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Top Ten Stories
February 10 - February 14

(Stories most opened by readers)

(1) Leasing Icon Bernard D. Boettigheimer Passes Away
Son John Sends Announcement of Visitation/Service
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_10.htm#boettigheimer

(2) Bernie Boettigheimer Visitation/Funeral
Today and Thursday
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_12.htm#funeral

(3) Balboa Capital File Against Dismissal
of Ascentium Capital in MHT Case in Texas
By Christopher Menkin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_14.htm#balboa

(4) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_14.htm#hires

(5) Most Influential Women in Leasing and Finance
One New Nomination
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_12.htm#women

(6) Legislation Requiring Truth-in Lending-Type Disclosures
     by Small Business Lenders and Brokers
          Re-Introduced in New Jersey
   By Robert L. Hornby CSG Attorneys at Law
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_10.htm#legislation

(7) Wintrust Specialty Finance Originates
$148 million in its first year
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_10.htm#wintrust

(8) Powell, Warning of a Possible Virus Fallout,
Is Slammed Again by Trump
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/business/economy/jerome-powell-federal-reserve-coronavirus.html

(9) Aggregate Funding Sources - Updated
(Online: connects lessees, lessors, and vendors)
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_12.htm#agg

(10) McClatchy files for bankruptcy, likely ending 162 years
of family control and setting up more consolidation in local news
https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article240139933.html?

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Bernie Boettigheimer Visitation/Funeral
Christ the King Catholic Church, Dallas, Texas

"Thank you Kit and thank you for the wonderful flower wreath you sent to the funeral. We had so many people who attended and the wake and church ceremony was a great celebration of his life. It was amazing to see how many people's lives he touched and how many people will miss him.

"Again, thank you so much."

John Boettigheimer
President
Centra Funding, LLC / 4 Hour Funding, LLC

"Sorry I was unable to attend. Certainly will miss your father."

Kit Menkin
Leasing News

“Understand Kit. I know my father appreciated and enjoyed working with you through all the years. It’s so hard to travel in such short notice, and I totally understand.”

John Boettigheimer

"I am so saddened to hear of Bernie’s passing. He was a great asset to our community and a CLFP for so many years."

Reid Raykovich, CLFP
CLFP Foundation

"I was very sorry to hear the news about Bernie’s passing.

"I first met Bernie in 1996 at Pioneer Capital and he has been a great friend and mentor ever since. I was fortunate to have dinner with he and John a couple of months ago when my wife and I were visiting Dallas. As always, I enjoyed his stories and insights into our industry and world around us…even got to talk on the phone briefly with Barbara that night. All the Boettigheimers are wonderful people and Bernie was a total class act…except he never said goodbye when he hung up the phone!

"I'll miss him."

Brad Peterson
Channel Partners

http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_10.htm#boettigheimer

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First FDIC Bank to Fail this Year
Ericson State Bank, Ericson, Nebraska

The sole branch of Ericson State Bank in Ericson, Nebraska, was closed on Friday, February 14, 2020, as it was declared insolvent. Farmers and Merchants Bank in Milford, Nebraska, is to assume all of the deposits of Ericson State Bank.

Mark Quandahl, Director of the Nebraska Bank and Finance, cited, "The failure of Ericson State Bank resulted primarily from large out-of-territory commercial loan losses and poor management practices which led to a deterioration of the bank’s capital. When the capital was not replenished, the Department was left with no option but to place the insolvent institution in receivership." He added, "The overwhelming majority of Nebraska banks are in a strong condition."

Since 2010, Ericson had been hit with two FDIC consent orders that cited poor management and weak capital controls. In October, the FDIC ordered the bank to hire a new CEO, at least two independent board members and develop one- and three-year plans to get it back on track.

Then in November two smaller Nebraska banks — Eagle State Bank and Tri Valley Bank — announced a three-way merger with Ericson. That deal was never completed. “Whatever they may have had in the works is now off,” a FDIC spokesperson said Friday.

Ericson State Bank was chartered in 1959, and is a subsidiary of Wheeler County Bancshares, Inc., a one-bank holding company, located in Ericson, Nebraska, owned by Debra Poulsen and Jack Poulsen. As of December 31, 2019, Ericson State Bank had total assets of approximately $100.9 Million and total deposits of approximately $95.2 Million.

