Peter Schorsch
With a week until voters head to the polls, here are the latest fundraising numbers and what those figures indicate about the state of the respective races.
— CD 4 (Rep): John Rutherford leads Hans Tanzler by $54,425 in COH. Rutherford raised $556,380; spent $419,641; banked $136,739. Tanzler raised $795,830; spent $713,515; banked $82,314. Lake Ray raised $219,271; spent $150,467; banked $68,803.
Take-away: Ray got the Times-Union endorsement. Can he convert it to last-minute cash for final dash?
— CD 5 (Dem): Al Lawson leads Corrine Brown [Incumbent] by $95,590 in COH. Lawson raised $255,678; spent $135,438; banked $120,190. Brown raised $483,949; spent $467,192; banked $24,600.
Take-away: GOP money is finding its way to Lawson, as Ballard Partner’s own Susie Wiles introduces him to Jax power brokers.
— Yes for Jacksonville [County Referendum 1]: Raised $1,891,825; spent $1,528,229; banked $363,596.
Take-away: This is working with Republicans, as CR 1 carried by 63 to 36 percent at the conservative WOKV hob nob. More enthusiasm among GOP voters this year in early voting. Meanwhile, Yes for Jax is successfully shoring up position with independents, Dems, African-Americans. Margin said to be “healthy” in favor of “Yes” vote.
–– SAO4 (GOP primary) Melissa Nelson leads Angela Corey [Incumbent] by $43,850 in cash on hand. Nelson raised $ 408,457, spent $323,758 and banked $84,699 COH. Corey raised $ 388,115, spent $347,266 and banked $40,849 COH. Wes White raised $56,182; spent $54,714; had $1,468 COH.
Take-away: Nelson has hard money edge of 2 to 1 for early voting push.
— SAO4 (PACs): First Coast Values leads Citizens for Justice by $17,937 in COH. First Coast Values [Nelson] raised $667,800, spent $591,423; banked $76,377. Citizens for Justice [Corey] raised $114,350; spent; $55,910; banked $58,440. Vets and Families for Truth [White] raised $50,000, spent $49,940, banked $60.
Take-away: Top two committees have enough money for a nasty mailer and a TV ad buy.
— PD4 (GOP): Charles Cofer leads Matt Shirk [Incumbent] by $23,070 in COH. Cofer raised $183,895; spent $140,836; banked $43,059. Shirk raised $43,841; spent $23,852; banked $19,989.
Take-away: With support of Jax Sheriff Mike Williams and police union, Cofer has every advantage.
— HD 11 (GOP primary): Sheri Treadwell leads Cord Byrd by $31,513 in COH. Treadwell raised $174,976; spent $116,583; banked $58,393. Byrd raised $61,130; spent $34,250; banked $26,880. Donnie Horner raised $136,475; spent $117,631; banked $18,884.
Take-away: Treadwell has the momentum.
— HD12 (GOP primary): Clay Yarborough leads Terrance Freeman by $27,660 in COH. Yarborough raised $108,339; spent $60,852; banked $47,487. Freeman raised $71,926; spent $52,105; banked $19,821. Stan Jordan raised $21,000; spent $3,140; banked $17,860. Don Redman raised $27,575; spent $20,210; banked $7,365. Mark MacLean raised $53,353; spent $49,155; banked $4,198.
Take-away: Yarborough holds serve. Will FOP and Chamber backing help Freeman down the stretch?
— HD 13 (DEM primary): Tracie Davis leads Reggie Fullwood [Incumbent] by $6,194 in COH. Davis raised $25,961; spent $4,526; banked $21,435. Fullwood raised $18,650; spent $3,411; banked $15,239.
— HD 13 (GOP primary): Mark Griffin leads Keith Walters by $22,588 in COH. Griffin raised $30,371; spent $3,118; banked $27,253. Walters raised $7,800; spent $3,135; banked $4,665.
Take-away: Shadow battle for endorsements for Tracie Davis by Jax Councilman Garrett Dennis, even as Griffin is managed by Dennis’ Council colleague, Sam Newby.
— HD14 (DEM primary): Kim Daniels leads Terry Fields by $9,894 in COH. Daniels raised $79,400; spent $42,834; banked $36,556. Terry Fields raised $55,525; spent $28,913; banked $26,662. Leslie Jean-Bart raised $107,626; spent $81,866; banked $25,760.
Take-away: Jean-Bart falls to third in COH, solely because of a $13,670 ad buy with Mincy Pollock’s radio group, which staged a “hob nob” this month and is involved with a local gospel station. The idea? To counteract Daniels’ evangelical support.
— HD 16 (GOP primary): Jason Fischer leads Dick Kravitz by $12,566 in COH. Fischer raised $170,258; spent $109,453; banked $60,845. Kravitz raised $135,225; spent $86,946; banked $48,279.
