Amnesty Day coming for Keystone Heights area
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Residents of Keystone Heights and surrounding areas of Clay County can dispose of hazardous waste and electronics waste at a special event this month.
The Clay County Department of Environmental Services and the City of Keystone Heights are teaming up to host 2018 Spring Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Amnesty Day. On April 21, residents are asked to bring all household hazardous wastes including paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, oil, anti-freeze, drain cleaners and paint thinner to Keystone Beach at 565 S. Lawrence Blvd.
Electronic wastes will also be accepted and these items include computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, modems, cables, cell phones, pagers and hand-held devices. Waste will be collected from 8 a.m. until noon.
Amnesty Day is for Clay County residents only and proof of residency will be required. Commercial waste will not be accepted at this event.

Job Fair welcomes construction contractors seeking work
JACKSONVILLE – The Florida Department of Transportation OnBoard4Jobs Construction Careers Program is hosting a career fair on April 11 at Florida State College of Jacksonville’s Advanced Technology Center at 401 West State Street from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Contractors are hiring. There is a demand for workforce in the construction field and we are here to help ensure individuals gain employment,” said Stephanie Araujo, program manager for Quest Corporation of America, which helps facilitate the program on behalf of FDOT.
Job seekers, age 18 and older, are invited to attend and learn more about available positions, including: general laborers, carpenters, concrete finishers, CDL truck drivers, heavy machine operators, asphalt pavers, pipe fitters and a variety of other construction positions. Those without road construction experience are encouraged to attend to learn about On-The-Job Training opportunities.
Representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation, contractors and industry resources will be on hand to discuss On-the-Job Training and skilled worker opportunities. Advice on career development, job skills, effective interview techniques and resume writing will also be offered. For more information job seekers should send an email to OnBoard4Jobs@QCAusa.com or call 1-866-662-6273 extension 3.

Sheriff warns of scam
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a fraudulent document being circulated in Clay County. It is written on Sheriff’s Office letterhead and advises residents who are not complying with neighborhood covenant and restrictions, they could be fined $300. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office nor any of its members, are involved with the implementing or collecting of fines. If you receive this notice or any other type notice requesting you to submit funds directly to The Clay County Sheriff’s Office, please call (904) 264-6512 to speak with a deputy.

Learn about ‘Controlled Burns’
PENNEY FARMS – The Penney Farms Historical Society is preparing for drier weather with its upcoming meeting.
Allan Hallman, a biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will discuss “Controlled Burning our Forests” at the Society’s April 19 meeting at 7 p.m. at Penney Farms Town Hall at 4100 Clark Ave.
He will also discuss the care that must be taken to ensure that control is maintained and the safety of the workers protected while conducting a controlled burn. The program is free and open to the public. On-street parking is free and available close to the building.

Magnolia Layne sells for $5.8 million
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – An investment group from New York is the new owner of a premier shopping center in Green Cove Springs.
Magnolia Associates LLC sold Magnolia Layne Shopping Center on N. Orange Avenue to 1305 North Orange Ave. Holdings LLC last week.
Matthew Clark and Austin Kay of Jacksonville-based Prime Realty closed on the 87,454-square foot neighborhood shopping center, which sold for $5.8 million
“Prime Realty worked diligently and productively in leasing up and selling Magnolia Layne Shopping center. Austin Kay located Auto Zone and other local tenants improving occupancy with his hard work and follow up. His follow up also helped find several buyer options. A professional job and attitude that produced results all around,” said Mark Kalkus of Magnolia Associates LLC.
Magnolia Layne is the third property that the investment group from New York has acquired in the Jacksonville area in the last 24 months.
The shopping center has 32 units and is home to national tenants such as Ace Hardware, Subway, Dollar General, Autozone, Allstate, T-Mobile and Woody’s Bar-B-Q.
“Retail shapes the community that we live in and we are lucky to work with buyers that understand that concept,” said Clark, vice president of retail brokerage at Prime Realty.
In about a year and a half, Prime Realty brought the occupancy from just over 50 percent to almost 75 percent for this Green Cove Springs shopping center.
“We will continue to handle the leasing for the new ownership and hope to see the center fully occupied in the near future,” said Kay, associate director of Prime Realty.
Prime Realty is a commercial real estate firm that services developers, owners and investors in Florida and Georgia.

