FOLIO
Walk in Flagler’s Footsteps
A solarium built by Henry Flagler on the Ponce de Leon Hotel’s fourth floor has been restored and will be open for public tours. When the St. Augustine hotel became Flagler College (a National Historical Landmark) in 1968, the solarium was used as a library and classroom before being closed due to safety concerns. In 2009, Flagler Board of Trustees member Delores Lastinger and her husband, Allen, made a $500,000 challenge gift for the restoration project. In 2012, the college received a $350,000 grant from the state and raised another $1.9 million for the construction project. The college celebrates the 125th anniversary of the hotel’s opening this year. The solarium was the hotel’s last unrestored portion. Go to ponce125.com for details.
So Long, Shands
Shands Jacksonville is no more. The hospital has been renamed University of Florida Health Jacksonville. The name change, which took place May 20, is part of a system-wide rebranding effort. UF officials are making the change to capitalize on the University of Florida brand to attract more commercially insured patients to help offset the cost of caring for the uninsured and cuts to Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates.
Have A Drink On Us
Visit Jacksonville is distributing colorful coasters, with scenes of Jacksonville, to local bars and restaurants to promote the city to locals. With the slogan “Have a drink on us!” the tourist bureau has launched a website, onlyinjax.com, to provide information on unique attractions, events and places that make Jacksonville a prime destination for both local residents and visitors. Patty Jimenez, Visit Jacksonville and the Beaches communications manager, said the coasters will be distributed first to local hangs in Riverside and San Marco, and eventually all around the city.
More of This, Less of That
What things do you like about Jacksonville? What don’t you like? A new campaign started by Mayor Alvin Brown, “More of This, Less of That,” will allow residents to express their views through pictures and social media. Folks on Twitter and Instagram can use the hashtag #MoreofThis or #LessOfThat. Photos can be posted to the city of Jacksonville’s Facebook page or emailed to more@coj.net or less@coj.net. Selected photos will be posted to the city’s Pinterest page. Brown said the civic discussion campaign was one result of the JAX2025 community visioning initiative.
New Social Work Degree
To meet a growing demand for social workers, the University of North Florida’s Department of Sociology & Anthropology will offer a bachelor’s degree in social work. The first students are to be enrolled for the 2013-’14 academic year. Applications for the new program are accepted through July 1. The state has projected Northeast Florida will need people to fill about 217 new social work positions each year from now until 2019. For details, call Krista Paulsen, Department of Sociology and Anthropology chair, at 620-1650 or email kpaulsen@unf.edu
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