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

Ascentium Capital to be Acquired by Regions Bank
(Warburg Pincus acquired Ascentium October 4, 2016) (1)

Regions Bank, Birmingham, Alabama, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ascentium Capital LLC, Kingwood, Texas, from Warburg Pincus, LLC, New York, New York, a global private equity firm focused on growth investing.

Ascentium Capital, headquartered in Kingwood, Texas, is one of the largest independent equipment finance lender in the United States with approximately $2 billion in loans and leases as of year-end and originations of $1.5 billion in 2019. Partnering with nearly 4,000 manufacturers, dealers and distributors to finance essential-use equipment for small business customers, Ascentium Capital offers comprehensive financing solutions through more than 460 employees.

Ronnie Smith, Senior Executive Vice President and head of the Regions Corporate Banking Group, said, "Ascentium Capital’s experienced management team has built a strong company known for providing America’s small businesses access to the capital they need to grow, and we are excited to welcome them to Regions.

"Leveraging the technology, speed and convenience that Ascentium Capital is known for in combination with Regions’ broad spectrum of banking solutions provides a meaningful opportunity to attract new customers and deepen relationships across our combined customer base."

The addition of Ascentium Capital expands Regions’ current offerings for small business customers and complements the bank’s established equipment finance and commercial banking businesses serving middle market and large companies. The transaction provides Regions with a scalable, tech-enabled equipment finance organization with same-day credit decisions and funding for small business customers. Ascentium Capital’s seasoned management team combined with its proprietary underwriting technology platform has delivered strong performance throughout credit cycles since its inception.

Tom Depping, Chief Executive Officer of Ascentium Capital  (who sold his bank to start Ascentium, editor) (2)), said, "We are pleased to join Regions, a firm known for its commitment to the customer experience and a long history of providing comprehensive banking solutions to companies of all sizes.
"This combination will enable us to expand our reach and relevance in serving our vendors and small business customers while continuing to provide seamless service."

The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2020, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Financial terms are not disclosed. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as financial advisor to Regions in connection with the transaction and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP served as its legal counsel. Piper Sandler & Co. served as financial advisor to Ascentium Capital and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Vinson & Elkins LLP served as legal counsel to Ascentium Capital and the sellers.

About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $126 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,400 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

1. Warburg Pincus Agrees to Acquire Ascentium Capital
   http://leasingnews.org/Pages/acs_1052016.html
2. Depping to Sell Bank, Get Back into Leasing without bank regulation 
   http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2011/8_10.htm

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

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

New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

 

Vince Belcastro was hired as Group Head, Syndications and Capital Markets, Element Fleet Management, New York, New York. Previously, he was Managing Director/Group Head Corporate Equipment Finance, Santander Bank, N.A. (January, 2015 - February, 2020).  He joined CIT Group, July 2001, as Managing Director-Specialized Assets Manager; promoted to Group Head Capital Equipment Finance, September, 2009. Previously he was Vice President-Relationship Manager, Citibank N.A. (January 1996–September 2001); Vice President Credit Risk, Republic National Bank (February 1991–December 1995); Assistant Vice President, Bankers Trust Corporation N.A. (September 1987–March 1991). Languages: Italian. Organizations: Equipment Leasing & Finance Association, Commercial Finance Association, Turnaround Management Association, Trustee for the ELFA Research Foundation (January 2000). Board Director and Treasurer, Equipment Lease Finance Foundation (February, 2011): Past–President, Montville High School Hockey Foundation (January, 2012 - June, 2016). Board Advisor to a Banking Group, Independent Advisor and Board Member (March, 2008 -September, 2010). Member Board of Directors, Recording Secretary, Lake Valhalla Club (January, 2015 - Present). Education: Saint Francis College, Bachelors, Finance (1984–1989). Activities and Societies: Alpha Kappa Psi, Finance Club President, Management & Marketing Association. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincebelcastro/

