Archive : Tom Patton

It’s May. The boating season is getting into full swing. So while I’m sure it is not intentional, an NTSB probable cause report issued this week serves as a timely reminder about how important it is to operate a boat safely. I have to admit, I didn’t...

Back in the day, when I was hosting “Week in Review” (which every time I do a personal appearance somewhere I’m still told by someone it was the best show on local television), this was the kind of week we dreamed of. The show would practically...

Like millions of Americans, I filed my taxes this week. I handed the envelope to the guy behind the post office counter and watched him postmark it. It was about 10 in the morning, so I’m sure it would have been fine, but I just like to see it. Nobody...

The Mayor’s race has grown by four. Rick Mullaney, Jim Bailey, Alvin Brown and Glorious Johnson have all thrown their metaphorical hats into the ring. They join Mike Hogan, Audrey Moran, Kevin Hyde, and six other less-well-known names seeking the city’s...

For the first time since November, I got my boat “Party Quirks” out of the barn and had her lowered gently into the waters of the St. Johns River. After a winter that has been unusually cold and drear, finally a weekend day that offered an opportunity...

JaxPort has said it’s time to reconsider the cruise terminal in Mayport, along with two other undisclosed locations. If Jacksonville is serious about being a cruise homeport, then they are certainly right. Port authorities say that Charleston’s recent...

Nobody’s mind is going to be changed, and yet, it all has to be read into the record. Watching the health care debate Sunday night on C-SPAN, I’m reminded how much of the debate is done for the cameras and the audience, and how little is done to try...

Marco Rubio made a major splash in Jacksonville Beach last Wednesday, while Governor Charlie Crist’s events in Jacksonville on Friday reportedly lacked the kind of energy and attendance you might expect of a sitting Governor campaigning for U.S. Senate....

Saturday morning I found myself at Cecil Community Center in the Equestrian Center complex where about 75 people had gathered for the purpose of learning about the city budget, and letting department heads know what they think is or isn’t important. It...

The formation of the Jacksonville Civic Council from the remnants of the “shadowy” “non-group” again brings into focus the question “what kind of city do we want to have?”   But as they emerge from the shadows, they do so with a survey...