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Inside Direct Capital and CIT Group
by Christopher Menkin

Leasing News has been writing about what is going on with the purchase of Direct Capital by CIT Group dba CIT Bank as well as the growth of Ascentium Capital and Marlin Business Services in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Readers of "New Hires and Promotions" have noted the flux of employees leaving Direct Capital, and while Chris Broom is in charge, they say, he reportedly spends most of his time at his estate in sunny Florida.

Leasing News is told CIT continues to put the squeeze on its own business and then on Direct Capital. In the past couple of weeks, CIT has announced internally the separation of several key executives under new CTO/COO Denise Menelly.

HR Director Diane Wagmann, CRO Lisa Polsky, Chief Architect BJ Fresq, SVP of IT Infrastructure Frank Nazzaro, and just this week - head of IT Security, CSO/SVP Howard Lessor (14 years tenure) have all left under mutual agreements. This not only leaves CIT's IT and Security departments very lean due to the recent losses of many full time and contract employees, it leaves them without key leadership.

Since John Thain’s departure and the introduction of Ellen Alemany, we have seen Stacey Goodman replaced by Denise Menelly who now appears to be making it her goal to replace the current IT and Operations organization.

Steve Solk, who took over for Nelson Chai in running Direct Capital, is now also taking on the entire West Coast operations of One West Bank, and the Commercial Mortgage division.

Franchise Finance Manager Timothy Amero, Jr., employee for nine years, is now at Marlin Business Services.

Under Solk, Direct Capital has lost a majority of its key accounts, like Cynosure, and risks losing Apple and Ritchie Brothers. These businesses loved legacy Direct Capital and loathed CIT, but everything has come full circle and CIT culture prevailed. Many of the key accounts that left followed key sales employees that moved on to companies like Ascentium, Balboa, Priority, and Marlin, all of which opened offices in the Seacoast New Hampshire area to target Direct Capital Corporation.

Several leasing companies have also recently sprung up from former Direct Capital employees, namely Fusion Capital by Adam Grupp, Everlasting Capital by Joshua and Steve Feinberg, and Meridian Commercial Capital by Daniel Marquette.

Eric Renaud was named COO of Direct Capital this year, running the business with Executives John Donohue, Steven Lankler, and Robyn Gault while Jim Broom focuses on CIT's Fintech pet project, Remarkable Bank, which is rumored to have lost key support and funding from CIT's Board of Directors.

The Direct Capital local management team has worked hard to stop the bleeding of employees, but constant changes to comp plans, reductions in benefits, crippling compliance requirements, and other changes that directly impact DCC's culture, have kept the floodgates open.

It's not clear how long Eric and his team can keep up the David vs. Goliath battle to keep what was once the most powerful (and fun to work at) private leasing company on the East Coast from circling the drain. It is clear they are getting tired of fighting battles, such as getting rid of plants in the office (a cost savings mandate from CIT), and the $25 per person limit for holiday parties and recognition events.

Does not look like it will be Merry Christmas at Direct Capital this year, perhaps as well at CIT.

Employee Exodus at Direct Capital, Portsmouth, NH
Customers and Vendors to Follow
by Tom McCurnin, Leasing News Legal Editor
and Christopher Menkin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2015/9_14.htm#employee

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Timothy Amero, Jr. was hired as Sr. Business Development Manager at Marlin Business Services Corp., Mount Laurel, New Jersey. He is based out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Previously, he was Franchise Finance Manager, Direct Capital, A Division of CIT Bank, N.A. (NYSE: CIT) (December, 2007 – November, 2016).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-amero-jr-71bb0140

Scott Burnett was hired as Regional Sales Manager for Advantage Funding, Inc., Lake Success, New York. He is located in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area and will "handle accounts in South Florida, portions of North Florida and sections of southern Georgia and Alabama." “Scott’s considerable experience in leasing and the commercial truck market will benefit customers in both our truck-load and vocational truck segments,” said Carol Dmytriw, National Sales Manager, Truck Division. Burnett was previously President, CFO Leasing & Finance (July, 2015 - November, 2015); Vice President, Equipment Leasing, Bank of the Ozarks Equipment Leasing (August, 2014 – June, 2015). He joined SunTrust Bank as Vice President in 2007; promoted to Vice President, Special Assets Department (May, 2010 - August, 2014). Prior he was Vice President - Commercial Lending / Leasing Company Manager, Riverside National Bank (December, 2003 – April, 2003); Vice President, First Southern Bank (1999 – 2003); President, CFO Leasing and Finance, Inc. (1997 – 2003); Vice President, Credit Administrator, Coastal Leasing, Inc.
(1993 – 1997); AVP, First Union (Wachovia) (1986 – 1992). Volunteer: President, Masters and Wardens Assn of Broward (January, 2013). Education: Florida Atlantic University, Bachelor, Finance
(1982 – 1985).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-burnett-151a0a3

Joe Casey, CAE, was hired as Executive Director at PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Media, Pennsylvania. Previously he was Executive Director, Fernley & Fernley, active as Executive Director of Management for the National Association of Equipment Brokers since June, 2015 (2010-2016); V.P. of Business Development & Outreach, CCMC, Association Headquarters, Inc. (2009 – 2010); Senior Account Manager, Talley Management Group (2006 – 2009); Director of Membership, Components & Communication, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (1996 – 2006); Certifications: Certified Association Executive, CAE Certification Commission, starting January 2009. Organizations: American Society of Association Executives; Mid-Atlantic Society of Association Executives; Public Relations Society of America (Past Member).
Additional Organizations: PR Council of Greater Atlantic City (Past Member); Toastmasters International (Past Member). Awards: Certified Association Executive, NAPNAP President's Award Winner. New Jersey Little League District 15 Softball Championship Coach. Atlantic County Social Services Golden Link Award. Public Relations Student Society of America Gold Key Award. Education: Glassboro State College, BA, Communications. National Liaison, PRSSA. Activities and Societies: PRSSA. Sterling High School,
Captain of the Football and Track Teams as a senior. Wrote for School newspaper.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joecaseycae

Brent Criddle was hired as President, TCS Equipment Finance, Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Previously, he was First VP, Sales at B of I Federal Bank, (April, 2006 -October, 2016). He joined Pacific Western Equipment Finance in 2001 and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Sales; named Executive Vice President, July, 2015. Prior, he was Director of Finance and Leasing, Larry H. Miller Dealerships (1994 – 2001), joining the firm in sales in 1992, where he "Received Salesman of the Month award seven times and Salesman of the Year in 1993. Maintained dealerships highest customer satisfaction rating." Education: University of Utah. BS, Finance (1991 – 1997).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-criddle-989a6634

Torre Montez was hired as VP, Sales and Marketing, Anuva Capital, Irvine, California. Previously, he was Regional Sales Manager, Ascentium Capital (February, 2015 – November, 2016); Regional Sales Manager, Ascentium Capital (February, 2015 – November, 2016); Account Executive, Alliance Funding Group (January, 2014 – February, 2015); Inside Sales Representative/Marketing Assistant, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (The Larkin Group) (June, 2013 – June, 2014). Education: Western Wyoming Community College, CNA, Electrician Apprenticeship Technologies, Nursing (2007 – 2008). Certified Nursing Assistant Program, Electrician Apprenticeship. Activities and Societies: Child Care. Dixie High School, High School, General Studies (2003 – 2006). General Education.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/torre-montez-76846845

