Jacksonville Magazine, March/April 2023

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

The Florida Bar, the state’s guardian for the integrity of the legal profession, routinely publicizes its disciplinary actions directed to attorneys practicing in the state. Such disciplinary actions may include reprimands, suspension and disbarment—meaning loss of privileges to practice for at least five years. In fact, the Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar and its Department of Lawyer Regulation are charged with administering the statewide disciplinary system to enforce Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for the Bar’s more than 110,000 members.

Jacksonville Magazine recently searched the Florida Bar’s online public database for disciplinary actions taken against lawyers practicing in Northeast Florida. Examining the monthly reports for the sixmonth period between July and December 2022, six local attorneys were cited by the Bar. Most of the infractions would be considered fairly common, somewhat routine incidents of oversight or neglect. In short, these lawyers weren’t acting in the best interest of clients, according to the Bar’s stringent rules. As a result, public reprimands and suspensions were handed out. One attorney, S.A. Siddiqui, was disbarred, “effective immediately following a July 28 court order.”

In most cases, the attorneys’ actions and Bar’s decisions are summed

up in a handful of sentences. Attorney Matt Shirk, who made local headlines a few years back while he was the elected Public Defender of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, received a bit more attention. “Shirk hired or directed the hiring of three women by the Office of the Public Defender contrary to the procedures, policies or qualifications, or outside the normal hiring practices. Shirk then engaged in workplace or work-related interactions with these women that were of an inappropriate nature. Shirk also violated Jacksonville City Ordinance 154.107 by serving alcoholic beverages in a city building to several of these women after their work hour,” are among his infractions cited by the Bar. His penalty? He was suspended for 30 days and ordered to pay a fine.

Attorneys are human beings and, as such, susceptible to the same lapses in judgement, incidents of poor behavior and moments that aren’t suitable for sharing on social media as we all are. We all make mistakes, right? However, an attorney making a mistake on behalf of a client can have significant consequences, even life-changing results. As such, upholding a high measure for professional integrity is serious work. So, knowing who isn’t measuring up has value, as does knowing who are the best in their profession. The very best in Jacksonville are featured in this very issue, beginning on page 69. u

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jax files

Crystal ball photography is a type of refraction photography. The image you see when you look through a lens ball is reversed because that’s how a spherical shape bends light. I took this photo with a Canon Rebel T7 camera at the Jacksonville Beach Pier on July 22, 2022. I like shooting through the crystal ball for its mesmerizing look and it’s so different than other types of photography.

CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS: Do you have an image of Northeast Florida you’d like to share with our readers? Submit your photo and the story behind it to mail@jacksonvillemag.com for the opportunity to be featured on this page.

SMALL TALK

Newsworthy Nuggets from Northeast Florida to Chew on This Month

O The St. Johns River Ferry service at Mayport will remain out of service until late spring. According to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, the ferry is undergoing routine maintenance required by the U.S. Coast Guard. The maintenance schedule was pushed back from its original start date due to supply chain issues for vessel parts and to minimize downtime of the service. While the boat is undergoing repairs, the ferry landing property will receive upgrades including work on the bulkheads and improved signage. The new date for restarting ferry service is May 2.

O The average cost of a large Pizza Hut cheese pizza is a relative bargain in Florida. A recent survey of global pizza prices by loan lender Net Credit found Hawaii tops the most expensive state for a large cheese, coming in at $19. The same large pie will set you back $18 in Alaska and Illinois, but only $12.79 in Flor-

ida. Worldwide, Finland takes the Pizza Hut crown with a price of more than $30. Hold the pepperoni, please.

O The Haskell Co. founder and chairman Preston Haskell recently made a significant financial gift to Princeton University toward the creation of a new Princeton University Art Museum. Haskell is a 1960 graduate of the New Jersey school. For his generosity, he will be recognized with the name of a new education center at the museum, construction of which is expected to be complete by late 2024. His gift also includes eight abstract masterpieces from his personal collection, including works by Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Mark Rothko.

O Speaking of generous donations: Groundwork Jacksonville has received its largest grant to date for work on the planned Emerald Trail public park. The National Fish and Wildlife

Foundation awarded the group nearly $6 million through its National Coastline Resilience Fund to complete the design and permitting for the ecological restoration of Hogan’s Creek. The creek, which flows through Springfield and Downtown, is long overdue for improvements to its water quality, flood control and as a habitat for wildlife. If all goes as planned, the Emerald Trail will be complete by 2030.

O Think the migration surge is occurring only along border states such as Texas and Arizona? Think again. In January alone, Florida border and law enforcement agencies interdicted nearly 10,000 migrants coming to the state aboard more than 150 vessels, including 47 boats detained in the Dry Tortugas and another 48 in the Lower Keys. Also, packages containing approximately 146 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $2.3 million, was confiscated by U.S. Border Control after washing up on Keys’ beaches.

A River Runs Through It

T he Museum of Science & History has moved one step closer to its goal of rebuilding on the Northbank of the St. Johns River. The completion of its conceptual plan for the new facility (pictured) was recently announced, with a design that places the river as its core spacial feature and guide for visitors as they move through the museum. A dramatic, two-story water feature representing the full 27-foot drop the St. Johns makes from its source in Central Florida to the Atlantic Ocean will greet guests as they begin their journey along pathways that mimic the river’s role in connecting the region, as well as celebrating Northeast Florida’s nature and culture. Estimates are that by building a new, larger facility at the Jacksonville Shipyards, a stone’s throw across the river from the current 77,000-square-foot museum, MOSH will serve some 470,000 visitors each year. u

MUSICAL NOTES

Jax River Jams, a four-week, multi-genre concert series returns for Thursday night shows at Riverfront Plaza in Downtown. The schedule features Cold War Kids (April 6), Shaggy (April 13), Grouplove (April 20) and Chris Lane (April 27). The music starts at 5:30 PM with the night’s headliner taking the stage at 8:30 PM. Tickets are free. Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs.

Trip Advisor

The Nation’s Oldest City received some Public Broadcasting love earlier this year. The TV travel series Samantha Brown’s Places to Love debuted an episode focused on St. Augustine, specifically the Castillo de San Marcos, the restaurant Llama, shark tooth hunting and more. The 30-minute episode can be viewed at PBS.org.

SHOW STOPPER

Being a VIP does have its privileges—at least it does at the Florida Theatre. The historic venue’s new Remedy Lounge officially opened in February, the first expansion of its public spaces in 95 years. The new 3,000-square-foot lounge features private bathrooms, closed-circuit coverage of the stage and a bar pouring cocktails made with local brews and spirits.

FIVE THINGS WE LOVE RIGHT NOW

Jump Right In

Speaking of outdoor spring adventures: The St. Johns Riverkeeper has launched a new website that allows visitors to search the region’s many options for hiking, kayaking, places to stay and eat—all centered on the 310-mile St. Johns River. From lakes to tiny creeks, if it lies within the river’s 9,000-square-mile watershed, ExploretheStJohns.com has it covered.

Sea Food

Food trucks and waterfront views can be savored together at Marina Munch at the English Landing Marina in St. Augustine. Overlooking the San Sebastian River, a couple miles from the historic district, regulars serving eats here include Bacon & Bubbles, Uptown Scratch Kitchen and The Saucy Pig. Arrive by boar or car. u

Picture Pawfect

Luna

Rat Terrier/Beagle Mix, 5 years old

“I got Luna to be my email support animal but I quickly came to realize, I was her emotional support human. She has much more anxiety than a pup should,” says her owner. Despite her anxieties, Luna is a silly dog who enjoys playing with toys—but only if people are watching her. She likes to be the center of attention at all times. She patrols her yard protecting her family from squirrels and strangers and she loves naps and walks around Home Depot. Some of her favorite treats are lettuce, bell peppers, eggs, and chicken.

ZuZu

Pit Bull Terrier Mix, 2 years old

ZuZu’s story is one of survival. She was abandoned in the woods in 2020 but fortunate to be found by two friendly dogs living in the home to which she would eventually be adopted. Diagnosed with various physical ailments and emotionally scarred, ZuZu was scared and hurting. Thanks to much care and training, she is still very protective but otherwise “sweet as a sunshine-filled Northeast Florida summer day,” says her owner.

Zippy

Terrier Mix, 7 years old

WANT TO SEE YOUR BELOVED ANIMAL IN JAX MAG?

Nominations for Picture Pawfect pets can be made via our website, under the heading Reader Polls. Previously featured Picture Pawfect pets may be viewed there, too.

“Zippy tends to quietly dominate other dogs, even much larger ones,” say her owners. “We had to stop taking her to group day-care because all she did was sit on a chair and corral her pack around her. It frustrated the human chaperones because nobody played, they just sat around and stared at Zippy. On a chair. It was weird.” When not lording over other pooches, you may find Zippy playing soccer (her favorite game), enjoying a belly rub, or chasing lizards. u

A Walk In The Park

Location: the Alapaha River

MUST SEE

Paddlers discover several small, unnamed waterfalls on the journey. None are as grand as Turket Creek Falls. Crashing down a nine-foottall rock formation, these falls are located on the Alapahoochee River, a tributary of the Alapaha, about a quarter-mile before the two waterways converge. The term “hidden gem” is a cliche, but if there are any attractions worthy of that overused designation, Turkey Creek is one of them. Water levels fluctuate greatly, with the waterfall being high enough to stand under at times but shrinking to just a few feet during periods of high rainfall. Less than a half-mile upstream from Sasser Landing, the site is accessible to those with limited kayaking experience and is a great spot to hop out and snag an Instagram-worthy photo.

Winding waterways featuring waterfalls, mini rapids, and rugged rock formations towering 20 to 30 feet are not typical of a North Florida landscape. Luckily, the Alapaha River doesn’t recognize state boundaries. Originating deep in Southwest Georgia, the river flows 202 miles south to Florida’s Suwannee River, offering some of the most rewarding and exhilarating kayaking in our area

WHEN YOU VISIT

V Pack enough food and water for a few hours’ outing and wear something you don’t mind getting a little wet. You’ll want a buddy to join in the adventure so you can station a car at each end of the route. Paddling back upstream to your vehicle is no fun.

V This is not a formal park with a main entrance and visitor amenities, but an un-

developed river accessible by a few boat ramps and rudimentary kayak launches. The current can be swift after heavy rainfall, while low water levels can expose challenging class I and II rapids. You definitely want to plan where you’re putting in and taking out. Detailed, interactive maps can be found at wwals.net/maps/alapaha-water-trail/ arwt-map/.

Jennings’ Defeat

V One option is a four-mile paddle from the GA SR 135 bridge to Sasser Landing boat ramp, which takes between two and three hours, accounting for time to stop and admire Turket Creek Falls at the 3.5-mile mark. If you’re looking for an all-day adventure, the 11 miles from Statenville boat ramp to Sasser Landing feature several waterfalls and ends with a difficult set of rapids known as “Jennings Defeat.”

In the 1830s, homesteader George Jennings floated down the Alapaha River on a raft, hoping to claim some prime North Florida farmland. All went according to plan until he reached rapids just south of the present-day Florida-Georgia border. Capsizing on the shoals and losing all of his possessions, Jennings dragged himself to shore and went on to establish the town of Jennings, Florida. Both the town and the rapids that delivered its founder still bear George’s name. u

Garden Party

An acclaimed South Florida botanical marvel celebrates the color and beauty created by an iconic designer and artist. What started as a generous gift from an avid gardener in 1973, has grown into the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a 15-acre natural gem in the center of Downtown Sarasota. Selby is said to be the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display of epiphytic orchids and other tropical plants. A second campus, Historic Spanish Point, expanded the Gardens’ footprint and mission when opened in May 2020.

In addition to its permanent attractions including the 100-year-old banyan grove, tropical conservatory, koi pond and the grand Payne Mansion, the waterfront property hosts the occasional special exhibition such as this spring’s notable Tiffany: The Pursuit of Beauty in Nature, on display through June 25. Peppered throughout the downtown Sarasota grounds, the exhibition

showcases the creativity and innovation of the American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), who founded Tiffany Studios and served as the first design director of Tiffany & Co., the renowned jewelry and silver firm established by his father, Charles. The exhibit is the first of its type to be presented in a botanical garden, a particularly appropriate setting in which to highlight the connection between Tiffany’s work and the natural world. The iconic artist’s celebrated stained-glass windows and lamps inspire stunning horticultural displays in the Tropical Conservatory and throughout the Gardens. The kaleidoscopic displays of flowers and foliage are intended to play with light, color, and material to create an immersive experience that blurs the lines between art and nature.

Accompanying the horticultural displays will be outstanding examples of Tiffany’s work on view in the Museum of Botany &

the Arts. Lent from a local private collection, the remarkable group of lamps, vases, and other objects will be used to tell the story of Tiffany and his firm, which revolutionized glassmaking and elevated the status of American decorative arts at home and abroad. The objects will also be used to explain their innovative methods of manufacture, and to emphasize the significant role of the designers and craftspeople who helped Tiffany to achieve his objective of furnishings and coordinated interiors filled with objects of the highest quality, all reflecting the beauty of nature.

The Selby Gardens grounds include a small cafe (ideal for picnic lunches on the South Lawn), museum and gift shop. Campus-tocampus boat excursions along the Intracoastal Waterway set sail on Thursdays and Saturdays in April. Both locations are open daily, 10 AM-5 PM. Admission ranges from free (age 4 and under) to $16.  u

BREAK AWAY

One of Florida’s classic vacation destinations recently welcomed a new lodgings option. The Kimpton Shorebreak Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort is a 96-room boutique hotel wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway. Originally opened in 1949 as the Escape Hotel, the signature restaurant La Fuga serves contemporary coastal Italian cuisine. A host of pet-friendly amenities are offered to four-legged guests at no extra cost. While there are two pools, the main attraction is undoubtedly the hotel’s rooftop pool and bar, offering wonderful views of the surrounding marinas and waterways. At checkin, all guests are greeted with a signature cocktail to set the mood and signal a vacation escape has begun.

Take A Dip

Waterfront dining in the Florida Keys? The choices are dime-adozen, right? While that’s sort of true, the Playa Largo Resort & Spa offers a dining experience that takes the ordinary to some place new. The resort’s Water Table allows guests to kick off their sandals, dip their toes in the Gulf and have front row seats to the Keys’ famous sunsets. A Marriott Autograph Collection property, Playa Largo is complete with several bars and restaurants, a private beach, seaside pool, fitness center, and a nightly bonfire where guests are invited to write down their worries before tossing the piece of paper into the flames.

National Secrets

For decades, a little known site in Jacksonville served as a storage facility for hundreds of nuclear warheads.

The bunkers stand in a long row, extending toward the horizon. Their walls are concrete, three feet thick. The steel doors weigh tons. Each bunker held from 10 to 30 nuclear weapons and was surrounded by three rows of barbed wire fences, sensors, searchlights and surveillance cameras. About 200 Marines watched from towers.

Miles of barbed wire fence surrounded 11,000 acres of pine woods with a labyrinth of roadways, a helipad, an inner compound. For decades, Jacksonville went about its business, electing mayors and building shopping centers, without knowing the U.S. Department of Defense was housing scores of nuclear warheads in secret bunkers at the Yellow Water Nuclear Weapons Storage Area west of town.

“Nothing in human experience can adequately describe the enormity of nuclear weapons arsenals,” wrote William Arkin and Richard Fieldhouse in their 1985 book Nuclear Battlefields: Global Links in the Arms Race. “More than 50,000 warheads, most no bigger than a suitcase, can each obliterate cities. Just a

few can kill millions of people and destroy the environment for decades hence. The smallest nuclear warheads are 10 times more powerful than the largest conventional weapons.”

When newspapers received advanced copies of Nuclear Battlefields, the headlines screamed: “Nukes in Our Back Yard” and “Secret Nuclear Arsenal at Jacksonville.” In fact, Yellow Water had been a nuclear weapons depot since the 1950s. In response to fears the new book would jeopardize national security, retired Rear Admiral Gene LaRocque said, “The Soviets know all of this. The only people who have been kept in ignorance are the American public. The Pentagon is reluctant to tell you that you have nuclear weapons in your back yard.”

In fact, The New York Times had listed Yellow Water (misidentified as the adjacent Naval Air Station Cecil Field), as one of “the Navy’s seven main storage depots for nuclear weapons“ in 1982 and Leatherneck Magazine published a series of articles about Marine duty at Yellow Water in 1983. Leatherneck reported that

it was illegal to fly overhead at altitudes under 3,000 feet and that Yellow Water’s 89 bunkers contained security systems that included toxic gases and sounds at high enough pitch to destroy a person’s eardrum.

John Springer was a Marine guard stationed at Yellow Water from 1984 to ’86. “I stood many nights on duty on the roof of the guard barracks in the compound armed with an M-60, an M-16 and grenade launchers and a barracks full of bored Marines ready to go at it.”

Where a forest grows now, the inner compound then was mown grass. Springer was 19. He was on the roof the night the U.S. bombed Libya, mid-April, 1986, when President Ronald Reagan blamed a West Berlin disco bombing on Muammar Gaddafi. Though the next few months entailed increased security, Springer says, “The nights were so quiet and so dark, the stars in the millions.

“We trained and trained,” he says, “and prayed that someone would try to break in. We were the Few. The Proud. The Marines. The mot-

to sounds like a cliché. But that’s how we felt. We were proud to be standing guard in a place that few people knew existed.”

When Reagan watched the 1983 movie The Day After, which envisioned the effects of nuclear holocaust on Middle America, he wrote in his diary that it left him “greatly depressed” and changed his mind on nuclear weapons policy. He would soon commit to meeting with Soviet leaders to focus on nuclear disarmament. Still, by the early 1990s, Rear Admiral Eugene Carroll said Mayport’s aircraft carriers each carried about 100 nuclear weapons during the Cold War and that between 100 and 200 nuclear weapons were stored at Yellow Water at any given time. Some of the weapons at Yellow Water, he said, were approximately 75 times more powerful than the atomic bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.

In 1992, Bob Blodgett, who served 18 years as Duval County chief of emergency management, told Florida newspapers he’d known the Navy stored nuclear weapons at Yellow Water. It angered him that the Navy transferred these weapons by armed truck convoy straight through the city. “They were transporting those things right across our highways and through Downtown.”

So, Blodgett asked top military leaders about Yellow Water and “got nothing but a brick wall.” He said, “We were trying to make arrangements so we could take precautions, but they would in no way cooperate with us or tell us when the public might be in any danger.”

Today, the Yellow Water bunkers sit wide open behind a narrow strip of trees just down the street from an Amazon sorting center, right behind the Jacksonville Equestrian Center.

Even before the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommended in 1993 that Naval Air Station Cecil Field, adjacent to Yellow Water, be closed by the new millennium, U.S.-Russian arms control treaties called for nuclear weapons to remain at Yellow Water until 2002, when most would be moved and dismantled. u

Distinguished 5+ Acre Riverfront Estate

As you approach via the quarter-mile drive, you start to gain sight of this stately custom-built mansion on the St. Johns River, like none other, located on 5.81 acres on Mandarin Road. Built in 1988 by Collier Classic Homes, this neoclassical estate, with elegant columns architecturally inspired by the historic Orton Plantation of North Carolina, o ers luxury finishes both inside and out. Located at one of the widest points on the river, this 3 bedroom, 3 full / 2 half bath home is 4,827 sq ft with 159 ft of water frontage, o ering exquisite and expansive views of the St. Johns River. The rear elevation was designed identically to the front, each with 400 sq ft of covered porches, so the observer floating by with Mint Julep in hand will enjoy the same breathtaking view as one approaching from the front. Marble floors and Schonbek crystal chandeliers are just a sampling of the distinguished finishes o ered in this fine home.

3 BR

| 3 BA | 2 HB

I t wasn’t that long ago that Florida was considered a faraway, exotic land full of strange and dangerous creatures. While the strange and exotic parts remain partially true, we’re not so far away any more. Just as they do now, visitors to Florida in the late 1800s were keen on returning to their homes in the Northeast and elsewhere with souvenirs they’d acquired during their vacation. But instead of Mickey Mouse ears or Ron Jon t-shirts, many tourists purchased curios made from alligators. According to the Jacksonville Historical Society, part of Bay Street downtown was known as “Alligator Alley” because of all the shops selling everything from photos of gators to alligator coin purses (above). In fact, alligator teeth were used to make jewelry, and items such as canes, corkscrews and ink pens were engraved with reptilian motifs. Gator souvenirs eventually fell out of fashion, particularly after the poaching of the animals was outlawed due to concerns over its extinction. u

Shape of Things to Come

For many, the arrival of spring means freshening up the house with a thorough cleaning, maybe adding some new pillows to the living room or replacing the dusty old drapes. For others, especially those in Northeast Florida, it signals the time to store away the jackets and boots and break out the shorts, rompers and sundresses. Warm weather is fast approaching which means more skin will be shown and more often. We’ll even start wearing bathing suits again. Ugh.

Is the body ready for that? Has winter been unkind to the waistline? Did my gym membership go to waste? So many questions, so little time to get the figure back to where one wants it. Perhaps a short-cut is in order?

“We don’t see a significant change in attention to a particular body part these days, even though summer is approaching. Clients have their areas of concern they would like to change no matter the season,” says Lisa Farides, COO of Modern Aesthetic Centers. “Now, we all know during the summer less clothing is worn, so more skin is exposed. This might push a client to finally address their ‘trouble’ areas since they know they can’t hide them in jeans and jackets all summer.”

Body contouring, or body sculpting as its often referred, can eliminate fat, shape areas of

the legs, arms and stomach and tighten skin. Those seeking this kind of help have two basic options, one involving surgery, the other not. For example, lipolysis is a nonsurgical option that uses cold, heat, lasers and other methods. Surgical options include tucks, lifts and liposuction. As one might expect, surgery has more risks and longer recovery, but it usually provides more noticeable results.

For most who elect either route, the goals usually involve getting rid of extra skin, eliminating excess fat, reshaping an area of the body. It will not help a person lose weight, Instead, body contouring helps shape the body and address specific areas where weight loss isn’t effective or after significant weight loss results in extra skin. Surgical options can also remove extra skin to make the skin look smoother and younger. It can also improve loose, saggy or wrinkled skin that occurs with natural aging.

There are procedures that target most areas of the body. However, the most common sites include the arms, back, belly and flanks (love handles), buttocks, thighs, neck and chin.

“Each client starts with a comprehensive consultation to evaluate their goals, lifestyle and commitments,” says Farides. “We offer them solutions based on these outcomes. For example, our EvolveX body contouring device

requires six total treatments, 30-45 minutes per treatment. If the client can’t meet that commitment, then we offer another option that might fit their commitment level. Our providers do a great job explaining that all treatments require healthy nutrition and exercise, and they are not a solution to weight loss.”

Perhaps the most commonly known surgery is the abdominoplasty, or “tummy tuck,” is a procedure that contours the abdominal area. With this procedure, the surgeon makes a long incision from one side of the hipbone to the other. Excess fat and skin are surgically removed from the middle and lower abdomen, and the muscles of the abdomen wall are tightened with sutures. Like nearly all surgeries, such a procedure isn’t without risk.

Liposuction is another procedure that is considered fairly commonplace today. As mentioned before, sometimes dieting and exercise alone does not remove fatty deposits in parts of the body, such as the thighs, hips, abdomen, and upper arms, which can be frustrating to some people. Liposuction, or lipoplasty, is a process that removes excess fat deposits and may offer the results for which one is looking. In addition, liposuction is also often done in conjunction with other procedures, such as facelifts, neck lifts, inner thigh lifts, and breast reduction for men and women.

General anesthesia and at least one overnight stay should be expected and are often required for these kinds of body contouring procedures. The primary risks of surgery include wound healing difficulties, asymmetry and persistent contour deformities.

