Balboa Capital, Irvine, California
Bulletin Board Complaint No. #10 posted
By Christopher Menkin, editor

Balboa is not returning any communication by email or phone from Leasing News to the three officers Pat Byrne, Chairman, Phil Silva, President, Rob Rasmussen, COO.

This complaint has not been resolved since March 3, 2013 and no communication from Balboa Capital, Irvine, California to the lessee on this matter. It regards both a "fair market value" and payoff. It actually started June 11, 2012 with this letter from Thomas Anderson, A-One Auto Specialist, Laurel, Maryland:

"To whom it may concern:

I have been trying to contact your company since receiving a buyout quote on this lease since the Feb. 2, 2012 quote and the Mar. 15th. 2012 quote with no response from your company.

Furthermore I was told that I may be able to start a new lease and combine the previous 2 leases onto one new lease and it would be a dollar buyout lease. 1 was left a message on my answering machine stating that this new lease agreement was denied. I then called several times and left messages without any response. So this letter is also giving you notice that 1 would like to end this lease at the end of my scheduled term and keep this piece of equipment & would like to know what my final payment will be at the end of that term.

I wish I could get better customer service from your company, and am very disappointed and upset with your company for not trying to work with me. Please contact me as soon as possible in reference to my situation.

Sincerely,

Thomas R. Anderson Owner
(1)

Leasing News got involved and a payoff quote was received by Mr. Anderson received March 4, 2013, and forwarded to Leasing News as well as other documentation, as this was part of another complaint regarding an Evergreen clause as well as the residual (which was somewhat resolved) (2a)

This was a surprise to the Mr. and Mrs. Anderson as they thought the lease was a $1.00 purchase option. This has happened before with Balboa, including one where the lessee produced a copy of the form he sent in with the contracts (he copied all he sent) but never noticed he did not receive a signed copy of this back. Balboa said the machinist forged the document. (3) It should be noted in most of the Balboa Capital leases that have been seen by Leasing News have "fair market value on the face of the contract, whereas this one did not. (4)

There is a "Gmail" from the Balboa Sales Mike Brady where he writes "now with the new terms can trade it up and upgrade at the end of the lease." Doesn't sound like a "fair market value" and gives credence to what the salesman originally told Anderson. (5)

The lease was changed from monthly to quarterly in advance, meaning Balboa changed the rate---it is higher than quoted by paying three in advance, not one. Again, it changes the interest rate, adding anywhere from 60 to 90 basis points. (4)

The payment balance from Balboa does not include any pre-payment discount, but an increase of $1344.52...also does not deduct the $$2,229.15 "required deposit" plus the issue of 6% sales tax of $1,543.84. (2a)(2b)

I don't know if the personal property tax is accurate or inflated, but the State of Maryland does not charge sales tax on personal property tax, according to a telephone call to the department ($39.07) as well as there is no termination fee in the contract for $479.00

There is no justification for the residual of $9,680.00, also considering this was to be paid out at the end, thus you can trade it up for a new piece of equipment ((as per the "Gmail" from the salesman(5)

The Andersons could escape the sales tax, if it is applicable in the state for paying off a lease and purchasing the equipment by just paying the remaining payments, less the deposit, and there is no sales tax on personal property tax as well as termination fee in the contract (plus a copy of the Maryland Personal Property Tax bill to verify the amount is correct and you are not being overcharged; this is a public record and can be obtained by mail).

(1)Letter from Thomas R. Anderson
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/letterfromTomAnderson_2013.pdf

(2a) Payoff quote 159507-000
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/PayoffQuote159507_2013.pdf

(2b) Count of Payments made (payments 000)
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/Count_Payments_42013.pdf

(3) Unsigned addendum
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/August%202008/08-25-08.htm#bbc

(4) Gmail--Quote from Salesman
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/Quotefromsalesman_2013.pdf

(5) Lease Quarterly Payments
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/LeaseQuarterlyStatements_2013.pdf

(Other Balboa Capital complaints located)
www.leasingcomplaints.com

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigations
and background information provided by John Kenny)

Classified Ads---Controller

(These ads are “free” to those seeking employment
or looking to improve their position)

Free Posting for those seeking employment in Leasing:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

All “free” categories “job wanted” ads:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Harris Leasing Joins Funder List “A”

A -Accepts Broker Business | B -Requires Broker be Licensed | C -Sub-Broker Program | D -"Private label Program" | E - Also "in house" salesmen

Footnote: We accept applications from startups & young companies.

We are not accepting broker business at this time.

Harris Leasing Company has been providing equipment leasing to its customers and dealers since 1969. We offer flexible leasing terms from 12 months to 60 months and dollar amounts from $1,000 to $250,000. We can put together a leasing program to fit your needs even if you are just starting out in a NEW BUSINESS or have had some credit problems in the past. At Harris Leasing Company we take a great deal of pride in the fact that we are in business to help other businesses achieve their goals and succeed.

Although we do fund large transactions, our primary target is $2,000.00 to $25,000.00. We are willing to consider companies that are NEW. Customer service is our number one priority. When you call our office you will talk with a real person and not a computer trying to be a person! Credit decisions are NOT based solely on a point system or by a person sitting in one of a hundred cubicles in a far off land. Rather we take the time to know you and your business. With Harris Leasing Company, you now have leasing professionals who will take the time to understand your business and advise various solutions tailored to your specific needs and budgets.

Full Funder List "A"
http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/Funders.htm

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Wildwood Industries Fraud Snares Lessor and Lender in
Battle Over Assignment
By Tom McCurnin
Leasing News Legal News Editor

Assignee Old National Bank Claims Mutual Mistake of Fact, Justifying
Rescission of Assignment, But Assignor Leasing Innovations
Points to Non-Recourse Nature of Assignment. Case Underscores
Necessity for Reps & Warranties in Assignments

Old National Bank v Leasing Innovations. CV 11-01539 2013 WL 1339380 (S.D. Ind. 2013)

The Wildwood Industries fraud is a gift that just keeps on giving—to Chicago based leasing lawyers. Sometimes I think that the aggregate amount of attorney fees spent on this case would pay every creditor. In today’s case, the Wildwood fraud snared two familiar faces, Old National Bank of Indiana and California based, Leasing Innovations. While the issue in the case is mundane and not particularly worthy of discussion, the existence of the case, and the assignment in question underscores the necessity for obtaining representations and warranties from the lease broker. The facts follow.

Wildwood Industries leased equipment supposedly worth $2 million dollars from Leasing Innovations. The nature of the equipment was not disclosed in the Complaint, nor the Court’s opinion. Leasing Innovations then assigned the lease to Old National Bank of Indiana (“ONB”) and ONB paid Leasing Innovations $1.9 million dollars.

The facts surrounding the assignment are murky, but the provisions of the assignment are ridiculous, because the document is a single page form, without many of the customary attributes in any assignment I’ve seen. There was no choice of law clause, and no reps and warranties. The assignment was pretty much a bare bones assignment. So it’s hard to tell what happened or why.

On the one hand, Leasing Innovations could have shared 100% of the facts surrounding the deal with the Bank, and the Bank ran its own credit, checked out the equipment (or had the right to do so) and cheerfully entered into the transaction. This wouldn’t be the first time that lenders like ONB flocked to Ponzi scheme like lemmings falling off a cliff. The NorVergence case comes to mind, as all the financial players in that case gobbled up those leases like there was no tomorrow.

On the other hand, Leasing Innovations could have done something wrong, but frankly there is no allegation in the complaint that they failed in any duties to the Bank. I assume that both parties were fooled by Wildwood.

So to me, this is a case of caveat emptor and either the Bank fly-specked the deal, or certainly had the right to fly-speck the deal, and the broker’s assignment was non-recourse.

When the Wildwood Industries fraud came to light, the Bank commenced a suit in Indiana (the Wildwood bankruptcy case is in Illinois), for rescission based on a mutual mistake of fact that Wildwood actually leased tangible equipment. We all know now that there was no equipment involving Wildwood.

