California Department of Business Oversight Questionnaire
A Major Change for California Finance/Leasing Business

In Leasing News’ Wednesday edition the latest response to the questionnaire to be completed by September 9, 2019 was reviewed, along with the samples of the forms for borrowers to sign relative to the real cost of a capital lease, factoring, finance, loan, or merchant cash advance transaction. (1)

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association Law Sub-Committee  met on Wednesday.  No official statement was made.

According to Amy Vogt, ELFA Vice President, Communications and Marketing, “ELFA is currently reviewing the draft regulations and if further clarification is necessary, will certainly address it with the sponsor and DBO.  ELFA will continue working closely with the sponsor and DBO throughout the process, as it has done since the beginning. Thank you, Amy."

Ken Greene, General Counsel for the American Association of Commercial Loan Brokers, and longtime Leasing News Advisor, talked about his experience with current licensing and his opinion of the change in regulations (He also is the only attorney who Leasing News contacted who would make a comment):

"I certainly feel sorry for the small broker or packager-lessor who has this added expense to obtain a license.  I also add many states have similar requirements.

"And to those who say they just won't do business in California if it requires a license, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association notes the state is number 2 for volume in equipment financing.

"I have represented many brokers and lenders in applying for their CFL licenses is a lengthy and not an inexpensive process which generally takes three months or more. I urge my clients and prospective clients to get a CFL license if they plan on doing business in this fine state. This entails reading and completing a 50-page form, agreeing to fingerprinting and a background investigation, and paying the entire costs attendant to such things. It does not end there. The DBO requires that every licensee submit a comprehensive 26-page annual report including every transaction done during the preceding year, and pay an annual fee based on the gross income from the reported transactions. 

"Beyond that, the CFL requires that a corporate entity be registered in California to qualify for a CFL license, which entails an annual tax payment of at least $800. In reality, all who do business in most states must register and pay an annual tax. That might seem like small potatoes for the Ascentiums, and Pawnees of the world but it can be a real problem for the small broker. In addition, the DBO can audit a CFL licensee at almost any time and the licensee must bear the cost of the travel and time the agent spends. 

"I've had several clients simply opt out of doing business in California rather than submit to the jurisdiction of the DBO. I've had others who braved the application process and were rewarded with their license, only to forfeit the license when they were facing the annual reporting obligation."
Ken Greene, Esq.

Leasing News Editorial:
"The law is now in effect and when the details for the new disclosure obligations are complete, it will be in full effect.  The guess is 2020. I do think Senator Glazer was correct then and now, even if what is right for California consumers and small businesses is wrong for the equipment finance industry.

"As an educated and moral group of lenders, we have to do what is right, even if it means more work.  Full transparency is almost always the right thing to do. In the long run, you can stay out of court and more importantly, stay in business."

Christopher Menkin, Editor/Publisher

(1) Reaction to SB 1235 Requirements
  for Doing Business in California
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jul2019/07_31.htm

 

 

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

 

Steve Celardo was hired as Account Manager, Juniper Financial Services, Juniper Networks, Scottsdale, Arizona. Previously, he was Business Development Manager, AR Technology Finance (January, 2017 - June, 2019); Financial Sales Executive, PC/Mobility Finance Specialist, IBM Global Financing (December, 2010 - December, 2011); Financial Sales Executive, PC/Intel Specialist, IBM (2002 - 2010); PC Project Manager, IBM Business Management (1998 - December, 2002).  Education: California State University, Northridge. BS Business Management (1978 - 1982). https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-celardo-295b31b/

Kelley Finke was hired as Fleet Consulting Manager at Wheels, Inc, Des Plaines, Illinois. Previously, she was Vice President, Element Fleet Manager, Florida Area (September, 2016 - June, 2019); Vice President, Business Development, GE Capital Fleet Services, Florida (1995 - 2009).  Education: University of Central Missouri, Social Work, Psychology. Activities and Societies: Delta Zeta. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelley-finke-6511a242/

Melissa Lewis was hired as Vice President/Portfolio Manager, BB&T, Horsham, Pennsylvania.  Previously, she was a PNC as Credit Officer II/Vice President (April, 2009 - January, 2014); promoted January, 2014, Vice President/Underwriter III; Credit Officer II, Phillips Medical Capital (November, 2004 - January, 2009); Assistant Vice President, Healthcare Lending Team, Commerce Bank (now part of TD Bank) (September, 2002 - November, 2004); Regional Credit Analyst, Commonwealth Bank (now part of Citizens Bank) (March, 2000 - September, 2002); Special Accounts, Assistant Portfolio Manager, Mellon Bank, N.A. (November, 1997 - August, 1988). Volunteer: Board Member & Prior Treasurer, ARCH STREET PRESCHOOL (April, 2013 - Present). Education: Fox School of Business at Temple University, MSBA, Finance (1998 - 1999). Villanova University (1993 - 1997). Wissahickon Senior High School. https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-lewis-72ab2a2/

Lori Maxon was promoted to Vice President of Commercial Vendor Technology, Key Equipment Finance, Superior, Colorado. She is located in Albany, New York. "She will work closely with technology vendors to develop structured finance solutions for enterprise clients throughout the Northeast."  Maxon brings more than16 years of experience in equipment finance to her new position. She joined Key Equipment Finance when KeyCorp acquired First Niagara in October. Maxon assumed the role of equipment finance officer after demonstrating continued growth and leadership as a vice president for First Niagara’s business banking division over the last two years." Previously she was Relationship Manager, UniFi Equipment Finance (formerly Ervin Equipment Finance) (November 2013–January 2015); Leasing Manager, KeyCorp (July 1998–October 2013). Honors & Awards: Leasing Manager, Key Equipment Finance. Key Equipment Finance: Million Dollar Club recipient: 2012, 2005. Key Bank: Business Banking Business Partner Award: 2011. Key Equipment Finance: Sales Achievement Award: 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012. Key Equipment Finance: Highest Percentage of Goal: 2001. Organizations: Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce. Albany County Chamber of Commerce.  Education: Utica College of Syracuse University, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Marketing (1991–1995).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-maxon-58662ab

Jerilyn Nicholsen was hired as National Sales Manager, Sterling National Bank, successor to WNB Specialty Finance (acquired 3/2019); Previously, she was Senior Managing Director, Equipment Finance,  WNB Specialty Finance (October, 2015 - Present); Divisional Credit Executive, Commercial Finance, Talmer Bank and Trust (July, 2014 - October, 2015); National Sales Director, Finance and Insolvency, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (November, 2010 - July, 2014); Regional Manager, Business Banking, Charter One Bank (November, 2009 - November, 2010); Senior Vice President Sales, Vice President, Credit. The CIT Group (July, 2000 - April, 2007); District Sales Manager, Branch/Credit/Operations Manager, Audit. Associates Commercial Corporation (June, 1998 - July, 2000). Education: Hope College, BA, Business and Communications (1984 - 1988). L'anse Cruse North (1980 - 1984). St. Mary's, Mt. Clemens (1971 - 1980). https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerilyn-nicholsen-a5b37427/

Ryan Post rejoined DLL as Credit Manager, Johnston, Iowa. He previously was Global Credit Management, John Deere (November, 2018 -June, 2019); Senior Credit Underwriter, DLL (February, 2015 - December, 2018); Financial Planning and Analysis, GE Healthcare (January, 2013 - July, 2013); Credit Analyst, Farmers State Bank (August, 2011 - December, 2012); Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual (May, 2011 - August, 2011).  Education: University of Northern Iowa, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Finance (2009 - 2012). Activities and Societies: Financial Management Association, Investments Club.  NORTH Iowa Area Community College. Associate of Business , Business Administration and Management. General. (2008 - 2009).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-post-209a3934/

 

 

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Help Wanted

 

Final Day to Participate in the Scott Wheeler, CLFP,
Production & Income Survey

Wheeler Business Consulting is committed to the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry. We provide a free "Sales Tip" to thousands of finance and leasing professionals on a weekly basis.