Takeaway: A very compelling two-man race, with Kravitz having closed the resource gap gradually over months. Kravitz is 74 and has represented that part of Jacksonville’s Southside since Jacksonville was still a Dixiecrat town.
“GOP dominating absentee and early voting numbers in First Coast” via Robert Alonso of WOKV – 42,651 Republicans have voted by mail or done early voting so far in Baker, Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties. All but Baker post their numbers online and refresh them on a daily basis. That’s nearly double the number of registered Democrats (23,569) who have voted by mail or done early voting so far in those same counties. Duval County Republican Party Chairwoman Cindy Graves believes this is proof that the poll numbers showing Hillary Clinton beating Donald Trump in the race for the White House are wrong. “I do believe the poll numbers are wrong, but this is not something new [or] something that’s just germane to 2016,” Graves stated. “This happens every election cycle.”
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“WOKV Hob Nob: Straw poll results” via WOKV – President: Donald Trump – 71 percent, Hillary Clinton – 22 percent; U.S. Senator: Marco Rubio – 57 percent, Carlos Beruff – 17 percent; CD 3: Ted Yoho – 76 percent, Kenneth McGurn – 24 percent; CD 4: Ray – 26.21 percent, Rutherford – 25.83 percent, Tanzler – 14.37 percent; CD 5: Glo Smith – 67 percent, Al Lawson – 21 percent; State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit: Nelson – 49 percent, Corey – 42 percent; Public Defender, 4th Judicial Circuit: Cofer – 82 percent, Shirk – 17 percent; HD 11: Treadwell – 43 percent, Byrd – 28 percent; HD 12: Yarborough – 42 percent, Freeman – 32 percent; HD 13: Griffin – 49 percent, Fullwood – 16 percent; HD 14: Whitfield – 56 percent, Jean-Bart – 20 percent; HD 15: Fant – 94 percent; HD 16: Kravitz – 55 percent, Fischer – 43 percent; Amendment 4: Yes – 64 percent, No – 36 percent; County Referendum No. 1: Yes – 63 percent, No – 36 percent.
“Bar bulletin: Nothing beats a good debate” via Tony Zebouni for the Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record – The Jacksonville Bar Association’s Governmental Relations Committee was proud to present its inaugural state attorney and Congressional candidate debates at the Wells Fargo Center. More than 200 people witnessed a professional and spirited debate among state attorney candidates Corey, Nelson and White. University of North Florida political science professor Matt Corrigan, First Coast Connect host Melissa Ross and Jim Bailey, publisher of The Daily Record, participated as facilitators at the event. Nearly 100 visitors watched the debate among the Republican candidates for the 4th Congressional District: Stephen Kaufman, Bill McClure, Deborah Katz Pueschel, Lake Ray, John Rutherford and Hans Tanzler III. In both debates, questions were solicited from JBA members and many of their questions were asked in the debates, which were recorded and can be viewed through a link on the JBA website. Special thanks is extended to Tad and Julie Delegal, who were able to arrange the participation of Alexus Monroe, a talented student from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, who performed a professional and inspiring rendition of our national anthem.
“Donald Trump campaign said Jacksonville office wasn’t official, yet demanded its closure” via Tia Mitchell of the Florida Times-Union — There have been different reasons given about why the office closed. When the office shut its doors earlier this month, a sign went up saying it was moving to a different address. The Trump campaign does plan to open an official Jacksonville office, but no date has been announced. Patricia Butts, 80, owns the building where the “Trump Call Center” was located until she got a surprise phone call saying it had to close. She said she was told it had to do with potential campaign-finance law violations because she donated the space. “I said I’m not gaining any rent, I donated it for free,” Butts recalled from her conversation with a woman who identified herself as a Trump campaign manager. “She said that’s the problem, you should have been getting rent.” Susie Wiles, the Jacksonville-based co-chairwoman of Trump’s Florida campaign, denies speaking to Butts or having any direct involvement in the office closure. The reason it happened wasn’t because the donation exceeded campaign-finance limits, she said. Trump’s campaign asked to shut the office because it had no control or oversight of the space but still could be held liable if something went wrong. “Where volunteers congregate that’s not an official office, and that is what happened here,” Wiles said.
“Conservatives United calls Hans Tanzler “A liberal insider” in new ad — The 30-second spot lampoons Tanzler for his cowboy gimmick, saying he acts like a cowboy, but is really “a high priced lawyer and a political insider who got rich off our tax dollars.” The ad highlights claims that Tanzler used political connections to get a job with the government. “In Washington, we need a real conservative, not a liberal insider,” a narrator says in the advertisement. The political committee is backing John Rutherford in Florida’s 4th Congressional District, and has committed $500,000 to a media buy. “Conservatives United had an early mail program to celebrate the genuine conservatism of Sheriff Rutherford. John spent 4 decades working to keep Northeast Florida families safe. In the final stretch, because Hans Tanzler has distorted and lied about the Sheriff’s record, Conservatives United [opted] to tell the community the truth about Tanzler,” said Conservatives United spokesman Brian Hughes in a statement.