In addition to assuming all of the deposits, Farmers and Merchants agreed to purchase approximately $9.6 million of Ericson State Bank’s assets. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later disposition.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $14.1 million.

The last U.S. bank to fail was the $120.6 million-asset City National Bank of New Jersey in Newark, which was shuttered on Nov. 1, 2019

Copy of the 2019 NDBF regulatory action against the bank (18 pages)
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Ericson_ConsentOrder2020.pdf

News Briefs----

Extreme weather could cause massive economic recession
‘like we’ve never seen before’
https://nypost.com/2020/02/17/extreme-weather-could-cause-massive-economic-recession-like-weve-never-seen-before/

Pier 1 files for bankruptcy
9,302 store closed in 2019, a 59% jump from 2018
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/17/business/pier-one-bankruptcy/index.html

Former KeyCorp CEO Henry Meyer dies at 70
He led company through Great Recession
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/02/former-keycorp-ceo-henry-meyer-who-led-company-through-great-recession-dies-at-70.html

Ransomware—to Pay or Not to Pay
and Should We Get a Bitcoin Wallet Just in Case?
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/ransomware-to-pay-or-not-to-pay-and-should-we-get-bitcoin-wallet-just-case

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You May Have Missed---

Never Mind the Internet.
Here’s What’s Killing Malls and Small Retail Stores
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/business/not-internet-really-killing-malls.html

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Winner vs Loser

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

The Winner is always part of the answer;
The Loser is always part of the problem.
The Winner is always has a program;
The Loser always has an excuse.
The Winner says, “Let me do it for you;
The Loser says;" That is not my job."
The Winner sees an answer for every problem;
The Loser sees a problem for every answer.
The Winner says," It may be difficult but it is possible";
The Loser says, “It may be possible but it is too difficult."
When a Winner makes a mistake, he says," I was wrong";
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says," It wasn't my fault."
A Winner makes commitments;
A Loser makes promises.
Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes.
Winners say," I must do something";
Losers say, “Something must be done."
Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart from the team.
Winners see the gain;
Losers see the pain.
Winners see possibilities;
Losers see problems.
Winners believe in win/win;
Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose.
Winners see the potential;
Losers see the past.
Winners are like a thermostat;
Losers are like thermometers.
Winners choose what they say;
Losers say what they choose.
Winners use hard arguments but soft words;
Losers use soft arguments but hard words.
Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty things;
Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values. Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: "Don't do to others what you would, not want them to do to you";
Losers follow the philosophy, "Do it to others before they do it to you."

Winners make it happen;
Losers let it happen.

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Last shot wins: Team LeBron wins All-Star Game 157-155
https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Team-LeBron-wins-All-Star-Game-157-155-in-15061586.php

Cam Newton will likely pass Panthers physical in March
http://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/80458/Report--Cam-Newton-will-likely-pass-Panthers-physical-in-March

NFL cut candidates: 13 notable players who
could be on chopping block in 2020 offseason
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/02/11/nfl-cut-candidates-2020-players-cam-newton-roster/4721446002/

Former Chiefs coach Todd Haley hired as high school
offensive coordinator in Florida
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/02/11/nfl-cut-candidates-2020-players-cam-newton-roster/4721446002/

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California Nuts Briefs---

'An entirely new community of 8,000 homes':
What Treasure Island will look like in 20 years
https://www.sfgate.com/living/article/Treasure-Island-development-housing-San-Francisco-15054157.php

Berkeley tries on a new movement: the quest to create housing
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Berkeley-tries-on-a-new-movement-the-quest-to-15059186.php

Major new oceanfront campground
to be built along Monterey Bay
Fort Ord project largest new coastal campground park since 1980s
https://www.montereyherald.com/2020/02/14/major-new-oceanfront-campground-to-be-built-at-state-park-near-monterey/

California to apologize officially for historical mistreatment
of Japanese Americans
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/california/story/2020-02-17/california-japanese-americans-apology

April 19 Rotary Great Race - 4 miles Saratoga to Los Gatos
https://patch.com/california/losgatos/calendar/event/20200419/776843/april-19-rotary-great-race-4-miles-saratoga-to-los-gatos

[headlines]
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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Wine Train wants Napa County to OK winery stops
https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/wine-train-wants-napa-county-to-ok-winery-stops/article_1e8a627c-384e-5db7-a283-4d3183603b8e.html

The price of wine is dropping fast
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/16/business/grape-surplus-cheap-wine-trnd/index.html