Wheeler Business Consulting is facilitating a survey on compensation for originators in the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry. The response to the survey has been terrific. If you have not participated, the survey is open through Friday August 2, 2019. The results will be made available through our monthly newsletter and website. Your participation is greatly appreciated and is needed to increase the value of the data.  
 
The survey is designed to take 2 to 5 minutes to complete.

The participation has been strong to date and every additional participant adds to the validity of the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XTQGZ2B  

 

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While there is officially no such thing as a world currency, the U.S. dollar still is the closest thing to being just that. It may no longer be as important as during the Bretton Woods system, when most currencies were pegged against the dollar, but to this day, the U.S. dollar remains the world’s de facto reserve currency.

According to COFER (Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves) data disclosed on a quarterly basis by the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. dollar accounted for 61.8 percent of the $10.9 trillion in allocated foreign exchange reserves (i.e. reported under COFER, 94 percent of total foreign exchange reserves) in the first quarter of 2019. While that’s down from around 70 percent at the turn of the century and more than 80 percent in the 1970s, it’s still way ahead of the second-placed euro, which accounted for 20.24 percent of allocated reserves in the first quarter of 2019.

To this day, the U.S. dollar, backed by the largest economy in the world, is widely considered a safe haven, a reliable store of value, by people and governments in regions suffering from political or fiscal instability. According to estimates Federal Reserve Board economist Ruth Judson, nearly 60 percent of all U.S. dollar bills are held overseas, up from around 20 percent in 1990.

By Felix Richer, Statista

https://www.statista.com/chart/18882/currency-composition-of-worldwide-foreign-exchange-reserves/

 

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In major cities across Europe, particularly in Spain and France, a major exodus occurs in August. In Madrid, for example, traffic becomes quieter, restaurants close and offices empty as locals flock to the coast to escape the stifling heat. These holiday migrations are the norm in both countries where people can easily take them for granted. There are exceptions, however, with new and depressing data from Eurostat showing that holidays are simply unaffordable for large numbers of Europeans.

The highest share of people who could not afford a one-week holiday away from home in 2018 was recorded in Romania at 59 percent. Croatia came second with 51.3 percent while Greece and Cyprus were tied for third with 51 percent. Large proportions of the population in Italy (43.7 percent), Ireland (35.3 percent) and Poland (34.6 percent) also said a one-week holiday was out of their financial grasp. Even in Spain where long holidays in August are typical, 34.2 percent of people said they still could not pay the costs of a week-long break.

By Niall McCarthy, Statista

https://www.statista.com/chart/18861/hare-of-the-population-who-cannot-afford-a-one-week-holiday/

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North Mill Equipment Finance Attains All-Time High
in Originations for July

Norwalk, CT – North Mill Equipment Finance LLC (“North Mill”), a leading independent commercial equipment lessor located in South Norwalk, Connecticut, announced today yet another record-breaking month in originations as the company posted $15 million of aggregate volume in July. An all-time high for the organization, the momentum is expected to continue as the year progresses.

David Lee, Chairman and CEO of North Mill, exclaimed, “We’re ecstatic!! Every department at the company had a hand in helping generate the business, push the bar higher, and collectively, aim for new heights in the months ahead. I’m proud of our team and the dedication and commitment they demonstrate daily.” 

As a financial institution that ardently promotes transparency and open dialogue, North Mill’s senior leadership team listens closely to the advice brokers impart. “We covet the relationships we’ve built with our referral agents,” said Lee. “In many cases, their recommendations have been the genesis for procedural enhancement at the organization.”

To ensure referral agents continue to share opinion, North Mill is introducing a live webinar series next fall. As a precursor, the company was featured at AACFB’s Meet the Funder online series in July.  North Mill set another goal last month as more than 100 people enrolled to hear North Mill’s story -- the highest registration number since the series’ inception.

Monica Harper, Executive Director, AACFB, commented, “North Mill is a partner in every sense of the word. “They not only augmented the association’s promotion of Meet the Funder with their own marketing initiative, they demonstrated support of AACFB by helping us bring on new members.”

About North Mill Equipment Finance
Headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, North Mill Equipment Finance originates and services small-ticket equipment leases and loans, ranging from $15,000 to $300,000 in value.  A broker-centric private lender, the company handles A – C credit qualities and finances transactions for numerous asset categories including construction, transportation, vocational, manufacturing, and material handling equipment. North Mill is majority owned by an affiliate of WAFRA Capital Partners, Inc. (WCP). For more information, visit www.nmef.com.

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August 6th Webinar: Get the Results of the
ELFA 2019 Survey of Equipment Finance Activity – Free

WHAT: The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association is hosting a free one-hour webinar to present findings of its 2019 Survey of Equipment Finance Activity (SEFA), the largest and most important source of statistical information on the $1 trillion equipment finance industry.

WHEN: Tues, Aug. 6, 2019, at Noon ET

HIGHLIGHTS:  The webinar is designed to help business leaders use the data in the 2019 SEFA to benefit their organizations. Topics will include:

• Introduction to the 2019 SEFA
• Key findings: New business volume; yield/cost of funds; financial statements; portfolio performance; and business processes (credit approval, remarketing/asset management and headcount)
• A live demo of the new Interactive SEFA
• Tips for using the data effectively
• Q&A

WHO:  The webinar will be presented by Raymond James, Chair of the ELFA Research Committee and Senior Consultant at Ivory Consulting Corporation; Carol Ann Fisher, Consultant at PwC, which produces the report in partnership with ELFA; and Bill Choi, ELFA Vice President for Research and Industry Services.

WHERE: https://zoom.us/j/960158967 on Aug. 6 at Noon Eastern. Audio dial-in: 646-876-9923; Meeting ID: 960 158 967. For technical questions, call 888.799.0125.  Add the webinar to your calendar.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its 580 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.

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Amur Equipment Finance Completes Seventh Securitization
$269.4 Million notes issuance

GRAND ISLAND, NE– Amur Equipment Finance, Inc. (“AmurEF”) today announces the closing of its seventh term securitization, a $269.4MM notes issuance secured by small- and mid-ticket equipment loans and leases. The transaction ranks as AmurEF’s largest issuance to-date and is the first to be rated by Moody’s. KeyBanc Capital Markets served as structuring agent, book runner, and lead manager and The Williams Group served as co-manager. Since 2018, AmurEF has placed over $700MM in equipment-backed notes as part of its ongoing securitization program.

Kalyan Makam, AmurEF Board Member and EVP of Capital Markets, said, “We’re extremely excited about the reception this offering received, which we believe is due to the continued strength and performance of our platform. We’ve always had very strong investor interest in our securitization program, but we saw a surge of new investors interested in this transaction and it contributed to a superb execution for AmurEF.”

AmurEF has grown into one of the largest independent equipment finance companies in the U.S., rising to fifth place on Monitor’s 2018 ranking of Top Private Independents, and expanding to over 150 employees spread across five locations.

Mostafiz ShahMohammed, Chairman and CEO of AmurEF, said,
“We firmly believe we are on the right path to achieve our objectives,” said. “The cost of funds we achieved in this transaction will fuel our continued growth and investment and I couldn’t be more excited to see what our team can achieve.”

About Amur Equipment Finance, Inc.
Amur Equipment Finance is a nationally ranked independent equipment finance provider, dedicated to ensuring that its customers and employees around the nation are equipped to grow and succeed. AmurEF offers customized capital financing programs that draw on its uniquely expansive expertise in the world’s most essential industries – from transportation and technology to manufacturing and medicine – to support its network of over 15,000 vendors and other partners.

