Today, August 23, 2022 there was a chance to change or solidify the way you feel about this great country. If you really care about America, you’ll vote in one of the primaries. Polls open at 7:00a.m., closing at 7:00 p.m. If you’re still in line at 7:00 you’ll still have opportunity to vote. So, go vote.
In recent months those in Jacksonville received new voting cards which included your basic information and a precinct location in which you can go cast your ballot. Here are requirements as provided on the My Florida website:
Florida driver’s license
Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
United States passport
Debit or credit card
Military identification
Student identification
Retirement center identification
Neighborhood association identification
Public assistance identification
Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.
If your photo ID does not include your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that has your signature.
If you do not bring proper ID, you can still vote a provisional ballot. As long as you are eligible and voted in the proper precinct, your provisional ballot will count provided the signature on your provisional ballot matches the signature in your registration record. 8-23-22
I voted in the early voting opportunity. I hope you voted too and vote to make and keep America great.
Some people would call a pile of used tires, rubbish, trash, debris, but some in the Nanville area think it’s called funny. The tire piles began with a few tubes place in the driveway on Lane Avenue to apparently keep people off of the property. It wasn’t long until there were four, then five, six, then seven and now over forty tires. That is when it became funny.
Nanville is on the edge of Old Kings Road and Lane Avenue, in the Picketville area on the Westside of Jacksonville. This area has been very rural for years and is just now beginning to show signs of city life with a major home development on the Kings Road right at the end of Lane Avenue.
For years, going back to the early Picketville family, there were land grants with all of the trimmings of horses, cows, chickens and the like. This was where Picketville got its name, dating back to about 1808 before Jacksonville was even platted. In the 1980’s when Nanville was established, Gator Picket, the neighbor had horses, cows and chickens galore but no tires that I remember.
The city of Jacksonville offers a “Tire and Sign Buyback” program annually. It’s usually held in September. With a valid ID, citizens can bring up to 10 tires and 40 signs. The city workers will give them $2. a tire and .50 cents a sign.
I guess these folks couldn’t wait for the buyback program or they actually wanted to be a part of a funny story? On the other hand, September is coming. I’ll keep you posted if the tires disappear. Either way- it’s funny!
Do you know that you cannot take an air conditioning unit to the scrap yard without a notice signed by you saying from whence it came and who owned it?
Yep! The scrap metal industry has really had a booming business with thieves far and wide who would in the night remove folks AC unit from their homes and take them to the scrap yard for money. Gasp and…God saw it all.
I’m sorry to report. The problem got so bad that the scrap yards were forced to ask for proof of where a unit came from and who it belonged to.
My Father and Mother’s property on the Westside of Jacksonville was so full of scrap metal that one guy took away 6 full loads in a 5 x 12 trailer piled at least 5 feet tall. He and his girl friend were happy folks each time they completed a run to the scrap yard.
In this photo, is a small load of scrap that was on the back of our 10 acres. Someone will be happy though because the bottom of the flat area is solid metal. Metal does not bring much per pound but it adds up.. Oh! And, look at the tire rim! Ha!
Current Prices
Insulated Copper Wire (Cat 5/6)$0.62/lb. …
Aluminum NA. …
Car Batteries$0.22-$0.26/lb. …
Car Batteries$0.22-$0.26/lb. …
Small Foreign Cat$82-$97/each. …
Steel $0.03-$0.05/lb. Stainless Steel $0.23/lb. …
Clean Green Motherboards$1.15/lb. Non-Green Motherboards$0.55/lb. …
The Jacksonville Historical Society is in search of any information about a song that was sung on a PBS program “Your Town and Mine” in the 1960s. According to Cynthia Lynn Conner, 3rd graders at the Chapell School sung the song at school.
FB Screen shot
It is believed to have some connection to Jacksonville University. Elizabeth Barrs Howard noted in Facebook comments that Margaret Vason Forester might know something as the host of the program. Her maiden name at that time was Margaret Bloom. The HS indicates that she donated this score sheet to the Historical Society.
‘Anyone out there know anything of this song about “Wonderful Jacksonville” sheet of music or the program? We would love to shed a little sunshine in the “land of sunshine”.