The issue of the decision is choice of law (the court applied Indiana law), and while not terribly scintillating the case is more important for what is not discussed—why lenders don’t get the minimum of representations and warranties from their brokers. Even if the deal is lender underwritten, the lenders should try to get some reps and warranties. Examples follow:

• If the broker/lessor oversaw the signatures, and the lender had nothing to do with the signing, the broker should at least warrant the signature This probably wouldn’t have helped here.

• If the broker/lessor filed the UCC-1, then the lender should try to get a rep and warrant that the lessor has a valid perfected security interest in first priority as to the equipment. Because the broker is handling the filing, it should warrant that security interest, but I find many brokers simply refuse to warrant this. This push-pull is a business decision by lender and broker. Arguably, such a warranty would have made the Bank whole here, because there was no equipment.

• If the lease is written by the broker/lessor, then a representation and warranty that the lease represents a valid and enforceable obligation under its terms would also be appropriate. For California lessors, this is particularly important, as the broker/lessor has to licensed here. This provision would have also saved the day here, as the lessor is unlicensed.

Of course, there are other reps and warranties that should be considered, but the point here is that this lender was oblivious to the point of being reckless with this bare bones assignment, and the broker was extremely skilled with its documents.

While the case is not determinative of the specific rights of either the broker or the lender (it only decided choice of law), I found the lack of reps and warranties to be particularly shocking. We will have to stay tuned to this case to see whether Indiana law supports rescission for this type of claim.

Wildwood Case:
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/Wildwood_2013.pdf

Tom McCurnin is a partner at Barton, Klugman & Oetting in Los Angeles, California.

Tom McCurnin
Barton, Klugman & Oetting
350 South Grand Ave.
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Direct Phone: (213) 617-6129
Cell (213) 268-8291
Email: tmccurnin@bkolaw.com
Visit our web site at www.bkolaw.com

Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/leasing_cases.html

Owners of Defunct Wildwood Industries Sentenced
http://www.fbi.gov/springfield/press-releases/2010/si120210.htm

Working Capital Loans for Small Businesses
Channel Partners is now offering a new Easy Rewards program that allows you to earn rewards on EVERY deal over $15,000 in EVERY state!
www.channelpartnersllc.com p: (763) 746-7760 f: (763) 592-8297 information@channelpartnersllc.com

NAELB Announces New Web Site

The National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers has announced a new web site, and is going through the beta process and believes all facets are now up and running. It is open to non-members, but specific programs and information are available only to members---who must log in with a new password to the new web site.

The up-date was orchestrated by members and is receiving many accolades.

www.naelb.org

Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Broker/Lessor Relationship Manager Canada Responsible for the development and maintenance of all broker/lessor relationships for Financial Pacific Leasing located in Canada. Promote the FinPac product and develop new sources of business. Work remotely from your location in Canada with periodic travel within Canada and Seattle, WA. Base salary plus commission plan. Please click here for more information. www.finpac.com Since 1975 serving the broker/lessor industry in the $5,000 to $50,000 marketplace.

Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.

Abbott & Costello Predicted This

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Small business lending grows under SBLF, TARP banks lag
By Harish Mali, SNL Financial

The U.S. government's Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) appears to be accomplishing its goal of driving increased small business lending at banks.

The remaining 269 bank participants have grown qualified small business loans by an average rate of 93.0% over the baseline at the end of 2012. This compares to average small business loan growth of just 5.6% at similarly sized banks who did not receive SBLF funding over the same period.

Loan growth

The aggregate qualified small business loans of the current banking participants stood at $44.7 billion at Dec. 31, 2012, compared to the baseline of $36 billion. The 50 community development loan funds (CDLF) — the other participants in the program — also recorded an average growth of 63.2% in the qualified small business loans over the baseline.

The baseline, as defined under the program, is the average amount of qualified small business loans outstanding in the four quarters ended June 30, 2010. The amount may be adjusted to show the effect of any merger or loan purchase activity.

For the small business loan growth at non-SBLF banks, SNL studied small business lending at non-SBLF banks with less than $10 billion in assets at Dec. 31, 2012. The analysis revealed that these banks have grown small business loans by an average growth rate of only 5.6% since June 30, 2010. The study included all small nonfarm loans secured by nonfarm, nonresidential properties and commercial and industrial loans to U.S. addresses with original amounts of $1 million or less and all small farm loans secured by farm residential and other improvements, and loans to finance agricultural production and other loans to farmers with original amounts of $500,000 or less.

The Treasury defines qualified small business lending as all commercial and industrial loans, loans secured by owner-occupied nonfarm, nonresidential real estate, loans to finance agricultural production and other loans to farmers and loans secured by farmland, with the original principal and commitment amount of $10 million or less and the loan is not to a business with more than $50 million in revenues. It also excludes loan portions guaranteed by the U.S. government or for which a third party assumes risk.

Most of the lending growth came from the non-TARP banks. Former TARP banks grew their qualified small business loans by only 26.2% over their baseline on average basis, whereas the non-TARP banks have more than doubled their qualified small business loans from the baseline at Dec. 31, 2012. The former TARP banks are those SBLF participants that used the SBLF proceeds to repay the TARP outstanding.

The SBLF program, a brainchild of President Barack Obama, was enacted into law as part of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (JOBS Act) to provide eligible financial institutions with capital in an effort to boost small business lending across the country. The Treasury had $30 billion available under the program, but it received 932 applications for only $11.8 billion, of which only 332 applications were approved for $4 billion in disbursements. Additionally, roughly half of the SBLF bank participants entered the program by exchanging TARP shares for SBLF shares.

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

ELFA Business Report Flat 2012-2013,
But Better than last February

(Chart: Leasing News)

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association MLFI-25 report for March showed an increase over February by $2.1 billion, but comparing the first quarter of 2013 above with 2013 is not very good news.

(Chart: Leasing News)

These charts are from Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
from information received by 31 of their members:

MLFI-25 New Business Volume (Year Over Year Comparison)   click image to make larger Aging of Receivables: click to make larger Average Losses (Charge-offs) as a % of net receivables (Year Over Year Comparison) click image to make larger Credit Approval Ratios As % of all Decisions Submitted (Year Over Year Comparison) click image to make larger Total Number of Employees (Year Over Year Comparison) click image to make larger

Previous MLFI Reports:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/ELFA-Survey.htm

Report Finds Starbucks is Top Quick Serve for Q1 2013
qrsmagazine.com

Starbucks is the top quick service restaurant brand with $166 million of Impact Media Value according to General Sentiment’s Q1 2013 QSR MediaMatch. Taco Bell ($89 million), Chipotle ($51 million) and Kentucky Fried Chicken ($36 million) remained in the top four. Burger King ($33 million) rounded out the top five, moving up one place while McDonald’s ($29 million) and Pizza Hut ($21 million) each dropped a spot.

IHOP ($16 million) was the biggest mover this quarter, jumping from nineteenth to ninth as a result of its free pancakes promotion for National Pancake Day in February. McDonald’s ($29 million), Wendy’s ($21 million) and Applebee's ($18 million) ranked sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively. Pizza Hut ($16 million) came in tenth.

“Most of the QSR brands maintained their positions this quarter, while a few saw minor movements in the rankings,” says Pete Moran, CEO of General Sentiment. “The larger social media story is IHOP’s movement from nineteenth to ninth, which was the result of a successful PR campaign substantiated by social media analytics.”

More details follow on what drove Impact Media Value for the top five QSR brands:

• Starbucks retained the top spot again this quarter. In January, the company reported a 13-percent increase in profit, and Starbucks began selling mobile start-up Square’s credit card reader in 7,000 stores. The companies offered customers a rebate that effectively made the reader free.

• Taco Bell remained in second place for Q1 2013. The fast food chain’s Super Bowl ad generated a lot of discussion in February. The ad featured elderly people sneaking out of retirement homes to party and eat at Taco Bell.

