It’s been a tumultuous month for City Hall, with elections delivering potential financial and political challenges for the mayor, as Amendment 3's passage will bring unprecedented budget constraints and a potential campaign platform for her reelection opponent, state Rep. Wyman Duggan, R-Jacksonville. Besides that, two agencies, the Jacksonville Housing Authority and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, have been embroiled in leadership tumult amid questions about their finances. We ask the mayor about all of it, and take your calls and questions. Join the conversation on air by calling 904-549-2937, email comments and questions to firstcoastconnect@wjct.org or go to firstcoastconnect.org too see where to connect with us on social media.
Guest: Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan
Inaugural Murray Hill Restaurant Week
You may not be aware of the thriving food scene in Jacksonville's Murray Hill area, but for those who live there, it’s part of the glue that holds the community together. This week kicks off the inaugural Murray Hill Collective Restaurant Week, a way to spotlight local restaurants and bars to those beyond the Edgewood Avenue corridor. The area's diverse cuisine includes the nationally recognized and James Beard-nominated Ecuadorian restaurant Chancho King, the vegan Southern comfort eatery Murray Hillbilly, the beloved Moon River Pizza and the farm-to-table cafe and bakery Community Loaves. The area also boasts a nightlife scene that includes mainstay Fishweir Brewery Co. as well as the German speakeasy-style Buchner’s Bierhalle and beer and wine bar The Fridge. The weeklong event also promotes the new, weekly Murray Hill Farmer’s Market, as well as local grocery shops and food trucks. The Murray Hill Collective Restaurant Week runs from Nov. 9-14.
Guest: Sidney Dent, board member, Murray Hill Collective
Jax Greek Fest
The Jacksonville Greek Festival offers traditional dancing, cultural immersion and imported craft items for sale, but, to be fair, it’s the food that makes this three-day event an annual must-do. From the slabs of pastiso and spankopita to the hand carved gyros and hummus, the celebration at St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church campus is a culinary tour de force, capped by the requisite retsina and baklava. This year’s event runs Friday, Nov. 13, to Sunday, Nov. 15, at 12760 Beach Blvd. Opa!
Guest: Spencer Wanderon, festival chair, Jacksonville Greek Festival
Topics and guests subject to change.