019. Prior to that, she served with the State Attorney’s Office. She holds a law degree from Florida State University College of Law. Prior to that, she completed her undergraduate degree from Emory University. She moved to Jacksonville in 2017.
Hultgren is the Vice Chair of Research Administration in Florida and the administrative partner to Dr. Alfredo Quinones Hinojosa, Mayo Clinic’s Dean of Research in Florida. Hultgren holds a master’s degree in applied sociology from the University of North Florida with an undergraduate degree in business administration with a focus on marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has and continues to serve on several leadership committees and subcommittees, serving as secretary for the CRB Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee and the Florida Research Operations Management Team.
Sally Baker Lee and Missy Boney pose with Marsha Hatcher, Margaret Wetherbee and Tom Baker at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, which Ann McDonald Baker helped establish in 1985.
Lidija Barauskas
Brian Hultgren
Shee Honored as Hometown Hero
Chris Shee, founder of MasterCraft Builder Group, was recently awarded the Hometown Hero Award at Best Buddies' annual Champion of the Year event. The award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to support Best Buddies’ mission to empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Shee’s involvement with Best Buddies began in 2002 when he was introduced to the nonprofit through a close friend whose daughter has Down syndrome. Over the years, Shee has become an integral part of Best Buddies North Florida, hosting numerous fundraising events such as Clays for a Cause and Concerts for a Cause, which have raised over a million dollars for various charities, including Best Buddies.
"Champions like Chris are what make our programs thrive,” said Sarah Jeter, Area Director for Best Buddies North Florida. “His continued support has made a lasting impact on the lives of individuals with IDD in our community.”
McCurry Joins Berkshire Hathaway
With over 10 years of experience in the industry, Lezley McCurry has joined the team at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.
As a mother of three, McCurry understands the importance of finding a home where memories are made, and families thrive. When she is not helping clients, you can find her in the kitchen, baking delicious treats, or volunteering to make a positive impact in her community.
“We are excited to welcome Lezley to our team,” said Josh Cohen, Managing Broker at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty. “Her expertise, combined with her genuine care for her clients, will make her an incredible asset to both our company and the families she serves.”
New Year, New Board for Historic Avondale
A new year means new leadership for the Historic Avondale Merchants Association. The board officers were selected at a Jan. 22 meeting with Chasity Bell of Edward Jones Investments named board president. The remaining officers include:
• Vice President: Chris Hardison (Design Additions)
• Treasurer: Cathie Clark (Room with a View)
• Secretary: Caroline Hurst (Indigo Apparel and Accessories)
• Public Relations: Shania Busch (Elase Medical Spa)
• Prior to this appointment, Bell served as secretary and has been involved with the association for several years.
Bell said Historic Avondale will continue to build on the foundation laid by past boards, including continuing its regular events throughout the year – Amplified Avondale and Christmas in Avondale, for example – and adding more to the calendar, like All Out Avondale, a ticketed event to be held Saturday, Feb. 15 at various merchants along the Avenue. Bell added the board will continue its focus on supporting the merchants.
“I feel like we have a good board this year,” Bell said. “They’ve been around a while, so they know what’s important to Avondale, important to the community and the merchants.”
Native Parks Receive Prestigious Award
Native Parks I and II were awarded the Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) Program Natural Recognition, a first for Duval County, by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Stephanie Means, Florida-Friendly landscaping program coordinator at the Duval County Extension Office, presented the award at a ceremony last month. These parks are the first landscapes in the county to receive “natural-level recognition.” This accolade was given in recognition of the parks’ caretakers – the Ixia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Florida Master Gardener Program master gardeners – fulfillment of a comprehensive criteria list in these parks, including utilizing a minimum of 75% of native plant species, removing and managing any invasive or prohibited species, fostering diverse wildlife habitats and avoiding supplemental fertilizers or irrigation. All of this helps conserve Florida’s natural resources and water.
“Ixia is thrilled to be the first park to receive this award,” said Ixia Chapter President Jody Willis.
At the ceremony, Willis reiterated that the park serves the community as an educational source for Master Gardener volunteers and all Florida friendly gardeners.
More than a century old, Native Park I was first established by the Avondale Garden Circle in 1923 in a small plot of land on Park Street set aside by the city. It was formally dedicated in 1932. Its mission was etched into a brass plaque embedded in stone: to “study Florida Plant life” to increase awareness of the wisdom of landscaping with plants indigenous to Florida.
In the 1980s, after years of decline, Florida Native Plant Society member Dr. Robert Ragland began caring for the park until it was finally adopted in 2010 as part of the “Friends of the Park” program of the Ixia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. Members and volunteers returned the park to order and presently have more than 150 diverse native plant species in Native Park I with labels showing botanical and common names.
Lezley McCurry
Riverside Avondale Preservation Parks Committee Chair Pamela Telis with Ixia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society member Bonnie Sinatro, society president Jody Willis and secretary Walter Bryant
Historic Avondale Board Treasurer, Cathie Clark, Vice President Chris Hardison, President Chasity Bell and Secretary Caroline Hurst. Not shown is Public Relations Shania Busch.
The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic was established in 1974 and has handled more than 12,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases, recovering more than $1.5 billion for our clients. From the beginning, outstanding service was the signature of our firm and remains so today.
Our 17 attorneys have amassed more than 550 years of combined legal experience and zealously represent clients in their time of need. Some of the firm’s practice areas include car, motorcycle, and truck crashes, medical malpractice, as well as litigation concerning dangerous consumer products and unsafe motor vehicles. From
Deepak Chopra Graces Guests at the Florida Forum
Legendary spiritual guru, physician, author and worldrenowned pioneer in integrative medicine, Deepak Chopra, made his way to Jacksonville as part of the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital’s Florida Forum speaker series, Jan. 15.
Chopra shared his valuable time with patrons during his stage appearance at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts alongside his longtime friend and the evening’s moderator, Jacksonville Jaguars owner, Shad Khan. Khan and Chopra enlightened guests with a back and forth about topics ranging from World Wars to COVID-19 and mRNA vaccines, AI, technological breakthroughs, and optimism for the future collective of humanity.
One of the most poignant insights from Chopra was a global concern regarding a major fork in the road; one where our future can take a direction one way or the other – to more Medieval times and weaponry; or a return to enlightenment, peace and prosperity for all of humankind. He is a fan of the latter, of course.
Chopra was the second of three speakers in the series, as the Rt Hon Boris Johnson visited in October of ’24, the third and final installment will take place Feb. 12. Novelist, journalist, and Floridian Carl Hiaasen will take the stage at 7p.m. at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
For more information, to purchase tickets or to engage as a sponsor, visit www.womensboardwch.com/florida-forum-1
Renee Parenteau Agee and Jim Agee
Stephanie Warfield with Donna Bateh
Cheree Graham with Dominique Landry and Dawn Barlow
Marilyn Gilman with Aubrey Wessolowski
Kids, Dreams and Local Impact for Over 40 Years
Dreams Come True Jacksonville hosted its 40th Anniversary with its Royal Ball at TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Jan. 17, the nonprofit celebrated with its first Gala over the course of its historic run of forty years.
