The French Connection... Who Knew !

Earlier this month the City of Jacksonville celebrated the landing of the explorer Jean Ribault and Jacksonville's connection with France. To mark the occasion several tall ships were in the area, both at the dock downtown and Mayport naval station. A chance to view old sailing ships and take some pictures... I could not resist! As usual, click each picture for a better view. 

The schooner L'ÉTOILE and her sister ship Belle Poule were built in the shipyard of Fécamp, France in 1932. They were both used by the Free French Forces during the Second World War  

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being shorter or the same height as the rear masts.This was the type of ship the explorer Jean Ribault used in 1562 to lead an expedition to the new world and explored the mouth of the St. Johns River in modern-day Jacksonville.

During the 16th to 18 centuries, the golden age of piracy, I discovered the schooner was a popular craft for pirates, as it could carry up to eight or more cannons, and was sleek and fast despite the fact it weighed around 100 tons. It usually had a crew of about 75.

There were plenty of other people just as curious wanting to view the ship and the crew members were very helpful and friendly.. What struck me was how compact the ship is. The adventurer and his crew definitely had close quarters.

These ships were built stout and sturdy and for that reason were selected later as navy training ships. Today French naval officers get their sailing education on them.

All in all the viewing made for a great afternoon of hanging out on the river and I learned something in the process about Jacksonville's French connection!

Old School

I have been away but not gone. At this point I guess I should disclose that I have been involved in developing an innovative new school that incorporates technology, and self paced group learning as a new model for education.

My relationship in the process is funny from the stand point that I was attracted to the project by the fact that it is a new concept. However, the most difficult part of the process is the fact that it is a new concept. In other words, claiming new territory is hard work because there is no model to follow. One day you are blazing a path and the next find you need to go in a very different direction, but exciting none the less.

In the interest of confidentially I will limit the extent of disclosure about the day-to-day of the process, but wanted to share a little about the experience with you and will start on the most basic level: the building that will house the new school. As usual, click each photo for a better view.

The building itself has gone through a number of metamorphosis' from its completion in 1911 as Beulah Beal Elementary School. Try as I might (doing an online search) I could not locate any information regarding the woman Beulah Beal; which is a shame but adds mystery to the history of the structure. Evidently it marched through the decades as an elementary school, all the while watching the neighborhood change around it.

I say that because the Springfield section of Jacksonville, with it's mix of old Victorian houses, used to be a place for the well-to-do set that fell on hard times. Recently renovated houses provide a hint of it's former glory. Slowly the area is returning to life as new families relocate to the area and lovingly restore the old homes.

During the early 80's, four founders - Doris Carson MD, Sam Rowley MD, The Reverend Gene Parks, and Davy Parrish DPA, led a reorganization of an organization called The Bridge of Northeast Florida" which transformed the building into a school for unwed mothers.

The hallways have an almost "back to the future" quality when compared to the large modern schools you encounter today. And, with such a long history of course there are stories of ghosts. Haven't seen any yet but again it adds to the mystery.

And now the school prepares for it's third age as it enters the 21st Century complete with WiFi, computer labs, and state of the art equipment. It is a wonderful old building that has stood the test of time, weathered hundreds of storms, and held many secrets. It is only fitting then that on it's 100 birthday it faces the future ready to be of service. Stay tuned...

Scene at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival

Every year since moving here from Denver, I have promised myself I would attend the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and somehow missed it. So during Memorial Day weekend this year I resolved to attend. What I discovered is that the event is the second or third largest Jazz festival in the nation, depending on the reporting source; one of the few that is free, and some really big names in Jazz have always performed here.

There was so much to see, hear, and do that this is the first of a 3 part feature to highlight the scene and some of the videos I took of the event. As usual, click each photo for a better view.

I really loved this year's slogan "Can you hear it yet?" because the middle of downtown was blocked off and four venues were located at various points. People were encouraged to park at an outlying location and take the people mover train into downtown (coming from Denver where these trains are everywhere, it was a good move to let the locals see how the system can work as it is rarely used). As soon as the train arrived downtown you instantly understood the meaning of the slogan because music was everywhere and you are struck by the press of people.

And just as I was moving through the crowd I was drawn to a face. I rarely do portraits but this face was like an angel walking. She was gracious in allowing me to take her picture. I hope I did it justice because this young woman was quite striking.

Adding to my good fortune, her friend and hair stylist was there as well to enjoy Jazz on a warm afternoon. They make a great looking couple!

I was there for the Roy Ayers concert near the front of City Hall (you will get a listen in a later blog). After a short wait the sun went down, it began to cool off, and City Hall took on a look that seemed to whisper "Slow down and just enjoy the sounds."

The set-up was the perfect setting for Jazz into the night and I also learned the national nature of the event. I met a man from Brooklyn, NY who had come down for the festival, and a great couple from South Carolina.

Here they are dancing into the night. I used my flash to make certain I got a good shot of them because he was a wealth of information both about the performances and locations to scout
later in South Carolina.

I have definitely become a convert to the festival because the line-up of performers was a Jazz lovers dream (Natalie Cole, Boney James, George Duke, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, Roy Ayers, and McCoy Tyner to name a few). I could hardly wait for the next day of the three day festival.

And, the event gave me a new sense of pride in Jacksonville. That my city could put together such an organized and fun festival made me look upon it in a totally different light. But more than anything I have to give a special thanks to all the people who worked so hard to make the event work. Like this transport Supervisor, Kenny Williams, who went the extra mile to get people on the right train and filled in the gap when things did not go as planned. If no one else said it, I'm saying "Thank You" for a job well done!

And, just to add to the fun, here is a time lapse view of the "Swinging Stage" set-up:



Next blog... video highlights from the performances!