School Board candidates forum is Monday, Aug. 1
The Ponte Vedra Beaches Coalition will host a question-and-answer forum with the School Board candidates of Districts 1, 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, Aug. 1, at the Ponte Vedra Library, 101 Library Blvd.
Traditionally, the coalition hosts a meeting and opens up the floor for the voters to get to know the candidates in anticipation of the upcoming elections. Each candidate will be asked the same question and allowed a certain time frame to answer. The questions will be pre-decided and based on current county issues. After the Q&A session, the floor will be open to questions from the audience.
Invited candidates are:
School Board, District 1
School Board, District 3
School Board, District 4
Backpack giveaways Sunday
Authorized Verizon retailer Wireless Zone is planning its annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway at stores across Florida. Backpacks full of school supplies will be handed out to alleviate supply cost dilemmas for families and prepare students for their upcoming school year.
The giveaway is planned for 1-4 p.m. Sunday, July 31. Backpacks will be handed out while supplies last.
In addition, families can enter their students in a sweepstakes to win a $10,000 college scholarship. Children in grades K-12 are eligible for entry and can be registered at their local stores during the School Rocks Backpack Giveaway event. Five scholarships in total will be awarded to randomly selected winners.
Find participating Wireless Zone stores at shop.wirelesszone.com.
Parkinson’s is focus of program
In conjunction with Jax Hope and the St. Johns County Council On Aging, the public is invited to “Parkinson’s Meet, Greet & Learn!” to be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3.
The discussion will focus on advanced treatment options for Parkinson’s disease. It will be led by Alaine Keebaugh Ph.D. of Boston Scientific and will be conducted at the COA Center at Flagler Health+ at Nocatee, 351 Town Plaza Ave., Suite 205.
Keebaugh received her Ph.D. in neurogenetics at Emory University. Her graduate work was centered on the use of whole genome sequencing to develop better animal models of human disease, such as Lesch-Nyhan disease, Parkinson’s and dystonia.
After graduating, she continued this work as a fellow at the Yerkes Primate Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where her research dialed in to movement disorders. She moved out of academia and into industry so she could help translate these advancements to the people who would benefit from them.
During the program, attendees will learn about how advancements in deep brain stimulation can treat the motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor.
To attend, RSVP to Pam Brunell at pbrunell@stjohnscoa.com. Or call 904-819-3234.
Racy Point bridge to temporarily close for repairs
St. Johns County Public Works will close Racy Point Bridge, located 3.7 miles south of County Road 214, to complete repairs. The closure will occur from Aug. 3 through Oct. 14, weather permitting. This project is intended to stabilize traffic-bearing concrete slabs approaching the bridge, replace and reset the bridge guardrail, and resurface additional pavement approaching the bridge. Detour signage will be posted during construction.
Open house planned for Treaty Park Improvement Project
St. Johns County is hosting an open house for the planned Treaty Park Improvement Project. St. Johns County Public Works and St. Johns County Parks and Recreation staff will be available to answer questions and share details about this future asset to our community.
The open house will be held 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at the Solomon Calhoun Community Center, 1300 Duval St., St. Augustine.
Surveying underway for Shore Drive Trail Project
The Shore Drive Trail Project is a county initiative to improve the existing trail and provide residents with a 3.25-mile multi-use paved trail along Shore Drive Waterfront Park. As part of the pre-planning, a team of consultants, county staff and engineers are conducting a preliminary survey for the trail. Survey crews will be onsite evaluating the area and the underground infrastructure; markers will be placed throughout Shore Drive as reference points for an upcoming project design.
St. Augustine seeks public input for redevelopment area
The City of St. Augustine will host an open-house style public workshop from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 28, to discuss the status of the Historic Area Community Redevelopment Area and a vision for its future. This includes identifying and discussing areas in need of improvement.
The city’s consultant, S&ME Inc., created a dedicated website, bit.ly/StAugHACRA, which includes an interactive map and online survey. Anyone who goes to the website can click on the interactive map to identify a specific location where a problem or concern exists and provide a detailed comment.
The survey is currently open and will be available on the project website through Sept. 27.
The meeting will be held in The Alcazar Room of City Hall, 75 King St. For those who cannot attend in person, a link is provided on the project website to join the meeting virtually.
— Compiled by Shaun Ryan
