Mission of the Dirt Road offers free showers
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Adults can sign up for free showers on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Mission of the Dirt Road, 7790 State Road 100.
Adults can utilize the services from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and from 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays. Families with children can get free showers on Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. Showers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Residents are required to sign up during the day of the shower. To make a reservation, call or text (601) 568-3473.

Clay Town Center to open
soon in Middleburg
MIDDLEBURG – With an easily accessible location, the Clay Town Center will provide convenience for your patients and customers with proximity to a new medical complex, dining, storage and long term stay options.
As rapid growth has already started with the expansion of the new expressway, establishing a business in this growing community, at a centralized location will provide all the resources a business needs to successfully serve the Clay County region. That along with the unique heritage of the nearby historical World War II, Branan Air Field, Clay Town Center is an ideal location to establish a business in an up-and-coming area.
Clay Town Center is expected to open in the next few months.

Organist Ray Cornils to play a Commemorative Concert at Penney Memorial
PENNEY FARMS – On Sunday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m., organist Ray Cornils of Portland, Maine will present an interesting and varied program of classical and modern music on the Holtkamp Organ at Penney Memorial Church, to which new voices have been added.
Cornils has been a featured recitalist for the American Guild of Organists, and he also performs regularly with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. The church is located off State Road 16 at 4465 Poling Blvd.
All commemorative concerts are open to the public and are free. Parking is plentiful on residential streets around the church building.

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile coming to Diamond D Ranch
MAXVILLE – The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, the iconic 27-foot-long hot dog-shaped car used to showcase the company’s line of hot dogs, will be featured at the Family Farm Fun Day on Feb. 4 at the Diamond D Ranch.
The Weinermobile will be at the ranch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5903 Solomon Road. The event promotes knowledge of Florida plants and wildlife.

‘Cruisin for Boozer’ cancer run to benefit bike shop owner’s family
ORANGE PARK – Friends of Robert Boozer will meet at Locals Pub on Feb. 19 and make three stops as part of “Cruisin For Boozer.”
The popular motorcycle shop operator recently closed on Wells Road after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The four-saloon poker run will start at 10:30 a.m. and make stops at Saloon 17 in Green Cove Springs, Renegades Bar and Grill in Crescent City and wind up at Boogerville Hideout in Green Cove Springs.
Cost is $20 a rider and $10 a passenger. The event will include live music, raffles, auction and a 50/50 raffle. Breakfast will be served by Locals Pub.
Money raised will help Boozer’s family with transportation and care costs.
To donate or for more information, call (904) 994-4956.

Entries being accepted for RiverFest singer/songwriter contest
FORT WHITE – RiverFest is an Our Santa Fe River Inc. annual fundraising event. Part of the RiverFest Celebration features the 11th Annual Singer/Songwriter Contest.
Entries are now being accepted and OSFR is inviting amateur and professional singer/songwriting musicians, of all ages and genres, to enter their original song about the Santa Fe River.
Contestants must submit their song’s entry form, lyric sheet, and mp3 audio recording online by midnight March 1 to: oursantaferiver.org/riverfest/osfr-song-contest-entry-form/.
The song contest will be held Sunday, March 26 from 1:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the RUM 138 Stage at 2070 SW County Road 138. On the day of the event, selected contestants will perform in front of a live audience and compete for first, second and third place cash prizes of $300, $150, and $50, respectively. A panel of three judges will determine the prizes based on specific judging criteria which can be viewed online at: https://oursantaferiver.org/riverfest/singer-songwriter-contest-judging-criteria/.
The Our Santa Fe RiverFest Song Contest brings local and regional singer/songwriters and music lovers to celebrate and learn about North Florida’s special beloved spring-fed river. The song contestants are a joyful part of giving the Santa Fe River a voice, a song and a legacy.

Daughters of American Revolution offering $1,000 scholarship
CLAY COUNTY – The Daughters of the American Revolution are encouraging 2023 graduating seniors to apply for a $1,000 Sophia Fleming Scholarship, sponsored by Sophia Fleming Chapter, NSDAR.
Applicants must be graduating from either the Clay County Public School System, St. Johns Country Day School or who are home-schooled in Clay County. Students are eligible if they are going to attend any post-secondary program of study, including colleges, universities or vocational and technical schools. No GPA information is required.
Applicants are requested to write an essay and provide a list of their awards and
recognitions and two letters of recommendation. Scholarship applications are due back to Lynda Lewis, Sophia Fleming Scholarship Chairman, on or before the deadline of Feb. 17.
The scholarship documents have been provided to all public high school guidance offices in Clay County and St. Johns Country Day School. The instruction sheet and application form provide all of the information a student needs to apply. They are also available by clicking on Sophia Fleming Scholarship at http://www.sophiaflemingchapter.org/.
The winner will be notified the week of March 20. Please don’t mail applications by certified or registered mail. Each applicant will be notified once his or her application has been received.
Mail the application documents to Lynda Lewis, Chairman, Sophia Fleming Scholarship Committee, Sophia Fleming Chapter, NSDAR, 316 Scenic Point Lane
Fleming Island, 32003.