Caymus Buys Rutherford Vineyard for $6 million
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=226140

Where to Stay, Drink and Play in Willamette Valley's Wine Country
https://www.seattlemag.com/getaways/where-stay-drink-and-play-willamette-valleys-wine-country

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

[headlines]
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This Day in History

      1571 - A group of Spanish Jesuits in the Chesapeake Bay area, led by Fray Batista Segura, were murdered by the Indians to whom they had come six months earlier to convert. The massacre led ultimately to the withdrawal of all Jesuits living in Florida as well. On September 8, 1565, the first white colony, in what is now the US, was founded at St. Augustine, Florida by the Spanish under Pedro Menendez de Aviles. The first Catholic parish was founded by Fr. Don Martin Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, chaplain of the Spanish expeditionary forces. The first introduction of European livestock, such as black cattle, horses, sheep and swine, into America was made by the Spanish in Florida. The Spanish began to settle the area, fighting all those who had laid claim to the land. On September 20th, Menéndez destroyed Fort Caroline and massacred most of its inhabitants. He renamed it San Mateo and, in the next two years, built a string of forts to Tampa Bay while looking for a water passage across Florida. The once “peaceful” Indians were either converted to Christianity or tortured and killed by the Spanish on their quest in the New World.
  1668 - Protest against slavery was made by the German Friends, or Quakers, at a meeting in Germantown, PA. They protested against the “traffic in the bodies of men” and considered the question of the “lawfulness and unlawfulness of buying and keeping Negroes.” Some of the protesters were Francis Daniel Pastorius, Dirck op de Graeff, Abrahama op de Graeff, and Gerhard Hendricks.
    1678 - John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" was first published, in England. Bunyan was frequently imprisoned for preaching without a license. During these sequestered times, (1660-72), Bunyan collected the ideas enabling him to pen this masterpiece of Christian literature. It was the most popular book in the new colonies.
http://www.hcis.net/users/miltozah/pilgrim1.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/025201894X/avsearch-df1-2-20/102-1682336-8966565
    1685 - Explorer Renee-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle established a French colony at Fort St Louis in Texas.
    1735 – The first opera was performed in America, "Flora," in Charleston, SC.
    1791 - Congress passed a law admitting the state of Vermont to the Union, after that state had existed for 14 years as a de facto independent largely unrecognized state.
    1795 - George Peabody (d. 1869) was born at South Danvers, MA. American merchant philanthropist, he endowed the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, museums at Harvard and Yale, and the George Peabody College for Teachers at Nashville, TN.
    1834 – The first US labor newspaper, "The Man," published, New York NY
    1839 - Detroit Boat Club forms (still exists today).
http://www.detroitboatclub.com/
    1841 – The first filibuster in the Senate began over the issue of dismissal of the printers of the Senate. The filibuster continued until March 11. The first extended filibuster, debating the establishment of a national bank, began on June 21 and lasted fourteen days.
http://www.newsaic.com/ftvww39n.html
    1848 – Birthday of Louis Comfort Tiffany (d. 1933), at New York, NY. American artist, son of famed jeweler Charles L. Tiffany. Best remembered for his remarkable work and with decorative iridescent “vavrile” glass.
    1859 - Scholem Aleichem (d. 1916) birthday, pen name of Russian-born author and humorist Solomon Rabinovitz. The musical, “Fiddler on the Roof,” was derived from Aleichem’s short stories about Tevye the Milkman. Affectionately known in the US as the “Jewish Mark Twain.”
    1861 - Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama. In the years before the Civil War, Senator Jefferson Davis was the acknowledged leader of the Southern bloc and champion of states’ rights, but he had little to do with the secession movement until after his home state of Mississippi joined the Confederacy on January 9, 1861. Davis withdrew from the US Senate that same day. He was unanimously chosen as President of the Confederacy’s provisional government, and he was actually surprised with the news while he was pruning the roses for the winter with his wife. Within the next year, he was elected to a six-year term by popular vote and inaugurated a second time on February 22, 1862 at Richmond, VA.
    1865 - In the Civil War, the Union fleet took the town of Charleston, South Carolina. In Columbia, SC, the fires still burned from the prior day’s invasion by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s federal troops who burned the state house to the ground. Bales of cotton were put to the torch, perhaps by Confederates to prevent their falling into federal hands. Strong winds scattered the burning cotton across most of the city. The entire south was becoming scorched earth as Gen. Grant’s plan was to cut off all supplies and food, and to blockade ships from Europe or free Southern ports.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb18.html