• Chipotle held onto third. The majority of Chipotle’s Impact Media Value stemmed from a rumor started in early February that led many to believe that they could receive free burritos by kissing in a Chipotle restaurant on Valentine’s Day. While Chipotle simply informed customers that this was false, competitor Qdoba offered a similar discount.

• Kentucky Fried Chicken stayed in fourth. In February, parent company Yum Brands announced that it expected 2013 earnings to shrink as a result of a food safety scare in China. KFC’s sales suffered at the end of 2012 and in the beginning of 2013 as negative publicity surrounded chemical residue found in its chicken.

• Burger King rose one spot to fifth. In late February, the company found its Twitter account had been hacked. The Burger King logo was replaced with a McDonald’s one, and fake tweets appeared.

The report also provided MediaMatch data for IHOP, showing the most suitable TV show matches for the QSR brand. The top five television show matches based on overlap with the IHOP audience, which contains 135,884 mentioned are "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Guy Code," "Beyond Scared Straight," "Tyler Perry’s House of Payne," and "Bad Girls Club."

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

### Press Release ############################

Changes at the Captives Forum
Association New Leaders

The equipment manufacturers’ European trade association, The Captives Forum, which focuses on members use of finance as a means to increase sales of their products, has announced changes to its officers.

Elliot Lennick, New Chairman

After a number of years as Chairman, Patrick Jelly of Pitney Bowes, has been appointed to the role of President and Elliot Lennick has been appointed Chairman for a two year term. Nils Jaeger, of John Deere Financial has been appointed Vice Chairman.

Patrick Jelly (Vice President, Sales, Pitney Bowes Europe and Vice President, Pitney Bowes Financial Solutions Europe) said “Bret Thomas (CEO, Xerox Global Leasing Group) and I founded the Captives Forum in 2007 based on the belief that we could share ideas and best practice with Captive Finance companies in an environment that facilitated open discussion. We have been delighted with the progress we have made and the introduction of new members who share these beliefs and have made a significant contribution to our Forum over the last 6 years. I intend to remain closely involved and am delighted that we will continue under the strong support and guidance of Elliot and Nils, two senior leaders from the European Captive’s industry”

Elliot Lennick (Vice president and Head of International Sales, MAN Finance International) has been a strong supporter of the Captives Forum from the outset and a member of the Executive Committee. A well know figure in the industry, he has been with MAN for over 13 years and has responsibility for all of MAN Financial business outside of Germany. He is a Governor of the Leasing Foundation and has served as Chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Committee of the BVLRA.

Speaking of Patrick’s time as Chairman, Elliot said “Patrick’s contribution has made the Captives Forum a recognised body within the European leasing community. The respect that we have gained within the industry is through Patrick’s endeavours. As Chairman for the next two years, I aim to carry on with the vision both Patrick and Bret had in 2007 and will continue to look for new members that share our manufacturing parentage and international focus.”

Appointed to the new role of Vice Chairman, Nils Jaeger (Vice President, John Deere Financial, John Deere Global Trade Finance and John Deere Bank) is another member who has the important experience of working in the parent company’s equipment business prior to his role in the financial operation of the John Deere Group. He has lived and worked in a number of European countries and the USA, and therefore brings a wide international experience to the Forum. Nils is a Governor of the Leasing Foundation and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Captives Forum. Nils said “I am delighted to have become so involved with the Captives Forum.

In the two years since I joined, I have come to appreciate how important it is for manufacturers to have a trade association that focuses on the very different challenges that are faced by us when compared to bank owned lessors.”

Alan Leesmith, Secretary of the Captives Forum said “In recognition of Patrick’s founding role, I am pleased to say that Patrick has agreed to accept the new title of President. This means that we will continue to have the benefit of Patrick serving on the Forum’s Executive Committee. As the number of our members has continue to grow, there will be increasing demands on the Chairman and we recognise the importance of sharing the workload. We have decided therefore to introduce a fixed term of two years as Chairman and at the same time introduce the role of Vice Chairman. This will also provide us with a succession plan for future years.”

The management of the Captives Forum is undertaken by IAA-Advisory. Alan Leesmith, IAA’s International Director, is the Captives Forum’s Secretary and Derek Soper is Advisor to the Captives Forum Board.

#### Press Release #############################

Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croc

New releases both cosmic ("Oblivion") and intimate ("The Company You Keep") come to theaters, while DVDs offer gritty drama ("Broken City"), a heartfelt autobiography ("Not Fade Away"), and the screen debut of one Marlon Brando ("The Men").

In Theaters:

Oblivion (Universal Pictures): Tom Cruise returns to the blockbuster science-fiction realm of "Minority Reports" with this ambitious cosmic epic. Set in a future in which the Earth has been devastated by alien wars, the story follows Jack Harper (Cruise), a veteran drone repairman whose latest assignment takes him to a part of the planet marauded by terrifying beings known as the Scavs. Investigating a rescue call from a fallen spaceship, Jack encounters a mysteriously familiar young woman (Olga Kurylenko) and the leader of an underground resistance movement (Morgan Freeman). Soon, what began as a routine job for the hero becomes a struggle for the fate of humanity. Director Joseph Kosinski follows his "Tron: Legacy" with another promising, visually lush sci-fi adventure.

The Company You Keep (Sony Pictures Classics): A vintage megastar and a figure of encouragement for independent cinema, Robert Redford is also a director of intimate, serious-minded movies. In his latest directorial effort, he stars as Jim Grant, a former 1960s radical activist who has for the past decades lived as a respected lawyer. His past catches up with him, however, when a young reporter (Shia LaBeouf) becomes determined to uncover his identity, sending him on a search for his old colleagues. Can the characters overcome their different ages and backgrounds and achieve some sort of understanding of their actions? A leisurely rumination on political engagement and how it affects our lives, the movie benefits greatly from a cast that also includes Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, and Nick Nolte.

On DVD:

Broken City (Twentieth-Century Fox): After tackling period pieces ("From Hell") and post-apocalyptic gloom ("The Book of Eli"), director Allen Hughes returns to his gritty urban roots with this well-made, muscular drama with modern noir elements. Mark Wahlberg stars as Billy Taggart, a New York City police officer who takes up private practice and is hired by the corrupt Mayor (Russell Crowe) to trail his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones). With election approaching, the case gradually becomes about more than only marital suspicion, revealing a wide-ranging conspiracy. The more Taggart uncovers, the closer he becomes to the dangerous corners of a shady system. With a sense of hardboiled suspense and moral ambiguity reminiscent of vintage gumshoe mysteries, the movie is a punchy, involving thriller.

Not Fade Away (Paramount): A musical from the man behind "The Sopranos"?! That's the premise of this criminally underseen drama, written and directed by David Chase, which weaves a wondrous 1960s soundtrack into its nostalgic plot to evoke memories both fond and bittersweet. Unfurling in a working-class New Jersey neighborhood, the story centers on Douglas (John Magaro), a young dreamer who plays the drums for a garage-rock band. With eyes on making it to Hollywood, he locks horns with his father (James Gandolfini) and his girlfriend (Bella Heathcote). Focusing less on straightforward narrative than on richly impressionist bits of the characters' lives as they float through a turbulent decade, this is a deeply personal study of the effect of sublime art on people, and a gem that's worth tracking down.

The Men (Olive Films): Arguably cinema's greatest actor, Marlon Brando made his screen debut in this affecting drama from 1950, directed by Fred Zinnemann ("High Noon"). Brando stars as Ken, a young ex-soldier who becomes paralyzed from the waist down due to a war wound. Being treated at a hospital, he's comforted by a sensitive doctor (Everett Sloane) and his loving fiancee Ellen (Teresa Wright). Despite their support, however, Ken's anger flashes to the surface, particularly after he's fitted into a wheelchair for his honeymoon. Can he overcome his many barriers, or is he doomed to a life of bitterness? Already displaying an overwhelming combination of physical and emotional presence, Brando dominates this poignant classic, which deserves to be better known.

