Florida Governor Rick Scott beat most people to the Saturday night Gala festivities for the Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association on October 14 and 15 in Downtown Jacksonville, Fla. That’s how excited the Commander in Chief of Florida was to help the organization celebrate the impending arrival of the USS Charles F. Adams as an interactive attraction and venue downtown on the St. Johns River.
“This is a great event tonight,” Governor Scott said. “It will be nice when all of the hard work results in the USS Adams here.”
The weekend included the opening of a new pub at The Jacksonville Landing, a crowded Gala, the honoring of those who have helped steer the Adams Class Museum toward reality and celebrating the mission of the organization. One year from now, when the fourth annual Gala is held, the USS Charles F. Adams (DCG-2) may be well on its way to a homecoming and permanent place on the St. Johns River adjacent to the Acosta Bridge.
Governor Scott, who served in the Navy in the early 1970s, was the guest of honor for the Gala on Saturday night, October 15. He visited the Ship Store in The Jacksonville Landing in April when he was informally presented with a model of his Navy ship, the USS Glover, and then JHNSA officials traveled to Tallahassee in July to formally present the Glover model to him. The Glover model is prominently displayed in Governor Scott’s office.
Governor Scott arrived at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel before hundreds of attendees from the region, around the country and from as far away as Australia. The Governor stayed approximately two hours and mingled with guests as he talked about his Naval experiences and hopes for Florida’s future. The Governor was introduced by JHNSA President Dan Bean and Toney Sleiman, the owner of The Jacksonville Landing.
“One thing great about our state, Jacksonville in particular, is people start things like this,” Governor Scott said. “They happen. It starts with a few people. The individuals who started this did it for the right reasons. It’s something to be proud of – our Navy heritage, especially right here in Jacksonville. It will be nice when it’s finished and here. I look forward to the day when I can walk on the Adams.”
But the news wasn’t reserved for just Governor Scott.
John O’Neil, the Executive Director of the JHNSA, made a donation of $10,000 to the cause. O’Neil, a Surface Warfare Officer with more than 30 years of active duty, has been instrumental in the fund-raising drive to bring the Adams home. He and his wife Carol made the presentation.
“I convinced Carol this is something I wanted to do,” O’Neil said. “And I’d like for the rest of you to think about that.”
Additionally, Bean announced the “2 for the Deuce” fundraising campaign where citizens are asked to contribute $2. ‘Deuce’ refers to the Adams’ hull number – 2.
“If every resident of Duval Country were to give us 2 dollars, we would have more than enough money to bring the ship down, have her repaired and have her open for business,” Bean said.
Community leaders were also publicly praised for their support of the project, including representatives from Jacksonville, Duval, Nassau and Clay counties and in state government. This included Sleiman; Jim Bailey, who owns Bailey Publishing in Jacksonville; and Jacksonville City Councilman Bill Bishop. Bailey was honored with the Meritorious Service Award, given to a community supporter whose personal leadership significantly contributed to the advancement of the project. Bishop, the inaugural recipient last year, presented the award.
“This is the kind of stuff that makes this city great,” Bailey said. “There are people that make things happen, people who watch things happen and people who wonder, ‘What happened?’ If you don’t get on board with this, you’re going to watch this ship come down the river and wonder, ‘What happened?’ It’s our responsibility to step up in this community and make these kinds of things happen.”
Live and silent auctions were held in the newly renovated Florida Ballroom at the Omni Jacksonville. A Fallen Comrades tribute was held, led by John McGriff. The Navy’s 236th birthday was celebrated with a cake, with the initial cutting made by swords from Bean and McGriff. Paul Anderson provided piano music throughout the evening and Natalie Suda offered a rousing rendition of the National Anthem. Chuck and Colleen White, co-hosts of “Just Speak Up” on WBOB-AM 600, served as the emcees for the evening. Gene Maszy conducted the live auction.
On Friday night, October 14, the new Fionn MacCool’s Irish Restaurant & Pub at The Landing opened its doors for the first time as the JHNSA celebrated the opening of its big weekend with 100s of attendees. Fionn MacCool’s opened its taps as people spilled out onto the back porch which overlooks the St. Johns River and the future site of the Adams across the way. The attendees included an all-female a cappella singing group, Sweet Signatures, from Elon University in North Carolina; a bag piper and the band Spade McQuade.