    1867 - The Augusta Institute was founded in Georgia. Established as an institution of higher learning for black students, it moved to Atlanta in 1879, and, in 1913, changed its name to Morehouse College.
http://www.morehouse.edu/
    1882 - Violinist Alfred De Seve, a native of Montreal, appeared with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mendelssohn's "Concerto in E Minor." His appearance was among the earliest by a Canadian soloist with a US orchestra.
    1885 - Mark Twain's “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was published in the United States for the first time. At the time, the book was banned by many libraries for its racial-equality overtones. One hundred and eleven years later, the book was again in the headlines, targeted to be banned from school reading lists because of its racial inequalities
    1892 - Wendell Willkie (d. 1944) was born at Elwood, IN. American lawyer, author, public utility executive and politician, Presidential nominee of the Republican Party in 1940. Remembered for his book, “One World,” published in 1943. He ran for the nomination in 1944 but suffered a series of four heart attacks and lost to New York Governor Thomas Dewey.
    1899 - While much of the central and eastern U.S. was recovering from the most severe cold wave of modern history, the temperature at San Francisco soared to 80 degrees to establish a record for month of February
    1908 - For the first time, United States postage stamps were sold. They cost a penny.
    1922 - Birthday of author/editor Helen Gurley Brown (d. 2012), Green Forest, AR. While an advertising minor executive in 1962, she authored her first book, “Sex and the Single Girl,” an immediate and controversial best seller. In 1965, she was named editor of Cosmopolitan magazine and changed it into a splashy, upbeat magazine aimed at the young women. It even played the "Playboy" card and featured a male nude centerfold. The first was Burt Reynolds with an artful bear rug keeping the censors away. Circulation and advertising revenues shot up. She also wrote “Helen Gurley Brown's Outrageous Opinions” (1966), “Helen Gurley Brown's Single Girl's Cookbook” (1969), and “Sex and the New Single Girl” (1970).
    1924 - Bix Beiderbecke and the Wolverines cut first records in Richmond, Indiana, for Gennett (“Fidgety Feet,” “Jazz Me Blues,” “Lazy Daddy”).
    1927 - The "first great voice of the air," Jessica Dragonette, makes her radio debut on Cities Service Concerts.
    1928 - Drummer Frank Butler (d. 1984) birthday, Kansas City, MO
http://www.centrohd.com/biogra/b2/frank_butler_b.htm
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,410461,00.html?artist=Frank+Butler
    1928 - Tenor Sax player Harold Land (d. 2001) birthday, Houston, TX
http://members.tripod.com/~hardbop/land.html
http://www.view.com/land-bio.html
    1930 – A cow was milked while flying in an airplane. Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to fly in an airplane. During the flight, which was attended by reporters, she was milked and the milk was sealed in paper containers and parachuted over St. Louis, MO.
    1930 - Pluto, the ninth planet, was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff, AZ. It was given the name of the Roman god of the underworld. Some astronomers don’t accept Pluto as a planet.
    1931 - Toni Morrison, born Chloe Ardelia Wofford (d. 2019), Lorain, Ohio. American novelist, editor, and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Among her best-known novels are “The Bluest Eye,” “Sula,” “Song of Solomon” and “Beloved.” She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for “Beloved” and the Nobel Prize in 1993. On 29 May 2012, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
    1932 - In Montreal, Canada, Sonja Henie won her 6th world women’s figure skating title.
    1933 – Yoko Ono was born in Tokyo. Her relationship with, then marriage to John Lennon has been identified as one the reasons for the breakup of the group.
    1938 – “The Big Broadcast of 1938” was released. One of the most famous motion pictures of all-time hit the silver screen. The film featured Bob Hope singing his version of, "Thanks for the Memory," which got an Oscar for Best Song. It also became his theme song for the remainder of his illustrious career. Also starring in the film were Dorothy Lamour and W.C. Fields.
    1939 - Golden Gate International Exposition opens on Treasure Island. This was a World’s Fair celebrating, among other things, the city's two newly built bridges. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. The exposition opened from February 18, 1939, through October 29, 1939, and from May 25, 1940, through September 29, 1940.
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist6/ti-statue.html
