Gulf Coast Live: Hurricane Preparedness

Although it doesn’t officially begin until Friday – this year’s Atlantic  Hurricane Season  got a jump start with  Alberto and this past holiday weekend Beryl – providing a  preseason exercise for  Emergency Officials.

On today’s program we’ll talk to area emergency managers about how to prepare for a tropical storm or hurricane.  We’ll also hear from Florida  Power and Light about the steps the utility has taken to harden its  infrastructure.

And how about protecting all that data overseen by the Clerk of Courts when disaster strikes?

Phone numbers for Lee, Collier, and Charlotte EOS’s:

Charlotte County
941-833-4000

Lee County
239-533-3622

Collier County
239-252-3600

The show will be live at Noon on 90.1 FM

Call in: 1-877-428-8255
Email: gulfcoastlive@wgcu.org
Click here to go to the show’s page

Intersection: Does FCAT measure student achievement or detract from education?

FCAT writing scores released this month were shockingly low. State educators called an emergency meeting where they lowered the passing grade so school funding would not be drastically affected. This left many wondering about the credibility of Florida’s Comprehensive Assessment Test as a measurement of student education.

This week on Intersection 90.7′s Mark Simpson talks with an expert panel about where these low FCAT scores leave public education in Florida. Kathleen Shanahan, chairwoman of the state Board of Education, says the FCAT is a necessary measurement of student achievement.  But Gayle Hodges, Winter Park High School physics teacher, and Mike Cahill, president of the Orange County teachers’ union, say too much testing can detract from education.

How does the FCAT affect your child’s education? Tune into Intersection and then share your perspective here on Florida Talks. The show airs Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. and is rebroadcast Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. Or listen online.

Preventing Summer Backslide on WJCT’s First Coast Connect

Summer is almost here, and that means thousands of school kids will be on summer break. A new study by the RAND Corporation shows that the break oftentimes leads to backsliding among students, who can forget some of what they’ve learned during the school year and lose momentum for the next semester. We discussed what can be done to prevent backsliding with Trey Csar, president of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, and Rick Kamal, a consultant and expert at the RAND Corporation.

The local organization Hurting Families with Children in Crime, Inc. (HFWCC) it looking to provide a summer camp experience for dozens of low income and at risk children this summer. We spoke to Linda Dayson, president of HFWCC, about their Sponsor a Child Campaign.

The Junior Service League of St. Augustine is putting on a fundraiser this Saturday on behalf of the Children’s Museum of St. Johns. There have been ongoing efforts for years to establish a children’s museum in St. Augustine to educate kids about the history and ecology of the First Coast. Susan Conner, director of the Children’s Museum of St. Johns, joined us with more about their “Feel the Wheels” exhibit.

And we spoke to Jacksonville Jaguars legend and Team Teal leader Tony Boselli about their year-round push to support the team. Team Teal will be holding rallies and activities even before the Jaguars season begins this year to help build support for the franchise.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

The Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign in Florida on WJCT’s First Coast Connect

A new Quinnipiac poll shows former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is pulling ahead here in Florida – he now leads President Barack Obama among the state’s registered voters, 49% to 41%. Both candidates will be fighting fiercely for the state’s 29 electoral votes this November. We spoke to renowned GOP strategist Ed Rollins, who has managed campaigns for Ronald Reagan, Mike Huckabee and Michelle Bachman, about the campaign.

Award-winning Florida Times-Union reporter Topher Sanders does more than just cover the news. He’s team with fellow journalist E.B. Roman on a new book titled Aysel’s Arrow. Sanders and Roman hope to add to the cannon of American literature the unique yet universal perspective from people of color. They joined us this morning with more about the novel, which is now available online.

The local nonprofit Pine Castle first opened its doors back in 1952, and was one of the first organizations in Florida to serve the needs of children with developmental disabilities. In recent years, the organization has focused on supporting adults who are challenged by everything from autism and cerebral palsy to Down Syndrome and traumatic brain injuries. We welcomed Pine Castle executive director Jon May to the show with more about their work and their 60 years of service.

