Golf celebrities will grace the First Coast and tee up for charity on Dec. 15 at the annual Monique Burr Foundation for Children Jinglebells Pro-Am golf tournament (click here for the registration). The tournament, which is currently taking individual and team registrations, will be held at The Golf Club at South Hampton and will bring together PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and LPGA TOUR professionals and celebrities for a day of golf. Each registered team in the tournament is paired with a golf celebrity and all proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Monique Burr Foundation for Children and its mission to prevent child abuse.

More than 25 celebrity golfers will participate in the tournament, including: Wally Armstrong, Emily Bastel, Mike Blackburn, Woody Blackburn, Jenna Daniels, Bob Dickson, Bob Duval, Dow Finsterwald, Anders Forsbrandt, Fred Funk, Jim Furyk, Joe Inman, Billy Krazert, Frank Lickliter II, Mark McCumber, Dan Olsen, Larry Rinker, Garrett Willis, Leonard Thompson and others.

For the first time ever, the foundation is allowing individuals to register for the tournament with a $2,750 registration fee. A team registration fee is $11,000. More information about the tournament is available online at www.moniqueburrfoundation.org or by calling Lynn Layton at (904) 642-0210.

• Outstanding Economic Development Initiative - Make a Scene Downtown
• Hippest Nightlife Hotspot - Mark’s
• Best Downtown Office Party - The Dalton Agency
• Best Adaptive Reuse - Burdette Ketchum
• Best Shopping Locale - Reddi Arts
• Family-Owned Business of the Year - Zodiac Grill
• Favorite Quick Lunch Restaurant - Burrito Gallery
• Downtown’s Best Kept Secret - Clara’s Café
• Best Off-Site Meeting Location and Favorite Public Space - Main Library
• Best Residential Property - 11 East Forsyth
• Favorite Cultural Venue - Florida Theater
• Top Restaurant for Dinner - Ruth’s Chris Steak House
• Best Business Lunch Restaurant - Bbs
• Coolest Office Space Design - Looney Ricks Kiss
• Best Downtown Improvement - City of Jacksonville Riverwalk Expansion
• Business Newcomer of the Year - Chamblin Book Mine
• Greenest Downtowner - Tri Vu
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year - Jon Insetta, owner of Chew
• Most Active Corporate Citizen - Tony Allegretti
• Best Free Event/Festival - Downtown Art Walk

Congratulations to the winners and to Jacksonville’s growing downtown!

Look at the front page of today’s Florida Times Union! Jacksonville has been recommended as the future home to a Navy nuclear aircraft carrier. It is possible that by 2014, about 3,000 Navy sailors and their families will call Jacksonville home. This development will be another catalyst enhancing Jacksonville’s economy with the amount of people relocating to Jacksonville and the estimated half-billion dollars that will be spent in dredging and construction costs to make the St. John River more accommodating to the ship. The carrier to inhabit these new digs has yet to be confirmed.

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton sent out a statement and said:

“This announcement is a tribute to the focus of our community over a period of at least 18 years. The late Representatives Charlie Bennett and Tillie K. Fowler, along with other civilian, military and elected leaders past and present, have been unwavering advocates for the placement of a nuclear carrier at Mayport. The city has taken an aggressive position on this issue all along, particularly since 2004, when it was announced that U.S.S. KENNEDY would be decommissioned.”

It is exciting to see that Mayport is such an important naval base. A few months ago the Navy also selected the Jacksonville area for other projects including…

• Headquarters for the Fourth Fleet responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and subs operating in the Caribbean, and Central and South America

• The future home of P-8 patrol plane squadrons intended to provide surveillance over land and they have the capability to detect and destroy enemy watercrafts and subs.

• The selected site for a sonar training range for anti-submarine warfare.

This is also a good move in the name of national security. Currently, all aircraft carriers on the east coast are based in Norfolk, Virginia. Following suit with the west coast, dispersing the fleet will help reduce the risk of these assets in the event of a natural disaster or attack.

