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First Coast Connect

11/6/2017: Cardboard City; Nubuntu; R. Andrew Lee; Peter Bragan Jr.; Cole Pepper

Cardboard City

Monday on First Coast Connect, we heard about the upcoming Cardboard City event with Mark Landschoot, executive director of Family Promise of Jacksonville (01:09).  

We spoke with Duduzile Sibanda from the group Nubuntu and pianist Andrew Lee, both performing Tuesday in Jacksonville (24:46).   

Former Jacksonville Suns owner Peter Bragan Jr. told us about an upcoming fundraiser at the Alhambra Theatre (34:23).    

Cole Pepper talked about the Jaguars win over the Bengals and the Florida Gators loss at Missouri (46:00).  

 

Cardboard City

On Friday, Nov. 17, people, families and groups will come out and spend the night in cardboard boxes, tents or in their cars.

This year participants of Cardboard City will also be challenged to navigate a new feature of the cardboard city - the Social Service Maze.

They will receive their "family story" and then try to get the resources needed to be successful. The idea is to build an understanding of the challenges of tackling social services to move out of homelessness. Even though the homeless count is declining in the city, thousands of families in this area are still without a roof over their heads.

Nubuntu and R. Andrew Lee

They’re an all-female a cappella group from Zimbabwe.

Nubuntu has drawn international acclaim for inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel. The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimal percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano) and organic, authentic dance movements.

They will perform Tuesday night, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ritz Theatre.

A single pianist, R. Andrew Lee, will perform a piece, uninterrupted, Monday and Tuesday night at the UNF Fine Arts Center.  He’ll be on stage from 7 p.m. until midnight. The performance is a recently uncovered and restored composition by the American composer Dennis Johnson and his haunting piece, titled “November.”

Credit Kevin Meerschaert / WJCT
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WJCT
Former Jacksonville Suns owner Peter Bragan Jr. with First Coast Connect host Melissa Ross.

Peter Bragan Jr. on Woody Woodard

He was a major league shortstop for the Braves and Reds, and went on to serve as GM for the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and the Seattle Mariners. Born in Miami, Woody Woodard made All-American at Florida State.

He’s also a longtime friend of Jacksonville’s storied Bragan family. That’s why they’re honoring Woodard this month at thePeter Bragan for Better Baseball Foundation.

The foundation was established to serve as a permanent endowment to fund local baseball endeavors and a future cultural destination, The Jacksonville Baseball Museum.

Cole Pepper

The Jaguars won their second game in a row for the first time this season as they beat the Bengals 23-7 at Everbank Field. The Jaguars are now 5-3 and are tied for first in the AFC South.

The Florida Gators were not as lucky as they lost at Missouri 45-16 and Florida State escaped with a 27-24 win over Syracuse, thanks to a missed field goal.

High School football playoffs begin this week with several local teams in the hunt for a championship.      

Kevin Meerschaert can be reached at kmeerschaert@wjct.org, 904-358-6334 or on Twitter at @KMeerschaertJax.

Kevin Meerschaert has left WJCT for new pursuits. He was the producer of First Coast Connect until October of 2018.