Marking four decades and nearly 5,000 dreams fulfilled, the evening was hosted by The Players Championship and presented by Ice Mortgage Technology. Twenty-two Dreamers of all ages comprised the evening’s Dreamer Court, which was rolled out in fine fashion as patrons cheered for Dreamers as they made way down the blue carpet.
Let’s game plan your giving
These days, the number of charitable organizations and opportunities can be overwhelming for an unprepared giver. And there
difference between giving just to give, and giving in a way that truly makes a difference.
Creating a meaningful giving plan should complement your asset strategies and reflect your passions. That way, your money goes where it can have the impact that matters most to you — and who you’re giving to.
So if you’re interested in giving with intent, we’d love to offer you a complimentary session. Let’s connect.
Winton and Kate Mays with Nathan and Jessica Hayes and Mike Slaughter Winton and Kate Mays with Nathan and Jessica Hayes and Mike Slaughter
Lou Walsh, IV, CFA President
David Long with Bailey and Daniel Kennon
Celebrating the Next Gen Leaders
Hightower Emerging Leader Fellowship founders Chris Warren and Andrew Kisz with Outgoing Board Chair, Belkis Plata, Incoming Board Chair Whitney Meyer and founder, Thomas Lee IV
By Lauren Weedon Hopkins
I am proud to introduce the inaugural Charity Chat column! Each month will have a theme, a focus, and corresponding volunteer opportunities so you can get involved in our community. When Publisher Pamela Bradford Williams asked me if I was interested in writing this column, I was both humbled and excited.
As a Jacksonville native who has worked and volunteered in our local nonprofit community for nearly 25 years, I have extensive knowledge regarding philanthropy and the impressive collaboration between our many nonprofit agencies to serve those most in need.
Having lived in the San Jose area for many years, I’ve been an avid reader of Resident News since its inception 18 years ago, and I believe it’s the ideal platform for this meaningful column. In a serendipitous turn of events, the news group has just released Volume 10 of Circles – Social Datebook & Charity Register, North Florida’s only charitable giving magazine, which is now circulating its tenth anniversary edition throughout the city. So, here we go! I hope you enjoy it and I would love your feedback. Please write to me at editor@residentnews.net with your thoughts and ideas.
February: Love and Kindness
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, our theme this month is Community, Support and Compassion. By caring for our neighbors in need with a compassionate heart, we can provide each other with support and kindness. This month, our two focus areas are mental health and domestic violence.
Mental Health
The Golden Rule tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” To be able to give love to others, you first need to look internally at how you treat yourself. Practicing self-care has become more popular in recent years but it can often be difficult to address topics of mental health. Nearly one in five people in the U.S. live with a mental illness, according to the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention. Unfortunately, despite being widespread, there can still be a stigma against mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, which makes asking for help a challenge.Through Mental Health Matters, an initiative launched by Mayor Donna Deegan, the City of Jacksonville has partnered with Talkable Communities to offer Duval County residents Mental Health First Aid courses completely free of charge. This is an internationally recognized program that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health challenges. Registration for these courses is available online.
The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) has a local office in Jacksonville led by Executive Director Suzanne Mailloux. It offers free support groups in safe environments for those with mental health disorders, their families, caregivers and friends in Northeast Florida. Another NAMI resource is its nonemergency helpline.
Volunteers are welcome to join the Northeast Florida Mental Health Advocacy Group to help improve mental health legislation. If you feel you don’t know how to be an advocate, it also offers training. Other ways to volunteer include facilitating a connection to recovery support group for peers or for families, sharing your story, and answering helpline calls. Donations help provide support and advocacy for anyone affected by mental health conditions.
Hearts4Minds is a local nonprofit that grew from one family’s tragic loss. After the death of their son Alex in 2017, who suffered an overdose while struggling with depression and anxiety, Sheryl and Todd Johnson founded the nonprofit organization to break down the stigma associated with mental illness. A simple way to show your support is to purchase and wear a dragonfly pin, which is a symbol of hope, help and healing. A portion of sales is a donation. The organization also sells clothing, blankets, water bottles and sticky notes to write Messages with Heart and leave around the neighborhood as positive reminders that no one is alone.
Join the conversation, your voice matters.
Hearts4Minds provides a resource database of therapists, support groups and more searchable by zip code called H4M Connect.
In emergency situations, there is 24/7 help. For anyone personally facing a crisis, or if you are concerned about a loved one, call or text 988 Lifeline to be connected to trained crisis counselors at United Way of Northeast Florida
Domestic Violence
Another focus in promoting love this month is addressing domestic violence. Every second, three people in the U.S. become a victim of domestic violence, which means each year, more than 10 million Americans experience domestic abuse. Types of domestic violence include coercive control, psychological and/or emotional abuse, physical or sexual abuse, financial or economic abuse, harassment, stalking and online or digital abuse.
Hubbard House is a full-service certified domestic violence center serving Duval and Baker counties. Led by CEO Gail Patin, Hubbard House’s core services include an emergency shelter, an outreach center, and a 24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline.
Hubbard House is the only local domestic violence shelter and relies on community donations. Give online to support basic but critical needs such as food for residents, cleaning supplies and staff support.
An easy way to volunteer for Hubbard House is by helping in its thrift store, You can also raise awareness at community events. Volunteering directly with survivors and their children requires 30 hours of training. This includes answering crisis calls and developing activities for children living in shelters.
Survivors of sexual abuse can find support and hope at the Women’s Center of Jacksonville. WCJ serves Duval, Nassau and Baker counties, providing full wrap-around care including immediate emotional support, sexual assault forensic exams, and explaining a survivor’s rights
and options, whether or not they choose to report to law enforcement. Executive Director Teresa Miles and her team provide rape recovery, counseling and support, community education, prevention programs and support groups.
To keep all these services free for survivors, community donations are vital. Consider giving online. Volunteers are also key. Interact directly with survivors through trained volunteer roles such as on-call hotline advocate and rape recovery team assistant. The organization can also use help with administrative and marketing tasks as well as outreach. Visit the WCJ website to learn more.
Thank you for strengthening our community through your support and compassion.
Inspired to get involved or give back?
Do you or someone you know require any of the services mentioned in this month’s column? Here is a full rundown of the contact information of the organizations we discussed:
Hearts 4 Minds hearts4minds.org
H4M Connect: h4mconnect.org
Hubbard House
www.hubbardhouse.org
24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline: 904-354-3114, text 904-210-3698
Hubbard House Thrift Store: 6629 Beach Blvd.
Mental Health Matters talkablecommunities.org/coj
National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Jacksonville www.namijax.org
NAMI Non-Emergency Helpline: 904-323-4723 or helpline@namijax.org
Women’s Center of Jacksonville thewcj.org
24-hour Rape Crisis Hotline: 904-721-7273
988 Lifeline 988lifeline.org
Celebrating 20 Years of Smiles!
For two decades, we’ve been dedicated to brightening smiles and building lasting relationships. Thank you for trusting us with your dental care. Here’s to many more years of healthy, happy smiles!