For more information, visit amuref.com.

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Latest SFNet Asset-Based Lending Index
Indicates Steady Growth

NEW YORK, – U.S. businesses continue to grow, as reflected by increased borrowing from banks and non-bank lenders, according to data released by the Secured Finance Network (SFNet).

According to SFNet’s latest Quarterly Asset-Based Lending (ABL) Index, total commitments increased slightly in Q1, however outstandings ($106.9B) for bank lenders increased by 6.9% over 4Q2018 and 8.5% over the same quarter in 2018. This represents a continuation of a higher utilization trend seen over the past few quarters. For nonbank lenders, general trends were the same, but with higher growth at 4.1% quarter over quarter and 4.5% year over year. Commitments increased 17% over the same quarter in 2018.

David Grende, President of SFNet and President & CEO, Siena Lending Group, said, “This new data indicates borrowers have an increased need for capital to support expanding levels of inventory and accounts receivable, which is a positive sign for the economy.” 

“Credit quality remains strong in Q12019 as indicated by gross write-offs being at near-historic lows.

“Overall Q1 was a solid quarter for the ABL industry. The industry was amply able to provide companies with the capital they needed to grow,” said Grende.

Richard D. Gumbrecht, SFNet CEO, said, “SFNet’s Quarterly Asset-Based Lending (ABL) Index, coupled with our landmark Market Sizing & Impact Study, provides vital data on key marketplace trends. It also reflects the economic role of secured lending.

The Secured Finance Foundation (SFFound) also released its Secured Lending Confidence Index in conjunction with the ABL Index.  This provides a qualitative forward-looking view of the market and the U.S. economy. 

Charlie Johnson, Secured Finance Foundation Chairman, commented, “What we have noted in Q1 2019 is that overall, sentiment remains positive, but at levels which are less positive than prior quarters. Going back to early 2018 the largest declines have been expectations of demand for new business and overall business conditions.  There are no indicators which have dipped below the midpoint, which would indicate an expectation of a decrease/decline in the next three months.”  
The Quarterly Asset-Based Lending Index and Secured Lending Confidence Index are conducted for SFNet by Westat, an independent market research firm. 

About Secured Finance Network
Founded in 1944, the Secured Finance Network (formerly Commercial Finance Association) is an international trade association connecting the interests of companies and professionals who deliver and enable secured financing to businesses. 

About Secured Finance Foundation 
Founded in 1990, the Secured Finance Foundation (formerly CFA Education Foundation) encourages, facilitates, and supports education, innovation, and charitable works for the betterment of organizations and professionals who deliver and enable secured finance – and their communities

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Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

A pair of bold cinematic time travels (“Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” and “Rolling Thunder Revue”) make for a treat for movie lovers, while DVD releases include satirical horror (“Us”), a smart sports inquiry (“High Flying Bird”), and a pastoral classic (“The Baker’s Wife”).

In theaters:

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (Sony): Controversial director Quentin Tarantino (“Inglourious Basterds”) delivers another exhilarating experiment in alternate cinematic history with this sprawling look at Los Angeles in 1969. At the center of this multi-character canvas is the friendship between Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), an aging actor facing the prospect of his own fading stardom, and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his laconic stand-in. Elsewhere, Rick’s neighbor turns out to be up-and-coming starlet Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and a cult ran by a certain Charles Manson looms menacingly on the margins. Focusing more on character and atmosphere than on plot, Tarantino’s loving recreation of a turning point in American culture is by turns dreamy and brutal but consistently, brilliantly multilayered. With a cast that also includes Al Pacino, Bruce Dern and Margaret Qualley, it’s one of the year’s best.

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (Netflix): Two wildly different yet equally passionate artists, director Martin Scorsese and singer Bob Dylan, team up for this one-of-a-kind mix of documentary and fiction. Much of it chronicles the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue concert tour, which Dylan brought together with such other songwriters as Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. Footage from that event, thrillingly restored and commented upon by modern-day interviews, is combined with comic fictional characters such as an artsy filmmaker and a pesky reporter. With Dylan as mercurial ringmaster, where does reality end and fiction begin? Capturing, celebrating and expanding on a moment from nearly 45 years ago, Scorsese and his trickster star present an epic crazy-quilt about fame and creativity, brimming with exceptional musical performances.

Nextflix: Always bringing a menacing edge to his masculine charisma, Dutch leading man Rutger Hauer (1944-2019) could give any role a volatile charge. So check out Netflix for his best roles, which include “Turkish Delight” (1973), “Blade Runner” (1982), “Ladyhawke” (1985), “The Hitcher” (1986), and “Blind Fury” (1989).

On DVD:

Us (Universal Pictures): For his follow-up to the Oscar-winning “Get Out,” writer-director Jordan Peele serves up another sharp and evocative horror vision. Lupita Nyong’o is excellent as Adelaide, a young wife and mother who moves with her family back to her childhood home, a site of haunting memories. Her sense of dread grows stronger as mysterious figures start to circle her house, wearing masks and mimicking their actions. What begins as a home invasion grows more bizarre as the masks come off and Adelaide and her family come face to face with a deeper horror than they ever dreamed. Without giving too much away, it’s clear to see how Peele has drawn on “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” for his second film, displaying keen cinematic expertise while expertly combining humor and fright.

High Flying Bird (Netflix): Continuing his wizardly run after breaking with his own self-appointed retirement, director Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) crafts a smart portrait of personal integrity that doubles as a fresh sports movie. Though set in the NBA world, the story unfolds not so much in the basketball court than in behind-the-scenes offices, where deals are cut and players are made and unmade. His agency hurt by a recent lockout, seasoned agent Ray (André Holland) must find a way to hang on to his soul while working within a ruthless system. With the help of a hot-shot rookie (Melvin Gregg), he aims to play the team’s businessmen against each other. Blending serious inquiry with breezy filmmaking, Soderbergh’s provocative movie boasts a strong cast that includes Kyle McLachlan and Bill Duke.

The Baker’s Wife (Criterion): With his portraits of close communities and shrugging humanism, writer-director Marcel Pagnol created a specific and affectionate vision of French people in the 1930s. Among his most beloved works is this 1938 comedy, which is anchored by a wonderful performance by the legendary actor Raimu. He plays Aimable, a middle-aged baker whose goods bring tremendous joy to the people of his provincial town. When his young wife, Aurelie (Ginette Leclerc), runs away with a handsome shepherd, the distraught Amiable finds himself unable to bake and closes shop. Suddenly faced with the loss of these delicious treats, the townspeople must band together to retrieve the straying wife. Expertly combining humor and melancholy, Pagnol’s leisurely film endures still thanks to warmth and slyness. With subtitles.

