The Way We Were: Hazel Montgomery
Hazel Montgomery has been a permanent Jacksonville resident for nearly eight decades. She was married for 62 years to an Ortega native. “She is sharp, proud of her Ortega heritage, a delightful storyteller, and an all-around fabulous person,” said Marianne Hofheimer, one of her five children. Hazel Jackson Montgomery was born in Albany, Georgia at […]
Pet reptiles & amphibians: Instant Wow factor
They may not be furry or cuddly, but legal pet herptiles (reptiles and amphibians), are fascinating pets. They have unique skin, scales or shells, odd physical features, unexpected colors and mesmerizing behavior. Their striking appearance or almost-alien, “wow factor”, immediately attracts attention. They include common pet reptiles like lizards, snakes, turtles or tortoises, and amphibian […]
The Way We Were: Pat and Betty Geer
Pat and Betty Geer met in Jacksonville in the 1960s, raised a family here, and continue to reside locally. They were high school sweethearts at Robert E. Lee. Loyalty to God, school, and country is what they learned and what they taught their children. “Time changes all things,” Betty said wistfully. “But I wouldn’t want […]
SENIOR PET ADOPTION
Animal rescuers are continuously amazed when mistreated or homeless animals, express unconditional willingness to embrace and deeply bond with adopters, despite past traumatic experiences. When a senior homeless pet catches the attention of a potential adopter, physically and emotionally they radiate joy if given another chance to spend their golden years safe and loved with […]
The Way We Were: Bill and Mary Dudley Schmidt
It doesn’t happen often. But sometimes, Cupid’s arrow pierces the same heart twice. Such was the fate of Bill Schmidt. He was only 15 years old when he met his first love, his first wife, the mother of his two children. But cancer came. On the day he turned 48, the widower’s heart beat with […]
Cash in your valuables in the New Year
Do you know what your items are worth? For many, Christmas comes and goes without much of a fuss as gifts are given and pleasantries are exchanged. Some gifts hit a high note, others fall flat and make for a perfect exchange for some quick New Year’s cash on the flip side. Aside from Christmas […]
The Way We Were: Joe Joseph
“I’ve seen Jacksonville change over the past 70 years,” said Joe Joseph. Joe is the first generation of the Joseph family to be born in America, in Jacksonville’s St. Vincent’s Hospital in 1947. His family established themselves in Florida in stages. His great-grandfather immigrated to Tarpon Springs on Florida’s west coast in the late 1890s […]
The Way We Were: Jimmy Kelly
We reap what we sow, the saying goes. There’s a Jacksonville man who’s living proof. Jimmy Kelly, a native Floridian raised in Ortega, is a civic-minded man. He has helped hundreds of kids in our community, and animals, too. The joy he gives always comes back. Kelly was born in late November of 1951 at […]