“Clients are always concerned if body contouring procedures work and how quickly they will see results,” says Farides. “We give them a comprehensive consultation that is molded around their body type and set realistic outcomes based on that and their lifestyle.”

Of course, results for body contouring procedures vary according to the individual. And, in some cases, revision surgery may be necessary to address complications or achieve desired results. Regardless of path taken, it’s important to remember that surgery isn’t a magical cure for excess weight. Instead, it’s best for those who have already lost weight through diet and exercise, and who are committed to keeping the weight off in the years to come. Now, where’s that bathing suit? u

The Body Politic

Talking about politics these days makes many people’s blood boil. According to a new study conducted by UF Health researchers, it may do more than that. Presidential politics, research suggests, can actually threaten good health. In an atmosphere of debate and disagreement, fed by an unrelenting 24-hour news cycle, a presidential campaign seems tailored to produce in abundance something our hearts could do without, namely stress. In fact, the study suggests that population-level blood pressure, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, might have increased following the 2016 presidential election.

The study, published in the American Journal of Human Biology, analyzed blood pressure readings from 4,660 people who participated in a federal health and nutrition survey. Measurements were taken from May to October in the two years before and after election day.

“I think we’ve shown stressors of an election may have a clinically important population-level effect on cardiovascular risk factors,” says the study’s senior author Steven Smith, an assistant professor at the UF College of Pharmacy and the UF College of Medicine. “An increase in several millimeters of mercury correlates with an up to 10% increase in risk of death due to stroke and heart disease. So, these are not trivial differences in blood pressure we’re seeing.”

The researchers warn against drawing any conclusions on the party affiliation of those seeing their blood pressure climb. The survey didn’t ask about political leanings and the study’s authors do not believe results correlate with how one voted. Apparently, Republicans, Democrats and independents experience political stress to approximately the same degree. u

Read All Over

What is book banning’s next chapter in florida?

“In Florida, our parents have every right to be involved in their child’s education. We are not going to let politicians deny parents the right to know what is being taught in our schools. I’m proud to sign this legislation that ensures curriculum transparency,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement when he signed House Bill 1467

into law last year. Now the rule of the land, many have openly expressed concern that the new law contains vague language that could lead to children’s books being removed from public school libraries because someone didn’t like the political perspective they presented or that they contained subject material considered offensive to

some. Put into practice at the beginning of 2023, the law requires teachers to remove books that do not appear on the state-approved reading list, at least until they are reviewed by a media specialist.

Sounds simple and maybe even practical. However, almost immediately the new

Lucky Catch

More than 100,000 kids were treated at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital last year, making it one of the busiest and best pediatric healthcare centers in Florida. To help the doctors, nurses and staff run the hospital, UF Health and Children’s Miracle Network host the annual fundraising Fishing For Kids on April 29, running out of Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee. Anglers will be hoping to hook the largest redfish and trout for bragging rights and cash. In addition to a day on the water angling, the tournament includes a raffle, fish fry and $2,500 in prize money. And, as the event winds down and all boats return to the marina, a Low Country boil is served. Registration starts at $100 for one boat with up to two adults and two kids fishing from it.

guidelines attracted media attention from across the country. And, as was easily predictable, social media was ablaze with comments condemning the rule, as well as photos of empty bookshelves, reportedly taken in classrooms from Duval County down to Key West.

“It’s just very frustrating that it’s turning into a battleground,” said Kathleen Daniels, a school librarian and the president of the Florida Association of Media in Education, in an article published by Education Week . “And, ultimately, the ones that lose are the kids, and it’s the most vulnerable kids.

“We are for parents having the right to help their child navigate their education the way that they want,” Daniels continued. “They can dictate what their child can or cannot read based on their preferences, beliefs, and views. But what they cannot do is dictate to somebody else’s kid.”

According to the official statement of the Duval County Public Schools, under new Florida law, all books in school libraries (including classroom collections for independent reading) must be reviewed by a certified media specialist. “State training on these new laws requires that books be free from: Pornography, defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as ‘the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement;’ Instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades kindergarten through three; Discrimination in such a way that ‘an individual, by virtue of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin is inherently racist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.’”

Certainly, numerous teachers and librarians were unprepared for the new rules. And books were removed hastily from library shelves and from classrooms across Northeast Florida—and across the rest of the state. The literary ball, so to speak, was now squarely in the court of school media specialists, who would have to be trained to understand and then implement the new rules. It’s here where the process becomes much less black and white, but more broadly grey. For example, among the guidelines to be followed when selecting instructional materials and library books require avoiding “unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination,” says the law.

To detractors, that kind of language smacks of government overreach and

censorship. To proponents, the new rules are just a way to ensure minors are provided materials that are age-appropriate. After all, they say, a middle school teacher can’t show an R-rated movie in class. Are books containing pornographic content any different?

According to the free speech advocacy group PEN America, Florida ranks second for the number of book challenges and subsequent bans in the country. Among the books under scrutiny in Florida counties for their content are Beloved and The Bluest Eye by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Morrison. These books were challenged in seven counties. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, which depicts the story of a high school student’s suicide (later adapted for a Netflix movie), was banned or challenged in eight school districts. In 2022, PEN America produced a list of 176 books it said were removed from classrooms beginning in 2022 in Duval County.

The removed titles were part of the Essential Voices Classroom Libraries Collection, purchased by the district in 2021. According to PEN, the collection “features characters representing a variety of ethnicities, religious affiliations, and gender identities,” and includes children’s picture books such as Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, Dim Sum for Everyone! by Grace Lin, and Berenstain Bears and the Big Question by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

It goes without saying that not everyone is thrilled with the new policy, particularly because of fears that some classic books may be permanently removed from school libraries. Is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain still appropriate school-age reading? What about Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger? Chamblin Book Mine, a venerable local institution for all things in print, recently set up a display headlined “Books Recently Banned in Duval County.” Not your typical promotional display, this one includes various hardbacks and paperbacks, as well as information about how to contact state legislators and local school board members.

No doubt, the debate will continue for some time. In the hyper-political era in which we live, seeing the other side of an argument is an all-too-rare occurrence. Ironically, ask a teacher about kids reading in class and she’s not likely to express worry over their getting hands on the wrong books. Instead, getting them to pick up any book is increasingly the hurdle to be overcome. u

WALK THIS WAY

Grassroots group steps up its effort for peace and beauty.

Every year on the first Saturday in May, thousands around the globe participate in what is called World Labyrinth Day, a moving meditation of sorts for global peace. A grassroots group in Jacksonville has plans to establish its own 40-foot stone labyrinth right here, or specifically to Peace Park in Riverside. “I believe we all deserve a space to reflect after a difficult time,” says Ruth Thompson of the nonprofit Friends of the Labyrinth. “Labyrinths are healing, therapeutic spaces and we need that more than ever right now.”

Often incorrectly associated with mazes, labyrinths are pathways that wind in a circuitous way to a center point. Proponents of this form of landscaped artwork believe they symbolize a spiritual journey with no dead ends or decisions to be made, and that walking through one leads to a deeper sense of community, a sense of inner reflection, greater creativity and stress reduction.

Plans call for it to be installed in park space between Cherry and Mallory streets, across from the Willowbranch Library. “With constant stress and noise around us, I wanted to see my neighborhood park provide a place for peace and solace,” says Friends member Hazel Cleary. Approximately $300,000 is needed to complete the park, including construction and installation of the labyrinth, landscaping, art installations and long-term maintenance. To date, some $30,000 has been raised.

To learn more or contribute, visit FolPeace Park.com. u

Childs Play

Summer camp season will be here before you know it. Are you and your kids ready?

There are near-endless options for summer camps for kids these days. Arts and crafts, soccer, robotics, tennis, religion, sailing, theatre—if your child has an interest in it, chances are good that there’s a camp for it. The expansive variety and numerous Northeast Florida options can make selecting the right fit for your children a difficult task. Before filling out that online registration form, ask a few questions, review

printed materials and social media, and seek opinions from friends and family.

If you’ve narrowed down some choices based on your child’s areas of interest, make some simple comparisons. For example, what are the camp’s goals and philosophy? What facilities does the camp have and in what condition? What is the counselor-camper ratio? What food is served and who prepares it?

Are medical staff on the property at all times? What kind of insurance coverage is there? Getting solid answers to these and other questions might be the keys to selecting the perfect summertime retreat for your children.

Posted here is a small sample of the many day-camps operating in Northeast Florida. Highly regarded camps tend to fill up fast. Summer will be here before you know it. u

Select Northeast Florida Summer Camps

or 9am to noon; some go to 3pm esj.org/summer approximately $300 – $600

After Care is available for almost all camps until 3pm or 5:30pm (parents’ choice). Extended Day is $80 per camper per week.

Jacksonville Country Day School June 5 – July 28 9am – 3pm Daily (7:30am – 6pm extended care) Opens February 13 at 10am $220 – $425/week Morning is $25/week (7:30am-9am) and Afternoons are $50/week (3pm

Friday:

ALL SPORTS CAMP

ALL SUMMER STARTING JUNE 5TH, RUNS THROUGH JULY 28TH!

Sports Camp is open for girls & boys, K (must be 5 yrs old) - current 5th graders.

COST: SPORTS CAMP $150 PER WEEK | 8AM-3PM

EXTENDED CARE: $50 PER WEEK | 3PM-6PM

Single Day Rates: Mon–Wed $35 per day

Friday $40 (Pizza Party Fridays)

Early Drop-Off: 7:30am-8:00am – $5

TOMMY HULIHAN’S SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMPS & TRAINING

DATES TBA MARCH 1st

BEACHES BASKETBALL SUMMER LEAGUE

Open to Girls & Boys 3 yrs old through current 5th Grade (use current grade)

Deadline to register-Monday, April 24th

*The League may fill up before deadline

League runs May 20th-August 12th

Cost: $150 (*After April 1st is $170)

Please subscribe to our Email Newsletter to be notified of all upcoming events!

TOMMYHULIHANBASKETBALL.COM

TOP TEACHER PROFILES

Mrs. Marianne Vargas is the Fine Arts Department chair and lead teacher for the performing arts team at Christ’s Church Academy. During her tenure at CCA, Mrs. Vargas has taught lower school music, lower school praise team, Orff mallet ensembles, senior mallet ensemble, chorus, music appreciation, Z-Period worship, middle school worship, drama, and multi-media courses. She is the sponsor for the school’s chapter of the Tri-M National Music Honor Society and has served as the sound tech for the performing arts department for many years. During her time as a co-curriculum leader, she has sponsored the Logic Club and has been a mentor with the CCA Discipleship-Group program since its founding. While she enjoys teaching piano and drums in the afterschool program, she also volunteers as an accompanist for band students during their performances. Mrs. Vargas has been in education for 30 years and while with the Duval County school system, she was selected as Teacher of the Year. She has also had several piano students make a superior at Solo and Ensemble categories during state competitions.

Collage Day School honors Kristen Valletta as our 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year! Kristen holds her Bachelors in Pre-K/ Primary Education from the University of North Florida, earning both an ESOL and a gifted certification. Before moving to the North East Florida area, Kristen taught Kindergarten for eight years in Melbourne, FL. Kristen’s goal is to positively impact a child’s life by providing them with tools to be successful both academically and socially. Kristen lives in St. Augustine with her husband, Jonathan, and two children, Jackson and Caroline. Kristen joined Collage Day School three years ago and currently teaches second grade. Kristen thoroughly enjoys molding elementary learners to be creative thinkers and continues to strive towards ensuring that every student is successful. Thank you for all you do Kristen!

Barbara Murray GREENWOOD SCHOOL

Barbara Murray has taught 11th and 12th grade English and Literature since 2003. In her twenty years she has taught countless classes, but still feels a rush of emotion when she experiences the moment her students “get it” or are fired up about a work of literature when they previously struggled with reading. Ms. Murray’s passion and kindness set her apart from most; students and alumni comment on her unique way of connecting with students and wonderful sense of humor which permeates every class she teaches. Ms. Murray is known for her dramatic interpretations of Beowulf and The Crucible, but her favorite text to teach is Othello. Her favorite things about Greenwood are the camaraderie, the freedom to design course materials that fit student needs, and forming lasting relationships with students, parents, and faculty.

9920 Regency Square Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32225 | (904) 726-5000

Debbie Cannington has been teaching at Jacksonville Country Day School for the last 21 years! She began as a 3rd grade assistant, moved into the role of a classroom teacher, and is currently the Global Studies teacher for all JCDS 3rd grade students! Ms. Cannington was a founding member of the JCDS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council and has, since the day she arrived, been an integral part of the Character Education curriculum that has been a part of JCDS for more than 30 years. Ms. Cannington’s advice to her students is to keep an open mind, stay curious, and always look on the bright side of things. As she said, “I have collaborated with and learned from so many talented and gifted teachers, taught many wonderful students, and met many supportive parents. I hope they will never forget how I made them feel.”— Debbie Cannington.

Suzanne Byerly Taylor

RIVERSIDE PRESBYTERIAN DAY SCHOOL

Suzanne Byerly Taylor is a veteran teacher of 20 years, spending the last five years as a 6th Grade Language Arts teacher at Riverside Presbyterian Day School. Since arriving at RPDS Suzanne has led the development of student-led conferences in 6th Grade, celebrated students’ success in city-wide essay contests, and this year presented at the Florida Council of Independent Schools conference on the health and wellness project and fair her team initiated for the RPDS 6th Grade experience. Suzanne shares, “Many of the ideas for projects and activities that we now do at RPDS I have picked from my international teaching experience, where I worked alongside educators and students from all over the world. I love collaborating with people who bring in their own backgrounds and experiences. Bringing different perspectives together, with the overarching goal of putting the students first, is what helped us develop many of these student-centered, inquiry-based activities and projects we are now doing at RPDS—and at RPDS we’re adding in more perspectives and making these projects even better.”

SEACOAST CHARTER ACADEMY

Samantha Armstrong is a 1st Grade Lead Teacher at Seacoast Charter Academy. She has taught 19 years in elementary education and all of those years have been in 1st grade. She is very passionate about teaching reading to her students because it lays a foundation that follows them throughout their years in school and in life! Her favorite time of the day is reading a story to her class. She loves this time with her students!

In her classroom, Ms. Armstrong encourages her students to “think.” In fact, this word is above the board and is an important reminder to her students. “Every day I encourage my kids to try their best and think! Kids are capable of so much! They just need encouragement and someone to believe in them,” says Ms. Armstrong.

“At Seacoast, our entire staff strives to provide a studentcentered education that focuses on the whole child. We encourage our students each day and want them to develop a love for learning. We are blessed to be a part of this learning process!”

Numbers Game

What’s been selling lately in northeast florida. And for how much.

e One of Florida’s largest master-planned community developers has turned its attention to the First Coast, and in a big way. Late last year, BTI Partners, developers of Palencia, spent more than $116 million to acquire some 4,600 acres in St. Johns and Clay counties. In St. Johns, plans call for over 2,000 single-family homes to be built on a 1,300-acre site located along CR 210 West. Over in Clay County, a 3,300-acre portion of Governor’s Park can accommodate 4,000 single-family homes and 2,000 multi-family units. Further plans for the Green Cove Springs area include 840,000 square feet of commercial/retail space, 400 hotel rooms, 2 million square feet of light industrial space, and an 18-hole golf course. “We expect to commence construction of the site infrastructure in the coming months and prepare the site for homebuilders looking to build new residential communities in St. Johns in the next two to four years,” says BTI Partners CEO Noah Breakstone. “We continue to expand our footprint in North Florida’s high-growth markets to communities to meet the growing demand for new housing.”  u

datebook

Jacksonville Jazz Festival

MAY 25-28

• Downtown Jacksonville

Jazz Festival weekend kicks off with the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition on Thursday, followed by three days of live, free entertainment in the heart of Downtown. Concerts take place at various locations such as Hemming Plaza, Florida Theatre, and the lawn in front of the Duval County Courthouse. Arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, and more, too.

Springing the Blues Festival

MARCH 31-APRIL 2

Jacksonville Beach Seawalk Pavilion

The 31st Annual Springing the Blues is a beachside festival that celebrates America’s indigenous musical form featuring national, regional, and local musicians on two stages. The three-day festival in Jax Beach features performances by blues legends and emerging artists who fuse blues with other influences, including rock, funk, soul, swing, hip-hop, and gospel, free

Arsenic and Old Lace

THROUGH APRIL 16

Alhambra Theatre & Dining

Mortimer Brewster, a newly married man, goes to visit his sweet maiden aunts and eccentric brother Teddy. Unbeknownst to him, he is about to uncover their dark and hysterical secrets. Adapted to film starring Cary Grant in 1943, the play endures as one of the funniest dark comedies to date, $45-$78

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

APRIL 4-9, 18-23 & 25-30

121 Financial Ballpark

The Jumbo Shrimp open the minor league baseball season with a six-game homestand versus the Durham Bulls (of Bull Durham fame) April 4-9, followed by six games against the Nashville Sounds April 18-23, and another half-dozen against Lehigh Valley IronPigs April 25-30, Most games start at 7:05 PM,

Shen Yun - China Before Communism

APRIL 5-6, 7:30 PM

Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

Shen Yun celebrates the art of classical Chinese dance. Hundreds of dancers are adorned in handcrafted costumes whose origins compass China’s dynasties, regions,

and ethnic groups. Each performance is presented by two bilingual emcees, who guide the audience through the journey while adding a touch of humor and insight to the experience, $80-$200

Jacksonville Icemen

APRIL 7, 8 & 16, 7 PM

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

The hometown minor league hockey Icemen first laced up their skates for the 2017 season. This season continues to slide into spring with three home games this month— two versus the Atlanta Gladiators April 7 and 8, and the finale against the Orlando Solar Bears April 16, $19-$75

Kenny Chesney

APRIL 14, 7:30 PM | Daily’s Place

Country icon Kenny Chesney brings his I Go Back Tour back to Jax. “Summertime,” “There Goes My Life” and, “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy”… you know the songs that Chesney’s been knocking out for more than 20 years. Kelsea Ballerini opens the show, $89-$191

The Florida Ballet

APRIL 14, 8 PM | Florida Theatre

Northeast Florida’s professional ballet company since 1978, the Florida Ballet’s 14-member professional company (5 men, 9 women), under the direction of Roberto Forleo, presents a program featuring “Valse Fantaisie,” by George Balanchine; “Songs,” by Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti; and “Fog of War,” by local choreographer Hillary Bodin, $42-$99

Jacksonville Symphony: Disco Inferno

APRIL 14 & 15, 7:30 PM

Jacksonville Center for Performing Arts

Dig out your platform shoes, satin pants, and sequins, and get ready to move! Jacoby Symphony Hall will glisten under the

Mean Girls

APRIL 25-30 | Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

Writer/actor Tina Fey’s humor shines through in this musical about a naive newbie who falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies. Cady may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her new home in suburban Illinois. Eight shows presented by FSCJ Artist Series, including two matinees.

spotlight for this 1970s musical spectacular with scorching hits performed by Broadway dynamos Jessica Hendy and Blaine Krauss joining the orchestra, $27-$81

Gamble Rogers Folk Festival

APRIL 14-16

St. Johns County Fairground

Three-day musical festival showcases dozens of national, regional and local musicians and storytellers who gather to remember and salute the late Gamble Rogers. Food trucks and arts and crafts vendors will be on site all weekend. Among the acts performing on four stages are Iris DeMent, Bill and the Belles, Robin and Linda Williams, and Annie & the Hot Club, $30-$90.

Jerry Seinfeld

APRIL 20, 7 PM

Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

The man who helped create the Soup Nazi, being “master of one’s domain,” Kramer and “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” returns to his stand-up comedy roots for this onenight show, which was rescheduled from its original October date. Expect to hear stories and observations of daily life, not that there’s anything wrong with it.

Jacksonville Taco & Margarita Festival

APRIL 22, 11 AM-6 PM | TIAA Bank Field Over 40 local restaurants, food trucks and carts serve up all things “taco.” In addition, there will be bars serving beer and tequila, of course, live music, wrestling, and special performances by the ROAR of the Jaguars and Jaxson DeVille, $15-$90

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

APRIL 26, 7 PM

St. Augustine Amphitheatre

This rocking husband-and-wife duo have created created nearly 20 Top 40 hits spread across multiple platinum and gold records highlighted by songs like “Love Is A Battlefield” and “We belong.” Even after selling over 30 million records they still take the show on the road, landing in the Oldest City this spring. $50-$129

Jersey Boys

APRIL 27-MAY 28

Alhambra Theatre & Dining

This Tony and Grammy Award-winning show is a jukebox musical that tells the story of the legendary group, The Four Seasons. Songs include “Big Girls Don’t Cry,””Walk Like A Man,” and “Rag Doll,” along with many others. This show is rated PG-13, $45-$78

New Edition

APRIL 29, 7:30 PM

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum-selling R&B supergroup and hip hop boy band pioneers New Edition roll into town with Keith Sweat and the original members of GUY (Teddy Riley, Aaron Hall, and Damion Hall), with special guest Tank, $59-$530

Billy Idol

APRIL 25, 7 PM

St. Augustine Amphitheatre

For 46 years, Billy Idol has been a pop rock standard with songs like “White Wedding” and “Dancing With Myself.” Earlier this year he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For this tour he is joined by his longtime band including his collaborator and lead guitarist for 40 years, Steve Stevens, $44-$129

St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival

MAY 3-7 | World Golf Village

Enjoy over 400 varieties of wine, beer, and spirits, live music, celebrity chef dinners, cooking demos, and a variety of tasting events. For example, celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Tacos & Tequila, then head to Smoke on the Walk to sample some of the South’s best barbecue, wines, and spirits. There’s also a Sunday jazz brunch to close out the weekend, $49-$99.

Morgan Wallen

MAY 4, 7 PM

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Country superstar Morgan Wallen makes a first-time appearance in Jacksonville, featuring opening acts Ernest and Bailey Zimmerman. Wallen’s album “Dangerous: The Double Album” was a huge hit, becoming one of only four country albums with at least ten weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Old Dominion

MAY 5, 7:30 PM | Daily’s Place

The Nashville-based country band chose the name Old Dominion as a nod to their Virginia roots. The second single from their 2015 LP “Meat and Candy” was certified platinum and became a cross-genre hit, charting in the top 50 of Billboard’s Hot 100, $55-$121

Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival

MAY 5-7 | Fernandina Beach

All things seafood are celebrated and savored at this huge annual event started more than 50 years ago to recognize Amelia Island’s and Fernandina’s commercial fishing heritage. Centre Street is the central gathering point for dozens of food stations, antique sellers, artists, and other vendors. Plus, there’s a Pirate Parade, live music daily, contests, kid’s activities, and more.

Seen

Free For All

Jacksonville-based ReThreaded hosted its 12th annual fundraising Mukti Freedom Gala the evening of February 25 at the Glass Factory. The soiree, themed “Through Our Eyes,” opened with a black-carpet champagne welcome for guests. In addition, the night’s patrons were treated to live and silent auctions, raffles, gift shopping and other opportunities to support the organization and it’s mission of aiding and empowering women survivors of female trafficking. To date, ReThreaded has employed 78 survivors, contributed to the support of more 4,000 women globally, and collaborated with over 200 businesses. Mukti means “freedom” in Bengali. u

UPCOMING:

Amy and Gary Norcross have been announced as the 2023 Guardians of the Arts for the Cathedral Arts Project’s 18th annual Spring for the Arts on April 21 at Epping Forest Yacht & Country Club.

Hubbard House’s Stand Up & Stride Domestic Violence Awareness Walk draws some 1,300 participants each year who come together for the music, dancing and the cause. This year’s walk is April 15 beginning at Riverfront Plaza in the heart of Downtown. Park opens at 8 AM, walkers start moving at 9 AM.

