A virtual walk along the Southbank Riverwalk 2013

Take a virtual last walk along the Southbank Riverwalk.  Once the Southbank Riverwalk reconstruction is completed we will be updating the site with a walk along the new Riverwalk.


Music 'Waters in Motion' by Sonic Adventure Project . Courtesy of  BeatPick.com

For more details regarding the planned Southbank Riverwalk reconstruction please
visit MetroJacksonville.com
 
Till next time,
Bob

Southbank Reconstruction

This afternoon at the foot of Friendship Fountain and the Southbank Riverwalk Mayor Alvin Brown announced the "Kick Off" of the long awaited reconstruction of the Southbank Riverwalk.

Chief Administrative Officer Karen Bowling, Councilman Don Redman, Haskell Representatives as well as other City and Construction representatives were all present. Unfortunately our Summer Florida skies delivered some "Liquid Sunshine starting immediately before the ceremonies, ending almost on cue when completed, yours truly was soaked and many were scrambling to protect sensitive equipment.

I did get to meet Will Inman the Haskell Project Manager for the Southbank Reconstruction project. Will was kind enough to indicate that JaxFountain.com will have as much access as possible (much of the project will be completed from the water) to document progress of this all important project.









Phase One will be the demolition of the former home to the Maritime Museum, now located at The Jacksonville Landing (next to the Toy Factory).






Currently the Southbank Riverwalk is closed from Friendship Fountain to just past the Main Street Bridge underpass, for safety reasons during the demolition of the two Buildings at the foot of the Main Street Bridge. This area is to be reopened to the public once Phase One is completed. The remainder of the Riverwalk remains open to traffic at this time.

We will be posting updates and pictures as the project moves along and by next week hope to have additional images. More information regarding the reconstruction of the Southbank Riverwalk can be seen at the following links:
Jacksonville.com
COJ.net

 Until next time,
Bob

Psst...  Mayor Brown was very prompt and "On time" unlike recent holders of that office ;)

4th of July 2013 Friendship Fountain

13 years ago today I was lucky enough to get married at Friendship Fountain...
That little one (Our youngest) is 16 now and as tall as I am ;)

I was lucky on so many fronts... Married at my favorite place in the City of Jax, Married on my Favorite Holiday, Married in Jeans ;)... It just goes on.

Unfortunately we will not be able to visit this year but I know that those that get the chance to view the Fireworks from Friendship Fountain will have about the best seats in the City and we hope that some of you will take some pictures and share them with everyone by sending some our way to be added to the Friendship Fountain Image Gallery.

Here is one that was contributed by Dan Morris...

If you are a frequent visitor you may note we have updated the Friendship Fountain Image Gallery, same pictures but a more modern and fresh presentation. We will be updating the web site itself as well in the next few days and hope you will visit often.

Selene and I wish everyone a very Happy and Safe Fourth of July and hope that many of you will get a chance to visit our favorite place!

Until next time,
Bob

2013 Friendship Fountain Patriotic Music Program

I just received word from Rick Sawyer with The City of Jax that the Patriotic Music Program will begin playing at Friendship Fountain on Jul 1, 2013 at 8 AM ET and play through July 7, 2013.

If you haven't had a chance to see the Patriotic Music and Light Program at Friendship Fountain yet, or even if you have before, make sure to mark your calendars to get down to the Fountain one evening during the week of July 1st, 2013.



Also some of the best seats in Downtown Jax for the City of Jacksonville Fourth of July Fireworks are always from Friendship Fountain Park. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Walmart for sponsoring the 2013 Annual 4th of July Fireworks in conjunction with the City of Jacksonville. http://www.makeascenedowntown.com/Events/Fourth-of-July-Celebration.aspx

Folks a trip to Friendship Fountain is always a good time but there may not be a better time to visit than when the 4th of July Patriotic Music program is playing!

Until next time, Bob

2012 Boat Light Parade Downtown Jacksonville

The 2012 Jacksonville Boat Light Parade will be held on Nov 24, 2012 at 7:00 PM ET.

Viewable from both the North and South Riverwalks (including Friendship Fountain) it was also announced that immediately following the Light Parade the Holiday Fireworks Spectacular will be held including the signature Waterfall Fireworks from the Acosta and Main Street bridges.

JACKSONVILLE LIGHT PARADE SET FOR NOV. 24, 2012

This is a MUST see for Adults and kids alike and a great evening out for the family.

For more details click the link above.

Till next time, Bob

Psst... Follow @DTJax on Twitter

#FriendshipFountain Repaired and PINK for October

Received word from Mike Cribbs (writing for Rick Sawyer) that the Fountain lights have been repaired and Friendship Fountain is operating again.

This being Breast Cancer Awareness Month Friendship Fountain will be showing support by sporting the color PINK all month.

Local Breast Cancer Awareness Month events courtesy of Jacksonville.com
http://bit.ly/OUGsuU

The Fountain is expected to operate normally all Month and I am waiting word on the 2012 Holiday Schedule :)

Till next time, Bob

Southbank Riverwalk replacment plans...

