Daily Record Financial News &
Monday, July 3, 2017
Vol. 104, No. 165 • One Section
www.jaxdailyrecord.com
CHESS CHAMPION, TEACHER, JUDGE Circuit Judge Eric Roberson’s preparation for bench began in middle school.
Photo by Max Marbut
Circuit Judge Eric Roberson, left, with his wife, Helen, was welcomed to the 4th Judicial Circuit bench by Chief Judge Mark Mahon when he was sworn in June 19.
By Max Marbut Associate Editor
J
udge Eric Roberson didn’t know it at the time, but he began preparing for his seat on the 4th Judicial Circuit bench not long after he graduated from Oceanway Elementary School. The next school year marked the beginning of the Duval County Public Schools magnet program, and he was accepted to James Weldon Johnson College Preparatory Middle School.
“That was one of the biggest breaks I’ve caught in life,” said Roberson, 37, who was appointed to the circuit bench by Gov. Rick Scott on June 5 after serving for two years as a Duval County judge. “There were a lot of smart people there and they played chess, so I consumed every chess book I could find,” he said. Roberson developed a flair for the game and mastered “check” and “checkmate” to the point he was the Jacksonville high school champion in his final year at James Weldon Johnson and then
all four years at Stanton College Preparatory School. In his senior year, Roberson won the Southeast United States Scholastic Chess Championship. Duval County Judge Gary Flower was Roberson’s mentor when he was appointed to the county judiciary two years ago. Flower said the thought processes Roberson developed through chess translate to the bench. “He’s all about attacking a challenge. He thinks analytically and strategically Roberson
35¢
continued on
Page 9
Timing right for Baker’s Bluegrass Bluegrass Materials Co. is a Jacksonville-based construction aggregates company that has operated pretty much below the radar. But when the company agreed last week to a $1.625 billion buyout by industry leader Martin Marietta Materials Inc., we learned the Baker family who runs Bluegrass has quietly built a formidable business. The Bakers formed a partnership to acquire construction materials mining operations after selling their previous company, Florida Rock Industries Inc., for $4.2 billion to Vulcan Materials Co. in 2007. The timing was fortuitous, according to one analyst who follows Martin Marietta. “Bluegrass began acquiring assets in 2009 from several of the large international players (Cemex and Lafarge) that were in the process of de-leveraging after the financial crisis,” said Robert Norfleet of Alembic Global Advisors in a research report last week. The company announced its first acquisition in 2010. Another analyst said Bluegrass did a good job picking out acquisition targets. Basch
continued on
Page 10
Note to readers The Financial News & Daily Record will not be published July 4. It will resume publication July 5.
Most of JEA Southbank property ruled environmentally sound Western part of 42-acre site is being treated for arsenic found in groundwater. By David Cawton Staff Writer A large portion of JEA’s Downtown Southbank property where its Southside Generating Station once stood is environmentally sound, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. In an email sent to the utility last week, the department said it
Public
intended to issue a “Site Rehabilitation Completion Order with Controls” for part of the 42-acre site at 801 Broadcast Place. The 53-page order says in part that “JEA has satisfied the site rehabilitation requirements … and is released from any further obligation to conduct site rehabilitation at the contaminated sites.” JEA
continued on
legal notices begin on page
14
Page 2
Photo by David Cawton
The JEA’s former Southside Generating Station on the Southbank was home to the NFL Experience when the Super Bowl came to town in 2005.
Published
for
27,226
consecutive business days