Kieran O'Brian was hired as Asset Finance Consulting and Service partnership with Invigors EMEA LL, Ireland, the European arm of the Alta Group. O’Brien commented: “I am delighted to be joining the Invigors team. The European captive and vendor markets are facing major technology challenges driven by big data and the revolution in financial services in addition to the economic and political upheavals currently taking place. I am looking forward to helping our clients to maximize the opportunities presented by those challenges as their business models evolve to meet the changing markets in Europe and elsewhere.” He joined Cisco Systems Capital 2007 as Director, France, Ireland, Spain; promoted 2008, Netherlands, Italy; 2009, South Africa; 2011, Germany; 2013, Italy; his last position was as Operations Director, Cisco Capital EMEAR, Dublin. He began his career as Trainee Accountant, PWC (1977-1981); Director/Controller/Projects Manager, GE Capital/Woodchester (1989 – 2000). Education: PWC, Chartered Accountant (1977 – 1981). National University of Ireland, Galway, Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) (1974 – 1977). Ballinafad College ,Castlebar , Co Mayo , Ireland (1969 – 1974).
https://ie.linkedin.com/in/kieranpobrien

Phil Singleton was hired as Vice President-Credit Management at Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance (U.S.A.), Inc., San Diego, California. Previously, he was Senior Portfolio Manager, Talmer Bank and Trust (October, 2013 – November, 2016); Credit Portfolio Manager, SunTrust Equipment Leasing & Finance Corporation (February, 2013 – October, 2013); Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Fifth Third Bank, Southfield, (April 2011 – November, 2012); Credit Manager, Macquarie Equipment Finance (March, 2005 – April, 2011); Vice President and Portfolio Manager, GMAC Commercial Finance, September, 2000 – March, 2000); Business Credit Officer, Comerica Bank (August, 1997 – September, 2000). Organizations: President of Businesses United with Officers for Youth (B.U.O.Y.) Detroit Police Department – Sixth Precinct. Education: Wayne State University, Masters of Business Administration, Finance Concentration. Western Michigan University, Bachelors of Business Administration, Business, Economics, Marketing.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/singletonphil

Steve Sullivan was hired as Managing Director, Business Development, Wells Fargo, St. Louis, Missouri. Previously, he was Global VP New Business Development, De Lage Landen Financial Services (January, 2003 – October, 2016); Global VP, New Business Development, Bank of America (FleetBoston Financial) (January, 1998 – January, 2003); Marketing Manager, Norwest Financial Leasing (1990 – 1998). Education: Maryville University of Saint Louis, Bachelor of Science (BS).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-sullivan-b87a306

Tobias Waldeck was named Vice-President of Sales, Marketing and Remarketing, Daimler Truck Financial, Mexico City. Previously he was Vice President Sales, Marketing & Remarketing, Daimler Truck Financial (August, 2016 – November, 2016) Fort Mill, South Carolina; Managing Director / CEO, Daimler Financial Services Mexico (January, 2014 – July, 2016 ) Mexico City Area, Mexico; Director Strategy Financial Services, Daimler Financial Services AG (September, 2011 – December, 2013) Berlin area, Germany; Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Czech Republic and Slovakia (February, 2008 – September, 2011);Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Korea Ltd. (April, 2006 – January, 2008); Operations Officer Latin America, DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Mexico (January, 2005 – March, 2006); Director Financeiro Banco Mercedes-Benz, Brazil (March, 2003 – December, 2004) Sao Paulo, Brazil; Director Finanzas y Administracion, DaimlerChrysler Financiera Argentina (February, 2002 – February, 2003); Manager Dealer Credit, Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp. (1997 – 1998).

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Budgeting for Your Marketing Campaign in 2017
FinTech #102 by Brittney Holcomb

“We need to spend money to make money” is a long time phrase that has a lot of truth in it. The truth is in order for your business to grow, you need to invest in marketing.

With constant changes and new technologies changing the way people interact online, it’s hard to determine what marketing channels to use and how much it is going to cost.

As 2017 rapidly approaches, it’s time to start thinking and making decisions about market budgeting. This brings along a flood of questions like where should marketing dollars be spent? How much should be budgeted for marketing? What kind of goals should we set for a marketing campaign? What results are to be expected? All solid questions to help formulate a marketing plan and budget.

Marketing budgets should always be built backwards. Meaning: Start with whatever you want your goal to be, whether it is more closed sales or increased brand exposure and engagement. Once you have determined where you want your marketing campaign to take your business in the New Year, now you need to build the path to get there.

For the math side of determining your marketing budgets, industry
average for B2B companies runs about 7% – 8% of annual revenue. This is determined on market competition as well as the cost associated with marketing services these days.

Determining your end goal helps you figure out both what marketing channels you will need to use to achieve it, what the costs associated with this goal path are, as well as what realistic ROI expectations to set.

Part of creating your marketing plan is to analyze what you have done in previous marketing efforts and where you previously spent marketing dollars. Reviewing past marketing campaigns not only helps determine what worked and what did not, but also at what points throughout the year there are seasonal or quarterly trends your campaign can prepare better for.

Researching industry and seasonal trends also helps budget accordingly for times when we know campaigns are going to convert better or times where we can lower the budget because of volume. Running through past marketing campaigns also helps us identify competitors whom we share the space with. We are able to see what channels they are spending their efforts in as well as how their messaging is designed. Knowing your competitor’s strategy gives the advantage of spending your budget competitively in the same areas.

A big part of figuring out where to spend your marketing dollars is understanding where your audience is spending the most time online. Just because social media seems to be the most cost effective marketing solution for you, doesn’t mean that your target audience is even spending their time on there. If you’re not marketing where your audience is, then what is the point?

Once you know where you need to target and the message you want to use, you need to determine the channels that are going to bring you the most ROI. Make a plan and a budget allocation of where your marketing dollars are going to be spent. If you’re looking to develop more real time leads, then spend more of your budget on the internet with Price per Click or email marketing, and social ads. If branding is your goal, build your budget around a new approach with content strategy.

Pick marketing strategies you can control your budget with or tactics that have proven ROI for you. Don’t feel like you need to cover all your bases and be everywhere on the internet. Some marketing channels may not work for your business model, so there is no need to waste time on those efforts

Marketing is not a “set it and forget” type of setup. You need to continue to test and adjust accordingly throughout the year. If this means spending a little less so you have a cushion to fall back on in a situation where you need to add more, you will have the means to do so. Remember when investing in marketing that it should always be quality over quantity.

Brittney Holcomb is the Director of Paid Search at The Finance Marketing Group. She works exclusively with finance companies and banks to help better develop their business online through digital marketing strategies. Brittney has been trained by some of the top leaders in the industry giving her a vast knowledge she is able to pass along to her client base.

Email: brittney@financemarketing.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittney-holcomb-02101834

Previous Financial Technology Articles
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/fintech.html

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Beige Book Reports Continued Economic Expansion
from Early October through Mid-November

"Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicate that the economy continued to expand across most regions from early October through mid-November. Activity in the Boston, Minneapolis, and San Francisco Districts grew at a moderate pace, while Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, and Dallas cited modest growth. Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Kansas City cited a slight pace of growth. Richmond characterized economic activity as mixed, and New York said activity has remained flat since the last report. Outlooks were mainly positive, with six Districts expecting moderate growth."

"Banking and Finance
District reports indicated that the demand for credit varied widely. On the commercial side, New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis experienced strong demand for commercial and industrial loans, while C&I lending was slower in Dallas. Commercial real estate lending was strong in the New York, Philadelphia, and Cleveland Districts. In Atlanta, some small businesses had trouble obtaining credit, and St. Louis reported slightly lower credit worthiness for agricultural customers only. Residential mortgage activity was steady in New York and Kansas City; higher in Philadelphia, Richmond, Chicago, and Dallas; and strong in Cleveland and St. Louis. Auto lending was unchanged in St. Louis, up in Philadelphia and Dallas, and strong in Cleveland and Chicago. Credit quality was unchanged across most Districts, though improvements were seen in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Credit standards tightened in select loan categories in the Boston, New York, and Philadelphia Districts, but they loosened slightly in Richmond, where contacts reported facing competition that used more aggressive loan structures."

