In a profession dominated by men, one local woman is changing the way we think about food and the way it can serve a community.  Words By Ambar Ramirez   I met with Chef Chriss Brown one afternoon at the Beaver Street Commissary, Northeast Florida’s first and largest shared-use, community, commercial kitchen. Located in a former car service lot on West Beaver Street just off McDuff Avenue, the massive concrete structure is split up into multiple parts with each serving a purpose that, in turn, serves the community. But before we get into what exactly the Beaver Street Commissary is …

“A Woman, Still” Poem By Suni Storm Trekking uncharted tight ropes. Trained hands trembling from shuffling through the faces of adversity. I am a woman, still. Bruised under rouge, I’ve endured My fair share of inequality, but it seems I’m never quite afforded the luxury of equity. It became clear to me that what I wanted, I owned the strength to make. It shone on me like a rising sun that, A stage set is for a Star to take. I am a woman, willed. Has been personified as a badge of honor. Has been valued as a prized possession. …

What Objects Were Made for vs. How We Use Them Today    Carmen: A friend of ours once asked us if we knew what a chainsaw was used for before it was used for cutting down trees. When we both said no, she flipped her phone around and what we saw was horrifying.    Ambar: Chainsaws were initially created for medical procedures. Specifically, a tool meant to be used during a Cesarean delivery, aka C-Section, aka nightmare.    Carmen: I don’t know about you, but I would not let that thing near me … Especially near my … delicate area. …

A 2023 Dystopian Novel by Florida Government Words By Carmen Macri    Some Duval County students returned from winter break to an empty class library. Why? Because good ol’ Ron DeSantis and Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) deemed over 176 books “too inappropriate” to be in K-12 classrooms. And right in time for literacy week! The DCPS and Ronnie boy claim that while these books have all been confiscated out of classrooms or are covered so as to hide the title and images, they are not banned: They are strictly “under review,” though, not a single teacher in Duval County …

Jacksonville’s Forgotten Teenaged Spree Killers Words by Scott Grant   On the afternoon of May 29, 1961, 43-year-old Althea Ottavio and 25-year-old Patricia Ann Hewett left their homes in Valdosta, Georgia, and headed to the Orange Park Kennel Club to place a bet. Ottavio had a dream about the numbers two and five. Hewett was not supposed to go. She was a last-minute replacement. Ottavio was a wealthy widow and Hewett’s landlord, and she liked to bet on dog races. The women drove in Ottavio’s 1959 Chevy Impala to the dog track, just outside Jacksonville, and bet the 2-5 daily …

The Spanish Treasure Fleet of 1715  Words by Ted Hunt   In July 1715 in Havana, Cuba, 11 Spanish treasure ships and one French warship were preparing to sail to Spain carrying over 15 million pesos in gold and silver. King Philip V of Spain relied on the riches of the new world to pay the bills and was in dire need of the money. The route was the same taken for over 100 years. The fleet caught the Gulf Stream north of Cuba, sailed north along Florida’s east coast, then turned eastward across the Atlantic Ocean to Spain. Lacking …

BOUQS To Sulzbacher’s new Urban Rest Stop Social Services Bus, a joint venture of the City of Jacksonville and Sulzbacher. The mobile unit provides social services such as case management and housing placement to people experiencing homelessness who are still living on the streets in downtown Jacksonville.   To TeachMusicWeek.org for partnering with music schools, stores, private instructors and other organizations to offer free trial music lessons or classes March 20-26, 2023. The benefits of playing music are vast. We think this free trial option is pretty awesome.     BRICK To the Jacksonville City Council members who voted to approve the …

Dear Dumbs, You guys kick bootie. And speaking of bootie, I’m hoping for a little guidance. I’m closing in fast on my 40th birthday and as far as relationships go, you can call me a failure.  My life is filled with failed relationships and even a failed marriage. When I examine each, it’s hard not to take responsibility for all of them going south. I love the “idea” of a committed relationship and being faithful to one man, but I’ve yet to do it. I have cheated on every guy I have ever been with. I love the thrill of …

