by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
Gridlocked in the worst traffic snarl in modern times did not stop me from making it to Jay Olchak’s rock’n’roll football soiree at Mill Cove Golf Club last Monday night. It took me an hour to travel the distance from Regency to Jay’s party. Yes, the confusing new construction detours on Monument Road began Monday night, with McCormick Road closed, causing major traffic problems.
Jay, who is running for City Council District 2, and whose party was a fundraiser for his campaign, said that the construction plan was the lesser of two evils. Presently, the plan should take a couple of weeks to complete. The other alternative was to build a bypass and then do the work, which would have taken a year. So, pity the poor residents in East Arlington, as 9A empties out onto Monument Road, causing extreme gridlock. My advice: Find another route.
Indeed, I’ve supported Jay’s campaign because he’s my friend, but more importantly, he’s a regular guy-- a true grass roots candidate–and anti-politician. Jay’s a neighborhood leader with a solid record of civic achievement. Jay is on many important boards to improve the quality of life in East Arlington, increase citizen input into city government, reform growth management, and improve parks for the youth of the area. Recently, Jay was recognized by the Jacksonville Police for “Meritorious Service” as a community leader and has been endorsed by the Jacksonville Firefighters for election to the City Council.
Normally, I take a dim view of politicians. Most of them turn out to be liars and thieves. They only get into politics for self-gain. Jay is the anthesis of the mealy-mouthed politico. He’s sincere and sees what needs to be fixed, then he bypasses the bureaucratic roadblocks to get things done. We need more people like Jay in local politics.
When I finally arrived at Jay’s fundraiser, Jay had put on a lavish buffet with a variety of comfort food. The fabulous all-female rock band, Too Many Shoes had just finished its set, and Cloud 9 was cranking up its eclectic repertoire as one of my favorite bands.
For many years, Robert Archey III has helmed this power trio called Cloud 9 as lead singer, guitarist and keyboard player with Dan Walters on drums and vocals, and Rick NesSmith on bass and vocals. The last time I crossed paths with Robert and Company was at the Landing in 2004. Hey, it seems like yesterday.
For Jay’s party, the band took requests from the partisan crowd at Mill Cove. Robert said he has gotten into playing the old Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show’s “Stump the Band” by soliciting requests. “No matter how off-the-wall the request is, we either know it or can fake our way through it. It’s fun and the audiences like it. Most of the time, people request the Beatles or the Rolling Stones or old-school rock, which is our speciality,” Robert said.
As testimony to Cloud 9’s wildly popular live show, the trio is booked a year in advance but always has a few dates open for private parties. Lately, the 9 lads have been playing Champs at the Sawgrass Marriott, the Sun Dog, Ragtime, Fionn MacCools, Whitey’s, and Latitudes Café. This band is always asked back to new venues on the strength of its quality musicianship and interactive audience show.
Of course, Monday night, one of the biggest football games of all time–the Florida Gators versus Ohio State-- brought the entire country to a screeching halt. Even the House of Representatives agreed not to vote on any legislation until Tuesday, after the big game. By bipartisan agreement, the members who had tickets went to the game in Arizona. Ah yes, football hysteria trumps everything. After the Gators won, Tuesday was a bust also.
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