Around the Region: Beaches Museum "Story of Palm Valley" and more

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BEACHES Mayport Village workshop

A Community Development Area workshop will be 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Marine Science Education Center, 1347 Palmer St., Atlantic Beach. For more, (904) 739-2338.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH Beaches museum events this month

The Beaches Museum and History Park opens its Palmettos, Piers and Pioneers: The Story of Palm Valley exhibit 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at the museum, 381 Beach Blvd. Then at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, storytellers will present Tales of Palm Valley at the museum. The museum and park are operated by the Beaches Area Historical Society. For more, BeachesMuseum.org.

CLAY Clay Electric Capital Credits refund

Clay Electric Cooperatives Board of Trustees recently declared a $5.25 million Capital Credits refund for past and present cooperative members receiving service from the utility from 1987-2013. The average amount of the electric bill credit will be $19.05.

CLAY Seed clinic

The Garden Club of Fleming Island will present a clinic 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Fleming Island Library, 1895 Town Center Boulevard,Orange Park. Clinic is open to the public, although attendees are asked to bring seeds and an empty egg carton to start planting. For more, (904) 705-3319.

CLAY Dreams Come True fundraiser

Principal John Green Jr. of Lakeside Junior High School, 2750 Moody Avenue, Orange Park, will don the schools gator mascot costume to walk a mile down Kingsley Ave. to arrive at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Club Continental, 2143 Astor St., also in Orange Park. The walk is the result of school students, staff and parents raising $5,000 to make the Dreams Come True for a local family battling a life-threatening illness.

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Around the Region: Beaches Museum "Story of Palm Valley" and more

As Beaches grow, so too, parking woes, revenues, projects

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NEPTUNE BEACH | Rising property values along with new construction are buoying the Beaches financially, although the need for more and better parking to accommodate growth remains a challenge, said the mayors of the three cities.

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham along with counterparts Carolyn Woods of Atlantic Beach and Harriet Pruette of Neptune Beach discussed their cities accomplishments and the road ahead during an annual joint State of the Beaches program last week hosted by Beaches Watch, a nonprofit nonpartisan citizen advocacy organization. Eighty-one people packed the community room at the Beaches branch library in Neptune Beach for the program.

Latham noted USA Today named Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach among the best and most accessible beach communities to vacation in Florida. Fernandina Beach in Nassau County also made that list published Jan. 30.

That popularity and attention translates into more people wanting to live at and visit the Beaches. The mayors say that is good news, but it also increases parking demand, pretty much limited year-round, and on infrastructure.

While parking may be the big issue, Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach also will undertake major road and sewage projects including a large swath of First Street in both communities.

Property values in Jacksonville Beach have increased 7.9 percent in the last year. That leads any other Florida city north of Orlando, Latham said of his city, the largest of the three Beaches municipalities.

Increased property values generate more revenue, which can be used for public works projects and other improvements, he said. So were making good decisions. Were growing responsibly and were a desirable place to be, he said. When you make it a really nice place to be, people want to come.

Latham said city staff constantly review ordinances or policies that might restrict businesses as part of its effort to attract and retain businesses. He emphasized any changes first would have to be OKd by the Jacksonville Beach City Council before being implemented.

Among issues being examined are ways to alleviate parking woes in the downtown business district. One possibility the city is looking at would be to reduce the number of parking spaces a restaurant is required to have at its site, Latham said.

Right now, there is a certain number of spaces that each restaurant is required to provide, or pay into the [city] parking fund, and that has somewhat of a limiting factor to new businesses that enter the market, he said.

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As Beaches grow, so too, parking woes, revenues, projects

As Jacksonville's Beaches grow, so too, parking woes, revenues, projects

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NEPTUNE BEACH | Rising property values along with new construction are buoying the Beaches financially, although the need for more and better parking to accommodate growth remains a challenge, said the mayors of the three cities.