Words by Shelton Hull   Much of the explosive growth that initially characterized the country’s cannabis market has certainly cooled off a bit, but that’s inevitable in any industry. Better a slow, consistent burn than a white-hot, inconsistent flame. Still, though, the industry continues to grow, here and elsewhere, and a big factor in that growth has been the involvement of celebrities. As we’ve seen with the liquor industry, celebrities have been enthusiastic about lending their names and images to the product in exchange for a steady, reliable source of pocket money, and who can blame them? Likewise, in a …

Words by Ambar Ramirez and Carmen Macri   Aries If you have been wanting to pick up a practice to connect yourself to something spiritual, March is the month to do so. Understand your intention and intuition. The end of March will bring big life changes for you; it is time to start preparing.    Taurus With the sun shining down in Pisces, your chart’s zone that rules your goals and dreams for the future is looking bright, making this the perfect time to bring your plans for the future to fruition. When Pluto enters Aquarius on March 23, you …

Words By Ambar Ramirez   Aside from the best part about being a woman is “the prerogative to have a little fun” as Shania Twain puts it, is having a whole month dedicated to women’s history. While every March the United States celebrates Women’s History Month, the path to assigning a month to women’s history was not an easy one. Much like after the cold winter comes the blooming spring, after fighting for women’s rights came the time to recognize and celebrate the history that led women to where we are today.  Before becoming a nationally recognized celebration, it began …

While theater critics are not necessarily a beloved breed, Mortimer Brewster (Shain Stroff) is hard not to love in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE as he discovers he lives in a house of lunatics.  The night he becomes engaged to the local Reverend’s daughter, Elaine Harper (Savannah Elam), he discovers a corpse in the window seat of his childhood home.  It is a Dick Van Dyke meets Judy Garland match-up with this pair. His aunts, Abby and Martha Brewster (Hillary Hickam, Patti Eyler), live in the house with one of Mortimer’s brothers, Teddy Brewster (Alec Hadden).  The sisters are well-loved members …

By Carmen Macri and Open AI Chat GPT Chat GPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that enables virtual agents to have natural conversations with users through text or voice. It is based on natural language processing and machine learning algorithms that allow the agent to understand user intent and autonomously generate relevant and meaningful responses. With Chat GPT, virtual agents can converse with users in a conversational style, providing accurate and personalized responses. This technology can be used to create virtual customer service agents, virtual sales agents, and virtual assistants.   I was always fascinated by the power of …

April Fools’ Day is right around the corner, but foolishness of all kinds is already well underway, and here are just a few recent examples. We’ll start in Florida, where fights get started over food on a daily basis. These fights are usually stupid and unnecessary but not in this case. A man in Fort Myers attacked his roommate after he ate an entire Key lime pie that the man had specifically bought for his mother’s birthday, as he should. The roommate responded by dumping cold water on his head for which he was booked for battery on a person …

Words By Ambar Ramirez and Carmen Macri   If you thought that after all of these years of “knowing” what sign you’re compatible with and basing your dating life on whether you match up astrologically, we hate to tell you, but you’ve been wrong. According to author Robin Wesner, we’ve all been wrong. In her book, “Magnetic Attraction,” Wesner explains why compatibility isn’t merely based on one’s sign but also its polarity designation. Wesner first made this discovery during her second marriage, specifically when she noticed a considerable difference in one area specifically (wink, wink).    Folio: What made you realize …

Words By Carmen Macri, Ambar Ramirez and Tysen Romeo   We arrived at the quaint neighborhood of Whispering Oaks around 9 a.m. and were greeted by one of the many friendly residents. After a quick introduction and a few firm handshakes, we were escorted on a quick walk across A1A Beach Boulevard to Ocean Hammock Park Walkway. The walkway is located on a city-owned, 18-acre parcel of wetlands and dunes leading directly to the beach, one of the few public accesses in the area. It is about one-third of a mile long, and the sights along the way are what …