Resources:

Florida Times Union Article - http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/111808/met_357118007.shtml

U.S.S. Kennedy photo - http://www.iwar.org.uk/military/resources/aircraft-carriers/pics/kennedy-high.jpeg

Wikipedia for Fourth Fleet - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Fourth_Fleet

The Chamber Trip has wrapped up and we saved the best for last.

During the trip the group visited Pike Place Market. This is known as “The Soul of Seattle.” The citizens of Seattle recently voted to tax themselves in an effort to upgrade the infrastructe and system. Many in the Jacksonville group were reminiscing about the success of John Delaney’s “Better Jacksonville Plan” and how much it has contributed to the Jacksonville community.

The Seattle program, “History and Success of Pike Place Market“, was sponsored and introduced by Jacksonville’s own Tony Sleiman, developer of the Jacksonville Landing. The presenter was Executive Director of the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA), Carol Binder. A large portion of this program covered Pike Place Market’s new renovations and citizen participation.

We hope Mr. Sleiman has come away with new ideas and inspirations to further develop the Jacksonville Landing into an icon and a bigger hot spot for our city.

The trip ended with a closing session presentation by Mike Hightower, 2009 Board Chair for the Chamber of Commerce. During his overview of the trip he mentioned that this year’s trip consisted of over 72% first time attendees. This can been seen as good sign. It helps get new blood involved and motivated in the City.

Mr. Hightower also covered his 2009 goals for the Chamber:

- There will be a stronger emphasis on area councils. “These are the heart and soul, the bread and butter of the organization”

- He is also encouraging, the Board of Directors to mentor others in the area councils.

- IMPACTjax is a particular passion for him. There are approximately 300 young professionals involved in the 25-35 year old age group.

- There will be a stronger focus on taking IMPACTjax further. They are considered the “the future leaders”

- If we mentor, groom and guide this group, Jacksonville will have a “leap on other communities”

Now that the trip is over we hope that some good points can be taken away and implemented in our community. The main topic the trip emphasized was community involvement. If we all get involved and show interest in our City then there is no reason why Jacksonville can’t be the best city in Florida or even in the U.S.

OK now for some fun. At the end of all our meetings our “mole” took a trip to The Museum of Science Fiction and Hall of Fame! Heaven on Earth! Check out some our images:

The funding and idea came from Seattle’s Paul Allen. The building was done by architect Frank Gehry.

The Chamber Leadership Trip the group was able to listen to Stan Emert, Managing Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for IGD (Initiative for Global Development). The group had what could be described as a “proactive” discussion about extreme poverty in the world and how it can be eliminated. The discussion started with one question :

What if every time you put food in your mouth, you were making a choice between feeding yourself or your child?

This is when the speaker brought up some important points for businesses

• As much as 90% of shareholder value is tied to a company’s reputation
• Companies are being measured and rated for their ethical and corporate social responsibility (CSR) status more than ever
• Companies should select a project that they are Capable of doing and one they can finish.
• Partner with other organizations
• Find community champions and recognize them; not just the big donors, but everyday people doing extraordinary things.

The presentation spurred discussions amongst the Jax group afterwards. They spoke about how they can’t stop investing in the community during these tough times. Not just because of being recognized, but because it’s the right thing to do.

At this point it was time for some java, Starbucks Coffee!

Now no trip to Seattle, WA can be complete without a good cup of coffee. That’s why a little excursion to the Starbucks Headquarters was on the agenda…and off they went.

Kelli Aitchison of Starbucks gave a lively opening presentation to the group. Her background was she started as a “Coffee Explorer” and worked her way up to a “Coffee Taster“. After some rigorous taste testing she has moved her way up to a “Coffee Ambassador“. We think by presenting this information to the public WhatsUpJacksonville.com would considered a “Coffee Liaison“.

Kelli’s presentation was followed by a talk from Cliff Burrows, President of Starbucks. This presentation was the first of it’s kind. No private group has ever met in the facility or had a presentation from the president. Much of the lecture was riddled with factoids and of course we got them for you.

