Justice for Glen Davenport

I received the following comment recently and felt moved enough to post it here on the blog.  Although it happened so long ago it is never too late to shed light on an incident that hurt so many people and where there was never a serious inquiry into what happened.  Feel free to forward this post around in hopes of generating renewed interest in what happened in Murray Hill some 40 years ago.

Sandy Bonesteel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4HKB4v3nRY | stillsouthernhearted@yahoo.com | 70.120.229.51

My family used to live in Murray Hill in the ’60’s.

My 10 year old brother was found deceased in the 3700 block of Mayflower St. on February 4th, 1968.

Despite the many suspicious things about Glen’s death; his death was determined and ruled to be “accidental”.

40 years later Glen’s family is still seeking and fighting for justice for Glen.

A family friend has made a youtube video and we would like people in Jax to please view the video and the pass it along to others. Since my family no longer lives in Jax; we are asking the people of Jax to help us get the video circulating around Jax; particulary in the Murray Hill district.

We are hoping that there are people in Jax who remember the news story about the little boy who was found “hanging” on Mayflower St. in Jax in 1968.
And we are hoping that there is someone in Jax who might have heard or seen something on the night Glen was missing (Feb. 3rd) or the following morning when his body was found (Feb. 4th); 1968.

We still cling to the hope that there is someone who can provide new information about Glen’s death.

The link for the video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4HKB4v3nRY

If that link doesn’t work; please just go to:

http://www.youtube.com/

And then enter the search words Justice For Glen Davenport

 

 

 

Police Chase to Murray Hill

After thwarting a robbery attempt at the Game Stop on 103rd Street the police chased a car with two of the four the suspects to Murray Hill.  Evidently the suspects car hit a parked car on the 4600 block of Post Street causing the car to flip.  The two in the car got out to flee causing the police to shoot and eventually kill one of the suspects, the other was arrested.  The other two suspects tried to run from the scene of the robbery, one was arrested and the other got away.  Total:  two suspects were apprehended, one was shot and killed and one is still on the loose.

It is not clear what prompted the officer to use deadly force, but I am sure that will be investigated and hopefully the officer will be exonerated of any wrong doing.  If anyone has any information on the fourth suspect or was a witness to the car accident and police shooting they are being asked to contact the JSO.

Related Article from Jacksonville.com

Murray Hollywood

 

Check out the email I received from Tiffany concerning the movie that was partially shot in Murray Hill a little over a year ago originally titled “Throwing Stars” 

I wanted to let you know that a local film Who’s You Monkey (formerly called Throwing Stars) that was shot in Murray Hill is hitting theatres for one week only. Who’s Your Monkey will be shown all week starting tomorrow at the River City Market Place Hollywood Theatre (large shopping center near the airport). Folio is always a great supporter of the local film scene so I thought this would be up your alley!
 
It was screened at the 2007 Jax Film Festival with rave reviews and it also won the Audience Choice award at the CineVegas Film Festival in 2007.
 
Here is more information for you and attached is the poster artwork.

•Showtimes (same times for all days)
Friday, March 28 – Thursday, April 3 at 2:15 p.m., 4:20 p.m., 6:35 p.m. and 9 p.m.
 
Hollywood River City 14
12884 City Center Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32218
(904) 757-9862
 
•More facts
Name was changed from Throwing Stars to Who’s Your Monkey
Starring Jason London, Kevin Durand, Scott Michael Campbell, David DeLuise, and Scott Grimes
Won the Audience Choice award at the 2007 Cinevegas Film Festival and was screened locally at the 2007 Jacksonville Film Festival
Showing this week in 6 theatres across the country with a possible wider distribution if it is successful at these theatres.
 
•Website
www.whosyourmonkeythemovie.com  (this is the most updated website with the trailer and complete info)

Check it out to support your local art scene…

Cheap(er) Gas in Murray Hill

Tired of paying $3.20 for a gallon of gasoline?  Well, relief is on the way…for a short time.  See the flyer below from The Murray Hill Baptist Church:

From:  Murray Hill Baptist Church

            4300 Post St.

            Jacksonville, FL 32205

RE:  Murray Hill Baptist Church will be sponsoring a “Gas Buy Down”

         on Saturday March 15th

Church to Sponsor Gas Discounts for Community

Murray Hill Baptist Church will sponsor an event to ease the pain inflicted at the pump by high gas prices.  On March 15th, 2008, the “Gas Buy Down” will be held at the Kangaroo Express Gas Station located on the corner of Post St. and Edgewood Ave. in Murray Hill.  Beginning at 10 a.m. the price of gas will be reduced by $0.50 per gallon for two hours.  The gas prices will be reset to their original price at exactly 12:01 p.m.

The discount will be limited to 15 gallons per customer in order to provide the discount to as many people as possible.  The gas station will be set up as a ‘one way’ station; with an entrance on Edgewood Ave. and the exit on Post St. / Cypress St.

Kangaroo is pleased to partner with the church and to offer this unique price reduction to its customers.  They will be providing free drinks to customers who purchase gas and will be having raffles throughout the two hour time period.  The Kangaroo mascot will be present as well, to give out balloons to children.

As a follow-up event, the church will be hosting a community wide Easter Egg Hunt the following Saturday, March 22nd at the Four Corners Park at the intersection of Lawnview and Lamboll in Murray Hill.  An inflatable bounce house, egg dying, and other Easter arts and crafts will be available for the children following the egg hunt.  The event will last from 10a.m. to 11 a.m.

