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BANKS UNDER FDIC SCRUTINY The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is cracking down on two local financial institutions. Page 5A ORGANIC VEGGIES Dr. James Bouchard starts 'Simply Fresh Veggies' farm operation. Page 12A Vol. 134 No. 20 20 Pages 2 Sections www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com Commerce Slews Wednesday JULY 1, 2009 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 McKown A Finalist For Florida Job Commerce’s assistant city manager is one of two finalists for the city man ager’s job in Clewiston, FL. Steve McKown, who is also the chief financial officer, said the opportu nity was too good to just pass up. “There are a lot of vari ables that would have to work themselves out before I would go down there,’’ said McKown. “Nothing is settled, and even if the job is offered, I’m not 100 percent sure I would take it.’’ Clewiston, located Please Turn to Page 3A msm THURSDAY, JULY 2 Partly cloudy: Low, 68; high, 92; 0% chance rain FRIDAY, JULY 3 Partly cloudy: Low, 69; high, 92; 10% chance rain SATURDAY, JULY 4 Isolated T-storms, Low, 71; high, 91; 30% chance rain SUNDAY, JULY 5 Scattered T-storms: Low, 68; high, 85; 40% chance rain Precipitation this month 0 inches Precipitation This Year 26.1 Inches INDEX Births 1OA Church News 4B Classified Ads 6-8B Calendar 3A Crime News 6A News Roundup 2A Obituaries 5B Opinions 4A School News 7A Sports 1-2B Social News .... 10-1 1A Audit 'Adjusts' BJC's Financial Figures By Almost $3.8 Million Auditors Sharply Critical Of Lack Of Financial Oversight By Mark Beardsley It’s hard to tell what was worse about the audit report from BJC Medical Center, the year-end figures for 2008 or the criticisms of the facility’s financial reporting. The audit, which is sev eral months overdue, deter mined that the medical center — which is seeking a buyer because of its finan cial condition — ended the year $2.9 million in the red. What makes that figure stand out is that shortly after the fiscal year ended, then chief financial officer Bill Williams projected a much smaller loss for the year of $190,000. The difference, accord ing to current CFO Ray Leadbetter, was an overen- thusiastic estimation of how much of the medical cen ter’s accounts receivables would actually be received. The chairman of the finance committee thinks some of the 2008 losses should have been attributed to prior years. “We were a little disap pointed that some of the adjustments could not go to previous years,’’ noted Rick Massey, who pointed Please Turn to Page 3A A Refreshing Splash Patti Knick watches as a Lanier Running Club member douses himself with the cup of water she offered during the Star Chase 5K Road Race Saturday morning as the City Lights Downtown Festival began. She, Dawson Knick, Russell Knick and Danny Dean managed the water sta tion at Madison Street. Photo by Mark Beardsley Spencer Park Going Wi-Fi Windstream, DDA Bring Free Internet Service To Park By Mark Beardsley Spencer Park — and much of the area around it — will soon be a wireless free Internet (Wi-Fi) zone, thanks to Windstream and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). “We have Wi-Fi in the park now,’’ reported DDA chair man Clark Hill at the DDA’s June 24 meeting. Unfortunately, the system is now security enabled because the telephone line providing the service also provides access to the com puter in the DDA office — and therefore to the city’s network. To resolve that, the DDA will either install a separate dedicated telephone line or have the DSL moved to the line that is currently dedi cated to the office’s FAX machine. Hasco Craver, executive director of the DDA, said the “Wi-Fi cloud’’ reaches at least as far as Gift Works at the Joy Shoppe on South Broad Street. For his part, Hill would like to see the entire down town a Wi-Fi zone. “If we could find a host business to partner with us on the north end of town, maybe in the Hood building, for very little cost we could have the whole downtown Wi-Fi,’’ he commented. The Wi-Fi zone will also include the Commerce Business Information Center, the name for the for mer Collins Cleaners build ing being renovated under a United States Department of Agriculture grant. Craver told the DDA June 24 that the USDA has Please Turn to Page 3A Commerce City Council Richard Massey Back On The Job By Mark Beardsley A familiar face took his seat in City Hall Monday night for the first time in months. Ward 5 councilman Richard Massey made his first appearance at a coun cil meeting since suffering a stroke in January. When city manager Clarence Bryant welcomed Massey back, the council broke into applause. Massey sat in a wheel chair, his left arm in a sling. During the meeting, he took notes with his right hand. “It’s been a while since I’ve been here,’’ Massey pointed out. “I feel a little like I did when I was first elected. I’ll get back in the groove. I’m tak ing it one day at a time.’’ He was accom panied to the meeting by his wife, Charlotte. Massey has been recov ering at BJC Nursing Facility. He’d planned to attend the June regular meeting, but suffered an infection and was unable to attend. He plans to be at the city council’s July meeting, which has been moved up a week to next Monday, July 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Commerce Room of the Commerce Civic Center. Work To Begin On Comprehensive Plan By Mark Beardsley Can it really have been almost a decade since Jackson County and its municipalities last approved their compre hensive plans? Just about. The Commerce City Council learned this past Monday night that the city faces an Oct. 10, 2010, deadline for completing its compre hensive plan. The process is just now beginning. At its work session Monday, the council gave city manager Clarence Bryant the authority to let Jerry Weitz & Associates start work on the docu ment. The council will approve the $25,000 consulting contract this Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Commerce Room of the Commerce Civic Center. Weitz & Associates is already contracting with Jackson County on its comprehensive plan, Bryant pointed out. “We can piggyback off Jackson County and save 30 to 40 percent,’’ he told the council. The process also requires a citizens’ steering com mittee, and Bryant asked each councilman to “be thinking of a person apiece’’ to appoint to the committee, which will also have a representative of city government and of the Commerce Planning Commission. Other items on the agenda for Monday night include: •a recommendation from the Commerce Planning Commission to deny the appeal of Roger Pressly, 119 Pine Street, of a ruling that he cannot rehabilitate a “cabin’’ in his back yard to serve as a second residence on the lot. • a resolution supported by the Commerce Planning Commission to seek Tree City USA status. •possible discussion of the new sign ordinance as recommended by the planning commission. However, Bryant indicat ed that the council will Cont. on Page 3A