Collie
Tomball, Texas Adopt-a-Dog

Shelby Magnolia
Breed: Collie
Color: Red/Golden/Orange/Chestnut - With White
Age: Senior
Size: Large 61-100 lbs. (28-45 kg)
Sex: Female
ID#: SHELBY MAGNOLIA

“I am already spayed, housetrained, purebred, up to date with shots, good with kids, good with dogs, and good with cats.”

SHELBY MAGNOLIA's Story...

“Hello, my name is Shelby Magnolia. The kind people at Canine Compassion rescued me from certain death at a Dallas area shelter. I am a soft and gentle 11 year old rough coated collie.

“I am housebroken, quiet and just enjoy being in your presence. I love hanging out on the front porch with my foster mother or simply spending time with the family while they watch TV. While my foster mother’s place is certainly better than the shelter was, I think I would really enjoy a quieter environment where I can live out my golden years in peace and joyful serenity.

“I am wonderful with other dogs of all sizes, cats and even kiddos of the human variety. I do require some medications to keep my old hips comfortable, but I am very easy to care for and the love and loyalty I show in return makes me very endearing and impossible not to love. My foster mom says I have been a blessing and a gift to her and she desires a special retirement home for me that can also enjoy all that I have to offer.

“Do you have room in your heart and home for a regal, loyal companion like me?”

If you would like to apply, please e-mail caninecompassion@yahoo.com for an application.

**An excellent vet reference is required**

Contact This Rescue Group...
Rescue Group: CANINE COMPASSION
Pet ID #: SHELBY MAGNOLIA
E-Mail: caninecompassion@yahoo.com
Website: http://WWW.CANINECOMPASSION.PETFINDER.ORG
Address: TOMBALL, TX 77377

Adopt-a-Pet by Leasing Co. State/City
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Adopt_Pet.htm

Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

Paramount Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud

Los Angeles – Appearing before United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, a Paramount man was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for conspiring to commit bank fraud.

Victor Eze, 51, was further ordered to spend two years on supervised release following his prison sentence. Eze has been in federal custody since his arrest in April of last year.

Eze pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit bank fraud on June 11, 2012.

According to the plea agreement, between 2005 and April 18, 2012, Eze altered the payee name on stolen checks received from his unnamed co-conspirators. Eze also counterfeited checks for his co-conspirators. The co-conspirators then cashed and deposited the checks that Eze had altered and counterfeited. Many federally-insured financial institutions suffered actual losses as a result of this conspiracy, including Chase Bank and U.S. Bank.

According to court documents initially filed in this case, Eze admitted to investigators that other members of the conspiracy would bring him fraudulent checks and he would alter payee names and addresses upon their request and would be paid $100 per check for his alterations.

The investigation of Eze was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

((Please click on ad to learn more))
(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

The Most Popular Home Improvements
24/7WallSt.com

In looking at new homes, the National Association of Realtors took a look at what buyers considered important enough that they would pay more for the house.

The report noted “There is a difference in people’s preference and what they are willing to pay for,” the report said. “They may want the steak but are on a macaroni budget.” In many of these, the amount they are willing to pay more doesn't even come close to reality of the cost difference in remodeling a new house compared to buying a new house that has the features. However, the response do indicate the current desires of families living styles.

10.
Eat-In Kitchen
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 40%
Amount willing to pay extra: $1,770

The people who are most interested in an eat-in kitchen tend to be in the 35 to 54 age range, with 30% of those prospective home buyers indicating this is “very important” in a house. Meanwhile, just 21% of those under 35 years of age and 20% over 55 feel the same way. More people, especially those who are raising families, want kitchens that look into family entertainment rooms. Some have even made it a family hangout by placing big-screen TVs and other electronics in the kitchen. “Buyers who are in families want to be in one space and do it all.

9.
Home Less Than Five-Years Old
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 40%
Amount willing to pay extra: $5,020

Some people simply want a newer home. For those willing to pay more for a newer home, the median that people would dole out was more than $5,000.

8.
Stainless Steel Appliances
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 41%
Amount willing to pay extra: $1,850

Like most features, stainless steel appliances are most important to people between the ages of 35 to 54, with 23% considering them to be a “very important” investment, compared with just 16% of those under the age of 35 and a mere 11% of those over the age of 55. People are primarily driven to buy stainless steel appliances because they look more attractive.

7.
Kitchen Island
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 48%
Amount willing to pay extra: $1,370

Kitchen islands are most important to people ages 35 to 54, with 24% of them indicating that it is a “very important” characteristic. Just 19% of people under 35 and 13% over 55 considered this feature important. DeSimone noted that kitchen islands often come in handy for those who are raising a family.

6.
Ensuite Master Bath
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 49%
Amount willing to pay extra: $2,030

Once again, the ensuite master bathroom tends to be more important to people ages 35 and older. “It kind of goes to the ‘home is my sanctuary’ mentality,” Samuelson said. This, along with a walk-in closet in the master bedroom, has become more important in the past 10 years or so. Many people are eager to make their bathroom more “homey” by doing things such as installing televisions on the wall. The fact that many master bathrooms have two sinks is also an appealing option for married couples

5.
Hardwood Floors
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 54%
Amount willing to pay extra: $2,080

Some 25% of buyers under the age of 35, and 28% of those between 35 and 54, considered hardwood floors “very important” when looking for a home. Only 17% of people ages 55 and up felt the same way. In previous generations, homes with carpets were considered better in order to conserve energy, DeSimone said. Even today, older people are more likely to feel more comfortable with carpeting because the insulation makes the home a little bit warmer. But for younger people looking to have many guests at the house and for people with children, hardwood floors are desirable because they are easier to clean than carpets.

4.
Granite Countertops
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 55%
Amount willing to pay extra: $1,620

Among homeowners between the ages of 35 and 54, 24% viewed granite countertops as “very important,” compared to 18% of people under 35 and 18% of people over 55. Although just one in every five prospective home buyers said granite countertops were very important, 55% of those who bought a home without such a countertop said they would pay extra for it.

3.
Walk-In Closet in Master Bedroom
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 60%
Amount willing to pay extra: $1,350

A whopping 60% of homeowners were willing to pay extra for a walk-in closet in the master bedroom, with 44% of people between the ages of 35-54 viewing this feature as “very important,” compared to just 35% under the age of 35 and 36% of people 55 and older. DeSimone said the walk-in closet is desired for two main reasons: space and status. The space is very desirable for people as they get older and acquire more clothes, allowing people to be more organized. Having a walk-in closet in the master bedroom is also a status symbol

2.
New Kitchen Appliances
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 69%
Amount willing to pay extra: $1,840

About 69% of homeowners said they were willing to spend more money for new kitchen appliances.

1.
Central Air Conditioning
Pct. of home buyers willing to pay more: 69%
Amount willing to pay extra: $2,520

Nearly seven in 10 homeowners said they would be willing to pay more on central air conditioning — the same as new kitchen appliances and more than any other feature. Central air conditioning was considered “very important” by more than 60% of people in all age groups. Samuelson noted that although people were willing to shell out approximately $2,500 for the feature, that is far less than what it would actually cost to install central air conditioning.

News Briefs----

Small-business lender CIT's profit below estimates
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/23/us-cit-results-idUSBRE93M0R020130423

Citigroup Meeting: What a Difference a Year Makes
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100670057

Signature Bank Reports 2013 First Quarter Results
http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130423-904233.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Boeing aims to restart 787 deliveries in early May
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/boeing_net_income

Down Payment Rules Are at Heart of Mortgage Debate
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/down-payment-rules-are-at-heart-of-mortgage-debate/?ref=business

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

---You May Have Missed

52 Worst commutes slideshow presentation
http://www.sfgate.com/best_of_2012/slideshow/America-s-worst-commutes-61017/photo-4522452.php

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

The 8 Best Fast Food Breakfasts
What to Order on the Go
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1449

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Spring Poem

I am forever walking upon these shores,
Betwixt the sand the foam.
The high tide will erase my foot-prints,
And the wind will blow away the foam.
But the sea and the shore will remain
Forever.

