Family

by DICK KEREKES The biggest performers ever to come to Jacksonville are now appearing at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial through Sunday, November 30th at 1 PM. You ask bigger than Elvis, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, or any of the long lists of other famous stars who have appeared in the River City? Well, maybe not as famous, but certainly bigger in size. I mean 30 feet long and 40 feet high is BIG. You will see a dozen or so life-size, animatronic dinosaurs now on view in a special FCCJ presentation of Walking With Dinosaurs that is truly unique. The …

by jon bosworth It’s that time of year again. Hurricane season is waning and your appetite for various meats on sticks, animal smells and rides that appear as dangerous as the people operating them is strong. You can’t help it. No matter how bad the economy is, you simply can’t experience autumn in the South until you’ve hit the fair. We don’t get the benefit of leaves changing color or the consistent brisk winds of fall, so the only way to really immerse ourselves in the season is by going to a vast lot that spends most of the year …

by Kellie Abrahamson       Aside from family feasts, folks in the River City have something else to be thankful for in November. Walking with Dinosaurs: The Live Experience; a stage production, a science lesson and a sideshow all at once; is coming to Jacksonville from the 26th to the 30th. The show has wowed audiences in Australia, Canada and now the US and is making its way to the First Coast this month. The production promises to drop jaws and elicit shrieks with its incredibly life-like life-sized creatures.       Based on the hit BBC documentary series, Walking with Dinosaurs takes …

by daniel goncalves, danielgoncalves.com Just Read it!–That’s what Mike says. Jaguars LB Mike Peterson (#54) that is. Mike started the “Just Read it!” program which is in its second year. Publicist, Bonnie Upright says, “Just Read It is for all Duval County students in grades three through eight. PACE Center for Girls is also involved this year”. Six elementary, six middle school students, and one girl from PACE, are selected as monthly winners. The incentive program is designed to award outstanding students at the elementary and middle school level for reading improvement and attendance. What is their prize? The “Just …

by Dick Kerekes I have visited many places in the world, and Africa and Asia were on my list to visit some day. Flying is not longer fun and the cost of trips to either area would really strain my pocketbook. Ah, but Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando to the rescue!! With over 1,000 animals on 500 acres and very authentic recreations of Asia’s and Africa’s architecture and landscaping, at the end of the day I truly felt I had traveled to those countries. My companion and I entered the park exactly at the 9 AM opening and proceeded to …

by KELLIE ABRAHAMSON       If you’re planning on staying close to home this Halloween, here are the area’s haunted hotspots: Adventure Landing’s Hall of Terror and Haunted River Ride 1944 Beach Blvd (Jacksonville Beach), 246-4286 October 10-November 1 (select dates), beginning at 7 pm       This Jax favorite has a little something for everyone. Get freaked out in the always spooky Hall of Terror or the brand new Haunted River Ride at Shipwreck Island. Meanwhile, little guys will enjoy the not-so-scary fun of the HalloWEE Zone. Admission: $10/per attraction, $16/combo ticket for both Evergreen Cemetery: Tales of Our City Tours …

by KELLIE ABRAHAMSON halloween horror nights at universal, orlando September 26-November 1 (select nights)      We’ll start our theme park terror tour with the reigning king of scares, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. This year marks their 18th anniversary and promises to be the most frightening yet. The theme this time around centers on everyone’s favorite slumber party story, Bloody Mary, who will suck you into a world filled with unspeakable terror if you chant her name in front of a mirror. Just after dark the entire park is transformed into that world, with over a half a dozen haunted …

by katherine stevens It wasn’t that long ago when day-long bike rides, playing catch in the front yard and running through the sprinkler were all necessary ingredients for summertime fun. But fast forward to the year 2008: the bikes are put away and the video game consoles are out; the ball is deflated in the garage, the laptop is perched on the couch; and “running” is only brought up when mentioning high-speed internet. What’s wrong with this picture? Why is all the action of childhood being locked inside four walls? Today about 25 million kids in the United States are …

by kellie abrahamson As most are aware, recent budget cuts have crippled schools all over Florida, leaving kids without supplies for art, instruments for music or teachers for phys-ed. First Coast schools are no exception. Until the schools get more money for these “luxuries” it’s going to be up to us to supplement our children’s educations to ensure they become well-rounded adults. Thankfully there are still resources within the community to help us do just that. art Usually the first to get the axe come budget cut-time is art. This is particularly unfortunate since studies show that kids who are …