Concert series grand finale scheduled at Penney Memorial C

PENNEY FARMS – The Penney Farms 2015-2016 Commemorative Concert season will conclude on a high note with a recital featuring the winners of the annual Concert on the Green competition.
The recital concert take places in the sanctuary of Penney Memorial Church, 4465 Poling Blvd., at 7 p.m. May 18. The performance is free and open to the public.
This competition is open only to students who attend Clay County schools and who have undergone, and won, rounds in their age range in both instrumental and vocal skills. These students have competed for prize money to foster further musical interests.
Penney Memorial Church has the honor of hosting this concert because Howard Tappan, former director of music and several former residents at Penney Retirement Community, were instrumental in the founding of, what has become, the Concert on the Green. The Penney Memorial Church Commemorative Program contributes each year toward scholarship funding for these young musicians.
Do plan to attend this concert and congratulate both students and teachers for their dedication to music. It is truly a privilege to hear these young vocalists and instrumentalists share their talents.

Historic trains of Northeast Florida program coming
PENNEY FARMS – To mark the anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, the Penney Train Club will present the 2016 Golden Spike Program on May 11 at 7 p.m. in Barrows Hall, 4385 Wilbank Ave.
Larry Brennan, member of the Jacksonville Railroad Museum, will bring the story of some of the historic railroads that once existed in this area. This free program is open to the public and parking is plentiful. Anyone who are interested in the history of the area and all train buffs should get on board for this program. For more information call (904) 520-1496.

WWII French Jewish spy to speak in Clay County
FLEMING ISLAND – Chabad of Clay County is hosting a presentation by a woman who served as a spy during World War II.
Marthe Cohn will speak on May 10 at the Fleming Island Public Library, 1895 Town Center Blvd., in the meeting room at 7 p.m. RSVPs are requested by calling (904) 290-1017 or e-mail to info@jewishclaycounty.com. Suggested donation is $10.
Cohn was born in Metz, France in 1920. She was a devoutly religious Jewish woman living just across the German border in France when Hitler rose to power. As the Nazi occupation escalated, Cohn’s sister was sent to Auschwitz while her family fled to the south of France.
Martha, though, chose to fight back and joined the intelligence service of the First French Army. Utilizing her perfect German accent and Aryan appearance, Cohn posed as a German nurse desperately trying to obtain word of a fictional fiancé. She traveled the countryside and approached troops sympathetic to her ‘plight’ thereby obtaining critical information for the Allied commanders.
When at age 80, Cohn was awarded France’s highest military honor, the Medaille Miliataire, not even her children knew to what extent this modest woman faced death daily to defeat the Nazi Empire. At its heart, this remarkable story is the tale of an ordinary woman who, under extraordinary circumstances, became the hero her country needed her to be.
In 2002, Cohn penned her memoir “Behind Enemy Line: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany.” She lives with her husband in Palos Verdes, Calif. and travels internationally sharing her remarkable story.

Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida to host insurance workshop
JACKSONVILLE – Join the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida on May 9 for a free
Presentation called “Healthy Adulting: Health Insurance Workshop.”
The interactive workshop will cover understanding confusing health insurance lingo, accessing free preventative care, learning how to use free, cool technology for your health care needs and accessing the most affordable type of care and much more.
Refreshments and snacks will be served. There will also be free giveaways. Register by contacting the Council at info@hpcnef.org.

Maya specialist to discuss rituals in late classical period
JACKSONVILLE – The Archaeological Institute of America -Jacksonville Society will meet at noon on May 21 in Building 51 at the University of North Florida to hear a lecture by Gabrielle Vail from New College of Florida in Sarasota. Her lecture is titled “Painted Capstone and Codical Texts from the Northern Maya Lowlands: Agricultural vs. Elite Rituals in Late Classic to Postclassic Yucatán.”
The northern Maya lowlands provide a rich corpus of painted texts associated with the interior and exterior walls of buildings. In a number of cases these texts and the accompanying pictorial components were used to commemorate important rituals. Information from ethnohistoric sources and hieroglyphic and iconographic sources provides important clues for determining context and audience for these texts. This presentation examines the underlying meaning of capstone and codical texts and explores what the different media, time periods, and hieroglyphic captions tell us about elite versus agricultural rituals, and what they reveal about a group’s social memory. The lecture is free and open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be served afterwards in the Archaeological Lab. On Saturdays, parking is free and the faculty/staff/vendor spaces are open to everyone. For more information, contact Melva Price at (904)241-9411 or at atijaxsoc@gmail.com.

Cogongrass treatment cost-share program accepting applications from private landowners
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced today that the Florida Forest Service is now accepting applications for the Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program. Applications for the program will be accepted through July 29, 2016.
“Cogongrass is one of the most aggressive weeds in Florida and is capable of rapidly choking out and displacing our native plant species,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “Through the Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program, landowners can help stop the spread of this harmful pest in Florida.”
Cogongrass is an invasive, non-native grass that occurs in Florida and several other southeastern states. Cogongrass infestations negatively affect tree regeneration, growth and survival, as well as wildlife habitat, native plant diversity, forage quality and property values. They also increase the risk of wildfires and alter fire behavior.
“Left untreated, invasive cogongrass can spread quickly, causing long-term problems,” said State Forester Jim Karels. “In addition to reducing the productivity and value of forests and rangelands, it can greatly increase the risk and severity of wildfire.”
The Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program, which is supported through a grant from the USDA Forest Service, is offered for non-industrial private lands in all Florida counties. It provides reimbursement of 50 percent of the cost to treat cogongrass infestations with herbicide for two consecutive years.
To obtain an application form or to learn more about program requirements, contact a local Florida Forest Service county forester or visit the Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program web page. All qualifying applications will be evaluated and ranked for approval.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of public forest land while protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more about the Florida Forest Service.

Free food distribution Saturday
Orange Park –State Rep. Travis Cummings (R-Orange Park) and State Sen. Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island) are sponsoring a community food distribution in partnership with Farm Share Inc.
Residents can go to First Baptist Church of Orange Park, 1140 Kingsley Ave. on May 7 from 9 a.m.-noon to take part in a free food and grocery distribution to Clay Co. residents
Absolutely no income qualification or screening required. First come, first served. Assistance for physically-challenged citizens will be available.
For more information, contact Cummings’ office at (904) 278-5761.

Health screenings coming for kids
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Florida Department of Health in Clay County in partnership with Clay County District Schools, St. Vincent’s Mobile Health Outreach Ministry and The Way Clinic will be providing shots, school physicals, and sports physicals at the following dates and locations.
•July 13 and 20, the back to school event will be held at the Clay Adult Education Center at Orange Park High School, 2306 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. School and sports physicals, immunizations and certified Florida Shot immunization forms will be provided.
•July 27 the back to school event will be held at The Way Clinic, 479 Houston St., Green Cove Springs, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. School physicals, immunizations and certified Florida Shot immunization forms will be provided.
These events will be offered on a first come, first serve basis. Parents or guardians must accompany the child. Remember to bring your child’s most current shot record, as immunizations cannot be given without a shot record. Not all health services will be provided at every location.