Staff bloggers

The monthly deadpaper.org reading downtown at Chamblin Uptown looks to be one of the first interesting things to do in town in 2009.

It's at 7 p.m. Friday (and the first Friday of the every month.) Hopefully by then everyone's hangovers will have worn off.

Tim Gilmore, the force behind the online publication and the readings, says the event is growing and about 60 people showed up last month. And don't fret, you don't have to read aloud or bring your guitar if you don't want to. It's OK to just go and hang out. You can be a wallflower if you want to.

There's a little more info in this story by a T-U freelancer: "City's poets create bohemian atmosphere."

Even if you don't go, deadpaper.org is worth checking out. Good reading. 

The city has sent out a notice about a detour off Starratt Road from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The only area affected will be the stretch from New Berlin to Duval Station roads and the detour will lead to Main Street.

It's part of the ongoing Better Jacksonville Plan project on Starratt, which is expected to be complete in late 2009. They're putting in a storm drain.

Here's something else going on this week. I got the flier from a Blacksonville.com e-mail blast Dec. 3 ... too late to make the Dec. 6 edition of the Northside Sun. Our sections are preprinted, so just a reminder that to get something in print it's best to have it in my inbox two weeks in advance.

For the life of me I cannot get a video to embed on this blog, so here's a link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zlW8bPvojU

Here's a map to Da Real Ting (though I'm sure you probably know where it is.) This must be the premiere in Jacksonville because this actually first was shown in Jamaica Feb. 6, Bob Marley's birthday.

I just got this by e-mail, too late to make it into Saturday's print edition of the Northside Sun.

A side note: Gene Hollomon plays one of the Three Wise Men in Stage Aurora's production of Black Nativity.

A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the nonprofit Fast-5 Corp. for their Erte and Help programs. Here's the description I was sent about the programs:

Encouraging Reading Through Entertainment (ERTE) - creating graphic novels, short films (with promo trailers on YouTube) and electronic games with stories and characters that are culturally accessible to urban adolescents. Each graphic novel published will be produced as a set of 5 books each communicating the same story, but translated to match a series of technical reading levels (10th, 11th & 12th grades, 8th & 9th grades, 6th & 7th grades, 4th & 5th grades, and 2nd & 3rd grades). The story will be age appropriate in its theme and content for the adolescent age groups. The covers of each book in the set will be identical with the exception of the ISBN. The project is under development with collaborating groups including Fast-5 Corporation, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts TV Film Department, and the Gateway Bookstore.

Hire-up Employment Learning Program (HELP) - is supported through Fast-5 Corporation and administered in partnership with the Gateway Bookstore whereby participating businesses hire youth, paying them with a donated stipend with the goal of cultivating basic career skills, building experience and positioning the youth for subsequent permanent employment.

I watched rehearsals Tuesday night for Stage Aurora's production of Black Nativity - look for the story and interview with the director in print or on this Web site on Saturday, Dec. 6.

If you've never seen the gospel song play before, you're in for a treat. They have some impressive voices in the show that will send chills down your spine. And perhaps the best part: The players are all local. They've worked really hard, spending their nights and Saturdays for the last month practicing. It should pay off.

Also, if you're a Langston Hughes fan, it's a good chance to see another side of his genius.

Opening Night is at 8 p.m. this Friday and the show continues Dec. 6 & 7 and Dec. 12, 13 & 14. The theater company's performance hall is inside the Gateway Town Center. 

Check out photos from the rehearsal to get an idea of what you'll see: 

http://photos.mynorthsidesun.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=648580&CategoryID=29023&ListSubAlbums=0 

All-

For the latest Fay coverage, visit Jacksonville.com

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As always, let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Click here for a searchable database of 2007-2008 FCAT grades.

2007 - 2008 FCAT grades were released today. For a searchable database of area FCAT grades, click here

Faced with about $86.6 million in lost revenue and rising costs, the Duval County School Board is looking into cuts that would affect individual schools and employees. Suggestions include dropping middle school athletics; stopping magnet school bus routes; slashing funding for art, music and P.E. by $1.7 million; cutting health care benefits by $6 million; and reducing workdays for employees. We want to know: are these the right cuts? Should there be different options on the table? Should there be cuts at all? How concerned are you about what's being suggested? Give us your opinion.

News submitted by he Mike Peterson Foundation:        12 local students named Stars of the MonthFoundation’s “Just Read It” program celebrates reading improvements
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 4, 2008) – The Mike Peterson Foundation is honored to announce this month’s 12 winners of its “Just Read It” program, a reading incentives program developed in partnership with Duval County Schools. Students in grades three through eight have the opportunity each month to be named a Star of the Month, honoring their achievements in reading. Winning students will receive a VIP tour of Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, in addition to a private meet and greet with Peterson and a personalized award on Wednesday, March 5, 2008.
March winners are:
Elementary School CategoryAntonio Singleton 3rd grade St. Clair Evans Academy Najee Whyte 3rd grade Ramona Blvd. ElementaryVanessa Ruales 4th grade Twin Lakes AcademyDarius Shivers 4th grade West Jacksonville ElementaryBiala Alfirjani 5th grade Brookview ElementaryZoya Williams 5th grade Louis Sheffield Elementary
Middle School CategoryDerriniquka Smith 6th grade Jefferson Davis MiddleMichael Ball 6th grade DuPont MiddleAl Prince 7th grade Fletcher MiddleMegan Nelson 7th grade Joseph Stilwell MiddleTimothy Stewart 8th grade Mayport MiddleTyler Taylor 8th grade Landmark Middle      

Peterson created the Mike Peterson Foundation as a means of giving back to his hometown of Alachua and his NFL hometown of Jacksonville.  The Foundation’s mission is to support families in need in the community and to stimulate the positive development of youth through football, academic and other outreach projects. For additional information, please visit www.mikepeterson54.com.