Ah! Summer! That long-awaited season of warm sun, balmy winds, and blue skies. Just as Mr. Gershwin wrote:
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high
Let […]
The women seen dining here are members of the “Jacksonville Belles and Beaus Old West Society.” They celebrate history by donning costumes for almost any era dating back to the Civil War—but with an emphasis on the Victorian days. You’ve seen them in Jacksonville’s Christmas and Chinese New Year parades; at other times strolling sidewalks […]
I need to start this column by thanking a couple of people, who through their efforts have made a positive contribution to our city: Donna McMann and Donna Williams, neither of whom lived in Jacksonville.
Donna McMann possessed a beautiful, circa 1880s upright piano which she treated with […]
A visitor stopped by my office the other day to discuss a dream she has. That dream is to one day see a world where everyone who is handicapped and wheelchair-bound will have the freedom of movement to go where others go who take it for granted. […]
I know a young man who was recently visiting who needed to pick-up two weeks of work in order to earn money to return home. When the time came for him to be picked-up and taken to the job, he became flustered because he couldn’t find his […]
We all have one of “those days,” a day when unforeseen circumstances alter our plans. Sometimes they offer pleasant surprises. Oftentimes they are anything but pleasant. I had one of these in late July, and thought it worth sharing.
July 4th has come and gone… now for the “lazy hazy days of summer.” If you missed it, we had one “swellegant” party here in town on the Courthouse lawn with 350 to 400 people this year. That’s not counting the many volunteers as well as the […]
I’ve always wanted to “play” Walter Winchell in one of my columns. Walter would jump from topic to topic in almost every other sentence. So… with the forbearance of my publisher, here goes.
Greetings Mr. and Ms. Jacksonville wherever you are, in your home or in one of […]
Here comes September. “Where did the summer go?” is a common question dating back long before our time. The yearly cycle repeats itself: children go back to school… vacations end… commerce picks up… and soon squirrels will begin to hoard fall nuts for the long winter. Speaking […]
An odd thing happened a few days ago… I saw a penny on the sidewalk and kept on walking, never bothering to pick it up. That would be unthinkable at an earlier time… a time when a penny meant something.
When I was ten-years-old, five pennies could buy […]
Downton Abbey has ended. We knew it must. One of the most watched series in television history, it carved out a special niche in the hearts of its audience… one that will be difficult to ever duplicate. Even its cast may never again see a production as […]
Hello everyone… Here is the coming attraction for February 2016… and what an attraction it is. It’s certainly one our Lucille Ball fans will want to see, though it’s not a comedy. The film is Lured, and it also stars George Sanders, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Boris Karloff, George Zucco, Alan Mowbray, Robert Coote, and Alan […]
Year end approaches and so does Christmas. For some, it is a time of giving and perhaps not much more. This act of giving, which most of us engage in, began a long time ago when the Magi brought gifts to celebrate the birth of the […]
December’s film at Old City Hall is a heart-warming redemption story of two men…one a hobo who occupies a mansion on Fifth Avenue during the winter when the owner is gone…the other, the owner who is unaware of his uninvited guest. Add to that a mixture of the owner’s divorced wife, their daughter, a GI […]
The idea crossed my mind the other day that many who read this column haven’t met many of the dedicated people responsible for making our City work as well as it does. And dedicated is the word. I realize this sentiment runs counter to much of what […]
Zounds! “They seek him here… They seek him there… Those Frenchies seek him everywhere… Is he in Heaven… Is he in Hell… That damned elusive Pimpernel.”
Yes, it’s The Scarlet Pimpernel and it is scheduled for our June show at Old City Hall. This is the […]
A Few Minutes with the Mayor – April 2015
As you know, this column seldom devotes attention to affairs outside of Jacksonville; numerous other news and opinion outlets exist for such information. However, reports on the national level about Hillary Clinton’s emails prompted me to join in the conversation, so please bear […]
Before beginning this first column of the year, I wish to thank the editor/ publisher of this newspaper who approached me four years ago with the offer to write my own column, promising to allow me total freedom to write whatever I felt like. Now I ask you, […]
Now there’s a word that can strike fear into the hearts and minds of otherwise stout-hearted men and women. How many times have we all heard someone say, “I wish they’d stop changing things all the time,” or “Why do we need to change… I like things […]
How many of you remember one of the most common commands in the English language appearing in the business community following the end of World War 2? The command was short… one word… and it seemed to be posted wherever one worked, especially in the tabulating department… […]
This June marked the 70th anniversary of “D Day,” when a brave and mighty fleet of soldiers landed on Normandy’s beach, where virtually the entire first wave of Americans, 10,000 in all, was annihilated by enemy fire—one of the most difficult missions ever carried-out by our soldiers […]
At the January 21 City Council meeting, Council President David Jesser informed council that...
The only time the two great singers, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, ever appeared together...November 16
I will seek to form something new… a Mayor’s Advisory Committee
I believe the first duty of a Mayor is to meet the needs of the citizens...
Politics, trust, respect, duty...and Will Mayor Becker run again for Mayor?
Plan to share in a fun, new Jacksonville community event...
Good community, free FUN on Friday, June 15 at 7pm at Old CIty Hall
Fun & whimsy for this month's Classic Movie - May 18, 7pm
I recall hearing a phrase that “Life is like a horse race."
The quiet efforts of volunteers make Jacksonville the town we all want to live in.
Due to popularity and limited space, an ASAP RESERVATION is needed for this one!
The importance of our heritage as a historic treasure makes HARC significant...
County Commissioner Don Skundrick attends City Council Meeting to announce Jacksonville Town Hall on May 10
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS on February 17, 7pm...
Looking at the scene in City Hall...I pictured a railroad terminal and switching yard...
Paul Becker's January 13th Free Movie is "Laura," “... a love that became the most fearful thing that ever happened to a woman!”
December 16 - They Were Expendable is the greatest American film of the Second World War...
Age does not necessarily bring wisdom...
The topic of the MRA land swap proposal was once again introduced to the City Council...
TONIGHT - September 16, Double-Feature, or come for one! Good for 12-15 year-olds too!
Our task is to hold on the elements of space, design and use...
"City for Conquest" is the Feature Film on August 19 at 7 PM at Old City Hall...
Movie Night on Friday, July 15 offers up the 1936 classic, "COME AND GET IT"...
ON CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
Last month I wrote of the many citizen volunteers who devote their time, their resources, and their energy, to our city. Naturally, not every one has the time to devote to commissions or committees, or for that matter […]