St.

Augustine Craft Brewers’ Festival

MAY 6, 1-5 PM

Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park

Visitors can enjoy samples from more than 25 regional and local breweries such as Ancient City Brewing, BOG Brewing Company, and King Maker Brewing. Ticket holders receive a commemorative six-ounce tasting glass as they enjoy live music and a convoy of food trucks.

Jacksonville Symphony

MAY 12 & 13, 7 PM

Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts

Relive the movie magic of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix displayed on a giant screen in high-definition and accompanied by a live orchestra. See Harry. Ron and Hermione practice Defense Against the Dark Arts, and endure Professor Umbridge—all with Nicholas Hooper’s iconic score, $34-$80

Jacksonville Dance Theatre

MAY 13, 8 PM | Florida Theatre

This performance, in two acts, features new and repertory works created and performed by women. “La Mesa” and “Labyrinth” by Artistic Director Rebecca Levy and choreographed by Bliss Kholmeyer are a kinetic yet grounded works of intricate movement, intense patterns, and stunning personal performances, $25-$45

Brian Regan

MAY 14, 7 PM | Florida Theatre

With the perfect balance of sophisticated writing and physicality, Regan fills theaters nationwide with fervent fans that span generations, not to mention the many Comedy Central specials and late-night talks show appearances under his belt, $45-$65

The Psychedelic Furs

MAY 16, 8 PM | Florida Theatre

Led by vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene of the late 1970s. Their music went through several phases, from an initially austere art rock sound, to later touching on new wave and hard rock. In 1986, filmmaker John Hughes used their song “Pretty in Pink” for his film of the same name, $55-$100 u

Tom Jones

MAY 9, 8 PM • Florida Theatre

“It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat” and “Kiss”… the songs and sounds of Tom Jones have been rolling off stages for some 50 years. Along with sustaining his popularity as a live performer and recording artist, Jones continues to garner acclaim, including with the release of his most recent number one album, last year’s Surrounded By Time, tickets start at $70.

WOMEN EMPOWERED 2023

JAFFI’S & BOOB-EEZ ®

PRIM SALON

EDWARDS & RAGATZ, P.A.

AMANDA (MANDY) MORROW

PIVOT CPA s

SHEILA POWERS

ZISSER FAMILY LAW

JAFFI’S & BOOB-EEZ ®

Emilie & Carlie

It’s a blessing when your kids call every once in a while. It’s a dream come true to work closely with your soul mates to impact the world.

Emilie Christenson is the mom of two daughters: Devon (@ devonchristenson on Instagram) and Carlie (pictured far right). When Carlie was almost 10 years old back in 2006, she was mortified by puberty and refused to wear a bra, so she approached her mom in the hopes of “making boobs easier” for pre-teens. Together, they cre-ated Boob-eez®—a line of washable, reusable nipple covers. Boob-eez® hit the women’s market and skyrocketed from there!

This was not Emilie’s first venture in entrepre-neurship. With a family history rooted in retail and fashion, she was made to run a boutique. In 2001, after 12 years of working in the corporate world, Emilie had an “a-ha” moment and opened a boutique in the heart of Neptune Beach.

Now, 22 years later, Jaffi’s is still the go-to spot in Jacksonville for thoughtfully curated merchandise un-matched by other local women’s boutiques. And, with a long list of “Best of” accolades, it’s evident that Jaffi’s isn’t short of fans either. Located in The Beaches Town Center on the corner of First and Lemon streets, the shop is stocked with boutique brands and staffed with warm, welcoming stylists. From contemporary accessories, perfectly sized leather totes, stackable wrap bracelets, and classic basics to fabulous statement pieces that will spruce up your daily uniform, Jaffi's has everything you need to outfit your day (and night) in style.

Emilie and the Jaffi’s team are “Retail Therapists.” They go above and beyond the traditional role of retail salesperson, extending a helping hand or an ear to those who need it. Tune in every Wednesday at 5:30 PM to Instagram and Facebook LIVE for Jaffi’s weekly Retail Therapy Happy Hour (@jaffisboutique).

Carlie takes after her badass mama. An entrepreneur since age 10, Carlie (now in her 20s) devotes her professional life to growing the Boob-eez® brand. Boob-eez® are now SPANX® approved and the line offers a diverse range of undergarments and fashion fixes that are carried in brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. Launching this spring will be Boob-eez®’s new NÜD Apparel line, as well as their first-to-market nipple cover compacts made from glorious bamboo.

Follow Carlie and Boob-eez® on social media to stay in-theknow regarding new product launches and to read Carlie’s entrepreneurship story (@boob_eez, @nud_apparel, @ carliehannah).

PRIM SALON

Brittney Shipes (stylist/lash specialist), Brittany Karol (owner/master stylist), Vada Spell (extension specialist/bridal), Kathryn Francis (salon coordinator/makeup artist).

Not pictured: Kelsey Saye (stylist), Britney Musselwhite (stylist), Delaney Carr (stylist), Samantha Palmer (Apprentice), Reily Knott (stylist), Alyssa Rose (extension/blonding specialist)

Count it pure joy to be able to inspire women and feel passionate about what you do for a living on a daily basis. Bringing joy and beauty into the lives of others is something Ponte Vedra Beach native, Brittany Karol, has strived to do in the beauty industry for almost a decade.

Passionate about helping others feel confident not only on the inside, but the outside as well, Brittany opened the doors of PRIM SALON/PRIM BRIDAL in 2019 to share her expertise in her hometown of Ponte Vedra Beach. In 2020 and 2022, Brittany Karol won best in bride for custom-colored bridal hair extensions through ‘best in’ Jacksonville magazine’s subscribers as well as many other awards and features in the industry. Brittany strives to make every bride feel their most beautiful self on their special day through bridal hair and makeup planning and execution, the whole experience is worry free.

PRIM SALON is known for its extensive apprenticeship program so stylists can learn from Brittany’s years of experience and grow further in their knowledge of hair theory and practicality before gaining their own chair and clientele. This allows her to speak life and share her knowledge with upcoming stylists. PRIM SALON has grown to be much bigger than planned and recently opened the doors to three times the space of expansion right next door to their current location. PRIM is a Davines eco-friendly forward salon that offers services such as highlighting, color, cuts, Keratin treatments, hand tied extensions, tape in extensions and more! Many employees and clients rave about how wonderful it is that she treats her employees and clients like family. Everyone loves coming to her because of her warm presence and trusted abilities to improve everyone’s look.

PRIM HAS EXPANDED IT'S SPACE! The building actually used to be Brittany's dad's dental practice (Dr. Robert E. Karol DMD). When he retired, she took

over the space. Sadly, in the middle of the buildout, he passed away suddenly due to the rejection of a bone marrow transplant, and he never got to see it finished. He was always teaching others and making people feel special. He would be so proud to know that his daughter does the same!

You will want to make an appointment in this new gorgeous salon that is unlike any other in Jacksonville! Brittany has put her interior design skills to work with the new salon giving it a lime wash, neutral minimalistic design. It’s definitely ahead of it’s time in the heart of Ponte Vedra Beach of Sawgrass Village. This expansion will help provide more availability for our clients, as well as, be able to take on new clients to enjoy the open atmosphere even more than before! This expansion has provided 8 additional chairs and we’ve hired some amazingly talented stylists that fit right in. Call, email or book online through our website to book your next hair appointment with PRIM SALON.

We can’t wait to see all of your beautiful faces in our newly upgraded space. Booking is easy through our website www.primsalons.com or you can call the salon at (904)962-4247. View some of our work on instagram @primsalon.Jax

EDWARDS & RAGATZ, P.A.

Katherine Loper, Katie DeSantis McCranie, and Jennifer Reiber

Katherine Loper, Katie DeSantis McCranie, and Jennifer Reiber share a passion for justice. The women of Edwards & Ragatz are not only hardworking, talented attorneys but they are devoted mothers, educators and more.

Katherine Loper received her J.D. in 2002 from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. She has specialized in plaintiff’s personal injury litigation since she graduated from law school. Katherine has lived in the Jacksonville area for over 30 years, growing up in Mandarin, and is now raising a family in the Julington Creek area. In her free time, she volunteers at her daughter’s school and serves as a religion teacher at her church.

Katie DeSantis McCranie received her Juris Doctorate degree in 2001 from Florida Coastal School of Law. Throughout her 20+ year career, Katie has focused primarily on personal injury cases representing plaintiffs against large corporations and insurance companies. When she is not practicing law, Katie volunteers at her children’s school and with various sporting and theatre organizations in which her children are involved.

Jennifer Reiber received her law degree in 1999 from Florida State University College of Law. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants throughout her legal career. In addition, Jennifer was a professor and dean at Florida Coastal School of Law for many years before joining the Edwards & Ragatz team. Outside of the office, Jennifer focuses on spending time with her family and serves as an educational surrogate with the St. Johns County School District.

Edwards & Ragatz is known for obtaining several of the largest medical malpractice and personal injury verdicts in the history of Florida and are esteemed for their integrity and dedication. The team of skilled attorneys work to bring justice to their clients. With unmatched compassion and record-setting results, Edwards & Ragatz is honored to serve the people of Jacksonville and throughout the state.

AMANDA (MANDY) MORROW Broker Associate with COMPASS

Amanda (Mandy) Morrow, award-winning Broker Associate with COMPASS in Ponte Vedra Beach, has been focused on the individual needs of her diverse clientele for over 18 years. From gated country club communities, one-of-a-kind estates, oceanfront in Atlantic Beach and everywhere in between, Mandy's approach is consultative with the goal of providing a wide range of options to help buyers and sellers alike make the best decision for their needs.

Having been awarded #32 out of the Top 50 Residential Real Estate Agents by the Jacksonville Business Journal in 2022, Mandy is driven and determined to seek out the best results for her clients. Mandy believes that there are very few cities like the Jacksonville metroarea and the Beaches that offer buyers, sellers, and investors alike a lifestyle that combines the best economic opportunity and amenities that promote a healthy lifestyle, top-rated schools, and access to world-class medical institutions. In St. Johns County, she is excited to offer multiple listings in the exclusive Ponte Vedra Beach communities of Sawgrass Country Club and Sawgrass Players Club and Nocatee. Mandy welcomes the opportunity to discuss your real estate needs, whether it is now or for the future. She will craft a plan that is focused on your overall success. Contact Mandy today!

4401 Salisbury Rd., Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32216

(904) 399-1609 | EdwardsRagatz.com

Mandy.Morrow@Compass.com

(904) 229-7825 | MandyMorrowGroup.com

PIVOT CPA s

Denise Rose, Lindsay Brown, Mallory Salter, Pamela Bomba, Sheryl Tschimpke, Amanda Mullins, Debra Smith, Wendy Ranson, Raejean Echegaray, (not pictured: Amy Lawlor, Angela Vogt, & Emmy Pursley)

Pivot CPAs believes in Impacting Lives Beyond Accounting by going above and beyond what’s expected. Our firm aims to be a trusted resource for our clients, our community, and our team. We want to help businesses and individuals achieve today’s financial goals and inspire tomorrow’s exciting new dreams.

Women in the accounting profession face a paradox: while there are more opportunities than ever, there still is a visible equity difference. While women make up approximately half of all accounting professionals, a 2019 AICPA Firm Gender study revealed just 23% of CPA firm partners were women.

With 56% female leadership, Pivot is creating a culture where women aren’t just workers, they’re groundbreakers. The firm believes in empowering women to define their own success and supporting them in achieving it. Tax manager Amy Lawlor, CPA, and senior tax managers Angela Vogt, CPA, and Emmy Pursley, CPA, credit the tools and mentoring at Pivot with for helping them reach the next levels of their careers.

The bottom line is that at Pivot CPAs, we aren’t just exceeding industry standards -- we’re redefining them.

238 Ponte Vedra Park Dr. Suite 201

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

(904) 280-2053

PivotCPAs.com

SHEILA POWERS

Founder, Ten Salon

For over two decades, Sheila Powers and her talented team at Ten Salon in Ponte Vedra Beach have been providing one of the best guest experiences on the First Coast. With Ten’s new second location in Neptune Beach, Sheila has set the bar even higher! She emphasizes excellence, innovative ideas and endless possibilities, and is devoted to client happiness, well-being and satisfaction. From fresh cuts to gorgeous balayage and color, the Ten team is expertly trained and distinctly talented. Ten’s team shares her values, resulting in an amazing salon experience!

Since founding Ten in 2001, Sheila’s passion has been unwavering in her desire and efforts to elevate not only the level of service, but also the entire salon industry to a nationally recognized career path for women of all ages. Ten Salon’s stylists make excellent pay, have benefits such as health insurance, paid vacations, retirement accounts and flexible schedules—all in a luxury working environment with strong incentives to grow professionally and financially. Ten Salon truly provides a special environment for established and growing stylists alike.

Sheila balances TV appearances, sharing the latest tips and hair trends, while caring for and training the best team in the business. She strives to maintain this level of excellence, and continues to grow with the First Coast community.

ZISSER FAMILY LAW

The world we live in today, is much different than the world we lived in a few decades ago. Women are now further than they’ve ever been at narrowing the margin between them and their male counterparts. However, women empowerment is about much more than growing a career. It’s about providing strength and support to women so that they can develop their own voice and forge the path to continue to help other women succeed. Here at Zisser Family Law, our female attorneys, Sara Frazier, and Lynn Salvatore, bring a vast array of legal experience to Jacksonville from estate planning to guardianship to extensive divorce cases. We believe it’s important to have diversity in the legal field, bringing with it the experience of different backgrounds and cultures to better help our clients. More female attorneys will result in better representation in the judiciary, which should be a major goal. We’re proud to stand behind the women of the future not just in the legal field, but in all professions.

THE BEACHES

Ocean Office Plaza, 302 Third St., Suite 6 Jacksonville, FL 32266

SOUTHSIDE

10175 Fortune Pkwy, Unit 503 Jacksonville, FL 32256

904.353.3222

www.zisserfamilylaw.com

Everything from the newest restaurants, the best road trips, the latest festivals, charity events, concerts, tournaments and more!

If it’s happening on the First Coast, you’ll know about it in time to book that table, hold your seat or get that ticket!

Get in the know and be seen! Go to jacksonvillemag.com and scroll down to find our newsletter sign-up tab.

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, more than $484 billion was contributed to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. in 2021. Despite the global pandemic, Americans gave at record levels. While the majority of donations are gifted by individuals, businesses and charitable foundations contributed about one-quarter of the total. With the goal of recognizing local businesses who make giving to the Northeast Florida community an integral part of their operating philosophy, Jacksonville Magazine created its annual Companies With Heart honors more than 15 years ago. The companies recognized each year are profiled in an article featured in the February edition and are invited to an awards luncheon—held this year on February 22 at the WJCT Studios.

The luncheon opened with a blessing by Rev. Kimberly Hyatt, CEO of Cathedral Arts Project (CAP). As lunch concluded, Hyatt took the podium again to share CAP’s vision for Northeast Florida, specifically to lead the nation in providing essential and accessible arts education that recognizes, grows and amplifies each child’s unique skills and strengths.

This year’s honorees:

AULD & WHITE CONSTRUCTORS

BAPTIST HEALTH

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES

FLORIDA NETWORK REALTY

BKS PARTNERS

COASTAL WEALTH

CROWLEY

CTI RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES

FLORIDA CAPITAL BANK

HASKELL COMPANY

LANDSOUTH CONSTRUCTION

THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

RIVERSIDE HOMES

ROOT REALTY

SUBARU OF JACKSONVILLE WINGARD

The nomination process for next year will open in November. Applications will be posted on our website. All businesses located in Northeast Florida are invited to participate and possibly be named a Company With Heart for 2024. u

HIDEAWAYVacation

With its dramatic vaulted ceiling, the living room is the central hub for the home, with large glass doors leading out to the patio and pool. The coffee table in the center of the room was made by the designer’s father-in-law, and is from the trunk of a tree harvested in San Marco.

“The homeowners wanted a room that was beautiful but also comfortable,” says Kelly.

A FAMILY’S SECOND HOME WAS BUILT AND DESIGNED AS A CASUAL, BEACHY HOLIDAY RETREAT.

Who wouldn’t love to have a vacation hideaway, a house built specifically as a place where family could gather for the holidays and summertime escapes? And, if that hideaway is near the beach, so much the better. A beautiful residence in Atlantic Beach Country Club was created with just that idea in mind.

“I would describe the style as a refined coastal retreat,” says JuliAnne Kelly, owner and principal of Carrier Design Co. “The color pallet utilized light blues and soft greens, along with natural wood tones and interesting one-of-a-kind wood furniture pieces.”

“The Nantucket is another example of the great partnership between Riverside Homes Custom Home Division and architect Michael Stauffer,” says Steve Morgan, business development manager for the homebuilder. “Situated on a prime 70-foot x 120-foot lot on the golf course, the home exemplifies the timeless Coastal Vernacular architecture that so many people in this area desire.”

Nearly everything in the house is new, from the lighting fixtures to the rugs. A modular sofa in the loft was repurposed from another home but the remainder of the furnishings were purchased spe -

Because the house would serve as a second home for the family, a private office space was essential. The office includes custom-designed cabinets built to hide a printer and filing space. The light fixture above the desk, made with oyster shells, is one of three in the house crafted by Light Fixture Originals in Charleston. Each is a one-of-a-kind design.

cifically for the home. In all, approximately 18 months were needed to design, build and furnish the home from the ground up.

Overall, the interior colors are very light and airy. According to the designer, the goal was to create a calming coastal retreat where the household could truly relax as a family. The natural wood textures used on the foyer and living room ceilings add depth and texture to the space. Grass cloth wallpaper in the office built-in shelves was used for a pop of color and texture. The custom stain color for the wood ceiling detail received particular attention.

“The ceiling detail in the foyer and the vaulted living room ceiling are both accented by custom light fixtures which elevate the overall design,” says Kelly. “In my opinion, lighting is one of the best places to spend your money when designing a home. The unique fixtures throughout this home create a cohesiveness from one space to the next.”

On this particular home, Kelly and the homebuilder worked in tandem to determine the final finish selections, as well as provide all the construction documentation needed. Since Riverside was a preferred builder in the private country club, there were some required guidelines for the exterior’s appearance. So, making sure the home was acceptable to the neighborhood’s design limitations, while also creating a unique residence for the homeowners, was a challenge.

Upon entering the front door from the inviting front porch, guests are immediately greeted with views of the golf course’s 11th fairway over the waterfall-edge pool. With approximately 3,900-square-feet of heated and cooled space (5,500 under roof), the home features four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. Much of the first floor is contained within the expansive family room, kitchen with hidden pantry and a separate dining space. There’s also a study and owners’ suite with private access to the covered lanai and pool.

“The oversized garage offers three bays to accommodate both cars and a golf cart,” adds Morgan. “The second floor includes three generous secondary bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. Also, upstairs is a large bonus room, complete with a wet bar and screened-in balcony overlooking the pool and golf course.”

Quartzite countertops were used throughout the kitchen. The dramatic backsplash is glass tiles, selected to add a sense of soothing calm and to compliment the stainless steel Thermador appliances. A hidden pantry adds extra storage space to a room already flush with ample cabinets and drawers.

The large master bath features a free-standing resin tub. The double vanity includes a handy linen tower between the two sinks. “The homeowners wanted the room to be classic, timeless,” says Kelly.

Atlantic Beach Country Club is a coastal neighborhood, located just a few blocks from the beach. As such, the Bahamas-style shutters on the exterior with a large front porch help the house fit perfectly into the waterside setting. In addition, a light, neutral exterior paired with the blue shutters add to its coastal aesthetic.

“The homeowners asked for several things in particular,” recalls the designer. “The wife needed an office in which to work from since this was their second home. We created a beautiful office for her off the foyer. The husband loves making margaritas, and he specifically asked for a place on the counter that would fit his three-pitcher Margaritaville machine. So, we designed the cabinet heights to accommodate this. They also needed a space for their two daughters to hang out, and the loft was perfect for this.”

So, when is the next vacation? And who wants a margarita? u

Going Native

A“Florida native plant” refers to a species occurring within the state boundaries prior to European contact, according to the best available scientific and historical documentation. “Florida native plants include those species understood as indigenous, occurring in natural associations in habitats that existed prior to significant human impacts and alterations of the landscape,” says the Florida Native Plant Society, an organization established to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants throughout the state.

There are many reasons for supporting this cause, not the least being to help preserve the character of the Florida landscape, which is unique and diverse when compared to other parts for the country. Also, landscapes flush with native plants support native animals including butterflies, wild bees (and economically valuable honey bees), other insects, birds, and wildlife.

Many caterpillars, which metamorphose into butterflies, require specific host plants for food. By selecting particular species, you can provide the basic habitat requirements for specific species that you’d like to see as adults. Since highly preferred hosts may be unattractive or eaten until they have few leaves, plan an out-of-the-way place for these hosts. You might also want to provide host plants for some of the more attractive moths.

Butterflies are attracted by sweet-, pungent- and acrid-smelling flowers that are orange, yellow, pink, purple and red. Plants with deep throated, drooping or enclosed flowers are unsuitable for nectar-

gathering. Some of these, especially white flowers that are fragrant at night, may attract moths.

According to the Florida Native Plant Society, bushes, trees and grasses that are naturally suited to thrive in the Sunshine State help conserve water resources. If you look around in nature, you’ll note that natives are growing quite well on rainfall. Planted in appropriate settings, natives minimize fertilizer use. Much of Florida has nutrient-poor soils, and the species that grow naturally in those soils do so without need of fertilizer. In addition, these types of plants minimize the need for pesticides and herbicides, both big pluses for the state’s overall environment.

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy for gardeners and homeowners to find native plants at their local nursery or big-box hardware store. Species such as red maple, butterfly weed, dwarf pawpaw and eastern redbud are easier to find that many others, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be readily available to purchase and plant.

“As far as plant recommendations, first figure out what native nursery you are going to buy from and ask to see their availability list. You can’t buy it, if no one is growing it,” says Tonya Ashworth, extension agent and environmental horticulture and master gardener coordinator for the UF/IFAS Extension in Duval County.

Another consideration when selecting natives to introduce into your yard is a desire to attract wildlife. Consider fruits that ripen through the seasons and the species that rely upon those fruits. For example, if

you want butterflies, provide their favorite foods such as milkweeds. If you want hummingbirds, provide red flowers with lots of nector. If you have scrub-jays, plant some sand live oak or Chapman’s oak. Also, Most smaller species are the prey for something larger. If you want to see these small wildlife species, provide them with cover. Keep some bushy trees in which smaller birds can hide. Leave a place for foxes to curl up in the shade.

Going natural can result in a beautiful landscape that you and your neighbors will appreciate. Your neighborhood’s wild animals will enjoy it, as well. u

SPRING TIME

Yards and gardens are stars of several upcoming First Coast events.

April 1 | Duval County Extension Master Gardener Program

Expert gardeners from the University of Florida are on hand to assist participants considering purchasing and planting native species such as milkweed, trees, shrubs, perennials and veggies. For those who want a professional opinion, the “Plant Doctor” is ready to answer gardening questions and collect soil samples. Plant chats cover topics like “Propagation,” “Attracting Butterflies with Natives,” and “When You Take the Plants Home-What’s Next?” In addition, there is an open house at the nearby Urban Garden, 9 AM - 2 PM, $10.