• Starbucks is the named after the first mate in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick
• The logo is a Canadian Norse Wood Carving. The company also has 3 different logos that are used with slight variations
• They are the first company to offer health benefits and stock options to not only full time, but also part time employees. (Details on the benefits were not shared.)
• Starbucks serves more than 50 million customers a week who come into Starbucks
• The company rewards employee volunteerism by contributing $10 for every hour volunteered up to $1,000 per project.
• Recently the company realized they over expanded in Florida and California. As they continue to scale back their operation, they will begin to refocus on urban stores.

We have one more post to go to wrap up this year’s Chamber Leadership Trip…so stay tuned for the Finale!

The Saga continues…

Throughout this trip all has remained positive. So far the topics have been about how the city was once an unorganized mass, but now that they have got their act together they have accomplished some major tasks. They have cleaned up Lake Washington, revitalized their tourism with projects like Pike Place Market, and interconnected the city with it’s diverse use of public transportation.

Seattle is a great city for us to study and see what difference we can make to follow in their footsteps. They have been implementing plans to turn their town around since the 1960’s and they’re still continuing to improve themselves. Even though they have a massive network of public transportation they’re rolling out a light rail system that should open in 2009, and their hard work is really paying off. They have been ranked #3 in the Top 10 list of America’s Most Liveable Cities published by  Rand McNally’s “Places Rated Almanac”.

Now that almost seems as if we are 40 or so years behind them, but that’s not the case at all. Jacksonville has been really doing a number on our downtown for about the past 10 years. The biggest boom to our city was easily Super Bowl XXXIX. It helped drive such initiatives such as the Better Jacksonville Plan, and really made us look at ourselves from an outsiders perspective. One of the greatest advantages we have with following behind Seattle is we can avoid some pitfalls that they have run into.

Though Seattle is known for its bustling downtown and its great design, their economics have become way out of balance. Their downtown only accounts for 2% of their mass, but 30% of the revenue to the city. This isn’t a terrible problem, but it does make it extremely hard for the middle class to afford housing in such desired areas. Due to rising land costs, building costs, and some greed the cost of homes have substantially risen. Currently the median home price is $500,000. That’s quite a chunk of change, but it’s even a larger chunk when you look at the median household income of $59,000. The problem with having such a unbalanced economic stream is the loss of your middle class. Families are having to move, but not because of crime or school issues. People with children just can’t afford housing. This is where people like former Seattle mayor Charlie Royer, President of the Alliance for Middle Income Housing have stepped up to handle the situation. Also, in an effort to preserve their awesome landscapes the city has put together a task force known as the Cascade Land Conservancy.

Well we hope you find this information interesting and useful. Stay tuned for more updates….

Seattle has so far turned into a great trip. Even Florida Times-Union columnist Ron Littlepage agrees that the trip was done the right way and for the right reasons.

The group is learning quite a bit about the inner workings of the city and what the local officials and citizens do to get the ball rolling on projects around town. Charlie Royer, President of the Alliance for Middle Income Housing, shared success stories about the initiatives that the whole city has taken to bring Seattle from not only a great place to live, but also a great place to visit.

A major issue that plagued Seattle was the pollution of Lake Washington. In years prior to 1950 the lake wasn’t taken care of in the best way. Negligence from the community created one the most polluted lakes out there. After a local scientist noticed that color of the lake was a wee bit off he decided to do some research. A few years of study is all it took and action was taken by the city and its locals to handle the situation. In a period of less than 10 years the lake pollutants were stopped and the purity of the lake began to take shape again. Now the lake is the cleanest it has been in history. This gives great hope for our beautiful St. Johns River.  Let’s hope the group comes back with enthusiastic solutions for our water issue.

Another familiar issue to Jacksonville is Seattle’s use of public transportation. Once a sprawling suburbia, the town had to get back on its feet (no pun intended) and create a better way to transport people. Now the city has an effective and efficient transportation system utilizing monorail, bus, cable car, and subway to transport anywhere you need to go. Jacksonville, as the largest city by land mass in the lower 48 states, has quite a task on its plate. There have been some great articles at MetroJacksonville.com that have really pushed these issues.  We encourage you to check them out.

