MaggieFitzRoy's blog

On my way to work today, Thursday, Aug. 14, I couldn't resist stopping at the grand opening of Marshalls in Pablo Plaza. I wanted to see what kind of clothes they had, and for what prices. The first thing I noticed was that the shopping center parking lot was packed. After finally finding a spot, I noticed how many people were going in and out of the store. I took some pictures for Shorelines, then couldn't resist trying on a shirt that looked cute. Wow, was the dressing room crowded, but the shirt was worth the 10 minute wait. Except when I went to pay for it, the check out line went to the back of the store! Oh well, I had to get to work so I put the shirt back. But I'll be back. I think the store is a great new addition to the Beaches.

When I moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1991 with my family, my son Jake had just turned 4 years old, my son Trevor had just turned 2. At that time, I was thinking about where they should go to pre school before starting kindergarten at Ponte Vedra Palm Valley Elementary School. Then I projected my thoughts into the future. Where would they one day go to high school? "Where's Ponte Vedra High School?" I remember asking my husband JIm. We soon realized there wasn't a high school in town, that the boys would be going to a school called Nease, 13 miles west. Well, Jake graduated from Nease in 2005; Trevor in 2007. They liked that school, and enjoyed their high school years. But finally, there's a high school in town in time for our daughter Caylie to go there. She'll be a freshman at Ponte Vedra High School, the brand new school just completed west of the Intracoastal Waterway. For many years, I never thought it would happen. But now it has, a dream come true. I was touring the school earlier this week while working on a story, and it felt so good. Where's Ponte Vedra High School? I asked myself. Then did an inner cheer. It's here!.....Read my story, check out my photos about this week's orientation for students in the Saturday, Aug. 16 issue of Shorelines.

The Lifestyle Realtors Beaches Fine Arts Series Sprint Triathlon featured a unique event Saturday, July 12. The Ancient City Brass band played throughout - to inspire participants and spectators and to link the triathlon and the free musical concerts the fine arts series, a non profit organization, brings to Jacksonville and the Beaches. Check out my story and photos published Wednesday, July 16 in Beaches and Ponte Vedra Shorelines, and my video of the event on shorelines.com.

All you parents out there who are looking for a fun camp for your kids, there's one in Jacksonville Beach that teaches ocean safety and how to become a lifeguard. It's for kids ages 9 to 15 and offers a variety of fun activities. Some current lifeguards around the Beaches once attended Junior Lifeguard Camp on the beach by the American Red Cross Volunteer Lifesaving Corps. As a parent, i am always in search of affordable camps, and this one, which is an all day Monday through Friday camp, is a relative bargain at $150 for the first week and $125 for additional weeks. My 14-year old daughter is attending that camp for two weeks this summer.

See historic surf photos in the photo gallery here at Shorelines.com.; also my story about surf history at the Beaches.

The photos will be part of an exhibit on surfing history at the Beaches at the Beaches Museum and History Center that runs from Thursday, June 5 through Sept. 28.

Fleet Landing residents celebrated keeping fit Wednesday, May 28 with an almost one mile walk around their Atlantic Beach community for National Senior Health and Fitness Day. They followed that with a day long health fair.

The community is expanding wellness programs in the belief that preventing illness and injury by keeping fit is the best medicine. 

And in Ponte Vedra Beach, some seniors have taken up learning ballet. They meet every Wednesday at The Players Senior Community Center to learn how to do the dance that keep them healthy and limber.

Check out my stories about both programs in the Saturday, May 31 editions of Shorelines; and photo galleries here on shorelines.com.

I started my work day at 6 a.m. Sunday, March 23 in order to cover Easter sunrise services at the Beaches. When I later told my 14-year old daughter, Caylie, that I went to three sunrise services that day, she was silent, then said, "But the sun only comes up once. What did you do, re-wind it?" Not quite, but through tricky timing I did manage to get to the service at the SeaWalk Pavilion, the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club and the Lodge and Club. See photos from all three in a photo gallery here at Shorelines.com. And also check out the Great Atlantic Music and Seafood Fest pics in a gallery here as well.

You know it's spring time at the Beaches when the festivals return. The Great Atlantic Seafood Festival is first, Saturday, March 22 at the SeaWalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. George's Music Springing the Blues, the three day nationally recognized blues music festival also at the SeaWalk Pavilion, isn't far behind. It's slated for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 4, 5, and 6. Check out my story about Springing the Blues musicians, and other "outer festival" events revolving around the blues event in the Saturday, March 15 edition of Beaches Shorelines and Ponte

An exciting event is coming up this weekend for women who want to relax, pamper themselves and shop. Women from around the Beaches are invited to “get away without going
away” at a “Renew-U Women’s Weekend” Friday(4/30) night and
Saturday(3/1) at Christ the Redeemer Church in Ponte Vedra Beach.
The event will feature a fashion show, pamper-yourself opportunities,
including mini-facials, shopping, desserts and workshops.
Registration begins 6:30 p.m. Friday at the door of the church at 190 S.
Roscoe Blvd.; the “Transformation Celebration Fashion Show begins at 7