And in our Tech Tuesday segment, we spoke to Steve Toney, one of the inventors of the Travesso. This unique coffee invention was featured on the Food Network’s new show Invention Hunters. Toney and fellow co-invetor Jim Shrader are based right here in Jacksonville.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Jacksonville Business Leaders Come Out in Support of City’s Human Rights Ordinance on WJCT’s First Coast Connect

The Jacksonville City Council will soon vote on legislation that would update the city’s human rights ordinance. The new measure would ban discrimination against gays and lesbians in housing, jobs and public accommodations. This change is getting strong support from the local Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Council and a number of high-profile local CEOs. They say that Jacksonville can’t compete in the global marketplace if the city is perceived as intolerant. Steve Halverson, CEO of the Jacksonville-based design-build firm the Haskell Company, is one of those in support of the change, and he joined us this morning with more about the issue.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a Florida-based human rights group that has transformed the state’s $600 million tomato industry. They have greatly improved conditions for Florida’s migrant tomato pickers by asking the biggest buyers, including restaurants and grocery stores, to simply pay one penny more per pound. For their efforts, the Natural Resources Defense Council is recognizing the group with its Growing Green Award, which honors people and organizations helping to make our food system healthier and more sustainable. We spoke to Greg Asbed, co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, about their work.

Tonight at 9:00 PM, WJCT TV and 89.9 FM will broadcast a program across the state looking at the needs, inspirations and ideas of Florida’s teachers. The statewide Teacher Town Hall is part of the American Graduate initiative to combat America’s dropout crisis. PBS is partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other groups for the effort. Morning Edition host and WJCT TV producer Karen Feagins joined us with a preview of the program.

And we got a preview of what’s going on around town this Memorial Day weekend with Jacksonville Magazine‘s Kerry Speckman. Visit her website for a full rundown of events.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Gulf Coast Live: Arts Edition – “Mud” – the story of Mae / Jeanne Bochette

“Mud” – the story of Mae, trying to escape rural poverty by attending school.  This gritty and deeply tragic and beautiful play is a masterwork by one of the most important playwrights of our time. It will be at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers.

Then Jeanne Bochette celebrates her 62^nd year teaching dance in Fort Myers. She opened her studio Dance Bochette in 1951.  We’ll honor her today as she prepares for her annual Festival of Dance this weekend.

Guests:
Brittney Brady – Director “Mud”
Jim Brock -  Actor “Henry”
“Mud” – May 23-27 at 8:00 p.m. Sidney and Berne Davis Arts Center Fort Myers

Jeanne Bochette – Director Dance Bochette
Alyce Bochette – Co-Director Dance Bochette
Festival of Dance – May 27 at 3:00pm Bishop Verot H.S. Fort Myers

The show will be live at Noon on 90.1 FM

Call in: 1-877-428-8255
Email: gulfcoastlive@wgcu.org
Click here to go to the show’s page

WJCT’s First Coast Conect God Squad

A huge crowd gathered last night at Jacksonville City Hall as the public turned out to voice both vocal support and opposition for a change to the city’s human rights ordinance. The legislation would ban discrimination against the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We discussed the issue with our own First Coast Connect God Squad. Joining us this morning were: Rabbi Joshua Lief, of the Congregation Ahavath Chessed; Father Guy Noonan, of the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine; and Deacon Louise Hardman, of St. Johns Episcopal Cathedral.

May is national Stroke Awareness Month. It’s the third leading cause of death, and a leading cause of disability for Americans. More than 700,000 experience one each year, with many patients going to emergency room with symptoms not even realizing that they’re having a stroke. Lisa Mooney, coordinator of Mayo Clinic’s stroke center, joined us with more about who’s at risk and what we can do to prevent stroke.

It’s National Small Business Week this week, and we spoke to Hester Clark, a local entrepreneur who’s getting national attention for her success. She started the Hester Clark Group advertising agency back in 1988 as sole proprietor. She’s since expanded it with offices in Orlando and Washington DC, deals with the FDA and the US Navy, and a yearly revenue of more than $4 million. She has also been feature in Inc. and Forbes magazines. We discussed her success, and what makes female business owners different.

