Pet adoption story could fetch $100,000 award for county’s Animal Services
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Did a pet you adopted from Clay County Animal Services change your life? Petco Love and Clay County Animal Services want to hear about it.
Submit your greatest Love Story and photos detailing how your adopted pet has changed your life, and the Shelter at Clay County Animal Services could win up to $100,000 to support their ongoing life-saving efforts in our community. The winning submitter will also be eligible for other great prizes from Petco.
Visit Petcolove.org/lovestories for contest details and submit your love story to ClayAdoptions@ClayCountyGov.com before Nov. 7 for a chance to win great prizes and help your community animal shelter.

Boston butt fundraiser to limit reservations to 600 orders
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Vinyard Transitional Center is accepting reservations for its annual Boston butt fundraiser to earn money for the nonprofit group that provides a halfway house where as many as 32 Clay County Jail inmates can learn skills and find stability before transitioning back into society. 
Each butt costs $35 and can be picked up on Nov. 18 and 19. This year’s fundraiser will be limited to the first 600 orders, according to Pastor John Sanders.
To order a Boston butt, visit John Sanders’ Facebook page, or call Sanders at (904) 305-4641, Joseph Smith at (904) 343-1869 or Amy Brownfield at (904) 465-6923. Carter Q Catering will do the smoking, along with volunteers James Padgett, Jimmie Weeks and Bill Clayton.

Run for Ru benefit ride hitting the streets on Nov. 6
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Poker Run for Ru to help with his mounting medical expenses will be staged on Nov. 6 and include five area saloons.
Runar “Ru” Einarsson required an emergency craniotomy to stop unexpected bleeding in his brain. His medical expenses already have exceeded $100,000.
Registration for the run will be between 10-11 a.m. at Saloon 17, 3297 U.S. Highway 17 in Green Cove Springs. The ride starts at 11 a.m. and will make stops at The Howling Wolf in Melrose, Lit’l Caesar’s Dive Bar in Interlachen, 3-D Saloon in Palatka and end at the Boogerville Hideout Bar in Green Cove Springs.
The ride costs $20 a person and all vehicles are welcome. Live music will be performed by Jinxx Band; food will be served by BAD AZZ Grill at Boogerville; and, there will be a 50/50 raffle.
For more information, call Bart at (904) 307-2444, or to contribute, visit gofund.me/5d0302bf.

Green Cove Springs Police asking for candy donations
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – In preparation of its annual Trunk or Treat party on Oct. 29, the Green Cove Springs Police Department has established seven dropoff locations for candy donations to be distributed to children from 6-9 at the department at 1001 Idlewild Ave. Candy can be left at the police department, City Hall at 321 Walnut St., Green Cove Springs Vystar Credit Union at 601 N. Orange Ave., Snooty Fox in Middleburg at 4182 County Road 218, Something Special 425 Walnut St. in Green Cove Springs, Hagan Hardware at 1305 N. Orange Ave. in Green Cove Springs and Spring Park Coffee at 328 Ferris St. in Green Cove Springs. There will be decorated trunks, food, games, scare tent, dance and costume contests and canned food drive. For information about volunteering, call Victoria at (904) 297-7322.

GCSPD invites the public to Truck or Treat party on Oct. 29
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The City of Green Cove Springs and its police department will host its seventh annual Trunk or Treat festival on Oct. 29 from 6-9 p.m. at the police headquarters at 1001 Idlewild Ave.
There will be a decorated trunk contest at 6:30 p.m., followed by a costume contest at 7 and a dance contest at 8.
A scare tent, food trucks, carnival games and candy will be available at the family-friendly event.

Volunteers needed for Green Cove Springs Christmas Parade
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Green Cove Springs Business League is looking for volunteers to help with this year’s Christmas Parade on Dec. 3.
The annual event will start at 6 p.m. at Houston Street on Orange Avenue and end on Walnut Street.
The parade is billed as the largest nighttime parade in Northeast Florida and the second-largest event (to the Clay County Agriculture Fair) in the county.
This year’s theme is Super Heroes.
To volunteer or for more information, visit gcsbl.com/parade.

Portable toilets added at City Pier during shrimping season
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – To help fishermen during the hectic shrimping season, the City of Green Cove Springs has added portable toilets by the City Pier in Spring Park through the end of October. They will be accessible before the park’s permanent restrooms are opened.