Restorative
Dental Implants
Dentures
Dental Bridges
Composite Fillings
Gum Disease Treatment
TMJ Treatment
Emergency Dental Care
Cosmetic
Clear Aligners
Porcelain Veneers
Dental Crowns
Teeth Whitening
Cosmetic Bonding
Gum Contouring
Preventive
Teeth Cleanings and Exams
Fluoride Treatment
Dental Sealants
Night Guards
Oral Cancer Screenings
Facial Rejuvenation
Botox® Cosmetic Injections
Juvéderm® Dermal Fillers
Bolles Students Shine in Art, Music and Technology
The Bolles School is kicking off the new year by celebrating the noteworthy accomplishments of several students across various fields.
Senior Eesh Majithia ended 2024 on a high note by winning Florida’s Fifth Congressional District’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge with his app “Notecandy,” which offers different notetaking services to accommodate various learning styles. A panel of IT specialists selected Majithia’s as the winning application and it will be featured on the Congressional App Challenge website. It is also eligible for display in the U.S. Capitol along with other national winners.
Freshman Lucas Costas, a violinist, and oboist and senior Amanda Tun have been selected to perform in this year’s Florida AllState ensembles. This constitutes Costas’ debut in the Florida All-State Concert Orchestra and Tun’s fifth consecutive year on the orchestra. Both musicians performed at the Florida Music Education Association Professional Learning Conference at the Tampa Convention Center from Jan. 8 to 11.
Fifty-six Bolles upper and middle school artists brought home nearly 100 awards in the 2025 Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards. Among these awards were 24 Gold Keys, 25 Silver Keys and 39 Honorable Mentions. The award-winning works of art were selected from more than 3,000 entires across 17 visual art categories. Gold Key winners will now advance to the national competition in New York City, with national winners to be announced in March.
Students Work to Support North Florida Oyster Population
Students with the Episcopal School of Jacksonville are building artificial oyster habitats to be donated and installed at Christopher Creek in Nassau County to support the oyster populations in the North Florida area. These habitats are Pervious Oyster Shell Habitats – or POSH.
This year-long project is being done through the school’s AP Environmental Sciences (APES) classes. Students will build one POSH every week for donation and installation.
David Wandel, APES faculty member, is collaborating with Jimmy Tomazinis and Dr. Rafael Crowley, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Northeast Florida Aquatic Preserves Manager and University of North Florida coastal and port engineering professor, respectively, to see the POSH installed throughout Northeast Florida.
“Next year we'll look into identifying a site for ourselves and writing the proposal for FDEP approval of deploying a strictly ESJ made artificial oyster reef,” said Wandel.
“This year has been an experimental year to familiarize ourselves with the process enough to walk students through making their own POSH, and so far it's been a success,” Wandel added. “There are a whole host of environmental benefits to an artificial oyster reef. The POSH structures are really revolutionary when it comes to artificial oyster reef construction.”
The Episcopal experience means learning extends far beyond the classroom. Our graduates Seek Understanding as lifelong learners; Develop a Sense of Self earned through challenge; Live with Honor and Purpose, choosing to lead, do good, and serve others; and Pursue a Life of Faith, in a way meaningful to them while respecting the dignity of every human being. Across our Four Pillars — Academics, Athletics, Fine Arts, and Spiritual Life — Episcopal students find their passions while shaping who, not what, they will become.
Amanda Tun
Foster Thompson, Liam Gonzalez and Sean Wolff pose with a Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat (POSH).
Eesh Majithia
Lucas Costas
“Kelpie” by senior and Gold Key art portfolio winner Eleanor McArthur.
Bishop Kenny Students Shine in Scholastic Art Awards
Bishop Kenny High School celebrated the success of seven students who received recognition in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Senior Sophia Nunez-Salinas earned five Gold Key awards for her work in Digital Art, Drawing & Illustration, Mixed Media, and Portfolio.
Also honored were Siena Bakkar ‘26, Kimberley Chong ‘28, Brittany Miller ‘26, Capri Pepin-Donat ‘25, Melania Rosasco ‘26, and Diego Ruiz Villar ‘26, each receiving individual awards for their creativity and talent.
RPDS 6th Graders Complete Two Days of Service Across Jacksonville
Riverside Presbyterian Day School’s 6th grade class recently completed two full days of service throughout Jacksonville as part of their Project Leads capstone servant leadership program. Last month, the students volunteered at 11 nonprofit organizations, participating in various activities including sorting food donations, creating pet toys, making sandwiches, assembling birthday bags, and cleaning up yard debris.
The project, which aims to cultivate servant leadership, is part of RPDS’s ongoing commitment to The Riverside Way – a philosophy that emphasizes showing God’s love through actions and putting others before oneself. Throughout their time at RPDS, students are given numerous opportunities to volunteer and grow as leaders.
The Community Foundation Now Accepting Applications for College Scholarships
The application period for The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida’s college scholarships is now open.
Applications will be accepted until March 14.
The Community Foundation offers seven different college scholarships ranging from up to $2,000 to $8,000. These scholarships are: the Byon M. Morris Scholarship; the Sam and Lydia Payne Scholarship; the Dorothea B. Shaw Scholarship; the Talen Charles Birt Memorial Scholarship; the Cole Kelly Scholarship; the Elizabeth Edgar Hall Founders Scholarship; and the Della M. Levy Scholarship for Graduate Studies.
These scholarships are made possible through generous donations to The Community
Foundation to benefit students in Northeast Florida seeking post-secondary degrees. Interested students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) prior to submitting their applications to determine their expected family income (EFC), though a completed FAFSA application is not required to apply for these scholarships. The College Scorecard (available at https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/) can help in evaluating the cost of college attendance.
Visit www.jaxcf.org/2025-college-scholarships/ to learn more about these scholarships or to submit an application.
Launching into the Future.
At The Bolles School, the future is an early focus so students can develop the life skills of compassion, courage and integrity as a foundation of their character. Combined with a world-class education, students build relationships, experience different cultures and make friends for life.
Here, we honor traditions while looking forward to all the future holds.
Explore what Bolles has to offer by visiting www.Bolles.org or calling us at (904) 256-5030.
Only a He(ART)beat Away
By Peggy Harrell Jennings
Legendary artistic couples Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O’Keefe, and Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot formed life partnerships based on power, passion and love. As Gilot said of her relationship with Picasso, “Lions mate with lions. They do not mate with mice.”
Competitive or Collaborative?
There is drama in every relationship but the opportunity to learn and explore diverse styles and push the boundaries of personal artistic expression are part of the enriched partnership of several local artistic couples. Kathy McCall, a mixed media artist, and woodturner Don Penny have different approaches to their artistic creations.
Penny said, “I’m a process guy and Kat is a visionary. It may seem to be the perfect pairing, but we’ve had to develop a safe relationship where constructive criticism and opinions are from the heart.”
McCall is consistently exploring new artistic possibilities while Penny has been more traditional in his woodworking until, inspired by McCall, he has taken his craft into art. He and McCall belong to The Art Center Cooperative (TAC) Gallery, the Jacksonville Artists’ Guild and often enter the same juried exhibits where they are in direct competition for prizes. They share their talents and knowledge with each other and others.