One the biggest lures for visitors to Seattle is Pike Place Market. What once started as a vegetable market in the 1900’s is now a major attraction for the city, but at one point was almost lost. In the 1960’s the city ran a campaign to “Save the Market.” Millions of dollars were used brought back a new luster to the market. Taxes are the major contributor to keeping up this project, but it is done on a regional level. Jacksonville is almost finished with its market called the Northbank Artist’s Square. This project is more on the artistic level than on consumable, but it’s on the right track.  I think the main point with this success story is that the people of Seattle were willing to pay the necessary taxes to fund saving their market and making it a great attraction for the city.

The feed from our “guy inside” is still coming so keep checking back with us for more updates.

A few notables just came in from our “mole” about what Seattle is doing that Jacksonville can learn from.

• Seattle’s current economic success is based on ecomonic diversity.  Does that sound familiar?  It is exactly what Jacksonville is trying to do with bringing in new businesses and developing industries in our city.

• Many Seattle companies use a “Triple Bottom Line” model to measure their success - Environmental, Social and Economic (Financial).  This is apparent if you look at the great number of environmentally and socially conscious companies based in Seattle.  Jacksonville-based companies can look to Seattle-basaed companies as a benchmark for a new way to look at your bottom line and consider environmental impacts and social impacts equally to economic (financial) impacts.

After breakfast, the group split up into different “tracks.”   The four tracks offered were 1) Attracting and Retaining Talent, 2) Aviation, 3) Development and Growth Management and 4) Life Sciences.  Our mole opted for track #3 and headed off for a tour of South Lake Union, a well-developed live/work/play neighborhood in the heart of Seattle.

South Lake Union has a “Discovery Center” - a building where visitors can go to get all of the information about the area that they could possibly want.  Based on their website, this building looks like an awesome introduction to this part of town.  Wouldn’t it be great if different areas in Jacksonville had their own “Discovery Centers” where people could go for a run-down of the areas history, what’s under development, upcoming events, etc.  Even if these areas just had well-developed websites, it would be a huge benefit to Jacksonvillians and the people moving here each day.  Downtown Vision’s website is the closest thing to this, but not many people know about it.

Another cool thing at the South Lake Union Discover Center is the topographical model of Seattle.  Check out these photos - what a huge investment, but apparently people go to the Discover Center just to see and take photos of this incredible model.

Yesterday was the first official day of the Chamber Leadership Trip in Seattle.  Our “mole” sent us some inside info on what everyone is doing.

Directly from our source, here is her first impression of the city:

Driving from the airport at 5:30 p.m., it is pitch black.  My impression was that Jacksonville, with its beautiful lighted bridges in downtown is breathtaking by comparison.  However, once I arrived downtown and saw the bustling, vibrant city with hotels and top-of-the-line shopping, I realized we still have a way to go.  Won’t it be fabulous when we have the same atmosphere in Jacksonville?

The first thing the group did yesterday morning was have breakfast where Steve Leahy, President and CEO of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce gave a “fabulous and entertaining” history of Seattle.  Here are a few noteworthy points:

• November is the wettest month of the year - storms and wind took out power in some areas even yesterday.  Maybe the next time the Chamber goes to Seattle, they’ll pick a drier time of year.
• It is a myth that all Seattle residents drink their coffee black and never carry umbrellas.
• Similar to Jacksonville, which burnt down in 1901, Seattle also suffered from a great fire in 1889 which destroyed the entire central business district of the city.  Whereas Jacksonville’s fire started in a mattress factory, Seattle’s began in a carpentry shop.
• Nordstrom’s was started by the Nordstrom brothers during the Yukon Gold Rush with a purpose of selling boots to the gold miners who were ill-prepared for the climate.  Maybe this is why today Nordstrom’s has such a great shoe department!  Please come to Jacksonville, Nordstroms, please!

Stay tuned for more updates later today.

A photo of Seattle after its Great Fire.