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham along with counterparts Carolyn Woods of Atlantic Beach and Harriet Pruette of Neptune Beach discussed their cities accomplishments and the road ahead during an annual joint State of the Beaches program last week hosted by Beaches Watch, a nonprofit nonpartisan citizen advocacy organization. Eighty-one people packed the community room at the Beaches branch library in Neptune Beach for the program.

Latham noted USA Today named Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach among the best and most accessible beach communities to vacation in Florida. Fernandina Beach in Nassau County also made that list published Jan. 30.

That popularity and attention translates into more people wanting to live at and visit the Beaches. The mayors say that is good news, but it also increases parking demand, pretty much limited year-round, and on infrastructure.

While parking may be the big issue, Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach also will undertake major road and sewage projects including a large swath of First Street in both communities.

Property values in Jacksonville Beach have increased 7.9 percent in the last year. That leads any other Florida city north of Orlando, Latham said of his city, the largest of the three Beaches municipalities.

Increased property values generate more revenue, which can be used for public works projects and other improvements, he said. So were making good decisions. Were growing responsibly and were a desirable place to be, he said. When you make it a really nice place to be, people want to come.

Latham said city staff constantly review ordinances or policies that might restrict businesses as part of its effort to attract and retain businesses. He emphasized any changes first would have to be OKd by the Jacksonville Beach City Council before being implemented.

Among issues being examined are ways to alleviate parking woes in the downtown business district. One possibility the city is looking at would be to reduce the number of parking spaces a restaurant is required to have at its site, Latham said.

Right now, there is a certain number of spaces that each restaurant is required to provide, or pay into the [city] parking fund, and that has somewhat of a limiting factor to new businesses that enter the market, he said.

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As Jacksonville's Beaches grow, so too, parking woes, revenues, projects

NSW fatal shark attack keeps beach closed

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Surfers should get out of the water if they see a lot of baitfish around them, shark experts say.

They believe warm water and runoff from rainfall is attracting small fish, which in turn attract sharks.

The warning comes after 41-year-old Tadashi Nakahara was killed by a shark that tore his legs off at Shelly Beach, near Ballina, northern NSW.

It was Australia's fourth fatal shark attack in five months.

Marine ecologist Dr Daniel Bucher says the shark, believed to be a great white, could have been following a food trail that led it close to the shoreline.

Dr Bucher, from Southern Cross University, says recent rainfall meant food for fish was washed out from rivers to the ocean, drawing them in.

"Don't swim if you know there are plenty of baitfish around, especially if they are breaking the surface," he said on Tuesday.

"It usually means something is chasing them from below."

Dr Bucher said dusk and dawn were notorious for shark activity and also warned swimmers to avoid river mouths and stormwater drains after rain.

Shark expert Vic Hislop said heavy fishing was thinning out the ocean, leading sharks to hunt for food close to shore.

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NSW fatal shark attack keeps beach closed

Hunt for shark that killed NSW surfer

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Surfers should get out of the water if they see a lot of baitfish around them, shark experts say.

They believe warm water and runoff from rainfall is attracting small fish, which in turn attract sharks.

The warning comes after 41-year-old Tadashi Nakahara was killed by a shark that tore his legs off at Shelly Beach, near Ballina, northern NSW.

It was Australia's fourth fatal shark attack in five months.

Marine ecologist Dr Daniel Bucher says the shark, believed to be a great white, could have been following a food trail that led it close to the shoreline.

Dr Bucher, from Southern Cross University, says recent rainfall meant food for fish was washed out from rivers to the ocean, drawing them in.

"Don't swim if you know there are plenty of baitfish around, especially if they are breaking the surface," he said on Tuesday.

"It usually means something is chasing them from below."

Dr Bucher said dusk and dawn were notorious for shark activity and also warned swimmers to avoid river mouths and stormwater drains after rain.

Shark expert Vic Hislop said heavy fishing was thinning out the ocean, leading sharks to hunt for food close to shore.

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Hunt for shark that killed NSW surfer

Astronomy – Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (3 of 16) Ancient Structures: Stonehenge – Video

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Astronomy - Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (3 of 16) Ancient Structures: Stonehenge
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain how the ancient English Stonehenge celebrates summer solstic...

