Calendar, Poetry Contest deadline is April 30
Betty Griffin Center is accepting submissions from St. Johns County students for the 2024 “A Day Without Violence” Art and Poetry Contest through April 30. The project is open to all St. Johns County students in kindergarten through grade 12, whether they attend public school, private school or are home-schooled.
Prizes are awarded for the winners: first place, $50; second place, $25; 11 honorable mentions will be presented $10 each. Winners will be recognized during a St. Johns County School Board Meeting and have their artwork displayed at a local art gallery in October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
All 13 winning artists and 12 poets will have their work reproduced in the “A Day Without Violence 2024 Calendar.”
For more information on entry drop-off locations, and to download an entry form each piece of art, go to bettygriffincenter.org/2024-a-day-without-violence-calendar-poetry-contest-now-under-way.
Palm Valley Market every Tuesday
The Palm Valley Market is held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday inside the Palm Valley Community Center, 148 Canal Road. The market offers fresh produce, baked goods, local honey, tea, seasonal treats, soap, jewelry, plants and more.
GTM cleanup is Saturday
Join Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM) for a beach cleanup on Saturday, April 22. Enjoy coastal views while helping remove debris and microplastics from the beach. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach. Gloves and trash bags will be provided. Hat, insect repellent, water and sunscreen are recommended.
For further information, email Candace.Killian@FloridaDEP.gov.
Festival of arts is Saturday
The Christ Church academy will present its festival of the arts, 5-8 p.m. Saturday, April 22. This is an evening of art demonstrations, music, dance, entertainment, face painting, balloon twisting, shrimp and grits, popcorn, cotton candy, etc. Admission is $35 per family all inclusive (minus alcohol), $12 for adults, $5 for children younger than 10. For further information, email Barbiekroberts@gmail.com.
Christ Church is located at 400 San Juan Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach.
Musical revue at Christ Church on April 26, 28 and 29
The Christ Church creative academy will present “Broadway Through The Ages: A Musical Revue” at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 26; 7 p.m. Friday, April 28; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 29. Opening night tickets are $50 and include dinner, dessert and wine and the show. Tickets for the other shows are $20-30. Tickets are available at the door and through ticket leap at CEC.ticketleap.com.
For further information, email Barbiekroberts@gmail.com.
Christ Church is located at 400 San Juan Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach.
Career search workshop set for April 28
The Savvy Job Hunters Ministry of Christ Church will host a free Zoom workshop, “Your Professional Package and Tools for a Successful Career Search,” from 10 a.m. to noon April 28. The workshop will be presented by Dr. Priscilla Berry, owner and president of Berry and Associates. Sign in and networking begin at 9:45 a.m. Email pottesen66@gmail.com to register.
Foundation marks 1,000 adoptions from foster care
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit public charity, has announced that more than 1,000 children have been adopted from foster care in Florida through its signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.
Through this program, the foundation provides funding and establishes innovative co-investment partnerships with states to support the hiring of recruiters who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids has been operating in Florida since 2004, and currently, 14 recruiters are employed by eight child welfare agencies throughout the state. These adoption professionals work with smaller caseloads of children, nearly 86% of whom are over the age of 9, and nearly 30% have had 10 or more placements in the foster care system prior to being referred to the program.
To learn more, go to davethomasfoundation.org.
Transportation Services expanded to Trout Creek Senior Center
St. Johns County Council on Aging (COA) has announced that transportation services to and from COA’s Trout Creek Senior Center will now be available for registered participants of the Trout Creek Senior Center each day the center is open — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. COA’s Trout Creek Senior Center is located at 6795 Collier Road, Orangedale. The center offers lunch, activities, exercise, special events and socialization for adults age 60 and older.
For more information and to register to attend, contact COA’s Myra Fisher at 904-209-3658.
To view a complete calendar of upcoming events at the center, go to coasjc.org/trout-creek-center.
60-day detour for Alta Drive
Drivers using Alta Drive in Jacksonville will see a 60-day detour between Faye Road and Port of Jacksonville Parkway as construction on the JTAMobilityWorks roadway project continues. The detour will last until June 14 as contractors raise the elevation of the roadway in two locations.
The first location is north of Faye Road just north of the Selina Plaza. All traffic traveling north on Alta Drive will be detoured via Faye Road to New Berlin Road.
The second location is between Misty Marsh Drive and Marshwinds Way. All traffic traveling south on Alta Drive will be detoured via Port of Jacksonville Parkway to New Berlin Road.
You can monitor the progress of the project at mobilityworks.jtafla.com.
— Compiled by Shaun Ryan