JTA offering free bus rides for four lines during October
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Jacksonville Transportation Authority Clay Community Transportation Program is offering free rides during October. Passengers can board a shuttle from the designated pick-up stops and travel routes through Fleming Island, Gainesville, Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights, Middleburg, Orange Park and Penney Farms.
The Red Line travels from Orange Park south along Blanding Boulevard to Middleburg Bluff Apartments, Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Green Line travels from Keystone Heights to the Middleburg VA Clinic, Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Blue Line travels from Orange Park south through Fleming Island down to Green Cove Springs, Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Magenta Line makes two round trips from Keystone Heights to Gainesville, Monday through Friday – one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Flex Trips
There are also low-cost Flex Trips available for passengers within three-quarters of a mile from the main route. Flex Trips can be scheduled by calling (904) 284-5977.
Clay Express-Select
Clay Express-Select offers commuters an executive-style, affordable ride between Clay County and the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla in downtown Jacksonville. Clay Express Select vehicles offer comfortable seating and modern-day conveniences like complimentary Wi-Fi and USB charging ports. In addition, all vehicles are equipped with wheelchair access.
Passengers can board Clay Express Select shuttles at the Black Creek Park-n-Ride near the corner of Doctors Inlet and Sleepy Hollow Road or any of the other Clay Express Select stops along Park Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard. The service is offered from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Service is not available Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.
For more information on the Clay Community Transportation Program, please visit www.claycountygov.com/community/clay-community-transportation.

Garden Club hosting Winter Vegetable Gardening class
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Garden Club of Green Cove Springs has invited the public to attend free training on Saturday, Nov. 5, on Winter Vegetable Gardening from 10 a.m. to noon. There is no registration fee.
All are welcome whether you have only a small space, are new to Florida, a beginning gardener or experienced. Training is at Camp Chowenwaw in the Kiata Building 1517 Ball Rd. in Green Cove Springs.
Training is being given by Sarah Harvey an experienced Clay County Master Gardener Volunteer. Come and learn how to grow your own food during Florida’s winter season.

Annual Quilt Sale coming to Advent Lutheran Church
ORANGE PARK – Quilts, Christmas décor, table runners and more will be featured on Nov. 5 at the Annual Quilt Sale at the Advent Lutheran Church.
Proceeds will benefit global and local charities. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon.
The church is located at 2156 Loch Rane Blvd. For more information, call (904) 272-6370.

Soul Food Festival postponed until Nov. 5
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The 21st Annual Green Cove Springs Soul Food Music Festival scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1, was pushed back to Nov. 5 by Hurricane Ian.
A month from now, the event will start with a festive parade along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and end with a day filled with music, games, wares and, of course, a variety of foods to satisfy every tastebud.
The festival will be at Vera Francis Hall Park at 1503 MLK Blvd.
The festival was established by a group of community volunteers called BATCOP – Breaking Away The Cycle of Pain” in 2002. The event now draws up to 5,000 visitors each year.
For advance tickets or information, contact statealertevents@gmail.com or call (904) 609-9363.

GCSPD looking for public input ahead of next Strategic Plan
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Residents, business owners and anyone with a vested interest in the city are encouraged to attend the Strategic Plan Community Meeting for the police department on Nov. 16 from 6-7 p.m. at the police department.
Chief John Guzman will present his five-year plan and he would like to hear comments and opinions before it is implemented as part of the final strategic plan for 2023-2027.
Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, call Victoria at (904) 297-7322 or visit normanv@gcspd.com

Fleming Island Garden Club offers Environmental Studies Scholarship
FLEMING ISLAND – The Garden Club of Fleming Island wishes to assist a graduating student of Fleming Island High who plans on pursuing a career in environmental studies, forestry, horticulture, agriculture, marine sciences or a related field a $500 scholarship.
The graduating student must have at least a 3.0 GPA and have chosen a college to attend. Interested students should contact their guidance counselor for the application form. The deadline is April 15.

Florida’s Morrisroe’s work to be featured at SJRSC’s Palatka campus
PALATKA – University of Florida Professor in the School of Art and Art History Julia Morrisroe’s current project, “Good Life,” will be on display at St. Johns River State College’s Florida School of the Arts Main Gallery on the St. Johns River State College campus in Palatka.
Julia Morrisroe’s current project was developed from an examination into the question of how the “Good Life” is enshrined in public art and commemorative monuments. The question framed a course Morrisroe was teaching that delved into the fraught history regarding confederate monuments, which was brought to national attention by the white nationalist’s attack in Charlottesville, the visit of Richard Spencer to the University of Florida and the removal of a confederate monument from a local county courthouse.
“This research resonates with my long interest in medieval religious iconography and how images are used to embed meaning in culture,” Morrisroe said. “With over 700 monuments still standing in public spaces, I consider how monuments can become vehicles for transformation rather than agents of oppression and tyranny.”
The exhibit runs through Dec. 1.

