First Coast Connect

The rich history of the First Coast’s music scene comes into focus at the second annual Music Tour presented by Riverside Avondale Preservation. The event features eight stages and nearly 30 performers at stages and venues around 5 Points. In addition to shows by Duval stalwarts Tough Junkie, Jay Myztroh and Christina Wagner, the event features conversations with local authors Tim Gilmore and Jennifer Chase, in addition to the author of a new history of Jax Beach all-ages music club Einstein A Go-Go.

Guests:

• Jon Glass, author of Occupancy 250: Fans, Bands and Fried Chicken.
• Shannon Blankinship, executive director of Riverside Avondale Preservation.
• Max Michaels, founder of Movement Magazine.

Then, a local environmental group changes its mission to address a broader range of pollutants and hazards. Created to combat ocean plastics, Beaches Go Green is now working to educate the community about all environmental toxins and their effects on human health. We talk to the group’s founder and outreach coordinators about keeping what can seem like overwhelming global challenges at community scale.

Annual fall festival at Beaches Town Center, 5-7 p.m. Oct. 22.

Guests:

• Anne Marie Moquin, founder and executive director, Beaches Go Green.
• Morgan Eaton, director of programs, Beaches Go Green.
• Shelby Berendt, director of community outreach, Beaches Go Green. 

And, it’s a dance that originated in the Dominican Republic but is grounded in the movement of your hips. We preview “Bachata Dreams, Salsa Nights,” a dance tutorial/dance party held at the USS Orleck at The Navy Pier in Downtown Jacksonville on Friday.

Guests:

• Yaya Cardona, Hispanic outreach coordinator for the city of Jacksonville, founder of Yaya Productions.
• Nadia Seesock, events and volunteer coordinator for the USS Orleck.

We sit down with Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan to discuss the latest city business — from a highly contentious budget battle to accusations of wasteful spending to the abrupt departure of her chief administrative officer. She also takes your calls and questions.

Guest:

• Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan.

Then, a live event highlights real stories and remarks from a cult intervention expert, whose work has been featured on Hulu, HBO and more. Ashlen Weltz Hilliard seeks to inspire thoughtful conversation and support of those who fall victim to the manipulation of cult leaders — and to highlight the struggles it takes to break free. We talk with Weltz to preview the “The Psychology of Cults” event at the Florida Theatre and discuss how coercion and abuse can start by manifesting in everyday life and relationships.

Guest:

• Ashlen Weltz Hilliard, cult intervention specialist and founder of People Leave Cults.

And, a local company cultivates “Florida-friendly” landscapes by building environments that allow the health of state ecosystems to flourish. Wacca Pilatka seeks to promote sustainability in professional landscaping. The company’s owner and founder previews the “Wacca Pilatka Mural Celebration and Fall Makers Market,” where people can shop for hand-made products, get gardening tips and demonstrations from staff and more.

Guest:

• Nick Freeman, owner and founder of Wacca Pilatka Landscaping and Garden Center.

After 34 manatee fatalities were recorded in Northeast Florida this year alone, the Public Trust for Conservation, along with scientists and maritime experts, are collaborating on solutions to protect the state’s cherished gentle giants. Drones and advanced mapping technology to alert mariners about the presence of manatees are just some of the proposed guardrails devised to limit sea cow deaths. We discuss the initiatives the group is spearheading to promote coexistence between commerce and conservation.

Guest:

• John Henry November, executive director and general counsel, Public Trust for Conservation.

Then, offering support to elders while empowering their independent lifestyles. A local group utilizes caregivers, who are also seniors, to help maintain their peers' ways of life — whether that be through work or in the comfort of their own homes. A senior care expert also highlights the importance of keeping seniors in the workforce amid challenges like ageism and local labor shortages.

Guests:

• Lori Whitman, CEO, Seniors Helping Seniors Northeast FL.
• Tyler Whitman, president, Seniors Helping Seniors Northeast FL.
• Allie Smith, senior caregiver.

And, the Stadium of the Future unveils its grand staircase as the Big Cats prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. We preview the team’s only Monday night prime time game this season.

Guest:

• Alessandra Pontbriand, sportscaster at WJXT News4Jax.

Plus, an Arlington home tour highlights the neighborhood’s architectural treasures from mid-century modern designs to riverfront manors to a Cold War-era fallout shelter. The 9th annual Arlington Mod & More takes place Oct. 11-12, kicking off at the historic Norman Studios complex.

Guests:

• Trish Kapustka, chair, Arlington Mod & More Home Tour.
• Peter Mione, Arlington homeowner.

Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:

• The president of the University of North Florida appears to be headed for the door after announcing he’s the sole finalist for the top job at the University of South Florida.
• Gov. Ron DeSantis takes on “Holo Donna” in a bid to cut state property taxes.
• An annual domestic violence homicide report now tracks who knew about the abuse and whether they intervened.
• From flood disclosures for renters to increased penalties for tampering with ankle monitors, nearly 30 new Florida laws took effect this week.
  

Guests:

• John Daigle, political consultant, former reporter, owner of Daigle Creative.
• Madelyn Schneider, editor-in-chief at UNF’s Spinnaker Media.
• Nikesha Williams, producer of the Black & Published podcast, author of The Seven Daughters of Dupree. 
• David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union.

Later, a local staging of the play Moon for the Misbegotten by three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill. The four-act drama is a sequel set 11 years after his landmark Long Day’s Journey Into Night. We talk to the theater’s artistic director about tackling the playwright’s final tragic drama and why the 1943 play remains relevant to audiences today.

Guest:

• Raines Carr, artistic director at ABET (All Beaches Experimental Theatre).

So-called “safe harbor” laws designed to protect targets of sex trafficking in Florida are failing victims, according to a new report by the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center. Instead of getting help, victims are too often shuttled into the criminal justice system or otherwise detained without needed services. The study’s authors unveiled their findings Thursday on First Coast Connect and discussed what needs to happen to fix the problem. You can find the report at seethegirl.org.

Guests:

• Inderjit Vicky Basra, president & CEO of the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center.
• Stacy Ellison, vice president of development and communications for the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center.
  

Then, some of the hardest working people in America are homeless. We talk to the author of There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America about housing precarity ahead of his local book reading. The acclaimed author spent years following five families who sadly typify the experience of thousands of homeless people: those who the author says are enduring “an emergency born less of poverty than prosperity. Families are not ‘falling’ into homelessness. They’re being pushed.” Though the families he followed live in Atlanta, it’s a problem replicated in Jacksonville — and virtually every other American city. As the book notes, “Today there isn’t a single state, metropolitan area, or county in the United States where a full-time worker earning the local minimum wage can afford a two-bedroom apartment.” Brian Goldstone will be in Jacksonville Beach for a book reading from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at Palms Presbyterian Church. For more information, go to palmschurch.org/event/a-evening-with-brian-goldstone/.

Guest:

• Brian Goldstone, author of There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. 

As challenges to the planet’s health evolve, so must those working to protect it. On the First Coast, the mantle of environmentalism has been picked up in ways large and small by a cohort of young, creative, persistent and social media-savvy advocates. Ahead of Florida Climate Week, Oct. 6-12, we talk to three of them about balancing activism and optimism in the face of enormous challenges. We also talk to the executive director of the St. Johns Riverkeeper, who just celebrated his 20th year with the organization, about the importance of infusing the next generation with a love of conservation and ecological curiosity.

Guests:

• Rhiley K. Hodges, founder of Watered Down.
• Ryan Worthington, Florida master naturalist and environmental advocate with Floridians Advancing Florida’s Outdoors.
• Tiffany Bess, sustainability education and outreach specialist with the city of Jacksonville; founder of Apple Rabbit Compost.
• Jimmy Orth, executive director of St. Johns Riverkeeper. 

Then, a new leader takes the helm more than six decades after the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens was founded. We talk to her about what it means to pick up the legacy and what changes the community can expect as she takes the helm after serving several months in an interim capacity. We also ask how her background in business and finance will figure into her leadership style at the arts institution.

Guest:

• Kim Noble, George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs director & CEO, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.

And, the 13th season of the Florida Chamber Music Project offers a chance to explore famous and lesser-known chamber music pieces performed live. Upcoming shows include the music of Kevin Puts and Felix Mendelssohn on Sunday, a performance that includes Mendelssohn’s energetic and emotional 1837 String Quartet in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2. Performances through May include classical works by Mozart, Beethoven and Dvorak as well as contemporary pieces by Puts and Jessie Montgomery.

Guest:

• Susan Pardue, Florida Chamber Music Project founder and violist.

President Trump’s recent overt actions targeting political enemies are unlike anything seen from prior administrations, but some believe they resemble moves by autocratic leaders elsewhere, including Hungary and Venezuela. We talk to the dean of the Jacksonville University law school about the political and legal implications for Trump’s declared enemies — and everyone else.

Guests:

• Nick Allard, founding dean of the Jacksonville University College of Law.

Then, adolescent suicide risks, from firearms and alcohol to AI and cyberbullying ... we look at what local programs are in place to help and what more change is needed. After World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, local advocates assess the progress of the Zero Suicide Jax initiative, which aims to coordinate with statewide programs to reduce suicide and promote mental well-being.