“We want to be so much more than a place to gather on Sunday mornings.  We want to make a difference in our community each day of the week.  This is just one way of sharing God’s unconditional love with our neighbors,” says Doug Axtell, Pastor of Murray Hill Baptist Church.

Murray Hill Baptist Church is located at 4300 Post St. and has Sunday morning services at 10:30 a.m.

Thanks to the Kangaroo Express and The Murray Hill Baptist Church for their community involvement, as well as a reader Jay for the heads up.

Murder – Suicide in Murray Hill

I normally despise those types of headlines because there are geographically inaccurate but this time that is not the case.  Apparently a man in a dispute with his exgirlfriend shot her and then himself in the Bank of America parking lot on Edgewood Avenue Saturday afternoon. 

The woman died at the scene, the man lived through the night but died Sunday from the gunshot wound.  This appears to be a domestic violence incident and hopefully an isolated one. 

Other related articles:

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=95037

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=94974

The Hill Gets A Facelift

Word from Murray Hill Neighbors is that the town center improvements  that have been in the planning stages is set to commence.  I referenced this project back in October and am eager to see the design put into place.  You can see some of the work now with the replacement of the utility poles at the corner of Post and Edgewood.   With all of the tenent improvements along to main corridor this will be a welcome project to keep the push going. 

 From the Murray Hill Neighbors website:

Town Center Initiative Work To Begin
It’s finally getting started!! The city has hired a contractor and work should begin the end of June on the long, long awaited Murray Hill Town Center Initiative. This project will make public right-of-way improvements to the Post and Edgewood intersection extending 1 block north and 2 blocks south. There will be landscaping improvements, historic lighting and the replacement of the wooden utility poles with concrete ones. Special thanks and kudos to the Murray Hill Preservation Association for making this project happen!!

Again, this is good news and thanks to Michelle Frericks and the MHPA for their hardwork and dedication to the neighborhood.

It’s Been Too Long

Probably not the way someone wanted to end their Father’s Day.  Gun fire erupted in Murray Hill last night on the 3600 block of Dellwood Avenue.  In the early evening I personally heard the gun shots in rapid succession.  Normally I dismiss those sounds for fireworks but these had a much more ominous tone causing me to realize the severity of the situation.  Unfortunately I was correct and a man was killed on the front porch of a Murray Hill home during and apparent domestic dispute. 

In an unrelated incident, can someone tell me why I have maple syrup hand prints all over the side of my house and car? Apparently someone with any affinity towards pancakes lost their balance meandering through my yard early Sunday morning.  Good thing I wasn’t awake or there could have been two unfortunate incidents in Murray Hill this weekend.

Games of Atlantis

Grand opening tonight, at 1190 Edgewood Avenue on the First Block is a gaming room.  I’m not sure yet what all of this means but I do not think this will be well received by the community.  This gaming room is comprised of 60 automated machines, and is not to my knowledge affiliated with the proposed billiard parlor located two doors down at the old Woods Pharmacy.  A dispute arose with the billiard parlor when people thought they would have gaming machines there.  Instead one opens just doors away.  I went to talk to the owner tonight but they were busy trying to get the place open.  I did instead talk with a manager and employee to try to get some details.  The following is what I learned:

• There are sixty total automated machines similar to slots.
• The machines are either a penny or nickel and reward Visa debit cards for redemption if you win money.
• They will also have special games that offer rewards of gift certificates to local merchants in the area.
•  They will be serving free food or non-alcoholic beverages while you play.
• The Alibi bar next door will allow customers of the gaming room of legal age to buy liquor or beer, leave, and bring it back to the gaming room for consumption.

This is probably what had Suzanne Jenkins in an uproar about these gaming machine establishments.  I was under the impression that her riff had to do with the hypothetical use of the billiard parlor but low and behold, it is here in Murray Hill.  

I should have asked more questions…will there be smoking inside (the place smelled like a mixture of wet paint and cigarette smoke), what will the hours be, what was the previous use of this building, what kind of permits did the contractor pull (an electrical permit for a new service for all I can tell, which may be all that is required).   I was just caught up in the fact that there is this new gaming room opening up right on the First Block.  It smells fishy to me and if you’re familiar with my previous posts on the matter I may be eating my words.  It seems like, for all of this time the attention was directed toward the use of the old pharmacy, but instead there is a gaming room opening up two doors down to no attention.  Again, time will tell, but if anyone has any additional input please fell free to contact The Hill. 

Murder in Murray Hill?

The news programs had breaking news this morning about a murder in Murray Hill last night.  Evidently a fight broke out at the Eureka Gardens Apartments off of LaBelle Street and a guy was shot in the head and chest, ultimately dying.  Not to undermine the severity of the incident and the underlying problem with Jacksonville’s murder rate…..I don’t consider that Murray Hill.   I know it is semantics but that complex is over off of Plymouth, west of Cassat Avenue.  Maybe I’m wrong about “Where is Murray Hill” but to me, that is not it.  It makes our neighborhood look terrible when the news splashed across the headlines is “Man Killed in Murray Hill Shooting”.  No matter where it happens it is unacceptable but especially in Murray Hill, where ever that is.

Community News

The community news section of The Murray Hill website is really up and running now.  They have been a little dated in the past but have picked up the pace recently.  I suspect that someone from MHPA maintains the site so I can understand why they would be overwhelmed.  Most recently they touch on the need for volunteers for MHPA, First Block improvements, and a recap of Octobers MHPA Meeting last Thursday.  This is one to keep an eye on for those of you interested in Murray Hill current events.