My cousin, David Paul is a licensed contractor and when asked about building a “Tiny Library” box did not hesitate. He built it with left over items he had in his wood and metal piles. After he was finished, I was able to pick it up while visiting our family reunion in Hampton, South Carolina. It has been on the corner of our Jacksonville Crystal Springs property since about 1997.It was built with fine wood and a metal roof. What a beauty. (Thanks, cousin!).
Since it was placed there using a braced 4 x 4, it has served the community well. When full, the library contains about 50 volumes depending on the size of the books. It has stayed full and has on occasion had a paper box placed under it with additional books. We discourage that due to rain and weather concerns.
The digital world has hit us all full force and now-a-days many readers have reading devices and apps on their phones and computers to read books. The hand held books seem to becoming a thing of the past. This makes me so sad.
My Father and Mother were lovers of books. They built a brick room off of the back of the house dedicated to just books. We call it our library even today. It probably has 2,500 volumes in that small home.
The “Little Library outside was completely empty when I rode past yesterday. For sure, those using it are not following the rule: “Take One. Leave One”. I’m still grappling on what to do with this situation. I’d like to put a sign on the glass that reads: “ Karen took five books. She did not leave any in return. Do not be like Karen”. ” Take One. Give One.”Your thoughts? 8-19-22
In February of 2020 the news media began stories about COVID-19. Words like COVID, pandemic, medicines, sickness, world-wide, virus spread, “Center of Disease Control and Prevention” and the like were being talked about. Experts were being brought into news stations to talk about virus spread, SARS-CoV-2 and such. Many of those experts knew absolutely nothing about this virus.
By March 2020, many business, churches and families began to restrict activity in their lives. Some churches and businesses completely shut down narrowing their activities to online only events. In Florida , Governor Ron DeSantis gave an executive order that restricted all activities except for those considered “essential”. People stayed in their homes and did not even go to their family members homes during this time for fear of disease spread.
By September of 2020, many restrictions were rescinded, however the public was well aware of the possible dangers and in Florida, sought to manage within safety conditions. DeSantis encouraged wise decision and allowed the people of Florida to live their lives while the Federal Government in many cases took liberty and freedoms from the people.
Those who kept the records completely failed the American public, counting those who had the actual sickness with those who were in the hospital with other conditions so we will never really know the extent of the number of cases. The news media, particularly, CNN played eerie music during their showing of virus cases, with a sidebar ticking away virus case numbers which were not even true numbers. This proved to be a tactic that caused much fear among those watching these programs.
The Center of Disease Control pushed vaccines, and serious mask-wearing for even young children. Certainly, a lot of the restrictions, school board decisions and business regulations were controversial. Considering the numbers, which more than likely are not even correct, depending on who collected them and how, Florida choices during the pandemic proved to be more positive overall than others with complete lock downs.
Now that the virus is considered under basic control, there are a lot of businesses offering sale items of masks and other pandemic things. We as a people are still all affected by this world-wide pandemic but we try to move forward.
In Jacksonville and I’m sure the world, the pandemic changed everything. I do believe every part of our lives were affected by this virus often called the “China Virus”. It is believed that the virus began in Wuhan, China.
From the loss of seeing our family members for weeks and weeks and weeks, to the loss of work which affected our financial situations, this sickness changed even our mind-set. The way business is done, our personal actions and behaviors have been changed.
Even the Church and the way the fellowship of believers meet has had an impact. During the pandemic, the number of people were restricted as to how many could gather in a room affected membership roles. Chairs were closed off and covered, ropes were places on designated areas for seating and online services were enhanced which even affected followers today. There are some members who have not returned to church using the online programs as their church service. For sure, the financial situation has been impacted at the fellowship with many do not see the importance of keeping open the doors of the church.
As we all rebuild after this horrible pandemic event, we observe many of the see-through plastic walls in front of registers come down, no masked faces and less hand sanitisers on counters. We’re now over two years out and things seem to be getting more normal. I say “more normal” because things will never be the same. I wonder about your thoughts concerning the pandemic of 2020. 8-18-22
We could not save the barn of our childhood. It was built about 1963 using railroad cross ties and tin. My Father had a way with putting things together, using the old and creating a new look. The old barn held up until about 2001 when it began to show serious disrepair. At that time, my Father, in his 90’s, was not going out to the barn area much and no attention was being paid to the lagging sides and caving-in roof.