Dog shows this weekend
ORANGE PARK – The Greater Orange Park Dog Club hits the road again this year with its All-Breed Dog Shows.
The shows will be held April 7-8 at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds at 5840 State Rd. 207 in Elkton. There will be 866 entries on Saturday and 843 entries on Sunday. There are also obedience trials, a rally and for the first time ever, a timed 100-yard dash. Dogs run individually and can earn AKC titles.
Judging starts at 8 a.m. and continues throughout the day. All-breed judging will be held outdoors in covered rings. The obedience and rally will be judged indoors. Admission is free for spectators. Parking is $5 per car.
Bleachers are limited. Spectators are encouraged to bring a chair. For safety reasons, baby strollers are prohibited under the arena and in the building. No dogs are allowed on the grounds other than those entered in dog shows.
Dog shows, or "conformation" events concentrate on the distinctive features of purebred dogs and help to preserve these characteristics by providing a forum at which to evaluate breeding stock.
Showing dogs is the only organized sport where an amateur with little to no training competes directly with a professional. Dogs are judged against their individual breed standards, which have been established for the AKC-recognized breeds by their parent clubs. Each standard describes the ideal size, color and temperament of each breed, as well as correct proportion, structure, and movement.
Established in 1978, Greater Orange Park Dog Club meets the second Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Orange Park Public Library.

“Microplastics: What's the big deal?”
ORANGE PARK – St. Johns River State College’s Science Café continues April 10 at 7 p.m. with Maia McGuire, who will discuss the sources of, and threats posed by, microplastics in the coastal environment. The lecture will be held on the Orange Park campus in room D14.
Microplastics are small plastic pieces – less than five millimeters long – that can be harmful to ocean and aquatic life. They form when larger plastic debris degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. Plastics are viewed as the most prevalent type of marine debris found in the ocean.
McGuire joined the Florida Sea Grant Extension Program at the University of Florida in 2001. As a Sea Grant agent, she conducts informal education programs on topics including marine debris, climate change and invasive species. In 2015, she was awarded a NOAA Marine Debris Outreach and Education grant to start the Florida Microplastic Awareness Project.
A native of Bermuda, McGuire developed an interest in marine biology at an early age. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from the Florida Institute of Technology and a doctorate in marine biology from the University of Miami.
Café participants will experience a casual evening filled with interesting topics, tasty treats and engaging conversation. The free event and open to the public.

Homeowners can minimize hurricane damage
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 2018 hurricane season is approaching. Preparation means more than just creating a disaster kit and reviewing your family’s disaster plan, although these are critical first steps.
There’s much more you can do to protect your home and family before hurricane season begins June 1. You can minimize potential damage from flooding and high winds by being prepared.
Plan ahead by documenting items and contents in your home in photos.
Buy a National Flood Insurance Policy from your insurance company. Standard homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover flood damage. Only about half of Florida homeowners inside high-risk areas had insurance against flooding before Hurricane Irma made landfall Sept. 10, 2017.
See msc.fema.gov/portal to know the flood risk in your area and see www.floodsmart.gov for information about risk and rates.
Download the FEMA app at www.fema.gov/mobile-app. The app provides disaster resources, safety tips, maps of open shelters and weather alerts from the National Weather Service. Go to www.Ready.gov for more details.

Mallot to retire Sept. 1
JACKSONVILLE – After 24 years leading economic development for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Jerry Mallot announced he will retire Sept. 1.
Mallot, 70, president of JAXUSA Partnership JAXUSA Partnership, joined the Chamber in 1994, to lead a regional economic development organization in Northeast Florida, known at the time as Cornerstone. Clay County is a member of JAXUSA Partnership and was also a member of Cornerstone prior to that.
“This is truly the best city and region in the country to live and to do business – and that certainly helps when you’re bringing top companies to the region,” Mallot said.
Some of the biggest economic development deals in Mallot’s tenure include recruiting Fidelity National Financial in 2003 to move its headquarters to Jacksonville from California; attracting Deutsche Bank to create 1,000 jobs that have turned into more than 2,000 and luring four different Amazon facilities that will employ more than 5,000 people.
“Our economy is thriving and poised for even more growth because of the work Jerry and his team have done here for the past two decades,” said Tim Cost, president Jacksonville University and chair of JAXUSA Partnership.
“The investment he’s helped attract to our city is remarkable,” said JAX Chamber Chair John Peyton, who served as Jacksonville’s mayor from 2003-11 and worked with Mallot on several high-profile projects. “Jerry is so incredibly skilled at finding ways to get a deal done, it’s been a privilege to work with him over the years.”
A local committee of current and past volunteer leaders of JAX Chamber and JAXUSA Partnership will work with a search firm to vet and interview candidates.
The next JAXUSA President is expected to be hired this summer.
Mallot is regarded as one of the top economic developers in the country and has been named Economic Developer of the Year in both Florida and Kansas, where he worked for 17 years, the last four as president of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.
He is a past chair of Leadership Jacksonville and Community Connections of Jacksonville.