With Easter close at hand, the 50th Anniversary tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR comes to downtown Jacksonville.  This piece is an early work of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with a timeless, classic score, at times flying into the stratosphere, other times scraping the bottom of the scale.  It’s a high-powered rock opera that takes the audience through the roller coaster of  ups and downs in Jesus’ final days as seen through the eyes of Judas. Never intended to be an accurate portrait of Christ’s passion, the story is lyricist Tim Rice’s idea of what Judas’s thoughts and motivations may have …

BOUQ: Sulzbacher’s new Urban Rest Stop Social Services Bus. A joint venture between Sulbacher and the City of Jacksonville, the mobile unit was designed to bring “Hosing and Hope on Wheels” to anyone experiencing homelessness in Downtown. Available services include housing placement and case management. The bus is in addition to Sulzbacher’s Healthmobile which provides outreach health services.   BRICK: Gov. Ron DeSantis for requesting data on transgender students who sought gender-affirming care at Florida’s public universities. While the data will not include information identifying individual patients (as per HIPAA regulations), this is still an extremely troubling action as many …

How accessible and efficient is our public transportation system?   By Ambar Ramirez   I’ve had the privilege of having access to private means of transportation for most of my life. My parents always owned cars and I was lucky enough to have a used Cherokee jeep passed down to me when I got my license. Granted, I did have to take the school bus during my 7th and 8th-grade years of Middle School. And, if there were ever a moment when I was in need of a ride but did not have a car, I used Uber. But, needless …

The Clay County Agricultural Fair returns to the Clay County Fairgrounds in Green Cove Springs March 31-April 9  with another full slate of midway rides, livestock shows, contests, fair food and, of course, entertainment.   This year’s line-up of talent includes up-and-coming (mostly) country acts along with chart-topping stars, as well as local opening acts.   March 30  Xambassadors with Charlotte Sand, Cattlemen’s Arena, 7 p.m.   March 31 Niko Moon with Alan Cooper, Cattlemen’s Arena, 7 p.m.   April 1 Chris Janson with Shane Profitt, Cattlemen’s Arena, 7 p.m.   April 2 Tracy Lawrence with Cumberland, Cattlemen’s Arena, 7 …

Words By Harry Moore   “Poker Face” (Peacock)          Television may be several years removed from the days of “case of the week” shows being a mainstay of airwaves with season-long stories and characters who endure growth becoming the vogue of the medium. But “Knives Out” director Rian Johnson has managed to bring the once reliable genre into the 2020s with his new show “Poker Face.” We all know how this works: There’s a murder (often committed by a famous guest star), and our hero sleuth rolls onto the scene to unravel the mystery and serve justice before the hour’s …

Upcoming Special Events in St. Augustine-area    March 11-12 St. Augustine Celtic Music and Heritage Festival Francis Field celticstaugustine.com   March 25-26 EPIC Garden and Flower Expo Sykes Family Farms, Elkton epicbh.org/flower-garden-expo   March 25-26 St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival Francis Field lionsfestival.com   April 1-2 Old Town Art Show Francis Field holidayartshows.com/old-town-art-show   Florida Ma’am Festival Colonial Oak Music Park facebook.com/flmaam   April 14-16 Gamble Rogers Folk Festival St. Johns County Fairgrounds, Elkton  gamblerogersfest.org/   April 22 Hop Into Spring Fest World Golf Hall of Fame jacksonvillebusinessconnections.com/events/5th-annual-hop-into-spring-fest   3rd Annual St. Augustine Veg Fest World Golf Hall of Fame …

By Ambar Ramirez   That’s right. The moment we have all been waiting for is here. Sugar Factory American Brasserie is opening its newest location right here in Jacksonville.     Don’t let the name confuse you. While both Sugar Factory and Cheesecake Factory carry “factory” in their name and both sell sweets, food, and (of course) drinks, Sugar Factory offers an entirely different experience once you walk through those glass-paneled doors.   Sugar Factory Brasserie has locations spread across across the country and around the world (Dubai being just one example), and by the time you read this, Jacksonville residents …