Kahlil Gibran

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Briefs----

NFL-Linemen expected to grab spotlight from QBs at Draft
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl-linemen-expected-gra-spotlight-qbs-draft-000701147--nfl.html

49ers Trading Up: Players San Francisco Could Be Targeting in 2013 NFL Draft
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/49ers-trading-players-san-francisco-could-targeting-2013-212500016--nfl.html

Barry Sanders snags cover of 'Madden 25'
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/04/24/madden-nfl-14-cover/2111197/

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

California Nuts Briefs---

Jerry Brown promises opponents 'battle of their lives' on education overhaul
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2013/04/jerry-brown-promises-opponents-battle-of-their-lives-on-education-overhaul.html

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

“Gimme that Wine”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

$1 million will go to naturalize immigrants in Napa County
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-napa-valley-immigrants-20130423,0,764698.story

Why is Ridge adding ingredients to its back labels?
http://www.ridgewine.com/About/ingredient%20labeling

The Weird and Wild Wine-Drinking Games of History
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/48337

TOP 10 ST GEORGE’S DAY DRINKS
http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2013/04/top-10-english-drinks-for-st-georges-day/

Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

    1507-Little is known about the obscure scholar now called the "godfather of America," the German geographer and mapmaker Martin Waldseemuller, who gave America its name. In a book titled Cosmographiae Introductio, published this day, 1507, Waldseemuller wrote: "Inasmuch as both Europe and Asia received their names from women, I see no reason why any one should justly object to calling this part Amerige, i.e., the land of Amerigo, or America, after Amerigo, its discoverer, a man of great ability." Believing it was the Italian navigator and merchant Amerigo Vespucci who had discovered the new continent, Waldseemuller sought to honor Vespucci by placing his name on his map of the world, published in 1507. First applied only to the South American continent, it soon was used for both the American continents. Waldseemuller did not learn about the voyage of Christopher Columbus until several years later. Of the thousand copies of his map that were printed, only one is known to have survived. Waldseemuller probably was born at Radolfzell, Germany, about 1470. He died at St. Die, France, about 1517-20.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15531a.htm
    1781 - Gen. Nathanael Greene engaged British forces at Hobkirk’s Hill, South Carolina, and was forced to retreat. 
    1831-The first streetcar company was incorporated this day in 1831 to be known as the New York and Harlem Railwayhttp://www.westchestergov.com/wcarchives/sneakapeek/Mar2000/
march2000sneakapeek.htm
http://www.aggreen.net/ny_railroads/ny_rails.html
http://www.harlem.org/
    1861-- Emma Edmonds alias Frank Thompson became a male nurse in the Second Volunteers of the United States Army. She later wrote Nurse and Spy, published in 1865, a rather lurid and perhaps not too accurate an autobiographical account of her exploits as a Union field nurse in northern Virginia and Kentucky but who was also a spy for the union forces. It has been estimated that approximately 400 women succeeded in enlisting in the army (either Union or Confederate) during the Civil War. She is buried in Washington Cemetery, Houston Texas, in lot G-26. This is a GAR lot that belonged to George B. McClellan Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. She is the only female member of the organization formed after the Civil War by Union veterans-The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). There is also a biography of EE, She Rode with Generals, by Sylvia Gannett. Also, Richard Hall in Patriots in Disguise has some biographical information on Edmonds, including her postwar career, but the source of Hall’s comments appears to be from Gannett's book.
    1862 - Admiral Farragut occupies New Orleans, Louisiana. 
    1865 - Four of the five Lincoln assassination suspects arrested on the 17th were imprisoned on the monitors U.S.S. Montauk and Saugus which had been prepared for this purpose on the 15th and were anchored off the Washington Navy Yard in the Anacostia River. Mrs. Mary E. Surratt was taken into custody at the boarding house she operated after it was learned that her son was a close friend of John Wilkes Booth and that the actor was a frequent visitor at the boarding house. Mrs. Surratt was jailed in the Carroll Annex of Old Capitol Prison. Lewis Paine was also taken into custody when he came to Mrs. Surratt's house during her arrest. Edward Spangler, stagehand at the Ford Theater and Booth's aide, along with Michael O'Laughlin and Samuel B. Arnold, close associates of Booth during the months leading up to the assassination, were also caught up in the dragnet. They were joined by Arnold on the 19th and Spangler on the 24th. George A. Atzerodt, the would-be assassin of Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Ernest Hartman Richter, at whose home Atzerodt was captured, were brought on board the ships on the 20th. Joao Celestino, Portuguese sea captain who had been heard to say on the 14th that Seward ought to be assassinated, was transferred from Old Capitol Prison to Montauk on the 25th. The last of the eight conspiracy suspects to be incarcerated on board the monitors was David E. Herold. The prisoners were kept below decks under heavy guard and were manacled with both wrist and leg irons. In addition, their heads were covered with canvas hoods the interior of which were fitted with cotton pads that tightly covered the prisoners' eyes and ears. The hoods contained two small openings to permit breathing and the consumption of food. An added security measure was taken with Paine by attaching a ball and chain to each ankle.
    1875 - New York City received three inches of snow, the latest measurable snow of record for that location.
    1898—The U.S. declares war on Spain.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr25.html
    1898 - The temperature at Volcano Springs CA hit 118 degrees to establish a U.S. record for the month of April.
    1901- New York began requiring license plates on automobiles, the first state to do so.
    1907- Revolutionizing shipping, covered in a “History” Television documentary very well, was the first turbine-propelled naval ship “Chester,” commissioned this day and built at the Bath Iron Works, Bath, ME. The contract price for the hull and machinery was $1,688,000, quite a bit of money for its day. The” Chester” was equipped with four Parsons turbines. It trail speed was 26.52 knots, freeing ships from relying on wind to cross the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. 
    1908-birthday of pianist Joe “from Bowling Green” Dean, St. Louis, MO.
    1908-Birthday of Edward R. Murrow( born Egbert Roscoe Murrow) in Greensboro, North Carolina
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/murrow_e.html
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/murrowedwar/murrowedwar.htm
    1910 - Chicago, IL, was blanketed with 2.5 inches of snow, and a total of 6.5 inches between the 22nd and the 26th. It was the latest significant snow of record for the city.
    1913-birthday of the great alto sax player Earl Bostic, Tulsa, OK Died 1965, New York City.
http://www.spaceagepop.com/bostic.htm
http://www.jazzradio.net/jazzcity/m_earl_bostic.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/bostic.html
(When I was learning how to play the alto sax, he was my favorite in the early 1950’s. I played along with “Harlem Nocturne” for hours until I memorized every lick and turn. It was not until I went to California and saw Charlie Parker in person that I decided I would never become an alto saxophone player and took up playing the Dixieland clarinet and fronting a 21 piece dance band sans musical instrument. I realized I had no talent to be an alto sax player after hearing “the Bird” in person. Charlie Parker with strings is perhaps my favorite album, next to Gil Evans and Miles Davis “Sketches of Spain” or “Old Bottle, New Wine.” or Basie’s atom bomb album. I also like both Turk Murphy Plays WC Handy and Louis Armstrong plays WC Handy. I like my friend Warren Luening's Big Band recordings. On yes, forgot, Bill May plays Jimmy Lunceford. Love all the Billy May albums. What a great arranger!!!! 
My dance band could play “Lean Baby, Lean.” Kit Menkin).
    1913-birthday of accordion player Santiago “Don” Jimenez, San Antonio, TX 
Died December 18, 1984 San Antonio
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/JJ/fji3.html
http://www.arhoolie.com/titles/7023.shtml
    1915-birthday of guitarist Johnny Shines, Frayser, TN .Died April 20, 1992, Tuscaloosa, AL
http://www.island.net/~blues/johnnys.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000003OQZ/inktomi-musicasin-20/
103-6620160-9563023
