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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Richard Contino, Esq. was named Managing Director, Captive Lease Advisors, working part-time.  He continues as Managing Partner, Contino+Partners (November, 1988 - Present). He continues as Managing Director, First Lease Advisers (January, 2000 - Present). Prior he was General Counsel, De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. (2003 - 2005). He is an internationally-recognized equipment leasing expert, with an extensive legal, business, marketing, tax, transaction structuring, financial and management background.  He is an advisor on all types of start-up and on-going equipment leasing business activities for lessors, lease lenders and syndicators, equipment vendors, lease investors and corporate lessees.  Mr. Contino is the author of eight books on business, negotiating, and equipment leasing. He has conducted private on-site and publicly-held business success, communication, finance, and negotiation seminars throughout the United States for professional organizations (e.g., American Management Association, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association). He is listed in Leasing News "Most Influential Lawyers in Equipment Leasing and Finance." Education: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. B.A.,  Aeronautical Engineering. University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law. J.D. Law.  Ney York University School of Law.  LL.M., Corporate Law. https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-contino-esq-b965a65/

Jimmy Gonzales was hired as Vendor Relations, Providence Capital Funding, Brea, California. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Vendor and Banking Services, Alliance Capital Corporation (April, 2019 - January, 2020); He joined Balboa Capital August, 2015 as Vendor Partnership Manager; promoted March, 2018), Commercial Account Executive. Account Executive, Credit Card Processing, Cornerstone Payment Systems (February, 2015 - May, 2016); Account Executive, B2B Sales, Alliance Funding Group (June, 2014 - November, 2015); Water Purification Specialist, US Army (December, 2005 - November, 2012). Volunteer: Softball Coach for Boys and Girls Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Fullerton (May, 2013 - July, 2014).  Assistant Coach, Tustin Girls Softball League, Inc. (August, 2019 - Present).  Education: Fullerton College. Business Administration and Management, General (2013 - 2014). Business Management. University of Maryland University College. Business Administration and Management, General (2006 - 2008 ). Business Management. 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-gomez-8a058a55/

Steve Green was hired as President, Direct Sales, CAN Capital, Kennesaw, Georgia. He is located in Pitman, New Jersey. Previously he was at Marlin Capital Solutions, starting November, 2003, National Sales Manager; promoted January, 2015, National Sales Director; promoted January, 2012, Assistant Vice President; promoted May, 2018, Vice President of Vendor Finance.  He began his career as Sales Representative, Heartland Home Finance (2002 - 2003). Education: Rider University, BA, History and Education (1995 - 2000).  Activities and Societies: Rider University Men's Swimming Team (NCAA Division).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-green-90187210/

Stephanie Hall, CLFP, was hired as Executive Vice President, Small-Ticket at BankFinancial, Burr Ridge, Illinois.  She is located in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Previously, she was Executive Vice President, BlackRiver Business Capital, LLC (March, 2017 - January, 2020); Vice President, Third Party Originations, Bryn Mawr Funding (November, 2006 - March, 2017). "She is an active member and past president/chairman of the National Equipment Finance Association. She currently sits on the board of the Chris Walker Education Fund, is an industry thought leader published in Newsline magazine and has been an active member and educational speaker for both the NEFA and the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (formerly NAELB). Education: Evangel University (1996 - 2000). https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-hall-clfp-9120b67/

Joseph Pucci was hired as President, Meridian Equipment Finance, subsidiary of Meridian Bank, Malvern, Pennsylvania.  Previously, he was President, Beneficial Equipment Finance Corp., a subsidiary of Beneficial Bank (April, 2016 - January, 2020); President, Strategic Planning and Implementation, Leadership and Mentor, P&L Management, Conestoga Equipment Finance Corp (January, 2010 - April, 2016); Vice President, Sales, New Business Development, Relationship Builder, Team Mentor, Court Square Leasing (1998 - 2009); Vice President Sales, Provident Bank (now M&T Bank) (1998 - 2009).  Volunteer: ELFA Small Ticket Steering Committee (1998 -2009). Education: Saint Joseph's University. MBA Finance (1989 - 1991). Temple University, BBA, Marketing (1977 -1979). https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepucci1/

David Rodriguez was hired as Senior Vice President of Sales, CHG-Meridian USA Corp, Woodland, Hills, California. He is located in Austin, Texas. Previously, he was the Founder and President, TLC Advisors, LLC (April, 2019 - February, 2020); Senior Vice President, Global Business Transformation and Delivery Leader, DJO (February, 2017 - April, 2019). He joined Dell Technologies twice, first as National Sales Director, Dell Mid-Market Channel Partners (September, 2011 - February, 2014); promoted Vice President, Global Channel Working Capital Solutions and business Development (February, 2014 - February, 2017). He originally was at Dell Technology, starting September 2003, Senior Finance Controller, WW Procurement Cost Forecasting and Rebates/Alliance; promoted January, 2004, Senior Manager. Global Financial Services (Latin America/Canada). Prior, he was Regional Sales Executive, Caterpillar Financial (July, 2006 - December, 2008); Vice President, Financial Solutions Management, GE Capital (January, 2000 - June, 2002). He began his career at CitiCapital Commercial Corp., starting May, 1993, Senior Credit Analyst; promoted May, 1996, Branch Credit Manager; promoted April, 1998, District Sales Manager.  Education: University of North Texas.  Bachelor's Degree, Finance (1990 - 1993). https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrodriguez21/

Swayne "Stan" Scott, CRD, was promoted to Senior Vice President, Account Executive, Gibraltar Business Capital, Northbrook, Illinois. He joined the firm in July, 2017, as Vice President, Account Executive.  Previously, he was Vice President, Lending Officer, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Middle Market (August, 2014 - March, 2016).  He joined First Capital January, 2011, as Senior Vice President, Underwriting Manager, January, 2011; promoted May, 2012, Senior Vice President, Credit Review Officer. Senior Vice President, Senior Credit Underwriter, Seimens First Capital (JV Siemens Bank/First Capital ) (January, 2006 - December, 2010); Vice President, Senior Credit Underwriter, First Capital (February, 1997 - December, 2005); Senior Credit Analyst, Transamerica Financial (August, 1995 - February, 1997); Assistant Vice President, Credit Underwriter, First Capital (January, 1994 - August, 1994); Senior Credit Analyst, NationsBank (September, 1989 - January 1994); Commercial Loan Officer, Texas Bank of Garland (May, 1988 - September, 1989). Licenses & Certifications: Credit Risk Certification (CRD). Risk Management Association. Issued May, 2013.  Education: University of North Texas.  MBA, Finance. University of Texas, BBA, Finance. https://www.linkedin.com/in/swayne-stan-scott-crc-67565725/