New ad says John Rutherford ‘can’t be trusted’ — The new ad by Conservative Outsider PAC takes aim at Rutherford’s time as sheriff, saying under his watch Jacksonville’s “murder rates soared and so did Rutherford’s budget.” The ad goes on to say: “Your tax dollars spent on bureaucratic waste and fat pensions, all the while Jacksonville became the murder capital of Florida. Now Rutherford is running for Congress where he’ll get a big salary and another pension. Rutherford didn’t protect our tax dollars or our families. He can’t be trusted.” The political committee supports Hans Tanzler in Florida’s 4th Congressional District.
“Deadlines in Corrine Brown’s fraud case ‘becoming unrealistic’ amid her lawyer troubles” via Daniel Ducassi of POLITICO — Federal prosecutors in the fraud case against Brown and her chief of staff wrote in court papers that the current court deadlines “are becoming unrealistic” because of uncertainty over Brown’s legal representation. Brown’s trial is set for October, with a deadline to file motions by Sept. 1. Brown’s attorneys, David Haas and Mark NeJame, filed a motion earlier to drop Brown as their client only two days after filing paperwork with the court to represent her. “Brown must secure representation (lasting longer than two business days) so the Court and the government can meaningfully participate in case scheduling discussions,” prosecutors wrote. “This is now Brown’s third set of lawyers who have either filed an appearance or appeared in Court with Brown.” Though they take no position on Haas and NeJame’s motion to withdraw as Brown’s counsel, they say they plan to “raise the issue of whether Brown should have counsel appointed to her … or whether Brown is seeking by default to represent herself,” at a status hearing next week. A court order requires Brown appear for a hearing to discuss Haas and NeJames motion to withdraw from the case. The doubt about meeting court deadlines from prosecutors raises the possibility that her trial could be pushed back after the upcoming election for her seat, something Brown has sought from the beginning.
“’I don’t have to prove my innocence,’ Brown says” via Steve Patterson of the Florida Times-Union — The 12-term congresswoman facing federal fraud charges vented about her frustration with the news media in a blog posting telling reporters “I don’t have to prove my innocence to the court or to the news media.” But it’s the prosecutor’s job to prove guilt, not the other way around, Brown noted in a posting that compared the press to a lynch mob. The fun parts: “The court case is the only thing you reporters want to ask me about. Once and for all: I AM INNOCENT. Let me ask you folks a question: What if I accused you guys of being pedophiles? I bet that didn’t feel too good, did it? Well that’s how I feel, especially because I’m innocent. Despite this, you guys come at me like a lynch mob demanding that I prove my innocence in a 20-second sound bite. Maybe you were goofing off in your middle-school civics class but in the United States of America accused people are innocent unless proven otherwise. An indictment is an accusation. It is NOT a conviction. You worship the Constitution’s First Amendment so maybe you never got to the Fifth Amendment that says it’s the prosecution’s job to prove guilt. I don’t have to prove my innocence to the court or to the news media.”
“Running on empty: Send money now, says Brown” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Now, with the end almost near, Brown is taking to Blogspot with a fervent plea: Send money now! “I’ve never liked asking for campaign contributions, but to keep my campaign moving forward I’m respectfully asking you to make a contribution by clicking here,” Brown wrote … Political “contributions are the gas that fuels political campaigns,” says Brown, “and our gauge light is flashing red.” With penury on the horizon, Brown reminds her supporters that her opponent, Al Lawson, is getting Republican cash … “To make matters worse, a recent report in the Florida Politics blog shows that the same Big Money Republican groups backing Donald Trump and Gov. Rick Scott have poured thousands of dollars into the campaign of my ‘Democratic’ challenger Al Lawson,” Brown writes. “It’s easy to understand who Al Lawson would work for in Congress. It won’t be you.”
“Brown stood up 99-year-old woman” via Scott Johnson of News 4 Jax – A Westside woman just shy of 100 years old says she was stood up by Brown, who left her waiting for five hours after promising to take her to a campaign event … during a visit to the Lane Wiley Senior Center on the Westside, where 99-year-old Virgie Coleman volunteers, Brown promised to pick Coleman up Saturday morning and take her to a lunch event headlined by Martin Luther King III. “I go to the senior center five days a week, and I work in the bingo hall. I take care of the money box,” Coleman said. “She came to the center and wanted to see the person who was 99, so here I am. And I think I’ve seen her a couple of times, and it wasn’t no big thing, so she said she’d come take me to lunch and I said OK.” Coleman … waited from around 8:30 a.m. until early afternoon Saturday for Brown’s transportation to come get her. But Brown never showed up to take her to lunch. “Her bodyguard said to be ready at 9, and I said, ‘OK sir.’ So I was, and then (I was) passed over,” Coleman said. “People make a lot of promises, but sometimes it doesn’t work.” That broken promise cost Coleman roughly half a day waiting in a chair outside.
