Staff bloggers

Hello all-

I'm back, after a plenty long absence. Since it's been so long, I have a bit of explaining to do. First off, let's talk about the spammers.

The biggest problem has to do with the age of MyClaySun.com. The software running this site is now 3 years old (yes, it's been 3 years since MCS launched) and that allows for all sorts of new bug and spammers to get into the system. It's a lot like our home computer. You know how they say to upgrade your antivirus every few months?

MyClaySun.com is in that position - it's been 3 years since we've upgraded our antivirus.

Every spam post (whether it's blogs, comments or events) we've gotten here lately comes from an automated spammer who just swoops in, creates usernames and posts. There's really no way to stop them from posting, because unlike a real user, when I ban their usernames they automatically create 15 more.

We do have a few options:

- I can make all new postings (blogs, comments or events) require administrator approval before they go live on MCS.com. That will keep out the spammers, but it means that all of the content you guys (the real people) post also has to wait on an administrator to approve. Since I'm in the only administrator around here, there will be a delay between what you write and when it shows up on the site.

- We can leave the site as-is. That will allow you to post without moderation, but that means the spammers can too.

Of course, what really needs to happen is to upgrade the software we use to run the site. That's also the one least likely to happen. MCS has unfortunately become the last of it's kind - with a couple of exceptions (Shorelines.com and TheStJohnsSun.com,) the other Sun sites have all been turned off due to lack to staffing and audience (and spam - plenty of spam.) The corporate fellows who created MCS have stopped upgrading the Sun software.

- One last option. There's a chance we can migrate all of the MCS blogs and users over to Jacksonville.com There are some technical details to work out, but I think it's doable. Basically, we could take your usernames and blogs and plop them over on Jacksonville.com. You could continue to blog and comment, but you would not have your own Web site - it would be on Jacksonville.com.

Let me know what you guys think (not that I would expect anything less )

Jonathan Bennett | Online News Editor | 904.359.4538

The Dairy Queen on Kingsley Avenue in Orange Park is participating in the fourth annual Miracle Treat Day today.

For every Blizzard purchased, the company will donate at least $1 to the Children's Miracle Network. Last year, the event raised more than $4.5 million for the Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising money for children's hospitals.

Mayo Clinic is currently seeking volunteers to join its team. Volunteer opportunities are open to anyone over age 18 who has 4 or more hours per week to share. Flexible schedules are available. If you are interested, call Mayo Clinic's Volunteer Services department at (904) 956-0074 or email volunteersmcj@mayo.edu.

Clay County commissioners begin their 2009-10 budget review process on Monday.

At the 2 p.m. meeting of the commission's Finance Committee, County Manager Fritz Behring will discuss budget issues and and seek commissioners' input on their priorities for the upcoming year.

For more, go to news section of myclaysun.com. 

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division is seeking the public's help to solve a recent rash of daytime residential burglaries in the Middleburg area.

"At this time the only information we have is possibly two white males driving an unknown type white vehicle committing the ... burglaries," said a news release from the sheriff's office.

Anyone with information should contact Detective Anthony Harris at 264-6512.

The former director of Clay County Animal Control has voluntarily withdrawn a 2008 libel lawsuit she filed against Orange Park resident Donald Rammon.

The lawsuit filed by Constance Goon accused Rammon, a former Animal Control volunteer, with intentionally publishing libelous and defamatory statements about her in letters, e-mails and blogs in 2007.

Terrance Jones, Rammon's attorney, noted that Goon "voluntarily" withdrew the lawsuit with prejudice, which means she cannot re-file the complaint.

Goon resigned from her county job earlier this year.

She and her attorney, Satasha Williston, could not immediately be reached.

From ElderSource: The Area Agency on Aging for Northeast Florida

ElderSource operates a toll-free telephone information and referral assistance service that links callers, older persons and their caregivers to local resources. The Elder Helpline (1-888-242-4464) is a starting point for anyone seeking information about aging issues, looking for an aging services provider, or wanting to volunteer.

More: go to www.myclaysun.com/news. 

Orange Park High's Class of 1979 will hold its 30th reunion Sept. 25-27. For info, email  ophsclassof1979@yahoo.com.

The generosity of the staff at Coppergate Elementary School in Middleburg has overwhelmed James and Stace (CQ) Shortley, whose 11-year-old daughter, Sloane, has been home bound battling Lupus since diagnosed in Nov. 2008.

“It brings me to tears,” said Stace Shortley adding that the school did three fundraisers during the school year, including a “Sloane Cone” snow cone sale that raised $300 to help with medical bills.

Sloane’s fifth grade teacher Bree Hellwig (CQ) visited her at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

Through Hellwig, homebound teacher Karen Ongley and Coppergate’s principal David Nix, the school loaned her a lap top computer and set up a chat room for her to talk daily with her classmates and to get her assignments.

The “virtual” classroom service, a new thing for Clay County public schools, has been named the Sloane Project.

Despite chemotherapy, blood plasma exchanges and dialysis three times a week, Sloane remained on the A/B honor roll and earned all As during the last quarter. She is currently on the kidney transplant list awaiting a donor.

Last night Destiny Champaigne Smith received her scholarship from Take Stock in Children.

Not only did the Ridgeview High School student keep good grades and stay out of trouble, as required for this scholarship, she also was a class officer, started an ecology club, was active in drama, multicultural club and poetry club and track team. She was a runner-up in the Miss RHS pageant her junior year and then helped run the pageant during her senior year. She could run the guidance office when staffers stepped out. She even taught her French club when the teacher was out.

My friend Sheri Freshour and I were Destiny's mentors for the past three years. It flew by. We tell everyone she mentored us. I recommend mentoring to anyone who has an hour a week to be a friend and cheerleader for a student. I wish I'd had one when I was in high school.

Spending time on the couch in the guidance office has been such fun. We chatted about politics to pets to pet peeves to pop stars. We got to meet many of Destiny's friends, very neat kids with so much going for them. Their maturity levels were amazing. I surely was not that "together" when I was in high school.

Unfortunately, she didn't get accepted to her first choice college - Harvard. Harvard's loss. But she did get accepted at Wesleyan College in West Virginia. She's going to reapply to Harvard next year.

Thanks Destiny for sharing your high school career with us. It was a great experience and we learned so much from you. You are a beautiful, bright, caring, conscientious young lady and your charm and kindness will take you far. You are so rational, diplomatic, a problem-solver. We know you will do great things. Thanks to your mom for sharing you with us. Please stay in touch on Facebook and let us know what you are up to, what your dorm looks like, how your classes are going.

Congratulations to you and all the Take Stock graduates.