Stephanie Ward-Sharer, SHRM-CP, was promoted to Human Resources Generalist, Marlin Capital Solutions, Mount Laurel, New Jersey. She joined the firm June, 2018, Human Resources Analyst. Previously, she was Human Resources Coordinator, Hill International, Inc. (May, 2017 - June, 2018); HR Intern, She Albert's Organics (April, 2015 - May, 2017); Copy Center Associate, Staples (October, 2012 - June, 2015). Licenses: SHRM-Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) SHRM. Issued December, 2018.  Volunteer: Student Volunteer, Junior Achievement USA (2017). Education: Villanova University. Master' degree, Human Resources Development (2018 - 2020). Rowan University, Bachelor's degree, Psychology, GPA 3.96. (2015 - 2017). Activities and Societies: SHRM, Junior Achievement Transfer, Mentor Program.  Minor in Human Resource Management. Rowan College at Gloucester County, Associate'a degree, Paychology, GPA 3.93. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-ward-sharer-shrm-cp-a1a7b3114/

Marci Slagle, CLFP, was hired as President, Equipment Leasing, BankFinancial, Burr Ridge, Illinois. She is located in Salt Lake County, Utah. Previously, she was Vice President, Originations, 36th Street Capital Partners (March, 2018 - February, 2020); Vice President, Originations, SQN Capital Management (May, 2017 - March, 2018); Senior Vice President, VFI Corporate Finance (February, 2007 - May, 2017); Vice President, Tetra (January, 2005 - February, 2007); Executive Vice President, Amembal Capital (July, 1997 - July, 2005).  Volunteer: President, CLFP Foundation. "She is a current member of the Equipment Finance and Lease Association Women’s Council and Membership Committee and also serves as the chair for the upcoming National Equipment Lease and Finance Summit."  Education: University of Utah, Business Management (1987 - 1991). Brighton High School (1984 - 1987).  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcilslagleclfp/

Jody Wagner was hired as Director of Operations, Meridian Equipment Finance, Malvern, Pennsylvania.  Previously, he was Vice President, Operations, Beneficial Equipment Finance Corporation (November, 2010 - February, 2020); Director of I.T., CJ’'s Tire and Automotive (December, 2009 - November, 2010); Vice President, Director of Operations and I.T., Court Square Leasing Corp. (May, 1998 - December, 2009); Network Administration, American Equipment Leasing (1989 - 1998).  Education: Millersville University of Pennsylvania. BS, Computer Science (1984 - 1998). Activities and Societies: Marching Bank, Concert Bank, Computer Lab Consultant.  Graduated with a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Business Administration. Active in marching Bank, Concert Band, and Chorus. President of marching band, 1987.  Computer Lab Consultant (1985 - 1988).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-wagner-86647011/

Robert Weening was hired as Director of Operations, Highcrest Capital, Fredericksburg, Texas.  He is located in Orange County, California.  Previously, he was CFO, GHS Interactive Security, LLC. (October, 2018 - February, 2020); Chief Financial Officer, Your Leasing Solutions, LLC (July 2017 - September, 2018); Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, QuickBridge (September, 2013 - May, 2017); EVP and Chief Financial Officer, Meracord (August, 2012 - September, 2013); Chief Financial Officer, Velocity Commercial Capital (March, 2008 - February, 2012); Vice President, FP&A, C-BASS LC (November, 1998 - October, 2007). He joined Cendant Mobility, Director of Corporate Finance, 1995; promoted Director Client Finance, 1997. Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis, Prudential Relocation (1992 - 1995); 2nd VP, The Chase Manhattan Bank (1985 - 1992); Staff Officer, Citibank, NA (September, 1981 - September, 1985). License: Corporate Governance, UCLA Anderson Executive Education, Issued September, 2015.   Education: Pace University, Lubin School of Business. MBA, International Business and Finance (1980 - 1981). Wagner College, Bachelor's degree, Economics and Business Administration, 3,4. (1976 - 1980). Activities and Societies: Student Government Treasurer Business Manager for College Newspaper. Tottenville High School. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-weening-b460a64/

 

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U.S. Trailer Net Orders Opened 2020 Down 15%
Sequentially and 28% Y/Y

        

COLUMBUS, IN – New US trailer orders of 16.8k were down 9% month-over-month in January, and after accounting for cancellations, net orders of 15.0k dropped 15%. Longer-term comparisons show net orders down 28% year-over-year, according to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailer Report.

Frank Maly, Director–CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT Research, reported, “Fleets continued their conservative investment posture in all equipment categories in January. Discussions indicate that the winds of weaker freight volumes and lower rates continue to buffet fleet financial results. They are also seriously questioning their need for additional equipment, as many indicate that capacity constraints dissipated many months ago.”

Maly continued, “An indication of fleet investment retrenchment was heard at the recently completed ACT Seminar #62, where one fleet panel participant indicated that they will not be adding any equipment to their operations this year.That appears to be a common stance of many fleets for 2020.”

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 Time Management

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

Originators in the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry are extremely busy. However, there is a difference between being busy and being productive. Top performing originators are focused on productivity. They are managing their time to produce the greatest results. Top producers:

• Rank their opportunities and spend valuable time with vendors and end-users with the potential to deliver the greatest outcomes
• Always set aside time to prospect for new business
• Plan their activities and work their plan
• Are highly organized
• Leverage every relationship by asking for referrals
• Have a personal strategy and measure all activities against their strategy. They focus on activities that align with their strategy and eliminate activities that are not aligned.
• Proceed to the close as quickly as possible and deliver results for their vendors, end-users, employers, and themselves.
• Save time by communicating with clarity.

Time management is the key to success. Top producers spend their time delivering results. How are you spending your time? Are you productive?

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com 

Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html

 

Leasing Industry Ads---Help Wanted
Opportunities for 2020

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Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
Membership Remains Strong; Launches “Engage App”

The mergers and changes in the industry have kept the count level at the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. There were increases in several categories, but the loss of members in Captive, Multi-Line Commercial can be attributed to mergers and acquisitions.  Law Firms, Independent Finance, and Investment Bank as well as other categories have held their own.

The other key is that conference, management, and other programs have had excellent turnout, enthusiasm, and new products have been added to the association, particularly online.  Another factor is the opening of Webinars to non-members as while including non-member pricing to meetings and events that are not "out of line."

ELFA Tuesday launched for members:  "Engage-App, “"A new hub for events, information and collaboration in the equipment finance community...an easy-to-use tool for staying up-to-date with what’s happening in the industry and the association. Users can engage with colleagues and access ELFA events and member benefits through their phone or tablet when they’re on the go."

Key features of the ELFA Engage app include: 

• Events: Browse a full listing of ELFA events and access event schedules, attendee rosters, speaker bios, exhibitors, handouts and more. Add events to your personal schedule and build your personalized event agenda.
• Newsfeed: Stay up-to-date on critical ELFA, industry and member news and trends.
• Share: Share, like, bookmark and comment on posts.
• Chat: Privately chat with other app users and create groups.
• Notifications: Allow notifications from the app to receive timely updates delivered straight to your mobile device.
• Profile: View your bookmarked content, ELFA event schedules and notes.
• Coming soon: Additional features will roll out later this year, including the ability to collaborate in online forums.

ELFA Membership log in is required.

How to Download the App
Search “ELFA Engage” in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. To log in, users must enter their ELFA credentials (the same credentials used to log into the ELFA website). Those who do not know their credentials may use the username request or password reset to retrieve them. For assistance logging in, email membership@elfaonline.org.  For more information, visit www.elfaonline.org/app.

The various committees are very active while the boards of directors active interest in their participation at all events, including many meetings and activities. Certainly their news will be on “ELFA Engage Ap.”

