March 2026 – Jacksonville Blogger

Durkeeville-Hit ‘Em Out of The Park

As I was leaving Durkeeville, a little unique community on the Northside of Jacksonville, I traveled past the James Small baseball park established in 1912. While driving, I saw three guys scrambling all around the grounds. They were young, dressed in orange and black shirts and looked college-age. With a bit of time on my hands, I turned back and spoke to the young men. They were students at Edward Waters University and had been practicing baseball on the field.

Over the years it has had different names, Barrs Field, Myrtle Avenue Ball Park and others, but the one I remember most was Durkee Field. The land had once been owned by Joseph Durkee a former Union officer during the Civil War. Durkee’s son later turned the field over to the President of the Jacksonville Baseball Association, Amander Barrs. Because it was on Myrtle Avenue, it took on the name “Myrtle field” I knew it was historic having the great Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson play there years past.

The City of Jacksonville eventually purchased the park for $348,000. Following a fire that destroyed the original stadium another was built in 1936 which opened the field up for the Negro league and the Jacksonville Red Caps. By the 1970’s the field had received little maintenance and had fallen into disrepair. The City Council took on the task to save the park and in 1980 it was renovated and renamed J. P. Small Park in honor of a teacher and band director from the old Stanton School . From then until now many have used the field including Edward College University.

Vladimir Blanco spoke up first telling me that balls had been “hit out of the park” and they were scrambling to retrieve them. I asked about their team and all three seemed excited to be a part. Blanco was a junior and playing at catcher and pitcher. Joseph Di Cesare was a sophomore from Maracay, Venezuela playing as catcher and J.C. Medina was a graduate assistant and part of the coaching staff.

I learned that it has a small museum inside and in 2013 was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Drop by if you get a chance. You might meet some real sluggers.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

P.S. I had a photo made of the guys and put a gift card with it. They will think Mama’s in town.

Sources: Wikipedia, Google AI Overview, National Register of Historic Places, Vaughan Publishing, Nannette V. Ramey

Category: Parks, People, Sports | Comments Off

March 5

“Get a Job”

Fair Warning- This blog may make you heavy or uncomfortable.

[IMPORTANT- The homeless situation is tragic. There is no attempt to make fun or make light of anyone in this situation. While this is a true story, empathy, sympathy and help is still offered.]

Never in a million years would I have thought I would be an advocate for the homeless. For so long, when I’ve seen them on the street corners, I’ve thought, and sighed aloud to myself or under my breath, “Get a job”. I would never give them money to buy drugs. Never. (Oh, and as they say, “Never say never.”)

In 2012 after thirty-six years teaching, I retired and used my drop money to buy some properties in a low-income area of the city. Some of the places needed roof work, some needed flooring and the list goes on. I have family who would be willing to help but these projects take serious time and my family members have their own lives so I looked for other ways to get the jobs done. Being in a low-income area, there were a lot of homeless camps and people roaming the streets.

I would see a guy on a bike in the area and I’d stop him and say, “Hi, I need some flooring work done, do you do that and are you willing to help?” With the homeless, the answer is always, “Yes” so I had able-bodied people to help. What was never clear until working with them was if they really could do the job.(That story is for another day).

There are different groups in life. There are people with ailments, disabilities, gifts to sing, talents to create, jobs to build, and on and on. The homeless are in a group all by themselves. Just like other groups have specific characteristics, so do the homeless. The homeless are driven. Just like the opera singer at the most prestigious concert hall, the singer focuses on one thing- singing. The homeless (on a whole) focus on one thing- how to make money to pay for their habit of choice?

Yes, there are homeless who have mental issues, however, my experience is that the majority of homeless have a drug of choice problem and live to get that drug.

Regarding characteristics of the homeless: They are pack rats, dirty, messy, appear lazy(but so many are not), often late, don’t follow through, have trouble getting places and there’s more but that’s a start.

In working with the homeless, I’ve come to know them as people with a name and a story to tell. While they do not generally tell too much, in working with them you get to know a lot about them and find that they too have feelings, dreams, families and needs.

Where I stand now with the homeless is that it is definitely up to the Church to step in. Every single person who is in the body of Christ should witness to every single homeless person they see. Give them Jesus. That’s it! That would be the only thing to change their lives and yes, sometimes that means telling them about Jesus then shaking that hand with a bill in it.

Ever single church in the city of Jacksonville should have some type of ministry for the homeless . The number one goal should be that the homeless hear the Gospel of Christ that saves and importantly that delivers.

There is NO other way for them to change without God and there is a church on every corner who should know God and offer Him to those in need.

So I say to the church, not the homeless person- “Please… Get a job” in the business of sharing Christ with the homeless who are desperate to know Him. Jesus could transform their lives.

See you Tomorrow,

Nan

Category: Churches, Faith, People | LEAVE A COMMENT

March 4

Lucky Chase- Lucky to Get Back Home

It was February 7th, 2018 and we still have fond remembrances of Lucky Chase.