April 8 | Blooms Galore & More

There’s a lot more than annuals and perennials at the Plant PickUp and Sprout Sale at the Garden Club of Jacksonville. In addition to things to plant in your yard, there will be food trucks and a kid’s zone with nature-themed crafts and games. Also, a variety of plants and environment-related items will be on sale from vendors, 9 AM - 3 PM, free

April 22 | Second Saturday Plant Sale

Take advantage of the Earth Day plant sale being held at Washington Oaks State Park. A large selection of flowers and bushes is available for home, patio, or garden. At this monthly event, a few new special plants are featured each time (10 AM - 2 PM), some of which may be Florida natives. All proceeds benefit the enhancement of the park’s facilities. Please note that plant sales are run by volunteers and can be canceled with no notice. Park admission is $5 per vehicle, 2 - 8 people per vehicle.

May 18 | Tropical Floral Design Workshop

Bring a bottle of wine and some glasses and learn to create a masterpiece that you can take home or give as a gift. As part of the class, participants may use the flowers such as garden roses, lily asiatic orange, mums buttons, orchids mokara, protea pin cushions and tropical birds of paradise. Instructor Anne Crane offers insights into design techniques in a true hands-on workshop, 6:30 - 8 PM, Jacksonville Flower Market, Ponte Vedra Beach, $69

How Does Your Garden Grow?

“Growing your own food is gaining in popularity, and organic produce is the fastest growing segment of the food industry.” So opens the first Organic Methods for Vegetable Gardening in Florida (University Press of Florida, $30) by Ginny Stibolt and Melissa Markham. The 360-page paperback is an exhaustive second edition guide for growing everything from spinach to squash, and it’s written for novice and expert gardeners alike. Stibolt is a botanist and author of several books on gardening in the Sunshine State. Markham is a master gardener and founder of the Urban Oasis Project. Together, the two share simple and accessible advice for growing veggies in Florida, a place where soil types vary and many cool-weather crops can thrive through winter. The book is illustrated with dozens of color photos, renderings and maps. “So after you read a little, get up off the couch, look to see where you may have some space at home to do a little gardening, think what you might like to grow and eat, and make it happen,” writes Marty Mash,

Growing and maintaining a beautiful lawn in Florida isn’t without its challenges. Weeds, extreme heat, poor soil, insects… the typical plot of St. Augustine grass and a residential landscape’s various shrubs and trees are under pressure from many fronts. In effort to help homeowners improve their landscapes, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) and AgriTech Corp. have partnered to create a soil testing kit designed for Florida. The kits, $32 each, include a prepaid shipping label, soil bag, QR code to a collection instruction video. Users register their kits online, which helps target location-based requirements. Then, they collect some soil, seal it in the provided bag and send it to the lab for analysis. “The results users receive are not just tailored to their exact landscape, but it also takes into account their broader location, so that information like local fertilizer ban periods are accounted for,” says Bryan Unruh, a UF-IFAS turfghass scientist. “We want Florida’s lawns and landscapes to thrive in a way that also protects our waterways and environment.” Now, if only getting someone to cut the grass were this easy. u

director

Florida Certified Organic

in the book’s forward. Now, go do it.

Green With Envy

Is artificial turf a good fit for your yard?

It might be, but there are questions to ask before cutting out the real grass.

No more cutting, no more watering, it stays green all year long— so go some of the prime selling points for the various artificial turf products available for home lawns and gardens today. Years ago, it was common that the idea of fake grass brought to mind images of the old Astrodome in Houston, an indoor stadium whose playing surface was covered in a plastic “grass” rug sitting upon a hard concrete surface. That’s no longer the case with artificial turf landscape materials, a product that comes in a near endless varieties including different colors, texture, grass blade lengths and more. We asked Adam Grossman, co-founder of Southern Turf Co., for answers to common questions posed by those considering going artificial. Here’s some of what he said:

What are the benefits of artificial turf? The biggest benefits are having a beautiful, always-green lawn and savings on your water bill. Also, turf is family and pet-friendly, and it benefits the environment. With artificial turf, you have a perfect lawn all year without having to spend hours on mowing and maintenance. Artificial grass also eliminates the need for fertilizers and pesticides.

What is the cost of artificial turf? Just like most home projects, the cost to install an artificial turf system isn’t one size fits all. When getting an estimate from a professional installer, they will take into account the size of your lawn, the type of turf you choose, the landscape design, and what prep work will need to be done before they can begin. For example, a backyard that has proper drainage and no existing sod to remove will have a different cost-per-square-foot than a backyard of the same size, but needs grading and excavation. By rule of thumb, a typical residential artificial turf system may range between $8-$17 per square foot.

What are the steps of having artificial turf installed? Typical instal-

lation will begin with preparing the base. Any shrubs, weeds, tree stumps, rock, or other debris will need to be removed. A base material, like crushed concrete, will be brought in and then compacted. If needed, edging will be installed to prevent base erosion and ensure the longevity of the artificial turf system. From there, a weed barrier is used for installations that aren’t pet-heavy.

Next, it’s time to lay the turf. There are a variety of ways to secure the turf, such as U-nails, seaming tape, and glue. A professional will know which option is best for your environment. When planning your turf system, it is important to roll the blades vertically, away from the main viewing area and to minimize seams to create the optimal look. Once it is cut to size and secured, landscaping nails will secure the edges.

One of the final, and most important steps, is to apply infill. Infill is what helps the blades of artificial turf stand in a way that looks natural, as well as protecting the backing of the turf. After the infill is spread, a power broom is used on the turf to move the fill to the base of the turf and bring the blades of turf to an upright position.

Is artificial turf pet-friendly? It’s great for pets, especially dogs. If you’ve ever visited local dog parks like Brew Hound or Kanine Social, you notice they’ve opted for artificial turf for their landscaping. This is because, compared to natural grass, artificial turf is highly durable and easy to clean.

What are my options for installing a home putting green? A putting green is the ultimate affordable luxury and a great way to improve your game or entertain guests. For basic putting, nylon standard greens are a fantastic option. If you are looking to chip and have a true green fill, a sand-filled green is the ticket. u

METHODOLOGY FOR BEST LAWYERS®

This list on the following pages is excerpted from the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, the pre-eminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. Published since 1983, Best Lawyers© lists attorneys in 146 specialties, representing all 50 states, who have been chosen through an exhaustive survey in which thousands of the nation’s top lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The 2022 edition of Best Lawyers© is based on 8.3 million evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

The method used to compile Best Lawyers© remains unchanged since the first edition was compiled almost 40 years ago. Lawyers are chosen for inclusion based solely on the vote of their peers. Listings cannot be bought, and no purchase is required to be included. In this regard, Best Lawyers remains the gold standard of reliability and integrity in lawyer ratings.

The nomination pool for the 2023 edition consisted of all lawyers whose names appeared in the previous edition of Best Lawyers©, lawyers who were nominated since the previous survey, and new nominees solicited from listed attorneys. In general, lawyers were asked to vote only on nominees in their own specialty in their own jurisdiction. Lawyers in closely related specialties were asked to vote across specialties, as were lawyers in smaller jurisdictions. Where specialties are national or international in nature, lawyers were asked to vote nationally as well as locally. Voting lawyers were also given an opportunity to offer more detailed comments on nominees. Each year, half of the voting pool receives fax or email ballots; the other half is polled by phone.

Voting lawyers were provided this general guideline for determining if a nominee should be listed among “the best”: “If you had a close friend or relative who needed a real estate lawyer (for example), and you could not handle the case yourself, to whom would you refer them?” All votes and comments were solicited with a guarantee of confidentiality—a critical factor in the viability and validity of Best Lawyers©’ surveys. To ensure the rigor of the selection process, lawyers were urged to use only their highest standards when voting, and to evaluate each nominee based only on his or her individual merits. The additional comments were used to make more accurate comparisons between voting patterns and weight votes accordingly. Best Lawyers© uses various methodological tools to identify and correct for anomalies in both the nomination and voting process.

Ultimately, of course, a lawyer’s inclusion is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow attorneys. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, the breadth of the survey, the candor of the respondents, and the sophistication of the polling methodology largely correct for any biases.

For all these reasons, Best Lawyers© lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate and useful guide to the best lawyers in the United States available anywhere.

*LAWYERS OF THE YEAR:

Additional recognitions are also awarded to individual lawyers with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is recognized as the “Lawyer of the Year” for each specialty and location. Jacksonville’s Lawyers of the Year for 2023 are highlighted by an asterisk (*) before their name.

Jacksonville Magazine’s

2023 BEST LAWYERS

Northeast Florida’s leading attorneys as named by their peers

In almost everything we do—from buying a house to driving a car to selecting our elected officials—is affected by the law in some way. That said, we don’t need a lawyer for most of our everyday interactions. So, when do you need a lawyer? And when can (or should) you handle a matter on your own? Truth is, most of our problems are not really legal—or are not exclusively legal—and can be handled, at least in part, with the help of psychologists, the clergy or other counselors. Talking with a trusted friend or family member is often the best idea. However, there are situations that do have a legal dimension and require a lawyer’s help. When you find yourself in such a circumstance, finding the right attorney is crucial. So, who are you gonna’ call?

The question is the basic premise of Best Lawyers in America. To provide an answer, they go directly to those who know the law best—practicing attorneys.

Administrative / Regulatory Law

Sidney F. Ansbacher

Upchurch, Bailey & Upchurch

St. Augustine

*Wyman R. Duggan

Rogers Towers

Fred D. Franklin

Rogers Towers, P.A.

Patrick W. Krechowski

Balch & Bingham

Charles F. Mills III

Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow, PLLC

Emily Pierce

Rogers Towers, P.A.

Mark H. Scruby

Rogers Towers

John W. Wallace

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Admiralty & Maritime Law

Phillip A. Buhler

Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight & Jones

*James F. Moseley, Jr.

Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight & Jones

Robert B. Parrish

Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight & Jones

Thomas C. Sullivan

Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight & Jones

Advertising Law

Katharine F. Rowe

Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP

Appellate Practice

Sidney F. Ansbacher

Upchurch, Bailey & Upchurch

St. Augustine

Rebecca B. Creed

Creed & Gowdy

Bryan E. DeMaggio

Sheppard, White, Kachergus, DeMaggio & Wilkison

Bryan S. Gowdy

Creed & Gowdy

William S. Graessle

William S. Graessle

Jessie Harrell

The Harrell Firm

Matthew R. Kachergus

Sheppard, White, Kachergus, DeMaggio & Wilkison

William Kent

Kent & McFarland

*Michael Korn

Korn & Zehmer

Cindy A. Laquidara

Akerman

Peggy-Anne O’Connor

Turner O’Connor Kozlowski, P.L.

Michael Fox Orr

Orr | Cook

Cristine M. Russell

Rogers Towers

Michael G. Tanner

Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart

Daniel Gray Thomas

Law Office of D. Gray Thomas

Elizabeth L. White

Sheppard, White, Kachergus, DeMaggio & Wilkison

Arbitration

A. Graham Allen Rogers Towers

Christopher C. Hazelip

Rogers Towers, P.A.

Edward McCarthy III

Rogers Towers, P.A.

*Timothy W. Volpe

Adams and Reese

Aviation Law

Keith Maynard

Spohrer Dodd

Robert F. Spohrer

Spohrer Dodd

Banking & Finance Law

J.I. Vance Berry, Jr. Stoneburner Berry Purcell & Campbell

Matthew G. Breuer

Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow

Ivan A. Colao

Holland & Knight

Betsy C. Cox

Rogers Towers

Gardner F. Davis

Foley & Lardner LLP

Christian P. George Akerman

Richard W. Hawthorne

Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow

Edward L. Kelly

Rogers Towers

Frederick H. Kent III

Marks Gray

Chauncey W. Lever, Jr.

Foley & Lardner LLP

*Matthew S. McAfee

Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow

James L. Purcell, Jr.

Stoneburner Berry Purcell & Campbell

John T. Rogerson III

Adams and Reese

John T. Sefton

Rogers Towers

John R. Thomas

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Timothy W. Vople

Adams and Reese

David M. Wells

Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart

Bankruptcy & Creditor

Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law

Jason Burnett

GrayRobinson

Stephen D. Busey

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Betsy C. Cox

Rogers Towers

Timothy S. Danninger

Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A.

Gardner F. Davis

Foley & Lardner

Michael E. Demont

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Christian P. George

Akerman LLP

Edward Jackson

Edward P. Jackson

John B. Macdonald

Akerman

*Bradley R. Markey

Thames Markey

William McDaniel

Lansing Roy

Mark S. Mitchell

Rogers Towers

Niels P. Murphy

Murphy & Anderson

Armando Nozzolillo

Burr & Forman

David E. Otero

Akerman

Adina Pollan

Pollan Legal

James H. Post

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Nicholas V. Pulignano, Jr.

Marks Gray

John T. Rogerson III

Adams and Reese

Adrian Rust

Burr & Forman

J. Ellsworth Summers, Jr.

Burr & Forman

Michael Waskiewicz

Burr & Forman

Alan M. Weiss

Holland & Knight

Bet-the-Company Litigation

A. Graham Allen

Rogers Towers

Stephen D. Busey

Smith Hulsey & Busey

John A. DeVault III

Bedell, Dittmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe

*W. Braxton Gillam IV

Milam Howard Nicandri & Gillam

Rutledge R. Liles

The Liles Firm

E. Lanny Russell

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Michael G. Tanner

Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart

David M. Wells

Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart

Business Organizations

(Including LLCs & Partnerships)

Edward C. Akel

Lippes Mathias LLP

K. Mac Bracewell

Rogers Towers

2023 ONES TO WATCH

Administrative / Regulatory Law

William J. Michaelis

Rogers Towers

Alternative Dispute Resolution

William Bradley Russell, Jr.

Foley & Lardner

Appellate Practice

Minch Minchin

Shullman Fugate

Laura B. Renstrom

Holland & Knight

Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor

Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law

Angela N. Grewal

Adams and Reese

Robert A. Neilson

Burr & Forman

Business Organizations

(including LLCs & Partnerships)

Kayla Haines Herrin

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Commercial Litigation

Kevin P. Blodgett

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Adam Brandon

Rogers Towers

Rachel C. Cocciolo

Burr & Forman

Brandon Cook

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Kathleen Crowley

Orr | Cook

E. Paul Cuffe

McGuireWoods

Brittney L. Difato

McGuireWoods

Andrew J. Dugué

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Kimano M. Edwards

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

Alina Vinci Fernandez

Orr Cook

Job Fickett

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

Sarah J. Hulsberg

Murphy & Anderson

Michael J. Humphries

Murphy & Anderson

Jordan M. Janoski

Murphy & Anderson

Brian G. Kelley

Rogers Towers

nes to watch” awards are recognitions given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice across the country. Best Lawyers’ Ones to Watch recipients typically have been in practice for less than 10 years. The methodology for determining these awards is through peer review, the same as determining the Best Lawyers list for each region. Jacksonville’s Ones to Watch honoreees for 2023 are listed here.

Jennifer P. Lawson

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Logan K. McEwen

Marks Gray

Frank T. Moya

Shutts & Bowen

Kimberly T. Mydock

McGuireWoods

Janet C. Owens

Rogers Towers

Laura B. Renstrom

Holland & Knight

Wesley L. Ridout

Boyd & Jenerette

Richard Rivera

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Emily Y. Rottmann

McGuireWoods

William Bradley

Russell, Jr.

Foley & Lardner

Austin C. Sherman

Marks Gray

Aubrey G. Smith

Wicker Smith O’Hara

McCoy & Ford

Matthew M. Tonuzi

Rogers Towers

Jackie A. Van Laningham

Abel Bean Law

Thomas P. White

Adams and Reese

Kimberly Woods

Boyd & Jenerette

Construction Law

Michael Cox

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

Kimano M. Edwards

Balch & Bingham

Job Fickett

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

William E. Gibbs

Sodl & Ingram

Frank T. Moya

Shutts & Bowen

Alison Sausaman

Carr Allison

Katherine R. Woods

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

Corporate Governance & Compliance Law

Job Fickett

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

Corporate Law

William R. Brown, Jr.

Foley & Lardner

Kayla Haines Herrin

Smith Hulsey & Busey

N. Vincent Pulignano III

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Criminal Defense: General Practice

Andrew Fawbush Jr.

Epstein & Robbins

BeJae Shelton

Finnell, McGuinness, Nezami & Andux

Education Law

Michael J. Lufkin

Rogers Towers

Entertainment & Sports Law

Trace H. Jackson Rogers Towers

Lauren Majure

Majure Law

Family Law

Joseph A. Alvarez

Sussman, Johnson and Alvarez Family Law

Katherine Johnson

Sussman, Johnson and Alvarez Family Law

Lewis D. Price

Rogers Tower

Government Relations Practice

William J. Michaelis

Rogers Towers

Insurance Law

Dion K. Bass, Sr.

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Andrew J. Dugué

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Corey K. Setterlund

Marshall Dennehey Warner

Coleman & Goggin

Austin C. Sherman

Marks Gray

Katherine R. Woods

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

Intellectual Property Law

Logan K. McEwen

Marks Gray

Labor & Employment Law – Management

Rachel C. Cocciolo

Burr & Forman

M. Megan Coughlin

Jackson Lewis

Cassie R. Daum

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Ashlea A. Edwards

Akerman

Brian L. Hayden

Jackson Lewis

Jennifer P. Lawson

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Michael J. Lufkin

Rogers Towers

Tracey Kort Parde

Tracey Kort Parde

Katheryn K. Rudderman

Rogers Towers

Land Use & Zoning Law

Kristen P. Courtney

McGuireWoods

Courtney P. Gaver

Rogers Towers St. Augustine

Litigation –Banking & Finance

Kimberly T. Mydock

McGuireWoods

Janet C. Owens

Rogers Towers

Litigation –Bankruptcy

Robert A. Neilson

Burr & Forman

Litigation –Construction

Kathleen Crowley

Orr | Cook

Sarah J. Hulsberg

Murphy & Anderson

Courtney M. Johnson

Marks Gray

Matthew M. Tonuzi

Rogers Towers

Litigation –Environmental

Kevin P. Blodgett

Smith, Hulsey & Busey

Litigation –Intellectual Property

Trace H. Jackson

Rogers Towers

Minch Minchin

Shullman Furgate

Litigation – Labor & Employment

Rachel C. Cocciolo

Burr & Forman

Ashlea A. Edwards

Akerman

Elizabeth Joiner

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete

Cameron G. Kynes

McGuireWoods

Jennifer P. Lawson

Smith Gambrell & Russell

Michael J. Lufkin

Rogers Towers

Litigation – Real Estate

Kathleen Crowley

Orr | Cook

Courtney P. Gaver

Rogers Towers

St. Augustine

Emily Y. Rottmann

McGuireWoods

Matthew M. Tonuzi

Rogers Towers

Litigation –

Trusts & Estates

Marcus Bradley Manning

Manning Law

Medical Malpractice

Law – Defendants

Dion K. Bass, Sr.

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

E. Paul Cuffe

McGuireWoods

Ashley Fromm

Hall Booth Smith

Adam Prom

Hall Booth Smith

Austin C. Sherman

Carr Allison

Aubrey G. Smith

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Mergers & Acquisitions Law

E. Paul Cuffe

McGuireWoods

Kayla Haines Herrin

Smith Hulsey & Busey

Thomas R. Heekin

Fisher, Tousey, Leas & Ball

N. Vincent Pulignano

Foley & Lardner

Personal Injury

Litigation – Defendants

Dion K. Bass, Sr.

Smith, Hulsey & Busey

Blake Cole

Saalfield Shad

E. Paul Cuffe

McGuireWoods

Alison Sausaman

Carr Allison

Austin C. Sherman

Carr Allison

Aubrey G. Smith

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Personal Injury

Litigation – Plaintiffs

Andrew Fawbush, Jr.

Epstein & Robbins

Seth Roebuck

Coker Law

Davarian Rousseau

Ansbacher Law

Product Liability

Litigation –Defendants

Jordan M. Janoski

Murphy & Anderson

Sean J. Reeves

Marshall Dennehey Warner

Coleman & Goggin

Real Estate Law

Kristen P. Courtney

McGuireWoods

Austin J. Dragoo

Rogers Towers

William E. Gibbs

Sodl & Ingram

Logan K. McEwen

Marks Gray

N. Vincent Pulignano III

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Aubrey G. Smith

Wicker Smith O’Hara

McCoy & Ford

Tax Law

Thomas R. Heekin

Fisher, Tousey, Leas & Ball

Lauren Majure

Majure Law

Transportation Law

Meghan K. Bradley

Carr Allison

Shawn Brooks

Hall Booth Smith

Alison Sausaman

Carr Allison

Trusts & Estates Law

Tara S. Forrest

Rogers Towers

Thomas R. Heekin

Fisher, Tousey, Leas & Ball

Marcus Bradley Manning

Manning Law

Christine Sweet

Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart u

Jacksonville’s

BOARD CERTIFIED LAWYERS

E

stablished by the Florida Supreme Court in 1982, board certification is conferred upon lawyers by the most credible and highest authority over the state’s legal community, The Florida Bar. Certification is the Florida Bar’s highest level of evaluation of competency and experience of attorneys in the 27 areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida. Seven percent of eligible Florida Bar members (approximately 5,000 lawyers) are board-certified. The process is a rigorous one, and requires at least five years of law practice, a substantial involvement in the field of law for which certification is sought, satisfactory peer review of competence in the specialty field, passing an examination and satisfying continuing legal education requirements.

Admiralty & Maritime Law

Thomas A. Boyd, Jr.

Boyd Law, P.A.

Phillip A. Buhler

Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight & Jones

C. Ryan M. Eslinger

Milton, Leach, Whitman,

Et Al

James F. Moseley, Jr.

Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight & Jones

Adoption Law

Brian T. Kelly

Shorstein & Kelly

Michael A. Shorstein

Shorstein & Kelly

Jennifer B. Williams

Elizabeth R. Ondriezek

Appellate Practice

Rhonda B. Boggess

Marks Gray

Rebecca B. Creed

Creed & Gowdy

Craig D. Feiser

Office of the General Counsel

Bryan S. Gowdy

Creed & Gowdy

William S. Graessle

William S. Graessle

Jessie L. Harrell

The Harrell Firm

John S. Mills

Bishop & Mills

Cristine M. Russell

Rogers Towers

Aviation Law

Galen D. Bauer

Spohrer & Dodd

Edward M. Booth, Jr.

Marks Gray

Mary P. Burnett

Mary Burnett Attorney at Law

Jeffrey R. Ludwig

Ludwig & Associates

Keith L. Maynard

Spohrer & Dodd

Barry E. Newman

Spohrer & Dodd

Chad S. Roberts

The Roberts Firm

Robert F. Spohrer

Spohrer & Dodd

Business Litigation

Geddes D. Anderson, Jr.

Murphy & Anderson

Gregory A. Anderson

AndersonGlenn

Gilbert L. Feltel, Jr.

4th Judicial Circuit

Michael R. Freed

Gunster

Wiley B. Gillam IV

Milam Howard Nicandri

Gillam & Renner

Austin T. Hamilton

Jimerson Birr

Scott J. Kennelly Rogers Towers

Eric S. Kolar

Eric S. Kolar

Jon M. Lindell

Lindell & Farson

Brandon C. Meadows

Jimerson Birr

Niels P. Murphy Murphy & Anderson

Jeffrey C. Regan

Regan Atwood

Michael G. Tanner

Gunster

Kenneth A. Tomchin

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

Samuel G. Wells

Gray Robinson

City, County & Local Government Law

Wayne E. Flowers

Lewis, Longman & Walker

Jason R. Gabriel

Burr & Forman

Christopher M. Garrett

Office of General Counsel

Melissa M. Gross-Arnold

The Arnold Law Firm

Sonya Harrell

Office of General Counsel

Lawsikia J. Hodges

Office of General Counsel

Paige H. Johnston

City of Jacksonville

Patrick W. Krechowski

Balch & Bingham

Cindy A. Laquidara

Akerman

Rebecca C. Lavie

Office of General Counsel

Regina D. Ross

Office of General Counsel, JEA

Civil Trial

Fraz Ahmed

Coker Law

Allison G. Allen, Jr.