ELFA has an excellent staff, professionals, with experience on working at associations and groups, especially getting volunteers involved.

Ralph Petta was named President and CEO of ELFA January, 2016. In 2010, he was promoted to Chief Operation Officer for six years.  He joined the original association in April, 1987, as Vice President-Research and Information Services. Mr. Petta was named Leasing Person of the Year 2009 by Leasing News.

He is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), as well as ASAE's Key Industry Association Committee (KIAC).  He completed the ASAE/University of Maryland College of Business and Management executive development certificate program in association management. He also was selected for and participated in the ASAE Future Leaders Conference.

Ms. Amy Vogt became Vice President, Communications and Marketing, 2010. She is outstanding in her position, very reliable and helpful to Leasing News as well as many others in the media and those seeking ELFA information. She was nominated for the 2020 Most Influential Women in Leasing and Finance’

The ELFA is the second oldest association.  The Commercial Finance Association is the oldest, started in 1944 and has recently changed its name to Secured Finance Network.

History of Name Change
AAEL to move to Virginia
AAEL to become ELA”
ELA to become “ELFa”
Later changed to ELFA
http://leasingnews.org/Pages/elfa_history.html

Membership Information
https://www.elfaonline.org/membership/membership-home

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4 Reasons you should be Email Marketing

FinTech #102 by Alex Vasilakos

It’s a new year, you have gone through your marketing budget, are checking off the things you wanted to do this year and are happy that you have accomplished so much.

• Social Media Marketing? Check!
• Search Engine Optimization? Check!
• Pay Per Click Marketing? Did a few months with good return, but still, Check!
• Generating some amazing content for our blog? Check!

Wait…you forgot something. How about your email marketing campaigns? Do you have an existing database of customers to whom you should be sending out updates to on a regular basis? How about all those contacts you received from your last tradeshow or convention? How are you staying in front of them? Did you just expand  offering? How are you communicating this to your existing customers?

Email marketing is the most effective way to drive repeat business and stay in front of your already loyal customers. Email marketing should, without question, be a part of your marketing for the year. We feel strongly that email marketing should always be a part of your yearly marketing strategy budget especially since 95% of internet users maintain 1 email account and 91% of email users check their email at least once a day and 70% always open emails from their favorite companies (Tips and Stats for 2014 from Exact Target - http://www.exacttarget.com/blog/50-email-marketing-tips-and-stats-for-2014/).

By treating email marketing as an engaging dialogue between you and your loyal customers, you can leverage email to accomplish your objectives and help increase your online marketing ROI. Still not convinced? Here are four reasons why you should consider an email marketing campaign as part of your marketing budget:

• Very inexpensive form of marketing compared to direct mail

Email marketing certainly is an affordable way to stretch that already tight marketing dollar. There is also a very low cost with email marketing, with no need for printing and postage. Email marketing is quick and you can tailor the process to your customers. Schedule emails based on metrics, open rates and click through rates of your database to get better engagement. This contrasts to direct mail where you are at the whim of the postal service and unaware if the user received the piece you sent or just threw it away.

• It’s effective and very targeted

You can proactively communicate with your existing customers and prospects instead of passively waiting for them to return to your website. You can segment your lists and easily target your email to talk to a segment, specific product or direct the user to targeted landing pages tailored to them.

• Quick and immediate response time

Emails are sent directly to someone’s inbox, and what happens? We live in an age where we are all connected to our inbox and, if someone likes what they see or are enticed by a subject line, they open the email and visit it from their mobile, tablet, laptop, desktop or some other device. You also receive immediate results, allowing you to gauge the success of the campaign and you can start tailoring future campaigns based on the overall result.

• Brand awareness and building loyalty

With a consistent stream of communication to your customers, they will constantly be aware of current information, products, news, and more. They will be more up-to-date about your company and its activities and, by maintaining this constant communication, you strengthen and single-handedly improve the ROI of all your leads and build a strong customer loyalty to your brand.

Overall, it is time to put your email marketing campaign to work for your business. It is a highly effective way to engage with your customers and ultimately bring in new business.

Alex Vasilakos
Director of Marketing
The Finance Marketing Group
Alex@financemarketing.com 
Office: 518-591-4645x102 / Fax: 518-677-1071
90 State Street, Suite 1500, Albany, NY 12207

He entered advertising and marketing in 2003, right when the industry landscape shifted from traditional print to digital media. In that time, Alex has worked with numerous large accounts in both healthcare and financial services, and has helped small and medium-sized businesses grow and flourish in their respective digital markets. Alex has won countless awards for creative direction and strategy, and is certified by Google Partners in both AdWords and Analytics. Currently, Alex works exclusively with financial services companies, but his depth of knowledge and experience can help design and implement long-reaching strategies for businesses across all industries.

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

Leasing News Advisory Board Chairman
Robert “Bob” Teichman, CLFP

The Leasing News Advisory Board does not participate in editorial decisions, meaning reviewing or choosing stories or subjects. Their role is to participate with policy and business advice as well as participate in discussions on matters brought up by the publisher in a private internal blog.

Bob was appointed by Kit Menkin as chairman May 8, 2005, primarily to recognize him as our number one good will ambassador. Kit has known him for over forty-nine years since the early 1970's when he was President of Dividend Leasing, Santa Clara, California, and Bob was the champion salesman, just out of Crocker Bank Leasing. Later roles were reversed when Kit sold him deals at various funding companies he represented. He also tutored him to pass the Certified Leasing Professional test, but could never get Kit to run the HP calculator correctly.

Bob joined the Leasing News Advisory Board July 7, 2000. He was actually involved in the "perception" of the newsletter before this date, making many contributions before we went “online” as a website that also distributed a news edition.

He is the one readers call with the most complaints, or wanting the editor to print a press release or explain what was written. Perhaps he started to get the calls as at one time he wrote about all the leasing conferences for Leasing News, wrote many articles, "pal'd around" with Kit at conferences, where many learned he was a very close friend.

Many don't know Bob is quite a musician, a dancer, and choral singer.

Robert Teichman, CLFP
Teichman Financial Training
3030 Bridgeway, Suite 205 Sausalito, CA 94965
Tel: 415 331-6445
Fax: 415 331-6451
e-mail: BoTei@aol.com 

Bob Teichman, CLFP, was born in New York City. After attending the High School of Music & Art and the New York College of Music, he received his undergraduate degree from Columbia College. He pursued his graduate studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

“I studied music for a lot of years. I even played piano professionally while in college,“ he added. “I have kept up my interest in music by singing in a local chorus for the past 35 years. There are about 100 of us and we give concerts several times a year, mostly classical composers like Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven.

"In 1956, when I was a graduate student in Geneva, I met my wife Patricia," he wrote. "She was working at the UN and she and I were members of a group of expatriates - Americans, British, Russians, Swedes, mid-Easterners -  who all hung around the same cafes.

"It was the late 1950's and Switzerland was affordable for students like me. The ski slopes were close and most of the rest of Europe was less than a day’s drive away.