Shepherd/Mix
Dallas, Texas   Adopt a Dog

Bosco

ID#41814563
Male
Neutered
Age: 3 years, 8 months
SPCA of Dallas

SPCA of Dallas
Main Phone: 214-742-7722
spca@spca.org

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ELFA Lease and Finance Accountants Conference
September 16, 2019 - September 18, 2019
Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Introduction to the Leasing and Finance Industry

Discussion Leader:

SHAWN HALLADAY
Managing Principal
The Alta Group

Presenters:

RODNEY W. HURD
CFO
Bridgeway Capital Advisors

AMIE SWEENEY
Vice President
CBRE

Conference Speakers:
https://cvdata.elfaonline.org/cvweb/cgi-bin/eventsdll.dll/EventInfo?SESSIONALTCD=LAC19

Pricing:
https://cvdata.elfaonline.org/cvweb/cgi-bin/eventsdll.dll/EventInfo?SESSIONALTCD=LAC19

Brochure:
https://cvdata.elfaonline.org/cvweb/cgi-bin/documentdll.dll/view?DOCUMENTNUM=2444

News Briefs----

Marlin Business Services Reports $5.1MM Income 2nd Q
  Compared to $6.5 Million 2018 2nd Q Income
http://www.snl.com/Cache/c399013823.html

Trump's new tariffs could unleash an avalanche
    of store closings on the US
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariffs-threaten-massive-wave-of-store-closings-2019-8

Element Reports Second Quarter Results, Continued Progress
    on Transformation, and a Stronger Balance Sheet - 7 pages
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/07/31/1895199/0/en/Element-Reports-Second-Quarter-Results-Continued-Progress-on-Transformation-and-a-Stronger-Balance-Sheet.html 

 

 

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You May Have Missed---

Lessee accounting for governments: An in-depth look
 Journal of Accountancy
https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2019/aug/lease-accounting-for-governments-gasb-87.html

 

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Three Run Homers, or, Rupert Brooke Celebrates Baseball

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a three
Run homer when the team is pressed
Against the wall and quite distressed,
A homer that may at evening scare
A nighthawk circling in the air,
Or, 'neath the arc lights blazing bright,
Restore the score and set things right,
Rescue the pitcher and save the game,
And set the home team crowd aflame:
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only heroes knock in three.

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Sports Briefs---

Klay Thompson says it's 'ignorant' to say Warriors dynasty is over
https://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/Klay-Thompson-golden-state-warriors-dynasty-over-14274232.php

Former 49er Frank Gore is selling Bay Area home
    with a 350-gallon fish tank
https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/49er-Frank-Gore-selling-Santa-Clara-home-14273471.php

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California Nuts Briefs---

Per Capita Homeless Rates, Oakland, San Francisco, LA
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-surpasses-other-large-California-cities-14271160.php

Permits for new SF Bay Area homes, apartments drop sharply
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/01/permits-for-new-bay-area-homes-apartments-drop-sharply/

A not-so-high-speed train in the Central Valley
  could be a boon for the San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/01/a-not-so-high-speed-train-in-the-central-valley-could-be-boon-for-bay-area/

Gavin Newsom adds hundreds more firefighters
  amid fears of ‘large and damaging’ fire season
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article233346017.html? 

Big Santana Row office expansion gets underway in San Jose
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/07/30/big-santana-row-office-expansion-gets-underway-in-san-jose/

California honeybees are still declining.
  Trump administration says it can’t afford to study it
https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article233391607.html?

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Argentina 2019 harvest: Excellent vintage across the board
https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/argentina-2019-harvest-excellent-vintage-across-the-board-421181/

Santa Barbara wine has never been more thrilling
   — or more complicated
https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/Santa-Barbara-wine-has-never-been-more-thrilling-14270252.php?psid=fBjhv

Growing demand uncorks tensions in Oregon’s wine industry
https://www.registerguard.com/news/20190801/growing-demand-uncorks-tensions-in-oregons-wine-industry

Wine.com Launching Spirits In California, New York,
      Florida and New Jersey
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=217532

 

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

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

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

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

This Day in History

     1498 - Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets foot on the South American mainland for the first time, at the Paria Peninsula in present-day Venezuela. Thinking it an island, he christened it Isla Santa and claimed it for Spain. He explored the Orinoco River of Venezuela and, given its scope, soon realized he had stumbled upon another continent. Columbus, a deeply religious man, decided after careful thought that Venezuela was the outer regions of the Garden of Eden. Returning to Hispaniola, he found that conditions on the island had deteriorated under the rule of his brothers, Diego and Bartholomew. Columbus' efforts to restore order were marked by brutality, and his rule came to be deeply resented by both the colonists and the native Taino chiefs. In 1500, Spanish chief justice Francisco de Bobadilla arrived at Hispaniola, sent by Isabella and Ferdinand to investigate complaints, and Columbus and his brothers were sent back to Spain in chains. He was immediately released upon his return, and Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to finance a fourth voyage, in which he was to search for the earthly paradise and the realms of gold said to lie nearby. He was also to continue looking for a passage to India. In May 1502, Columbus left Cýdiz on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. After returning to Hispaniola, against his patrons' wishes, he explored the coast of Central America looking for a strait and for gold. Attempting to return to Hispaniola, his ships, in poor condition, had to be beached on Jamaica. Columbus and his men were marooned, but two of his captains succeed in canoeing the 450 miles to Hispaniola. Columbus was a castaway on Jamaica for a year before a rescue ship arrived. In November 1504, Columbus returned to Spain. Queen Isabella, his chief patron, died less than three weeks later. Although Columbus enjoyed substantial revenue from Hispaniola gold during the last years of his life, he repeatedly attempted (unsuccessfully) to gain an audience with King Ferdinand, whom he felt owed him further redress. Columbus died in Valladolid on May 20, 1506, without realizing the great scope of his achievement: He had discovered for Europe the New World, whose riches over the next century would help make Spain the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth.
    1610 - During Henry Hudson’s search for the Northwest Passage, he sailed into what is now known as Hudson Bay. On his fourth voyage to North America, Hudson worked his way around Greenland’s west coast and into the bay, mapping much of its eastern coast. His ship, Discovery, became trapped in the ice over the winter and the crew survived onshore at the southern tip of James Bay. When the ice cleared in the spring, Hudson wanted to explore the rest of the area, but the crew mutinied on June 22, 1611. They left Hudson and others adrift in a small boat. No one knows the fate of Hudson or the crew members stranded with him, but historians see no evidence that they survived for long afterwards.  
    1619 - First blacks (20) land at Jamestown, Virginia.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h289.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p263.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1i2991.html
http://www.historian.org/local/jamstwnva.htm