Rogers Towers

Bruce R. Anderson, Jr.

Duval County Courthouse

Gregory A. Anderson

AndersonGlenn

Jeptha F. Barbour

Marks Gray

Tyrie W. Boyer

Duval County Courthouse

Dana G. Bradford II

Smith, Gambrell & Russell

Thomas R. Brown

The Brown Firm

Joseph V. Camerlengo

The Truck Accident

Law Firm

Alexis M. Clay

Peter F. Nunes & Associates –

CLC State Farm

Howard C. Coker

Coker Law

Raymond S. Costantino

The Costantino Law Firm

James L. D’Andrea

Milton Leach Whitman

D’Andrea & Eslinger

Dennis P. Dore

The Law Office of Ron

Sholes

Thomas S. Edwards, Jr.

Edwards & Ragatz

William E. Fasking

W. Eric Fasking & Associates

Ellis T. Fernandez III

Fernandez Trial Lawyers

William C. Gentry

Law Office of W.C. Gentry

Wiley B. Gillam IV

Milam Howard Nicandri

Gillam & Renner

Michael L. Glass

Stone, Glass & Connolly

James C. Hamilton, Jr.

Tyler & Hamilton

James P. Hanratty

Marshall Dennehey

Warner Coleman & Goggi

Chelsea R. Harris

Coker Law

Christopher C. Hazelip

Rogers Towers

John W. Hogan

Terrell Hogan Yegelwel

James R. Holland II

Holland Law

Jeffrey J. Humphries

Morgan & Morgan

Daniel A. Iracki

Coker Law

Kevin E. Jakab

Jakab Law

Eric L. Leach

Milton Leach Whitman

D’Andrea & Eslinger

Brian J. Lee

Morgan & Morgan

Rutledge R. Liles

The Liles Firm

Jon M. Lindell

Lindell & Farson

Gregory W. Lineberry

Gregory W. Lineberry, Esq.

Michael D. Marrese

Rodney S. Margol

Spohrer Dodd

Trial Attorneys

Patrick S. Martin

Boyd & Jenerette

Blane G. McCarthy

Miles Mediation & Arbitration

Edward McCarthy II

Rogers Towers

Michael P. Moran

Morgan & Morgan

Timothy S. Moran

Morgan & Morgan

Ronald R. Oberdier

Hatfield & Hatfield

Curry G. Pajcic

Pajcic & Pajcic

Stephen J. Pajcic

Pajcic & Pajcic

Angelo M. Patacca, Jr.

Rogers Towers

John M. Phillips

Phillips & Hunt

Matthew N. Posgay

Coker Law

Gregory D. Prysock

Morgan & Morgan

Eric C. Ragatz

Edwards & Ragatz

Richard E. Ramsey

Wicker Smith Et Al

Michael P. Regan Jr.

O’Hara Law Firm

Matthew T. Roach

Harrell & Harrell

John J. Schickel

Coker Law

Carl S. Schuler

Schuler & Lee

Christopher N. Shakib

Terrell Hogan Yegelwel

Scott D. Sheftall

Sheftall & Associates

Thomas F. Slater

Pajcic & Pajcic

Ashleigh J. Smith

Peter F. Nunes & Associates

Thomas C. Smith

Peter F. Nunes & Associates

Jeffrey J. Sneed

Law Office of J. Christopher

Norris

Charles A. Sorenson

Coker Law

Matthew W. Sowell

Terrell Hogan Yegelwel

Robert F. Spohrer

Spohrer & Dodd

Donald W. St. Denis

St. Denis & Davey

William T. Stone

Saalfield Shad Law Firm

Michael G. Tanner

Gunster

Kendra B. Therrell

Kubicki Draper

Jan C. Trendowski

Mintzer Sarowitz Zeris

Ledva & Meyers

Fred Tromberg

Law Offices of Fred

Tromberg

Kristen M. Van

Der Linde

Boyd & Jenerette

Samuel G. Wells

Gray Robinson

Joshua A. Whitman

Milton Leach Whitman

Kenneth B. Wright

Bledsoe, Jacobson,

Schmidt, Wright & Sussman

Evan J. Yegelwel

Terrell Hogan Yegelwel

Construction Law

Adam G. Adams III

AG Adams Law

Helen H. Albee

Tritt & Associates

Barry B. Ansbacher

Ansbacher Law

Fred E. Atwood, Jr.

Regan Atwood

Henry G. Bachara, Jr.

Bachara Construction

Law Group

Amanda P. Baggett

Baggett Law

Michael J. Barker

Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boye

Charles E. Bearden

Luks, Santaniello, Patrillo & Cohen

James O. Birr III

Jimerson Birr

Judson C. Bradley

The Stellar Companies

Michael J. Childers

Boyd & Jenerette

Christopher M. Cobb

Cobb & Gonzalez

Gabriel B. A. Crafton

The Stellar Companies

Robert J. Dill

Tritt & Associates

Nicholas J. Elder

Cobb & Gonzalez

Elizabeth B. Ferguson

Marshall Dennehey

Warner Coleman & Goggi

Albert T. Franson

Franson, Iseley & Rendzio

Reed W. Grimm

Taylor Day Grimm & Boyd

Reese J. Henderson, Jr.

GrayRobinson

Patrick D. Hinchey

Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo & Cohen

Kellie M. Humphries

Gunster Coakley & Stewart

Christopher J. Iseley

Franson & Iseley

Charles B. Jimerson

Jimerson Birr

Patrick W. Joyce

Milam Howard Nicandri

Gillam & Renner

Christopher R. Maloney

Jimerson Birr

Christopher J. Mueller

Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd

G. K. Norrie

Rogers Towers

Scott A. Padgett

Rogers Towers

Jeffrey C. Regan

Regan Atwood

FLORIDA WOMEN’S LAW GROUP

Heather Brooke Quick is the founder and CEO of the only divorce and family law firm for women in Northeast Florida. Heather brings over 20 years of law experience that advocates and empowers women to achieve happier and healthier lives. Divorce is often looked at in a negative way but staying in an unhappy and unhealthy marriage is not positive for anyone, especially if there are children involved. It takes strength and courage to walk away from something that is toxic and head into the unknown to look for a better future. At Florida Women’s Law Group, we support and empower women that feel trapped in an unfulfilling marriage. We are committed to providing women with the information and tools necessary to make educated decisions about their future and goals.

It has been amazing to watch women transform as we help them navigate their divorce. We have supported women breadwinners protecting what they have worked so hard to earn and accomplish in their careers as well as safeguarding their custody and time with their children. We are here to give strength to the supportive stay-athome mother who has been in the background propelling her spouse’s success while putting her own career goals to the side. As a firm of all women, we understand women and what it feels like to be second guessed and undervalued. With Florida Women’s Law Group, you are always first and you are always valued.

Our podcast, “Women Winning Divorce” is now entering it’s second year and provides women with weekly topics in family law and answers questions for women contemplating divorce or in the middle of divorce proceedings. The new focus for 2023 is collaborating with women divorce attorneys throughout the country to discuss divorce issues for women as well as look at the different approaches that different firms take throughout the United States.

The title “Women Winning Divorce,” reflects many of the values at Florida Women’s Law Group. To suggest there are no winners in divorce is a misconception. Heather believes that if you can gain your freedom, achieve your goals, while maintaining your dignity and self-respect, you win. Just because a woman wins in divorce, doesn’t mean she has to make someone lose, that is the distinction. Throughout the process of a woman’s case, we provide the tools, support and strength to empower her to stand on her own and claim the future she deserves. When we see women completely transform themselves as their case progresses, it’s a win. In our eyes, this is women winning divorce!

We are committed to guiding women with compassion and empathy through matters of divorce, alimony, child support, modification, relocation, and other family law matters. Our team continually looks for innovative ways to solve problems for our clients, working together with them to move their lives forward in a better, more comprehensive manner than the traditional legal approach allows. We are women empowering women through personal, financial, and legal difficulties in family courts. If it is time for you to make a change, let us help you achieve a more stable, healthy and happy future.

Listen to our podcast at WomenWinningDivorce.com/podcast or on all major podcast outlets.

Founded by distinguished family law pioneers, Zisser Family Law is consistently among the most recognized and respected law firms in Northeast Florida, offering more than four decades of real-life family law experience, the Zisser name has become synonymous with the highest standards of care and focus.

The dynamics of the firm have changed over the last two years with the merging of two separate family law practices into a single entity, followed by a leadership transition as Jonathan Zisser took over as owner, and brought on Sara Frazier as managing partner.

Raised by legal legends Elliot and Carolyn Zisser, Jonathan Zisser was instinctively drawn to Family Law at an early age. His deep desire to protect the rights of others allowed him to take a more collaborative approach to Family Law, using his Criminal Law expertise at his parent’s firm. True to form, Jonathan has volunteered with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) for over a decade. He has honed his skills in criminal defense trial work while working as an Assistant Public Defender in Jacksonville, where he represented thousands of clients in all aspects of criminal law.

Sara Beth Frazier is a dedicated family law attorney who fights tirelessly for her clients and has a proven track record of getting the outcomes her clients deserve. Founding attorney of the Law Office of Sara Frazier, Sara has been working to provide clients with compassionate, informative counsel since opening for business in 2009. Sara concentrated her practice on cases including divorce, child custody, spousal support, adoption, paternity, and domestic violence, specializing in estate planning, probate, and guardianship.

Lynn Salvatore, an associate who joined Zisser Family Law in 2017, brings a wealth of experience – and a passion for children’s and women’s issues, forged during her previous service as an attorney for both the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program. Lynn also brings her business aplomb to many cases. She enjoys the challenge of digging into financial disclosures to discover the true business valuations during divorce cases.

The practice is anchored by pacesetter Elliot Zisser who has an extensive list of accolades; he was selected by the Florida Bar as an “Eminent Practitioner” to co-write the exam for becoming board-certified family lawyer and was the first board-certified family Marital and Family Law attorney in Northeast Florida. As the co-founder of the firm and now serving as senior counsel, Elliot has a well-earned reputation for honesty and professionalism.

With the extensive knowledge each attorney brings to the table, the firm offers traditional litigation, along with a more collaborative process for family law, and is well-prepared to handle some related criminal law issues such as domestic violence. Offering a diverse practice of people and expertise, the accomplished attorneys at Zisser Family Law are equipped to handle the simplest to the most complex situations.

BARRY B. ANSBACHER |

For over 25 years, Ansbacher Law has been recognized as one of Florida’s leading law firms. Operating from offices in Jacksonville, the Beaches, Fleming Island, St. Augustine, and Orlando, Ansbacher Law assists businesses, community associations, and individuals. The firm has obtained Tier 1 Ratings from U.S. News & World Report in both Real Estate Law and Construction Law.

Barry Ansbacher is a Jacksonville native and University of Florida College of Law graduate. He began working as a lawyer with his father, Lewis “Lukie” Ansbacher, at Ansbacher & Schneider, P.A., and in 1997 founded Ansbacher Law. Barry Ansbacher is the only lawyer in Florida to achieve triple board certification by the Florida Bar in Construction Law, Condominium and Planned Development Law, and Real Estate Law. He is recognized by SuperLawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, Top 100 Trial Attorneys, Construction Lawyers Society of America and Who’s Who in American Law. Barry Ansbacher holds the highest ratings from both Martindale-Hubbell® (AV-Preeminent) and AVVO (10/10 – Superb).

R. ROTH

Zach Roth, a 2013 graduate of Vanderbilt Law School, serves as the managing partner of the firm. He is Board Certified in Real Estate Law and leads the real estate and corporate practice group. Zach Roth is also currently the city attorney for both Neptune Beach and Baldwin, Florida. He is recognized by SuperLawyers as a Rising Star and by The Best Lawyers in America.

Ansbacher Law is a team of over 30 professionals, including 11 attorneys. The firm’s experience and results, as well as its dedication to its clients, have earned Ansbacher Law the reputation as “The Lawyers You Want on Your Side.”

At Edwards & Ragatz, we give Jacksonville residents a voice in the courtroom. Partners Tom Edwards and Eric Ragatz help clients navigate the complex legal process. They provide diligent advocacy and work every case like it’s going to trial, so clients receive the justice and the compensation they deserve.

Tom Edwards graduated from Stetson Law in 1983. He is a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. Tom is rated AV Preeminent®, is listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America by U.S. News – Best Lawyers®, is recognized in Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, and has been recognized on the Florida Super Lawyers list for over a decade. Tom served as past president of the Florida Justice Association (FJA), Jacksonville Chapter of the ABOTA, Jacksonville Bar, and Jacksonville Trial Lawyers and is on the National Board of Directors for ABOTA. Tom serves on the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Management Council and served as a Commissioner for the Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice. Tom is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and was honored with the B.J. Masterson Award for Professionalism by the FJA. In 2020, Tom received the Al Cone Lifetime Achievement Award for a career of leadership and courage as a trial lawyer.

Eric Ragatz received his Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law in 1996. He is the managing partner of Edwards & Ragatz and has been a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer since 2019. He is rated AV Preeminent®, has been honored by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® in both Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice since 2017, and has been recognized on the Florida Super Lawyers list every year since 2014. Eric is admitted to all Florida Courts, all United States District Courts in

Florida and is a licensed member of the State Bar of Georgia. Eric has achieved numerous jury verdicts and obtained multiple, million-dollar settlements in both Florida and Georgia.

In 2012, Tom and Eric won a landmark verdict. The medical malpractice case resulted in a verdict* of $178 million, including $10 million in punitive damages from HCA/Memorial Hospital. Due to sanctions, the judgment was approximately $228 million – one of the largest malpractice awards in the history of the state. This was the largest malpractice verdict in the country for that year. Tom and Eric were pleased that their client saw the justice that he deserved.

In 2014 and in all years since, Edwards & Ragatz has been named by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® as a Tier 1 Best Law Firm in both Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury in the region. With unmatched compassion and record-setting results, Edwards & Ragatz is honored to serve the people of Jacksonville and throughout the state.

*Awarded amounts are before deduction for attorney’s fees and expenses. Most cases result in a lower recovery. It should not be assumed that your case will have as beneficial a result.

John Morgan founded Morgan & Morgan after his brother Tim was paralyzed while working at Walt Disney World and the legal system chewed him up. John became determined to fight on behalf of others like Tim. To this day, Morgan & Morgan fights to preserve our clients’ dignity. Because to us, all of our clients are Tim. Our mission is to get our clients the best results as fast as possible.

As America’s largest Injury law firm, Morgan & Morgan has more than 800 attorneys across the country, with local offices in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Brunswick and St. Augustine. We represent clients in over 50 practice areas, including car crashes, personal injury, work injury, medical malpractice, product liability, labor and employment, civil rights, national mass torts and class actions, business litigation, and insurance disputes, among others. The firm has recovered more than $15 billion for over 300,000 clients. Our firm has a reputation for taking cases to trial and fighting to get the biggest results for our clients.

Since 2001, Morgan & Morgan has been serving the Jacksonville community. Our team in Jacksonville includes more than 60 attorneys and 300 employees who are dedicated to fighting for the people, not the powerful.

The firm’s steadfast dedication to our community goes beyond the courtroom. Morgan & Morgan is a proud supporter of Feeding

Northeast Florida (FNEFL) in their mission to solve hunger, helping them provide over 90,000 meals to the community in 2022. The firm also proudly sponsors the annual American Cancer Society (ACS) Cowford Ball to raise awareness and funds for cancer treatment and other ACS initiatives that help patients and families dealing with the cold realities of cancer diagnoses.

For decades we have taken on powerful entities that have wronged our clients. Morgan & Morgan has fought on behalf of plaintiffs in major national litigation surrounding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Yahoo! and Equifax data breaches, the Jacksonville Landing shooting, Monsanto’s RoundUp and many more. None of them are safe when Morgan & Morgan is on the case.

To learn more or contact our firm, please visit our website: www. forthepeople.com/jacksonville.

PAJCIC & PAJCIC

The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic was established in 1974 and has handled more than 10,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases, recovering more than $1.5 billion for our clients. From the beginning, outstanding service was a signature of our firm and remains so today. Our 16 attorneys have amassed more than 550 years of combined legal experience and zealously represent clients in their time of need.

Some of the firm’s practice areas include car, motorcycle, and truck crashes, medical malpractice, as well as litigation concerning dangerous consumer products and unsafe motor vehicles. We are especially proud that our lawsuits have initiated product recalls and federal safety changes were made including strength requirements for SUV roofs.

Our roots are deep in the community, and we believe in giving back to those in need. This is especially true when it comes to education. Pajcic & Pajcic has donated $2 million to Edward Waters University. The firm established a scholarship program at the University of North Florida where to date nearly 100 former Paxon High School students have been able to earn degrees. The

Pajcics also contributed $1 million for teacher bonuses at a local elementary school. In addition, the Pajcics are supporters of The Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation and The Emerald Trail.

The attorneys at Pajcic & Pajcic are leaders in both the legal profession and the community. Curry Pajcic was named Florida Trial Lawyer of the Year by ABOTA in 2019. He currently serves as President of the Florida Justice Association. Raymond Reid is the President of the Jacksonville chapter of ABOTA. Janine Mira serves as President of the Board of Directors of Hubbard House and Treasurer of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association.

DONALD W. ST. DENIS

Donald St. Denis is the senior founding shareholder of St. Denis & Davey, a trial law firm with 17 lawyers in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa and Panama City, covering North, Central and South Florida, as well as the Panhandle. They have lawyers licensed in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and New York. Mr. St. Denis has been Board Certified in Civil Trial Practice by the Florida Bar since June 1, 2001. He is AV peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell®.

Mr. St. Denis graduated with honors in 1984 from The University of Arkansas, where he was an Academic All American and Athletic All American. He then attended law school on a NCAA post-graduate scholarship, graduating from a joint program at the University of Florida in law and linguistics in 1989. He was then an instructor in Foreign Trade Law, Cross Cultural Negotiations and Managerial Accounting from 1989-1990 in Tianjin China at the Foreign Trade Institute, which is now part of Nankai University. He also taught Business Law at the University of Florida College of Business in 1990 and 1991. Mr. St. Denis is a member of the International Law and Civil Trial Law sections of the Florida Bar.

His trial practice focuses on legal and accounting malpractice, insurance defense, commercial litigation and personal injury litigation. He has tried numerous cases defending corporations to defense verdicts in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Ohio. Mr. St. Denis also has vast experience representing retailers, restaurants,

bars, automobile, motorcycle and boat dealerships in all types of litigation, including administrative hearings, throughout Florida.

Mr. St. Denis was selected as a Florida Super Lawyer in the State of Florida from 2008-2022. He is a life member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums. Mr. St. Denis was also selected as one of America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators. In 2010, Mr. St. Denis was recognized by The Elite Lawyers of America as a civil trial lawyer who obtained multiple verdicts or settlements of at least two million dollars.

Mr. St. Denis was awarded one of the largest verdicts to be upheld on appeal by the First District Court of Appeals in Florida under the Substantial Certainty Doctrine. He has the further distinction of obtaining jurisdiction over a United Nations contractor in the United States for a helicopter crash in Guatemala.

BACHARA CONSTRUCTION LAW GROUP

Bachara Construction Law Group represents clients throughout the Southeast in every type of construction dispute. BCLG’s lawyers bring decades of combined experience in construction law and litigation to their practice, along with valuable insights gained from working directly in the construction industry and insurance defense arena. Founder Chip Bachara, a board-certified construction lawyer, is a licensed general contractor with a degree in Building Construction, and partner Todd MacLeod is a former construction company owner and project manager.

With a reputation for timely and effective resolution of complex construction disputes, the firm has been repeatedly recognized for excellence. Bachara Construction Law has been named a Tier 1 Construction Law Firm by Best Lawyers multiple times, and Chip and Todd have been acknowledged by their peers through Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers and other distinguished ranking processes. Most meaningful to the Bachara team, however, are the accolades conferred by satisfied clients, who regularly deliver repeat business and referrals.

Construction Law & Construction Litigation

& GARDNER, P.A.

Darin C. Gardner is a partner at the law firm of CoplanGardner & Gardner, P.A., located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, focusing on family law, criminal defense and domestic violence. Darin has been practicing law in northeast Florida for over twenty one (21) years and has solely focused on family law, criminal defense and domestic violence matters since July of 2008. Prior to going into private practice Darin was an Assistant State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit from June of 2001 through July of 2008. While at the State Attorney’s office Darin spent time in the special assault division, prosecuting felony domestic violence, child abuse and child neglect, as well as adult and child sex crimes, and he spent time in the homicide division prosecuting murder cases. Darin ended his career with the State Attorney’s Office as a felony Division Chief supervising other felony prosecutors and in the homicide division. The training, investigative skills, knowledge of the Florida evidence code, litigation skills and trial experience Darin received as an Assistant State Attorney have proven invaluable to Darin in his family law and criminal defense private practice. While in private practice Darin has handled many complex family law cases, including highly contested time-sharing matters, relocation of children both nationally and internationally, complex equitable distribution and alimony cases, and attorney’s fees. Darin practices at the Metropolitan Building in the heart of Jacksonville Beach with his managing partner and spouse, Lisa Coplan-Gardner, and with his senior litigation paralegal and office manager, Terri Hooper, who has been a paralegal for over twenty seven (27) years and with Coplan-Gardner & Gardner, P.A., since 2003. To learn more about Darin C. Gardner please visit their website at www.coplan-gardnerlaw.com and be sure to read Darin’s google reviews of prior client’s who have chosen Darin and his firm to successfully represent them in the past.

One Independent Dr., Suite 1800, Jacksonville, FL 32202 904.562.1060 | bacharagroup.com

R. SCOTT COSTANTINO

Scott Costantino is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Civil Trial Law. He is also Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has received an AV rating from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and has over 34 years’ experience in civil trial practice.

Mr. Costantino has been inducted into the International Society of Barristers and serves on its Board of Governors. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and was selected as the ABOTA~Jacksonville Chapter’s Lawyer of the Year for 2012. He served as the statewide President for FLABOTA in 2019 and is currently an ABOTA National Board Representative.

Mr. Costantino has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the publication The Best Lawyers in America. The Costantino Law Firm, P.A. has also been named a Best Law Firm in Jacksonville by U.S. News - Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” for 2023. Mr. Costantino has also been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers magazine.

The Chester Bedell Inn of Court has designated Mr. Costantino as a Master of the Bench. He has also been named a Life Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Mr. Costantino represents clients in complex personal injury matters, including wrongful death, professional liability as well as car, trucking, motorcycle, scooter, one wheel and bicycle accident cases. Mr. Costantino received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida. He is the managing shareholder of The Costantino Law Firm, P.A.

DATZ & DATZ, P.A.

Datz & Datz is a nationally known Jacksonville law firm specializing in family law, with a special focus on complex and high-asset divorce cases. Lawrence Datz is the managing partner and one of the few attorneys in Florida who is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law. He was named Jacksonville’s 2017 and 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” in family law by Best Lawyers in America®. He is also recognized among Florida’s Super Lawyers in the family law category, and is a Fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is rated AV Preeminent® 5 of 5 by his peers in Martindale-Hubbell®

A former chair of the Florida Bar’s Marital and Family Law Board Certification Committee and past president of the Florida Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Datz is widely recognized as one of the state’s leaders in family law, high-asset divorces, high-conflict parenting disputes, division of business interests and other complex issues.

The firm was founded by his father Albert Datz in 1948. Albert and Lawrence practiced together for 32 years until Albert retired in 2019. Lawrence learned from one of the stalwarts of the profession not only to provide prompt, devoted, and sophisticated service to clients, but also to contribute to the legal profession through service.