Words by Tysen Romeo   Did you know the person they named St. Augustine after was actually an atheist, a thief and a playboy? Turns out “Saint” Augustine of Hippo was anything but a saint.   Born in 354 A.D., Augustine was the son of Patricius, a pagan who worked and saved to give him a good education, and Monica, a committed Christian who prayed endlessly for him. Too bad her prayers didn’t work very well as Augustine grew up atheist and treaded down a scandalous path in his youth.   His first dabble into his acts of sin was …

Words By Tysen Romeo   After a late-night viewing of the 1971 film “They Might Be Giants,” two high school friends, both named John, came up with the perfect rock band name.    They Might Be Giants is an alternative rock band formed by John Flansburgh and John Linnell in 1982.    “We were just trying to do something that sounded different,” said Linnell. “We were not maybe thinking that we’d be saddled with the name ‘They Might Be Giants’ for the next 40 years … you kind of forget about the meaning of the name over time, the same …

The Rise of Girls of Virtue  Words By Carmen Macri  It comes as no surprise that being a woman in today’s society can be terrifying. Our rights are being stripped away in front of our eyes. We face misogyny in our day-to-day lives, whether it be subtle or overt. Since birth, we were dealt a shitty hand. Growing up I was always taught to cover my shoulders and watch what I say around boys … rather than teaching them human f***ing decency. It was always on us to censor ourselves so the men around us could act right. That is …

Words by Ted Hunt   Such a delicious and healthy fruit, the pineapple. It can be diced, sliced, baked, grilled, even served on pizza, and its sweet juice is the nectar for the refreshing piña colada.    Florida has always been known for its oranges and grapefruit, but pineapples were cultivated long before citrus ruled the state. During the 1860s crates of the fruit were shipped by boats from the Florida Keys and Merritt Island on the east coast of Florida to cities in the Northeast. They were nicknamed “pines” because they resembled a pine cone.   As demand for …

Arlington Cliff’s Bar & Grill cliffsbarandgrill.com Rice + Noodles Korean Restaurant riceandnoodles.net Tabouleh Cafe taboulehcafe.com Beaches Angie’s Subs facebook.com/angiessubs Azurea at One Ocean azurearestaurant.com Barbara Jean’s on the Water barbarajeansonthewater.com Coop 303 coop303.com Engine 15 Brewing Company engine15.com The Fish Company Restaurant and Oyster Bar thefishcojax.com Flying Iguana Taqueria & Tequila Bar flyingiguana.com The G.O.A.T. Tapas & Bar Marker 32 marker32.com Mezzaluna mezzalunajax.com North Beach Fish Camp thenorthbeachfishcamp.com Palm Valley Fish Camp palmvalleyfishcamp.com Poe’s Tavern poestavern.com Ragtime Tavern ragtimetavern.com Safe Harbor Seafood Market and Restaurant safeharbor-seafood.com Salt Life Food Shack saltlifefoodshack.com Singleton’s Seafood Shack singletonsseafood.com TacoLu tacolu.com Valley Smoke BBQ …

Ever wonder what Girl Scout cookie tastes best with a hefe-weizen, a doppelbock or a brown ale? Fortunately for you, Ambar, Carmen and Kerry put their tastebuds (and gag reflexes) on the line to find out as part of the Inaugural “Folio” Girl Scout Cookie/Beer Pairing and Tasting Office Party.    We scoured the internet for pairing suggestions (Girl Scout cookies and beer are a thing, if you don’t know) and also consulted the experts at European Street Cafe in Riverside to come up with the pairings below. As for the findings, you’ll have to watch and see.   Adventurefuls: …

Words by Ambar Ramirez and Carmen Macri Aries If you have been wanting to pick up a practice to connect yourself to something spiritual, March is the month to do so. Understand your intention and intuition. Often, people use rituals to ground themselves spiritually during big changes, and now is the time. Big life changes are coming up, Aries. It is time to start preparing.    Taurus Feeling like you might find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Well, you just may be in luck this month, Taurus. While you may face some challenges in the …