Artist Palette opens today in the space formerly occupied by European Art Garage (3821 Hendricks Avenue). European Art Garage is closing, but Reet will continue to exhibit her work at the new studio, Artist Palette.

Under the director of local artist Barbara Fryefield, Artist Palette will offer a wide variety of classes to all ages as a teaching studio. Currently you can enroll in the visual arts high school portfolio program, pottery, drawing, open studio, grisaille, painting for children and adults, jewelry knotting, mixed media, and summer art camps. You can also schedule private classes for groups of five or more at the studio or in the location of your choosing.

Classes begin today and you can sign up online or at the store.

Artist Palette is a welcome addition to our community. A place for people of all ages to learn new techniques and experiment with mediums they are unfamiliar with. With the heat of the summer rolling in, Artist Palette brings a refreshing break.

Sometimes finding parking in San Marco is like running the gauntlet. After a recent visit to the Town Center, parking forever away and walking for almost ten minutes to get to the one store I needed to go to, I starting thinking that parking in San Marco is not that bad.

In San Marco the coveted spots are the ones on San Marco Boulevard, right in front of the stores. I have often wished the merchants would auction off those spots and I could purchase my very own San Marco parking spot. Even within those coveted spots, some are more valuable than others. Usually I have a few stores to stop in when I am in the Square so I like to park in the middle of the strip, somewhere between the Loop and Hobby Horse. As rare as these spots are, I manage to find one more often than not.

If aa quick circle of the Square yields no parking, I head back to the parking lot behind Pizza Palace. The kind people at Southside Baptist Church have donated the spaces in their parking lot to the business in the Square for years. Their only request is that Square patrons not use the parking lot on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Lots of spaces and easy access to the Square makes this lot the second best choice for parking in the Square.

On the rare occasion I can’t find a space in front of the shops or in the Southside Baptist Church parking lot, I go to my last resort – the parallel parking available in the neighborhood surrounding the Square. Not all streets are zoned for on-street parking so double checking signs before parking is always a good idea. Even when I park in the neighborhood and walk into the Square, I am still no further away than a five minute walk. The perception is parking is so difficult in San Marco but the distance from car to shop is often less than that at places like the Town Center, which seem more convenient.

Where is your favorite place to park in San Marco? Do you have a secret spot that is always available?

The lions are taking the Click-It Pledge to buckle their seat belt. The Florida Department of Transportation has kicked off their Click It or Ticket campaign to increase awareness of the importance of wearing seat belts. Local ad agency, Brunet-García Multicultural Advertising & PR is buckling up statues around town to remind drivers to buckle up every day. The lions will be buckled up through June 5th.

The Florida Department of Transportation estimates that seat belts saved over 800 lives last year. Seat belt fines vary from county to county. A seat belt ticket can run you as little as $30 or up to $200. Sat belts can only save lives if they are wore. Buckle up and take the Click-It Pledge.

Buckling the Lions

In progress

The City Council is meeting today to review a bill that would remove funds from the Historic Preservation Trust  Fund to build a parking lot for The Landing. the Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established to preserve historic buildings and landmarks in downtown. The City agreed to build The Landing  a parking lot when Tony Sleiman purchased the property. The use of the historic Preservation Funds to fulfill this obligation is under intense scrutiny from preservation groups around the Jacksonville.

Representatives and members of the San Marco Preservation Society will be protesting the bill outside City Hall/The St. James Building today at noon. The press conference is open to the public.

2010 - 2011 Board Members

San Marco Preservation Society has announced the Board of Directors for 2010 – 2011. Congratulations to all.

Jon Singleton, President
Doug Skiles, Secretary
Mary Toomey, Treasurer
George Foote, Immediate Past President
Heather Riley, Beautifucation
Diane Martin, Events
Robin Robinson, Historic/Resources
Jan Bebeau and Susan Masucci, Membership
Forrest Brewer, Merchant Liason
Christina Parrish, Newsletter
Andrew Cordek, Nuisance Abatement
Kimberly Zlatanoff, Parks
Barbara Hall, Preservation Hall
Blake Retterbush, Zoning/Land Use
Richard Moore, JR., CPAC
George Foote, Website

Tonight San Marco Preservation Society will hold their Annual General Meeting On the agenda are updates about San Marco Preservation Society’s recent projects as well as neighborhood beautification awards. Think of it as a casual neighborhood state of the union. Catch up with your neighbors at the meeting. And if you are not already a member, sign-up at tonight’s meeting.

7:00 p.m. at Preservation Hall, 1652 Atlantic Boulevard

Hundreds dashed and one couple walked away with not only a gorgeous ring, but an over the top engagement memory. Karen Newman and Matt Worsham found Underwood’s hidden diamond and Matt proposed to Karen that night. The couple has been saving for their wedding and the ring was icing on the wedding cake. Check out Underwood’s facebook for pictures.

San Marco Preservation Society held its annual Raingutter Regatta on Saturday April 17th at Colonial Manor Lake Park.  The North Florida O.R.C.A.S. were also in attendance to demonstrate their many and varied remote control boats.  The competitors and spectators alike, enjoyed the chamber of commerce weather.  In the K-2nd grade division, Robert Ritchie placed first with Linkin and Corbin Bradshaw coming in second and third respectively.  Linkin also received a design award.  In the 3rd-5th grade division, the team of Jake Thiele and Dalton Golden placed first.  John Martin was second and Grace Woodward placed third.  Olivia Bogan was awarded Best Design.  Other design awards were given to Arthur Shuppe, Flynn Stapleton, Anna Schuppe, Regan Foote, and Matteo Turra.  Brittney Strong won the SMPS raffle.  HobbyTown USA provided the prize,  a R/C sailboat valued at $200.00.

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A few years of planning and hard work was celebrated yesterday at the ribbon cutting of Greenscape Celebration Park at the end of La Salle Street. Ann Dooley, of Greenscape, and Councilman Art Shad have been hard at working planning and raising funds for the pocket park. The result is a beautiful seating area surrounded by lush trees and a scenic views of the river. Mayor John Peyton joined the group to officially open the park. Rink Design designed the park and Terry Rogers Construction served as the contractor.

Ribbon Cutting

Greenscape Celebration Park

Park Entrance

George Foote (President SMPS) and Anna Dooley (Greenscape)