After-school programs underway at Augusta Savage Museum and Mentoring Center
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Although classes already have started, officials at the Augusta Savage Museum and Mentoring Center are still accepting students for its after-school programs.
Classes include Art Workshop with Barbara Cornett on Thursdays (through Dec. 15), Introduction in Dance by Leslee Bryan on Tuesdays (through May 25), Dress for Success by Felecia Hampshire on Thursdays (through Nov. 10), Reading Tutoring by Cynthia Reese on Wednesdays (through November), Math Tutoring by Lucy Conrad on Tuesdays or Thursdays (through May), Counselor Tammy Rowson on Tuesdays, Dance by La’Farrah Davis on Mondays (through May 25).
More classes may be added to accommodate enrollment.
For required registration forms, visit greencovesprings.com/AugustaSavageMuseumandMentoring Center.

Clay Soil and Water Conservation District looking for supervisors
CLAY COUNTY – The Clay Soil and Water Conservation District is seeking people who wish to consider serving as Supervisors effective January 2023.
Supervisors are elected serving two-to-four years each term, but the two unfilled seats shall be appointed by the other three Supervisors according to State Statutes.
After the passing of Senate Bill 1078, the District is seeking anybody who is an eligible voter residing in Clay County and meets one of the following: actively engaged in, or retired after 10 years of being engaged in, agriculture as defined in Florida Statutes 570.02; employed by an agricultural producer; own, lease, or actively employed on land classified as agriculture under Florida Statutes 193.461.

Shred For Good: Challenge Enterprises offers shredding drop-off
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Shred for Good hosts Residential Shred Drop-Off events for the benefit of individuals that don’t have an ongoing need for regular shredding service. During the drop-off events every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, participants may deposit their sensitive documents in secure and locked bins at 3530 Enterprise Way in Green Cove Springs. The bins are then securely transported to the Shred for Good facility, where it is destroyed.
After a six-month shutdown for the pandemic, Shred for Good rolled out a rebooted Residential Shred Drop Off Program in October 2020. On the first day, 92 households were able to destroy 5,116 pounds of sensitive materials in just two hours. Each one of these events is focused on convenience for the consumer and streamlined processes for the staff.
Residential consumers now follow the signs to the drop zone, complete a short form, donate and drive away without ever having to leave their vehicle. To save even more time, both the form and donation have been made available in advance online.
The average household drops off about 55 pounds and donates $14 a visit. Considering that most drop-off shred sites charge more than $.50 a pound; the Shred for Good’s Residential Shred Drop-Off Program at $.26/pound is a cost-effective alternative for the community it serves.
Business and Commercial Customers please call (904) 252-9786 to schedule a pickup using one of our secure bins.

Thrasher-Horne puts show memorabilia on sale
ORANGE PARK – Signed posters, flyers and banners from recent acts at the Thrasher-Horne Center are on sale at the center’s box office at 483 College Dr. in Orange Park.
The money will go to the Thrasher-Horne Center Annual Fund to provide financial assistance for future programs.
Included in the items are items from Aaron Lewis, comedian Bill Engvall, The Highwaymen, Electric Light Orchestra Experience, LeAnn Rimes, the Oak Ridge Boys, Michael W. Smith, Pete the Cat, Ricky Nelson Remembered and The Young Irelanders.
Items range from $25 to $100, and they can only be picked up at the center.
For more information, call (904) 276-6815 or visit thcenter.org.

Clay County looking to fill several job openings
CLAY COUNTY – The Board of County Commissioners is looking for a few good people – make that a lot of good people.
The county posted several job openings, including animal control officer, building inspector, deputy director of engineering, engineering specialist, equipment operator, firefighter/EMT, grants administration analyst, grounds maintenance technician, HVAC technician, kennel attendant, laborer, permit services technician, veterans’ services officer and 4-H young development extension agent (apply through the University of Florida).
For more information, click the Career Opportunities tab on the county’s website, www.claycountygov.com.