Mandarin, Florida is considered a “charming, historic suburb in southernmost Jacksonville, Florida.” It is widely known for the beautiful and very large oak trees; some in the middle of the roads. Its rich history of Harriet Beecher Stowe, orange groves and Spanish moss is only accentuated by the beautiful St. Johns River that runs along Mandarin’s banks. Because of the St. Johns River, there are a great many tributaries that run in and around Mandarin. There are a lot of ponds, creeks and lakes. One area known to so many is Lake Mandarin, a community of 312 homes including some single-family and others patio/cluster homes. Lake Mandarin homes back up to waterways.

These small lakes attract a variety of animals.- including Great Blue Herons, egrets, river otters, turtles, snakes and a variety of fish. While large birds do fly in and out, it has been unusual to find peacocks in back yards and yet in 2018 that is exactly what happened.

Lake Mandarin

While leaving the Lake Mandarin subdivision on a Wednesday morning in 2018, a very large pea fowl was crossing the road at Loretto and Gwenford. Loretto is a well-traveled road and not one for animals to share. Gwenford does back up to a St. Johns creek tributary but where the peacock was walking was away from the water and it was as if he was lost and confused. Being in my truck, I pulled over to the right side of the road and let the bird pass. The traffic was heavy and there was concern for the animal’s safety, so I got out of my truck thinking I would carefully shoo the bird toward the back of the homes but with traffic and yard fences, it would not work.

At that time, the third house on the road had its garage door wide open so when I walked toward the bird, he felt he had no where to go but in the garage. The owner of the home blocked the back door opening and I gathered up the peacock in my arms. Carefully holding him tight and making sure his long tail was extended, I took him to my truck, wrestled the door open, pointed his feathered tail toward the inside right door and slid into the driver’s seat; bird in arms.

Having at least 60 chickens of my own at the time, I had accommodations for the bird and immediately put him in run # 1; the largest pen I had. He would not fit in the hen house so at night, I secured him in a large box pen that I used for new mother and babies. Every day he would stay in the run with the chickens and at night I would put him in the large box for safe keeping. That first day we named him “Lucky Chase” because a friend of mine, Lois was talking about him being saved was a “luck chase” for him.

Wondering what to do with Lucky Chase, I posted on Facebook that I had found a large male peacock and suggested all to ask around to find out who may know of its owner. For over a week nothing came of the post until somewhere around February 19th, a young lady contacted me saying her mother was missing a peacock that frequented their backyard lake on a street about 2 miles from where he was found. She felt that might be the peacock.

On Wednesday, February 21, we arranged to meet at her location. My daughter and I took Lucky Chase in the van where there was more room for the long feathered sweep. Many of the neighbours all came to see and sure enough, they all acted and reacted happy together; even Lucky Chase. He was back home.

Even the ducks came out to meet and greet.

As much as I wanted to keep him, I knew he needed to return to his lake where I’m sure he’s lived happily ever after. I know his human was happy too.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Category: Animals, Flora and Fauna, Mandarin, Uncategorized | Comments Off

March 3

“Kiss of Life” A Divine Appointment

Rocco Morobito told others many years ago that he “was a believer”.

Photo given to Nan Ramey’s Class by Mr. Morobito, 2014

In 1968, The Kiss of Life photograph could be found on the front page of newspapers around the world. Even now, the photograph is celebrated on sites like Tic Tok, Instagram, Facebook, You Tube, news Channels and more. Even “Find A Grave” has a huge spread that tells the whole story. Those who work in the linesman industry say this event changed the way training was done. Certainly, it changed the families and friends of those close to the event.

Pulitzer Prize Winner explaining event.(Photo-Ramey)

Probably no one would have believed it but for the fact that Rocco Morobito captured it all on film. Morabito was a Jacksonville Journal photographer. He told the 4th grade students at Greenland Pines Elementary School in Jacksonville, Florida on September 4, 1994 that when he left for work that day, it was a normal work day as he was headed to get photos of the train strike. On the way there he saw linemen working on the poles near 26th and Grunthal. Following his trip to the train area he went back by the electricians only to witnessed a linesman slumped on a pole only held only by his harness.

Rocco Morobito holding Pulitzer photo (Photo-Ramey)

Randall Champion had contacted a low voltage wire which shocked him and left him unconscious and hanging at the top of the power pole. One of the lineman working near him that day, J. D. Thompson realized what happened, took action and scaled up the pole giving Champion mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and saving his life.

Morobito happened to be at the ground level capturing it all on film which would later be a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph for News Photography. It was named, “The Kiss of Life”.

Mr. Morobito told the Greenland Pines’ students that on the way home he stopped by St. Paul’s, went in and knelt at the alter lifting up a prayer. He said to a reporter once, “I told you long ago that I am a believer” and when asked what made him drop back by where the JEA workers were, his response was, “ I believe in divine guidance…”

Champion lived to the age of 64 and is buried at Restlawm Memorial cemetery. Rocco Morobito died April 5, 2009 at the age of 88. He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville. In 2024, J. D. Thompson, using a cane, was” honored with a City Council Proclamation commending him for his 1967 rescue of fellow lineman Randall Champion.”