Lawrence Datz graduated Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Cumberland School of Law in 1983. He is a Master in the Florida Family Law American Inn of Court, where he received the 2019 Hernandez Professionalism Award. He also served as a director and vice president of the DePaul School of Northeast Florida. Datz is a member of the Board of Managers of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Family Law

JANET JOHNSON, P.A.

Janet Johnson is committed to defending people accused in all criminal matters in state and federal court. Ms. Johnson has been awarded the AV preeminent ® rating from Martindale-Hubbell ® and was named a fellow to the prestigious Litigation Counsel of America,™ as well as one of the ten best criminal defense attorneys nationally by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys. She appears as a legal commentator on CNN and HLN . Areas of criminal law that are handled by Janet Johnson include:

• DUI Defense

• Federal Cases

• Robbery/Burglary

• Assault & Battery

• Juvenile Cases

• Domestic Violence

• Sex Offenses

• Probation Violations

• Child Abuse/Exploitation

• Drug Trafficking/Possession

• White Collar Crime

Criminal Defense Attorney

3219 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207

904.634.8991 | janetejohnsonlaw.com

ROBERT PERRY

Through his firm, Robert Perry offers affordable legal services. Admitted to practice law in in Florida in 1992, he is also admitted to practice before all Federal District Courts in Florida and the Federal Eleventh Court of Appeal for the Eleventh Circuit. A licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a thirty-year veteran of the United States Navy and its Reserves, he brings business knowledge, life experience and positive customer service to cost effectively serve each client’s legal needs.

The firm specializes in the area of Elder Law including Wills, Trust, Powers of Attorney, Probate, Guardianship and Guardianship Advocacy, Medicaid Planning and VA Benefit services. The firm also offers services in the area of Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law. A portion of this firm’s practice is devoted to litigation.

Robert Perry is a Jacksonville Native who lectures in the area of Elder Law, leadership and financial management, he is active with Rotary International, Scouting, Leadership Jacksonville, Special Nation, Heal Every Autistic Life (HEAL) and his church. He devotes his free time to the pursuits of his wife and three children.

“I can’t express in words the overwhelmingly positive experience I had working with Mr. Perry. His expertise and professional network led to a favorable outcome in a Homestead Exemption property tax case with the City of Jacksonville. As a member of the military living out-of-state, he not only put my mind at ease but resolved my case such that I never had to physically appear in court. His staff is friendly and efficient, as well.” — The Nortons, Google Reviews

KATHERINE B. SCHNAUSS NAUGLE

K

atherine is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. Her firm is in the Riverside area and she and has been practicing law since 2001. She concentrates her practice in the areas of Estate Planning, including the preparation of Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney and other Lifetime documents, Probate, and Guardianship (where she has represented both the guardians and the wards when there is an incapacity issue). She is invited regularly to speak to groups in the community regarding estate planning, probate and guardianship issues.

She is married to Cameron Naugle, fourth generation owner of Naugle Funeral Home and has two wonderful children.

Katherine is a graduate of The Bolles School (1994), as well as a graduate of Emory University in 1998. She then graduated with a Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in 2001, and an M.B.A. from Stetson University School of Business Administration in 2001.

She was named a Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2015 and has been named a Florida Super Lawyer every year since. She was awarded “Leader in the Law” from the Florida Association of Women Lawyers and is currently President of the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville She is the current Chair of The Heritage Committee for the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville and enjoys overseeing the Club’s grants to the community each year. She is a Past President of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association, a member of the Jacksonville Chapter, D.A.R., and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Jacksonville.

Estate Planning & Probate

SHEPPARD, WHITE, KACHERGUS & DeMAGGIO, P.A.

Following the tradition of the firm’s founder and mentor, Bill Sheppard, the firm of Sheppard, White, Kachergus, and DeMaggio, P.A. has once again garnered recognition by Best Lawyers in America as a Best Law Firm. Additionally, both Mr. Kachergus and Mr. DeMaggio have been recognized as Tier 1 attorneys in the areas of criminal defense: general, criminal defense: white collar, appellate practice, and civil rights. Mr. DeMaggio was also voted “Lawyer of the Year” for civil rights law in Jacksonville. Ms. White has been recognized as a Tier 1 attorney in the areas of criminal defense: general, criminal defense: white collar and appellate practice. Ms. Sheppard has been selected as a 2023 Florida Rising Star by Super Lawyers . The firm is also ranked AV Pre-Eminent by Martindale Hubbell.

The firm has operated from the same historic building for the last 50 years and has repeatedly been recognized for its effective advocacy, both as trial and appellate practitioners. In addition to the practice areas listed, the firm also practices family law. It is the firm’s policy to treat all individuals with dignity and respect and to provide effective guidance and vigorous representation to its clients.

Criminal Defense & Family Law

810 Margaret St., Jacksonville, FL 32204

904.366.2703 | jaxlawteam.com

MITCHELL A. STONE, P.A.

Mitchell (Mitch) Stone is a Florida Bar Board Certified Criminal Trial Law specialist (1999-present). He is Past President of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (20202021) and is Chair of the Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee. After graduating from the University of Florida College of Law in 1988 he started his career in Miami at the State Attorney’s Office and then transferred to the Jacksonville State Attorney’s Office. As a prosecutor he handled cases from DUI to Murder. He was assigned to the SVU and the Homicide Team before leaving for private practice. In 1992 he opened his criminal defense law practice and since then has been lead defense counsel in over 150 criminal jury trials in state and federal courts. He has successfully defended clients in cases involving White Collar Crimes, Complex Federal Financial Crimes, Federal Firearms Crimes, RICO, Drug Trafficking, Gambling, Murder and DUI Manslaughter. He has also served as trial counsel in civil cases including winning a multimillion dollar construction defect jury verdict, a million dollar personal injury jury verdict and verdicts in civil rights violation cases. He is rated AV-Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubble,® has been regularly named in Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and Florida Trend’s Legal Elite. He served as chair of Blood Breath & Tears DUI Seminar and as faculty on the Florida Bar’s Masters of DUI, as well as Advanced Criminal Trial Practice, Gun Law in Florida and Federal Sentencing seminars. He has authored books on criminal defense strategies, has served as editor of the The Florida Defender Magazine and has authored the DUI Notes and F Words criminal defense columns. He is a member of the International Society of Barristers, past president of the Jacksonville Beaches Bar Assoc. and the Northeast Chapter of FACDL and has served as chair of the Criminal Law section of the Jacksonville Bar Assoc. In 2021 he was honored by being presented with the G. Kirk Haas Humanitarian Award by the president of the Florida Bar. Over the past three decades he has represented clients including attorneys, politicians, professional athletes, and members of the military in several high profile cases. He is also a regular legal analyst for national and local news media concerning criminal law matters.

Board Certified Legal Services

SUZANNE W. GREEN, P.A.

Suzanne W. Green, P.A. specializes primarily in Family Law matters, Civil Litigation, Probate and Wills and Trusts. Suzanne W. Green has been practicing law since 1987. She was an Assistant State Attorney for five years in Duval and Pinellas Counties, Florida. Afterwards, she worked in banking and civil litigation with the Commander Legler law firm in Jacksonville. She has owned and been the managing partner in her own law firm since 1992. Suzanne has been President of the Jacksonville Beaches Bar Association, and was on the Board and Past Chairman of the St. Augustine Airport Authority, has served on the St. Augustine Aerospace Academy Board, the Economic Development Committee and is the Special Magistrate for Code Hearings for the City of Atlantic Beach. She is a respected and sought after public speaker on issues of economic development and family law legislative issues. She is a member of the St. Johns County Bar Association and Chamber of Commerce. In addition to specializing in divorce, equitable distribution, parenting issues, wills and trusts, and social investigations, Suzanne W. Green is a Certified Family Law Mediator.

The Law Offices of Suzanne Worrall Green, P.A. 105-B,

Jacksonville Magazine’s

LOCKETT LAW

Lee Lockett has been practicing for more than 20 years and has in excess of 50 jury trials to his credit. His practice is focused on DUI and Criminal Defense. He is a member of the National College Of DUI Defense, DUI Defense Lawyers Association, Florida Bar Executive Council, Criminal Law Section, FACDL Board Member, and is the co-chair of Florida’s most recognized statewide DUI seminar, Blood, Breath, & Tears. Mr. Lockett has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” and he is AV-Rated Preeminent. He has also attained an AVVO rating of “Superb” and is a member of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100.

DUI and Criminal Defense

1830 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207

office: 904.396.3335 | cell: 904.536.9309

email: mitch@jacksonvilledefense.com

www.jacksonvilledefense.com

Marsh Landing Business Park

1548 The Greens Way, Suite 2

Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250 | 904.858.9818

www.knowbeforeyoublow.com

Wish you were here!

It’s easy to imagine that spending a hot sunny day at the beach is a new idea, what with surfboards, bikinis and Jimmy Buffet tunes being relatively contemporary indulgences and entertainment. And, in some ways, that’s true. But the beaches of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida have been luring visitors to their sandy shores for generations. Two centuries ago, the allure of the beach was as strong then as it is today. Getting to it… well, that presented problems for the masses. In Jacksonville, for example, the city’s thriving Downtown was more than 15 miles from the budding towns along the Atlantic coast, which meant the trip there and back was a significant journey for most. Hopping into a car and speeding down JTB wasn’t an option.

In fact, the story of Jacksonville’s beach communities and tourism is also a story of transportation. Tourists began flowing to the Northeast Florida shore by steamboat, first to Mayport. The flow of visitors increased significantly when a railway line opened to carry passengers to Pablo Beach (now Jacksonville Beach) along a route that is now Beach Boulevard. When automobiles became more affordable and common and Atlantic and Beach boulevards opened in 1910 and 1945, respectively, the flood gates of day trippers out to the shore opened. With more visitors arriving daily by car, more attractions, lodgings and restaurants opened, and the Jacksonville Beach boardwalk grew to include carnival games and rides. In the years to come, airline travel would bring

Jacksonville’s Beaches have been magnets for tourists for generations. And while the tide of visitors comes and goes, our sandy shores have never lost their allure.

 Map from the “Buccaneer Trail,” a 1950 promotion from the tourism agency Travel Florida as a driving route for visitors to “ride through history.” The trail took guests through “Romantic Fernandina and St. Augustine” along the scenic coastline, avoiding inland city congestion. The Buccaneer Trail stretched along 17.5 miles of highway, including 5 bridges and a ferry line, all of which opened to the public in 1950. In a second edition, the Beaches areas were included in the trail starting in Mayport with the ferry landing, and continuing down to St. Augustine.

even more people to First Coast beaches, helping them become the international destination they are today.

Jacksonville Beach’s journey from sleepy and isolated oceanside outposts to tourist magnet is detailed in a new exhibition on display at the Beaches Museum. Wish You Were Here has been created to take visitors on a trip through time as it examines the growth of local beach communities from “Florida’s Golden Sands” to “Florida’s First Coast.”

The conclusion of the Civil War brought a new era of prosperity to the country and saw the arrival of steamship tourism to the region. The growth of railroads, eventually stretching down the entire Florida coast from Jacksonville to Key West, was a sign that long-distance travel was here to stay, and scores of new hotels and attractions sprung up to serve the influx of new visitors. In Jacksonville, a railway line was established to link the city to the coast in 1888, traveling along what is now the Wonderwood Expressway.

The Jacksonville Beach Boardwalk first opened in 1915, when a group of businessmen created the waterfront attraction. In addi-

tion, they spearheaded the completion of several other attractions including dance halls, shooting galleries, restaurants and venues for boxing and wrestling. Hotels and bathhouses, such as the Ocean View, the Seabreeze, and Perkins Boarding House, were interspersed with food vendors and boardwalk games. A lengthy fishing pier was also built to accommodate anglers.

It wasn’t long before Little Coney Island opened with the hopes of attracting northeastern visitors familiar with its New York namesake. The pavilion featured a dance floor, concessions, a carousel, bowling alley, and skating rinks. By the mid-1920s, a new, larger amusement park, complete with a wooden roller coaster towering over the boardwalk and beach, was built on the former site of the Ocean View Hotel.

Through the years, the boardwalk grew and changed. Following a fire in 1933, the wooden walkway was replaced by a concrete path constructed by the Works Progress Administration. But the change didn’t deter visitors. Food stalls kept selling hot dogs and snow cones, and dart games and hula hoops were still favorites for kids and adults. Screams from roller coaster riders echoed across the water, music flowed out of the dance halls, and hamburgers, popcorn and candy apples were eagerly consumed by

countless visitors. When parking lots were full and spaces along the streets unavailable, drivers could ease their vehicles right on the beach.

Griffin Amusement Park was the longest-lasting attraction of its kind at Jax Beach. It featured a Ferris Wheel and a Tilt-a-Whirl ride, as well as a bingo parlor, roller rink, billiards hall, miniature golf course and the Playland Arcade. The park was especially popular for U.S. Navy sailors and their dates during World War II. Though most of the boardwalk was family friendly and gambling was not legal, games of chance flourished along the boardwalk.

The good times were not to last, however. Myriad changes during the 1950s saw the once-thriving boardwalk slide into decline. The roller coaster was torn down in 1959 due to safety concerns, It was replaced by a steel coaster called the Wild Mouse, but it remained in operation for only a few years. By the time Hurricane Dora swept across the Northeast Florida shoreline in 1964, most of the most popular attractions had closed.

While the Beaches lost its heyday’s central gathering point and,

Lost Restaurants

to some degree, its identity and a visitor destination, the allure of the sand and surf remained present. Residential neighborhoods greatly expanded in size and new shopping and dining options sprouted along both sides of 3rd Street from Atlantic Beach to Ponte Vedra. Events such as the Opening of the Beaches Parade, Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament and the Springing the Blues festival were established to recapture some of the magic from yesteryear.

Not all traces of the old hotels and restaurants have disappeared. The Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, which first opened its doors in 1928, welcomes guests in style to this day. The original pool from the Beachcomber motel, now the Beachcomber Apartments, continues to make a splash for residents. While Northeast Florida beaches don’t enjoy the broad name recognition as other Florida oceanside destinations like Daytona and Miami, the flow of tourists to our shores continues. According to Visit Jacksonville, more than 944,000 overnight visitors stayed at the beaches last year. And many of those visitors, from all over the country and beyond, liked what they saw and decided to become permanent guests. Who can blame them? u

As part of the Wish You Were Here exhibition, on display through July 9, author Dorothy Fletcher discusses the “Lost Restaurants of Jacksonville” at the next Beaches Museum (381 Beach Blvd.), Boardwalk Talk on May 18, 6:30 PM. Fletcher shares stories and images from some very popular but long-closed eateries that only exist in memory today. Admission is free to museum members with a $5 suggested donation for non-members.

ut down the remote control. And the phone. You’ve seen every episode of “The Last of Us” and “Real Housewives of New Jersey” and “Squid Game” (for the second time). Now that the days are getting longer but the heat of summer hasn’t fully descended upon us, this is the ideal season to enjoy Jacksonville’s great outdoors. From sandy hiking trails to historic river cruises, there is much to see and do all across the First Coast. Here, we give you a preview of two-dozen favorite historical sites, nature parks and other opportunities for outdoor fun. Now it’s up to you to get out and

experience them. You have our permission to take your phone, but only for photos and video.

Some bike rides present various obstacles and challenges, steep hills and sharp turns. The Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail puts the “easy” in easy riding. The paved path runs nearly 15 miles but it’s exceedingly flat and straight as an arrow most of the way. The route it follows due west of Downtown is part of an abandoned CSX railroad corridor purchased in the 1990s

and made into a narrow public park (100 feet wide) that shadows W. Beaver Street all the way past Hwy. 301 and the town of Baldwin. One site along the trail at which most bikers stop for a breather is the Camp Milton Historic Preserve . During the Civil War, this location was used as a massive Confederate Army encampment. Today, there is an extensive boardwalk system, a replica bridge and remnants of the original mile-long defensive works. Miles of the ride laces through woods and wetlands and large sections are shaded by trees, making warmer days more tolerable. Amenities peppered down the line

25 outdoors adventures, destinations and other active things to do in Northeast Florida this spring and summer.

include drinking fountains, picnic tables and covered shelters. Keep in mind that unless you have a ride waiting at the end of the line, however far you pedal in one direction, you’ll do the same heading back to the car.

South of Jax is Palatka to St. Augustine State Trail , a 19-mile-long paved path that winds through farmland and scenic landscapes of St. Johns County. A good hopping-on spot is the Cora C. Harrison Preserve along SR 207 in Hastings. The parking lot includes a picnic area, restrooms and a trail map.

Before emptying into the St. Johns River underneath the Northbank Riverwalk, the final stretch of McCoy’s Creek flows through a manmade tunnel under the site of the now-demolished Florida Times-Union building. About 200 yards long, the tunnel might be the closest thing one can get to a cave within the confines of the River City. While you can see both entrances of the tunnel at all times, the middle does get very dark, and the

echoes it produces are impressive. As one emerges from the far mouth of the tunnel, paddlers encounter rows of horizontal pipes crossing over the creek and at higher tides you may have to duck to pass all the way through. With plans to uncover and rehabilitate McCoys Creek in the works, the tunnel’s days are numbered. The closest kayak entry point is the public launch at the Winston Family YMCA, about a quarter-mile upstream.

Who said Jacksonville is geographically flat and featureless? On Jacksonville’s Westside, Bulls Bay Preserve offers visitors the opportunity to hike to a waterfall without leaving the city limits. The walk from the parking lot to the falls takes less than five minutes–just let your ears guide you. There are signs and marked paths, too. The preserve property also features several short mountain bike trails.

While it might not be Niagara, the four-foot-high waterfall is still one of the more unusual natural landmarks one can find in Northeast Florida. To see more cascading water in Florida, you’ll need to travel a little farther west to the redundantly named Falling Creek Falls. Significantly wider, taller and louder than Bulls Bay, Falling Creek is easy to reach from a roadside parking lot.

Much of the land wedged between Cecil Field and the town of Middleburg, southwest of Jax, is the Jennings State Forest. More than 25,000 acres of pine trees and meandering spring-fed creeks are spread across Clay and Duval counties, offering miles of hiking and biking trails and exploring in rarely touched wilderness. In all, there are nine hiking paths and four trails open to horseback riding, some more than six miles in length. Despite being less than five miles from the bustling streets of Orange Park, the park is a refuge for all sorts of North Florida wildlife, including white-tail deer, wild tur-

key, otters, alligators and numerous species of songbirds. Camping is permitted and, although the sites are “primitive,” locations like the Bootleggers Campground do offer grills and picnic tables, covered pavilions and restrooms. However, if you wish to plug in your RV’s TV and air-conditioner, you’re out of luck. There are multiple entrances to Jennings and the best paddling for canoers and kayakers are the tanic waters of the Ellis Ford Recreation Area, which flow into Black Creek and eventually the St. Johns a few miles downstream. Fishing and seasonal hunting are allowed with the proper licenses.

Beginning in late March, the Milky Way Galaxy becomes visible in the Northern Hemisphere. At Stephen C. Foster State Park, visitors and stargazers can escape the big city lights and glimpse deep into the cosmos. A 90-minute drive from Jax takes one into the heart of Okefenokee Swamp, a soggy slice of Georgia that boasts some of the darkest skies in the

Southeast. During daylight hours, the main activities are canoeing, kayaking and boating. On a sunny day you may spy dozens of gators enjoying the warm rays. For some serious peace and quiet, overnight canoe shelters deep in the swamp allow visitors to plan for multi-day excursions. Park gates close at 10 PM and overnight camping and cabins are available for a fee.

Seven miles south of the Buckman Bridge, Alpine Groves Park along Hwy. 13 is easy to drive past but hard to forget once you’ve visited. The park’s west-facing position and riverfront location make it an excellent place for a sunset picnic. Park amenities include short nature trails, a historic homestead, and a

wooden dock extending far out into the St. Johns. When the weather is right, Northeast Florida at dusk doesn’t get any prettier than this. Take a photo or two to savor the view. For a similar experience closer to town, Walter Jones Historical Park in Mandarin has similar amenities and views of the river.

Jacksonville is known for its wide beaches, but sometimes you just want to get away from the crowds and high-rise condos. Little Talbot Island State Park is the place for exactly that. With its miles of white sand beaches, untouched marshes, and rolling dunes inhabited by oak trees, palmetto bushes, and gopher tortoises, Little Talbot offers a glimpse into the kind of unspoiled natural beauty that once permeated all of Northeast Florida. Activities include exploring the park’s three miles of bike trails, kayaking the winding bluffs of Myrtle Creek, and enjoying the five miles of coastline. The island also provides a popular backdrop for photography, especially the fallen trees and black rocks at nearby “boneyard beach.” Little Talbot is worth the short drive on Hecksher, which takes you through scenic fishing outposts. Open 8 AM to sunset daily, admission is $5 per vehicle.

You know what you can do with two seldom used basketball courts? Well, down at Veterans Park in St. Johns, the hoops and backboards recently were replaced by six pickleball courts, a nod to the sport that’s sweeping the country. The pock-pockpock of paddle hitting a plastic ball now echoes across the region. Private clubs from Queens Harbour to the Florida Yacht Club are embracing the sport and facilities such as the courts at The Yards in Ponte Vedra host regular tournaments and pair them with cozy lounges and bars. Even Boone Park in Riverside and San Marco’s Southside Park, two of the city’s top public tennis centers, are making way for pickleballers.

the New World. At nearby Fort Caroline National Park , visitors find a replica fort of the one Ribault established more than 500 years ago, as well as some of the most dramatic elevation changes on the park’s six miles of trails, which traverse sandy bluffs and rolling oyster shell mounds dating back hundreds of years. Busy Atlantic Boulevard is only minutes away but the quiet and natural surroundings can’t help but make one think it’s many miles from the city.

about two-and-a-half miles. The scenery includes the towering Dames Point Bridge, the occasional passing cargo ship or cruise vessel, and, if you’re lucky, pods of swimming dolphins. While you might be tempted to drag your kayak out on the beach and venture onto land, the island is best experienced at a distance as plentiful cacti and clouds of gnats call it home.

Perched on a bluff high above the St. Johns River, the small park around the Ribault Column offers sweeping marsh views of the Timucuan Ecological Preserve , NAS Mayport and Blount Island. No other spot along the river provides the same bird’s-eye perspective. One of Jacksonville’s highest points, the column commemorates French explorer Jean Ribault’s 1562 landing in

In the midst of Jacksonville’s humming ports and shipyard properties lies Goat Island –a slender strip of undeveloped land lying in the river between Arlington and the Zoo. Legend has it the technically unnamed island derives its nickname from the large herd of goats once kept by local hermit Rollians Christopher on nearby Blount Island. Christopher and his 700 goats were unceremoniously evicted in the 1950s to make way for commercial shipping operations, but the memory of his flock lives on. Reddie Point Preserve is the closest public kayak launch. A paddle loop around Goat Island and back is

Mickler’s Landing in Ponte Vedra Beach has long had a reputation as a hotspot for finding shark teeth and fossils. After several months of cooler weather and fewer beachgoers, spring may be a great time to look for the teeth and fossils that have washed ashore over the course of the winter. Who knows? Self-proclaimed experts say the best time to hit the beach is at low tide and after disturbances like storms and off-shore dredging operations. You might just get lucky–like the seven-year-old boy who found a prehistoric megalodon tooth at Mickler’s Landing in 2009. Chances are you won’t be that lucky. However, keep your eyes peeled and focus on the dark shapes in the coquina sand. The great thing

The final resting place of local politicians, major league baseball Hall of Farmers, Pulitzer Prize winners, Titanic survivors, and a silent film producer, Evergreen Cemetery is as historic as it is beautiful. The parklike setting is punctuated with wrought iron gates, elaborate tombs and elegant brickwork. With several miles of paved roads lined by shady oak trees, it’s a quiet and pleasant place to walk, jog, or bike—especially during warmer months. Located about three miles north of Downtown on Main Street, Evergreen is open to public visitation Monday through Saturday.

about finding a shark’s tooth is, when you find one, there’s no doubting what it is.