"But sooner or later reality sets in. More than fifty years ago we married in New York and came to California; driving cross-country in a 1957 Bristol sedan my father had picked up on one of his many trips. The car had right-hand drive, so it was a real challenge maneuvering on the two-lane roads (yeah, they were paved; it was the middle of the 20th, not the 19th, century.) Still, it was an adventure when we had car trouble on a couple of occasions.

"Thanks for your friendship over all these years. After having been in the leasing business for over 50 years, I really appreciate all the wonderful people I have met, and the lasting friendships I have formed. I still enjoy the business immensely. There is always something new around the corner."
Bob started in automotive leasing in 1963 in sales, then moved into equipment leasing in the late 1960's. For over 20 years he provided funding for leasing companies as an officer of both bank and non-bank lenders.

Along the way, he started several successful leasing companies. His company, Teichman Financial Training, located in Sausalito, California, was founded in 1998 and provides lease education and consulting services to lessors, funders, brokers, government and international agencies, and other members of the financial community.

He is active in leasing associations, having served on the Board of Directors of the United Association of Equipment Leasing (UAEL) for four years. For three years he was the Chairman of their Education Committee with responsibility for the Certification Program and Educational Programs. He was also a member of other committees including the Standards Committee.

Bob is a frequent speaker at leasing industry events and has written articles for UAEL's Newsline and other industry publications, including Leasing News.. He is a co-author of the Certified Lease Professional's Handbook and a co-author of the World Bank’s Global Leasing Toolkit.

He served seven years on the Board of the Certified Lease and Finance Professional Foundation including two years as President and one year as Chairman. He is also a member of American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (AACFB.)

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Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

Potent sci-fi (“Color Out of Space”) and charming animation (“Weathering with You”) come to theaters, while DVD releases offer a surprise Oscar winner (“Parasite”), compelling drama (“Harriet”), and an intense classic (“The Criminal”).

In theaters:

Color Out of Space (RJLE Films): In his first feature film in nearly 30 years, cult director Richard Stanley (“Hardware”) goes all out in this potent visualization of H.P. Lovecraft’s story, helped considerably by a marvelously nutso turn by Nicolas Cage. Cage plays Nathan Gardner, a failed artist settled in a New England alpaca farm with his wife Theresa (Joely Richardson) and children. Their lives are changed when a meteorite lands on their lawn, unleashing a bizarre, otherworldly presence that seeps into objects, bodies and minds. Can this alien nightmare be stopped, or will the farm be merely the first stop in the fall of humanity? Using color and mood to visualize Lovecraft’s palpable dread at a world quickly unraveling, Stanley has crafted a luridly effective vision of paranoid horror.

Weathering with You (GKids): Japanese animation director Makoto Shinkai follows his popular box-office hit “Your Name” with this gorgeous and charming romance, juxtaposing global matters with a couple’s problems. Said couple are teenagers Hina (voiced by Nana Mori) and Hodaka (Kotaro Daigo), she a diligent fast-food clerk and he a runaway working at a tabloid newspaper. Their blossoming relationship is similar to those of countless high schoolers, except for a small detail. Behind her earthbound façade, however, Hina conceals a unique talent—a magical knack for altering the weather, an ability to summon rain or sunshine at will. Combining environmental concerns with fairy-tale fancifulness, the narrative builds toward a grand gesture of passion and sacrifice. Surprising, poignant, and hopeful, Shinkai’s fantasy beguiles and resonates. With subtitles.

Nextflix: Arguably the last of Hollywood’s Golden Age superstars, Kirk Douglas (1919-2020) left behind an immense legacy of cinematic intensity and passion. So check out Netflix for his greatest movies, including “Champion” (1949), “Ace in the Hole” (1951), “Lust for Life”(1956), “Paths of Glory” (1957), “Spartacus” (1960), and “Lonely are the Brave” (1962).

On DVD:

Parasite (CJ Entertainment): South Korean wunderkind Bong Joon-ho (“Memories of Murder”) delivers a blistering mix of satire and suspense in this acclaimed thriller, which won top honors at this year’s Academy Awards. At its center are two contrasting families, the destitute Kims and the wealthy Parks. One by one, Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho) gets members of his family to move into the Park mansion as servants, and take over the place when the owners leave on vacation. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that class warfare becomes soon enough becomes a literal thing for the characters. Tackling heavy themes (systemic greed, rampant consumerism, familial bonds) with a deft hand, Bong’s movie is a dazzling master class on filmmaking, overflowing with cinematic contraptions, surprise twists, and visual wit. With subtitles.

Harriet (Focus Features): Legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman gets the uplifting biopic treatment in this long-awaited, historical drama from talented director Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”). Cynthia Erivo delivers a compelling performance in the title role, first seen in the mid-1800s as a young slave who’s convinced that her spells and trances are a divine sign of the things the future has in store for her. Having escaped bondage, she sets out to help other slaves by leading them to freedom in the Underground Railroad. Coming across key period figures such as Frederick Douglass and John Brown, Harriet also finds strength in her friendship with a boarding house owner (Janelle Monáe). Enriching conventional tropes with lyrical humanism, Lemmons turns a potential cinematic lecture into a stirring peek into an extraordinary woman’s soul.

The Criminal (Kino): An American expatriate who tore through England’s systemic mores during the Fifties and Sixties, director Joseph Losey (“The Servant”) is a fascinating figure with several masterpieces to his name. Case in point: This taut, penetrating sleeper from 1960, which doubles as an exceptional crime thriller and a trenchant study of alienation. Stanley Baker is superb as Johnny Bannion, a tough hood just out of jail and determined to stay out of underworld schemes. His life on the straight and narrow, including a romance with Suzanne (Margit Saad), doesn’t last long, and Johnny finds himself falling in with gangster boss Mike Carter (Sam Wanamaker) and a racetrack robbery. Stocked with bravura episodes of coiled anger leading to ferocious outbursts, Losey’s film is a classic awaiting rediscovery.

German Shepherd 
Tustin, California Adopt a dog

Lucca
Pet ID: A 1659674
Male
Neutered
Age: 2 Years
Color: Black-Brown
Kennel: 228

OC Animal Care
1630 Victory Road
Tustin, CA 92782
714-935-6848

General Questions:
OCCRocpetinfo@occr.ocgov.com

Facility/Animal Visiting Hours: Open Daily 11AM-5PM
(Wednesday’s Extended Hours 11AM-7PM)

** Visits with Adoptable Pets will be unavailable 30 minutes prior to closing. **

**During times of low staffing, visiting hours may be modified.  Please call the shelter for today's visiting hours. **

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

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Computing Interest Rates Programs
Update Merchant Cash Advance

In the old days, companies would issue their buy rate for the term and amount for sales representatives’ calculations. They then add the factor to 1.00 and multiply it times the company buy rate.  For instance, .0331 and the salesman wanted five points, multiply 1.05 times .0331 and it would be .034755. Then multiply this to the amount being financed to get the monthly payment.