    1754 - Pierre "Peter" Charles L'Enfant (d. 1825), the designer of the layout of Washington, DC, was born in Paris.  L'Enfant was recruited to join in the Revolutionary War and served as a military engineer in the Continental Army with Lafayette.  Despite his aristocratic origins, L'Enfant closely identified with the United States, changing his first name from Pierre to Peter.  L'Enfant served on General George Washington's staff at Valley Forge.   He was wounded at Savannah, recovered and became a prisoner of war.   Following the American Revolutionary War, L'Enfant established a successful and highly profitable civil engineering firm in New York City. He achieved some fame as an architect by redesigning the City Hall in New York for the First Congress of the US, better known as Federal Hall.  President Washington appointed L'Enfant in 1791 to plan the new "Federal City" under the supervision of three Commissioners, whom Washington had appointed to oversee the planning and development of the federal territory that would later become designated the District of Columbia. Included in the new district were the river port towns of Georgetown and Alexandria.     
    1776 – This is the day of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence.  The statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776 announced that the American colonies, then at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer under British rule. Instead they formed the new nation. After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published, widely distributed and read to the public. The source copy used for this printing has been lost, and may have been a copy in Thomas Jefferson's hand.  Jefferson's original draft, complete with changes made by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, and Jefferson's notes of changes made by Congress, are preserved at the Library of Congress. The best-known version of the Declaration, a signed copy that is popularly regarded as the official document, is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, DC.  This engrossed copy was ordered by Congress on July 19, and signed on August 2.  
    1776 - The first Jew to die in the American Revolution, Francis Salvador, was killed in a skirmish with the British loyalists. He was also the first Jew selected to office in colonial America. He was voted a member of the South Carolina Provincial Congress in January, 1775. He was known as the Southern Paul Revere for having warned of the approach of the British fleet at Charleston, SC. On August 1, 1776, while he was leading the militia under the command of Major Andrew Wilinson, his group was ambushed by Native Americans and loyalists near Esseneka (Seneca). Salvador was shot through the body and the left leg and was scalped by a group of Cherokees who sided with the British.
http://www.fau.edu/library/brody3.htm
    1779 - Birthday of Francis Scott Key (d. 1842) at Frederick County, MD. American attorney, social worker, poet and author of the US national anthem. Key was on shipboard off Baltimore during the British bombardment of Fort McHenry on the nights of September 13-14, 1814. Thrilled to see the American flag still flying over the fort at daybreak, Key wrote the poem “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
http://www.marylandtheseventhstate.com/article1014.html
    1790 - The first census revealed that there were 3,939,326 citizens in the 16 states and the Ohio Territory. Virginia, with 747,610, was the most populous state; Rhode Island, with 68,825, the least. New York City had a population of 33,131, Philadelphia had a population of 28,522, and Boston had a population of 18,320. The US has taken a census every 10 years since 1790. 
    1791 - Virginia planter Robert Carter III confounded his family and friends by filing a deed of emancipation for his 500 slaves. One of the wealthiest men in the state, Carter owned 60,000 acres over his plantations. The deed included the following words: “I have for some time past been convinced that to retain them in Slavery is contrary to the true principles of Religion and Justice and therefore it is my duty to manumit them.” The document established a schedule by which 15 slaves would be freed each Jan 1, over a 21-year period, plus slave children would be freed at age 18 for females and 21 for males. It is believed this was the largest act of emancipation in US history and predated the Emancipation Proclamation by 70 years.
    1794 - Whiskey Rebellion begins.  The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government. It became law in 1791, and was intended to generate revenue for the war debt incurred during the Revolutionary War. The tax applied to all distilled spirits, but American whiskey was by far the country's most popular distilled beverage in the 18th century, so the excise became widely known as a "whiskey tax."  Farmers resisted the tax. In these regions, whiskey often served as a medium of exchange. Many of the resisters were war veterans who believed that they were fighting for the principles of the Revolution, against taxation without representation, while the federal government maintained that the taxes were the legal expression of Congressional taxation powers.  Throughout western Pennsylvania, protesters used violence and intimidation to prevent federal officials from collecting the tax. Resistance came to a climax in July, 1794, when a US Marshal arrived in western Pennsylvania to serve writs to distillers who had not paid the excise. The alarm was raised, and more than 500 armed men attacked the fortified home of tax inspector Gen. John Neville. Washington responded by sending peace commissioners to western Pennsylvania to negotiate with the rebels, while at the same time calling on governors to send a militia force to enforce the tax. Washington himself rode at the head of an army to suppress the insurgency, with 13,000 militiamen provided by the governors of surrounding states. The rebels all went home before the arrival of the army, and there was no confrontation.
http://www.whiskeyrebellion.org/rebell.HTM
    1812 - A rare tornado hits Westchester County, NY.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nylnphs/HH/2.htm
    1834 - Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (d. 1904) was born in Colmar, France.  He is best known for designing Liberty Enlightening the World, commonly known as the Statue of Liberty, the gift from the French to the Americans in honor of the centennial of American independence.
    1838 - Abolition of slavery in Jamaica. Spanish settlers introduced the slave trade into Jamaica in 1509 and sugar cane in 1640. Slavery continued until this day when it was abolished by the British.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Lslavery33.htm
    1861 - For trivia fans, John Tyler of Virginia, President of the United States from 1841 to 1845, became a delegate to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States. He was elected a member of the House of Representatives of the permanent Confederate Congress on November 7, 1861, but died on January 18, 1862, before taking his seat. He is the only former president to serve as an official of an “enemy government.”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jt10.html
http://www.americanpresidents.org/presidents/president.asp
    1861 - Congress passed the first income tax. The revenues were intended for the war effort against the South. The tax was never enacted. 
    1873 - The first cable car ran at 5am on Clay Street Hill, San Francisco, CA, while the City slept. It was ready to run its trails, and pictures were taken on August 2. Revenue service did not take place until September 1. The ride cost five cents. This was the first cable car put into service anywhere in the world. It was invented by Andrew Smith Hallidie, who obtained a patent on January 17, 1871, on an “endless-wire rope way.” Today, only three lines of the original lines operate.
http://www.americahurrah.com/Postcards/SFCC1.html
http://www.sfmuseum.org/bio/hallidie.html
http://www.americahurrah.com/Postcards/SFCC1.html
    1876 – President U. S. Grant signed Proclamation 230 admitting Colorado to the Union as the 38th state.  The Territory of Colorado was organized on February 28, 1861 when outgoing President Buchanan signed an Act of Congress.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/aug01.html
http://www.sfcablecar.com/hist1.html
    1876 - "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker at a saloon in Deadwood in present-day South Dakota.  The hand he supposedly held at the time of his death (including the ace of spades, the ace of clubs, the eight of spades and the eight of clubs) has become known as the “Dead Man’s Hand.”   
     