    1917-birthday of Ella Fitzgerald. Ella Fitzgerald was admired for her superlative musicianship and her skill in scat singing (singing improvised syllables while using the voice as an instrument). Born in Newport News, Virginia, and reared in a New York City orphanage, Fitzgerald was discovered at the age of 16, singing in a Harlem talent show. From 1934 until 1939 she sang with the Chick Webb Band, directing it for a time after the leader's death in 1939. One of her first hit tunes was is now an Easter favorite,” A Tisket, A Tasket.” In the mid-1940s, working with the American impresario Norman Granz, she toured Europe and Asia and performed in his Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts. Fitzgerald appeared in the 1955 film "Pete Kelly's Blues." In 1958 Fitzgerald appeared with the American jazz composer Duke Ellington at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She has also toured Europe frequently with the Oscar Peterson Trio. She died at her home in Beverly Hills, California, on June 15th, 1996. http://museum.media.org/ella/
http://www.redsugar.com/ella.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000047FO/inktomi-musicasin-20/
103-6620160-9563023
    1923-birthday of guitarist/singer Albert King (Albert Nelson), Indianola, MS. He was a star at the Fillmore’s East and West during the 1960's, appearing on the bill with top rock stars. King's most popular records were made for the Stax label in Memphis in the late '60s and early '70s. "Cold Feet" made the pop charts in 1968. King died of a heart attack on December 21st, 1992, in Memphis, Tennessee.
http://home.t-online.de/home/MSilberberg/king.htm
http://www.blueflamecafe.com/index.htm
    1925-- The first 50,000-watt radio station, WDY from Schenectady, NY, begins transmission.
    1928-birthday of tenor sax player Willis “Gator Tail” Jackson, Miami,FL. Died, October, 1987http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/j/J14.HTM
http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/jackson_w_cat.html
    1928 - Buddy, the first seeing eye dog, was presented to Morris S. Frank on this day. Many seeing eye organizations and schools continue to offer specially trained dogs “...to enhance the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of blind people...” (visithttp://www.seeingeye.org/). 
    1932-birthday of Meadow George “Meadowlark” Lemon II, basketball Hall of Famer, born Lexington, SC. http://www.wcgroups.com/globe.htm
    1942 -- Ella Mae Morse and Freddy Slacks' "Cow Cow Boogie" hits #1
    1945-East meets West: US Army Lieutenant Albert Kotzebue encountered a single Soviet soldier near the German village of Lechwitz, 75 miles south of Berlin. Patrols of General Leonard Gerow's V Corps saluted the advance guard of Marshall Ivan Konev's Soviet 58th Guards Division. Soldiers of both nations embraced and exchanged toasts. The Allied armies of East and West had finally met.
    1945-GONZALES, DAVID M. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 127th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date: Villa Verde Trail, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 25 April 1945. Entered service at: Pacoima, Calif. Birth: Pacoima, Calif. G.O. No.: 115, 8 December 1945. Citation: He was pinned down with his company. As enemy fire swept the area, making any movement extremely hazardous, a 500-pound bomb smashed into the company's perimeter, burying 5 men with its explosion. Pfc. Gonzales, without hesitation, seized an entrenching tool and under a hail of fire crawled 15 yards to his entombed comrades, where his commanding officer, who had also rushed forward, was beginning to dig the men out. Nearing his goal, he saw the officer struck and instantly killed by machinegun fire. Undismayed, he set to work swiftly and surely with his hands and the entrenching tool while enemy sniper and machinegun bullets struck all about him. He succeeded in digging one of the men out of the pile of rock and sand. To dig faster he stood up regardless of the greater danger from so exposing himself. He extricated a second man, and then another. As he completed the liberation of the third, he was hit and mortally wounded, but the comrades for whom he so gallantly gave his life were safely evacuated. Pfc. Gonzales' valiant and intrepid conduct exemplifies the highest tradition of the military service.
    1945-KNIGHT, RAYMOND L. (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: In Northern Po Valley, Italy, 24 25 April 1945. Entered service at: Houston, Tex. Birth: Texas. G.O. No.: 81, 24 September 1945. Citation: He piloted a fighter-bomber aircraft in a series of low-level strafing missions, destroying 14 grounded enemy aircraft and leading attacks which wrecked 10 others during a critical period of the Allied drive in northern Italy. On the morning of 24 April, he volunteered to lead 2 other aircraft against the strongly defended enemy airdrome at Ghedi. Ordering his fellow pilots to remain aloft, he skimmed the ground through a deadly curtain of antiaircraft fire to reconnoiter the field, locating 8 German aircraft hidden beneath heavy camouflage. He rejoined his flight, briefed them by radio, and then led them with consummate skill through the hail of enemy fire in a low-level attack, destroying 5 aircraft, while his flight accounted for 2 others. Returning to his base, he volunteered to lead 3 other aircraft in reconnaissance of Bergamo airfield, an enemy base near Ghedi and 1 known to be equally well defended. Again ordering his flight to remain out of range of antiaircraft fire, 1st Lt. Knight flew through an exceptionally intense barrage, which heavily damaged his Thunderbolt, to observe the field at minimum altitude. He discovered a squadron of enemy aircraft under heavy camouflage and led his flight to the assault. Returning alone after this strafing, he made 10 deliberate passes against the field despite being hit by antiaircraft fire twice more, destroying 6 fully loaded enemy twin-engine aircraft and 2 fighters. His skillfully led attack enabled his flight to destroy 4 other twin-engine aircraft and a fighter plane. He then returned to his base in his seriously damaged plane. Early the next morning, when he again attacked Bergamo, he sighted an enemy plane on the runway. Again he led 3 other American pilots in a blistering low-level sweep through vicious antiaircraft fire that damaged his plane so severely that it was virtually nonflyable. Three of the few remaining enemy twin-engine aircraft at that base were destroyed. Realizing the critical need for aircraft in his unit, he declined to parachute to safety over friendly territory and unhesitatingly attempted to return his shattered plane to his home field. With great skill and strength, he flew homeward until caught by treacherous air conditions in the Appennines Mountains, where he crashed and was killed. The gallant action of 1st Lt. Knight eliminated the German aircraft which were poised to wreak havoc on Allied forces pressing to establish the first firm bridgehead across the Po River; his fearless daring and voluntary self-sacrifice averted possible heavy casualties among ground forces and the resultant slowing on the German drive culminated in the collapse of enemy resistance in Italy
    1946 - Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra recorded "Cement Mixer", (Majestic . )http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_lunceford_jimmie.htm
http://home.swipnet.se/bearrecords/luncef.htm
http://www.cleveland.oh.us/wmv_news/jazz54.htm
    1947-Theodore Roosevelt National Park established. Located in North Dakota, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park includes two sections of the Badlands on the Missouri River as well as Theodore Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch. http://www.theodore.roosevelt.national-park.com/
    1949-An article by Deac Aylesworth in Look Magazine predicted that radio was doomed and that within three years, TV would overshadow radio completely. 
    1950-The Boston Celtics made Chuck Cooper, an All-American from Dugquesne University playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, the first black player drafted by any NBA team when they selected him in the second round.
    1952-ESSEBAGGER, JOHN, JR. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company A, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Popsudong, Korea, 25 April 1951. Entered service at: Holland, Mich. Born: 29 October 1928, Holland, Mich. G.O. No.: 61, 24 April 1952. Citation: Cpl. Essebagger, a member of Company A, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. Committed to effect a delaying action to cover the 3d Battalion's withdrawal through Company A, Cpl. Essebagger, a member of 1 of 2 squads maintaining defensive positions in key terrain and defending the company's right flank, had participated in repulsing numerous attacks. In a frenzied banzai charge the numerically superior enemy seriously threatened the security of the planned route of withdrawal and isolation of the small force. Badly shaken, the grossly outnumbered detachment started to fall back and Cpl. Essebagger, realizing the impending danger, voluntarily remained to provide security for the withdrawal. Gallantly maintaining a l-man stand, Cpl. Essebagger raked the menacing hordes with crippling fire and, with the foe closing on the position, left the comparative safety of his shelter and advanced in the face of overwhelming odds, firing his weapon and hurling grenades to disconcert the enemy and afford time for displacement of friendly elements to more tenable positions. Scorning the withering fire and bursting shells, Cpl. Essebagger continued to move forward, inflicting destruction upon the fanatical foe until he was mortally wounded. Cpl. Essebagger's intrepid action and supreme sacrifice exacted a heavy toll in enemy dead and wounded, stemmed the onslaught, and enabled the retiring squads to reach safety. His valorous conduct and devotion to duty reflected lasting glory upon himself and was in keeping with the noblest traditions of the infantry and the U.S. Army.