Specific Reports from Each District

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for appraisals
and equipment valuations provided by Ed Castagna)

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Car Leasing Poised for a Couple Firsts
by Joe Overby, Senior Editor, Auto Remarketing

Porsche Macan S

Not only is lease penetration riding a record wave, leasing volume may experience a never-before-seen trend in 2016, as well.

That’s according to Edmunds.com, which shared commentary from executive director of industry analysis Jessica Caldwell ahead of automakers reporting car sales on Thursday.

“Leasing accounts for a larger share of new-car transactions than ever before, and nowhere is this truer than in the luxury market,” Caldwell said in the commentary. “In fact, luxury automakers are on track this year to lease more cars than they sell for the first time ever.”

An Edmunds data chart shows that year-to-date overall lease penetration through October is at 30.7 percent. For luxury leasing, it’s at 51.2 percent.

To put it in a different perspective, overall lease penetration is now higher than luxury lease penetration was just 11 years ago (29.9 percent).

It’s also nearly double the rate from 2009, when leasing dried up and tumbled to 16.6 percent of new-car sales, according to the Edmunds data.

As far as the overall new-car market, it is in good shape for another record year. Still, don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

“November sales have the industry well-positioned to set a new annual sales record this year, but a new record is far from guaranteed,” Caldwell said.

“Expect to see a flood of ads for holiday season sales events in the coming days and weeks, especially for luxury brands, trucks and SUVs,” she said. “If we see any year-over-year lifts in these segments in December, then it's a good bet that the industry will top last year's record-high sales."

Leasing/Finance Conferences 2017
Save the Dates

January 31, 2017 - February 1, 2017
Asset Based Capital Conference
Encore at Wynn
Las Vegas, Nevada

Chapter Events
http://community.cfa.com/abcc2017/home

Jeffery Walsh, Event Director
Commercial Finance Association
(212) 792-9399 | jwalsh@cfa.com

March 22, 2017
16th Annual IMN/ELFA
Investor Conference
New York, New York

March 15, 2017 - March 17, 2017
2017 National Equipment Finance Summit
Renaissance Long Beach Hotel
Long Beach, California
March 15, 2017 - March 17, 2017

April 4 - April 6, 2017
29th Annual National Funding Conference
Chicago, Illinois

April 27, 2017 - April 29, 2017
NAELB 2017 Annual Conferences
Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel
& Memphis Cook Convention Center
Memphis, Tennessee

May 3, 2017 - May 5, 2017
37th Annual AGLF Conference
Omni Interlocken Resort
Broomfield, Colorado

October 4, 2017 - October, 6
2017 Funding Symposium
JW Marriott Buckhead
Atlanta, Georgia

October 11, 2017 - October 13, 2017
Lend360
Fairmount Dallas, Texas
http://www.lend360.org/

October 17, 2017 - October 19, 2017
Third Annual Conference

October 22, 2017 - October 24, 2017
2017 56th Annual Convention
Orlando, Florida

October 22, 2017 - October, 26, 2017
The Palazzo and Sands Convention Center
Venetian Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

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Chesswood: Expansion & Renewal Bank Credit Facility
Now $170 Million, Could Expand to $250, if Exercised

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- Chesswood Group Limited (the "Company" or "Chesswood") (TSX: CHW) announced today it has expanded and renewed its corporate revolving credit facility for a term of three years, expiring in December 2019. The existing US$150 million credit facility was due to mature in December 2017. The credit facility has been increased to US$170 million and now includes a US$80 million accordion feature (an increase of US$30 million from the current accordion of US$50 million), which would expand the facility to US$250 million, if exercised.

Barry Shafran
President, CEO

"We're very pleased that the Company's syndicate of lenders has once again demonstrated their support of our team and the growth of our businesses by renewing and expanding our credit facility for another three years," said Chesswood's President and CEO Barry Shafran. "We're also pleased that our lending syndicate continues to be comprised of leading Canadian and U.S. banks," added Shafran.

The Company has drawn US$140 million under its credit facility as of the end of November. Chesswood's overall leverage remains modest following the sale of its two non-commercial finance businesses over the last year and the subsequent pay-down of this credit facility with a majority of the proceeds. The Company has a very strong balance sheet that is well positioned to support its portfolio growth while continuing to provide shareholders with an attractive yield, paid through monthly dividends.

The syndicate of six banks was once again led by Royal Bank of Canada and includes BBVA Compass, Bank of Montreal, National Bank of Canada, TD Securities and Laurentian Bank of Canada.

About Chesswood Group Limited

Chesswood operates in the financial services industry, with equipment finance businesses in both Canada and the U.S. To learn more about Chesswood, visit www.chesswoodgroup.com.

The separate websites of Chesswood Group Limited's operating businesses are at www.PawneeLeasing.com and www.BlueChipLeasing.com.

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Navitas Credit Corporation Expands
Electronic Document Offering

Ponte Vedra, FL—Navitas Credit Corp., a national commercial finance company, is pleased to announce the corporate expansion of EZ-Docs, its electronic documents service, which completely digitizes the entire transaction delivery and management process. The technology was initially deployed in the fourth quarter of 2015 and enables equipment sellers and business borrowers to expedite financing transactions by delivering a paperless processing environment. Executing documents is automated and there is no need to print, scan, fax or provide wet-ink original signatures.

The second phase of the Navitas EZ-Docs initiative was completed in the third quarter of this year and has now been deployed to the user community. The new functionality transformed the product from strictly an electronic document delivery system to supporting the entire transactional workflow. Once documents are returned, internal users now have the ability to amend or add to the “electronic envelope” and then resend to the customer. New operational processes have been added that reduces manual intervention while expediting service delivery. As part of this phase of the project, additional business divisions and users were added, resulting in the majority of the organization being able to offer the electronic document service.

Gary Shivers, President and CEO of Navitas states, “As part of our on-going technology transformation we have been seeking solutions to simplify the way we do business in order to enhance the customer experience. The continued Integration of electronic documents into our organization is a key component in helping achieve this objective. The company experienced a significant increase in operational efficiencies with this latest release of EZ-Docs. This technology makes it easier to do business with us and gives our customers a much more efficient way of achieving their financing goals. We plan on expanding this offering over the next several quarters and look forward to delivering a fully automated document management and storage capability.”

www.navitascredit.com

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(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigative
reporting provided by John Kenny)

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Axis Capital Rebrands as “AMUR Equipment Finance”
Takes Name of Parent Company

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. December 1st, 2016 – Axis Capital, Inc. (Axis), one of North America’s leading commercial equipment finance companies, has unveiled a new company name, logo and website - rebranding as Amur Equipment Finance (AmurEF). As part of the company’s 20th anniversary celebration, the corporate rebranding initiative reflects Amur Equipment Finance’s vision for the future and affirms the core values which customers have grown to appreciate and trust.

Jacklynn Manning
Marketing Director

“Reflecting the characteristics of the distinctive Amur leopard in our new logo, the Amur Equipment Finance brand now showcases our best qualities as a business,” said AmurEF’s Marketing Director, Jacklynn Manning. “Our new brand represents the curiosity to learn about our customer’s specific needs, the agility to grow and change as their requirements change, and most importantly, the tenacity to do what it takes to serve our customers.” Mrs. Manning continued, “The rebrand to Amur Equipment Finance coincides with a period of strong growth in our business…it epitomizes all that we stand for, all that we can achieve together while reinforcing our overarching mission.”

The rebrand to Amur Equipment Finance includes a newly designed, robust website that provides a customer-centric experience. Full product offerings are now available to site visitors, including vendor and origination program information along with customer video testimonials and success stories. Specialized tools, such as a Section 179 Calculator, are available to assist customers with understanding and accessing the full range of AmurEF’s equipment finance products.

