A Few Minutes with the Mayor – November 2022

After a devastating fire on September 26, a long-time restaurant, Las Palmas, was rendered unusable. It was by chance that the fire occurred when no one was in the building. Two neighboring businesses were also impacted with smoke damage, causing the inventory of Country Quilts and Trotting Fox Boutique to be possibly unsaleable. Within minutes, Jacksonville’s Fire Department, Police Department, Public Works Department and CERT were on site, putting the fire out quickly.

We are beyond thankful that the Rodriguez family, staff, and customers, along with those of Debbie Carruthers of Country Quilts and Helena Lopez of Trotting Fox Boutique, were not there, and were unharmed. The overwhelming losses from this fire will have a long-term effect on these three businesses and everyone they support. The City of Jacksonville has pledged to help these businesses get back on their feet, in any way we are able. At the time I’m writing this, the October issue of the Jacksonville Review was already being printed, so I was not able to comment via this column until now. An outpouring of sympathy and condolences from our community for these families, and thankfulness that no one was harmed, has resounded throughout our small town.

Also, as I write this column, the affected businesses are still waiting to hear from the Fire Inspector and the insurance companies involved. As they put their lives back together, please join me in supporting these families. We don’t know what that will look like right now, but please follow the Review online, along with our City webpage and newsletter for news or suggestions, on what we can do to help, once more is known and reported.

As a small town, we realize that a sense of community and familiarity encourages trust and closeness, which ties us all together. This closeness engenders an even stronger, extraordinary attachment to our small town and each other. People in small communities like ours rely on one another in part because they have to, but more importantly because they want to. Together, we can all help and support our neighbors; Las Palmas, Country Quilts, and Trotting Fox, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy and encouragement.