I’d say it was a divine appointment.

Champion and Thompson at the Lineman Museum.(Photo-museum)

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Jacksonville Journal, Jacksonville Daily Record, You Tube, Greenland Pines Elementary, Rocco Morobito, Nannette V. Ramey,

Category: Faith, History, Mandarin, People | Comments Off

March 2

Witness To The Lives of Others

Family members are our biggest heroes. (Ramey, age 10 at Capitol)

“Nobody cares”, some say but, I care and my Aunt and Dad are why…

Aunt Urbanna and my Dad are credited for the passion to keep up with history. Many who knew them feel the same. They spent so much time in their lives, photographing and writing it all down. All of my young life my aunt had camera in hand and took photos from the time we visited South Carolina, (our parent’s home), until we left. Often she would develop and send the photos to Jacksonville. We all loved it! It made us feel important, special and she was a witness to our lives. From that, our Dad would have us write on the back of the photographs so we later would know the occasion. Being a witness to the lives of others all fits together with everyone participating.

For items too big for a small box

Because of the love of history, my own archives, have photos of the founders of the internet, Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson, several Presidents, and a dozen or more astronauts. There are famous people representing high-profiled cases like Cyril Wecht, Johnnie Cochran, and Jacksonville’s own, Judge Oliff. Also pictured is Mikhail Gorbechav, the Queen of England, the Prince, Princess and even Charlotte and the king-to-be, George. Oh, and there’s the King and Queen of Spain while in St. Augustine too. Jacksonville’s great First Baptist Church, has allowed for photos of famous pastors such as John MacArthur, John Philips, Adrian Rogers, Billy Graham, Franklin, his son and more. All being a witness to God’s greatness.

Boxes of labeled photos

History matters and Jacksonville, Florida has had the run of it. In recent months, I have wondered what in the world will happen to those pics going forward, so I’ve tried to organize them, categorize them and put them in ABC order but it’s just not as simple as that. Certainly not if you have at the very minimum of many thousands of photographs. For example, there are 88,000 photos in my 2 terabyte Apple phone right now. (Really). (And I have photos of Apple’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak too.)

Filing system to get photos filed

Now, it must be said. I’m really a “wanna-be photographer. I am not professional by any stretch. I consider myself a historian, so some of my photos are simple basic shots and simple images of very famous people.

Being a witness to the lives of others is important. While I’ve taken pics of the famous, I keep up with my own family, the real heroes in my life and click away every chance I get. Also, it is important to write on the backs to document those events. Anyone finding those photos will know who those famous family members are one day.

What about you? Whose lives are you viewing on a day-to-day basis and are you saving their images for future family members and historians alike? Tip of the day. Put names, dates and places on the back of all photos. History fades with time so as you witness, document as well.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Category: Faith, Family, History, People, Random Posts | Comments Off

March 1

The Lee Log Cabin

Idell Virginia Highsmith Lee was truly a pioneer in the 20th century and she lived in a log cabin to prove it. She married Ezra Marmaduke Lee on April 22, 1923 in Duval County, Florida. Together they built a real log cabin at 9313 Crystal Springs Road on Jacksonville, Florida’s westside. When I met “Granny Lee”, her husband Ezra of 39 years had recently died leaving her alone in the cabin but with grandkids all living on the land next to her.

My memories of Granny are fond. She celebrated the many who dropped by to see her. They were always welcome in her 2 br family-built log cabin. She told me that she, Ezra and with some neighbor’s help build the cabin not long after they married. It was a long project and took some time to build but it was theirs and they were so proud of it.

The log cabin was small and unique with about 14 logs top to bottom on each wall. There was little chinking inside and on some walls, the only covering was the outside small square wood siding. It was certainly not weather tight. Chinking or daubing is a mixture of clay, mud, sand and sometimes wood splits that is mixed together and used to pack in between the logs to fill all gaps. The purpose would be to prevent weather concerns, insect problems and air leakage. On the inside of their log cabin, some walls had only daubing where the corner logs met. It would be important to put some daubing at the corners to prevent log movement and they met that need with no worry.

The Lee cabin had two four glass pane entry doors; one in the front and one out back with a screen door as well. The steps were wooden and there was a single hand rail for support to come in and out. All of the way around side to side and front to back there was wood siding. By 1971 it looked weathered but in good shape.

Granny Lee died in August of 1996. Her tomb stone has a cross in the center. She loved the Lord and lived out His principles. She is buried next to her beloved Ezra at Evergreen Cemetery. Her family eventually sold the land and the Lee log cabin was demolished for a beautiful and stately home made of brick and mortar. I had a photograph framed and will give to the folks who live there honoring her legacy.

See you Tomorrow,

Nan

Category: People, Westside | Comments Off