Jacksonville Westside Farms
Published December 9, 2009 | 
When I was growing up I thought that most of our produce came from farms around town. There use to be a lot of family farms on the north and westside of Jacksonville. I went looking for information about farms on the Westside to do a feature for this blog. Now I know that times are very tough right now and the family farm is being pushed out due to so called “PROGRESS” and the construction of new homes but can we really do without the family farm or even local farmers? With the prices of food, gas, etc. don’t we really need to go back to some of the basics of life? To that end I am looking for information about small family farms on the Westside. I believe there is still some room on the Westside of Jacksonville for small farmers to thrive and supply some of the other Jacksonville residences with much needed organically grown produce. If you are such a farmer or know of someone who is we would like to hear from you!
I have sent out some emails to some of the people who sell at the local farmers markets around town and hope to get some responses however I don’t believe that any of them are on the Westside. There is one listing for the Oakleaf GreenMarket but it closed for the season at the end of November and their website is still under construction. There are other “Open-Air” markets opened one day a week in Mandarin, The Town Center and the Beaches area. There is also the year-round Farmers Market on Beaver Street. Come-On Westsiders! What are you doing to promote your local farmers in your area?
Cheers
webmistress
Jax4Kids
Published October 1, 2009 | If you want to know what to do on Jacksonville Florida’s Westside Area check out the JAX4KIDS website. It is loaded with great information about what to do and when special events are coming. They have things listed by dates, types of events and the sides of towns. This is a great website to add to your bookmarks or favorites. Some of the places to visit are listed below:
Bowling Alleys – Westside
Jax Lanes West
904-781-4422 / 6526 Ramona Blvd
http://www.jaxlaneswest.com/index.html
Bowl-O-Matic Phoenix Lanes
904-387-3569 / 2600 Blanding Blvd
www.phoenixbowling.com
Cassat Batt Bowl
904-389-2360 / 1838 Cassat Ave
Fellow Bowlers Comments Page
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Cecil Aquatics Center Pool
Swim indoors at Cecil Aquatics Center. This heated pool is open to the public and open all year long, except on major holidays. Free. Hours are Monday – Thursday, 9am – 8pm; Friday, 8am – 6pm; Saturday, 9am – 6pm; Sunday, 1pm – 6pm. Note: The pool is closed for maintenance from 2pm – 3pm Monday – Saturday.
904-573-8994 / 13611-A Normandy Blvd /
www.coj.net
Crystal Springs Road Park
40-acre park with nature trails, exercise course, picnic tables, grills, a pond, playground, tennis courts, and multi-purpose play fields.
Admission is free.
Park hours are 5am – 10pm.
904-693-4909 / 9800 Crystal Springs Rd /
www.coj.net
Jacksonville-Baldwin Rails to Trails
14 miles of trail along the former CSX railway line. Features a paved path for walking, running, or in-line skating. Plenty of shade along much of the trail. The East entrance is two-tenth mile north of Commonwealth Ave, on Imeson Road. Two additional trails are currently under construction: one for mountain biking and another for riding horses. NOTE- Be prepared to stop at points where highways intersect the trail.
904-630-4100 / East Entrance: two-tenth mile north of Commonwealth Ave on Imeson Road;
West entrance: North of Route 90 on Brandy Branch Rd /
www.coj.net
103rd Street Sports Complex
This city-owned park features a lighted asphalt Go-Kart track with bleachers, grills, restrooms, and parking. Use of the track is free. However, riders must have their own Go-Kart and equipment. Spectators are also welcome to come on race and non-race days. For more information or race schedules, contact the North Florida Kart Club.
Their website is http://www.nfkc.us/php/
904-219-8729 / 10244 103rd St / 103rd Street Sports Complex
Ringhaver Park
The park includes a two-mile asphalt path with wooden bridges, providing access to the Ortega River Nature Preserve for walkers, joggers and the handicapped. There are also softball and soccer fields, a covered picnic area, and an all-child playground.
Open 5am – 10pm.
904-630-4100 / 5198 118th St /
www.coj.net
Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park
(Formerly Westside Regional Park)
“With 509 acres, Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park is among the largest of all Jacksonville parks. It features a nature center and outdoor classroom, picnic area with grills and playground equipment, biking trails, a series of hiking and nature trails, and an elevated platform from which to view wetlands, soaring bald eagles, and other birds. Along the trails you will see evidence of Jacksonville’s past in the form of a 16-foot wide brick road built in the early 20th century.
Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park is headquarters for the city’s park naturalist who will gladly set up a nature walk or program for your organized group, club, school, or class.
All programs are free of charge and can be scheduled by calling 904-573-2498.”
Call ahead for park hours.
904-573-2498 / 7000 Roosevelt Blvd /
www.coj.net
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Adventure Landing
Two 18-hole miniature golf courses, Go-Karts, Laser Tag, Arcade.
904-771-2803 / 4825 Blanding Blvd /
Diamond D Ranch
Ranch and forest horseback riding for all ages. 1 hour trail ride – $35. 2 hours – $65. Or pack a lunch and go for half day – $140. Children under 7 years of age – a parent or adult can hand lead a pony while child rides in the saddle around the ranch and can see all kinds of animals, such as water and bison buffalos, deer, goats, sheep, lama, antelope, ostrich, cows, horses and many more. Over-night stays available in the their bunkhouse. Call to make a reservation.
904-289-9331/ 5903-1 Solomon Rd /
www.diamonddranchinc.com
Doing Dishes
Paint your own pottery studio. No lessons needed. $6 per person plus pottery.
904-388-7088 / 1026 Edgewood Ave. South /
www.doingdishes.com
Home Depot Kids’ Workshops
Free “How-To Clinics” designed for children ages 5-12. Offered the first Sat of each month between 9am and 12 noon. Children accompanied by an adult construct projects from pre-fabricated kits. The kits are designed to be both educational and practical. Teaches do-it-yourself skills and tool safety.
904-782-6208 / 855 Lane Ave S /
www.homedepot.com
Jungle Quest
Jungle Quest is a safe, fun and experiential challenge that teaches self confidence, responsibility, problem solving and teamwork. The jungle, which includes four private party rooms, a toddler area and an observation area for parents, is open seven days a week, 10am to 6pm.
Available for birthday parties, drop-in play, groups and special events, Jungle Quest features:
* Zooming Zip Lines: 75 feet long, suspended 17 feet in the air
* Traverse Swinging Bridges: 15-feet-long rope bridges suspended seven to nine feet in the air
* Rock Wall: 20-feet-high
Located across the street from JAX NAS Yorktown Gate
Jungle Quest / 904-779-7572 / 4616-1 Sub Chaser Court /
www.junglequest.net
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Chamblin Book Mine
A used and rare books store. Customers can exchange books for others they wish to read. Features a big kids book section with kid-sized tables where children can sit and enjoy the book offerings.
Hours are Mon-Sat, 10am – 6pm.
904-384-1685 / 4551 Roosevelt Blvd /
www.chamblinbookmine.com
Posted in Jax Westside Horse Riding, Jax Westside Kids Stuff, Jax Westside Local Businesses, Jax Westside Parks | 
Jacksonville Westside Adventure Landing, Jacksonville Westside Bowling, Jacksonville Westside Horseback Riding, Jacksonville Westside Kids Workshops, Jacksonville Westside Parks, Jacksonville Westside Pottery | 
Leave a commentYou Should Be A Scout
Published September 26, 2009 | For those who have children or would like to volunteer to help children you should look into the Boy and Girl Scouts of America organization. This is a great way for your children to learn about our environment, volunteerism and to have fun while doing. The Boys and Girls Councils of North Florida have lots of information on how to join and look forward to having your child become a boy or girl scout. The adults can also volunteer to help teach their children new skills that will serve them well as adults. For those who don’t have children or their children are grown it is a great opportunity to share you life learning skills with those who need it the most. Each fall the Boys and Girls Scouts starts their drive for new recruits. It is not too late just call your local council and they will be happy to help. There is a small yearly fee for each child and there will be uniform costs but each troop has various rules and some can help with some of the costs. So CALL TODAY!
FOR those who are already in a local troop and want to send me your link I will be happy to post it here. Just send me a message at: jolene.macfadden@jacksonvilleswestside.info or become a subscriber and post a comment to this blog.