    1892 - Jack Leonard "J. L." Warner (d. 1978) was born Jacob Warner in London, Ontario, Canada.  He was an American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA. Warner's career spanned some forty-five years, its duration surpassing that of any other of the seminal Hollywood studio moguls.
    1907 – The Major League debut of Walter Johnson saw the Senators’ rookie lose to the Detroit Tigers, 3-2.  The first hit he surrendered was a bunt single to Ty Cobb.
    1916 - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Established. Area of Hawaii Island, including active volcanoes Kilauea and Mauna Loa, were established as Hawaii National Park in 1916. 
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations/
    1921 - With the jurors lifting them onto their shoulders, the eight White Sox players accused of throwing the 1919 World Series were acquitted by the jury. The next day, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis said the overwhelming evidence clearly shows the Black Sox fixed the games with gamblers and all involved will be banned from playing professional baseball again.
    1923 – Upon the death of President Warren G. Harding, Vice-President Calvin Coolidge took office as the 30th President.  Doctors found that not only was Harding's heart causing problems, but he also had pneumonia, a serious matter in the days before effective antibiotics. When treated with caffeine and digitalis, Harding seemed to improve. By the afternoon of August 2, 1923, doctors allowed Harding to sit up in bed, at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.  That evening, about 7:30 pm, twisted convulsively and collapsed, and she raced to get the doctors. They attempted stimulants, but were unable to revive him, and President Harding died of a heart attack at the age of 57.  
    1924 – James Baldwin (d. 1987) novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic, was born in NYC.  His essays, as collected in “Notes of a Native Son” (1955), explored palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-20th-century America.  It was on the required summer reading list for incoming freshman in the Cornell Class of 1968.
    1924 – “Ahhchie.”  John Carroll O'Connor (d. 2001) was born in Manhattan.  He found everlasting fame as the bigoted working man Archie Bunker, the main character in the 1970s CBS television sitcom “All in the Family” (1971-79).  The show broke ground in its depiction of issues previously considered unsuitable for a U.S. network television comedy, such as racism, homosexuality, women's liberation, rape, religion, miscarriage, abortion, breast cancer, the Vietnam War, menopause, and impotence. Through depicting these controversial issues, the series became arguably one of television's most influential comedic programs, as it injected the sitcom format with more dramatic moments and realistic, topical conflicts.  The show is often regarded in the United States as one of the greatest television series of all time.   O'Connor later starred in the sequel, “Archie Bunker’s Place” (1979-83), and in the NBC/CBS television crime drama “In the Heat of the Night” from 1988-95, where he played the role of southern Police Chief William (Bill) Gillespie. In 1996, O'Connor was ranked number 38 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.  
    1932 – Lamar Hunt (d. 2006) was born in El Dorado, AR.  He was the principal founder of the American Football League (AFL) and Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as MLS's predecessor, the North American Soccer League (NASL), and co-founder of World Championship Tennis. He was also the founder and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL, the Kansas City Wizards of MLS, and at his death, owned two MLS teams. In Kansas City, Hunt also helped establish the two theme parks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972; into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1982; and into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993.  He is credited with coining the term “Super Bowl” to describe what was originally known as the AFL-NFL Championship Game.
    1933 - California introduces sales tax due to the devastating depression.
http://www.salestaxcpa.com/id50.htm
    1937 - The Marihuana Act of 1937 was passed by Congress, rendering marijuana and all its by-products illegal. This act was overturned in 1969 in Leary v. United States and was repealed by Congress the next year. 
    1939 - Glenn Miller Band records “In the Mood,” (Bluebird 10415). Non-royalty contract gives him only $175.  It topped the charts for 13 straight weeks in 1940 in the U.S. and, one year later, was featured in the movie “Sun Valley Serenade.”  The first recording of "In the Mood" was released by Edgar Hayes and his Orchestra in 1938.  In 1983, the Glenn Miller recording from 1939 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  In 1999, NPR included the 1939 Glenn Miller recording on RCA Bluebird on the NPR 100, the list of "The 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.  In 2004, the 1939 Glenn Miller recording on RCA Victor was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry which consists of recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
    1939 – Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard wrote to President Roosevelt, urging him to begin the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon while warning of the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type." It urged the United States to take steps to acquire stockpiles of uranium ore and accelerate the research of Enrico Fermi and others into nuclear chain reactions. Roosevelt called on Lyman Briggs of the National Bureau of Standards to head the Advisory Committee on Uranium to investigate the issues raised by the letter. Briggs held a meeting on 21 October 1939, which was attended by Szilárd, Eugene Wigner and Edward Teller. The committee reported back to Roosevelt in November that uranium "would provide a possible source of bombs with a destructiveness vastly greater than anything now known."
    1941 - Willys introduces the “jeep.” General Dwight D. Eisenhower said that America could not have won World War II without it.  In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company and, in 1912, renamed it Willys-Overland Motor Company. From 1912 to 1918, Willys was the second-largest producer of automobiles in the United States after Ford.  Willys-Overland was one of several bidders when the War Department sought an automaker that could begin rapid production of a lightweight truck based on a design by American Bantam.  Production of the Willys MB, better known as Jeep, began in 1941, shared between Willys, Ford, and American Bantam. 8,598 units were produced that year and 359,851 units before the end of World War II. Willys-Overland ranked 48th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.  In total, 653,568 military Jeeps were manufactured.  The origin of the name "Jeep" has been debated for many years. Some people believe "Jeep" is a phonetic pronunciation of the abbreviation GP, from "General Purpose", that was used as part of the official Army nomenclature. The first documented use of the word "Jeep" was the name of a character Eugene the Jeep in the Popeye comic strip, known for his supernatural abilities (e.g. walking through walls). It was also the name of a small tractor supplied to the U.S. Army by Minneapolis-Moline in 1937.  Whatever the source, the name stuck and on February 13, 1943, Willys-Overland filed a trademark application on the use of the term "Jeep" with the U.S Patent Office.  After several denials by the patent office and appeals by Willys-Overland, the trademark "Jeep" was finally awarded to the company on June 13, 1950.  
http://jeepin.com/history.shtml    1942 - The American Federation of Musicians went on strike. Union president James C. Petrillo told musicians that phonograph records were 'a threat to members' jobs.' As a result, musicians refused to perform in recording sessions over the next several months, although live, musical radio broadcasts did continue. 
    1943 - BAKER, ADDISON E., (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps, 93d Heavy Bombardment Group. Place and date: Ploesti Raid, Rumania, 1 August 1943. Entered service at: Akron, Ohio. Born: 1 January 1907, Chicago, Ill. G.O. No.: 20, 11 March 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on 1 August 1943. On this date he led his command, the 93d Heavy Bombardment Group, on a daring low-level attack against enemy oil refineries and installations at Ploesti, Rumania. Approaching the target, his aircraft was hit by a large caliber antiaircraft shell, seriously damaged and set on fire. Ignoring the fact he was flying over terrain suitable for safe landing, he refused to jeopardize the mission by breaking up the lead formation and continued unswervingly to lead his group to the target upon which he dropped his bombs with devastating effect. Only then did he leave formation, but his valiant attempts to gain sufficient altitude for the crew to escape by parachute were unavailing and his aircraft crashed in flames after his successful efforts to avoid other planes in formation. By extraordinary flying skill, gallant leadership and intrepidity, Lt. Col. Baker rendered outstanding, distinguished, and valorous service to our Nation
    1943 - HUGHES, LLOYD H., (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 564th Bomber Squadron, 389th Bomber Group, 9th Air Force. Place and date: Ploesti Raid, Rumania, 1 August 1943. Entered service at: San Antonio, Tex. Born: 12 July 1921, Alexandria, La. G.O. No.: 17, 26 February 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On August 1943, 2d Lt. Hughes served in the capacity of pilot of a heavy bombardment aircraft participating in a long and hazardous minimum-altitude attack against the Axis oil refineries of Ploesti, Rumania, launched from the northern shores of Africa. Flying in the last formation to attack the target, he arrived in the target area after previous flights had thoroughly alerted the enemy defenses. Approaching the target through intense and accurate antiaircraft fire and dense balloon barrages at dangerously low altitude, his plane received several direct hits from both large and small caliber antiaircraft guns which seriously damaged his aircraft, causing sheets of escaping gasoline to stream from the bomb bay and from the left wing. This damage was inflicted at a time prior to reaching the target when 2d Lt. Hughes could have made a forced landing in any of the grain fields readily available at that time. The target area was blazing with burning oil tanks and damaged refinery installations from which flames leaped high above the bombing level of the formation. With full knowledge of the consequences of entering this blazing inferno when his airplane was profusely leaking gasoline in two separate locations, 2d Lt. Hughes, motivated only by his high conception of duty which called for the destruction of his assigned target at any cost, did not elect to make a forced landing or turn back from the attack. Instead, rather than jeopardize the formation and the success of the attack, he unhesitatingly entered the blazing area and dropped his bomb load with great precision. After successfully bombing the objective, his aircraft emerged from the conflagration with the left wing aflame. Only then did he attempt a forced landing, but because of the advanced stage of the fire enveloping his aircraft the plane crashed and was consumed. By 2d Lt. Hughes' heroic decision to complete his mission regardless of the consequences in utter disregard of his own life, and by his gallant and valorous execution of this decision, he has rendered a service to our country in the defeat of our enemies which will everlastingly be outstanding in the annals of our Nation's history.