http://www.sfmuseum.org/views/ggieviews.ppt
    1942 – The Mills Brothers on Decca records recorded one of their three all-time greatest hits, "Paper Doll." The other two classics by the Mills Brothers are: "You Always Hurt The One You Love" (1944) and "Glow Worm" (1952).
    1943 - Birthday of American composer Alice Shields, New York City
    1943 - The Germans commit 26th Panzer and 29th Panzergrenadier Divisions to the attack on Anzio. Strong Allied artillery holds off and blunts the attacks. Kesselring and Mackensen realize that the Allied beachhead cannot be wiped out. The Germans launched a more intense assault against the 45th Division at dawn and destroyed one battalion of the 179th Infantry before pushing the remainder of the unit back a half mile farther to Lucas’ final defensive line by midmorning. Fearing that the 179th Infantry was in danger of giving way, Lucas ordered Col. William O. Darby, founder of the World War II era Darby’s Rangers, to take command of the unit and allow no further retreat. The regiment held, later counting 500 dead Germans in front of its positions. Elsewhere, the 180th and 157th regiments also held their positions in spite of heavy losses during three days of German attacks. By midday, Allied air and artillery superiority had turned the tide. (Leasing News Assoc. Editor Ralph Mango’s father was a B-25 tail-gunner in these missions for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.) When the Germans launched a final afternoon assault against the 180th and 179th regiments, it was halted by air strikes and massed mortar, machine gun, artillery, and tank fire. Subsequent enemy attacks on 19 and 20 February were noticeably weaker and were broken up by the same combination of Allied arms before ground contact was made. The crisis had passed, and while harassing attacks continued until 22 February, VI Corps went over to the offensive locally and succeeded in retaking some lost ground.
    1945 - Top Hits
“Don’t Fence Me In” - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
“Accentuate the Positive” - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
“I Dream of You” - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Freddy Stewart)
“I’m Losing My Mind Over You” - Al Dexter
    1949 - On CBS radio, "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar" debuted on CBS radio, starring Charles Russell as the insurance investigator. The show was the last of radio's major, dramatic network programs. Johnny Dollar continued until 1962.
http://www.wayback.net/jd.htm
    1950 – Actress Cybil Shepherd was born in Memphis.
    1953 - Top Hits
“Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” - Perry Como
“Till I Waltz Again with You” - Teresa Brewer
“Keep It a Secret” - Jo Stafford
“I Let the Stars Get in My Eyes” - Goldie Hill
    1953 – 3D, the new fad in America, was demonstrated in the movie, "Bwana Devil." The three-dimensional feature opened at Loew’s State Theatre in New York City. Arch Oboler directed the movie which starred Robert Stack and the three-dimensional Barbara Britton along with Nigel Bruce and Ramsay Hill. It was a Natural Vision-Magnetic Sound Track picture requiring Polaroid viewers. It was the story of a British engineer who tracked two man-eating lions that were disrupting the construction of the first railroad in East Africa at the run of the century. On April 10, “The House of Wax,” another 3-D film was exhibited at Paramount Theater, New York City, starring Vincent Price. It was also seen through Polaroid viewers. Historians believe the advancement of color, sound, and now 3-D, was to combat the emergence of television, which they thought would put the motion picture industry out of business.
    1953 - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz signed a contract worth $8,000,000 to continue the "I Love Lucy" TV show through 1955. The deal was the richest contract in television. “Babalu!”
The hour TV Show: http://timstvshowcase.com/lucydesibak.jpg
    1953 - Robbie Bachman was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Drummer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive, the Canadian rock band, which also included Robbie's brothers Randy and Tim on guitars, that was internationally popular in the 1970's with such hits as "Blue Collar," "Let It Ride," "Takin' Care of Business" and "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet," a 1974 million-seller. At its peak, BTO won many polls and honors in the US, as well as seven Juno Awards.
    1954 – The First Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles. The church was incorporated in December 1953 in Camden, NJ by L. Ron Hubbard, his wife and John Galusha. Since 1952, Hubbard had already been selling Scientology books and technologies. In 1953, he wrote to Helen O'Brien, who was managing the organization, asking her to investigate the "religion angle." Soon after, despite O'Brien's misgivings and resignation, he announced the religious nature of Scientology in a bulletin to all Scientologists, stressing its relation to the concept of Dharma.