Bird Island Park is something of a hidden gem in Ponte Vedra Beach. Wedged between a fire station and branch library, the public space packs a lot into its relatively small confines. One of the centerpieces is, in fact, the center of a maze. There’s also a kid's playground, a gazebo on a boardwalk extending out into a lake, a small amphitheater space, and the whole park is peppered with public art. The turtle-shaped hedgerow maze is especially popular with the little ones. Look for turtles in the lake, too. Open dawn to dusk.

1, that the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States was established. The visitor center and museum at Fort Mose Historic State Park detail the outpost’s founding in the 1730s and, while the original structures built nearly 300 years ago are long gone, the exhibits and historical markets paint the picture of those who lived and fought here. Historical re-enactors dressed in period uniforms gather for the Militia Muster the first Saturday of each month (next is April 2, 9:45 AM-noon) for marching drills and a shot or two of cannon fire.

than 2,800 casualties were recorded during the five-hour battle, culminating in a Union retreat to Jacksonville for the remainder of the conflict. Today, the park commemorates the battle and hosts a re-enactment of the battle each February that draws thousands, complete with costumes and pyrotechnics. Scenes for Civil War movies, including the 1989 movie Glory, have been filmed during these re-enactments. You can hike a one-mile trail with interpretive signs following the battle lines.

A few hundred years ago, the site of Fort Mose was strategically important to the Spanish colony of St. Augustine. Today, the property is significant because it was here, a swampy parcel along the Tolomato River and a couple blocks off busy US Hwy.

Forty-five minutes west on I-10, Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park has both historical and ecological significance. On February 20, 1864, Union and Confederate troops clashed in Florida’s largest battle of the Civil War. Three regiments of U.S. Colored Troops took part in the battle, including the now-famous 54th Massachusetts, but in the end, it was the Confederates who claimed a victory. More

Occupying the northern tip of Amelia Island and overlooking the St. Mary’s River, it’s no wonder why Fort Clinch State Park was considered a highly strategic outpost. The park's centerpiece and namesake is the well-preserved Fort Clinch, a 19th-century brick fortress built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1847. The Fort saw the most action during the Civil War, and after brief stints of use during the Spanish-American War and World War II, it was restored to its Civil War condi-

tion and opened to the public. Climb the fort’s twisting spiral staircases, marvel at the elaborate masonry, and look across the river and into Georgia from its five turrets. You can explore on your own or take a guided tour to learn more about what life was like for soldiers stationed at the fort 150 years ago. Be sure to check the park's events calendar for special re-enactments and living history demonstrations. Open 9 to 5 daily, admission is $5 per vehicle.

If you want to zipline, everyone knows you need to get out of Florida and head north to the mountains in North Carolina and Georgia, right? Wrong. About 90 minutes southwest of Jax, Canyons Zip Line and Adventure Park in Ocala features 1,000-foot zip lines traversing canyons created by spring-fed lakes. The park offers four different tours ranging from $55 to $109, and one to three hours in duration. You can repel down cliff walls and cross “sky bridges” on the big cliff canyon tour, or zipline under the moon with the full moon night tours. The park also offers 90-minute horseback tours ($76) with ample elevation changes and 90-minute kayaking tours ($46) of Lost Spring Lake. Younger kids may also enjoy gem mining at the “historic Zuber mine.” Walk-ins are accepted based on availability, but it is recommended you make a reservation ahead of time.

If you’ve driven through Springfield on a nice day recently, chances are you’ve seen bands of frisbee golfers, walking with disc bags in tow. Eighteen holes are scattered throughout Klutho Park, with trees and water hazards, courtesy of Hogans Creek, adding to the challenge of the layout. The tee boxes are nicely marked, as are all the target holes. Even a first-time thrower can follow along.

Running up against the boundary of the historic homes of Springfield while simultaneously offering unobstructed views of the Downtown skyline, it’s no wonder the course draws crowds. On the Westside, the disc course at New World Sports Complex ($6 per player) offers very different scenery. Overlooking Lake Newman, the links meander through dunes covered in pine trees and cut by deep canyons.

Once an abandoned limestone quarry, Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens in Williston has been transformed into a 50-acre botanical garden with cascading waterfalls and terraced gardens. Visitors are free to wander throughout the gardens, listening to the sound of running water and losing themselves in the calming atmosphere. Amid the flora and fauna, you’ll find sculptures and art installations blending seamlessly into the natural surroundings. The park is also home to a variety of fish, turtles, birds and butterflies. Open 9 to 5 every day but Wednesday, admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children. Two minutes away, Devil’s Den Prehistoric Spring is a truly one-of-a-kind spring experience, even by Florida standards. Devil’s Den is a massive karst window with a collapsed roof, exposing the subterranean river to snorkelers and SCUBA divers. Open daily, admission is $18 on weekdays and $25 on weekends. Fins and snorkels are required and not included in that price, and children 6 and under may not enter the spring; visitors must make a reservation at www. devilsden.com.

If you’re lucky enough, you’ll see one or more appear out of the woods, on the lawn surrounding the ruins of a Carnegie family mansion, or slowly traversing the oceanside dunes. The horses of Cumberland Island are both beautiful and mysterious, and permanent residents of Georgia’s southernmost barrier island. There are few places left along the entire Eastern Seaboard like Cumberland and its 18 miles of untouched beach. The island is only accessible by boat and the number of people allowed to walk along its sandy shores and its tangled forests each day is tightly regulated. For day trips and camping, advance reservations through the Park Service station in St. Marys are required. A handful of

private boats are allowed to dock here, but most visitors arrive by Park Service ferry ($30-$40 per person, plus $10 park admission). The only amenities on the island are restrooms and water fountains, so pack a picnic lunch and be prepared to walk. Another way to see the island is via the two-and-a-half hour Cumberland Island Tour, which departs daily (10 AM) out of the Fernandina harbor on Amelia Island. The boat doesn’t make land at Cumberland but does cruise along its western shore, past Fort Clinch, Amelia’s historic Old Town and all the way up island to the exclusive Greyfield Inn. Passengers ($26-$32 each) are free to bring their own food and drinks to enjoy during the cruise. u

hot seats

Jacksonville Magazine offers a select list of area restaurants as a service to its readers. The directory does not include every restaurant in town. It does, however, feature many of the magazine’s Top 50 choices of must-try eateries, as well as a sampling of other notable Northeast Florida dining establishments. Suggestions are welcome. Please contact us at mail@jacksonvillemag.com.

1928 Cuban Bistro

Family-run establishment specializes in authentic Cuban cuisine, baked goods and cafe con leche. House specialties include guava and cheese pastries, chicken, beef and ham and cheese empanadas, and congri bowls made with white rice and black beans topped with

choice of braised chicken or roasted pork. Of course, the Cuban sandwich (roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on warm bread) is top seller. Flan, churros and tres leches for dessert. 3928 Baymeadows Rd., Baymeadows (683-8104); 160 Shops Blvd., St. Johns (2095162); 6331 Roosevelt Blvd., 6331 Roosevelt Blvd., Ortega 1928bistro.com. B ,L, $$.

Alhambra Theatre & Dining

Alhambra serves up dinner and a show inside its performance hall. Formerly a buffet service, the Alhambra is becoming known as much for its culinary experience as it is for its Broadway-caliber productions. The nation’s oldest continuously operating dinner theater showcases famous plays such as Jersey Boys (April 27-

GUIDE to the GUIDE:

B–Breakfast; L–Lunch; D–Dinner; SB–Sunday Brunch

$–$10 or less; $$–$11 to $20; $$$–$21 to $30; $$$$–$31 or above

These $ categories are based on the average cost of a dinner entrée excluding drinks, desserts and/or gratuities.

NOTE: Some restaurant entrée prices do not include à la carte sides or salad. All phone numbers are in the (904) area code. Cafeterias, fast food joints and primarily take-out restaurants are not eligible for inclusion.

May 28) and Beauty and the Beast (June 8-July 23). 12000 Beach Blvd., Southside (641-1212; alhambrajax.com). L, D, SB, $$$.

Al’s Pizza

This home-grown string of pizza joints offers a wide selection of appetizers and New York-style pizza, alongside traditional Italian dishes, Al’s menu includes unexpected items like mussels in wine and garlic butter sauce to satisfy the adventurous foodies out there. They also offer delivery for those in the area of their restaurants. Four locations including 8060 Philips Hwy., Southside (731-4300; alspizza.com), L, D, $.

Aqua Grill

Aqua Grill has a contemporary, eclectic menu with a coastal flair made from local ingredients. The Ponte Vedra eatery is known for its top of the line service and has been featured on both Jax Mag’s Top 50 Restaurants and Best in Jax lists for many years. 395 Front St., Ponte Vedra Beach (285-3017; aquagrill.net). L, D, $$$.

bb’s Restaurant & Bar

Bb’s specializes in New American fare and treats, giving comfort food an upscale presentation. Menu items include yellowfin tuna tartare and ancho-spiced rotisserie turkey. They also boast an international cheese selection and top-notch desserts. 1019 Hendricks Ave., San Marco (3060100; bbsrestaurant.com). L, D, SB, $$.

The Bearded Pig

A pair of casual barbecue spots (complete with an oversized chalkboard wall for kids and plenty of TVs) serves turkey, chicken, brisket, pulled pork and the like, counter-style. Owners Chad Munsey and Michael Schmidt both have fine dining backgrounds, so even the standard fare is a bit more grown up than what you might expect at a “Q” joint. And though it’s a meat-fest, there’s truly something for everyone: all of the sides (slaw, collards, mac-n-cheese) are vegetarian. 1224 Kings Ave., San Marco (6192247); 1700 3rd St., Jacksonville Beach (5183915) thebeardedpigbbq.com. L, D $$.

Biscottis

This neighborhood landmark for more than two decades specializes in innovative updates on old favorites, like meatloaf served with apricot marinara sauce and duck confit pizza (dinner specials change daily). The dessert case is legendary. Casual. 3556 St. Johns Ave., Avondale (387-2060; biscottis.net). B, L, D, SB, $$.

Black Sheep Restaurant

Situated in Five Points, Black Sheep’s menu ranges from delicate dishes like smoked trout rillettes to staples of the American South like their gluten-free wild Georgia shrimp & grits. Black Sheep boasts one of the best rooftop bars in the city, making sipping a cocktail at sunset a must. 1534 Oak St., Five Points, Riverside (3803091, blacksheep5points.com). L, D, SB, $$.

Blue Bamboo

This restaurant (relocated from the Southside) serves hip, Asian cuisine with a wine lounge and patio dining. Menu items include miso-marinated salmon, Cantonese orange duck, Ahi tuna salad and Mandarin orange cake. 10110 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin (646-1478; bluebamboojacksonville.com). L, D, $$.

Blue Orchid

Blue Orchid Thai serves authentic Asian fare made with traditional ingredients like Thai basil,

palm sugar, and kaffir lime leaves. Their pad Thai and dynamite chicken are house favorites. 13475 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville (723-1300; blueorchid.menu). L, D, $$.

Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q

Meat is the draw at Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q, which has been pit-smoking everything from turkey to pork since 1949. Try the Slawpy Pig, a heaping pile of pulled pork topped with coleslaw and served with sides such as fried corn on the cob, collard greens, or Brunswick stew. Multiple locations (880-8310; bonosbarbq.com). L, D, $.

Caffé Andiamo

A copper pizza oven highlights this stylish eatery specializing in frutti di mare, pollo paisano, vongole Positano, and homemade Italian sausage. Caffe Andiamo compliments their Italian fare with a vast wine selection and exudes a modern and relaxing vibe. 225 Village Main St., Ponte Vedra Beach (280-2299; caffeandiamo-pvb.com). L, D, $$.

Casa Reina Taqueria & Tequila

Located just steps from the historic Bridge of Lions in the heart of Downtown St. Augustine, the new upscale Mexican/Florida Coastal eaterie speciallizes in street tacos and enchiladas as well as short rib, chiles rellenos and tequila lime grouper. Nearly 100 tequilas on offer. 1 Anderson Cir., St. Augustine (295-3847; casareinastaug.com). L, D, $$.

ChopHouse Thirteen

Formerly The Tree Steakhouse, this restaurant offers a sleek, chic dining room. Along with their grilled steaks of 100% Angus beef, they also serve seafood and feature a conditioned wine room with ample variety. 11362 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin (262-0006; chophouse13.com). L,D, $$$.

Coastal Wine Market & Tasting Room

A standout in Nocatee’s growing collection of dining spots and shops, the interior is dressed in warm woods, hightop tables, the most breathtaking chandelier you've ever seen, and more bottles of reds, whites and sparkling wines than one could count. Happy Hour, Tuesday thru Saturday, 4 pm-6 pm featuring $3 off wine pours and $2 off craft beer. Taste new menu additions, including Marcona Almond Crusted Goat Cheese & Fig Spread, Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce, and Angus Beef Sliders with Firecracker Sauce. Wines sold by the glass, bottle and three-tasting flights. 641 Crosswater Pkwy., Suite B, Nocatee Town Center (395-3520, coastalwinemarket.com). D, $$.

Coop 303

Coop 303 is known for its regional cuisine featuring smoked heritage pork belly, beef short ribs and grilled pork chop. But the Beaches Town Center restaurant also features local seafood dishes and is home to the Impossible Burger. Coop also has plenty of spots to hang out and sip their signature cocktails: community tables; alcove booths; a front porch; a rooftop garden; and an upstairs parlor. 303 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach (372-4507; coop303. com). L, D, $$.

Costa Brava

Situated in the heart of St. Augustine’s historic district, Costa Brava is the signature restaurant of the Casa Monica Resort and Spa. An extensive menu covers much culinary territory, with an emphasis on seafood and local ingredients. Dinner starters include items such

as Florida little neck clams and Georgia peach salad. Entrées are highlighted by crab-crusted red snapper, grilled beef tenderloin, and peppercorn-crusted short ribs. Save room for the spiced chocolate cake. Be sure to enjoy cocktails in the Cobalt Lounge. Private dining room available. 95 Cordova St., St. Augustine (819-6018, KesslerCollection.com/costa-brava-restaurant). B, L, D, $$.

Cruisers Grill

For more than 20 years, beachgoers have looked to Cruisers Grill for their signature burger and cheese fries served with ranch dressing. Grilled chicken, country fried steak, turkey and melted swiss—the sandwich lineup is tops. They offer all the classics, plus newer options like a house-made fried bologna sandwich. 319 23rd Ave. S., Jacksonville Beach (270-0356). L, D, $.

Culhane’s Irish Pubs & Restaurants

Straight from Limerick, Ireland, the four sisters who operate the city’s two Culhane’s pubs draw legions of regulars with classics such as Scotch Eggs and Guinness Beef Stew. Bangers N’ Mash, Corned Beef N’ Cabbage, Shepherd’s Pie, Irish Cheese-Crusted Cod—the flavors of the Emerald Isle live here. Full bar. 967 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach (249-9595); 9720 Deer Lake Ct., Southside (619-3177), culhanesirishpub.com. L, D, SB, $$

Eleven South Bistro

This upscale eatery features an extensive wine list, mesquite wood grill and outdoor patio. Seafood martini, lobster mac and cheese, miso-glazed Chilean sea bass and mesquite-grilled certified Angus beef tenderloin highlight the menu. 216 11th Ave. S., Jacksonville Beach (241-1112;elevensouth.com). L, D, $$$$.

Ember & Iron

An 8-foot oak-burning grill is the heart of the kitchen, searing and smoking house specialties such as lemon and herb roasted fish, ribeyes and seared salmon. Brunch favorites include buttermilk chicken, cast iron French toast and steak and eggs benedict. 60 Shops Blvd., #80., St. Johns (531-5185; emberandiron. com). D, SB, $$$.

The Fish Company

With a crowded raw bar and a wide variety of locally caught seafood, The Fish Co. offers a little something for everyone. Chef Bill Pinner’s menu combines signature items like fried Mayport shrimp with favorite small plate dishes, changing weekly. The restaurant offers several specials throughout the week. 725-12 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach (246-0123; thefishcojax.com). L, D. $$$.

Flying Iguana Taqueria & Tequila Bar

As a tequila bar and grill located in Neptune Beach (and now in Avondale), the Flying Iguana represents one of the liveliest dining options in Duval. Specializing in Latin-American cuisine and expansive cocktail possibilities, the restaurant also hosts live music and has only one rule: Good Vibes Only. 207 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach (853-5680, flyingiguana.com); Iguana on Park, 3638 Park St., Avondale (8348383, iguanaonpark.com). L, D, SB, $$

Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille

There are a handful of Harry’s peppered around Florida, including a waterfront location in St. Augustine across from the Bridge of Lions. The

Continued on page 114

Heat Index

There’s hot and then there is habanero hot! Looking to entice drinkers who prefer spice and heat in their adult beverages, Jax-based Wholly Spirits is bottling two craft vodkas infused with liquid fire. The distiller’s Scoville Jalapeño Vodka is made with jalapeño extract and its new Habanero Vodka ups the temperature as part of its Scoville Premium line. “We wanted create a product that would leave people asking, ‘What did I just experience, and how can I experience it again?’” says Wholly Spirits co-owner Greg Anderson. “So, we pushed the boundaries of traditional flavors and ended up with a product that is truly remarkable.” And spicy.

ROOF WITH A VIEW

The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa offers more than a half-dozen options for food and beverages and the roster is set to expand this spring with the opening of 1912 Ocean Bar & Rooftop. The restaurant’s menu, created by the resort’s executive chef Edgar Maldonado, will highlight seafood, small bites, cocktails and wine. Guests will have the option of an interior dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows or an outdoor patio space serving views of the Atlantic Ocean. “From the amazing beachside views, to the fresh seafood and unique drink offerings, to the nods to local history, we know it will be a can’t-miss spot,” says Sawgrass general manager Todd Hickey. The restaurant’s name comes from the year rich mineral veins were discovered running through the area’s sand dunes, paving the way for the future development of Ponte Vedra Beach.

JAR HEAD

From veggies such as okra, green beans, radishes, jalapeños, and cabbages—if it can be pickled, Tyler O’Connor likely makes it. She launched her homegrown enterprise Tyler’s Pickles & More in September 2022, following the death of her grandfather. “After losing my Papa, I really just wanted to do something that felt good and felt right,” she says. “We used to make pickles together, even jellies, jams, soups, and all sorts of things like that. He grew all his own vegetables and I always loved being a part of that with him.”

Today, O’Connor makes traditional pickles with cucumbers in five varieties: the Big Papa (sweet and spicy), the Garlic Girl (with garlic and tajin), the Twisted Dill (fresh rosemary, fresh dill, lemon zest), the Softly Sweet (like bread and butter, very delicate), and the Hottie (contains three intact habaneros). “Oh, and we can’t forget the pickled tajin pineapples. Those are a fan favorite,” Tyler says.

O’Connor grows some of her produce while outsourcing the rest through small farmers around Jacksonville. This year, she says she intends to become fully reliant on her own produce. “Growing up, we farmed as a family on both sides so I was exposed to canning and growing produce.” She has plans to expand the menu with her new pressure canner and get a concession trailer to participate in summertime markets and special events. u

Master Chef

A culinary icon is sharpening the skills of chefs in First Coast restaurant kitchens

If you happened to be living in Los Angeles in the late 1970s, you likely heard the name Patrick Terrail. As the owner of Ma Maison, he created an inviting atmosphere, provided remarkable hospitality and launched "California nouvelle" cuisine, an altogether new approach to cooking that integrated fresh regional produce with French culinary techniques.

Equally important was the notoriety attached to the restaurant and its patrons, including some of Hollywood's brightest stars. While the list is considerable, names including Jack Lemmon, Jacqueline Bisset, Joan Collins, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and Orson Welles were all known to frequent the LA hot spot. Without a doubt, the bistro quickly became the most glamorous gathering spot in the city.

When asked about the notoriety and the celebrities, Terrail offers, "The celebrities paid to come to my restaurant. I was their servant, not their friend. That's a line that could not be crossed. I had to be very diplomatic and careful not to step on egos.

"It helped that I never watched television,” he adds. “I didn't even know who some of these people were."

Of course, Terrail did not achieve success without a little help from the kitchen, led by a virtually unknown chef with the name of Wolfgang Puck. Over a period of seven years, the restaurateur and its exceptionally talented chef made dining history that continues to resonate with leading restaurateurs today.

When Puck left Ma Maison to open Spago in 1982, the restaurant's fortunes began to decline, eventually closing altogether in 1985. But Terrail didn’t excuse himself from the table. Instead, he endured, enjoying a string of high-level consultative positions with companies including Hiram Walker & Sons and Allied Domecq Spirits & Wines, as well as a successful run as publisher of 85 South/Out & About

In the wake of the pandemic, delighting in visits with friends in Ponte Vedra Beach, and looking for a school district that would give his teenage son a well-rounded education, Terrail realized Northeast Florida was the

place he and his family could call home.

With decades of noteworthy accolades under his belt, he enjoys a slower paced existence today. Still keeping busy as a restaurant consultant, Terrail is currently making his mark assisting and training chefs at JJ's Liberty Bistro in Ponte Vedra. Opened in 1994, JJ's is a longstanding favorite at the Beaches.

Considering its reputation and longevity, Terrail is applying his experience, helping to preserve all the elements that made the bistro an enduring success and, at the same time, innovating and infusing a breath of fresh air into well-worn aspects of operation. When asked if JJ's would be the next Ma Maison, he says, "Things aren't the same as they were back in the ‘70s. Entertainment was an entirely different industry. Even the way we eat today is different than it was back then. While I'm a few years older, and nowhere near as fast on my feet, I'll give it a go.”

To read more about Patrick Terrail and his storied career in Los Angeles, check out his book Ma Maison-A Hollywood Phenomenon. u

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Aqua Grill

eatery brings Louisiana flavor to the regional seafood scene, serving up Cajun and Creole dishes. 46 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine (824-7765; hookedonharrys.com). L, D, $$.

JJ’s Bistro de Paris

With delicious French food, a handpainted French mural, and a replica of the Eiffel Tower, customers feel as if they are relaxing at a bistro in Paris. With a separate, yet just as talented pastry chef, you will find yourself indulging in the finest French desserts and pastries such as eclairs and fruit tarts. This one-of-a-kind restaurant offers the best of France in food, wine, and desserts.

7643 Gate Pkwy., Jacksonville (996-7557; jjbistro.com/ gateparkway). L, D, $$$.

JJ’s Liberty Bistro

Open since 1994, JJ’s Liberty Bistro is a familyrun establishment offering one of the largest selections of wine in Jacksonville. The restaurant hosts frequent wine dinners featuring some of the largest wine producers around the world, including Chateau L’Angelus, Veuve Clicquot, and Plumpjack. You’ll find hundreds of different bottles in the retail store, as well as the finest cheeses, caviars, and homemade desserts. Stop by the ice cream and chocolate/macaron shop located just next door. 330 A1A N., Suite 209, Ponte Vedra (273-7980; jjbistro.com/ ponte-vedra). L, D, $$$.

Le Petit Paris Café

A little slice of France in the River City, the chef-owned establishment specializes in toasted croissants, quiches and baguette sandwiches. Le Parisien is a classic French hand-held with ham, Swiss and salted butter. The Le Flore salad is a must-try with smoked salmon, tzatiziki cream, cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, dill and mixed

greens. Sweets include fresh pastries, macaron and pound cakes. Don’t overlook the espresso or cappuccino. Market offers imported foods, condiments and beverages. Pet-friendly patio. 9965 San Jose Blvd., Suite 46, San Jose (512-7777, lepetitparisjax.com). B, L, $.