    1953-MIYAMURA, HIROSHI H. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company H, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Taejon-ni, Korea, 24 and 25 April 1951. Entered service at: Gallup, N. Mex. Birth: Gallup, N. Mex. G.O. No.: 85, 4 November 1953. Citation: Cpl. Miyamura, a member of Company H, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. On the night of 24 April, Company H was occupying a defensive position when the enemy fanatically attacked threatening to overrun the position. Cpl. Miyamura, a machine gun squad leader, aware of the imminent danger to his men unhesitatingly jumped from his shelter wielding his bayonet in close hand-to-hand combat killing approximately 10 of the enemy. Returning to his position, he administered first aid to the wounded and directed their evacuation. As another savage assault hit the line, he manned his machine gun and delivered withering fire until his ammunition was expended. He ordered the squad to withdraw while he stayed behind to render the gun inoperative. He then bayoneted his way through infiltrated enemy soldiers to a second gun emplacement and assisted in its operation. When the intensity of the attack necessitated the withdrawal of the company Cpl. Miyamura ordered his men to fall back while he remained to cover their movement. He killed more than 50 of the enemy before his ammunition was depleted and he was severely wounded. He maintained his magnificent stand despite his painful wounds, continuing to repel the attack until his position was overrun. When last seen he was fighting ferociously against an overwhelming number of enemy soldiers. Cpl. Miyamura's indomitable heroism and consummate devotion to duty reflect the utmost glory on himself and uphold the illustrious traditions on the military service. 
    1953 - NBC-TV presented "Ethel and Albert", the video version of the popular radio show. Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce starred in the program
http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/ethelAndAlbert.html. 
    1954-Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York City, announced the invention by Gearld Pearson, Calivin Fuller, and Daryl Chapin of a solar energy battery to convert the sun’s energy into useful amounts of electricity. Made of specially treated strips of silicon, the battery needed no fuel other than the light of the sun. It had no moving parts, nothing in it was consumed or destroyed, and theoretically it was possible for it to last indefinitely.
    1956-Malcolm McLean of Maxton, NC first containership, the Ideal X, left the port of Newark, NJ. He invented containerized shipping. He developed a large shipping container that could be packed with goods at the factor5y, hauled by truck to a port facility, carried on a specially fitted ships to a port terminal, offloaded from the ship, and hitched directly to trucks or loaded on freight cards for cross-continental transport, all without unpacking the containers' contents. The first containership facility was the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal, operated by the Port of New York Authority. It opened for business on August 15,1962, when Sea-Land Service’s SS Elizabethport docked in New Bay, Elizabeth, NY, on the south side of Elizabeth Channel, south of Port Newark. During its first year, the facility handled 1.5 million tons of cargo on 242 vessels and employed730 people, who earned a total of more than $4 million. This revolutionized the entire shipping industry, plus gave birth to container and railroad carrier leasing.
http://lonestar.texas.net/~mdmclean/MDM_BIO.html
    1956- Elvis Presley reached number one on the charts for the first time, with "Heartbreak Hotel." It was Presley's first hit for RCA Victor after the company purchased his contract from Sam Phillips of Sun Records for $35,000.
    1956-- The Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria collides with the Swedish liner Stockholm, the latter tearing a hole in the starboard hull of the former, killing 52 instantly and causing the Andrea Doria to sink by morning. On board is one Mike Stoller, who would go on to become one of the famous Lieber-Stoller songwriting team.
    1958-Arnold Palmer struggled to a final round 73, one over par, but still won the first of his four Masters championships. Palmer finished at 284, one shot better than Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins. He would win the tournament again in 1960, 1962 (in a playoff) and 1964.
http://www.palmergolf.com/
    1959-the canal incorporated into a seaway opened, a 400-mile waterway between Montreal and Lake Erie, connecting the St. Lawrence River with the Great Lakes. It formed part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, 2,342 miles long, which allowed oceangoing ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth, MN.
    1960-Elvis Presley's first release since leaving the US Army, "Stuck On You" tops the Billboard chart. The record had been so highly anticipated, it sold over one million copies before it was even recorded.
    1960-With the Folk music craze in full swing, The Brothers Four enjoyed their biggest hit as "Greenfields" reached #2 on the Billboard chart.
    1961 - Robert Noyce patented the integrated circuit.
    1964- US President Lyndon B. Johnson announces that General. William Westmoreland will replace Gen. Paul Harkins as head of US Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) as of 20 June. The assignment would put Westmoreland in charge of all American military forces in Vietnam. One of the war's most controversial figures, General Westmoreland was given many honors when the fighting was going well, but when the war turned sour, many Americans saw him as a cause of US problems in Vietnam. Negative feeling about Westmoreland grew particularly strong following the Tet Offensive of 1968, when he had requested a large number of additional troops for deployment to Vietnam. On 22 March 1968, President Johnson announced that Westmoreland would leave South Vietnam to take on the post of Army Chief of Staff; Gen. Creighton Abrams replaced him as the senior US commander in South Vietnam.
    1964-Dionne Warwick's "Walk on By" enters the Hot 100. Her fifth and thus far, biggest hit will eventually get to #6 on the chart for 13 weeks.
    1964-Peter and Gordon reach Number One on the U.K. pop chart with "World without Love," a song composed by Paul McCartney of the Beatles
    1965-- Backed by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bob Dylan takes the stage at the Newport Folk Festival and plays his first-ever set of electric songs, horrifying many (but, contrary to legend, not all) in the crowd. After three songs, an upset Dylan says "Let's go, man, that's all," and the band leave the stage, only to be coaxed back out by Peter, Paul and Mary to play two more originals in the more "appropriate" acoustic manner. (Mainly because the band, a last-minute idea of Dylan's, only knew the three songs.) 
    1967-Abortion first legalized: the first law legalizing abortion in the US was signed by Colorado Governor John Arthur Love. The law allowed therapeutic abortions in cases in which a three-doctor panel unanimously agreed.
    1967-STUMPF, KENNETH E. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Sp4c.), U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Duc Pho, Republic of Vietnam, 25 April 1967. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 28 September 1944, Neenah, Wis. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Stumpf distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader of the 3d Platoon, Company C, on a search and destroy mission. As S/Sgt. Stumpf's company approached a village, it encountered a North Vietnamese rifle company occupying a well fortified bunker complex. During the initial contact, 3 men from his squad fell wounded in front of a hostile machinegun emplacement. The enemy's heavy volume of fire prevented the unit from moving to the aid of the injured men, but S/Sgt. Stumpf left his secure position in a deep trench and ran through the barrage of incoming rounds to reach his wounded comrades. He picked up 1 of the men and carried him back to the safety of the trench. Twice more S/Sgt. Stumpf dashed forward while the enemy turned automatic weapons and machineguns upon him, yet he managed to rescue the remaining 2 wounded squad members. He then organized his squad and led an assault against several enemy bunkers from which continuously heavy fire was being received He and his squad successfully eliminated 2 of the bunker positions, but one to the front of the advancing platoon remained a serious threat. Arming himself with extra hand grenades, S/Sgt. Stumpf ran over open ground, through a volley of fire directed at him by a determined enemy, toward the machinegun position. As he reached the bunker, he threw a hand grenade through the aperture. It was immediately returned by the occupants, forcing S/Sgt. Stumpf to take cover. Undaunted, he pulled the pins on 2 more grenades, held them for a few seconds after activation, then hurled them into the position, this time successfully destroying the emplacement. With the elimination of this key position, his unit was able to assault and overrun the enemy. S/Sgt. Stumpf's relentless spirit of aggressiveness, intrepidity, and ultimate concern for the lives of his men, are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
