New veterans’ services office to open on Monday on College Drive

ORANGE PARK – The Clay County Veterans’ Services will re-open on Monday, July 16, at 420 College Dr., Suite 107, near the St. Johns River State College campus.
The new office will be next door to the Veterans’ Clinic and Veterans’ Affairs offices.
To facilitate the move from 477 Houston St. in Green Cove Springs, the office will be closed on July 14 and 15.
Hours at the new location will be 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monay through Friday.
With more than 40,000 veterans in Clay County, the Clay County veterans' services officers work to ensure veterans and their families are able to obtain the benefits they have earned including disability compensation, job services, home loans, pension, education, hospitalization, medical expenses, death and burial benefits and many more.
Clay County veterans and their families now have two veterans' services officers and a community liaison to help them obtain benefits and connect with community resources.
Call the VSO office at (904) 284-6326 or visit ClayCountyGov.com and select Veterans’ Services under the Community tab to get connected.
For more information, visit the Clay County Veterans' Services website at https://www.claycountygov.com/community/veterans-services.

Book sale coming to Middleburg-Clay Hill Library

MIDDLEBURG – The Friends of the Middleburg-Clay Hill Library will host another book sale on July 28-30.
Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 28; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 29; and, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 30. Library Friends members will be allowed to shop for books at 9 a.m. on Thursday and Saturday.
Donations will help support the library at 2245 Astor Ave. in Middleburg. Donations of books in good condition gladly will be accepted.
For more information, call (904) 254-7891.

Elite DNA Therapy Services launches Back-to-School Supplies Drive

ORANGE PARK – Elite DNA Therapy Services, a comprehensive behavioral and mental health care provider, is hosting a Back-to-School Supplies Drive throughout the month of July that will help area students and schools across the state prepare for the start of the new school year.
Through Friday, July 29, Elite DNA is collecting school supplies at more than 20 locations statewide, including its location at 1542 Kingsley Ave. in Orange Park, and is calling on the community for support through donations of popular classroom items, including notebooks, college and wide-ruled paper, pocket folders, binders, pens, No. 2 and colored pencils, pink erasers, highlighters, pencil boxes, student scissors, glue sticks, wired headphones, sanitizing wipes and more.
Cash donations are also accepted for supplies to be purchased by Elite DNA staff.
In Northeast Florida, the drive will benefit students in schools across Duval and Clay counties through the Foundation for Duval Schools and Clay Education Foundation.
“Approaching the first day of school can prompt a spike in nerves among children, and when coupled with uncertainty over school supplies, students may experience greater feelings of anxiety and low self-esteem, affecting their productivity and readiness to learn,” said Elizabeth Dosoretz, LCSW, founder and CEO of Elite DNA Therapy Services. “Every student should be able to start their first day of school with the tools they need to succeed in the classroom, so we’re calling on our communities to join us in helping alleviate back-to-school expenses for families already impacted by rising food and gas prices.”
The community is invited to drop off donations of school supplies at any Elite DNA location between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Clay County Master Gardener Plant sale set for Aug. 6

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The UF/IFAS Extension Clay County Master Gardeners host their annual plant sale Saturday Aug. 6 from 7:30 a.m. to noon outside at the Extension Office at 2463 State Road 16 West.
Free parking and cash/ credit cards are accepted. Thousands of reasonably priced plants, including herbs, flowering plants, and succulents, that thrive in northeast Florida are for sale. Pot sizes typically are one to three gallons and priced from $5 to $10. Specialty items and hanging baskets may be priced slightly higher. Master Gardener Volunteers will be happy to answer any questions you have on plant purchases and other gardening and lawn topics. All plant sale proceeds are used to educate the public in gardening and landscape management.
Learn more about Master Gardener Volunteers at https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/mastergardener/. Learn more about Florida Friendly Landscaping plants at https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/.

New show, ‘Art in the Courthouse,’ now on display

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – As part of a new community outreach effort, Art in the Courthouse, the Clay County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office proudly announces Show 2, “Brush Strokes of Light,” brought to the community by members of First Coast Plein Air Painters, is on display on the sixth floor of the Clay County Courthouse.
This is a juried and judged show. The juror/judge for this show, Charles Dickinson, will award first-, second- and third-place awards, as well as three honor mentions. Following the reception, artwork is viewable during normal courthouse business hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Thousands conduct business inside the Clay County Courthouse each year and, regardless of the reason for their visit, the clerk’s office wants the building to be a peaceful venue where citizens and employees feel at ease when conducting business. This new program is a partnership involving the Clerk of Court and Comptroller’s Office, Clay County Judiciary, local art groups’ amazing artists, Clay County government, civic organizations, the school system and more.
New displays rotate into the gallery every three-to-four months.
The Clerk of Court’s public website (clayclerk.com) provides information about each art show and links to each organization. Other shows include the Clay County Women’s Clubs from July 18 to Nov. 3 and Holiday Season Children’s Art from Nov. 18 to Jan. 31.

Clay County 4-H Summer Day Camps start in June

CLAY COUNTY – Clay County 4-H Summer Day Camps Clay County 4-H is proud to offer summer day camps for youth to explore their interests. From animals, cardboard canoes, plants, art and beyond, we have a variety of camps to peak your child's interest. All 4-H camps are coordinated through the Clay County 4-H office and implemented by trained staff or volunteers. While the day camps are not overnight adventures, they do fill the campers’ day with education, hands on activities, and fun. The day camps offer field trips, guest speakers and activities that will make a lasting impression on the campers.
This summer’s day camps include:
• Tween Wellness and Adventures Retreat (July 27-29) for ages 10-14, cost $100 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. with Annie Wallau: The Tween Wellness and Adventure Retreat will help you focus on your own wellbeing, gain interpersonal skills, and provide hands-on experiences to lower your stress and enjoy life.
• All About Animals (animals and agriculture, June 27-July 1) for ages 5-10, cost $135 from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. with Stephanie Conner: Join us as we connect agriculture and animals to our everyday life. Throughout this adventure campers will gain communication skills, healthy-living tips and develop their creative side while gaining knowledge specific to agriculture and animal topics.
• Eat Smart, Play Hard Summer Camp (July 20-22) for ages 5-9, cost $30 from 9 a.m.-noon with Christine Snyder: This camp will provide hands-on activities to encourage little ones to fuel up with foods from each food group and to be physically active. Each day will include a storytime, healthy snack, arts and crafts, and fun physical activity. Participants will receive a t-shirt and a water bottle.
• Fur, Feathers, and Friends Camp (Aug. 1) for ages 5-12, cost $27 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. with Virginia Harris: A fun and educational day camp about rabbits and chickens. Learn about breed ID, general care, anatomy, at-home wellness checkups, nutrition, candling and incubating eggs for hatching and more.
For more information, visit clay4h@ifas.ufl.edu or call (904) 284-6355.


Clay County looking to fill several job openings

CLAY COUNTY – The Board of County Commissioners are 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.