Here is some general information about each group and their contact information:
National Website:
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/ For Girl Scouts
http://scouting.org/for Boy Scouts
LOCAL INFORMATION:
Boy Scouts of America
North Florida Council
521 Edgewood Ave S
Jacksonville, FL 32205
904.388.0591
800.232.0845 Toll Free
904.387.4148 Fax
jana.metzger@scouting.org
http://www.nfcscouting.org
Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, Inc.
Jacksonville Service Center
1000 Shearer Street
Jacksonville, FL 32205-6055
(904) 388-4653
(800) 347-2688 – Local Toll Free Phone
Fax: (904) 384-1542
Email: info@girlscouts-gateway.org
Web Site: http://www.girlscouts-gateway.org
http://www.facebook.com/gsgcfl ON FACEBOOK
Youth Programs
BOYS
Tiger Cubs is a year-round family- and home-centered program that encourages the ethical decision-making skills for first-grade (or 7-year-old) boys. These boys participate in the program with their adult partners. The program emphasizes shared leadership, learning about the community, and family understanding.
Cub Scouts is a year-round family- and home-centered program that develops ethical decision-making skills for boys in the second through fifth grade (or who are 8, 9, and 10 years old). Activities emphasize character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness.
Boy Scouts is a year-round program that develops ethical decision-making skills for young men ages 11 to 18. Activities emphasize responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities.
GIRLS
* Girl Scout Daisy, grades K-1
Girl Scout Daisies meet in groups of five to 10 with two or more adult leaders in a nurturing, inclusive environment. They go on trips, learn about nature and science, and explore the arts and their communities. Girl Scout Daisies can also earn Learning Petals and receive participation patches.
* Girl Scout Brownie, grades 2-3
Girl Scouts Brownies work together in groups, earn Girl Scout Brownie Try-Its, and explore their community. Friendship, fun, and age-appropriate activities begin at the Girl Scout Brownie meeting and move out to the community and wider world.
* Girl Scout Junior, grades 4-5
Girl Scout Juniors earn badges and discover what girl power is all about through new activities and by learning to take charge of their own plans. They gain self-confidence as they explore the world in partnership with their troop/group leaders.
* Girl Scout Cadette, grades 6-8; * Girl Scout Senior, grades 9-10; * Girl Scout Ambassador, grades 11-12
Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors participate in Girl Scouting in many ways. Under the guidance of a trained adult advisor, girls mix and match activities and resources to suit their needs while giving back to their communities. They connect with each other and build self-esteem and confidence in their skills as they work on a range of projects and gain life experiences.
FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Venturing is a year round program for young adults, men and women, between the ages of 14 (having completed the eighth grade) and 20. Its purpose is to provide positive experiences to help youth mature and to prepare them to become responsible adults.
Learning For Life Consists of Three Different Programs. For more information on any of the Learning For Life Programs, contact Ben Butler at 904.388.0591, or benjamin.butler@scouting.org.
Exploring is a worksite-based program for young men and women who are 14 through 20 years old. Exploring units have a focus on a career field, such as law enforcement, fire/rescue, health, law, aviation, engineering, or the like, and are sponsored by a government or business entity.
Character Education is a series of school-based programs designed to support schools and educational organizations in helping youth with character education, life skills, building self-esteem, and developing ethical decision-making skills.
Classroom Scouting is a school based program conducted in partnership with the Girl Scouts. The program is for children with physical, emotional and mental exceptionalities.
JOIN TODAY!
admin
Westside Libraries
Published September 4, 2009 | Another free resource available to Duval county residents is our libraries. For the price of a signature and photo id you can fill out the short application and get your library card. Our libraries have free access to books, movies, music, internet and much, much more. You can go online with your card and reserve your books music and movies as well as renew your items that have already been checked out. The online service also gives library patrons access to online databases for research, ebooks and getting material from other libraries. Each of the branch libraries has computers with internet access, wireless internet for the laptop users, conference rooms to use as well as study rooms. The children’s area is separated from the main part of the library because little ones have a tendency of getting a little loud.
Take time out to visit your local branch and see what events are taking place this month. Many offer movie nights, storytime for little ones, how-to sessions on various subjects, and teen stuff. So, go to your local library and if you don’t have a library card get one!
