Fleming Island News

As part of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Dr. Judith Rodriguez, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of North Florida, was recognized by Attorney General Bill McCollum for her commitment to studying and understanding the nutritional needs of the Hispanic community.

“The Department of Nutrition & Dietetics is so very proud of Dr. Rodriguez for this well deserved recognition of her many years of dedication and ground breaking work in the area of health disparities, particularly Hispanic health,” said Dr. Catherine Christie, chair of the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics at UNF. “Dr. Rodriguez represents the best of our profession and inspires us all as a mentor, colleague and role model.”

For the past 30 years, Rodriguez, a Southside resident, has focused on food, culture and health disparities, especially as they relate to the Latino/Hispanic population. She has used her knowledge and research to provide better services to the community and her profession.

UNF Art and Design professors Paul Ladnier and Emily Arthur Douglass will conduct a lecture at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a cultural resource of UNF, related to their works currently on display. The Art of Teaching lecture series augments the UNF Art and Design Faculty Exhibition at MOCA Jacksonville through Jan. 3, 2010. The lectures present the context in which each participating artist’s works on exhibition were created. Ladnier’s love for the texture of paint and its range of saturated colors will be discussed by this artist who is equally gifted at painting a landscape or an abstract. Douglass draws from nature in her experimental printmaking techniques. Birds, moths and snakes are among the motifs she uses to comment on the fragility of our existence and the rhythms and cycles of natural processes. For more information about this lecture series, visit http://www.mocajacksonville.org  or call 366-6911.

                The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) has positively identified remains recovered in Iraq as those of Captain Michael Scott Speicher.  Captain Speicher was shot down flying a combat mission in an F/A-18 Hornet over west-central Iraq on January 17th, 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Speicher's family for the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country," said Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy.  "I am also extremely grateful to all those who have worked so tirelessly over the last 18 years to bring Captain Speicher home."

"Our Navy will never give up looking for a shipmate, regardless of how long or how difficult that search may be," said Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations.  "We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Captain Speicher and his family for the sacrifice they have made for our nation and the example of strength they have set for all of us."

Boaters – Watch for Manatees Over the 4^th of July Weekend

Across the state, people are getting fired up for 4^th of July celebrations.  Save the Manatee Club reminds the boating community to be extra cautious over the busy weekend.

“Watercraft-related mortality is an ongoing yet preventable cause of manatee injuries and deaths,” said Dr. Katie Tripp, Director of Science and Conservation for Save the Manatee Club.  “There were 42 confirmed watercraft-related manatee deaths through June 5, 2009, and there have been a total of 240 mortalities so far this year.  These numbers represent the highest total mortality and second highest watercraft mortality documented during this time frame over the last 5 years.  In fact, historically, watercraft has been the leading known cause of manatee deaths.  However, with the cooperation and vigilance of the boating community, we hope that manatees can be protected from further injury during the July 4^th weekend and the remainder of the summer boating season.  Boaters often travel in waterways shared with manatees so they play an important role in protecting this endangered marine mammal.”

              Maged M. Hussein, 43, of Cairo, Egypt, died May 25 in Al Taqaddum, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle in Fallujah, Iraq.  He was employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, Jacksonville, Fla.