Adrienne Briant was hired as Sales Representative, Lease Corporation of America, Troy, Michigan. She is located in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously she was with Grey Manor Farm, "reconnecting with family while boarding/training champion Arabian Horses,” (March, 2016 - February, 2020); Finance Manager, RBM of Atlanta, Georgia (October, 2014 - March, 2016); Finance Manager, RBM of Atlanta (October, 2014 - March, 2016); Finance Manager, Hennessy Lewis, Nalley Automotive Group (1999 - 2005). Certifications: AFIP Certified. Education: Kennesaw State University. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-briant-5a5491114/

Dean Ceglia was hired as Vice President, Sales, Wheeler Financial, Pitney Bowes, Stamford, Connecticut.  He is located in Santa Clara, California. Previously, he was Managing Partner, DNC Consulting, LLC (March, 2012 - Present); Business Banking Officer, U.S. Bank (May, 2018 - February, 2020); Business Consultant, JDD, Inc. (November, 2010 - September, 2017); Financial Services Representative, Miceli Financial Partners, Agent for MassMutual Life Insurance OC. (November, 2010 - January, 2011); Vice President, Comerica Bank/Comerica Leasing Corporation (April, 2007 - March, 2010); Area Manager, California Bank & Trust/Zions Credit Corporation (2004 - 2007); AVP, Enterprise Sales Division, Pacific Capital Bancorp, SBB&T (2001 - 2004); Business Development Manager, Associates Commercial Corporation (1998 - 2000); Vice President, Public Finance, Access Leasing Corporation (1992 - 1997); Leasing Specialist, Security Pacific Bank/Security Pacific Leasing Corporation (1990 - 1992). Licensing & Certifications: Data Science & Analytics, Career Paths & Certifications: First Steps, LinkedIn. Issued June, 2017. Tableau 10 Essential Training, Linked, Issued June, 2017; Finance Foundations, LinkedIn. Issued May, 2017.  Learning Salesforce, LinkedIn, Issued May, 2017. Making Investment Decisions. LinkedIn, Issued May, 2107. Using the Time Value of Money to Make Financial Decisions. LinkedIn. Issued May, 2017.  Accident & Health Agent, Life Agent, CA, Department of Insurance,  Issued October, 2010. Expires October, 2020. Series 6,63 FINRA.  Education: San Francisco State University. BS, Business Administration, International Business and Finance.  Los Gatos High School (1981 - 1985).  University of California, Santa Barbara. Economics.  Activities and Societies: Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanceglia/

Brittany Hill was hired as Business Development Manager, Bidwell Financial Services, Vancouver, Canada Area.  Previously, she was at Travels Finance Ltd., starting April, 2013, as Account Executive; promoted to Sales Support Representative.  Broker Relationship Manager, Coast Capital Savings (August, 2017 - February, 2020). Education: Rochester Institute of Technology. Bachelor of applied Science. BASc.  Activities and Societies: Women's NCAA Ice Hockey.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanynicoledavies/

Britt Stackhouse was hired as Managing Director, Utica Equipment Finance, Norwalk, Connecticut. He is located in New York City. "He will be responsible for sourcing and developing client and referral relationships throughout the United States. Prior to joining Utica Equipment Finance, he served in senior positions with Lampert Capital Markets, CapitalSource and Nations Equipment Finance, surpassing goals and increasing volume in each post. He earned his bachelor of arts in consumer economics from the University of Georgia."

Ken Weinberg, Esq., is now Partner, Rimon Law, Birmingham, Alabama.  Previously, he was Shareholder, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. (September, 2013 - February, 2020); Shareholder, Marks & Weinberg, PC. (September, 2006 - September, 2013); Associate Attorney, Baker Donelson (September, 1999 - September, 2006). Association: Member, Legal Committee, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (2018 - Present).  Co-Chair, Energy Subcommittee, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (2019 - Present). Speaking Engagements, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (2012 - 2019). Education: University of Georgia School of Law. JD. (1996 - 1999). Activities and Societies: Cum Laude, Executive Articles Editor of Journal of Intellectual Property Law. Vanderbilt University. B.A., 1996, Mathematics. (1992 - 1996). Activities and Societies: Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa. Special Honors in the College of Arts and Science(for completion of enriched curriculum for honors students). https://www.linkedin.com/in/kweinbergfinance/