Charles Webb Wesconnett Regional
(904) 778-7305
6887 103rd St 32210
Hours:
• Mon – Thu: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
• Fri & Sat: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Sun: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. *
http://jpl.coj.net/lib/branches/cw.html
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West Regional
(904) 693-1448
1425 Chaffee Rd S 32221
Hours:
• Mon – Thu: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
• Fri & Sat: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Sun: CLOSED
http://jpl.coj.net/lib/branches/wst.html
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Argyle Branch
(904) 573-3164
7973 Old Middleburg Rd S 32222
Hours:
• Mon – Tue: 12 noon – 9 p.m.
• Wed – Sat: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Sun: CLOSED
http://jpl.coj.net/lib/branches/ayl.html
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Maxville Branch
(904) 289-7563
8375 Maxville Blvd 32234
Hours:
• Mon & Tue: 12 noon – 9 p.m.
• Wed – Sat: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Sun: CLOSED
http://jpl.coj.net/lib/branches/max.html
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Middleburg-Clay Hill
2245 Aster Ave
Middleburg, FL 32068
(904) 541-5855
Hours
Monday 10:00a.m.-6:00p.m.
Tuesday 10:00a.m.-8:00p.m
Wednesday 10:00a.m.-8:00p.m
Thursday 10:00a.m.-8:00p.m
Friday 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Saturday 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Sunday Closed
http://www.ccpl.lib.fl.us/locations.html
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Orange Park
2054 Plainfield Ave
Orange Park, FL 32073
(904) 278-4750 (Information)
(904) 278-4751 (Children’s)
(904) 278-4753 (Reference)
Hours
Monday 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m
Tuesday 10:00a.m.-8:00p.m
Wednesday 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m
Thursday 10:00a.m.-8:00p.m
Friday 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Saturday 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Sunday Closed
http://www.ccpl.lib.fl.us/locations.html
Jennings State Forest
Published August 18, 2009 | Some of our most precious resources are available to us for free. As with most parts of Jacksonville, Florida there are parks to play in and libraries to get books to read. When we were cruising around the westside last month we came across a new park called Old Jennings Forest. This is mostly a hiking and horseback riding area. There are some picnic tables and barbeque pits and of course bathroom facilities available. During the early morning hours we came across this place to watch a couple taking out their horses from their trailers to begin the trot through the trails. Jennings State Forest is sponsored by the State of Florida and the Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry to set aside areas for people to hike and ride their horses here in the city limits.
We didn’t get a chance to walk the trails but there is a camping area there as well. You reach the camping area by a forest road off of Live Oak Lane. You should check with the forest ranger to see what the current fees are and if you can take a vehicle on the forest road to the camping area.
Division of Forestry
Jennings State Forest
1337 Long Horn road
Middleburg, FL 32068
(904) 291-5530
Cruising the Westside
Published August 4, 2009 | This month we rode around parts of the Westside to get a few pictures and to check on the changes that have been made over the last year. My oldest daughter lived on the Westside for a few years but decided to move closer to her job and us 2 years ago so we haven’t had to make any trips there in a while. There have been some growth in the area and there are plans for a lot more. Some would say that it is cheaper to live on the Westside but lately it hasn’t been any safer.
As with most of the areas around Jacksonville, Florida we seem to include outlying areas from other counties are part of our own. Orange Park and Middleburg is a prime example as they are both part of Clay County but many of their residents work in the Jacksonville are and they are seen as sort of suburbs of Jacksonville by most residents. To that end we will be adding them to this blog soon.
In the mean time enjoy some of the pictures we have taken of those areas below:
Westside Area Government Updates
Published March 4, 2009 | We have finally been able to update the website for our residents and future residents on the Wild Wild Westside of Jacksonville. We have, so far, a listing of the westside area post offices, fire stations and police substations. You can download a PDF file of the fire stations with pictures of each as well.
We also created a Westside Utilities page with information on these services such as phone, electric and cable (to be added later). Right now you can see a listing of the Local TV and Radio Stations that can be downloaded to your computer and/or printed off for later reference.