Today, the most popular calculator software is TValue, available online or software for your computer of smartphone:
https://www.timevalue.com/tvalue-products

You can also purchase the calculator to put on your website by going to: https://www.timevalue.com/tcalc-financial-calculators

There are other financial portals and calculation tools:
Bankrate.com
Kiplinger.com
The Motley Fool

Merchant Cash Advance APR Calculator
  Kabbage, OnDeck, plus Term Loan APR Calculator
    (upper left on site below, plus add below site to your website)
https://www.nav.com/business-loan-calculators/merchant-cash-advance-apr-calculator/

News Briefs----

HSBC to Fire as Many as 35,000
"rough fourth-quarter earnings"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/hsbc-to-fire-as-many-as-35000/ar-BB1070Wi

Dell to Sell RSA Security Unit for $2 Billion
  "expected to close in the next six to nine months"
https://www.securityweek.com/dell-sell-rsa-security-unit-2-billion

Operations at U.S. Natural Gas Facilities Disrupted
  by Ransomware Attack
https://www.securityweek.com/operations-us-natural-gas-facilities-disrupted-ransomware-attack

[headlines]
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You May Have Missed---

2020 QuickBridge Small Business Outlook Survey Indicates
 Business Owners Remain Optimistic Even During Election Year
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2020-quickbridge-small-business-outlook-120000835.html

[headlines]
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    An Asterisk as Big as a Ball

the ball talked to
three hundred thirty feet of air,
rising into the teeth
of the bat's echo,
crashing into right field bleachers
like any other Yankee missile —
an exiled hero
circled the Ruthian diamond
to footnote glory —
just down the first base line
 the magic bat lay,
 like a gun that had killed
 its owner.

Tim Peeler, from his book “Touching All the Bases.”

From a  soft cover 128 pages with index published by www.mcfarlandpub.com
( they take two weeks to send, but you are helping  this company stay alive, or you can buy from  Amazon, for the same price, but perhaps faster delivery. While they are all mostly baseball, some are not. He is a unique American poet. He lives in Hickory, North Carolina.

[headlines]
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NASCAR driver Ryan Newman released from hospital
   two days after terrifying crash
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/19/us/ryan-newman-crash-recovery-spt-trnd/index.html

Drew Brees to 'make another run at it' with Saints
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28729383/drew-brees-make-another-run-saints

Did Eddie DeBartolo deserve a pardon from President Trump?
    Rice, Lott caught up in a political play
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Does-Eddie-DeBartolo-deserve-a-presidential-15065447.php

Oakland Athletics off the radio waves in the Bay Area,
    commit to A’s Cast stream
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/18/oakland-athletics-off-the-radio-waves-in-the-bay-area-commit-to-as-cast-stream/

Ranking the Best Veteran Quarterbacks
   Potentially Available This Offseason
https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/02/19/ranking-quarterbacks-available-tom-brady-cam-newton

John Beilein Resigns as Cavaliers Head Coach
https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/releases/john-beilein-resigns-200219

[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

California Governor Declares Homelessness ‘a Disgrace’
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/19/us/california-homeless.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Trump OKs more California water for Valley farmers.
  Gavin Newsom promises to sue
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article240437356.html

Sierra snowpack withering in California’s dry winter.
   New satellite image shows the bad news
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article240394281.html?

[headlines]
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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Winemaker bringing food to Northern California town
    without restaurants
https://nypost.com/2020/02/17/winemaker-bringing-food-to-northern-california-town-without-restaurants/

Wine vs. weed in Napa Valley
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/18/wine-vs-weed-in-napa-valley-115322

Sonoma County Winegrowers Hosting
  World's Best Vineyards 2020 Reveal
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=226292

Larkmead Vineyards Celebrates 125th Anniversary in Napa Valley
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=226304