Malia K. Du Mont, AmurEF’s Co-President and COO stated, “Our new name appropriately reveals our long-standing membership in the global Amur family of companies.” She added, “It’s an affiliation that provides us and ultimately our customers with world-class financial expertise and products.”

AmurEF employs over 90 professionals across the United States, with key management, credit processing, underwriting, servicing, and finance functions located in its headquarters in Grand Island, Nebraska. AmurEF also has sales offices in Massachusetts, California, Texas, and Pennsylvania, with additional satellite offices located across the country.

AmurEF directly serves business owners and channel vendor partners that service an array of equipment-intensive industries including: transportation, construction, commercial and industrial equipment, food service, packaging, and printing. The company offers customized finance programs, including some with instant credit decisions and same-day funding for its business customers and vendor partners. With a dedicated support team on staff, AmurEF handles equipment financing needs ranging from as little as $10,000 to over $2 million.

AmurEF has maintained a Better Business Bureau rating of A+ for 20 years.

About Amur Equipment Finance
Founded in 1996, Amur Equipment Finance (AmurEF) is a nationally ranked Top Ten independent equipment finance provider and Top Twenty vendor channel origination company, 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. AmurEF is a subsidiary of New York-based Amur Finance Company, a global diversified holding company with over $800M in assets.

For more information, visit amuref.com.

About Amur Finance Company
Amur Finance Company, Inc. (Amur) is a privately held, diversified commercial finance company focusing on four main sectors: General Equipment; Aviation; Energy, Shipping & Logistics; and Other Industrial and Commercial Assets. Amur’s management team and senior leaders have extensive industry expertise and have been involved in over $100 billion of transportation, industrial and related commercial finance, trading and investment transactions around the world. Amur takes a partnership approach to its investments, providing long-term value through direct investments and strategic arrangements with world-class entrepreneurs and businesses.
For more information, visit amurfinance.com.

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Please Click on Bulletin Board to learn more information
Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police

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Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

Ambitious science-fiction (“Arrival”) and gritty drama (“Certain Women”) reach the box-office for discriminating viewers, while new DVD releases include captivating animation (“Finding Dory”), bizarre exhilaration (“Cosmos”), and inventive loveliness (“Punch-Drunk Love”).

Arrival (Paramount Pictures): Coming on the heels of “Gravity” and “Interstellar,” this view of extraterrestrial contact by Canadian director Dennis Villeneuve (“Sicario”) continues the recent streak of bravura, intelligent science-fiction efforts. Amy Adams is excellent as Louise Banks, a language specialist who finds herself at the head of a group of elite scientists chosen for our planet’s first brush with alien spaceships. While fear about the mysterious visitors’ goals grips the nations of the world, Louise and her crew—which includes Ian (Jeremy Renner), a brash military physicist—must get ready for a possibly deadly encounter. Do these vulnerable human beings stand a chance against the unknown vastness of the universe? Stressing the need for communication in a world easily thrown into chaos, Villeneuve’s film focuses less on special effects than on contemplative ambition and poignancy.

Certain Women (IFC Films): After years of gritty and somber sleepers, indie filmmaker Kelly Reichardt (“Meek’s Cutoff”) may finally score a crossover hit with mainstream audiences with this subtle, poignant trilogy of studies about people on the margins of society. In the first, a Montana lawyer (Laura Dern) must deal with a disgruntled client whose latest run with trouble finally pushes him over the edge. In the second, a married couple (Michelle Williams, James Le Gros) grapple with moral quandaries as they try to relieve an elderly man from his property. And in the third story, a lonely ranch hand (Lily Gladstone) faces complicated feelings as she meets a young lawyer (Kirsten Stewart) at a community college class. Giving each character respectful attention while weaving them together into a mosaic, Reichardt fuses minimalistic style with overwhelming emotions.

Netflix Tip: Gifted with an unmistakable voice and a penetrating poetic soul, Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) left an indelible mark on the soundtrack of many an arthouse classic. So check out this one-of-a-kind aural presence in such masterpieces as “Fata Morgana” (1971), “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” (1971), “Fox and His Friends” (1975), “Exotica” (1994) and “Breaking the Waves” (1996).

On DVD:

Finding Dory (Walt Disney Studios): One of Pixar's most beloved films, the 2003 hit "Finding Nemo" gets a sequel in this typically captivating animated adventure. The endearingly amnesiac blue tang fish Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) takes center stage this time around, embarking on a journey of her own to track down her estranged parents. Helped by her friends Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), she makes her way to the Marine Life Institute, a California coastal conservatory that facilitates a familial reunion while posing even more challenges. Co-directed by Pixar veterans Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane, the film brings back the original's characters while introducing a slew of colorful new sea critters, showcasing the animation studio's crowd-pleasing mix of heart and humor. Others in the voice cast include Ed O'Neill, Idris Elba, and Diane Keaton.

Cosmos (Kino): Known for his portraits of unhinged psyches, the late Polish auteur Andrzej Zulawski (“Possession”) hardly disappoints in his final film, an appropriately startling canvas of passions running amok. At its center is Witold (Jonathan Genet), a pallid law student who, with his friend Fuchs (Johan Libéreau) by his side, turns a summer vacation into a very strange detective story. Surrounded by oddball characters and clues that hint at larger and more eerie conspiracies, the duo searches for meaning that might not be there. A simple description of the plot scarcely does justice to the churning textures of Zulawski’s movie, where the camera moves as if trying to mimic the form of the story’s wild turns and bizarre dialogue. Certainly not for all tastes, but an exhilarating roller-coaster for game viewers. With subtitles.

Punch-Drunk Love (Criterion): Though best-known to cinephiles for the ambitious, sprawling canvases of “Boogie Nights” and “There Will Be Blood,” writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson goes modest and intimate in this peculiar and lovely comedy-drama, which features a most unexpected leading man. In an acclaimed departure from his trademark brand of slapstick, Adam Sandler stars as Barry, a small-time business owner whose timid exterior masks violent outbursts. His life takes a turn when he meets Lena (Emily Watson), a co-worker whose love gives him new hope and dreams. Just as their romance blooms, however, Barry comes face to face with a gang of extortionists. Combining inventive, sometimes almost experimental style with the characters’ volatile emotions, Anderson offers an elegant, moving, funny snapshot of his distinctive San Fernando Valley.

News Briefs----

Mortgage rates reach highs not seen in more than a year
30 Year Fixed at 4.08%
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/where-we-live/wp/2016/12/01/mortgage-rates-reach-highs-not-seen-in-more-than-a-year/?utm_term=.d36bc939e507

OPEC Reaches Deal to Limit Production,
Sending Prices Soaring
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/business/international/opec-energy-oil-saudi-iran.html?ref=business

Amazon unleashes new voice recognition,
artificial intelligence abilities
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-unleashes-new-voice-recognition-artificial-intelligence-abilities/

Self-driving truck hits the road for debut
on Ohio Turnpike
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/self-driving-truck-hits-the-road-for-debut-on-ohio-turnpike/

Microsoft cheers year of ‘solid progress’ shareholders meeting
But “we are not stepping away” from Windows Phone
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft/microsoft-cheers-year-of-solid-progress-at-shareholders-meeting/

Umpqua CEO Ray Davis nabs lifetime achievement honor
from American Banker
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2016/11/30/umpqua-ceo-ray-davis-nabs-lifetime-achievement.html

Santa Rosa’s Luther Burbank Savings growth plan
includes Oregon office, property management
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/sonomacounty/6342523-181/santa-rosa-luther-burbank-savings-banking?artslide=0

Michael James Delligatti, Creator of the Big Mac, Dies at 98
"All I got was a Plaque"
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/business/michael-james-delligatti-creator-of-the-big-mac-dies-at-98.html

Working Capital from $10,0000 to $250,000 ChannelPartnersCapital.com

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--You May Have Missed It

Kauai's must-see treasures and hidden attractions
http://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/Kauai-s-must-see-treasures-and-hidden-attractions-10642939.php#photo-11745843

[headlines]
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American Football Poem

See it through

by Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959)

When you're up against a trouble, Meet it squarely, face to face; Lift your chin and set your shoulders, Plant your feet and take a brace. When it's vain to try to dodge it, Do the best that you can do; You may fail, but you may conquer, See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you And your future may seem grim, But don't let your nerve desert you; Keep yourself in fighting trim. If the worst is bound to happen, Spite of all that you can do, Running from it will not save you, See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile, When with troubles you're beset, But remember you are facing Just what other men have met. You may fail, but fall still fighting; Don't give up, whate'er you do; Eyes front, head high to the finish. See it through!