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (3 of 16) Ancient Structures: Stonehenge - Video

Video: Awesome new NASA video shows giant asteroid with small moon – Video

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Video: Awesome new NASA video shows giant asteroid with small moon
New images from NASA and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory clearly show a tiny moon circling Asteroid 2004 BL86 - 800000 miles from earth. The asteroid is a big space rock that New...

By: Graig Park

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Video: Awesome new NASA video shows giant asteroid with small moon - Video

Astronomy – Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (10 of 16) The Power of Observations and Reasoning – Video

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Astronomy - Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (10 of 16) The Power of Observations and Reasoning
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain how Erastothenes used the power of observation to calculate ...

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Ch. 4: History of Astronomy (10 of 16) The Power of Observations and Reasoning - Video

Astronomy For Everyone – Episode 1 – Naked Eye Observing June 2009 – Video

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 1 - Naked Eye Observing June 2009
Astronomy For Everyone is a TV series of monthly TV shows developed by members of the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club (FAAC) targeted to beginner and intermediate audiences as well as all amateur ...

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 1 - Naked Eye Observing June 2009 - Video

Astronomy For Everyone – Episode 4 – Observing Jupiter September 2009 – Video

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 4 - Observing Jupiter September 2009
Astronomy For Everyone is a TV series of monthly TV shows developed by members of the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club (FAAC) targeted to beginner and intermediate audiences as well as all amateur ...

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 4 - Observing Jupiter September 2009 - Video

Astronomy For Everyone – Episode 7 – Gifts for the Astronomer December 2009 – Video

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 7 - Gifts for the Astronomer December 2009
Astronomy For Everyone is a TV series of monthly TV shows developed by members of the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club (FAAC) targeted to beginner and intermediate audiences as well as all amateur ...

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 7 - Gifts for the Astronomer December 2009 - Video

Astronomy For Everyone – Episode 9 – Galileo An Historical Perspective February 2010 – Video

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 9 - Galileo An Historical Perspective February 2010
Astronomy For Everyone is a TV series of monthly TV shows developed by members of the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club (FAAC) targeted to beginner and intermediate audiences as well as all amateur ...

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 9 - Galileo An Historical Perspective February 2010 - Video

Astronomy For Everyone – Episode 10 – Telescopes Part 1 March 2010 – Video

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 10 - Telescopes Part 1 March 2010
Astronomy For Everyone is a TV series of monthly TV shows developed by members of the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club (FAAC) targeted to beginner and intermediate audiences as well as all amateur ...

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 10 - Telescopes Part 1 March 2010 - Video

Astronomy For Everyone – Episode 20 – Winter Constellations & Star Lore January 2011 – Video

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Astronomy For Everyone - Episode 20 - Winter Constellations Star Lore January 2011
Astronomy For Everyone is a TV series of monthly TV shows developed by members of the Ford Amateur Astronomy Club (FAAC) targeted to beginner and intermediate audiences as well as all amateur ...

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Everything you wanted to know about the stars and more, from Astronomy magazine

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We all know astronomy is cool, Astronomy magazine writes in its March issue the 500th since the magazine was launched in August 1973. To demonstrate and celebrate, the magazine compiled a wide-ranging, colorfully illustrated list of 500 facts ranging over every aspect of the cosmos and how we perceive it. Heres a sampling:

1. Exactly 88 constellations cover the sky, with no gaps and no overlaps.

2. The solar systems largest moon, Ganymede,which orbits Jupiter, contains 25 percent more volume than Mercury.

10. The most luminous star visible to the naked eye, 34 Cygni, outshines the sun by 610,000 times.

22. If you drilled a tunnel through Earth and jumped in, you would reach the other side in 42 minutes and 12 seconds, and your top speed would be 17,670 mph.

44. As your eyes adapt to darkness, their sensitivity increases 10,000-fold in the first 30 minutes, with little gain after that.

71. The odds are greater than 7-to-1 that on your birthday, the sun was not in what you think is your zodiacal constellation.