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

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

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

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

This Day in History

    1491 – An unnamed comet came within 860,000 miles of Earth, the closest in history.  By comparison, the closest a Halley Comet ever came to earth was 3 million miles.
    1725 - A posse of New Hampshire volunteers ran across a band of 10 sleeping Native Americans and scalped them all. The posse entered Dover in triumph with the 10 scalps stretched on hoops and elevated on poles. A bounty of 100 pounds for each scalp (quite a bite of money in those days) was paid in Boston out of the public treasury. Individual scalps had been brought in earlier, but never this many. Posse-hunting American Indians became a popular occupation, resulting in many fleeing to Canada. The bounty was in retribution for American Indians who were killing colonists and taking their scalps as trophies.
    1726 - American Revolutionary War soldier William Prescott (d. 1795) born at Groton, MA. Credited with the order, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes," at the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. Historically, this command was common in the times and Bunker Hill was not the first encounter with the British. Time has given the credit to Colonel Prescott and guides in Boston still point to the Revolutionary War beginning on Bunker Hill. It really wasn’t Bunker Hill, but Breed’s Hill (The British expected the colonials at Bunker Hill, but they had moved their fortification to Breed’s Hill). On April 19, there were battles in both Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts. On June 12, 1775, near Round Island on Machias Bay in Maine, the patriots crashed into the Margaretta and engaged in hand to hand combat. The British crew was disheartened when their captain was mortally wounded and lost the one-hour long battle. 25 of the combatants were killed or wounded. The victors claimed "four double fortified three pounders and fourteen swivels" and some smaller guns. This was considered the first sea engagement of the Revolution and the start of the merchant marines’ war role.  As captain of the privateer Machias Liberty, Jeremiah O'Brien later captured two armed British schooners and delivered his prisoners to George Washington. On the General's recommendation, the government of Massachusetts appointed O'Brien to command his two prizes. The Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) was actually the fifth such site, but American History books did not like the name and also changed the facts about who warned that the British were coming (there were three riders, and Paul Revere was captured by the British---but that is another story)
http://colonialancestors.com/revolutionary/battles1775.htmhttp://www.comsewogue.k12.ny.us/showcase2000/amrev/quotes/prescott.htm
    1792 – Postal Act signed by President George Washington. Letters delivered up to 30 miles cost six cents to mail. For letters up to 150 miles, postage was 12-1/2 cents. And, just like today, letters over 150 miles were not guaranteed to be delivered at all.
    1809 - The Supreme Court ruled that the power of the federal government is greater than that of any individual state.
    1829 - “Rip Van Winkle” actor Joseph Jefferson (d. 1905) born at Philadelphia, Pa. He is best known for his long running play and role about a character both humorous and pathetic, centered on Rip Van Winkle, about whom he wrote a short play.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb20.html
    1851 - The fifty-dollar gold piece was manufactured by the Moffat Assay Office, Mount Ophir, Mariposa County, CA. They were octagonal. On the observe was an eagle surrounded by the words “United States of America.” Above it was the legend “887 thous,” indicating the fines of the gold, and at the bottom, “F0 D.C.” On the reverse, a number of radii extended from a center in which was stamped in small figures “50.” Around the edge was the phrase, “The United States Assayer.”
    1862 - William Wallace Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, died at the White House, apparently of typhoid fever.
    1864 – The Battle of Olustee, Florida was the largest fought in the state. The Union force of 5,500 men and 16 cannon marched westward from Macclenny. By this time, the Confederate forces almost equaled the Union army in number. Finnegan sent skirmishers to draw the Union forces to Olustee and they made contact that afternoon. The Confederate line was formed. The battle raged until dark, when the Union forces began a hasty retreat. Battle casualties amounted to 1,861 Union and 946 Confederate soldiers. In proportion to the number of troops involved, it was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Union forces remained in Jacksonville until the end of the war and occupied several coastal towns and various places along the St. Johns River. They carried out frequent operations against Confederate forces defending east Florida but did not venture out in significant force again.
http://www.americancivilwar.com/statepic/fl.html    
    1869 - Tennessee Governor W.G. Brownlow declared martial law in nine counties because of widespread Ku Klux Klan activity. The Klan was organized as a secret but harmless social club in Pulaski, Tennessee, in December, 1865. The anonymity afforded its membership led to the development of the white terrorist organization we know today. Citizens of Southern States were divided, as were many in the North. It was more than Blue and Grey.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~arcivwar/images/bkgd.gif
    1895 - Frederick Douglass, American journalist, orator, and antislavery leader, died at Anacostia Heights, D.C. His original name before his escape from slavery was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. The bridge that crosses the Anacostia River near present-day Nationals Park, bears his name.
http://www.nps.gov/frdo/freddoug.html
    1898 - A snowstorm buried eastern sections of Wisconsin. 30 inches fell at Racine and 15-foot drifts were reported at Milwaukee.
    1898 – Pianist Jimmy Yancey (d. 1951) birthday in Chicago.  (I think I have all his records as he was one of the best, if not the first, Boogie Woogie piano players).
http://www.geocities.com/dyancey3/jimmy.htm
    1902 - American photographer, Ansel Adams (d. 1984), known for his photographs of Yosemite National Park, was born at San Francisco, CA.  His majestic black-and-white landscapes of the American West and whose devotion to clarity and precision made him probably the best-known photographer in the United States.  In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Adams combined a passion for natural landscape, meticulous craftsmanship as a printmaker and a missionary's zeal for his medium to become the most widely exhibited and recognized photographer of his generation.
http://www.anseladams.com/
    1912 - An F3 tornado tracked 15 miles from Shreveport to Abner, Louisiana, killing 8 people and injuring 50.
    1920 - Birthday of Carl E. Stotz (d. 1992) at Williamsport, PA.  He shaped the summers of millions of kids as the founder of Little League baseball when he organized the first three-team league there in 1939.  The Little League World Series is held each August in Williamsport and now involves teams for all over the world.    
    1920 – In the middle of the proceedings surrounding the Chicago Black Sox fixing to throw the 1919 World Series, the Chicago Cubs give Lee Magee his unconditional release after having learned from him a week ago that he has been betting against his team. Magee will sue the Cubs for his salary of $4,500, charging that his livelihood as a ballplayer was destroyed through the sudden canceling of his contract. The Cubs will ask for a dismissal of the suit, saying that "previous to the making of the contract the plaintiff was guilty of betting against the team of which he was a member, and sought to win bets by intentional bad playing to defeat said team."
    1922 - WOR-AM in New York City NY begins radio transmissions
    1925 – Filmmaker Robert Altman (d. 2006) was born in Kansas City, MO.  Master satirist deployed ensemble casts and the long take in films such as “M*A*S*H” (1970), “Nashville” (1975), “The Player” (1992), he received the Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 2006. 
    1926 - Tenor sax player Bobby Jaspar (d. 1963) was born Liege, Belgium.
http://www.jazzinbelgium.org/past/jaspar.htm
http://member.nifty.ne.jp/mrmanri/BobbyJaspar/
    1927 - Actor/Activist Sidney Poitier born, Miami, FL. “In the Heat of the Night” (1967), “Lilies of the Field” (1964-Academy Award for Best Actor), “Guess Who’s Coming for Dinner” (1967), “The Defiant Ones” (1958), “To Sir, With Love” (1967).  In 2002, he was awarded an Honorary Oscar "For his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen and for representing the industry with dignity, style and intelligence."  In 2009, he was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.
http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Class/thr500/thr500/sixdegrees/poitier.html
    1934 - Bobby Unser, former auto racer, was born in Colorado Springs, CO.  2-time USAC-CART national champion (1968, ‘74); 3-time winner of Indy 500 (1968, ‘75, ‘81); retired after 1981 season; ranks 5th on all-time CART list with 35 career wins
    1934 - A severe blizzard was in its second day across southern New England. The snowfall was one of Connecticut's worst in modern times with 20 inch accumulations, high winds, and temperatures that dropped from near 32 to 5 degrees during the course of the storm.
    1937 - Raymond Scott Quintet records “Toy Trumpet.”
http://www.raymondscott.com/