Edgar A Guest, often referred to as the common man's poet. was a staff writer for the Detroit News (Michigan) and had his poetry published in the paper for many years.

[headlines]
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Sports Briefs----

Bears announce end of Jay Cutler's season
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2016/12/01/thursday-nfl-buzz/94739676/

Rob Gronkowski to have back surgery
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/158bc255810a84a5

NBA Player, Criticized for Missing Work for His Daughter's Birth, Gives Perfect Response
http://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/nba-player-criticized-for-missing-work-for-his-daughters-birth-gives-perfect-res.html

LeBron James is named Sports Illustrated
Sportsperson of the Year
http://www.si.com/sportsperson/2016/12/01/lebron-james-sportsperson-of-the-year-sports-illustrated

Steve Young: Some of Kaepernick's Success Result of Teams Not Paying Attention
http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/young-some-kaepernicks-success-result-teams-not-paying-attention

[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

California targets dairy cows to combat global warming
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/California-targets-dairy-cows-to-combat-global-10641403.php

[headlines]
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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Wine Spectator Top 10 of 2016 Wines
http://top100.winespectator.com/

Wine.com Releases 2016 Wine.com 100
http://pr.wine.com/2016/11/wine-com-releases-2016-wine-com-100/

The $845 Wine Book That Dealers Can’t Keep in Stock
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-30/assouline-impossible-collection-of-wine-review

Kevin Zraly: A Window Into Forty Years of Wine
http://www.winemag.com/2016/11/30/kevin-zraly-a-window-into-forty-years-of-wine/

Wine, cuisine, entertainment:
Flavor! Napa Valley reveals March lineup
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/napacounty/6371350-181/flavor-napa-valley-cuisine-wine-entertainment?artslide=0

Climate Change Upsets Tradition in Winemaking
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?
section=news&content=177266