    1943 - JERSTAD, JOHN L, (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps, 9th Air Force. Place and date: Ploesti Raid, Rumania, 1 August 1943. Entered service at: Racine, Wis. Born: 12 February 1918, Racine, Wis. G.O. No.: 72, 28 October 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. On 1 August 1943, he served as pilot of the lead aircraft in his group in a daring low-level attack against enemy oil refineries and installations at Ploesti, Rumania. Although he had completed more than his share of missions and was no longer connected with this group, so high was his conception of duty that he volunteered to lead the formation in the correct belief that his participation would contribute materially to success in this attack. Maj. Jerstad led the formation into attack with full realization of the extreme hazards involved and despite withering fire from heavy and light antiaircraft guns. Three miles from the target his airplane was hit, badly damaged, and set on fire. Ignoring the fact that he was flying over a field suitable for a forced landing, he kept on the course. After the bombs of his aircraft were released on the target, the fire in his ship became so intense as to make further progress impossible and he crashed into the target area. By his voluntary acceptance of a mission he knew was extremely hazardous, and his assumption of an intrepid course of action at the risk of life over and above the call of duty, Maj. Jerstad set an example of heroism which will be an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.
    1943 - JOHNSON, LEON W., (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps, 44th Bomber Group, 9th Air Force. Place and date: Ploesti Raid, Rumania, 1 August 1943. Entered service at: Moline, Kans. Born: 13 September 1904, Columbia, Mo. G.O. No.: 54, 7 September 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 1 August 1943. Col. Johnson, as commanding officer of a heavy bombardment group, let the formation of the aircraft of his organization constituting the fourth element of the mass low-level bombing attack of the 9th U.S. Air Force against the vitally important enemy target of the Ploesti oil refineries. While proceeding to the target on this 2,400-mile flight, his element became separated from the leading elements of the mass formation in maintaining the formation of the unit while avoiding dangerous cumulous cloud conditions encountered over mountainous territory. Though temporarily lost, he reestablished contact with the third element and continued on the mission with this reduced force to the prearranged point of attack, where it was discovered that the target assigned to Col. Johnson's group had been attacked and damaged by a preceding element. Though having lost the element of surprise upon which the safety and success of such a daring form of mission in heavy bombardment aircraft so strongly depended, Col. Johnson elected to carry out his planned low-level attack despite the thoroughly alerted defenses, the destructive antiaircraft fire, enemy fighter airplanes, the imminent danger of exploding delayed action bombs from the previous element, of oil fires and explosions, and of intense smoke obscuring the target. By his gallant courage, brilliant leadership, and superior flying skill, Col. Johnson so led his formation as to destroy totally the important refining plants and installations which were the object of his mission. Col. Johnson's personal contribution to the success of this historic raid, and the conspicuous gallantry in action, and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty demonstrated by him on this occasion constitute such deeds of valor and distinguished service as have during our Nation's history formed the finest traditions of our Armed Forces.
    1943 - KANE, JOHN R., (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps, 9th Air Force. Place and date: Ploetsi Raid, Rumania, 1 August 1943. Entered service at: Shreveport, La. Birth: McGregor, Tex. G.O. No.: 54, 9 August 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 1 August 1943. On this date he led the third element of heavy bombardment aircraft in a mass low-level bombing attack against the vitally important enemy target of the Ploesti oil refineries. En route to the target, which necessitated a round-trip flight of over 2,400 miles, Col. Kane's element became separated from the leading portion of the massed formation in avoiding dense and dangerous cumulous cloud conditions over mountainous terrain. Rather than turn back from such a vital mission he elected to proceed to his target. Upon arrival at the target area it was discovered that another group had apparently missed its target and had previously attacked ??and damaged the target assigned to Col. Kane's element. Despite the thoroughly warned defenses, the intensive antiaircraft fire, enemy fighter airplanes, extreme hazards on a low-level attack of exploding delayed action bombs from the previous element, of oil fires and explosions and dense smoke over the target area, Col. Kane elected to lead his formation into the attack. By his gallant courage, brilliant leadership, and superior flying skill, he and the formation under his command successfully attacked this vast refinery so essential to our enemies' war effort. Through his conspicuous gallantry in this most hazardous action against the enemy, and by his intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Col. Kane personally contributed vitally to the success of this daring mission and thereby rendered most distinguished service in the furtherance of the defeat of our enemies.
    1943 – PT109 was rammed by a Japanese destroyer and sunk. Lt. John F. Kennedy saved all but two of his crew. 
    1944 - Warsaw Uprising. Having received radio reports from Moscow promising aid from the red Army, the Polish Home army rose up against the Nazi oppressors. At 5pm, thousands of windows were thrown open and Polish patriots, 40,000 strong, began shooting at German soldiers in the streets. The Germans responded by throwing eight divisions into the battle. Despite appeals from the London-based Polish government-in exile, no assistance was forthcoming from the Allies, and after two months of horrific fighting, the rebellion was quashed. 
    1944 - Anne Frank makes the last entry into her diary. To escape deportation to concentration camps, the Jewish family of Otto Frank hid for two years in the warehouse of his food products business at Amsterdam. Gentile friends smuggled in food and other supplies during their confinement. Thirteen-year-old Anne Frank, who kept a journal during the time of their hiding, penned her last entry in the diary Aug 1, 1944: ‘[I] keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would like to be, and what I could be, if . . . there weren’t any other people living in the world.” Three days later (Aug 4, 1944) Grune Polizel raided the ‘Secret Annex” where the Frank family was hidden. Anne and her sister were sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where Anne died at age 15, two months before the liberation of Holland. Young Anne’s diary, later found in the family’s hiding place, has been translated into 30 languages and has become a symbol of the indomitable strength of the human spirit.
    1944 - Top Hits
“Amor” - Bing Crosby
“I’ll Be Seeing You” - Bing Crosby
“Long Ago and Far Away” - Helen Forrest & Dick Haymes
“Is You is or is You Ain’t” (“Ma’ Baby”) - Louis Jordan
    1951 - Neal Hefti Band records his “Coral Reef.” Great trumpet player, greater arranger for Basie, Sinatra, and many others.
http://www.spaceagepop.com/hefti.htm
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Hefti,+Neal
    1952 - Top Hits
“I’m Yours” - Don Cornell
“Delicado” - Percy Faith
“Auf Wiedersehn, Sweetheart” - Vera Lynn
“Are You Teasing Me” - Carl Smith
    1953 - Birthday of guitarist Robert Cray, Columbus, GA
http://www.blueflamecafe.com/index.html
    1954 - A concert promoted by Alan Freed features Fats Domino, Muddy Waters, The Clovers, The Orioles and others at the Moondog Jubilee of Stars Under the Stars at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York.
    1956 - RCA released two of Elvis Presley's hit singles: "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Love Me Tender." 
    1957 - Dodger first baseman Gil Hodges hits his 13th career grand slam and the last grand slam in Brooklyn Dodger history. The bases-loaded shot establishes a new National League record.
    1959 - After nine weeks as the best-selling song in America, Johnny Horton's "The Battle of New Orleans" is pushed out of the number one spot by Paul Anka's "Lonely Boy."     
    1960 - Chubby Checker's recording of "The Twist" was released by Cameo-Parkway Records. Checker wasn't the originator of the song that spawned the '60s greatest dance craze. That honor belonged to Hank Ballard, who wrote and recorded the tune as the "B" side of his 1958 hit "Teardrops on My Letter." But it was Chubby Checker who rode "The Twist" to stardom. His recording went to number one on the Billboard pop chart twice - in 1960 and again in 1962. 
http://www.send4fun.com/twist.htm
http://www.chubbychecker.com/
    1960 - 18-year-old singer Aretha Franklin made her first secular recordings for producer John Hammond at Columbia Records. She had recorded some gospel songs at her father's church in Detroit four years earlier.
http://www.aretha-franklin.com/bio.htm
http://www.artistdirect.com/showcase//urban/arethafranklin.html
    1960 - Top Hits