“We have each other’s back and celebrate our partnership,” said Penny. Their intertwined lives are enhanced through their mutual interests. The couple supports each other’s freedom to explore new ideas, get out of their comfort zones and celebrate the “thrill of discovery.”
Different Perspectives, Shared Vision
Local muralists Ian Brodie Cleary and Danielle Cleary (a Jax Chamber nominee for Small Business Leader 2025) of Heartspace Art have individual strengths which complement each other.
Danielle said, “Our process is highly collaborative. When you live and work with someone, the lines between personal and professional can blur. Like all partnerships, open communication helps navigate misunderstandings.”
Collaborating on artistic designs is essential: Ian is very detail-oriented while Danielle’s strength lies in her attention to color harmony, conceptual elements and working closely with clients.
“Our shared vision from different perspectives makes the work stronger and we try to keep the end goal in mind- creating something beautiful and meaningful for our clients,” shared Danielle.
Shared Love, Separate Working Spaces
From sharing a fire escape while attending the University of Florida to sharing space at Cork Arts District, Laurie Hitzig and Larry Wilson have explored many partnerships including an interior design business, a floral design and wedding staging business, a retail shop “Nest of San Marco,” an interior design business, and Larry Wilson and Associates.
Presently, they share their lives and adjoining studios. A shared studio space did not work out for this couple since Wilson’s paintings and sculptures are wild and messy and Hitzig’s style is exceptionally clean and controlled.
“I fell in love with Laurie’s talent and artwork,” Wilson said. “Besides being an amazing person, she was really cute.”
So, he custom designed an engagement ring for her with tourmaline, emerald and sapphire even though he had yet to propose. He quickly changed to diamonds when
she just happened to mention that she did not like colored stones. Of course, for the wedding 38 years ago they made their own chuppah and Laurie designed and made her wedding dress. They did all the flowers and designed the invitations as well.
Highly respected and award-winning artists in their own rights with numerous solo shows to their credits, both artists are “very strong in their perspective” and have done several two-person shows including “Juxtaposition.” Wilson’s masculine “Warrior” sculptures, balanced by Hitzig’s delicate, ephemeral drawings and sculptures, are thought provoking and powerful. Hitzig and Wilson exhibit locally and throughout the Southeast and with their working appearing in numerous private collections.
“I am blown away by her work,” Wilson said. “I’m her biggest fan. I can’t help believing my bold approach to art might have influenced her and I’ve tried her approach- subtle, with a light touch and quietness, soulful – but I have to let the work go, let the magic happen.”
Kathy McCall and Don Penny
Danielle and Ian Brodie Cleary
Laurie Hitzig and Larry Wilson
Petway Studio
A Heartfelt Congratulations to:
• The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida 2024 Ann McDonald Art Ventures Award Winner: Marsha Hatcher;
• “Naturally” Art Exhibition Winners: Lin Smith (Best in Show for “Blush Soul, Red Heart”), Roseanne Egidio (Jurors Choice for “Central Park”), and Sandy Harrington (Jurors Choice for “Winter Blooms”);
• And Nikki Rakov for the opening of “To Know, To Dare, To Keep Silent,” her M.F.A. Thesis Show at The Jessie Ball duPont Center
Book Showcases
‘Wilderness of North Florida’s Parks’
The second edition of Kathy Stark’s “The Wilderness of North Florida’s Parks” is now available for purchase and features new elements, including new artwork, day trip ideas, guides and more.
Timucuan Parks Foundation (TPF) collaborated with the Jacksonville author and artist on this latest edition, which includes a fold-out map detailing all parks, preserves, forests and conservation areas within an hour of Downtown Jacksonville as well as information about local environmental organizations TPF, St. Johns Riverkeeper and North Florida Land Trust, among other features.
It was funded through community sponsorships with Wildlight as its title sponsor.
The book is available for purchase at www.kathystark.com, REI, Happy Medium Books Cafe, Book Mark, North Guana Outpost, Story and Song Books, Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens and Beaches Museum.
SPEAKER SERIES
Feb. 5
First Wednesday DTJax Art Walk | 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 5
Opening Celebration for Dustin Sims’
“Nature: ReWired” exhibit at MOCA Jacksonville | 6 to 9 p.m.
Feb. 12
Reception for Lisa Lofton’s “The Ghosts of Jacksonville” at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church | 6 p.m.
Feb. 17th
“An Evening of Art and Music” at The Ortega River Club 5 to 7:30 p.m. (free admission)
Do you know of an upcoming event or accolade that helps pump the rhythmic Artbeat of Jacksonville? Send the announcement to us at editor@residentnews.net for consideration in TheBeatGoesOn
Jacksonville Center for the Performing
February 12, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Novelist/Journalist/Floridian
Presented by
Moderator: John Delaney
Moderator: Shad Khan
BORIS JOHNSON
Moderator: Mark Woods DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, FRCP
October 29, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
Former Prime Minister of the UK Journalist/Author
Presented by CARL HIAASEN
January 15, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Physician, Author and world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation
Presented by
This is Kathy Stark’s second edition of “The Wilderness of North Florida’s Parks, launched in 2017.
Marsha Hatcher
Nikki Rakov at The Jessie
Laine MacWilliam and Jonathan Jennings at “Naturally”
LOCAL FOLKS
Ulysses Owens, Jr.
By Michele Leivas
Ulysses Owens, Jr. has been surrounded by music all his life.
He began playing drums when he was just two years old, learning to play before he could even read or talk. His mother was a choir director and his father ran the sound ministry for their church. And it was in that church on the Northside that Owens first began performing and playing drums. Once he attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Owens said he knew he wanted to play
drums for the rest of his life.
After graduating from Douglas Anderson, Owens moved to New York in 2001 to attend the prestigious Juilliard. His professional career went through several chapters, from jazz drummer to band director to Broadway musician and Owens has loved it all.
“What I love about being an artist is you never stop growing, you never stop innovating and creating new pathways to know more about what you do,” he said.
Today, splitting his time and his life between New York City and Jacksonville, Owens said he feels a bit like Superman and Clark Kent.
In New York, he pursues his music. In Avondale, he can spend time with his family, including his three-year-old son and be involved with Don’t Miss a Beat, the nonprofit he and his family launched in 2008 to enlighten youths and young adults through the power and community of musical theater production.
Owens decided to make the Bold City his home base once again in late 2019. Three months later, the pandemic hit and everything changed.
“I tell people that if I had lived in New York during the pandemic. I don’t know how I would have survived,” he said.
While being near family was the an immense relief and priority during that time, being in Jacksonville also allowed him to thrive in a way that wouldn’t have been possible in New York. It was during that
time that Owens launched jam sessions at Riverside’s non-alcoholic bar, Wildcrafters and, later, organized the Don’t Miss a Beat Jazz Festival in 2021.
“What I loved about being in Florida was that it gave me this open terrain where I was the only person doing what I do versus in New York, I’m one of thousands so I love it,” Owens said.