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/

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

[headlines]
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     1662 - An act “prohibiting the entertainment of Indians without badges” was passed by the Assembly at James City, VA. Colonial badges were issued to “friendly Natives,” authorized in Virginia by the Act of 1661, which authorized “silver and plated plaques to be worn by the Indians when visiting the settlements.” One of these has a crude representation of a tobacco plant and scrolls, above which is “The King OF” on the obverse, while on the reverse is a similarly engraved plant and the word “Patomeck” with the “e” over lined. The surface edges were engraved to represent scrolls and foldings, while the medal was holed for suspension. It was also common in many Southern states to require slaves of all races and colors to wear “badges” or “medal tags” to donate their owner, plus giving the authority to be off the “premises.” There were also “slave hire badges,” worn by slaves hired out by their owners.
This site sells these pieces of history:
http://www.exonumia.com/slave.htm
here are 1834-Slave tags
http://prices4antiques.com/itemsummary/104768.htm
http://www.wakeforestcoins.com/slave%20badges/slave%20badges.htm
http://www.p4a.com/itemdetail/79637.htm
    1763 - Members of the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island witnessed the dedication of the Touro Synagogue, the first synagogue in what became the United States. Sephardic Jews in Jamaica, Surinam, London and Amsterdam sponsored the building of this first major center of Jewish culture in America. Designed in the Georgian style by English architect Peter Harrison, the synagogue was named for Isaac Touro, its first officiating rabbi. There were Jewish religious meetings in New York and Atlanta, Georgia, however this is considered the first building. It is considered an architectural masterpiece, and by the way, Touro Synagogue is the sole surviving synagogue built in colonial America.
(Lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec02.html )
    1777 - Lydia Barrington Darragh (1729-89) is known as “The Spy Who Saved George Washington.” History records she hid this evening in the linen closet and listened to the British leaders discussing a surprise attack against Washington's army. The next day, she walked several miles through the snow to the American army's location at Whitemarsh to alert Washington so that when the British launched its attack, Washington and his men were ready. This was considered one of the major turning points in the war as the American army, instead of forcing the British troops back to Philadelphia, would have faced almost total destruction.
http://www.ushistory.org/march/bio/lydia.htm
http://www2.whidbey.net/jerod/lydiadarragh.htm
http://www.lexidigital.com/bcdarwomen4.htm
    1812 - James Madison was re-elected President, defeating De Witt Clinton of New York, who had been endorsed by the Federalists and by Democratic-Republicans opposed to what became the War of 1812. Elbridge Gerry, Democratic-Republican of Massachusetts, was elected Vice President. The electoral vote was Madison, 128; Clinton, 89; and Gerry, 131, Charles Jared Ingersoll, Federalist of Pennsylvania, 86.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jm4.html
    1816 – The first savings bank in the US opened as the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, still operating today.
    1823 - President James Monroe, in his annual message to Congress, enunciated the doctrine that bears his name and that was long hailed as a statement of US Policy: “...In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part---we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemi-sphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.” George Washington in his farewell speech noted his policy and opinion, but obviously it was not followed as the United States continued its expansion into foreign territory owned by European countries, including Ohio, Florida, West of the Mississippi and Canada, which in part, contributed to the War of 1812 with Britain. By this year, the United States had claims on most of the territory except for that owned by Mexico and Russia, (not including islands such as Hawaii or other areas owned by Spain or lands still considered to be Indian territory) which we either traded or conquered. Those areas are part of the South West, including California. The posturing of US, or for that fact, any foreign government official, often had little to do with “reality,” meaning the “expansion” or “acquisition.” Read your American history, not what they taught you in grammar or high school.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684818868/qid=1038511881/sr=2-1/
102-1682336-8966565?v=glance&s=books
    1831 - Birthday of Francis N. Peloubet (d. 1920), American Congregational clergyman. A promoter of the Sunday School, he penned 44 annual volumes of "Select Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons" between 1875 and his death in 1920. They were known afterward as "Peloubet's Notes."
    1840 - William Henry Harrison was elected President, John Tyler of Virginia was elected Vice-President in a Whig landslide, defeating incumbent President Martin Van Buren, Democrat. In 1837, the panic began. Hundreds of banks and businesses failed. Thousands lost their lands. For about five years, the United States was wracked by the worst depression thus far in its history. Programs applied decades later to alleviate economic crisis eluded both Van Buren and his opponents. Van Buren's remedy--continuing Jackson's deflationary policies--only deepened and prolonged the depression. Declaring that the panic was due to recklessness in business and over expansion of credit, Van Buren devoted himself to maintaining the solvency of the National Government. He opposed not only the creation of a new Bank of the United States but also the placing of Government funds in state banks. He fought for the establishment of an independent treasury system to handle Government transactions. As for Federal aid to internal improvements, he cut off expenditures so completely that the Government even sold the tools it had used on public works. The electoral vote was Harrison 234, Martin Van Buren, 60. The popular vote was Harrison, 1,275,017; Van Buren, 1,128,702; James G. Birney, Liberty Party, candidate, 7059. Unfortunately, William Henry Harrison, 68, caught cold at his inauguration on March 4, and died of pneumonia on April 4, 1841. For the first time, a Vice President succeed to the presidency. Tyler, although he had run on the Whig ticket, was not a Whig at heart. He had previously supported the Democrat, President Andrew Jackson in 1828 and 1832, and had major political disagreements with the northern, conservative wing of the Whig Party. His administration was characterized by bickering and frustration, as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster tried to control Tyler and shape the White Party to their own interests.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/mb8.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jt10.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/wh9.html
    1845 - In a State of the Union address, President James K. Polk proposed that the United States should aggressively expand into the West. The territorial expansion of the US from 1812 to 1860, from the end of the War of 1812 to the beginning of the Civil War, has been called the "age of manifest destiny." During this time, the United States expanded to the Pacific Ocean, largely defining the borders of the contiguous US as they are today.
    1859 - John Brown, Abolitionist leader who is remembered for his raid on the US arsenal at Harper's Ferry, VA, was hanged for treason at Charles Town, WV. On October 16, he and 21 followers had seized the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry (now in West Virginia) to establish an abolitionist republic in the Appalachians and to fight slavery with fugitive slaves and abolitionist whites. Groups had been raiding “free states” in retaliation for hiding slaves or helping them to escape to Haiti or Canada permanently. He had moved to Kansas to help organize resistance to these Southern raids. It is interesting to note the men who appeared upon the scenes of these opening hostilities at Harpers Ferry, as they became famous or celebrated characters in the great drama of the civil war. Among those who became Confederate generals were: S. Cooper, R. E. Lee, J. E. B. Stuart, John B. Floyd and Henry A. Wise; and among colonels, C. J. Faulkner and A. R. Boteler. In the committee of the United States Senate, appointed by resolution of December 14, 1859, to inquire into the facts attending this invasion, were Hons. Jefferson Davis and J. M. Mason, and this committee had before it as witnesses, Hons. W. H. Seward, J. R. Giddings, Henry Wilson and Andrew Hunter. John A. Andrews, of Massachusetts, secured funds to pay Brown's counsel. In the South, John Brown was thought of as a murderer and traitor who deserved the gallows, but in the North his gibbet was described as “the cross of a martyr.” In Concord, Mass., Henry David Thoreau wrote of Brown, “When a government puts forth its strength...to kill the liberators of the slave, what a merely brute...force it is seen to be.” Longfellow wound a prophetic note: “This will be a great day in our history, the date of a new revolution...As I write, they are now leading old John Brown to execution...This is sowing the wind to reap the whirlwind, which will soon come.”
http://infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0809136.html
http://www.civilwarhome.com/johnbrown.htm
    1863 - Charles Ringling (d. 1926) was born in McGregor, IA. As one of the Ringling Brothers, who owned the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, he was in charge of production.
    1864 - Confederate General Archibald Gracie, Jr., is killed in the trenches at Petersburg, Virginia, when an artillery shell explodes near him. Gracie was born in New York in 1832. He was educated in Germany before he attended West Point, from which he graduated in 1854. Although his family lived in the North, his father owned a business in Mobile, Alabama, and Gracie moved there upon his resignation from the army in 1856. Gracie soon became an ardent supporter of the southern cause, and he was active in the Alabama state militia. In early 1861, before Alabama seceded from the Union, Gracie was ordered by the governor to seize the federal arsenal at Mount Vernon. Gracie's command protected Richmond in the summer of 1864, and his leadership at Drewry's Bluff was instrumental in holding Union General Benjamin Butler's force at bay near the Confederate capital. Gracie fought during the siege of Petersburg for the rest of the year, and he was recommended for promotion to major general. Unfortunately, he was killed before the rank was confirmed. Most of Gracie's family remained in the North, and his relatives arranged for transfer of his body to Union lines. He was buried in The Bronx. His grandfather built what is now Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of New York City.