There’s a new initiative on the First Coast to fund good ideas for improving the community. The Community First Credit Union has kicked off a contest called “Investing in You.” Any person or group with a good idea about how to make the First Coast a better place is asked to submit their concept, and winners will receive $1,000 grants to put their ideas into action. Joining us with more about the contest were Roger Rassman, vice president of marketing at Community First Credit Union, and Curt LoGiudice, executive director and curator of the Catty Shack Ranch, which just won a grant from the contest.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Challenges Facing the Alvin Brown Administration on WJCT’s First Coast Connect

From fights over furniture to a flap over Jacksonville’s new budget, to ongoing questions about the city’s human rights ordinance, Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown and his staff have their hands full on a number of fronts. The mayor’s approval rating remain high but political scientists say the honeymoon always end for city leaders. We discussed the latest and what it means for the Brown administration’s future endeavors with Matt Corrigan, head of the political science department at University of North Florida, and Marcella Washington, political science professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville.

And we spoke to Bob Deans, a veteran journalist and senior staffer at the Natural Resources Defense Council. His new book, Reckless: The Political Assault on the American Environment, says that both Democrats and Republicans need to get back on the same page about safegaurding the environment before more damage is done.

The U.S. Coast Guard is using a local product in the effort to clean the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill. The eco-friendly Love Bug Eraser is made right here in Ponte Vedra. We spoke to Don Meyns, president of the Awesome Products Corp, the makers of the sponge.

And in our Tech Tuesday segment, we spoke to Nick Cicero, social media strategist at Jacksonville’s On Ideas firm, about the Facebook IPO.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Changes to FCAT Scores on WJCT’s First Coast Connect

The Florida Board of Education held an emergency meeting facing tough criticism over changes in FCAT scoring that led to plunging drops in students’ writing scores. The score change led to an uproar from parents and educators. We discussed the issue with Trey Csar, executive director of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, Ashley Smith Juarex, executive director of the Chartrand Foundation, and Colleen Wood, executive director of Save Duval Schools.

Jacksonville is one of the least pedestrian and bicycle friendly cities in the country. It’s also the largest city in the country in terms of size, which means people are very dependent on their vehicles to get around. We’ll be looking at these topics tonight at 8:00 PM in our First Coast Forum, broadcasting live on WJCT TV and 89.9 FM. We previewed the forum this morning with Marci Larson, public affairs manager with the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization.

We also spoke to Ann Sabbag, owner of Health Designs, Inc, which provides wellness solution to companies of all sizes to help improve their productivity. She was also just named the small business person of the year for the state of Florida by the U.S. Small Business Administration. She was joined by Sandy Bartow, vice president of Entrepreneurial Growth at the JAX Chamber’s Women’s Business Center.

Northeast Florida Sculptors is presenting a new exhibit at the EverBank Building that will feature 19 different installation artworks. Joining us with more about the exhibition opening this weekend were sculptor Dave Engdahl and Jenny Hager, professor of sculpture at the University of North Florida.

And we got a preview of some of the great music you’ll hear from the Riverside Fine Arts new season with executive director Stacy Aubrey.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Gulf Coast Live: Arts Edition – Photographers Dennis Church and William Hofer / Maestro Jack Everly

Dennis Church – Fish Market

The In One Instant Gallery of Photography in downtown Fort Myers has unveiled a new artist cooperative format.  We’ll meet two local photographers featured in the gallery’s current exhibition:  Dennis Church and William Hofer.

William Hofer – WWII 240

We’ll also talk with the principal pops conductor for the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, Jack Everly, as he prepares to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra’s 2012 National Memorial Day concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol before an audience of hundreds of thousands.  The concert, honoring service men and women who have died for our country will be viewed by millions of people as one of PBS’s most watched programs.

The show will be live at Noon on 90.1 FM
Call in: 1-877-428-8255
Email: gulfcoastlive@wgcu.org
Click here to go to the show’s page