“Foreclosure, back taxes linger in congressional candidate L.J. Holloway’s record” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – The underfunded Holloway, who has just $1,175 on hand. In Holloway’s Florida Times-Union questionnaire, she claimed she’d never been sued, arrested or had declared bankruptcy. While that technically may be true, Holloway has experienced financial issues in recent years that are now in the public record. Those financial issues relate to a foreclosure and to delinquent property taxes from 2015. Holloway had a foreclosure that was closed last month, resulting in a final judgement and a $90,000 bank account garnishment … Holloway has a rental home in Sherwood Forest, but owes $3,357 in delinquent 2015 property taxes on her Duval County homestead. Holloway has worked in the city government in Washington, D.C. — serving as director of documents for a year in the mayor’s office — and that approach to phone calls is familiar to anyone who ever dealt with governmental agencies in the nation’s capital. That said, it brings readers no closer to understanding the issues behind Holloway’s back taxes and foreclosure judgement.
“Mother of Metro PCS murder victim endorses Melissa Nelson over Angela Corey” via Larry Hannan of the Florida Times-Union — The mother of homicide victim Shelby Farah said she wants attorney Nelson to defeat incumbent state attorney Corey in next week’s election. Darlene Farah has been a persistent critic of Corey over the last 18 months because she wants prosecutors to drop the death penalty and allow James Xavier Rhodes, 24, to plead guilty and be sentenced to life without parole.
“After frequent scandal, is Jacksonville ready for a new Public Defender? Challenger Charlie Cofer hopes so” via Andrew Pantazi of the Florida Times-Union – Cofer resigned as a judge October so he could run. He’s never before challenged an incumbent, and he’s never run in a partisan primary, so he has had to learn to discern audiences. Friends asked him to challenge Public Defender Matt Shirk soon after Cofer’s mentor, Bill White, lost to Shirk in 2008. Cofer declined. But then a scandalous 2013 grand jury report called on Shirk to resign and Shirk refused. Cofer took a new look at 2016’s Aug. 30 primary. The main issue in the race for public defender is mostly unspoken by the candidates. A series of scandals — a purge of senior attorneys, a lawyer arrested for stealing, Shirk’s violation of attorney-client privilege, his building of a private shower with tax dollars, the unseemly hiring of three women, his subsequent drinking, texting and cavorting with them and their improper firing — has plagued the office. Shirk has apologized, but on the campaign trail, the issues rarely come up. Though Cofer’s campaign has an ad attacking Shirk for his scandals, Cofer’s speeches have only ever hinted at them. “He has brought embarrassment and shame to the office.” Cofer didn’t elaborate or explain what he meant. The 2013 grand jury said Shirk had a problematic transition, that he had no management or budgeting experience, and he didn’t know how to handle the most difficult types of cases, having never handled a death-penalty case. After the scathing grand jury report called on Shirk to resign, Cofer said, he started paying attention to other problems. “The thing that really began to bother me were the number of times in which defendants were requesting to represent themselves and raising issues of conflicts between them and their lawyers,” he said. “It indicated to me something was wrong. That has always happened, but it just started being so commonplace.”
“Times-Union endorsement: Cord Byrd is an excellent choice for the Florida House” via the Florida Times-Union — It’s too bad Byrd and Donnie Horner III are seeking the same House District 11 seat. Both men deserve to represent Northeast Florida in the Florida Legislature. Byrd is a Neptune Beach lawyer who focuses on Second Amendment cases and firearms law. He is whip smart and studious. And Byrd has already forged working relationships with the power brokers in the Florida Legislature, including incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Rep. Jose Oliva, scheduled to succeed Corcoran as speaker in 2019. Horner has an impressive grasp of the issues, and he has a resume equally striking: Horner is a Naval Academy graduate, a military veteran, a successful entrepreneur and an active community volunteer. It’s a close call between the two, but voters should choose Byrd in the Aug. 30 Republican primary for the District 11 seat. Byrd has estimated that he needs 9,000 votes to win the primary, so he plans to knock on 10,000 doors across the district by Election Day. And that’s a good indicator of how Byrd would be as a lawmaker — hardworking and detail-oriented. Byrd said that as a lawyer, he often works with clients forced to defend themselves against the effects of bad laws; as a legislator in Tallahassee, Byrd said, he will be in a good position to prevent such problems by properly shaping legislation on the front end. And Byrd supports better funding for mental health programs, using smart justice techniques to appropriately punish nonviolent offenders and pursuing innovative approaches to promoting economic development in struggling areas. Sheri Treadwell is a credible candidate who served in President George W. Bush’s administration as a Commerce Department appointee. Treadwell said she would work to eliminate burdensome regulations, reduce abuses of the workers’ compensation program and pursue tort reform.