Today, the two cities bring out two different sides of Owens’ personality:
“Florida is my downtime,” he said. “When I’m there, I’m just a single dad, I’m hanging out with my family, just doing really cool, chill things. Then I come back to New York to sort of be, you know, larger than life and engage in artistic activity. So I kind of feel like it’s Clark Kent versus Superman. In New York I’m Superman and in Jacksonville, I get to be Clark Kent.”
When the pandemic ended, Owens began to split his time once again between his two homes: Tuesdays through Thursdays during the school years, he was in New York, teaching at his alma mater, Juilliard, and Fridays through Monday, he was in Avondale with his family and raising his son. Summers were spent on the First coast to be involved with Don’t Miss a Beat’s Broadway Experience summer camp.
Today, Owens still splits his time between his two bases, but his days in New York are committed to his Broadway debut as the drummer in “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.”
His regular commutes have made him
a familiar face at Jacksonville International Airport.
“I know the folks at Jacksonville airport very well,” he said. “…They’re like extended family.”
And though he admits that his schedule every week is grueling and at times very difficult, it’s one that works best for him to feel fulfilled in multiple aspects of his life. A life in New York has allowed him to grow and flourish as an artist in a way that may not have been possible had he stayed in Jacksonville, he said.
“We just haven’t built the [musical] community yet in Jacksonville,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of great artists but we haven’t built the community financially yet to be able to help artists sustain. So you have a lot of artists in that community that are doing great work, but they have to do all these other things to maintain their art versus in New York, you can actually survive as an artist because you can make enough income to do it.”
Owens co-parents his son, who splits his time between Owens and his mother in Orange Park. Music may be genetic since Owens said his son has also started showing some interest and skill in music.
“Everything is Mickey Mouse right now and he’s singing along and actually in tune, which is kind of scary,” Owens said. “There’s some musicality in there somewhere because he’s not just singing, he’s singing the pitches and sometimes he harmonizes. I’m like, ‘Oh, did I recreate another one?’”
Ulysses has had a passion for music his entire life. Photo/Rob Davidson.
Ulysses Owens, Jr. makes his Broadway debut with “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.
Photo: Felicia R Bass
Photo: Rob Davidson
Reflecting on Love Stories
It’s February and love is in the air. I’ve never been much for Valentine’s Day mush, but sometimes it’s fun to think about how love and romance and affection have heartshaped our lives, especially here in the Resident Community we all adore.
I’ll start with my reflections of amore, with the hope it rekindles warm thoughts of your own Be-Mine experiences.
I met my love, my husband, David, at an apartment party at Hollins College in Roanoke, VA during the early ‘90s. Actually, I’d met him several times before that. The dark-haired T-shirt entrepreneur from Hampden Sydney College had captured my attention before when he was peddling college merch on our dorm hall or making a scene at fraternity parties. He was the reigning Belly Flop Champion of HSC, if that gives you a hint of the splash he was known to make socially back in the day. A Jacksonville guy, David was also a hometown pal of one of my college friends, Erin Hadlow Bryan. So we all traveled and flopped around in the same circles.
But it wasn’t until our senior year at that apartment party that my eyes were opened and my heart swelled. The hardcharging, party-hopping David Barton from Jacksonville, FL had survived salmonella (!!) the summer before, stopped smoking
Marlboro Light cigarettes and embraced veganism, and plus, he was no longer hurling himself into the pool from the high dive. He was into good conversation and healthy food. How could I resist? Luckily, our friend Erin suggested that if he wanted to land a girlfriend, he would actually need to ask me on a date, which he did and saw a return on. And so that all worked out well. Two years later, we were married in a very fun, extremely hot ceremony in San Antonio, TX with all our special friends and family in attendance. There was no belly-flopping either, thankfully. Just a sweet swan dive into life together.
At our quickie pre-marriage counseling with Ortega holy legend Rev. Barnum McCarty, he suggested that we stick to a plan of weekly dates, monthly getaways and annual big trips. That was such good advice! We have committed ourselves loosely to this plan for nearly 30 years and have enjoyed some important quality time because of it. In the meantime, we also worked jointly raising our two children, Ben and Marley and a small horde of house-ruinous animals. That, of course, is the biggest payback so far and why I love David so much more today than I did during our long walk down the aisle at Alamo Heights United Methodist Church,
“The Metho-dome.” We make a good team – we respect each other, we listen to each other, we’re dedicated to the process and have found a way to apply our own strengths to the challenges that have come our way. Little did I know long ago that it’s these kinds of qualities that make you love a person even more deeply over time.
David and our children are the real loves of my life. I dated a few guys back in my glory days of claw bangs and crimped hair but they were just a primer to the good stuff. It’s funny how it comes full circle though. My first boyfriend received a heartpatterned bathrobe for Valentine’s Day that I made during sewing machine instruction with my grandmother. It was the finest (and only!) piece of clothing I ever stitched! He broke up with me not long thereafter. But flash forward 10 years and my motherin-law was in the Carlisle Collection warehouse bargain basement in New York City, trying on marked-down ladies’ luxury clothing in a communal changing room. Turns out the lady next to her was my robesnob high school boyfriend’s mother and they had a fun small world encounter. I was pleased to know at least the mother was sad to see me and my sewing skills go. This was redeeming feedback.
The guy I dated in late high school and
college was nice enough and fun. But he had no skills in belly-flopping, so he did not make the cut when it came to the dating decision I made my senior year in college. And I’ll always be so grateful and happy it worked out that way.
Today, David and I are just boring old empty-nesters keeping to our routine of early supper (that he prepares, always) followed by swooning over my TV boyfriend, Hottie Lester Holt, on NBC Nightly News and later testing our brain capacity during Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Then it’s bedtime, pretty much. Early to bed is one of our favorite pastimes.
I think the lesson I’ve learned about love and Valentine’s Day is that you can’t just dedicate yourself to it on February 14 or on your anniversary. It’s an ongoing commitment, a daily dedication that yields a deep connection and enduring friendship. This is something we can all make a splash doing if we just throw ourselves into the pool. Cheers to love!
Susanna Barton also thinks Anderson Cooper is hot. A Granada resident, Barton has written professionally for The Jacksonville Business Journal, The Resident, Jacksonville University and The Bolles School. She currently manages an online community called Grand Plans, which encourages healthy conversations about aging and preparing for it on www.mygrandplans.com
THE WAY WE WERE
John Glessner
By Jennifer Jensen
John Glessner never thought a weekend dancing in a Miami night club would lead to a dance career of 40-plus years, but here he is. He is the owner of Avondale Dance, a full-service ballroom dance studio in Murray Hill that provides group and private lessons. He has owned the business since 2000.
Glessner was discovered one night at a disco club by a couple who worked at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. They approached him and asked if he’d ever thought about teaching ballroom dancing. He had always been around music, holding a music education degree from Florida State University, but he’d never had any professional dance training.
“I had some talent,” Glessner said. “And they must have seen some spark.”
He decided to give it a shot and began teaching part-time while still working full-time at his retail job. When the retail business closed, an opportunity opened to teach dance full time.
“I went to the Fred Astaire Dance Studio there and said, ‘If you want me to be full-time, now is the time. I'm ready,’” Glessner said. “And I've been dancing full-time ever since.”