    1937 - Singer Nancy Wilson (d. 2018) born, Chillicothe, OH.  She has recorded more than seventy albums and won three Grammy awards.
http://www.divastation.com/nancy_wilson/nwilson_bio.html
http://www.missnancywilson.com/
    1939 - Harry James records his theme song “Ciribiriibin” (Brunswick 8327).
    1940 - Larry Clinton and his orchestra recorded "Limehouse Blues."
    1940 - Barbara Ellis of the late 1950's pop group, the Fleetwoods, was born in Olympia, Washington. Ellis, Gretchen Christopher and Gary Troxel originally called themselves Two Girls and a Guy before changing their name to the Fleetwoods. They had two big hits in 1959, "Come Softly to Me" and "Mr. Blue."
http://www.fabulousfleetwoods.com/
    1941 - Folk singer and songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie was born on the Piapot Reserve near Regina, Saskatchewan. She is among the best-known of contemporary folk singers, attaining international success in the 1960's with such songs as "Until It's Time For You To Go" and "Universal Soldier." Donovan's 1965 hit recording of "Universal Soldier" led many people to believe it was his composition, but Sainte-Marie had written the song while appearing at Toronto's Purple Onion coffee house. Buffy Sainte-Marie has always been strongly committed to social causes, particularly those of North American native peoples.
http://www.canoe.ca/PeopleImagesS/sainte-marie_buffy.jpg
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=3417&cf=3417
    1942 - Phil Esposito, hockey executive, former coach and Hockey Hall of Fame Center, born Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
    1942 - O’Hare Airport was named after the first Navy ace in World War II, Lieutenant Edward Henry O’Hare. On this day in the southwest Pacific, alone and single-handed, he became the navy’s first flying ace, attacking nine twin-engine Japanese heavy bombers, shooting down five, and damaging a sixth in an action of about five minutes in duration.  On April 21, 1942, he became the first naval recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II.  On the night of November 26, 1943, while he was leading the U.S. Navy’s first-ever nighttime fighter attack launched from an aircraft carrier, he encountered a group of Japanese torpedo bombers, O'Hare's plane was shot down; his aircraft was never found. In 1945, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS O’Hare was named in his honor.
http://www.homeofheroes.com/photos/6_ww2_lz/ohare.html
http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/featured_Apr_2001.htm
    1943 – Chicago Cubs owner Phil Wrigley and the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Branch Rickey drew up a charter for the "All-American Girls Softball League," which will eventually become the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The league, originally conceived in the belief that the Major Leagues would suspend play because of World War II, operated from 1943-54 around the Chicago area. When the league changes its name and switches to hardball, the pitching distance is 40 feet and bases 68 feet apart. After struggling through poor attendance in its early seasons, the league will draw over one million fans in 1948.  The 1992 film “A League of Their Own” is loosely based on the AAGPBL.
    1946 - John Warren Geils Jr (d. 2017), lead guitarist with the J. Geils Band, was born in New York City. Singer Peter Wolf is the on-stage focus of the band, which lasted for nearly 15 years without a personnel change. Their best-selling-album is the 1981 "Freeze- Frame." "Centerfold" and "Angel in Blue" were single hits from the LP.
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=3134&cf=3134
    1947 - Top Hits
“For Sentimental Reasons” - Nat King Cole
”A Gal in Calico” - Johnny Mercer
“Oh, But I Do” - Margaret Whiting
“So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed” - Merle Travis
    1950 - Dylan Thomas arrives in New York for his first series of American poetry readings. Welsh poet, drunk, high-liver lifestyle, libertarian. He is very well received and is invited back again, although reportedly drunk all the time.
http://www.popsubculture.com/pop/bio_project/dylan_thomas.html
http://www.guerilla-films.com/dt/dthomas.htm
http://www.dylans.com/
    1951 - Guitarist Randy California (d. 1997) of the 1960s rock group Spirit was born Randy Craig Wolfe in Los Angeles. Although they did have one hit single, "I Got a Line on You," Spirit was best known for their albums, an ambitious blend of rock, blues, jazz and country. Randy California drowned on January 2nd, 1997, while swimming with his 12-year-old son off Molokai, Hawaii.
http://randycaliforniaandspirit.com/
http://www.coloradorealtyhotline.com/spiritran.htm
    1952 - One of baseball’s most popular figures, Emmett L. Ashford, became organized baseball's first African American umpire when he was authorized to substitute in the Southwestern International League.  He was the first African American umpire in Major League Baseball, working in the American League from 1966-70. 
    1952 - "The African Queen" opened at New York City's Capitol Theatre. The film starred Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. 
http://www.filmsite.org/afri.html
    1953 - The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that organized baseball is a sport and not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling. This effectively dismissed the antitrust suits of Jack Corbett and former Brooklyn Dodgers’ minor leaguer Walter Kowalski.  The $300,000 suit of Corbett, the owner of the El Paso Texans, is based on his belief that he lost money when Major League Baseball prohibited him from signing several players suspended for participation in the Mexican League. Kowalski's $150,000 suit is based on the general principles of the antitrust and restraint-of-trade laws. Their lawyer in these cases is Frederic Johnson, who also represented player Danny Gardella in his suit against MLB.
    1954 – Patty Hearst was born in San Francisco.  A granddaughter of the American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, she became internationally known for events following her 1974 kidnapping by a left-wing terrorist group, the Symbionese Liberation Army. Hearst was found 19 months after being abducted, by which time she was a fugitive wanted for serious crimes committed with members of the group. She was held in custody, and there was speculation before trial that her family's resources would enable her to avoid time in jail. At her trial, the prosecution suggested that Hearst had joined the Symbionese Liberation Army of her own volition. However, Hearst testified that she had been raped and threatened with death while held captive. In 1976, she was convicted for the crime of bank robbery and sentenced to 35 years in prison, later reduced to 7 years. Her sentence was commuted by President Carter and she was later pardoned by President Clinton.
    1955 - Top Hits
“Sincerely” - McGuire Sisters
“Melody of Love” - Billy Vaughn
“Tweedle Dee” - Georgia Gibbs
“Let Me Go, Lover!” - Hank Snow
    1956 - White city leaders of Montgomery, Alabama, issued an ultimatum to black organizers of the three-month-old Montgomery bus boycott. They said if the boycott ended immediately there would be "no retaliation whatsoever." If it did not end, it was made clear they would begin arresting black leaders.
http://home.att.net/~reniqua/
    1956 - Eugene O'Neill's play, “Long Day's Journey Into Night,” written 16 years earlier, was published posthumously by Yale University Press.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/longdaysjourney/
http://halldrama.com/drama/45.shtml
    1959 - Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges cut “Back to Back” and “Side to Side” albums for Verve.
    1960 - Patriots get their name: one of eight charter members of the American Football League, the Boston franchise chose the nickname “Patriots” after a public contest. The team changed its name to the New England Patriots for the 1971 season.
    1962 - John Herschel Glenn, Jr., became the first American, and the third person, to orbit Earth. Aboard the capsule Friendship 7, he made three orbits of Earth. Spacecraft was Mercury-Atlas 6. In 1998, the 77-year-old Glenn went into space again on the space shuttle Discovery to test the effects of aging.
    1962 - Project Mercury: the first US postage stamp issued on the date of the event it commemorated. This four-cent dark blue and yellow stamp showed the spaceship in which Colonel John Glenn, Jr., orbited the earth. Three million covers were canceled the first day at Cape Canaveral, FL.
    1963 - Greenwood, Mississippi: SNCC Voter Registration headquarters and 4 Negro businesses burned.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart9.html
    1963 - Baseball great Willie (‘Say Hey’) Mays signed with the San Francisco Giants as baseball’s highest-paid player. He earned $100,000 a year.
    1963 - Top Hits
“Hey Paula” - Paul & Paula
“Walk like a Man” - The 4 Seasons
“Ruby Baby” - Dion
The Ballad of Jed Clampett - Flatt & Scruggs
    1963 – Charles Barkley birthday, former basketball player and now commentator, Leeds, AL.
    1965 - The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" was released. It would become their fourth number-one hit.
http://www.weddingvendors.com/music/lyrics/song-732.html 
    1970 – At the Chicago Seven Trial, they were sentenced to five-year prison terms for crossing a state line with intent to incite a riot. They were acquitted on February 18 on charges in connection with riots during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago but found guilty for crossing a state line to incite a riot. During this time there were "half a million people in the streets;" explosions in 3 office buildings in NY; explosions in California, Washington, Maryland, Michigan; Isla Vista, Santa Barbara Bank of America burning on the 25th.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Chicago7/chicago7.html
