• EverBank, which makes a big deal of pointing out that it’s “the largest bank headquartered in Jacksonville,” says business is great. Tuesday the bank reported earnings of $8.7 million for the third quarter of 2005, a 32 percent increase over the third quarter of 2004. Total assets for EverBank increased 28 percent to $3.52 billion.
• Speaking of EverBank, the financial institution recently established a new scholarship program to assist Duval County students who attend Stetson University. The bank donated $15,000 to fund three $5,000 scholarships for qualified students with strong backgrounds in community service.
• Listen to the music in the movies “Chicken Little,” “Hellboy” or “Terminator 3” and you’ll hear the work of Jacksonville’s own Bill Boston. A graduate of Jacksonville University, he will give a studio-style talk on his Hollywood career in film scoring today at noon in the Fine Arts Hall on the JU campus. For more information call 256-7374.
• Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, all City offices will be closed Thursday and Friday next week. Also, all public libraries will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday and reopen with normal hours on Saturday.
• Congrats to the City’s emergency management program for becoming only one of three entities in the country to be granted full accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. The other two were the commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia.
• The City Council Personnel Committee will meet Tuesday to review the qualifications, selection procedures and interview candidates for the Council auditor position. On the committee are Council President Kevin Hyde, Vice President Michael Corrigan and Council members Daniel Davis, Mia Jones and Richard Clark.
• All of the Firehouse Subs locations have huge murals on the walls depicting fire scenes but the mural in the San Marco location has something peculiar on the canvas. The faces of a couple of the firemen on the right side of the painting have a close resemblance to Robin and Chris Sorensen, the founders of the Jacksonville-based sandwich chain.
• The debate over what is going to happen with the old Jewish Center — Job Corps building in Springfield has been taken to another level. You’ll remember that the building was given to River Region Human Services by the General Services Administration several months ago. However, outcry from Springfield residents and the Springfield Preservation & Revitalization Council got that decision changed — or did it? The building is still in limbo and SPAR is now taking its case to Congress. The group has requested a meeting with U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown and has even offered to meet with her in her Washington, D.C., office.
• The Museum of Science and History has its annual drive underway and you can be a member of the “President’s Circle” for just 10 grand. Any amount, of course is welcome, and you can be listed as a “Friend” for as little as $100.