“I’m Sorry” - Brenda Lee
“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” - Brian Hyland
“It’s Now or Never” - Elvis Presley
“Please Help Me, I’m Falling” - Hank Locklin
    1962 - Robert Zimmerman legally changed his name to Bob Dylan. 
    1963 - Arthur Ashe, first Black male to win Wimbledon, becomes first Black person named to the US Davis Cup team. 
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/features/1997/
    1964 - The title track from The Beatles' movie "A Hard Day's Night" topped the record charts on both sides of the Atlantic. The film was originally titled "Beatlemania" until producers heard an offhanded comment by Ringo Starr as he flopped into a canvas chair and said "It's been a hard day's night, that was."
    1964 – North Vietnamese gunboats in the Gulf of Tonkin allegedly fired on the U.S. destroyer USS Maddox.  The outcome of the incident was the passage by Congress of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which granted President Lyndon Johnson the authority to assist any Southeast Asian country whose government was considered to be jeopardized by "communist aggression." The resolution served as Johnson's legal justification for deploying U.S. conventional forces and the commencement of open warfare against North Vietnam. 
    1968 - Top Hits
“Grazing in the Grass” - Hugh Masekela
“Stoned Soul Picnic” - The 5th Dimension
“Hurdy Gurdy Man” - Donovan
“Folsom Prison Blues” – Johnny
    1969 - The U.S. command in Saigon announces that 27 American aircraft were lost in the previous week, bringing the total losses of aircraft in the conflict to date to 5,690.
    1970 - Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4" enters the Billboard Hot 100 where it will climb to #4. Many fans are confused about the song's meaning until it is explained that the tune was being written at 25 or 6 to four in the morning. 
    1971 - Two Concerts for Bangladesh, organized by George Harrison, were held at Madison Square Garden in New York. Among the other performers were Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Leon Russell and Ringo Starr. A three-record set, which won a Grammy Award, and a documentary film were made of the event. The concerts, album and film raised nearly $11 million US for the impoverished people of the newly-independent nation of Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan. But much of the money was impounded by the US Internal Revenue Service during a nine-year audit of the Beatles' Apple Corps Limited. $2 million was sent to UNICEF before the audit began, but it wasn't until 1981 that a check for the remainder was issued.
    1972 - Chicago's “Chicago V” LP is certified gold
    1973 - The first big oldies revival kicks off in earnest as George Lucas' new film, “American Graffiti,” premieres in Los Angeles. Portraying a night in the life of several California teenagers in 1962, it made stars out of Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips and more, and also inspired the ABC-TV smash “Happy Days.”
    1976 - Top Hits
“Kiss and Say Goodbye” - Manhattans
“Love is Alive” - Gary Wright
“Moonlight Feels Right” - Starbuck
“Teddy Bear” - Red Sovine
    1977 - Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants hit the 18th and last grand slam of his career. His total still stands as the National League record. Alex Rodriguez holds the Major League record with 25.
http://www.eteamz.com/hallfame/files/AA06.txt
    1977 - "Elvis - What Happened," an expose by two of Presley's former bodyguards, was published. It sat in bookstores almost unnoticed until Presley's death two weeks later. Then it sold more than three-million copies. For several years, it was unavailable at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, nor other online used book stores.
    1979 - Following her graduation from rabbinical college in Philadelphia, Linda Joy Holtzman was appointed spiritual leader of the Conservative Beth Israel congregation in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, making her the first female rabbi to head a Jewish congregation in America.
    1979 – Yankees C Thurman Munson, at the height of his career, crashed at Canton, OH practicing take offs and landings in his private plane, and perished.
    1981 - The all music-video channel, MTV, debuted. VHq, another music channel owned by MTV Networks that is aimed at older pop music fans, premiered in 1985.
    1982 - Greg Louganis, US becomes first diver to score 700 (752.67) in 11 dives.
    1982 - Hank Aaron, the holder of the career home run record (755) and RBI record (2,297); Frank Robinson, the first player to win the MVP in both leagues and the first black manager in the Majors; Travis Jackson, an outstanding offensive and defensive shortstop for the Giants during 1920's, and former commissioner Happy Chandler, who provided leadership in breaking baseball's color line, are inducted in the Hall of Fame.
    1983 - U.S. House of Representatives approved a law that designated the third Monday of January would be a federal holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The law was signed by President Reagan on November 2. 
    1984 - Top Hits
“When Doves Cry” - Prince
“Ghostbusters” - Ray Parker Jr.
“State of Shock” - Jacksons
“Angel in Disguise” - Earl Thomas Conley
    1986 - A powerful thunderstorm produced 100 mph winds and large hail in eastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri causing 71 million dollars damage, and injuring nineteen persons. It was one of the worst thunderstorms of record for Kansas. Crops were mowed to the ground in places and roofs blown off buildings along its path, 150 miles long and 30 miles wide, from near Abilene to southeast of Pittsburg.
    1987 - Record heat gripped parts of the Midwest. A dozen cities reported record high temperatures for the date, including Lincoln, NE, with a reading of 105 degrees, Moline, IL, with an afternoon high of 103 degrees, and Burlington, IA, with a reading of 102 degrees. 
    1989 - Hurricane Chantal made landfall along the Upper Texas coast about sunrise. Chantal deluged parts of Galveston Island and southeastern Texas with 8 to 12 inches of rain. Unofficial totals ranged up to twenty inches. Winds gusted to 82 mph at Galveston, and reached 76 mph in the Houston area. Tides were 5 to 7 feet high. The hurricane claimed two lives, and caused 100 million dollars damage.
    1989 - Gwendolyn King, became the first American of African descent to head the Social Security Commission.
http://www.ssa.gov/history/king.html
    1998 - Using the old Negro League teams represented in their respective cities, the Cardinals-Braves game Saturday featured throwback uniforms of the 1928 St. Louis Stars and the 1940 Atlanta Black Crackers.
    1990 - The creation of what would become the world Wide Web was suggested this month in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Caliiau at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics at Switzerland. By October, they had designed a prototype Web browser. They also introduced HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and the URL (Universal Resource Locator). Mosaic, the first graphical Web browser, was designed by Marc Andreessen and released in 1993.  Andreessen was one of the founders of Netscape.   
    1990 - IBM sold off its typewriter and keyboard businesses on this day in 1990. The move signaled IBM's increasing focus on the personal computer market. IBM also discontinued production of several of its PS/2 systems due to poor sales. Later, IBM exited the PC business altogether by selling it to Lenovo.
    1990 - Ashton Tate released a new version of its software package, dBase IV. Ashton Tate had dominated the database market in the 1980s but began to slide in the 1990s. At the height of the company's success in the mid-1980s, founder George Tate died of a heart attack at his desk.
    1993 - African-American Ronald H Brown, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, appointed head of the Department of Commerce by President-elect Bill Clinton.
    1994 - Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley confirmed that they had been married by a judge in the Dominican Republic on May 26th. Publicists for the bride and groom had been denying the marriage took place since word of it leaked out on July 10th. 
    1995 - Selling 331,000 copies, Selena's “Dreaming of You,'' her first English album, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. The slain Tejano singer becomes the first Latin artist ever to debut at No. 1.
    1995 - Peggy Lee gave her final major public performance, at the Hollywood Bowl. 
    1996 - Olympic wrap-up: Michael Johnson left his fellow runners in the dust to win gold in the 200 meters in a record 19.32 seconds. He was the first male Olympian to complete the 200/400-meter Olympic double. And French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec became only the second woman in history to win a gold medal in both the 200-meter and the 400-meter runs at the same Olympics. Perec joined American Valerie Brisco-Hooks, who won both the 200 and 400 races in 1984 in Los Angeles. The U.S. women’s soccer team claimed the gold medal and capped the first women’s soccer competition at the Olympics, beating China 2-1. And last, but certainly not least, Dan O’Brien won the gold in the decathlon, four years after failing to make the U.S. Olympic team. 
    2001 - For the 33rd time in the team's history, the Tigers turn a triple play as Mariner Mark McLemore lines out to second baseman Damion Easley, who throws to shortstop Deivi Cruz to double up Tom Lampkin. Cruz then relays the ball to first baseman Shane Halter catching Ichiro Suzuki off first to complete Detroit's first triple killing since July 3, 1992, when the victim was also Seattle.
    2007 - Mattel recalled nearly a million Chinese-made toys from its Fisher-Price division that were found to have excessive amounts of lead. 
    2010 - The U.S. Government estimated the Deepwater Horizon oil spill dumped nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
    2013 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration identified Cyclospora in salads made by Taylor Farms; the parasite caused illness in over 223 diners in Nebraska and Iowa.
    2018 – Apple became the first US company to be valued over $1 trillion.  The company employs 123,000 full-time employees and maintains 504 retail stores in 24 countries as of 2018.  It operates the iTunes Store, which is the world's largest music retailer. As of January 2018, more than 1.3 billion Apple products are actively in use worldwide.  The company also has a high level of brand loyalty and is ranked as the world's most valuable brand.