    1955 - John Travolta was born in Englewood, NJ. Dancer, singer, actor “Pulp Fiction,” “Look Who’s Talking,” “Urban Cowboy,” “Saturday Night Fever,” and a lead role as Sweathog Vinnie Barbarino in the television hit “Welcome Back Kotter.”
    1956 - The Platters hit "The Great Pretender" peaks at #1 on the pop chart
    1956 - Pat Boone's cover version of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" hits #12 on the pop chart.
    1956 - Although she was reluctant to record it in the first place, "Rock and Roll Waltz" by Kay Starr becomes the first number one record by a female in the Rock era. The disc would go on to sell over a million copies, but Kay would later say that she was never asked to perform the record on TV and seldom sang it during a live show.
    1957 - Birthday of Vanna White (Wheel of Fortune), born Vanna Marie Rosich, Conway, SC.
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/5304/vanna.html
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001846/
    1959 - Some of the higher elevations of California were in the midst of a five day storm which produced 189 inches of snow, a single storm record for North America.
    1959 - Ray Charles records "What'd I Say.”
    1959 - The Everly Brothers record "When Will I Be Loved" and "Let It Be Me."
    1959 - Elvis Presley sings after-hours at the Lido Club in Paris while on leave from the US Army.
    1960 - The first artificial ice skating rink of Olympic size was formally opened by Vice President Richard Milhous Nixon at Squaw Valley, CA., for the VIII Olympic Winter Games. The opening was delayed to await Nixon’s arrival as the storm had held up his flight. Freezing brine was piped into the rink through 70 miles of steel tubing. It had 300 feet of roof floating on cables suspended from 80-foot steel and concrete pillars. A lack of snow had prompted organizers to hire Native Americans to do a snow dance but a deluge of rain was the only result. Snow finally arrived just before the opening ceremonies.
    1961 - Top Hits
“Calcutta” - Lawrence Welk
“Shop Around” - The Miracles
“Calendar Girl” - Neil Sedaka
“North to Alaska” - Johnny Horton
    1962 - On weekend leave from marine training, The Everly Brothers appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Wearing full uniform and regulation cropped hair, the duo sang their new single, "Crying in the Rain," which was currently number 6 on the Billboard chart.
    1964 - "Any Wednesday" opened at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. The play established Gene Hackman as an actor. Don Porter and Sandy Dennis also starred in the show.
    1964 - United States punishes nations for trading with Cuba
    1964 - While vacationing in Miami during their first trip to America, the Beatles engage in a photo shoot with heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay, better known later as Muhammad Ali. Clay: "You guys got to be making a lot of money. You ain't as dumb as you look." John Lennon: "No, but you are." That night the group visits a local drive-in to watch the new Elvis film “Fun in Acapulco.”
    1965 - Civil rights worker Jimmie Lee Jackson is beaten and shot by state police in Marion, Alabama. He dies eight days later.
http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/selma.html
    1965 - The Beatles record "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," "Tell Me What You See"
    1966 - FERNANDEZ, DANIEL, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry (Mechanized) 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Cu Chi, Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam, 18 February 1966. Entered service at: Albuquerque, N. Mex. Born: 30 June 1944, Albuquerque, N. Mex. c.o. No.: 21, 26 April 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Fernandez demonstrated indomitable courage when the patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company and driven back by the intense enemy automatic weapons fire before it could evacuate an American soldier who had been wounded in the Viet Cong attack. Sp4c. Fernandez, a sergeant and 2 other volunteers immediately fought their way through devastating fire and exploding grenades to reach the fallen soldier. Upon reaching their fallen comrade the sergeant was struck in the knee by machine gun fire and immobilized. Sp4c. Fernandez took charge, rallied the left flank of his patrol and began to assist in the recovery of the wounded sergeant. While first aid was being administered to the wounded man, a sudden increase in the accuracy and intensity of enemy fire forced the volunteer group to take cover. As they did, an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the group, although some men did not see it. Realizing there was no time for the wounded sergeant or the other men to protect themselves from the grenade blast, Sp4c. Fernandez vaulted over the wounded sergeant and threw himself on the grenade as it exploded, saving the lives of his 4 comrades at the sacrifice of his life. Sp4c. Fernandez' profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