    1867 - English writer Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States, at Tremont Temple in Boston. Dickens was a hit with the American public, who anxiously awaited each installment of his serialized novels. The line for his first reading in New York was more than a mile long.
    1873 - The Reformed Episcopal Church was organized in New York City when 8 clergymen and 20 laymen broke from the Protestant Episcopal Church over a debate regarding proper church ritual.
    1887 – The International League disbanded. Syracuse, Toronto, Hamilton, and Buffalo split off to form the International Association, while Newark, Jersey City, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton became the nucleus of the Central League. At the present time, Syracuse, Buffalo and Scranton still have minor league teams, while Toronto is now the American League East Blue Jays. Historically significant is Jersey City, the site of Jackie Robinson’s first professional game.
    1890 - Birthday of pianist/band leader Fate Marable (d. 1947), Paducah, KY.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/fatem.html
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/m/M299.HTM
http://www.redhotjazz.com/fate.html
http://mnmn.essortment.com/louisarmstrong_rsvy.htm
    1891 - Birthday of Dr. Charles Wesley (d. 1987), Louisville, KY. African-American educator/historian. He was the fourth African-American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard. An ordained minister, Wesley’s distinguished career included 40 years of leadership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1976, he served as Director of the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia, now known as the African-American Museum in Philadelphia.
http://www.dpw-archives.org/chw.html
    1895 - Birthday of organist Jesse Crawford (d. 1962), Woodland, CA.
http://www.ohscatalog.org/ohscatalog/jescrawearye.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0911572112/inktomi-bkasin-20/
002-5410374-3716044
    1901 - American King Camp Gillette designed the first razor with disposable blades. Up until this time, men shaved with a straight edge razor that they sharpened on a leather strap. To sell the product, Gillette founded the American Safety Razor Company on September 28, 1901, changing the company's name to Gillette Safety Razor Company in July, 1902. Gillette obtained a trademark registration for his portrait and signature on the packaging. Production began in 1903, when he sold a total of 51 razors and 168 blades. The Gillette brand is now owned by Proctor & Gamble, the result of their 2005 acquisition of The Gillette Company.
    1905 - Birthday of Moses Asch (d. 1986), founder of Folkways Records, Warsaw, Poland.
http://www.folklife.si.edu/CFCH/coll.htm#asch
http://www.folkways.si.edu/
    1906 - Birthday of TV pioneer Peter Goldmark (d. 1977), born Budapest, Hungary. As an engineer at Columbia Broadcasting Systems Laboratory, he devised a color television system and later the LP (long playing) record album, which transformed the recording industry. Goldmark's color television, first demonstrated in 1940 and approved for commercial use after World War II, used a rotating, three-color disk to project color images. Although all-electronic color television quickly replaced Goldmark's mechanical system, closed-circuit television manufacturers continued to use Goldmark's design. In 1948, Goldmark developed the LP, which could carry as much music as six 78-rpm records. Later, as vice president of CBS, Goldmark developed a system that allowed the U.S. Lunar Orbiter to transmit photographs from the Moon to the Earth.
    1908 - The Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America was founded in Philadelphia. In 1950, this ecumenical organization was replaced by the National Council of Churches.
    1914 - Birthday of arranger/composer Eddie Sauter (d. 1981), Brooklyn, NY.
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/s/S25.HTM
http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=product&id=1927179025
& clink=dmmu.artist&a=b
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000507YK/
avsearch-df1-9-20/
002-5410374-3716044
    1916 - Birthday of tenor saxophone player Charlie Ventura (d. 1992), Philadelphia.
http://www.gkrp.net/charliebio.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005ARFW/avsearch-df1-9-20/
002-5410374-3716044
    1917 - Birthday of American singer Sylvia Syms (d. 1992), born Sylvia Blagman, Brooklyn. She was called the “world's greatest saloon singer” by Frank Sinatra and recorded 15 albums.
http://artists.spun.com/sylvia_syms
http://music.zodchiy.com/S/Sylvia_Syms.html
    1918 – Birthday of Milton DeLugg (d. 2015), Los Angeles. A musician, composer and arranger, he was also a bandleader of Milton DeLugg and His Orchestra and The Tonight Show Orchestra. Played on “Abe Burrows' Almanac,” “The Chuck Barris Rah Rah Show,” “Dagmar's Canteen,” “Doodles Weaver,” “The Newlywed Game,” “The Gong Show,” “Judge for Yourself,” “Your Hit Parade,” “Broadway Open House;” songwriter: “Orange Colored Sky.” In 1958, he produced “Rave On” for Buddy Holly.
http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Delugg,%20Milton
http://www.spaceagepop.com/delugg.htm http://www.tvparty.com/lostmahoney.html
    1923 - Opera soprano Maria Callas (d. 1977) was born in New York City. Her appearances in public had to be protected by guards. She was swarmed by fans and the press: the new sleek Callas was too photogenic with her strongly defined facial features and huge eyes. Her open affair with one of the world's richest men, Greek shipping giant Aristotle Onassis, fanned the flames of the tabloids even higher keeping her personal life in headlines.... including the humiliating end of the affair as her former lover declined to marry her, then wooed and married Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of President John Kennedy. Her last operatic performance was in 1965 in a career that had been marked by retirement from the high society life with Onassis before returning to the States, and quarrels with the managers of LaScala and the Metropolitan, and cancellations of performances. http://www.callas.it/framehome-e.html
    1927 - The first Ford Model A was unveiled in New York City's Waldorf Hotel and in 35 other cities around the U.S., Canada and Europe. The car was priced affordably: the Phaeton sold for $395.00 and the Tudor Sedan for $495.00. The lag between cars available and orders on hand had mounted to 800,000 by the spring of 1928. Ford made almost two million Model A cars in 1929 alone. Model A production ended in March, 1932, after 4,858,644 had been made in all body styles.
http://www.mafca.com/
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/exchange-glance/Y02Y2585701Y3188484/
002-5410374-3716044
    1930 – As the Great Depression took hold of the US a year after the crash in 1929, President Herbert Hoover proposed a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
    1931 - Birthday of pianist Wynton Kelly (d. 1971), Brooklyn, of Jamaican parents.
These are the best:
http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/kelly_w_cat.html
http://members.aol.com/jazz2312/profiles.html/kelly.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=music-artist&field-artist=
Kelly%2C%20Wynton/002-5410374-3716044
    1932 - "The Adventures of Charlie Chan" was first heard on the NBC Blue radio network. The Chinese detective became even more popular on the movie screen in the 1930s and 1940s.
(I have them all: http://www.mgm.com/chan/ )
DVD: http://members.tripod.com/classic-movies/ )
    1932 - Bing Crosby and Bob Hope appeared together for the first time onstage in a show at the Paramount Theater, where “The Mask of Fu Manchu” opened. The duo would become two of Hollywood's best-paid actors thanks to their comic rapport
    1935 - Birthday of pianist Ronnie Matthews (d. 2008), Brooklyn, NY.
http://www.jazzpianists.com/RonnieMathews/
http://www.hitadesign.com/posters/jazz/jazzposters23.html
    1939 – LaGuardia Airport opened in NYC. The site of the airport was originally used by the Gala Amusement Park, razed and transformed in 1929 into a 105-acre private flying field named Glenn Curtiss Airport after the pioneer Long Island aviator, later called North Beach Airport. The initiative to develop the airport for commercial flights began with an outburst by New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (in office from 1934 to 1945) upon the arrival of his flight at Newark Airport – the only commercial airport serving the New York City region at the time – as his ticket said "New York." He demanded to be taken to New York, and ordered the plane to be flown to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, giving an impromptu press conference to reporters along the way. He urged New Yorkers to support a new airport within their city.
    1940 - Billy Eckstine records “Jelly, Jell” with Earl Hines' Band.
    1941 – On the day the US ceased it surveillance of the Japanese consulate, Admiral Yamamoto sent the Japanese fleet to Pearl Harbor.
    1942 - The first nuclear chain reaction was engineered by scientists lead by Enrico Fermi at University of Chicago’s Stagg Field.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec02.html
    1943 – Birthday of William Wegman, Holyoke, MA. Photographer: photographs, videotapes, paintings and drawings exhibited in museums and galleries internationally; film and video works for “Saturday Night Live,” “Sesame Street” and “Nickelodeon;” works for children: “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Mother Goose,” “Alphabet Soup;” “The Hardy Boys in Hardy Gold” [screened at 1996 Sundance Film Festival].
    1947 - Top Hits
“Near You” - The Francis Craig Orchestra (vocal: Bob Lamm)
“You Do” - Dinah Shore
“And Mimi” - Art Lund
“I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)” - Eddy Arnold
    1950 - A late season tornado killed four persons in Madison County and Bond County, east of St Louis, MO. Three tornadoes touched down in Illinois that afternoon, compared to just half a dozen tornadoes in the month of December in 115 years of records up until that time. Thunderstorms also produced hail which caused more than four million dollars damage in the St Louis area; it was the most damaging hailstorm of record for Missouri.
    1950 - "The Thing" by Phil Harris topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks.
    1952 - Keeping his campaign promise, President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived in Korea to promote a settlement to end hostilities in that war-ravaged country.
    1952 - George Jorgensen, a former G.I. who had gone to Denmark in 1950, prepared to return to the U.S. this day -- as Christine Jorgensen. She/he had undergone 2,000 hormone injections and six operations performed by sex change surgeons.
    1952 - Commissioner Ford Frick has no plans to take action against Jackie Robinson. Two days earlier, Robinson had called the Yankees a racist organization for its failure to promote a black to the parent club.