County’s Management team to speak at Chamber’s Lunch and Learn
ORANGE PARK – Residents and Clay Chamber members are urged to meet the Clay County Assistant County Management Team on Jan. 19 at 11:30 a.m. at Haven-Custead Hospice Care Center at 745 Blanding Blvd. The event is sponsored by SouthState Bank.
Selected by County Manager Howard Wannamaker, ACM team members include Assistant County Manager Chereese Stewart, Deputy Director of Emergency Management Troy Nagle, Assistant County Manager Charlie Latham and Acting Fire Chief David Motes. They work daily with the county manager to implement and execute the policies, ordinances, and budgets adopted by the Board of County Commissioners and oversee the management and operations of Clay County. During the panel discussion, they will share vital information on their jobs, the development of their new ACM roles, and their duties and responsibilities.
Made up of 644 square miles, Clay County is home to more than 219,000 residents and 1,400 people are employed by the county.
To register for the event, visit claycountychamberofcommerce.growthzoneapp.com.

Thrasher-Horne: Show memorabilia on sale to fund future shows
ORANGE PARK –Signed posters, flyers and banners from recent acts at the Thrasher-Horne Center are on sale at the center’s box office at 483 College Dr. in Orange Park.
The money will go to the Thrasher-Horne Center Annual Fund to provide financial assistance for future programs.
Included in the items are items from Craig Morgan, comedian Bill Engvall, Diamond Rio, Electric Light Orchestra Experience, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Pete the Cat, Ricky Nelson Remembered, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Young Irelanders and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
Items range from $5 to $50, and they can only be picked up at the center.
The center also is selling tickets and gift certificates for upcoming shows
For more information, call (904) 276-6815 or visit thcenter.org.

Fleming Island Garden Club offers Environmental Studies Scholarship
FLEMING ISLAND – The Garden Club of Fleming Island wishes to assist a graduating student of Fleming Island High who plans on pursuing a career in environmental studies, forestry, horticulture, agriculture, marine sciences or a related field a $500 scholarship.
The graduating student must have at least a 3.0 GPA and have chosen a college to attend. Interested students should contact their guidance counselor for the application form. The deadline is April 15.

Shred For Good: Challenge Enterprises offers shredding drop-off
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Shred for Good hosts Residential Shred Drop-Off events for the benefit of individuals that don’t have an ongoing need for regular shredding service. During the drop-off events every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, participants may deposit their sensitive documents in secure and locked bins at 3530 Enterprise Way in Green Cove Springs. The bins are then securely transported to the Shred for Good facility, where it is destroyed.
After a six-month shutdown for the pandemic, Shred for Good rolled out a rebooted Residential Shred Drop Off Program in October 2020. On the first day, 92 households were able to destroy 5,116 pounds of sensitive materials in just two hours. Each one of these events is focused on convenience for the consumer and streamlined processes for the staff.
Residential consumers now follow the signs to the drop zone, complete a short form, donate and drive away without ever having to leave their vehicle. To save even more time, both the form and donation have been made available in advance online.
The average household drops off about 55 pounds and donates $14 a visit. Considering that most drop-off shred sites charge more than $.50 a pound; the Shred for Good’s Residential Shred Drop-Off Program at $.26/pound is a cost-effective alternative for the community it serves.
Business and Commercial Customers please call (904) 252-9786 to schedule a pickup using one of our secure bins.

Clay County looking to fill several job openings
CLAY COUNTY – The Board of County Commissioners is looking for a few good people – make that a lot of good people.
The county posted several job openings, including animal control officer, building inspector, deputy director of engineering, engineering specialist, equipment operator, firefighter/EMT, grants administration analyst, grounds maintenance technician, HVAC technician, kennel attendant, laborer, permit services technician, veterans’ services officer and 4-H young development extension agent (apply through the University of Florida).
For more information, click the Career Opportunities tab on the county’s website, www.claycountygov.com.