107. The 60-ton Hoba iron meteorite in Namibia is the worlds largest intact meteorite.

198. Of the 12 traditional constellations of the zodiac, Capricorn is the smallest.

251. When the universe was 14 million years old, its background temperature was 80 degrees Fahrenheit, about the same as a summer day on Earth.

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Everything you wanted to know about the stars and more, from Astronomy magazine

Google gives $1 million to historic Lick Observatory

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By Lisa M. Krieger lkrieger@mercurynews.com

Google has contributed $1 million to help support Lick Observatory, the financially needy astronomy haven atop Mount Hamilton.

While other donors have helped buy high-end instruments, Google's gift is different because it will pay day-to-day operating expenses of the historic observatory, perched on a 4,200-foot summit above San Jose and the only observatory in the UC system where students can design and build their own astronomy projects.

"Google is proud to support their efforts to bring hands-on astronomical experiences to students and the public," said Chris DiBona, director of open source for Google, in a prepared statement.

The gift -- $500,000 a year, for two years -- is the first of what astronomers hope will be other private gifts to support the teaching and research resource. Lick astronomers have discovered asteroids, moons of Jupiter and planets outside our solar system.

It will be used to hire another telescope operator for the Shane three-meter telescope, which periodically closes due to staff shortages. Another probable use of the funds will be to continue the development of laser guide star adaptive optics.

The gift represents about one-quarter of the observatory's annual budget, augmenting the $1.5 million UC gives each year to operate the mountaintop site.

"Google's very generous gift will make it possible for Lick ... to continue to develop forefront tools such as adaptive optics, which removes image blurring caused by turbulence in Earth's atmosphere," said Claire Max, interim director of the University of California Observatories, which operates Lick.

Until its funding was cut, Lick's budget was about $2.5 million annually supporting astronomers and students from eight of the 10 UC campuses and the UC-managed Department of Energy labs.

UC announced in 2013 that it would reduce funding for Lick starting in 2016, with a complete cutoff after 2018. "Telescopes and instruments are growing ever more expensive, and many of the traditional sources of funds for supporting astronomy -- the state and federal governments -- are facing growing claims on their resources," according to one report. "Old facilities on Mt. Hamilton ... would cost more to modernize than could be rationalized in terms of their usefulness."

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Google gives $1 million to historic Lick Observatory

Watch: Gas Prices Pumping Higher

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Transcript for Gas Prices Pumping Higher