Headline from Jacksonville.com

City eyes summer 2013 as possible starting date for replacement of aging Southbank riverwalk

Read the article here...

Plans are to replace the wood planked Riverwalk with concrete. While I have to say I loved the idea of a Wood Riverwalk when it was originally built the maintenance has proved to be beyond the City's capabilities and concrete is a better idea for long term...

-Bob

Friendship Fountain Drained!

Tweet from @JaxParks this afternoon...

Friendship Fountain water drained to allow for light repairs - hope to have operating again soon.

Will update when I get additional information.

-Bob

#FriendshipFountain Updates

I have been remiss in posting updates, my apologies.  Obviously I am not a writer in another life ;)

I have been getting inquiries as to the status of the "Blue Box".

The replacement "Blue Box" was put into service in June 2012 and while I heard there were some issues, that appeared to be operator related initially, the Fountain has basically been back in operation since.

The Week of July 4, 2012 the Fountain was operating with the patriotic Light and Sound program every evening and based on pictures I saw was operating 100% during the Jacksonville Downtown Fireworks extravaganza.

Also reports are that the patriotic music program had been updated and of course the Pergola is now in place.


More images here: http://JaxFountain.com/Gallery/pergola/

However all is not rosy as there have been recent reports of the Fountain not operating at times during the day, thanks @newzgrrl

Rick Sawyer, City of Jax, replied to my inquiry regarding these reports and let me know there are some lights not operating properly and an Electrical Contractor is working to try and determine what the problem may be, which requires that the Fountain be shut down at times.  However it should be operating with Water Features and Lights every evening.

Again my apologies for not posting sooner and thanks to those of you that have written directly, tweeted or left comments here for your interest in Friendship Fountain and your prodding to get updated information posted.

Til next time,
Bob

More #FriendshipFountain Construction

If you are planning on taking a trip to Friendship Fountain in the near future don't be surprised when you see new Construction Fencing on the East side of the Fountain...

As reported by Beth Slater (@newzgrrl on Twitter) fencing is in place and Rick Sawyer from the City of Jacksonville has confirmed this is the beginning of the Pergola addition to the east side of Friendship Fountain.

Estimated completion is not known at this time but we are certainly excited to see the City following through with this :)

Now we just need that pesky "Blue Box" replacment to arrive to get the lights and sounds of Friendship Fountain back to normal...

Mothers Day is this Sunday and there is a  Mother’s Day Boat Cruise to benefit the St. Johns Riverkeeper, 10 a.m.-Noon from #FriendshipFountain Reservations needed: Contact 904-256-7613 or shannon@stjohnsriverkeeper.org.
St. Johns RiverKeeper

Until next time,
Bob

#FriendshipFountain Update

Rick Sawyer, from the City of Jacksonville, sent us an email this morning and it appears that the "blue box", basically the electronic heart of the Fountain's Music and Light systems, has gone haywire and a replacement is on it's way.

Until it has been replaced the sounds and lights of Friendship Fountain will not be operating, however the water jets are unaffected.

We will post more information as it becomes available.

Until next time,
Bob

#FriendshipFountain Lights Issue

According to an update I received this Morning from Rick Sawyer, Park Maintenance Superintendent, an Issue cropped up Friday or Saturday night with the Fountain's Lighting which the Contractor is looking into.

So if you visit Friendship Fountain in the next few days the lights may not be working properly...

Will keep everyone posted as I get any information from the City.

-Bob

Green #FriendshipFountain? St. Patrick's Day

For St. Patrick's Day the City of Jacksonville is planning on turning Friendship Fountain GREEN :)

According to an update I received yesterday from Rick Sawyer, Park Maintenance Superintendent, City of Jacksonville, Friendship Fountain will be Green from March 12, to March 19, 2012 for St. Patrick's day...

Should make for some nice pictures not to mention just getting into the spirit of things.

The Fountain turned PINK for the Weekend of Feb 11 - 12, 2012 in Honor of the National Marathon To Finish Breast Cancer or better known as the 26.2 with Donna...

Certainly like to see the Fountain helping to promote Holidays and Events around town :)

Till next time,
Bob

#FriendshipFountain Schedule Update

I received an email from Rick Sawyer, Park Maintenance Superintendent, City of Jacksonville, this morning with just an update on the scheduling for the Fountain, which remains basically the same for the foreseeable future.

The basic Friendship Fountain hours of operation are scheduled as follows:

Fountain Water Feature: 9:00 AM ET to Midnight Daily 7 days a week.

Ambient Light Program starts: 4:15 PM ET to Midnight daily.

At the present time the Fountain is basically set on Low (as far as height of the Water streams) due to changing wind and potential freezing conditions.

Again Rick would appreciate any information from the public if you should note any irregularity in the Fountain Operations so they can continue to identify any issues.

Just drop a line here and I will pass them on...

Also I had the opportunity to get down to Friendship Fountain On Feb 4 and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the overall condition of the Park.

It appeared to be well maintained and the grass doing very well on the South, North and East sides of the Fountain and the West side, which takes the brunt of traffic and water overspray appeared to be recovering compared to a visit a month earlier...