“Reggie Fullwood asks judge to dismiss wire fraud charges” via News 4 Jax — Fullwood’s defense lawyer challenges the government’s assertion that those who contributed to Fullwood’s re-election campaign were defrauded when Fullwood diverted some of those funds for his own personal use. The defense argues that while wrongful under state law, the diversion does not threaten the contributors’ property interest, and so they are not victims of fraud. In Florida’s election code, once funds are given to a candidate, the contributor loses any property interest, and thus any control of those funds. The defense says Fullwood has complete discretion over the use of the funds. The defense notes the government has changed its position on the allegations against Fullwood several times, and has made the case “a moving target.” Fullwood faces wire and tax-related charges. No word when the judge will rule on the new motion to dismiss.
“’Unprecedented’ coalition supports Jacksonville’s pension reform referendum” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – If that resounding victory should occur Aug. 30, it will be a collaborative effort. And the flowers of collaboration were in full bloom at noon in the city hall atrium, where roughly 50 civic leaders, including prominent Democrats like former city council president Eric Smith and Jimmy Midyette of the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality, assembled to lend a bipartisan imprimatur to the effort. However, there may not have been a more significant bipartisan voice than Nat Glover, Jacksonville’s first African-American sheriff who John Peyton beat in the 2003 mayoral race. Glover called the pension issue a “personal issue,” one which has been discussed without a solution for over a decade. “I want to thank this mayor for stepping up,” and showing the “courage to step up in his first term,” Glover said. Councilman Tommy Hazouri, a former Democratic mayor who features in pro-referendum television ads along with current Democratic Council VP John Crescimbeni, noted that “now is the time, now is the opportunity, because tomorrow might be too late.” Curry [talked] about the “cross section” of support represented … This “unprecedented” coalition countered the naysayers of last week, a “small group that came out” without a “plan” or “answer” with “pot shots” at the “last minute.” In addition to the coalition being unprecedented, Curry said the plan itself is also. “Most cities,” Curry said, “ignore the issue [of unfunded pension liabilities] altogether,” sometimes offering a “populist message” to either raise taxes or cut to the bone.
“Former Mayor Jake Godbold backs pension-tax plan” via Nate Monroe of the Florida Times-Union — Godbold offered a characteristically blunt assessment. “I’m tired of people arguing … about a better way,” he said. “This is the one that’s on the table. This is the one that has to get passed … We can’t put it off any longer” … “This is the best way to do it” … Godbold, 82, said he wants to “live long enough to see Mayor Curry have some good times.” Curry has had remarkable success lining up most of the city’s political establishment behind his plan, including several current and former elected officials from the Democratic Party, even as the local party this week passed a resolution opposing the plan.
“Many Duval County voters won’t still be here in 2031 when sales tax would begin” via David Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union — Roughly half the Duval County voters deciding this month on a sales tax for Jacksonville’s huge pension debt probably won’t still be in the county when the time comes to start paying it. That’s based on historical trends showing how the impact of deaths and moves to other counties will greatly alter the voter registration rolls between now and 2031. This adds an unusual dimension to the Aug. 30 election because typically, the time between the vote and the enactment of a tax is a matter of months. In St. Johns County, for instance, voters approved a half-cent sales tax November for schools and they began paying it two months later in January. In the case of Duval County’s referendum, the 14-year gap will influence voters in widely varying ways, said University of North Florida political science professor Michael Binder, director of the school’s Public Opinion Research Lab. Some voters will be more inclined to vote for the referendum because the sales tax would help solve the city’s pension problem and the tax would be so far in the future, Binder said. On the flip side, some will view the long gap as a reason to vote against the sales tax because it transfers pension costs to the next generation. “There are multiple psychologies that can be occurring at any given time,” Binder said of what voters will be thinking.