Okay. It is Monday February 9 the markets in New York are open and a big number this morning two dollars twenty cents. Kathleen a state which. Even though may seem low it's actually up thirteen cents over the past two weeks all according to a new lumber Saturday. No this price hike is the first rise in gas prices on nine month slide. Well when I'm Dan Butler in new York and America the minute joints you've got to the possible month big question is not a listing this change is the party over. Ordering in retail expert at mad Lexus cars big and fast just like his breakfast Yahoo! finance is Jack MacKey mister MacKey happy Monday morning to you. And happy in my video my friends are faced a we've seen it when prices go up a little bit there what's going on there is it over means we now start stockpiling. Yeah I got done good enormous hole in my back yard filled with gas just. A little bit. We're probably a few bombs away from me just opium rogue warrior future where real this wrongly earth looking for gas. But the price has gone up more than 10% and bats while crude prices all underneath there Murray got to take bubble improved refining and come up with gas. Those prices are 20% higher so look for gas prices to catch up pretty fast to what crude is doing and that's really count what striding things. Again it doesn't feel like much after the decline we've had decided starts to matter in our 10% moves down resembled. What this gas at that because if you look at the actual portion of that rise that is it sustained increase then. Well in its traders play both sides of these things and so Croat Ed drops over 50% gas prices. Lagging that as they do to the downside. But it it's really going to be a fundamental issue and so we're trying to find a fair price for crude. It doesn't seem at least economically speaking demand for crude oil as a base substance hasn't fallen as far as the price has. So I would guess that approval kind of settled somewhere in the seventy's that's my guess. Other gases were. Vary all over the place. But I would think that we shouldn't expect much more we certainly aren't old anymore by the trading face in terms of falling gas prices I would expect them to inch at least a little bit higher. If not just rocket straight back to where we work. OK well let's talk about that the because if we artists are paying more at the pump house in effect are spending in other areas in the overall economy. But I united dads you know we haven't really seen exactly where that money's gone anyway summit's gone to people's savings. Some of it has gone into the higher end retail. But people are more complicated that may economists would have you think economics is a social science no matter what they try to convince you about its. Astro physics high math probability issues and so no one really knows what the savings wouldn't so positive affect consumers. You can't really tell for sure because we didn't see the bang for the buck going to places like Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's or the other motor type of establishments you would have expected to see more spending out of it anyway so it's not really clear but I do know that we bought or sold a lot of gas guzzlers last year. Val make things interesting for those buyers. Yeah wasn't asked about that means is they're going to be kind of lagged effect on and the next year to buy those that have gone out there and bought those vehicles those suvs and trucks may not necessarily get the best bang for the buck. Now they're not you know and again at CA I wish they. Were older than they ever had been more than a decade old and so a lot of times when you upgrade your track after that long a period your fuel efficiency. Goes up so much anyway just truck vs truck. That that's going to be part of an ever driving a truck Cassel still be cheaper because your car simply more efficient. But if you're one of as many Americans who decided you know what I'm gonna get rid of this little Ford tours are gonna buy me something with some muscle on it. 500 horse powers and four wheel drive and spoilers and whatnot. Also you're going to be paying quite a bit for gas and it's Americans as being Americans we saw those gas prices going lower and we're not inspected on gas price counseling. Type of vehicles. Those folks are gonna space a little bit of a spending crunch million dollars drive last I don't think it one's gonna go bankrupt over gas if you actually look at it in terms of your average expense per year its way under 5%. That the average American of the discretionary income goes towards gasoline so its not a deal breaker one way or the other right and you've always got your bike right meek and always rise. You can always walking into a public transit can do all kinds of different things. You can maybe turn off the eternal flame that people have put up in their backyard you don't need one of those refinery empires. It you're all that stuff that we have in the days cheap gas. The options of bounce our what do they look I think yup market just in general that's doctor Philip Moore lower this morning at what what's the big force behind that. Rally in the Dow at a huge week last week and is one of the biggest amounts. And all in for 2015 so far going into today the Dow Jones Industrial Average had gained a total. One point. On. So OI guess profit taking maybe this morning diverted points and area antlers about it. Both my gains while I album. You know it it's a lot of noise out their base that we're still barter earnings. I don't think the market is. Doing much to remember we were up 30% in 2013 another 1415%. Last year some consolidation makes sense even if it's not fun why are going through it. And I would expect us to kind of be in this trading range for what little while longer at least play as long as you're sitting shotgun with us for appreciate that mr. Max Yahoo! finance Jeff bank's commitment is there due to brother. Of course you can keep up with electric here on abcnews.com. Election a big number I'm Dan Cutler.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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Watch: Gas Prices Pumping Higher

Bill Gates: We Should All Be Concerned About Artificial Intelligence’s Growing Power – TOI – Video

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Bill Gates: We Should All Be Concerned About Artificial Intelligence #39;s Growing Power - TOI
Bill Gates: We should all be concerned about Artificial Intelligence #39;s growing power Like Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates thinks we should be conce...

By: The Times of India

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Bill Gates: We Should All Be Concerned About Artificial Intelligence's Growing Power - TOI - Video

Sebastian Rogers AKA Basszyx – Machines – Artificial Intelligence Dubstep 2015 – Video

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Sebastian Rogers AKA Basszyx - Machines - Artificial Intelligence Dubstep 2015
Bill Gates expressed that he feels humanity needs to be more cautious with the development of artificial intelligence. Stephen Hawking: #39;AI could spell end o...

By: Sebastian Rogers

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Sebastian Rogers AKA Basszyx - Machines - Artificial Intelligence Dubstep 2015 - Video