Guests:

• Jasmine Flowers, survivor and peer recovery specialist.
• Nick Padlo, CEO at Sophros Recovery.
• Dr. Christine Cauffield, CEO at LSF Health Systems.

And, after 42 years in the news biz, the co-creator of First Coast Connect (and former longtime TV photojournalist) is hanging up his green eyeshade. We sit down with FCC Executive Producer David Luckin for an exit interview as he shifts to a full-time focus on his other projects with WJCT Public Media, including promotions, programming, film and, of course, his beloved Saturday night show Electro Lounge.

Guest:

• David Luckin, WJCT station manager, Electro Lounge Host, executive producer of First Coast Connect.

A decade after the cargo ship El Faro sank in Category 4 Hurricane Joaquin on its scheduled route from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico, we talk to the families of two crew members about the enduring legacy of the maritime tragedy and what has changed since then. We also talk to a local historian about how the disaster is remembered in this port city, and the myriad failings of equipment and judgment that precipitated the catastrophic sinking, which killed all 33 men and women aboard on Oct. 1, 2015.

Guests:

• Rochelle Hamm, widow of El Faro helmsman Frank Hamm and founder of the Hamm Alert Foundation.
• Alan Bliss, CEO of the Jacksonville History Center.
• Glen Jackson, brother of El Faro able seaman Jack E. Jackson.

Then, an opportunity for everyone to learn more about breast health and breast cancers — for free. We talk to the founder of the annual Public Forum on Breast Health about 25 years of providing breast health education to medically underserved communities. The Oct. 2 event includes a wide ranging Q&A session featuring recognized experts in a broad array of relevant fields, from hematology and radiation oncology to psychiatry and plastic surgery. The free event includes dinner, but registration is required.

Guest:

• Dr. Shahla Masood, pathologist/cytopathologist at UF Health Jacksonville and medical director for the UF Health Breast Center.

And, we recap game four for the Jags as they met San Francisco on the 49er’s home turf. Our Monday morning sports whisperer breaks down what it means for the team and what fans need to watch for as the season continues.

Guest:

• Alessandra Pontbriand, sportscaster at WJXT News4Jax.

Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:

• Ugly, personal and 13 hours long: The City Council’s budget debate finally wraps with a $2 billion deal.
• First responders worry what the new tax rollback means for public safety. 
• An environmental lawsuit seeking to ban beach driving in American Beach engenders the law of unintended consequences. 
• Jacksonville agrees to incentivize film and TV production to the tune of $400,000.
• Florida’s new open carry law goes live.
  

Guests:

• Mike Mendenhall, City Hall reporter and associate editor at Jacksonville Today.
• Tricia Booker, author and journalism professor at the University of North Florida.
• Jake Stofan, city and state government reporter at Action News Jax.
• Obi Umunna, attorney and political consultant.

 
Then, the Great American Scarecrow Festival gives everyone a chance to create their own strawman. The annual event includes a pumpkin toss, scarecrow bingo, live music, even a chance to “walk the plank” with costumed privateers. The festival benefits the St. Johns County-based charity Pie in the Sky, which brings meals and regular visits to seniors facing hunger and isolation with the goal of helping “seniors age in place with dignity.”

Guest:

• Malea Guiriba, founder and CEO of Pie in the Sky.

Jimmy Kimmel has returned to the airwaves (in some places), but the free speech fallout that followed the assassination of a conservative icon continues. We discuss the state of free speech in the Free State of Florida, along with other state and local headlines, including implications for taxpayers and Jacksonville’s city budget after a marathon City Council meeting led to a small millage rate reduction. We also discuss the future of property taxes as state lawmakers consider eliminating them.

Guest:

• Attorney, author and government expert Chris Hand.
  

Then, a highly sought-after bassist whose performance with the Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few earned a rare 5-star review from Downbeat, returns home to Jacksonville. Ahead of his show at the Jessie, we talk to the Chicago-based bandleader about his trajectory from performing at FAMU and with the 2009 Disneyland All-American College Band to playing alongside some of the most acclaimed musicians in contemporary jazz.

Guests:

• John Lumpkin, jazz artist, educator and founder of the Jazz Discovery Series.
• Chicago-based bassist and bandleader Jeremiah Hunt.

And, a record fair that could only happen at The Amp. Known for its chill vibes, outdoor setting and broad selection, Tonevendor records hosts its (almost) annual event, which began back in 2013. In addition to the expected sea of vinyl, the sale features cassettes, CDs, posters, collectables and even stereo equipment. The daylong event also features concessions, beer and cocktails for those who want to hang and listen to DJ Papi Disco spin records.

Guests:

• Dianya Markovits, director of public relations at SJC Cultural Events Inc.
• Dan Sostrom, owner of Tonevendor records and organizer of the St. Augustine Record Fair.