He moved to St. Petersburg and taught at the Fred Astaire studio there before relocating to Tampa and teaching at a studio there and Bradenton for more than 10 years. During that time, one of his students introduced him to his future husband, Ken Sutton. After meeting Sutton, he decided to move to Jacksonville.
He knew the people who owned the Fred Astaire studio in Murray Hill and told them he wanted to come and be a teacher, but that he didn’t want any responsibilities.
“I’m in a new city, in a new relationship, with a new job,” Glessner said. “Everything is new. So, I didn’t need the pressure of running a business.”
Then in 2000, the owners decided to move the business across town, and he wasn’t interested in working over the bridge.
“I had been here three years at that point and I’d kind of gotten my feet wet,” Glessner said.
He helped with the transition to the new studio, but decided to stay in Murray Hill like several of his students who did not want to make the drive across town either.
“They left a turnkey situation studio,” Glessner said. “I negotiated with the landlord and took off running by my lonesome.”
His studio teaches all types of partnership dancing, but it’s more than just ballroom dancing. He teaches beginners all the way up to competitive dancers. “You can go as far as you want to go,” he added.
PRESERVATION
AWARDS highlight architectural design, restoration and renovation of distinction and public service. Join RAP to learn more about important projects and how to get involved. Music, drinks, and lite bites provided. Must register.
February 20, 6-8pm, Riverside Church at Park & King Make a contribution!
Riverside Avondale Preservation, Inc. (RAP) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance and preserve the architecture, history, culture, and economic vibrancy of the Riverside Avondale historic neighborhood. RAP facilitates neighborhood improvements and preservation through community participation, education, advocacy, and events that highlight Riverside Avondale’s unique quality of life.
Dancing has become more like a sport activity, Glessner said. Partnership dancing got a boost thanks to programs like “Dancing With the Stars.”
“It’s a little more generally accepted,” Glessner said. “And it made it cool for men to dance.”
He loves what he does and has a great group of students and staff.
“My idea is that we are kind of like a family or a team, and that's what I enjoy,” Glessner said. “I love people. I'm teaching, but it's really kind of like a ministry. I’m also a psychiatrist. You’re helping people find something out about themselves that they weren’t used to and obviously
Celebrate
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
with the Melanin Market at RAM on February 8 . New vendors and cultural collaborations every Saturday, 10-3pm at the Riverside Arts Market.
The Riverside Arts Market is hosted in Historic Riverside on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., rain or shine, underneath I-95, supporting local farmers, artisans, entertainers and more.
John Glessner and his husband, Ken Sutton
John Glessner and his three dogs, Leo, Lewis and Leia
there are many mental health benefits.”
On top of that, the studio is also a great social outlet for people, he said.
“A lot of our students do things on the side with each other,” Glessner said. “As an owner, it’s nice to see that I helped cultivate that.”
“And without blowing my own horn, I think that starts from the top,” Glessner added. “I always wanted everyone to feel welcome and included. I try to keep that family, team spirit. Come in, have fun, have a good time and learn something along the way.”
His studio also hosts several social events as well, which includes dance or practice parties along with a lot of group classes.
In these types of classes, they teach the leads what to do and they get a chance to mix and match with everyone. It becomes a round robin type of dance, he said. It’s a great way to meet people and learn from others with different levels of experience.
“When you ask somebody to dance, you have no idea what you’re going to get,” Glessner said. “So social dancing is great. It prepares you for all those eventualities. The practice parties are like a battleground type of environment.”
The private lessons focus on the student’s specific goals, be they styling, technique, balance, weight loss, health or others.
“It’s fun to watch the progression,” Glessner said. “It’s what I imagine it’s like having kids. You’re the parent, the coach, the teacher.”
He also enjoys teaching couples. Specifically, those who are married and have children.
“Dancing really gives them that nonverbal communication,” Glessner said. “They’re doing a hobby and a skill that they both can learn. They can enjoy each other's company on a completely different level. And it's great fun.”
If the couple decides to do a recital or a show, it’s fun to see the kids watch their parents perform as opposed to the parents being the ones in the audience, he added. He also has a few students who dance competitively.
One of his students, Susan Walden, and himself were the undefeated ProAm United States American Smooth champions at the United States DanceSport Competition in Orlando. In 2008, they were also awarded Best Overall, as the No. 1 ProAm couple across all categories.
“It's probably the highlight of my career,” he said.
He and Walden have competed throughout the United States and she remained in the top six. They have been dancing together for 23 years now.
“She was in it for the medal,” he added.
He works Monday through Friday and his business is like a second spouse. He enjoys having that time on the weekends to spend with his husband.
“I try to keep the weekends just for us,” he said. “I was very lucky because he understood that. He got that it was part of the job.”
When he isn’t working at the studio or spending time with Sutton, he enjoys practicing yoga and going to the gym. He also likes spending time walking his three dogs, two dachshunds and a rat terrier-chihuahua mix.
Traveling is another passion of his and something he and Sutton can make time for thanks to the great staff and foundation he has formed at the studio. Some of his favorite places he’s visited are Peru and Alaska.
Do you know an interesting senior with a story to tell?
Nominate them to be featured in The Way We Were! Submit their names, contact information and a brief description of what makes them a good candidate to editor@residentnews.net
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John Glessner, Brenda Lidell, Laura Marder and Margo Shannon at the Tropicana Dance Challenge
ANIMAL HOUSE
Early Veterinary Care Can Mean Life or Death for Puppies and Kittens
By Julie Kerns Garmendia
Dee Reibach finally was able to have a dog after she moved into her own home with a large fenced yard. Her remote job guaranteed the time and flexibility to care for and train the Labrador retriever puppy she had always wanted.
Because her only pet was the family dog she loved as a child and without any puppy experience, Reibach assumed that she needed to find a local breeder to purchase a Labrador retriever. People who choose purebred dogs typically do so because they are familiar
with the breed or prefer a dog with known traits and appearance. Reibach and her best friend Suji Lawrence, another dog-loving millennial, chose the easiest search option; they browsed the internet.
“My friend Suji and I looked at local breeders with puppy photos online and thought we had chosen the
perfect puppy from a person who presented himself as a reputable, licensed breeder. We had no idea that the puppy’s veterinarian certificate and other documents were probably forged and the ‘licensed breeder’ only cared about sales,” she said.
Reibach ended up purchasing two sibling puppies after encouragement from the breeder. However, because of her traumatic experience, she decided to share her story to publicize the importance of extensive research into dog breeders, basic facts about evaluating puppy health, the recommended veterinarian care for puppies younger than eight weeks of age, and how to recognize questionable sales transaction details.
Reibach said the Labrador retriever puppies, whom they named Grace (black) and Cooper (silver-blue), appeared healthy at first, although small for eight weeks. Yet within two days of being brought home, both puppies gradually stopped eating, drinking or playing. They began to vomit, had diarrhea and their gums were white instead of healthy pink.
Her veterinarian tested them for parvo: both were negative. However, the puppies were positive for internal worms. According to the American Kennel Club Health Foundation, their alarming symptoms indicated internal parasite infestation.
