For the Love of Manatees
By Eva Dasher On a bright summer day, when the temperature hasn’t yet chased everyone indoors and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is teeming with excited children recently released from school, I peer into a tank at the Manatee Critical Care Center (MCCC) and spot two manatees gently swirling around each other in the lettuce-covered water. “We have two manatees in here right now. One is Applejack, we just microchipped her...
A Christmas Present for Jacksonville The “LIFE” Sculpture in Memorial Park
By Wayne W. Wood ‘Twas the first day of Christmas, under skies that were dark. The people all hurried to Riverside’s new park. They unveiled the winged boy who stood on the ball, And everyone gasped, “He has no clothes at all!” Hundreds of people gathered under threatening clouds at 3:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, 1924, to see the dedication of the new Memorial Park in Riverside and the unveiling of the much-anticipated bronze statue. As...
Jacksonville Symphony Celebrates 75 Years
A Symphony Season Like Never Before! By Tori Fusinaz, Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for the Jacksonville Symphony In the heart of Jacksonville, where the St. Johns River weaves its timeless melody through the cityscape, something extraordinary is about to unfold. The Jacksonville Symphony is primed for its 75th anniversary season with a new logo that reflects our city’s bridges and rivers, and a lineup that promises to...
The Ritz at 25
Celebrating Our Past, Present, and Future By Mitch Hemann, Archivist at the Ritz Theatre and Museum On the northwest corner of Davis and State Streets in Jacksonville’s historic LaVilla neighborhood, there stands a marquee. A bright red sign that has become an icon in the community. It has stood there in various states of repair for nearly a century, towering above the box office of the Ritz Theatre like a beacon. A reminder of a...
Mellen C. Greeley
THE DEAN OF FLORIDA ARCHITECTS By Wayne W. Wood Mellen Greeley walked with a cane, but his stride was brisk. He had a full head of snow-white hair, and, despite the warmth of the afternoon, he was wearing a tie. He had just set a bowl of dogfood in the grass twenty feet away, so he and I would be able to watch as the racoons emerged from the marsh grass. First one, then two, now four or five, enjoying their daily handout. Greeley...
A Riverfront for All (Part 2)
By Laura Riggs It’s been demonstrated in many other markets that well-designed, maintained, and programmed public spaces strengthen the real estate market while positively impacting the local economy. Understanding that any plans must also take into account various past visioning exercises, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund convened a diverse coalition of business leaders, change makers, planners, and visionaries in 2021 to steward plans...
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