    1971 - Top Hits
“One Bad Apple” - The Osmonds
“If You Could Read My Mind” - Gordon Lightfoot
“Mama’s Pearl” - The Jackson 5
“Help Me Make It Through the Night” - Sammi Smith
    1971 - Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and Santana's "Oye Como Va" are released.
    1972 - Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins, became first NHL player to score his 50th goal in February when he tallied in a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Esposito finished the season with 76 goals.
    1974 – Cher and Sonny Split Up! After a decade of marriage, Cher filed for separation from husband Sonny Bono. Not long afterwards, she filed for divorce and the accompanying alimony. Married for ten years, the couple had a number-one hit in 1965 with "I Got You Babe" and hit number two on the charts the following year with "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)." "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" ran on CBS-TV from 1971 to 1975. After the split, both tried solo careers, but only Cher was successful, scoring four top-ten hits and as an actress in films such as "Moonstruck" (Best Actress Oscar in 1987). Sonny died skiing, running into a tree (not an uncommon accident, by the way).
    1974 - Gordie Howe, the oldest player in NHL history, came out of retirement to play with his sons, Mark and Marty. He signed a four-year, $1 million contract with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association.
    1977 - "My Fair Lady" closes at St. James Theater in NYC after 384 performances
http://www.theatrehistory.com/american/musical002.html
    1977 - Top Hits
“Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” - Rod Stewart
“Y.M.C.A.” - Village People
“A Little More Love” - Olivia Newton-John
“Every Which Way But Loose” - Eddie Rabbitt
    1977 - Ben and Jerry's introduced a new flavor, Phish food, named after the rock group Phish. It contains chocolate ice cream, marshmallows, caramel and fish-shaped fudge. It would never become the number one flavor they sold: Cherry Garcia® Ice Cream
http://www.benjerry.com/our_products/top_ten/
    1976 - Muhammad Ali KOs Jan Pierre Coopman…who???...in 5 for heavyweight boxing title
http://www.teachervision.com/ipsa/A0108412.html
    1986 - Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching ace, became the first player to receive a $1 million salary by arbitration. He was a 19-game winner in 1985 at the age of 27. After retiring in 2000, he was an ESPN baseball analyst.    
    1987 - After 11 years on the job, David Hartman exited ABC’s "Good Morning America." He introduced new co-host, Charles Gibson who, with Joan Lunden, would co-host the morning television program into 1998
    1987 - Top Hits
“Livin’ on a Prayer” - Bon Jovi
“Change of Heart” - Cyndi Lauper
“Touch Me (I Want Your Body)” - Samantha Fox
“How Do I Turn You On” - Ronnie Milsap
    1988 - Brian Boitano of the US won the gold medal in the men’s figure skating at the XV Winter Olympic Games at Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Boitano skated a nearly flawless free program to edge Brian Orser of Canada. The Soviet Union’s Viktor Petrenko took the bronze.
    1988 - Canadian rocker Bryan Adams performed a private concert for 3,000 athletes and media people at the Calgary Olympics. More than 200 athletes joined Adams on stage for the finale.
http://www.bryanadams.com/
    1988 – Singer Rihanna was born Robin Rihanna Fenty in Barbados.
    1989 - Tone-Loc's "Wild Thing" became only the second single to be certified double-platinum in the US, meaning it had sold two-million copies. Since the double-platinum category was created in 1984, only one other single, "We Are the World," had reached that plateau. The phenomenal sales of "Wild Thing" showed that rap had moved out of the urban ghettoes into the pop music mainstream
    1991 - Quincy Jones won six Grammy awards for his album "Back on the Block," making him the second-biggest winner in Grammy history with 25. Toronto rocker Alannah Myles was named best female rock vocalist for "Black Velvet," a number-one single from her self-named debut album.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/jones_q.html
http://www.quincyjonesmusic.com/
http://www.qjluf.org/listen_up/
    1992 - Ross Perot for President.  Toward the end of his appearance on the "Larry King Live" TV talk show, Texas billionaire and businessman H. Ross Perot was asked by King whether there were any circumstances under which Perot would run for president of the US. Perot responded that if supporters put his name on the ballot in all 50 states, he would agree to run, thus becoming a footnote in history. His anti-Washington, anti-politician appeal generated an historic enthusiasm in the form of a grassroots movement organizing petition drives in all 50 states to place his name on the ballot. Perot's popularity grew early with steady rises in public opinion polls as journalists struggled to keep up with the phenomenon.  And one of his campaign issues was the nation’s $4 trillion debt!  As of November, 2019, the total US debt stood above $23 trillion.
    1993 - A strong overrunning pattern developing ahead of a Colorado low pressure system blitzed Sioux City, Iowa with 14 inches of snow in just 6 hours. Two strong areas of low pressure, one over Colorado and the other off the coast of Washington State, produced high winds, heavy rain, and heavy snow across the west. Winds gusted to 85 mph at Fort Carson, Colorado and to 96 mph at Rock Springs, Wyoming. Flagstaff, Arizona was deluged with 3.93 inches of rain in 24 hours -- its greatest 24-hour rainfall on record. Duck Creek, Utah was buried under 49 inches of snow over a 48-hour period and the Sierra Ski Ranch in California recorded 74 inches of snow over a four-day period to raise its snow cover to 200 inches.    
    1994 - Caribou, Maine soared to 59 degrees, despite a deep snow cover, to set a new record for its warmest winter (Dec-Feb) temperature ever. The previous record was 58 degrees.
    1995 - The temperature at the Civic Center in Los Angeles, California hit 95 degrees for the highest temperature ever recorded for the month of February.
    1996 - Rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and his ex-bodyguard were acquitted of murder in a 1993 drive-by shooting in a Los Angeles park. Prosecutors alleged that the bodyguard, McKinley Lee, had shot 25-year-old Philip Woldemariam from a Jeep driven by the rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus. The two claimed self-defense because Woldemariam was reaching for a gun. He later became a self-made millionaire in the record industry.
http://www.snoop-dogg.com/
    1997 – Shock Jock Radio: In Michigan, Danny Bonaduce, host of WKQI-FM's morning radio show and formerly of “The Partridge Family” fame, staged a fender-bender and bloody brawl in Royal Oak, Michigan that police thought was real. Two women, hoping to win a radio station contest, enacted a minor traffic collision, then a fight. Berkley and Royal Oak police rushed to the scene and an ambulance was called before authorities realized it was a ruse. Authorities were displeased by the stunt, and while Bonaduce wasn't charged, the women were ticketed for obstructing traffic. Bonaduce admitted that the prank was "stupid radio." Such stunts by radio personalities are still being done today from seeing your wife with another to asking for divorce or “coming out” of the closet.
    1997 - San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds signs record $22.9 million 2 year contract
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/1786/index.html
    1998 - Tara Lipinski, 15, performed a strong free skating routine to overcome Michelle Kwan and win the ladies’ figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
http://www.taralipinski.com/
    2000 - Defending Winston Cup champ Dale Jarrett won his third Daytona 500 in eight years, passing surprise contender Johnny Benson for the lead four laps from the end. Jarrett’s $1,277,975 share of the purse, coupled with a million-dollar bonus from series sponsor Winston, gave him the largest single-day payoff in the history of the sport.
    2003 – A fire at the Station night club in West Warwick, RI killed nearly 100 and injuring about 200 others.
    2011 – North Korea, having signed a nuclear non-proliferation treaty with the US during the Clinton administration, raised concerns regarding nuclear testing.  Reports show they have dug tunnels at a nuclear test site located in Punggye-ri, North Hamgyong Province.
    2012 - IAEA nuclear inspectors held discussions about Iran's nuclear program in Tehran.
    2014 - The banking industry is losing ground as non-banking companies such as Apple, Google and T-Mobile develop their own payment methods and financial products that circumvent the need for banking services.
    2014 - German design company Art+Com sues Google, claiming the Internet company infringed on its patented spatial mapping technology by incorporating its features into Google Earth; Art+Com offered to sell the patent to Google in 2006 but wasn't satisfied with Google's offer.
    2015 – MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced a series of measures to quicken the pace of the game. Chief among them are that a batter will need to keep at least one foot in the batter’s box at all times during an at-bat, and that the intermission between half innings will be strictly timed. Pitchers will be required to complete their warm-up pitches before there are only 30 seconds left before resumption of play, or risk forfeiting any unmade pitches. More dramatic changes, such as adding a pitch clock, are not introduced at this time. Violation of the new guidelines will result in fines, and not in game-related penalties.