Reibach and Lawrence unfortunately soon learned a great deal about the importance of the recommended standard puppy veterinarian care as the veterinarian tried to save the desperately sick puppies. Both were drastically underweight for the average healthy eight-week-old Labrador puppy (10-15 pounds) and were deemed younger than eight weeks. Reibach's veterinarian confirmed that Grace only weighed 3.7 pounds, and Cooper weighed 4.5 pounds.
Frantic, repeated calls to the breeder about the puppies’ health were unanswered. Then he completely blocked communication while continuing to advertise Labrador puppies for sale, using the same photographs of Grace and Cooper.
Over the next days, the puppies continued losing weight and seemed too weak to survive. On day six, Cooper lost his battle and died, as the veterinarian worked to save Grace. The veterinarian bill for the puppies’ clinic stay, appointments, treatment, and medications reached thousands of dollars.
Grace finally turned the corner and began to recover. She slowly regained weight and strength, but Reibach still tears up when describing the heartbreaking story and death of Cooper; “We knew he had passed when he stopped crying.”
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Cooper, severely infested with parasites, died on day six.
Rescue cat Jag with Grace
Healthy Charlee held by neighbor Sophia, 5
She said that worst of all was the suffering the young dogs endured, which continued even after Cooper's death. Grace paced the house, searching for her missing brother and mourning him. Their veterinarian said that if the breeder had given the standard puppy de-worming treatment, it would have prevented the hookworm and roundworm infestation that caused their illness and Cooper's death.
“De-worming and vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies that recognize and destroy diseases. They are essential to a puppy or kitten's health and well-being, helping prevent and protect against lifethreatening diseases. They promote a strong immune system and help avoid costly treatments or the spread of contagious diseases,” said Dr. Howard Acree of Cedar Hills Animal Hospital.
In hindsight, there were all-too-common red flags regarding the persuasive breeder they chose, the physical condition of the puppies, and the details of the sale. They did not recognize his questionable actions: insisting on meeting them in a Publix parking lot was one. The puppies cost $600 each, while the typical price for an AKCregistered purebred Labrador retriever puppy ranges from $800 to $2,000 or more, depending on the bloodline. Also, the documents they received looked authentic but were illegible, a typical sign of a scam. They never received any AKC purebred registry documents.
The state-required health certificate for the sale of a dog or cat must include all vaccines and de-worming treatments, including medications. By signing the certificate, the examining veterinarian confirms that to the best of his or her knowledge, the pet has no sign of contagious or infectious
Grace,
lab Hope and new
lab-mix puppy Charlee diseases, including a clean fecal test with no evidence of internal parasites: hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms. Additionally, cats must receive specific feline tests and vaccines before sale.
Officials familiar with unlicensed breeder scams warn that they create legitimate-looking online advertisements without legal credentials. They operate as “backyard breeders” with a few animals or puppy mills breeding hundreds of animals hidden from public view and law enforcement. The predictable outcome for buyers and the usually neglected, mistreated animals can be devastating.
Reputable, licensed dog and cat breeders hold verifiable credentials and adhere to accepted, regulated standards of animal care. They welcome potential buyers to their homes or kennels, where it is often possible to see a puppy’s parents and littermates.
The potential buyer has the legal right to receive legible breeder licensure and verified veterinarian documents. Puppies and kittens sold as purebred must be accompanied by AKC purebred registry documentation.
Reibach now has Grace and a chocolate Labrador named Hope, who came from a similar sad situation. Hope's breeder operated a puppy mill on a rural farm and was closed down by law enforcement. The sole feline in the family is her rescue cat Jag, whom she bottle-fed after he was orphaned and abandoned behind an office.
Like many people, Reibach was unaware of the nonprofit, licensed rescue organizations in nearly every state, including Florida, for almost every dog breed. These organizations rescue purebred or high-content purebred dogs from shelters and law enforcement confiscations.
Their websites advertise adoptable dogs of all ages. They screen applicants and charge an adoption fee for dogs and puppies, which are fully vetted prior to adoption. These breed-specific nonprofits have no physical shelters but use a network of volunteer fosters.
The nonprofit, all-volunteer Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRROF) has a network of fosters in Jacksonville and throughout Florida . They rescue, rehabilitate, and place Labrador retrievers in forever homes and coordinate with shelters and other nonprofits. Their website includes information and applications for adoption, foster, or to contribute tax-free donations. Reibach recently contacted them to apply for the adoption of another Labrador retriever. The experience of adopting her rescue Labrador-mix puppy Charlee from LRROF was the complete opposite of those previous experiences.
“Charlee, his mother, and siblings were confiscated by law enforcement and accepted by LRROF for vetting until adoption. When I got him, Charlee was a healthy, perfectly happy, adorable puppy. When I noticed there were a few worms in his stool that turned out to be hookworms, I contacted LRROF, and they responded immediately. They paid for his veterinarian visit and medication and kept in touch with me,” Reibach said.
Adoption from a municipal shelter or private nonprofit animal rescue has multiple benefits. This adoption method helps a homeless pet, opens up desperately needed kennel space, and provides peace of mind due to the follow-up support and guaranteed, full vetting of animals approved for adoption. Most importantly, if an adopted animal does not work out for any reason, it can be returned.
On behalf of the hundreds of animals waiting for foster or adoption at Jacksonville’s Animal Care & Protective Services on Forest Street or the Jacksonville Humane Society on Beach Boulevard, from private rescue nonprofits or surrounding county shelters, local rescuers urge readers to adopt not shop for a new pet.
Nala Dee Reibach with black lab
chocolate
rescue
Salvation Army’s Top Volunteers March Into 2025 Boat Show Delivers 77 Years of Marine Excellence
There is always important business to be discussed, especially when it comes to raising funds for homeless, underserved, and women that are raising children in poverty. The women of the Salvation Army Auxiliary heed the call to help and gathered members to enjoy a kickoff meeting in the New Year at Epping Forest Yacht and Country Club, Jan. 27.
The conscientious group of women rallied for updates and praised efforts of their ringers during Red Kettle fundraising at the holidays, which broke a record for North Florida at $285,000 in donations for the 2024 fiscal year, up from $153,000 in 2023.
North Florida’s volunteer corps are always hard at work raising funds through the Red Kettles, the Red Shield Ball and other efforts to fund their initiatives, which includes the Tower of Hope, housing mothers raising children; providing shelter, gifts and support throughout the year.
The guest speaker, and soon-to-be Celebrity Chef Kendra McCrary was welcomed to the podium by her friend, Diane Lott. McCrary graciously told the touching story of the founding of Wolfson Children’s Hospital and the Women’s Board, which she heads as President of the Board for yet another volunteer corps of women leading fundraising in North Florida. The Women’s Board has raised over $37 million dollars over its 52-year history, according to McCrary.
The membership meeting was made possible by the generosity of Marilyn Carpenter, who has made it a tradition to sponsor the gathering as they kick off the new year. The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary’s upcoming 39th annual Celebrity Chefs Tasting Luncheon and Silent Auction is slated for April, 3, 2025 at the Prome F. Osborn Convention Center.