“Apoplectic & Apathetic: there’s only one person to blame for the state of local politics (Psst, it’s you)” via Claire Goforth of Folio Weekly — As voters, we get exactly what we deserve. Again and again, people, myself included, have pointed out that despite the ‘R’ that appears next to the names of most of our leaders in Jacksonville, more of the city’s residents are Democrats than Republicans. Quite a lot more, actually. Even though 5,000 voters in Duval County switched party registration in order to vote in the Republican Primary — many inspired by a desire to vote out Public Defender Matt Shirk, State Attorney Angela Corey, or perhaps both — as of Aug. 15, there are still 15,504 more Dems in Duval County according to Supervisor of Elections’ records. If those roughly 5,000 who changed registration are ideologically Democratic, that makes for 20 grand more like-minded peeps voting donkey over elephant, which is obviously statistically significant. Then why are we so damn conservative? Simple: Because most people don’t vote. When Mayor Lenny Curry, a Republican, dared to serve as Master of Ceremonies (apparently someone had already called dibs on lion-tamer) for the tangerine-tinted enfant terrible at his Aug. 3 tour de painful to watch, people were pissed. Many questioned whether the mayor was firing on all cylinders, and if perhaps he had just incinerated the pension tax feather he so desperately wants to stick in that pretty blond cap. Certainly a few will not vote for the tax on the basis of Curry’s stumping for Trump. But it’s not likely to make much of a difference, certainly not enough to kill the referendum. And here’s why: In the August 2008 and August 2012 primaries, the last two presidential election years (when people are more engaged in politics), merely 20 percent of registered voters hauled our lazy asses to the voting booth or bothered to fill in an absentee ballot and mail it in. In both instances, far more who did muster the effort to vote were Republicans. In fact, 12,124 more Republicans voted in the 2012 primary. The party’s voter turnout was a relatively impressive 29 percent. Only 20 percent of Democrats voted in that primary.
“Preparing for climate change in the nation’s oldest city” via Kate Payne of WFSU – James Crutchfield, a National Park Service guide … is the last in a line of historic masons, and one of the only people left in the city who knows how to cut the hunks of coquina stone that make up the [Castillo de San Marcos] walls. “The coquina is a very great material for protecting the fort in an attack, for cannonballs or muskets. Coquina is not a great material when it comes to fighting the everyday elements such as rain,” Crutchfield said. Crutchfield, like the fort itself, is struggling to keep up with the changing tides. St. Augustine and coastal and low-lying areas across the state are already plagued by so-called nuisance flooding. Florida’s notorious summer showers, combined with high tides, are enough to flood the streets in some cities. And in a town where it’s difficult to dig a hole without hitting some 17th century artifact, there’s a lot at stake. A hundred archaeologists, architects and urban planners gathered in St. Augustine to make a plan. West Florida president Judy Bense … and her colleagues believe it’s vital to understand past civilizations and their impact on the present. There’s even evidence of previous residents of St. Augustine fortifying their city against the changing tides, hundreds of years ago.
“Historic Spring Park project nearing home stretch” Teresa Stepzinski via the Florida Times-Union — By this time next year Green Cove Springs residents and visitors should be enjoying a refreshing dip in the historic Spring Park swimming pool currently being rebuilt in a city project also including repairs, renovations and upgrades to the fragile spring boil at the heart of the historic landmark in the Clay County seat. When completed, the project, totaling about $3 million, also will include a new two-story pavilion and a water splash feature as well as an enhanced outfall for the mineral spring that feeds 135,000-gallon swimming pool as it flows down the spring run to the St. Johns River. “Substantial completion is set for December this year,” City Manager Danielle Judd said of the project intended to benefit the community year-round. Judd said the city will host a grand opening ceremony — potentially in January 2017 — when all the work is done. Workers recently pulled out the old pool shell. Debris unearthed during that process slightly impacted the timeline for the intricate multiphase project, Judd said. Assistant City Manager Mike Null said the debris primarily was the remains of old swimming pools. “It was the old pools that were underneath this one. Rather than remove the old pools, they just basically collapsed them in and built new ones on top,” Null said. It was debris from the old pool as it evolved over time, Judd said.
“Charlie van Zant’s accuser changes plagiarism claim but won’t back down on fraud allegation” via Denise Smith Amos of the Florida Times-Union — A Clay County teacher and former principal partially retracted her recent accusation that Clay Superintendent Van Zant Jr. had plagiarized her work for his master’s paper, but she doubled-down on her other assertion that he ignored warnings that some principals were fraudulently mislabeling students as disabled. Susan Sailor, former principal of Keystone Heights High, held a news conference Friday at the Clay County Education Association office to defend herself and her claims, saying they are not a political ploy to embarrass Van Zant weeks before Aug. 30 primary. Van Zant is fighting Republican challenger Addison Davis, Duval County’s chief of schools, for the elected superintendent’s seat. Sailor initially put her complaints in an email to five members of the Clay County School Board Aug. 4. Since then Van Zant has denied her allegations and taken to Facebook to defend himself and the district. Earlier this week he asked the Florida Ethics Commission for an independent investigation, though he said Friday he believes Sailor has no “probable cause or hard evidence” to back up her claims. He accused Sailor of working with the teachers’ union and with critics on the School Board. “It’s a media circus; gutter politics,” he said.