I was there during the Free River tours given by The Jacksonville Water Taxi and there were about a 100 or more folks lined up for the rides while I was there, was very nice seeing the number of folks. Also watching the kids running and playing on the grass surfaces of Friendship Fountain Park just makes me realize what an improvement the Renovations last year made...

I want to pass on my Thanks to Rick for keeping us updated, what a welcome change ;)

Till next time, Bob

#FriendshipFountain Update - Hours & More

I have received many inquiries over the last month or so regarding the Hours of Operation for Friendship Fountain and today I received an email from Rick Sawyer who is now supervising Operations of Friendship Fountain.

Some background first... Apparently the programming for the Fountain is still experiencing some glitches and requires resetting occasionally which has disrupted the routine hours for the Fountain Operations however they have been working with the Contractor to sort those out.

The basic Friendship Fountain hours of operation are scheduled as follows:

Fountain Water Feature: 9:00 AM ET to Midnight Daily 7 days a week. (Note that the water is regulated to reduce overspray based on wind speed)

Outside Lighting: 6:00 PM ET to 7:00 AM ET

Inside Fountain Lighting: 4:15 PM ET to Midnight daily. (The early start is to allow for manual check to ensure programming is running)

Additional notes: During the winter months the water height is further regulated based on the possibility of freezing temps to prevent water spray from affecting the Main Street bridge.

Rick would appreciate any information from the public if you should note any irregularity in the Fountain Operations so they can continue to identify any issues.

Just drop a line here and I will pass them on...

Till next time, Bob

#FriendshipFountain Holiday Music Program - Corrected

I had originally posted that the Friendship Fountain Holiday program would be playing starting on Nov 7, 2011 however I miss understood the schedule sent to me and today I received clarification with the corrected information.

The Holiday Music program will run from Nov 23, 2011 December 31, 2011

My apologies to everyone for the incorrect earlier dates and any inconvenience...

-Bob

#FriendshipFountain Holiday Music Program

(Corrected)

I received an email from Lloyd Fountain, Chief of Public Buildings, this morning indicating that the Friendship Fountain Holiday Program would start running on Nov 23, 2011.

Patriotic program Schedule:
November 7, 2011 - November 14, 2011

Holiday program Schedule:
November 23, 2011 - December 31, 2011

Lloyd did not indicate times however I would assume (that usually gets me in trouble) that the times would be similar to the Patriotic Program:

12:00 - 12:30 PM Music program
5:30 - 6:00 PM Music program
8:00 - 10:30 PM Music program

I sure would appreciate anyone that gets by the Fountain in the next few days to let us know if those times are accurate as well as your thoughts regarding the program..

Thanks to Lloyd Fountain and Eric Lindstrom, JEDC, for keeping us updated.

Until next time,
Bob

Sophia's Letter to #FriendshipFountain

I often get asked why do I spend my time and money running the JaxFountain web site, what do I get out of it,
well here is one reason...

I got a tweet from a Mom asking what address she could send a Letter to Friendship Fountain. Seems this was a physical letter from her 4 year old Daughter Sophia.
Well Friendship Fountain has an address but I doubt they deliver any mail there as it doesn't have on site staff. I suggested the Mayor's Office would be appropriate.

Mom related the following to me...

Sophia was singing "Proud to be an American" the other day and asked when we could go back to Friendship Fountain.
She was upset when I told her that the fountain no longer has music, but was very excited when I explained that the music is coming back at Christmas.

Below is a shot of the Letter being sent to the Mayor and Mom provided the following translation.
Remember Sophia is only 4 years old.

"We like the music. I can't wait until Christmas. Dear Friendship Fountain."

Well I sure hope the Mayor gets the letter but I would like to personally Thank Sophia for taking the time to let us know she likes Friendship Fountain and hope she gets to visit again very soon.

And Sophia, you keep right on singing "Proud to be an American"

Thanks Sophia,
Bob

#FriendshipFountain - 12th Annual Lights On Afterschool celebration

Jacksonville will be celebrating the 12th Annual Lights On Afterschool celebration with a walk along the Southbank and ending with a rally at Friendship Fountain.

Courtesy of The Examiner

The event will take place on Thursday, October 20 from 4:30-6 p.m. The students will begin walking from the Chart House at 4:15 p.m., go along the Southbank Riverwalk, and culminate at Friendship Fountain at 4:30 p.m., where the program will take place.

Learn more about the Lights On Afterschool program here:
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/

Even more information HERE!

Support Education, our Kids and Jacksonville!

-Bob

Downtown Jacksonville Gets New Center Piece

The former Modis building (formerly AccuStaff and Independent Life Building), directly across the St. John's River from Friendship Fountain, has been renamed and the new signage was lifted into place on Sunday Oct 25, 2011.

Welcome the "Wells Fargo" Building.



I also got a Video of the "F" and "W" letters being positioned on the Building.





More images of the Letters being hung as well as the new Jacksonville Skyline can be viewed here:
http://jaxfountain.com/Gallery/WellsFargo

I will be posting up some additional new pictures of the Fountain, with some rising sun views, in the next day or so as well as an additional post regarding the current issues with Friendship Fountain.

Until then,
Bob