    1967 - Petula Clark's version of the Charlie Chaplin-penned "This Is My Song" tops the UK chart for the first of a two week stay. After singing the song in French, German and Italian, Petula reluctantly recorded the song in English, even though she thought the lyrics were corny and old fashioned. The tune would go on to be a Top Ten hit in America, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Holland, Belgium and Norway.
    1967 - The Buckinghams' "Kind of a Drag" hits #1
    1968 - Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, along with their female companions, head to Rishikesh, India to join the other two members of the Beatles in studying under the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
    1969 - Top Hits
“Everyday People” - Sly & The Family Stone
“Touch Me” - The Doors
“Build Me Up Buttercup” - The Foundations
“Until My Dreams Come True” - Jack Greene
    1969 - Elvis Presley records "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind," "Power of My Love," "After Loving You."
    1970 - Federal jury finds the "Chicago 7" innocent of conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. However, 5 were convicted of crossing state lines with intent to incite riots.
    1972 – The death penalty was declared by the California Supreme Court to be cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the state constitution. 107 inmates were taken off death row. Among those spared by the ruling was Charles Manson.
    1972 - Neil Young receives a gold record for "Harvest," the only Number One record of his lengthy career. The album includes the Number One single "Heart of Gold”.
    1973 - The syndicated radio show "The King Biscuit Flower Hour" debuted with Blood, Sweat and Tears and a then-unknown Bruce Springsteen. The program was an American syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock artists, including the Rolling Stones, U2, Elton John and David Bow. The program was broadcast on Sunday nights from 1973 until 2007, although new programming ceased in 1993 and previous shows were repeated from that point. During its prime, the program was carried by more than 300 radio stations throughout the United States. The show's name was derived from the influential blues radio show "King Biscuit Time", which was sponsored by the King Biscuit Flour Co., and the hippie phrase "flower power."
    1973 - Richard Petty, the "King of Stock Car Racing," won the Daytona 500 before a crowd of over 103,000 spectators, marking the first time a stock car race had drawn over 100,000 spectators. No longer would there be questions about NASCAR’s mainstream popularity.
    1977 - Top Hits
“Torn Between Two Lovers” - Mary MacGregor
“New Kid in Town” - Eagles
“Blinded by the Light” - Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
“Near You” - George Jones & Tammy Wynette.
    1978 - The third time would be the charm for a Topeka based group called Kansas. After scoring Top 40 hits with "Carry On Wayward Son" (#11) and "Point Of Know Return" (#28), "Dust In The Wind" entered the Billboard chart on its way to becoming the group's only Top 10 hit.
    1979 - Richard Petty became the first man to win six Daytona 500s. Winning the most prestigious event in any sport six times is enough to earn the nickname "The King," but Petty is perhaps most famous for his 1967 season in which he won twenty-seven of forty-eight races, including a record ten straight victories. In a sport where mechanical failure is commonplace, Petty’s total domination was seen as superhuman. "The King" came from royal stock. His father, Lee Petty, was the first man to win the Daytona 500.
    1979 – New York record low temperature: -52º F (-47º C) at Old Forge.
    1979 - Miniseries "Roots: The Next Generations" premieres on ABC TV.
There is controversy that the original story was plagiarized from a 1967 novel by white author Hal Courlander. This miniseries, two years after the original, is about Arthur Haley’s actual life, and begins where the original series left off in 1882.
http://www.martinlutherking.org/roots.html
    1993 - Howard Stern's radio show begins transmitting to Rochester, NY.
http://www.eonline.com/On/Howard/
http://www.angelfire.com/ny/heynow2/
(This is X-rated and typical Howard Sterns: http://www.howardsterndivorce.com/)
    1981 – The first budget of President Reagan proposed the largest tax cuts and spending curbs ever for an administration. In his first State of the Union message, Pres. Reagan called for cuts of $41,000,000,000 in the budget President Carter had submitted. He also proposed a 10% income tax cut in each of the next three years, an increase of about $5,000,000,000 in defense spending and more liberal depreciation rules for business.
    1983 - The Wah Mee Massacre in Seattle is the worst mass-murder in the history of Washington State.
http://www.wahmee.com/chapone.html
    1984 – Reed Larson, Detroit, Michigan got two assists, making him the highest scoring, American-born player in National Hockey League history. Larson broke Tom Williams' previous record by scoring his 432d point.
    1985 - Top Hits
“Careless Whisper” - Wham! featuring George Michael
“Loverboy” - Billy Ocean