“Man kicked out of Clay County news conference identified” via Jenna Bourne of Action News Jax –When Jeff Hendricks was getting kicked out of a news conference at the Clay County Education Association … he wouldn’t answer Action News Jax’s questions about who he was. Now Hendricks is telling Action News Jax he wasn’t there to cause trouble … Hendricks has connections to both Clay County Schools Superintendent Charlie Van Zant and the teachers’ union he was kicked out of … Hendricks said he just wanted to hear what Dr. Susan Sailor had to say at the news conference about her accusations of fraud and plagiarism against her boss, Clay County Schools Superintendent Charlie Van Zant. “Why can’t I be here?” Hendricks asked teachers’ union service unit Director Tracy Butler, who was asking him to leave … Hendricks called Van Zant a “true friend” and has volunteered for his campaign in the past. Hendricks said his wife is a member of the teachers’ union he was kicked out of.
“Candidate looking into claims of fraud in Nassau County graduation rate” via Lynnsey Gardner of News 4 Jax — State Rep. [Janet] Adkins said she began a review three months ago after a complaint from a former Nassau County School District administrator alleging that students who had failed algebra and/or English assessment testing were withdrawn from public schools and enrolled in out-of-state private schools. By taking these students out of the district’s graduation rate calculations, the rate would be driven up. Adkins says that during the 2014-2015 school year, 92 percent of these transfers happened after May 1 — toward the end of the school year. Adkins said she sent a copy of her findings to Florida Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart and members of the state Board of Education … “I am stunned at the idea that school districts would engage in practices aimed at manipulating graduation data for the purpose of driving up points to create a false sense of accomplishment,” Adkins said in a statement. “I believe that any organized effort to commit fraud resulting in the disbursement of state dollars needs to have a closer review.” Retiring Nassau County Superintendent John Ruis said the district has a lot of different options for students in order for them to receive a diploma, such as adult high school and online programs. Regarding Adkins’ allegation of fraud, he told the I-TEAM: “If we considered it to be fraudulent, we wouldn’t do it.”
Happening Wednesday: “13th Annual Women of Influence Awards” – The Jacksonville Business Journal will honor the creative successes of Northeast Florida women business leaders. Luncheon event begins 11:30 a.m. at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort, 500 S. Legacy Trail in St. Augustine.
“What Aaron Bean is up to” — On Tuesday, Bean will speak to the Rotary Club of San Jose about the 2016 legislative session. Event begins 6 p.m. at the San Jose Country Club, 7529 San Jose Blvd. in Jacksonville.
“New Duval women’s health care clinic opens in area with high infant mortality rate” via Lindsey Kilbride, Kayla Davis and Andre Roman of WJCT – Duval County residents were invited to tour a newly opened women’s health center on Pearl Street, just north of downtown … The Magnolia Project Oasis is a federally funded women’s community health center. Inside the center, there’s a juice bar up front and a room for yoga classes. Oasis is one of three Agape clinics, and two more are scheduled to open this year … the clinics accept Medicaid from all providers. The Oasis clinic is a branch of the Magnolia Project, a Northeast Florida initiative to combat infant mortality. Magnolia is focusing its efforts in what’s called “Heath Zone 1,” an area encompassing many downtown ZIP codes where the infant mortality rate is higher. While the number of infants dying in Florida is declining, Duval’s is higher than the state average, mainly in the Urban Core and on the north and west sides of town.
“Port of Jacksonville gets new higher capacity cranes” via Daniel Ducassi of POLITICO Florida — The new cranes are part of a broader, but controversial, push by the port to accommodate larger container ships known as Post-Panamax following the widening of the Panama Canal, including a $684 million dredging plan for 13 miles of the St. Johns River … The cranes are capable of servicing the wider ships with the ability to reach across 22 containers, as opposed to the 16 container-width capability of the current cranes. “The addition of these cranes is a critical step toward supporting the ever-larger ships calling on the port through the Suez Canal as well as the newly expanded Panama Canal,” said JAXPORT CEO Brian Taylor in a statement. The port authority expects to have the cranes, which cost nearly $40 million, offloaded and fully-operational by the end of the year.
