Articles

Annual SMPS Beautification Awards acknowledge the efforts of locals

Annual SMPS Beautification Awards acknowledge the efforts of locals

In a moment of déjà vu, for the second year in a row Diane Martin, immediate past president, opened the spring meeting of the San Marco Preservation Society at Aardwolf Brewery. The agenda was short and sweet: talk about accomplishments, present beautification awards, induct new officers. Among the accomplishments mentioned were some serious efforts: review […]

Remembering the Philips Highway corridor

Remembering the Philips Highway corridor

Regular contributor David Gum once again provides interesting and detailed memories of a particular part of town – in this case, the Philips Highway corridor between Atlantic and University boulevards. Who remembers back in the late 1990s/early 2000s when the city finally changed all the Philips Highway street signs to be consistent? Before then, half […]

Towering ‘stealth’ cell tower toppled by committee

Towering ‘stealth’ cell tower toppled by committee

Despite recommendation by the Planning and Development Department to approve a railroad-side cellular tower, at the end of the day, vegetation ruled. On May 8 the Tower Review Committee, by denying a landscape waiver, essentially toppled the application by Dynan Group and PI Telecom Infrastructure to erect a 150-foot cellular tower in a right-of-way near […]

Dredging up interest

Dredging up interest

Millers Creek group to gauge depth of desire for a special tax district – St. Nicholas residents living on Millers Creek met last month for the second time to discuss creating a special tax district to fund the dredging of the waterway that has become increasingly shallow over the years. While there is still plenty […]

Tribute to 90 years fitting for Memorial Day

Tribute to 90 years fitting for Memorial  Day

Approaching the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, The Memorial Park Association hosted a free community breakfast in the park on Memorial Day.  The Navy’s Color Guard opened the day with a brief formal ceremony, followed by breakfast treats donated by a number of the community’s merchants. Keynote speaker Dr. Wayne Wood […]

Repurposing a rose garden for maximum community impact

Repurposing a rose garden for maximum community impact

It’s been talked about for several years and is a fond wish of Avondale residents Jake Ingram and Victoria Freeman, two among many well-known gardeners. Thanks to two local groups, Ingram, Freeman and others with green thumbs will see their wish take root and, eventually, bear fruit. Earlier this year, the Emerging Design Professionals group […]

Fire truck finds weak spot in Avondale parking lot

Fire truck finds weak spot in Avondale parking lot

An abundance of yellow and red caution tape surrounded a portion of an Avondale shopping center parking lot in early May. The cautionary measures, along with large plywood sections, indicated damage and raised concerns about the integrity of the parking surface. When JFRD’s 15-ton Engine 22 made a pit stop for lunch one day recently, […]

Military veterans reflect on fatherhood

Military veterans reflect on fatherhood

From World War II to the Vietnam War era, eight men at Riverside Presbyterian House reflected on serving and fatherhood, offering up some advice that stands the test of time for today’s dads. A great-great grandfather, Cecil Carlton, served in the U.S. Army three years during the Korean War, then worked at Cecil Field for […]

Breakfast in Memorial Park May 26

The Memorial Park Association will host a free community breakfast in the park on Monday, May 26, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, the Navy’s Color Guard will open the event with a brief formal ceremony and keynote speaker, Dr. Wayne Wood, will […]