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Community briefs 10/5/17

Clay Today
Posted 10/4/17

Program to focus on racial reconciliation ORANGE PARK – The religious community in Clay County is responding to the events in Charlottesville, Va. by holding a special community worship service …

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Community briefs 10/5/17


Posted

Program to focus on racial reconciliation
ORANGE PARK – The religious community in Clay County is responding to the events in Charlottesville, Va. by holding a special community worship service for unity and peace.
Four Clay County congregations of different denominations will come together Cot. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church at 245 Kinsley Ave. in Orange Park for the Clay County Unity Worship Service.
“We invite everyone to join us for a spirit-filled evening to praise God through song and reflections. We will also pray for unity, peace and racial reconciliation,” stated a prepared statement from the group.
All churches are invited to join in the united community choir and send musicians to participate. Choir members should arrive at 5:30 p.m.
Participating churches include Calvary United Methodist, St. Luke’s Missionary Baptist, Grace Episcopal and St. Simon Missionary Baptist.
For more information, contact Grace Episcopal at (904) 264-9981 or St. Luke’s at (904) 446-7167.

Haunted Hike at Gold Head
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – It’s almost time to get spooked in the woods at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, just north of Keystone Heights.
The park’s annual “Haunted Hike” takes place Oct. 7 from 7-9 p.m. at the park located at 6239 State Road 21. Tickets are $5 per person.
Park officials recommend parents use discretion in bringing young children on the hike because of its scary nature. Hikers should wear closed-toed shoes as the one-mile is on uneven terrain. To ensure the safety of everyone, baby strollers and pets are prohibited.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
For more information, call the Ranger Station at (352) 473-4701.

Do a ‘good thing’ for Miriam’s Basket
ORANGE PARK – Good food and swing band music take center stage Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. at The Family Life Center at Orange Park United Methodist Church.
The 7th Annual Fundraiser “Doin’ A Good Thing!” supports the programs of the nonprofit Miriam’s Basket Inc.
The evening will include a buffet dinner prepared by Chef Richard Gonzales and a Silent Auction featuring a wide variety of items from local businesses and individuals. The event will again be offering a North Carolina mountain cabin getaway, in addition to jewelry, gift baskets, family fun packages, David’s Famous Cheesecakes, Flour Bin Cookies, Alhambra Theatre & Dining tickets, and more from many local businesses. Live entertainment will be provided by the Clay County Community Swing Band.
Miriam’s Basket, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides clothing and shoes for Clay County children who experience a family crisis and are in immediate need. As an all-volunteer organization, Miriam’s Basket is dependent upon the generosity of the community to meet the needs of these innocent children. The average value of each bag distributed is $150. As of Aug. 23, the organization has provided more than 1,800 children with bags of clothing valued at more than $270,000.

Haven Hospice needs volunteers
ORANGE PARK – Clay County residents looking for an avenue to volunteer have a chance to learn about an organization and its volunteer opportunities.
Haven Hospice will hold a volunteer fair on Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon at its Custead Care Center at 741 Blanding Blvd. where residents can learn about the multiple needs within the organization that provides end of life care to those living with a terminal illness.
Attendees can learn about becoming a hospice patient and caregiver support volunteer, an administrative support volunteer, an attic resale store volunteer or a community outreach volunteer.
Volunteer positions are available for ages 16 and up. No experience is needed and training will be provided. This is a great opportunity for high school students to earn volunteer hours for the Bright Futures Scholarship application and for college acceptance applications. For more information contact Sandra Francis (904) 213-2510 or sjfrancis2@beyourhaven.org

Online voter registration comes to Florida
TALLAHASSEE – As of Oct. 1, Florida joins 35 states and the District of Columbia when it begins offering online voter registration enacted this year with the passage of Senate Bill 228.
Florida residents who have been issued a Florida Driver License or Florida Identification Card may use the paperless internet option in which the signature on file with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will become the official voter registration signature on file. Online applications may be used for both new registrants and existing voters who need to update their record.
“In addition to offering Florida voters a more convenient voter registration application method, RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov will enhance government efficiency, reduce the use of paper applications and generate cost savings for taxpayers,” said Chris Chambless, Clay County supervisor of elections. “The new online voter registration system is a win for voters, state and local government and all tax-paying citizens of Florida.”
For more information, visit our website www.ClayElections.com or call (904)269-6350 if we can assist you.

LGBTI residents of Northeast Florida needed for study
JACKSONVILLE – The LGBT Community Fund for Northeast Florida is looking for LGBTI adults to participate in a brief and anonymous survey. The data collected will help service organizations and policymakers better serve the needs of this diverse community.
The LGBT Community Fund, with support from an advisory board of community members, recently launched the Jacksonville-Area Community Assessment Project, a survey that aims to help the Fund learn more about the local LGBTI community. The survey is part of a research study approved by the Institutional Review Board at UCLA.
“Obtaining a comprehensive look at the LGBTI community in Jacksonville is a critical part of figuring out how we can make our community better and more welcoming, and fills a big gap as these data have not been collected before,” said Michael Meyers, president of the LGBT Community Fund.
The project is seeking participation throughout the LGBTI community. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex adults, 18 and older, who work, pray, play or use services in Jacksonville and live in Northeast Florida are eligible to participate. Adults who don’t identify as LGBTI but who have same-gender partners or who have a different gender identity from their assigned sex at birth are also invited to participate.
Researchers are particularly eager to make sure that subsets of the LGBTI community are appropriately accounted for in the survey.
Hundreds of LGBTI residents have already participated in the survey, which is available online at neflcommunity.com, a secure website for research studies, hosted at the University of California, Los Angeles. Paper copies of the survey are available at the offices of JASMYN (923 Peninsular Pl, Jacksonville, FL) and ElderSource (10688 Old St. Augustine Rd, Jacksonville, FL). Copies of the paper surveys should be returned by mail in the pre-addressed, stamped envelope provided with the survey.

Bears become more active in fall
TALLAHASSEE – With the arrival of autumn, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reminding Floridians they can help prevent conflicts with black bears.
During the fall, bear appetites increase as they prepare for winter. In fact, bears require around 20,000 calories a day and will eat anything convenient. Accessing unsecured garbage often provides more calories in a shorter amount of time than what a bear can get from foraging in the woods. This attracts bears into areas where people live and work, which can lead to potentially dangerous situations.
“As bears become more active in the fall, they take the path of least resistance to find food,” said Dave Telesco, who leads the FWC’s Bear Management Program. “This draws them into neighborhoods and areas with convenient food sources, which can be dangerous for people.”
The search for food often leads bears across busy roads. Bears are most active around dusk and dawn, and therefore most vehicle-bear collisions happen during these times of day. To reduce the risk of hitting a bear, motorists should stay alert and drive cautiously around heavily wooded areas, roads with curves and areas marked with bear warning signs.
Other tips can be seen in the “Vehicle Collisions with Bears” video at MyFWC.com/Bear under the “Brochures & Other Materials” section.
In Florida, it is illegal to intentionally feed bears or leave out food or garbage that will attract bears and cause human-bear conflicts. If you see or suspect that someone is feeding or attracting bears, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).