Family Barn- Nan-Kathy 2020
In 2021, we finally came to the realization that it could not be pulled, pushed or braced enough to save it so, we took it down with an excavator, burned the wood, and removed the brick flooring. We are now in the process of repurposing the camper barn instead.
Many memories are attached to that old barn even though it is gone and almost no evidence of it once being on the 10 acre property. We spent many days playing on the 75 bales of hay that would be delivered for our horse and cows. While we only had one horse, Smokey, and 2 cows, Betsy and Lambert. It was still a farm; a small one, but a farm. We milked Betsy, rode Smokey and Lambert was a prize cow so that was our animal fix.
Over the years, we had chickens, geese and of course, dogs and cats. We once had a weasel and certainly saw snakes a-plenty.
The Dinsmore Dairy that was in North Jacksonville probably dating back to the early 1900’s to the 1970’s is no longer producing milk for the Jacksonville and beyond community but there are still artifacts and remaining relics of the business. Today, I came across a metal milk jar container and was glad to find it.
Dinsmore Dariy Bottle Carrier-(Ramey)
The dairy at one time had one of the largest groups of Guernsey cattle and the Johnson family were known for producing milk for the community. I went to school with Earl A. Johnson’s son, Andy, graduating in 1971 so I remember those days.
The house where the milk was processed has been turned into a pretty home set back among beautiful oak and pecan trees. Hanging from them are wispy Spanish moss. Some of the old milk barns can be seen from the dead-end street but much of the farm out-barns and other farming structures like silos’ are gone. Around the old farm are two subdivisions dotted with brick homes. While there is still a semblance of the country, the country has come to town out there.
Today, I left my church, the FBC of Jacksonville, a little early and headed to the St. Vincent’s Hospital to visit a 96 year old friend. As I rode past the Riverside Baptist Church I noticed the front doors open wide. Pulling over, I decided to drop in to see where my parents were married in 1945.
Riverside Baptist. Ramey Collection
It’s actually jaw-dropping to walk into that beautiful sanctuary. The 11:00 am service was at a close so I sat on the back pew and just marvelled at the beauty of that space. In looking it up, it is on the United States National Register of Historic Places since 1972 and won a spot on the Florida Arcitechture: 100 Year. 100 Places.
Riverside Baptist Church. Ramey Collection
The architect was Addison Mizner of The Winter White House fame.( President John F. Kennedy’s place). He had also designed work in Boca Raton and the Everglades.
This church was completed in 1926. My parents were married in 1945 just after WWII. The best man was Tommy Thompson and the Maid of Honor was my Mother’s twin sister, Geneer. It is interesting to note that Tommy Thompson and my Mother’s twin, Geneer, married in this same church in January of 1946 with my parents being their support system.
Geneva and Alec in front of the Aberdeen home in Riverside
Jacksonville is in Northeast Florida. Just about the time you pass the FLORIDA sign, you are in the Jacksonville range. Also considered Northeast Florida is Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, Green Cove Springs, Mayport, Fort George Island, The Beaches, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach and Palatka.
Florida -(Ramey Collection)
Jacksonville’s claim to fame is the fact that the “earliest civilized history dates to the 1562 landing of French explorer Jean Ribault on a point high on a bluff above the St. Johns River. Ribault was greeted by Timucuan Indians, who thrived on the area’s plentiful game and fish and shared their stores and knowledge with these visitors. Jacksonville was named in 1822 for Andrew Jackson, Florida’s first territorial governor and later U.S. President.” It is also known for an extensive park system, one of the largest, if not the largest in the nation.
Jacksonville is a beautiful city with a pretty skyline that emphasises blue skies, for the most part and of late is filled with new condos and corporate life. There are multiple bridges in Jacksonville that span across the rivers and water areas of the town.
It has a most massive oak trees, called the “Treaty Oak” that is quite aged and kept with care in a park near the Southbank of the downtown area.
Northeast Florida is a great place to visit and Jacksonville is a hallmark place to come if you’re far or near. It’s worth the drive.