M Shack

Specializing in burgers made from hormone-free, freshly ground beef, M Shack has been voted best “Gourmet Burger” in our Best In Jax issue. Their menu also includes burger joint favorites such as all-beef hot dogs, fries, sweet potato tots, and handspun shakes. St. Johns Town Center (642-5000; mshackburgers.com); Nocatee (395-3575). L, D, $.

Matthew’s Restaurant

A fine-dining experience in historic San Marco. The menu is comprised of French and Mediterranean dishes crafted by Chef Alex Yim and also possesses a vast wine selection. Menu items include venison carpaccio, Maine diver scallops, and Osetra caviar. 2107 Hen dricks Ave., San Marco (396-9922; matthewsrestaurant. com). D, $$$$.

Restaurant Medure

This restaurant features high-end favorites like escargot and caviar, while also making room for classics like meatloaf. Their menu features global cuisine with a local influence, ranging from handcrafted pasta to duck leg confit poutine. 818 A1A N., Ponte Vedra Beach (5433797; restaurantmedure.com). D, $$$.

Mellow Mushroom

With more than 200 locations around the country, Mellow Mushroom has garnered a loyal following for its stone-baked pizza flavor combinations and for offering up craft beer,

premium imports and local favorites. Whether you’re looking for a local brew like the Aardwolf Nonchalant or the Ancient City Augustine’s Orange Amber Ale or prefer to branch out to other areas of the good ol’ USA, this pizza palace has a beer to fit everyone’s taste. Menu features baked chicken wings, spinach artichoke dip and a dozen house speciality pizzas. Multiple area locations: Avondale, Fleming Island, Southside, River City, Jacksonville Beach (mellowmushroom.com). L, D, $$.

Mezza Luna Ristorante

Mezza Luna’s menu focuses on seafood and Italian dishes. Located in the heart of the Beaches Town Center, this long-time neighborhood favorite offers seating on their covered patio, formal dining room, and lounge that often hosts live music. 110 1st St., Neptune Beach (249-5573; mezzalunajax.com). D, $$$.

Midtown Table

A culinary concept from the Medure Brothers, this Gate Parkway eatery specializes in all-things Italian. That means appetizers run the gamut from seasonal burrata to meatballs with house-made bread. Entrées include fresh pastas, Neapolitan pizza, and heartier fare (like pork marsala and salt-baked zucchini). 5016 Gate Pkwy., Jacksonville (503.4122; midtowntable. medurebrothers.com). L, D, $$.

Mojo Bar-B-Que

This regional chain showcases Southern barbecue styles like Texas and North Carolina, including everything from burnt ends to pulled pork. Their restaurants celebrate blues, with their Avondale location boasting one of the city’s most expansive whiskey selections and their Jacksonville Beach location featuring live music. 1607 University Blvd. W., Lakewood

Continued on page 119

TAKE A BITE

First Coast author Jennifer Jordan recently released her second cookbook, Veggin In St. Augustine 2 ($25-$33), a 140-page collection of vegetarian and vegan recipes from Oldest City restaurants, food trucks and B&Bs. “My favorite part about creating the second in the series of my recipe books was researching and including historic recipes from local landmarks,” says the author. The dishes included in the book range from simple sandwiches to unusual cocktails to classic desserts. Posted here are two relatively easy recipes from a pair of St. Augustine dining favorites.

JUNIPER MARKET’S CHICKPEA

SALAD SANDWICH (pictured)

1 can chickpeas

zest and juice of half a lemon

1 tsp. Herb de Provence

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 to 3 Tbsp. mayo, to taste

2 Tbsp. dried cranberries

2 Tbsp. chopped, toasted pecans

Mash with hands until combined. Serve with lettuce on multigrain bread.

ODD BIRD’S TOCO TOUCAN

1 1/2 oz. Bluecoat Gin

1/2 oz. Banana liquer

3/4 oz. PIMMS

3/4 oz. simple syrup

2 or 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Build in a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain over clean pebble ice and top with soda water.

Forks on the Road

One might not expect a gem of a restaurant serving a modern Spanish menu combining hints of both Latin American and Southern influences in the heart of downtown Lakeland. But at Nineteen61 (pictured) that's what diners are treated to, all brought to the table by owner and chef Marcos Fernandez. The cozy Central Florida restaurant and bar is a standout in Lakeland’s small but strong dining scene, the creative heart of which can be found centered around a handful of blocks near the city’s Munn Park and Lake Mirror.

The flakey beef picadillo empanadas ($12) and croquetas de jamon ($12), creamy manchego and ham croquettes with guava glaze, are top-selling starters. The seafood paella is a Spanish classic with scallops, shrimp, mussels, chorizo, bell pepper, onion and peas bathed in saffron, sofrito and cilantro ($42). Not to be overlooked is the marinated flat iron churrasco steak ($38) with black bean chorizo risotto, avocado crema and chimichurri.

A short walk from Nineteen61 are several other notable, locally owned eateries including  Frescos Southern Kitchen & Bar  (upscale dishes including braised short ribs, parmesan-crusted grouper and a charcuterie plate with Benton ham, cheeses and house-made pickles) and Mojo Federal Wine & Spirits (classic barbecue like beef brisket and burnt ends and bar grub such as onion rings and quesadillas). A bit longer stroll away, and on the other side of Lake Mirror, is Texas Cattle Company, a Lakeland dining landmark for 40 years. Think top-quality beef seared over a citrus and oak wood-burning pit. The wood-fired garlic broccoli and baked potatoes are must-try sides, and are large enough to share. u

Oyster Bar!

Local Fish • Shrimp • Clams • Mussels • Oysters

Crab: Snow • Alaska King • Dungeness • Stone (Seasonal)

Homemade Soups & Salads • Desserts

Family Owned & Operated

Check our website for hours & special rewards 725-12 Atlantic Blvd. • 904.246.0123 • the shcojax.com

Next Big Thing

Filipino cuisine in Jacksonville comes of age

Cities throughout the United States and other countries derive their character, in part, from their colorful and distinctive ancestry groups. While many of them have centralized commercial districts bearing names such as Chinatown and Little Saigon, Jacksonville’s ethnic communities tend to be scattered. While there is no recognized central neighborhood like a Little Italy, the River City boasts the largest concentration of Filipinos in the state of Florida and throughout the South.

While a small number of Asian grocers and nondescript takeout shops have offered Filipino specialties, primarily adobo (stew), pancit (noodles) and lumpia (spring rolls), the depth and variety of Filipino foods is somewhat lacking. The opening of Jollibee in 2017 (a Filipino fast-food chain that rivals McDonalds in popularity) was certainly a catalyst for change. When The Baker’s Son, a prominent Filipino bakery, opened several years later, the demand for Filipino foods became obvious.

According to Agnes Lopez, Founder of Jax Filipino Chefs, “Filipino food has been called ‘the next big thing’ by culinary experts around the country. While Jollibee was the first to attract attention here in Jacksonville, a number of highly creative Filipino chefs have been planning, and are now opening,

restaurants that feature praiseworthy Filipino cuisine.”

When you consider that the Philippines is just one of several Pacific rim countries, each with its own culinary culture, it becomes readily apparent that chefs in this region, over time, have shared recipes and ideas with their neighbors. A few dishes worth investigating, apart from the well-known pancit, lumpia and adobo, are silog (a class of dishes that includes meat, garlic fried rice and egg), kare kare (stew with a rich peanut sauce) and sisig (chopped pork with chicken livers in a spicy and sour sauce). When it comes to baked goods, the pillow-like breads called ensayadas, or a slice of sansrival (cake layered with buttercream, meringue and chopped cashews) should not to be missed.

Recognizing that one of the most talked about ingredients in Filipino cuisine is ube, an intensely purple yam that brightens up desserts and sweet baked goods, make sure to try halo-halo (a shaved ice confection with ube), a slice of ube cheesecake or a scoop of ube ice cream drizzled with ube syrup. If you are curious, there are some wonderful Filipino bakeries, cafes and restaurants around town worth visiting. While their numbers are increasing, be sure to check out the breads, pastries, sweet treats and take-home specialties from

The Baker’s Son, SaySoSweets Filipino Cafe and Kûsína Good Eats. If dining out is your preference, spend a little time enjoying the savory and sweet offerings at Purple Roots (pictured) or the recently opened Abstrakt Filipino Essence u

(732-7200, mojobbq.com); 1500 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach (247-6636); 1810 Town Center Blvd., Fleming Island (264-0636); 3572 St. Johns Ave., Avondale (381-6670); 5 Cordova St., St. Augustine (342-5264). L, D, $$.

Nineteen

Located inside the clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass, this fine-dining restaurant matches the high quality you would expect for a place that hosts The Players Championship. The menu is dominated by seafood and local fare, like lime pepper-crusted tuna and ribeye steak. The broad back patio overlooks the golf course. Sawgrass Clubhouse, Ponte Vedra Beach (273-3238; tpcsawgrass.com). B, L, D, $$.

Ocean 60

Ocean 60 provides upscale seafood dining just yards from the ocean. The Beaches mainstay is known for their award-winning cocktails served in the Martini Room, which offers a relaxed atmosphere and live music. 60 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach (247-0060; ocean60.com). D, $$$$.

O-Ku Sushi

O-Ku offers upscale Japanese cuisine, a rooftop bar and patio and seafood from fish markets in Tokyo, Hawaii and here locally. Check out the chef specialties and small plates like tuna crudo, Agedashi tofu and O-Ku rock shrimp or just go straight for the rolls including Neptune’s Beard (shrimp tempura, avocado, spicy tuna, salmon, spicy aioli, sweet soy, chive) and the Firecracker (crispy panko fried roll with spicy salmon, avocado, cucumber, goat cheese mousse, sweet soy). 502 1st St. N., Jacksonville Beach (694-2770, o-kusushi.com). D, $$$.

Restaurant Orsay

An upscale French bistro with local, Southern flavor, meals at Restaurant Orsay are the epitome of a high-end dining experience. The chef-owned restaurant offers an extensive drink selection and some of the best oysters in the city, having won Best in Jax multiple times. 3630 Park St., Avondale (381-0909; restaurantorsay. com). D, SB, $$$$.

Peony Asian Bistro

Known for their modern interpretations of classic Chinese dishes, their strip mall location belies the quality of their Cantonese-style plates and inviting atmosphere. Peony offers dine-in, takeout, and delivery. A must order is the peking duck. 10586 Old St. Augustine Rd., Mandarin (268-3889). L, D, $$.

Philly’s Finest

When you call yourself Philly’s Finest, you better bring the Cheesesteak magic. For the love of Pat’s and Geno’s, they’ve been doing just that for two decades at the Jax Beach sandwich institution. American, mozzarella, and provolone cheeses, sautéed onions, mushrooms, pickles, sweet peppers, black olives, Cheese Whiz—each order can be customized to one’s liking for about $15. Order a side of the Old Bay fries, too. 1527 3rd St. N., Jacksonville Beach (241-7188, phillys-finest.com). L, D, $$.

Poe’s Tavern

Located at the end of Atlantic Blvd. in the heart of the Beaches lies a gourmet burger joint where you can experience an ample beer selection and the cool breeze of the ocean from their outside seating area. Each menu item is named after one of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous stories, including the Tell-Tale Heart, a half-pound bacon and cheddar burger topped off with a fried

egg. 363 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach (241-7637; poestavern.com). L,D, $.

Ragtime Tavern

Open for more than 20 years, Ragtime is Northeast Florida’s oldest microbrewery. The menu is loaded with items like shrimp bruschetta, Louisiana crawfish and sautéed mussels. Try the bistro filet and crab-stuffed shrimp, Cajun fettuccine or the sesame tuna. 207 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach (241-7877; ragtimetavern.com). L, D, SB, $$.

The Raintree

Located in historic St. Augustine inside a Victorian house, complete with a fireplace and koi pond, The Raintree offers upscale dining with an eclectic menu comprising American, Mediterranean, and Asian dishes. Don’t miss the decadent dessert bar with made-to-order crepes, adult ice cream cocktails, cookies and cake. 102 San Marco Ave, St. Augustine (824-7211; raintreerestaurant.com). D, SB, $$$.

River & Post

Rooftop bars are popping up all over Northeast Florida. Arguably one of the best can be enjoyed at River & Post. The restaurant specializes in upscale American fare—seared hanger steak, shrimp and grits, grilled salmon almondine. Small plates, charcuterie, sushi rolls and flatbreads are available on the rooftop. 1000 Riverside Ave., Riverside (575-2366; riverandpostjax.com). L, D, SB, $$$.

RP’s Fine Food & Drink

RP’s serves local fish and fresh produce inside a casual beach setting. The menu features items such as conch fritters, a crab cake BLT, and Shrimp 308—sautéed local shrimp doused in spicy cajun butter over rice with hushpuppies. 1183 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach (853-5094; rpsjaxbeach.com). B, L, D, SB, $$.

Rue Saint-Marc

Led by executive chef Scott Alters, Rue SaintMarc strikes a balance between sophistication and comfort by serving decadent menu items like halibut meunière while maintaining exceptional service and a quaint atmosphere, all just steps from the heart of San Marco Square. 2103 San Marco Blvd., San Marco (619-0861; ruesaintmarc.com). B, L, D, SB, $$.

Safe Harbor Seafood

Fresh, locally caught seafood is the calling card for Safe Harbor. That’s not surprising, as customers can practically see the shrimp boats of Mayport from the restaurant’s front door. It’s easy to see why hungry diners have been drifting here for years. Sure, the menu is laden with clams, oysters, crab cakes and other seafood standards, but sometimes a basket of fried shrimp, slaw, fries and hush puppies is a little slice of heaven. 4378 Ocean St., Mayport (246 4911, safeharbor-seafood.com). L, D, $$.

Salt Life Food Shack

“Salt Life” is a ubiquitous phrase in Northeast Florida, and for many represents a lifestyle of relaxing fun and, above all, love for our adjacent ocean. This restaurant channels that vibe in a dining experience and seafood-heavy menu designed to appeal to all locals and beach-lovers who enter, ranging from tuna poke bowls to Boca-style grouper. 1018 3rd St. N., Jacksonville Beach (372-4456; saltlifefoodshack.com); 321 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach. L, D, $$.

Sliders Oyster Bar

With its open-air bar and broad covered patio, Sliders oozes beaches vibes and charm. A sister restaurant of Safe Harbor Seafood, diners rest assured the fish, shrimp, and shellfish are going to be the freshest around. The raw bar serves all the seafood staples like steamed clams, peel and eat shrimp and oysters on the half-shell. The oysters Rockefeller is baked with spinach, parmesan, provolone and breadcrumbs. The oysters “Godzilla” are served raw with seaweed salad, cucumber wasabi and the house “pirate” sauce. 218 1st St., Neptune Beach (246-0881, slidersoysterbar.com). L, D, $$.

TacoLu

In a style described as Baja Mexicana, this uber popular restaurant serves nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and about any kind of taco you desire, with fish tacos being their specialty. TacoLu fulfills their niche well, and it’s what earned them the designation of “Best Tacos” in the city in our Best In Jax reader’s poll. Oh, and they have over 100 types of tequila and mezcal. 1712 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach (249-TACO; tacolu.com). L, D, SB, $.

Taqueria Cinco

Located in funky Five Points, this restaurant focuses on providing top-notch hospitality while serving authentic Mexican eats. If you come on a Friday or Saturday, be sure to try their Al Pastor. Happy hour food and drink specials available Mon.-Fri. from 3-6:30. Closed Sundays. 809 Lomax St., Riverside (312-9113; taqueria5points.com). L, D, $$.

Taverna

Taverna offers authentic Italian dishes with a modern twist. Its focused menu brings out the best in Mediterranean flavors, producing dishes like antipasto and orecchiette. All of their pasta and mozzarella are house-made, and the pizzas are cooked in a wood oven at the back of the dining room. 1986 San Marco Blvd., San Marco (398-3005; taverna.restaurant). L, D, SB, $$.

Town Hall

Sourcing produce from local farms, Town Hall brings American fare with a West Coast influence to Florida. They encourage a sense of community in their dining experience, emphasized by comfy couches, warmly hued artwork, and thoughtful design touches such as outlets in the bar area. 2012 San Marco Blvd., San Marco (398-0726; townhalljax.com). D, SB, $$$.

Vernon’s First Coast Kitchen & Bar

Located at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, this restaurant uses fresh, local ingredients and seafood, and provides an exceptional wine list. Sunday brunch features farm-to-table classics like chicken and waffles and biscuits with gravy. 1000 PGA Tour Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach (285-7777). B, D, $$$.

Whitey’s Fish Camp

Not many restaurants double as an RV park. That hospitality, combined with homespun ultra casual décor produces a Southern atmosphere at Whitey’s Fish Camp that is, above all, authentic. The seafood is fresh and specialities include beer-battered fried grouper, north-ofthe-border steamed snow crab legs, a shrimp boil, and all-you-can-eat catfish. Check out the deck, tiki bar and dock, where you can even arrive by boat. 2032 C.R. 220, Orange Park (269-4198; whiteysfish-camp.com). L, D, $$. u

Send food and restaurant news, ideas or questions to mail@jacksonvillemag.com.

FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL

ALL THINGS SAVORY AND SWEET RETURN TO THE OLDEST CITY THIS SPRING

he third annual St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival returns this spring and it’s shaping up to be bigger than ever. The primary gathering spot of the multiday event is the World Golf Hall of Fame property; however, events will be taking place across the area May 3-7. The schedule opens with a wine tasting at San Sebastian Winery, followed the next evening with another celebration of wines from around the world at the Lightner Museum. The entire weekend is overflowing with culinary happenings including winemaker dinners, celebrity chef appearances, master cooking classes and more.

Celebrity chefs Brother Luck (yes, his real name) and Jernard Wells join the cooking fun. Luck, a Top Chef winner and restaurateur, serves as a guest judge for the event’s Harvest Awards and he hosts

a master class and a cooking demonstration. Wells, a best-selling cookbook author and host of New Soul Kitchen on CLEO TV, also takes the stage for a Saturday afternoon cooking demonstration.

New this year is Cinco de Mayo Tacos & Tequilla on Friday night, the same evening as Smoke on the Walk, a barbecue showcase of pit masters and celebrated grillers from across the Southeast. But, wait… there’s more. The main event is Saturday, May 6, 2-5 PM. The beautiful lakefront park outside the Hall of Fame is the setting for dozens of food and beverage vendors, as well as a cooking stage, live music stage, and purveyors of nearly everything edible. The weekend closes on Sunday with a jazz brunch featuring live music and a brunch buffet at the St. Johns County Convention Center. By this time, a long nap and some calcium carbonate may be in order, too. u

Ute Tribe Blue Cornbread

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour 6 eggs

2 3/4 cups blue masa 1 tsp. baking soda

6 Tbsp. granulated sugar 5 cups buttermilk

METHOD

Combine all dry ingredients.

Separately, combine all wet ingredients. Spray baking pans thoroughly and set on a full sheet tray.

SCHEDULE:

River Walk Tastings

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 | 6:30-8:30 PM

Progressive food and drink tastings, with Iive music, at San Sebastian Winery and Homewood Suites.

Premium Wine Tasting & Harvest Awards

THURSDAY, MAY 4

Ultimate wine-lovers tasting featuring top-shelf labels and select spirits, at the Lightner Museum.

Cinco de Mayo Tacos & Tequila

FRIDAY, MAY 5

1 Tbsp. baking powder

2 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 stick butter, melted

Smoke on the Walk

FRIDAY, MAY 5 | 6:30-8:30 PM

All-inclusive BBQ extravaganza showcases the Southeast’s celebrated pit bosses and grill masters with wine, beer and spirits along the Walk of Champions at World Golf Hall of Fame

Cooking With Brother Luck

Combine wet and dry ingredients, making sure that the butter is not hot enough to curdle the eggs, but not cold enough to solidify before fully mixing.

Immediately pour batter 2/3-full into greased pans and bake at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes.

Cornbread should be slightly golden on top and spring back to the touch. A cake tester should come out clean once inserted.

Allow to cool fully before removing from baking pans, then trim the short ends and cut evenly into 4 slices per loaf.

SATURDAY, MAY 6 | 10-11 AM

World Golf Hall of Fame

Rioja in the 21st Century

SATURDAY, MAY 6 | 11:30 AM-1:30 PM Travel through Rioja, Spain during a class and tasting with wine expert and author Ana Fabiano, at World Golf Hall of Fame

St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival

SATURDAY, MAY 6 | 2-5 PM

The main event features an afternoon of food and beverage tastings from dozens of vendors, demonstrations on the Publix Cooking Stage, live music, local artisans, at the Walk of Champions at World Golf Hall of Fame

The Jazz Brunch

SUNDAY, MAY 7 | 11:30 AM-1:30 PM

All-inclusive brunch buffet with carving stations, made-to-order omelets, seafood, desserts, champagne, a bloody Mary bar and other culinary delights, at St. Johns County Convention Center

For tickets and more information, visit staugustinefoodandwinefestival.com

Only in Florida

Strange But True Stories from Across the Sunshine State

The beloved Splash Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando closed permanently late in the evening of January 25. The ride will be supplanted by a new one, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which is slated to open sometime in 2024. A few creative entrepreneurs saw Splash Mountain’s closing as a money-making opportunity, hawking jars of water supposedly taken from the ride just before it was shuttered. One listing on eBay offered a zip-lock bag of water for $7.50, while another was a bit pricier, garnering 23 bids up to $81 for four ounces sealed in a plastic container. Following eBay guidelines, all Splash Mountain water for sale was labeled “Pre-Owned.” In a related story, another eBay account was selling sand reportedly from the spot on the Miami-area beach that quarterback Tom Brady recorded his January retirement video.

A cold snap that swept over the Sunshine State in late December proved especially challenging for some Florida residents, specifically iguanas. In Pembroke Pines, the green lizards were literally falling from trees. Fortunately for some of the iguanas, Brendan Denuyl, 29, was there to help. He was out fishing on Christmas night, which happened to be the coldest night of the year. “I dropped my fishing rod and started gathering them as others were still falling to my left and right,” he said. When daytime temperatures drop below 40 degrees, the cold-blooded reptiles are unable to stay warm and those in trees are prone to succumbing to gravity. Denuyl, a taxidermist, was able

gather handfuls of iguanas and help keep them warm. Several snakes were reported freezing on nearby roads, too.

A Miami pet store owner was recently fined for dyeing his Pomeranian yellow and red to resemble the Pokemon character Pikachu. Eric Torres was given a $200 fine for violating Miami-Dade County ordinance 5-12A after dyeing his dog Zaza’s fur, which he proudly displayed at a Miami Heat basketball game. Torres claimed his pet was in no danger, as he had checked beforehand to make sure the dye was safe for dogs as well as horses. “I did my research,” he claimed. “I knew that in no way or form would this affect my animal, my dog.” The pup’s makeover was a treat for his daughter, who is a Pikachu fan, Torres told a local TV station.

While we’re down in Miami: according to the Miami-Dade Police Department, a Florida man bit off the head of a pet python during a heated domestic dispute. When police arrived on the scene, the sounds of yelling were clearly audible and, upon entering the home, officers saw Kevin Mayorga, 32, flee the room. He reportedly tried to close a door in another room, trapping a woman “against her will.” Then, Mayorga resisted arrest, was tased by one officer, and punched another. After finally being handcuffed by the police, the unidentified woman in the residence pointed out the decapitated ball python near the front door. Mayorga was arrested and charged with several counts including animal cruelty, false imprisonment and resisting officers with violence. u