“Method of Modern Love” - Daryl Hall John Oates
“Make My Life with You” - The Oak Ridge Boys
    1985 – Diver Greg Louganis was recognized as the top amateur athlete in the United States when he received the James E. Sullivan Award of the Amateur Athletic Union. Louganis won double gold at the 1984 Olympic Games.
    1987 – Girl Scouts Change Color of Uniform: The executives of the Girl Scout movement decided, because the older girls wanted a change, that it was time to change the color of the scout uniform from the traditional Girl Scout green to the newer Girl Scout blue.
    1989 - Low pressure off the coast of North Carolina brought freezing rain and heavy snow to Virginia and the Carolinas. Snowfall totals in Virginia ranged up to 18 inches at Franklin. Freezing rain reached a thickness of two inches around Charlotte.
    1989 – Dodger 1B Steve Garvey married Candace Thomas while at same time being accused of fathering children by 2 other women.
    1995 - Jansen Wins Gold: American speed skater Dan Jansen won a gold medal in the 1,000 meter race at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
    1995 - Hootie and the Blowfish's "Hold My Hand" peaks at #10 on the pop chart.
    1995 - Top Hits
“Take A Bow” - Madonna
“Creep” - TLC
“On Bended Knee” - Boyz II Men
“Another Night” - Real McCoy
    1997 – Trinity Broadcasting Network, a U.S. Christian TV net, cancelled Pat Boone’s weekly gospel music show after he appeared in black leather and fake tattoos on the American Music Awards show. The network said it received thousands of protest phone calls and letters from its ‘prayer partners’. Boone explained that his garb was designed to promote his album "In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy."
    1998 - New standard for 56k modems: As speeds from ISDN connections, DSL, and now cable were threatening dials-up, the two major rival modem makers, 3Com Corporation and Rockwell International, announced a new standard for 56K modems. There still was confusion and it was hoped the new “high speed” would boost sales and overcome the growing competition. The battle over the protocol gave the rivals more sales, enabling them to lower prices even further.
    1998 – Harry Caray, born Harry Carabino, long-time Chicago Cubs broadcaster died at the age of 83 in Rancho Mirage, California.
    1999 – Dr. Ross Leaves “ER.” The much-anticipated departure episode on NBC's “ER” of Dr. Doug Ross, played by George Clooney, aired, was the top-rated show for the week, and earned a higher Nielsen rating than it had in many months. Each ratings point represents 994,000 households. “ER” earned a 23.8 rating, watched in 23.7 million homes.
    2000 - Top Hits
“I Knew I Loved You” - Savage Garden
“Thank God I Found You” - Mariah Carey Featuring Joe
“Amazed” - Lonestar
“What a Girl Wants” - Christina Aguilera
    2001 - NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr., was killed in a crash during the Daytona 500 race.
    2001 - FBI agent Robert Philip Hanssen was arrested and accused of spying for Russia for more than 15 years. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
    2003 - In South Korea, at least 120 people were killed when a man lit a fire on a subway train.
    2006 - American Shani Davis won the men's 1,000-meter speed skating in Turin. He was the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympic history.
    2010 – Wikipedia published the first of hundreds of thousands of classified documents disclosed by the soldier now known as Chelsea Manning.
    2012 - Pope Benedict XVI announced seven new saints, including American saint Kateri Tekakwitha, and appointed 22 new cardinals. Given the name Tekakwitha, baptized as Catherine and informally known as Lily of the Mohawks (1656 – April 17, 1680), she was an Algonquin-Mohawk laywoman. Born in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon, on the south side of the Mohawk River, she contracted smallpox in an epidemic; her family died and her face was scarred. She converted to Roman Catholicism at age nineteen, when she was renamed Kateri, baptized in honor of Saint Catherine of Sienna. Refusing to marry, she left her village and moved for the remaining 5 years of her life to the Jesuit mission village of Kahnawake, south of Montreal. Tekakwitha took a devout vow of perpetual virginity. Upon her death at the age of 24, minutes later witnesses said her scars vanished and her face appeared radiant and beautiful. Known for her virtue of chastity and mortification of the flesh, as well as being shunned by her tribe for her religious conversion to Catholicism, she is the fourth Native American to be venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and the first to be canonized.
    2014 - Stock shares of automaker Tesla rise above $200 after reports that Apple, Inc. executives met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2013 to potentially discuss an acquisition
    2014 - Coca Cola Company announces that it plans to reduce its costs by $1 billion over the next few years in an effort to counteract slowing demand.

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