The North Florida Marine Association hosted the 77th Anniversary of the Jacksonville Boat Show Jan. 24-26 at the Prime F. Osborn Convention Center. Despite weather in the 30s and reports of snowfall just a day prior, crowds swelled the halls of the convention center to view a large variety of boats on display; from waterskiing and watersports, to fishing vessels mounted with triple outboards, inshore skiffs, cruisers, personal watercraft, to name a few.
Vendors were on hand to meet all boating needs, from outboard engines to marine stereos, soft deck flooring under foot, countless products from throughout the industry were on sale throughout the weekend of festivities. The event also offered special surprises for the kids, along with seminars and educational opportunities for adults and children.
“The 77th Annual Jacksonville Boat Show was a success! Despite starting the week with below-average temperatures and even a little snow making an appearance during move-in, the weather was perfect by opening day on Friday, which brought an exceptional turnout. Exhibitors and dealers were thrilled with attendance, and we look forward to next year!” shared Erin Johnson, administrative director of the North Florida Marine Association.
Visit boatjax.com for more information about how to become a member or get updates on the next boat show for North Florida.
Marilyn Carpenter with Area Commander Maj. Keath Biggers, Leyda Garcia of the Salvation Army and Area Commander Maj. Candice Biggers
The Yamaha Marine Center team of Brad Knight, Marcello Sackel, Barton Holmes and Coby Sullenger were on hand to sell Pursuit, Regulator, Tiara, Parker and the new Solace brand of center consoles, among other manufacturers of boats they represent at the Orange Park-based dealership.
Diane Lott with Michele Kehnert
Mr. and Mrs. Walker are celebrating a remarkable 70 years of marriage on January 17th. Mr. Walker, who recently turned 101, and Mrs. Walker, who will be 100 in February continue to share a deep bond.
The couple was warmly celebrated by the dedicated staff at Riverside Post Acute, who gathered to honor their incredible 70-year journey of love and commitment. Here's to 70 years of love, companionship, and a lifetime of memories.
Mary Lou Sutherlin, affectionately known as Granny Lou, was the featured poet at last month’s LitChat at the Bill Brinton Murray Hill Library.
The event, hosted by the Friends of Bill Brinton Murray Hill Library, highlighted Sutherlin’s poetry, including readings from her chapbook Hearthsongs , along with other works and even a song she composed.
Originally from North Manchester, Indiana, Sutherlin has lived in Jacksonville for forty years. She is a Purdue University graduate and worked at Vistakon and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, where she contributed to the development of contact lenses.
A passionate member of the Riverside community, Sutherlin is often seen at local music events like the North Florida Folk Network Music Series at the Riverside Arts Market and other Murray Hill Library gatherings. She also teaches crochet at The Bookmine in downtown Jacksonville.
For more details about upcoming events at the Murray Hill Library, visit www.murrayhilllibrary.org
In Remembrance
Carl Wood Brown “Skip”
November 28th, 1937 – December 24th, 2024
Carl Wood Brown “Skip”, passed away on December 24th, 2024. He was born in Ellwood City, PA on November 28th, 1937, the son of Carl Willis Brown and Violet Wood Brown. Skip was a 1959 graduate of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA. He also received his MBA from Jacksonville University in 1987. In 1964 he moved to Jacksonville with United States Steel. Skip then became a sales manager with Neles Jamesbury where he was employed for thirtyeight years.
Skip was married to the late Susan Jo Miller and was the father of daughters, Victoria Lynn Moulder (Kirk) and Palmer Elizabeth Lamb (Chris). He was the proud grandfather of Anna Moulder, Ashton Moulder, Christian Moulder, Patrick Lamb, and Lena Lamb. He was the great-grandfather of Brandt Martel.
Skip was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and served as Senior Warden. He was a Past President of the Board of Speech and Hearing. He served as President of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and was a member
Forever in Our Hearts
of the Florida Society of Sons of the Revolution. He was also on the board of the Jacksonville Historical Society where he participated in the purchase of its current headquarters. (Old St. Lukes Building).
“Skip was devoted to the Jacksonville Historical Society and its future,” recalled former executive director Emily Lisska. “He was particularly involved with the acquisition of the Old St. Luke’s Hospital property, and we were fortunate to work with him.”
A celebration of Skip’s life was held Jan. 15 at The Church of the Good Shepherd with Father Brent Owens presiding.
Kenneth Nelson Soud
September 23, 1943 – November 10, 2024
A native of Jacksonville, Kenneth Soud was the eldest of four children born to Merck and Margaret Soud. He grew up in a close-knit Lebanese-American family, where Christian faith, family, and food were central to his life. His faith was nurtured at Mount Olive Presbyterian Church, where his Uncle Gabriel served as pastor.
Kenneth attended Robert E. Lee High School, was a proud member of DeMolay Riverside Chapter, and later graduated from St. John’s River Junior College, where he captained the Debate Team. He also attended the University of Florida and was drafted into the U.S. Navy during his senior year, serving as a Reservist for six years.
Kenneth’s career in life insurance began in 1967 with Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, and he later joined National Life Insurance Company of Vermont, where he became General Agent in 1978. He retired in 1996 after serving as President of the National Life’s General Agents Association and both the Jacksonville and Florida General Agents and Managers Associations.
A lifelong active member of his church, Kenneth served as Elder and Sunday School teacher at St. John’s Presbyterian in Jacksonville. He also enjoyed supporting his city through the Jacksonville Commodore’s League and was a charter member of Epping Forest Yacht Club.
Kenneth was known for his hospitality, especially through his Lebanese food heritage, which he lovingly shared with family and friends. His home was a place of joy and celebration, and he always made time for conversations about his faith in Jesus Christ.
In 2014, Kenneth co-founded the Abdullah Family Foundation with his Uncle Gabriel, which supports faithbased grants and scholarships. He was also a Chairman of the Board at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary’s Jacksonville campus from 2016-2019 and earned a Certificate in Christian Studies in 2020.
Kenneth’s legacy of faith, love, and community will live on in the many lives he touched.
THE ART OF REMEMBRANCE
A Brief History of Mausoleums
Mausoleums, with their grandeur and historical significance, are timeless testaments to human history. For centuries, they have evolved, serving as places of rest for royalty, nobility, and prominent figures. Their design and purpose have remained steadfast: a serene and respectful environment that preserves the memory of loved ones for generations.
The term “mausoleum” is derived from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This iconic structure established a model for building lasting memorials to pay tribute to those who have passed away. Choosing a mausoleum over other burial methods offers notable advantages. They serve as a tranquil and personal space for families to unite, reflect, and celebrate memories, rendering them a meaningful option for honoring our loved ones.
At Hardage-Giddens, we carry on this timeless tradition with our new mausoleum installment at Oaklawn Chapel & Cemetery. Designed with modern elegance and a deep respect for ancient customs, the mausoleum provides a tranquil sanctuary where families can honor their loved ones in a space imbued with history and dignity.
WE ARE ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU
Whether you need immediate help after the death of a loved one or would like to talk to someone about planning a funeral ahead of time, a Dignity Memorial provider is only a phone call away. Please call for a private tour.