    1954 - The U.S. Senate votes 65 to 22 to condemn Senator Joseph R. McCarthy for conduct unbecoming a senator. The condemnation, which was equivalent to a censure, related to McCarthy's controversial investigation of suspected communists in the U.S. government, military, and civilian society. In the early months of 1954, McCarthy, who had already lost the support of much of his party because of his controversial tactics, finally overreached himself when he accused several U.S. Army officers of communist subversion. Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower pushed for an investigation of McCarthy's charges, and the televised hearings exposed the senator as a reckless and excessive tyrant who never produced proper documentation for any of his claims. A climax of the hearings came on June 9, when Joseph N. Welch, special attorney for the army, responded to a McCarthy attack on a member of his law firm by facing the senator and tearfully declaring, "Until this moment, senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you no sense of decency?" The crowded hearing room burst into spontaneous applause. On December 2, after a heated debate, the Senate voted to condemn McCarthy for conduct "contrary to senatorial traditions." By the time of his death from alcoholism in 1957, the influence of Senator Joseph McCarthy in Congress was negligible.
    1955 - Top Hits
“Sixteen Tons” - Tennessee Ernie Ford
“I Hear You Knocking” - Gale Storm
“Memories are Made of This” - Dean Martin
“Love, Love, Love” - Webb Pierce
    1956 - The Granma, a yacht purchased by a straw buyer, reached Cuba’s shores after leaving Mexico on November 25. Fidel Castro, Raul Castro, Che Guevara, and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembarked to begin planning the Cuban Revolution. Since 1976, the yacht has been on permanent display in a glass enclosure at the Granma Memorial adjacent to the Museum of the Revolution in Havana. Cuba celebrates 2 December as the "Day of the Cuban Armed Forces.”
    1957 - "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.
    1957 - In the Pacific Coast League, some franchises relocated when the Dodgers and Giants confirmed their long-rumored move to California for the 1958 season. The Hollywood Stars moved to Salt Lake City; the Los Angeles Angels moved to Spokane; and the San Francisco Seals moved to Phoenix.
    1961 - In a nationally broadcast speech, Castro declared that he is a Marxist-Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
    1961 - Major League clubs voted to curb bonuses. All first-year players not on Major League rosters, except one minor leaguer, can be drafted by any other club for $8,000. Clubs are expected to be unwilling to pay large bonuses for players who will be subject to a draft for just $8,000.
    1962 - After a trip to Vietnam at the request of President Kennedy, Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield became the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress.
    1963 - Top Hits
“I'm Leaving It Up to You” - Dale & Grace
“Dominique” - The Singing Nun
“Everybody” - Tommy Roe
“Love's Gonna Live Here” - Buck Owens
    1967 - "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.
    1969 - Cindy Birdsong of the Supremes is kidnapped by the caretaker of her Hollywood apartment, who, while holding a knife to her throat, forces her to tie up her two visiting friends. He then forces her into a car and drives toward Long Beach, but the singer jumps from the car and escapes. The kidnapper was arrested in Las Vegas four days later.
    1970 - A rare December tornado touched down in the Timpanogos Divide in Utah. It tracked across a 38 inch snow cover, spewing snow 1000 feet into the air.
    1970 – The EPA began operating but it would be decades before they aggravated anyone.
    1971 - Top Hits
“Theme from Shaft” - Isaac Hayes
“Baby I'm-A Want You” - Bread
“Have You Seen Her” - Chi-Lites
“Daddy Frank” (“The Guitar Man”) - Merle Haggard
    1972 - Motown's Temptations reached the #1 spot on the top 40 charts with "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." It was the fourth #1 hit for the Temptations, joining "My Girl" (1965), "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969) and "Just My Imagination" (1971).
    1974 - A big snowstorm over the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes came to an end. Detroit measured 19.5 inches, Toledo 15.9 inches, Cleveland 17.8 inches and Akron 24.3 inches
    1975 - Disco group Silver Convention earns a Gold record for "Fly, Robin, Fly", #1 on the Billboard Pop chart.
    1977 - Joan S. Wallace is sworn in as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is the first black woman to hold the post. The first woman appointed was Dorothy H. Jacobsen in 1964.
http://www.fiu.edu/~socialwk/wallace.htm
   1978 - "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" by Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond topped the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 2 weeks. A radio station engineer had spliced together Neil's version, from his 1997 album, with Barbra's rendition and got such good response, the station added it to their play list. When Neil got wind of it, he decided to re-record the song with Streisand herself, and within weeks of its release, the single went to number one in the US and number five in the UK. Coincidentally, both attended high school at Brooklyn’s Erasmus Hall in the mid 1950’s.
    1979 - Top Hits
“No More Tears” (“Enough is Enough”) - Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer
“Babe” - Styx
“Please Don't Go” - K.C. & The Sunshine Band
“Broken Hearted Me” - Anne Murray
    1980 – The following National Parks and Preserves were established in Alaska: Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katami, Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark, Wbuk Valley, Wrangell-Saint Elias.
    1980 - "Kenny Roger's Greatest Hits" is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Kenny's latest single, "Lady" is currently #1 on the Billboard Pop chart.
    1981 – Birthday of Britney Spears, Kentwood, LA. Dance-pop singer: albums: “Baby… One More Time,” “Oops!…Did It Again,” TV performer: “The Mickey Mouse Club,” “Time Out with Britney Spears,” “Britney in Hawaii.”
    1982 - Barney C. Clark, 61, became the first recipient of a permanent artificial heart. The operation was performed at the University of Utah Medical Center at Salt Lake City. Near death at the time of the operations, Clark survived almost 112 days after the implantation. He died March 23, 1983.
    1983 – Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was born in Chico, CA. He took the Pack to the Super Bowl XLV championship with a 31-25 win over Pittsburgh. Rodgers is the NFL's all-time career leader in passer rating during the regular season with a rating of 106.4 and third all-time in the postseason with a rating of 101.0 (among passers with at least 1,500 yards and 150 pass attempts, respectively). He currently is the only quarterback to have a career passer rating of over 100.0 in the regular season as well as having the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history at 4.05 touchdowns per interception.
    1984 - Dan Marino connected for four touchdown passes and set an NFL record for TD passes in a season (40). Miami's Dolphins lost the game, however, to the Los Angeles Rams, 45-34. It marked the Dolphins' first home loss of the season following six wins.
    1985 - The highest-rated "Monday Night Football" telecast was seen this night on ABC-TV. The game drew an audience share of 46.0 and a rating of 29.6. The Miami Dolphins beat the Chicago Bears, 38-25. The Miami win snapped the Bears' 12-game winning streak. The Miami Dolphins scored on their first five possessions. The Bears thus finished the regular season with a 15-1 record, and the Dolphins preserved their unique status as the only NFL to go undefeated in an entire season, a feat they accomplished in 1972. During the game, Bears head coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan fought for reasons still unknown.
    1985 - Organized crime bosses Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti were gunned down as they exited Sparks Steak House in New York City, making John Gotti, the organizer of the hit, head of the notorious Gambino crime family, the most powerful Mafia operation in New York. In 1968, Gotti was convicted of hijacking a truck and was sentenced to three years in prison. But his real Mafia ascension began when he killed one of the Gambino family's enemies in May, 1973. Despite concerted efforts by New York law enforcement to crush the Gambino family operation, Gotti continued to climb up the ladder. Wearing flashy, expensive suits, Gotti became something of a local hero in his Howard Beach neighborhood for his connection to organized crime. His unparalleled success at escaping conviction at trial earned him the nickname "Teflon Don." He was even acquitted of racketeering charges in 1986, despite the fact that the prosecution presented thousands of taped conversations in which Gotti was acknowledged as the head of the crime family. Gotti's streak of luck with the law ended in 1992, when he was convicted of murder and racketeering and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He died June 10, 2002 while serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Since being incarcerated in December of 1990, he spent twenty-three hours a day alone in a small cell and was not allowed any contact with the rest of the prison population. When doctors diagnosed Gotti with throat cancer in September of 1998, he was brought to the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. Following surgery and thirty-six radiation treatments, he was transferred back to solitary lockup in Marion, Illinois.
http://www.geocities.com/carmine_scalia/books.html
    1991 – The Supreme Court ruled that the Shirelles, Gene Pitney and B.J. Thomas are owed $1.2 million in unpaid royalties.
    1992 - Two F1 tornadoes touched down near Santa Rosa, CA and Mount Lemmon, AZ was drenched with 2.95 inches of rain in 24 hours.
    1993 – NASA launched the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
    1995 - R. Kelly's "R. Kelly" was the #1 album in the U.S for one week.
    1995 - "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men topped the charts and stayed there for 16 weeks.
    1997 - "Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute" double album was released. The collection included songs from Sinead O'Connor, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Mariah Carey, Queen, George Michael, U2, Paul McCartney, REM, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and many others.
    2001 – Enron, once the 7th largest in the Fortune 500, filed for bankruptcy.
    2008 - In a ceremony at the home of Consul General of Japan, former Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda is honored for his contributions to Japanese baseball. The Hall of Famer receives the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette medal on behalf of the emperor for his work with players and teams in this Asian nation since 1965.
    2015 – Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people and wounded 22 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, CA. A married couple, they targeted a County Department of Public Health training event and Christmas party, of about 80 employees, in a rented banquet room. Farook was an American-born US citizen who worked as a health department employee. Malik was a Pakistani-born lawfully permanent resident of the US. After the shooting, the couple fled in a rented vehicle. Four hours later, police pursued their vehicle and killed them in a shootout.

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