JACKSONVILLE WESTSIDE AREA FIRE STATIONS
JACKSONVILLE AREA RADIO STATIONS
If you have more information to share with the rest of the westside residence then please feel free to comment below or email me at: jolene.macfadden@jacksonvilleswestside.info
Promoting Local Businesses
Published February 20, 2009 | We hope you are enjoying our blog. Now that the holidays are over hopefully we will have more time to add some new and exciting content for all of those who live, work and/or play in Jacksonville, Florida’s Westside Area. We will be traveling around the different areas, taking pictures, interviewing the locals, and posting to the blog. We are still working towards getting all the different resources for our neighbors on the different pages. We apologize for the updates taking so long.
We will start things off by promoting one the new businesses serving the Westside Area in Anderson Air Systems, LLC. They have a website now and is run by uncle. He is just getting started in this business on his own but has worked in the Air Conditioning & Heating field for a very long time. So check out the website and if you need a new Heating & Air Conditioning system installed or repaired I would recommend him. He has been servicing our Heating & Air Conditioner for over 15 years.
If you know of any repair or service businesse that you would recommend then by all means please make a comment. We would all appreciate a recommendation for services and repairs to save money and/or time and to feel like we can trust them to do the job right and quickly the first time. However, please make sure you would actually recommend them to your friends and relatives as we are striving to make this blog a reliable source of information!
Updates to Sites
Published October 12, 2008 | I am slowly getting the Jacksonville, Florida websites updated. We are collecting pictures of the areas. If you check out the pages section on the sidebar you will find different pages with information you can download and print. Some of the lists we have collected so far include a listing of the public schools on the Jacksonville’s Westside area, Jacksonville Parks in the Westside area, and DayCare Facilities available in the Westside of Jacksonville.
Each of the files we have on these pages is in an acrobat reader format and can be saved to your computer for future reference or printed. The parks and day care facilities are listed by zip code first and then alphabetical. The Public School listing is by type of school from Elementary to High School and then alphabetical. The school listing also has pictures of the schools, if they are available, or the school colors ans mascot picture.
You can access the pages from the listing on the sidebar or just click on the link below to be taken directly to the page itself:
Listing of Jacksonville Westside Area Day Cares by Zip Code
Listing of Jacksonville Westside Area Parks by Zip Code
Listing of Jacksonville Westside Area Public Schools
Have fun and stay tuned!
Welcome to Jacksonville’s Westside Info Blog
Published April 21, 2008 | We hope to provide you with a comprehensive resource about Jacksonville and in particular information on Jacksonville’s Westside communities, resources, food, leisure activities and more. This will include information in the zip codes of 32210, 32212, 32221, 32222, 32234 and 32244. We might even include those on the other side of the highway in Orange Park!
Although we encourage our fellow readers to contribute to the information provided on this website we ask that all comments subscribe to the weblog. This will only take a few minutes and once your have registered you will receive an email from Wordpress with a password. Once you get the password (generally only takes about 1 minute) you sign back on and change your password, update your profiled information and even upload a picture ot link to your gravatar. The subscribers of the webpage will be emailed updates when we have new information added or exciting events happening in the area and you can subscribe to our RSS feed once we have it up and running.
All of our subscribers are able to email us if they want to volunteer to contribute to the site. We only ask that the information be accurate and rated “G”. We want to be a great family resource. Pictures of events or reviews will make the blog more exciting as well. The image uploader we employ will give you options on sizing and such.
Thanks for your coorperation and happy blogging!
Jolene MacFadden
email: jolene.macfadden@jacksonvilleswestside.info
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- Women tied up and held against her will in Jacksonville home May 16, 2012A 38-year-old Jacksonville woman told police a tale of a weekend of terror — tied up, punched and forced in a wicker trunk from Saturday to Tuesday in a trailer on Machelle Drive. The result was the arrest of a 49-year-old Westside man she had been living with a few months, according to the Sheriff’s Office arrest report. Bobby George Moses is charged with f […]Dan Scanlan
- Clara White Mission to host celebrity chef event for the homeless Friday in Jacksonville May 16, 2012The Clara White Mission 18th Annual Miracle on Ashley Street celebrity chef and servers event is set for Friday. Celebrities from around the Jacksonville area will take part in the fundraising event designed to raise money for the homeless mission. Tickets cost $20 and the mission this year is celebrating the success of their culinary arts and janitorial env […]Drew Dixon