“UF hiring Jacksonville booster to judge athlete rape case creates perception of bias” via Tia Mitchell of the Florida Times-Union — Many details about the sexual assault investigation involving a University of Florida football player are confidential. There are no police reports or public records in the case because the woman reported the incident to school authorities but not law enforcement. But one thing we do know — that the accuser boycotted the Title IX hearing last week after learning UF had hired a booster and former Gator athlete to oversee the proceeding — and has heaped negative attention squarely on the Gainesville school. Title IX hearings are like a trial, but they are held on college campuses and students found guilty of whatever they are accused of can face school disciplinary action. These hearings are not public, but soon after the one Aug. 12 on UF’s campus, a memo leaked clearing receiver Antonio Callaway of all charges. The hearing officer who made that ruling was Jacksonville attorney Jake Schickel. He earned 2 degrees at UF, was on the track and field team and has donated thousands of dollars to athletics programs. UF’s decision to allow someone so connected to the university to serve in this capacity created the perception that the school is more concerned about protecting its athletes than it is about making sure the woman’s accusations were taken seriously. I’m not saying that was UF’s intent, but that is how it could be perceived … The school hasn’t done much to address those concerns. UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes defended the university’s choice without naming him specifically. “A hearing officer or committee member would not be disqualified or lack objectivity simply because he or she had been a student athlete decades earlier or purchases athletic tickets as more than 90,000 people do each year.” The day of the hearing and after Schickel’s report was leaked, Sikes provided the media with a second statement that said UF had taken the woman’s allegations seriously and thoroughly investigated them by following state and federal guidelines.
“Mash in, Oktoberfest on tap for next month’s Jax Beer Week” via Alexa Epitropoulos of the Jacksonville Business Journal — Jax Beer Week, which went through a major rebranding and overhaul last year, will be held between Sept. 17 and 24, beginning with a kickoff Oktoberfest event on Sept. 17 at Intuition Ale Works’ new Downtown facility at 929 E. Bay St. Mash In … will also return to this year’s event roster. The all-you-can-drink event will feature all nine local breweries, including Aardwolf, Bold City, Engine 15, Green Room, Intuition, Pinglehead, Veterans United, Wicked Barley and Zeta and will be held at the Glass Factory — an event venue next to Engine 15’s Myrtle Avenue taproom. That event will serve as a finale to Jax Beer Week, and will be held on Sept. 24.
“Daily’s success, relationship with Jacksonville Jaguars help foster naming rights deal for amphitheater and flex field” via David Chapman of the Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record– The much-anticipated amphitheater and outdoor flex facility that are part of the $90 million stadium renovations has its new “nicer” name: Daily’s Place. It strengthens the relationship the team and local company have had for close to a decade, [First Coast Energy co-owner Aubrey] Edge said. The team and local company have more in common than some might realize. They both are in increasingly competitive fields. They both have a strong focus on customer satisfaction. They both have undergone visible transformations in recent years after starting from scratch. Edge said the naming rights deal discussions began a couple of months ago after a casual conversation with Scott Massey, the Jaguars senior vice president of corporate partnerships. Team President Mark Lamping said there were a number of possibilities on the table, including one company that was at the deal stage. But after team leadership thought about it more, Daily’s fit the profile for the naming deal. Local company, longtime sponsor, a push to promote area businesses.
“Armada run unbeaten streak to three games with Minnesota draw” via Kartik Krishnaiyer of Florida Politics – In what was being billed as “football night in Jacksonville” with back-to-back Armada and Jaguars kickoffs, Jacksonville Armada FC earned a well-deserved point in a 0-0 draw against MLS-bound Minnesota United FC. The side from the Twin Cities were confirmed as an MLS-bound side for 2017 Friday evening and less than 24 hours later found themselves in a scrap with the Armada. The draw runs Jacksonville’s unbeaten run to three games, the club’s longest of the 2016 NASL campaign and also moved the Armada to ninth place in the Fall Season table.
“(The heat) massively affected how both teams lined up,” Armada Head Coach Mark Lowry said. “We like to press high, they like to press high, and you didn’t see much of that today. That’s clearly because of the heat. We felt that if we had come flying out of the gates, maybe after 20, 30 minutes, we would have run out of gas.”
Minnesota whose attack is led by the prolific Christian Ramirez, the NASL goal scoring leader was stymied most of the game by a stingy Armada defense.
“I think we’ve got some good defenders back there,” said Lowry. “Tyler (Ruthven) and Mechack (Jérôme) in my opinion are two of the best center backs in the league. In front of them, we had a well-organized midfield with Kevan (George), (Nicklas) Maripuu, JJ (Jemal Johnson) and Charles (Eloundou). It enabled us to control good portions of the game.”
The Armada were handed a man advantage in minute 77 when Ibson, arguably Minnesota’s most creative player was sent off for a high boot on Kevan George. But the Armada despite creating multiple chances with the man advantage could not find the breakthrough and for the second successive game split the points at home. While the results may not be optimal, the club has no doubt stopped the bleeding of earlier in the season and now goes into a break with a feel good factor.
Lowery remains unbeaten since taking over for Tony Meola Aug. 7. The Armada now have two weeks off before facing Carolina Sept. 3 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