    1967-Just days after completing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", The Beatles laid down tracks for "Magical Mystery Tour" at Abbey Road studios in London.
    1968---SPRAYBERRY, JAMES M . Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Captain (then 1st Lt.), U.S. Army, Company D, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 25 April 1968. Entered service at: Montgomery, Ala. Born: 24 April 1947, LaGrange, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Sprayberry, Armor, U.S. Army, distinguished himself by exceptional bravery while serving as executive officer of Company D. His company commander and a great number of the men were wounded and separated from the main body of the company. A daylight attempt to rescue them was driven back by the well entrenched enemy's heavy fire. Capt. Sprayberry then organized and led a volunteer night patrol to eliminate the intervening enemy bunkers and to relieve the surrounded element. The patrol soon began receiving enemy machinegun fire. Capt. Sprayberry quickly moved the men to protective cover and without regard for his own safety, crawled within close range of the bunker from which the fire was coming. He silenced the machinegun with a hand grenade. Identifying several l-man enemy positions nearby, Capt. Sprayberry immediately attacked them with the rest of his grenades. He crawled back for more grenades and when 2 grenades were thrown at his men from a position to the front, Capt. Sprayberry, without hesitation, again exposed himself and charged the enemy-held bunker killing its occupants with a grenade. Placing 2 men to cover his advance, he crawled forward and neutralized 3 more bunkers with grenades. Immediately thereafter, Capt. Sprayberry was surprised by an enemy soldier who charged from a concealed position. He killed the soldier with his pistol and with continuing disregard for the danger neutralized another enemy emplacement. Capt. Sprayberry then established radio contact with the isolated men, directing them toward his position. When the 2 elements made contact he organized his men into litter parties to evacuate the wounded. As the evacuation was nearing completion, he observed an enemy machinegun position which he silenced with a grenade. Capt. Sprayberry returned to the rescue party, established security, and moved to friendly lines with the wounded. This rescue operation, which lasted approximately 71/2 hours, saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. Capt. Sprayberry personally killed 12 enemy soldiers, eliminated 2 machineguns, and destroyed numerous enemy bunkers. Capt. Sprayberry's indomitable spirit and gallant action at great personal risk to his life are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1969-- At the end of their gig at the Fillmore in San Francisco, Crosby, Stills and Nash invite Neil Young on stage to back them on a couple of songs, and they like the result so much he almost immediately becomes part of the band. 
    1970 - DJs around the U.S. played the new number one song, "ABC", quite often, as the Jackson 5 reached the number one spot in pop music for two weeks. "ABC" was the second of four number one songs in a row for the group from Gary, IN. "I Want You Back" was their first. "ABC" was one of 23 hits for Michael, Tito, Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon. "ABC" was knocked out of first place by The Guess Who and their hit, "American Woman".
    1970--- The Carpenters' "(They Long To Be) Close To You" hits #1
    1972 - Bill Sharman, ending his first year as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, was named Coach of the Year in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sharman had a first year record of 69 wins and 13 lo1973 - The group, The Sweet, received a gold record for the hit "Little Willy". The English rocker band recorded four hits in addition to their first million-seller, "Ballroom Blitz", "Fox on the Run", "Action" and "Love is like Oxygen". "Little Willy" was a top-three hit, while the group’s other gold record winner, "Fox on the Run" made it to the top five.
http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Sharman.htm
1974, Anniversary of the Portuguese revolution; a public holiday in Portugal.
    1974-the National Football League adopted a 15-minute, sudden death quarter in an effort to reduce the number of tie games. The league also moved the goal posts from the goal line to the back line of the end zone to make it more difficult to kick field goals.
    1975-- The musical A Chorus Line debuts on Broadway, the first of what would be 6,137 performances over fifteen years
    1976-Center fielder Rick Monday of the Chicago Cubs rescued an American flag from several fans who ran onto the field and attempted to set it on fire. The incident occurred in Dodger Stadium in the fourth inning of a 5-4 10 inning victory by the Dodgers.
    1976 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``Let Your Love Flow,'' Bellamy Brothers.
    1977-At a concert at the Saginaw, Michigan Civic Center, Elvis Presley makes what will be the last recordings of his life. Three songs from the show will appear, in heavily overdubbed mixes, on the posthumously released Presley album, "Moody Blue."
    1978- Queen's single "We Are the Champions" was certified Platinum. 
    1979-The film "Rock & Roll High School" starring the Ramones premiers.
    1980 -- President Jimmy Carter tells the American people about the hostage rescue disaster in Iran.
    1982- National holiday in Egypt celebrating the return of Sinai to Egypt after the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
    1985 - "Big River (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)" opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Broadway in New York City. The Tony Award-winning score for the show was written by Roger Miller (his first Broadway production). The show, about life on the Mississippi, with Daniel Jenkins in the starring role of Huck Finn, ran for 1,005 performances and won the Tony for Best Musical of the Year. "Big River" picked up several more Tony Awards: Featured Actor in a Musical to Ron Richardson; Best Director (Musical) to Des McAnuff; Best Book (Musical) to William Hauptman; and Best Scenic Designer and Lighting Designer to Heidi Landesman and Richard Riddell respectively. 
    1988---Top Hits
Wishing Well—Terence Trent D Arby
Anything for You—Gloria Estefan
Angel---Aerosmith
Where Do Broken Hearts Go—Whitney Houston
Pink Cadillac---Natalie Cole
    1990-Hubble Space Telescope: deployed by Discovery, the telescope is the largest on-orbit observatory to date and is capable of imaging objects up to 14 billion light-years away. The resolution of images was expected to be seven to ten times greater than images from Earth-based telescopes, since the Hubble Space Telescope is not hampered by Earth's atmospheric distortion. Launched Apr 12, 1990, from Kennedy Space Center, FL. Unfortunately, the telescope's lenses were defective, so the anticipated high quality of imaging was not possible. In 1993, however, the world watched as a shuttle crew successfully retrieved the Hubble from orbit, executed the needed repair and replacement work and released it into orbit once more. In December 1999 the space shuttle Discovery was launched to do extensive repairs on the telescope.
    1990-The Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix used to perform the "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock is auctioned off in London for $295,000. 
    1993—Top Hits
Freak Me---Silk
Informer—Snow
Nothin’ But a “G” Thang---Dr.De
I Have Nothing (from the “Bodyguard”)—Whitney Houston
    1994-- Yankee Stadium in New York holds their first "Joe DiMaggio Day," featuring Paul Simon singing "Mrs. Robinson" (and cheers when he gets to the "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" part). 
    1995-- The 257-day strike ends as the Dodgers beat the Marlins 8-7. The work stoppage caused last season to end early, force the cancellation of World Series, and delayed the opening of this season.
    1996- U2 began their first tour in more than four years before a sellout crowd of 38,000 in Las Vegas. The band featured 11 songs from its "Pop Mart" album but the audience reacted more enthusiastically to such U2 standards as "Pride (in the Name of Love)" and "Where the Streets Have No Name." The glitzy and extravagant show featured what was billed as the world's biggest TV screen and the band emerging from an enormous lemon-shaped mirror ball suspended above the stage. 
    1998-- The 'Iron Man's' streak continues as Cal Ripken plays in his 2,500th consecutive game as the Orioles host the A's at Camden Yards.
    2001-- Padres' outfielder Rickey Henderson, 42, breaks the career walks record established by Babe Ruth when he receives his 2,063rd base on balls.
    2002—Top Hits
Foolish---Ashanti
What’s Luv---Fat Joe featuring Ashanti
U Don’t Have to Call—Usher
I Need a Girl (part 1)---P.Diddy featuring Usher and Loon
Ain’t It Funny—Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule

NBA Finals Champions This Date

    1952 Minneapolis Lakers
    1965 Boston Celtics.

Stanley Cup Champions This Date

    1964 Toronto Maple Leafs