Scott Woodring was hired as Managing Partner, TRIEX Capital Partners, Lincoln, Nebraska.  Previously, he was Vice President, Capital Markets Buy Group/Alternative Energy Group, Nexseer Capital (March, 2016 - January, 2020); Business Development Officer, LCA Financial, LLC. (January, 2015 - March, 2016); Business Development Account Manager, LeaseTeam, Inc. (June, 2012 - January, 2015); Territory Manager, AXIS Capital, Inc. (2011 -June, 2012); President/National Accounts Manager, Heartland Commercial Finance, Ltd. (2009 - 2011); Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Dakota Financial, LLC (2006 - 2011); Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Pawnee Leasing Corporation (2003 - 2006); Regional Sales Manager, Fisher-Anderson, L.C. (1998 -2003).  Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Bachelor's degree, Advertising/Marketing. https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-woodring-17454337/

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

Leasing Industry Ads---Help Wanted
Opportunities for 2020

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

ELFA January Business $9.2 Billion
ELFA President/CEO “Year starts off with a bang!”

(Chart: Leasing News

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) reports its Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 35 companies, representing a cross section of the $900 billion equipment finance sector, was down 29% from month-to-month but up 28% from the previous year.  The month was also down from second and third quarter while the 4th quarter was up due to December.

click to make larger
(Chart: ELFA)

 

ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta said, “The year starts off with a bang as January new business volume increases dramatically on a year-over-year basis. Underlying fundamentals in the U.S. economy—strong job growth, low inflation, low interest rates, continuation of a bull equities market and solid business confidence—all add up to a growing demand for productive equipment necessary to keep businesses expanding and profitable.”

Stephen Hamilton, Chairman and CEO, CSI Leasing, Inc., said, “2019 was another record year for CSI, with lease originations up 15 percent worldwide to over $1.4 billion, led by a strong increase of 23 percent in our U.S. business. Back office efficiencies and use of technology have allowed this to occur with no increase in our U.S. leasing headcount. Our traditional focus on successful middle-market to large corporate customers has resulted in continued strong credit performance with minimal write-offs. Optimism is high for 2020, with a solid start in January and a record pipeline of first quarter business on tap, although we expect uncertainty regarding the impacts of the coronavirus and the November elections could slow customer decision-making in coming months.”

click to make larger

click image to make larger

click image to make larger

click image to make larger

  (Charts: ELFA)

Full Listing of MLFI Participants in Survey is 35
(Please note throughout the years the number reporting has grown)

1. Bank of America Global Leasing
2. Bank of the West
3. BB&T Bank
4. BMO Harris Equipment Finance
5. Canon Financial Services
6. Caterpillar Financial Services
7. CIT
8. Citizens Asset Finance
9. Dell Financial Services
10. DLL
11. Fifth Third Bank
12. First American Equipment Finance, a City National Bank Company
13. Frost Equipment Leasing and Finance
14. GreatAmerica Financial Services
15. Hitachi Capital America
16. HP, Inc.
17. HPE Financial Services Company
18. Huntington Equipment Finance
19. John Deere Financial
20. Key Equipment Finance
21. LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.
22. M&T Bank
23. Marlin Capital Solutions
24. Merchants Bank Equipment Finance
25. PNC Equipment Finance
26. Societe Generale Equipment Finance
27. Siemens Financial Services
28. Stearns Bank
29. Stonebriar Commercial Finance
30. TCF Capital Solutions, a division of TCF National Bank
31. TD Equipment Finance
32. TIAA Commercial Finance, Inc.
33. US Bancorp Business Equipment Finance
34. Volvo Financial Services
35. Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
    
    

While the coronavirus has affected the export of merchandise from China and left manufacturers around the world scrambling for stock, the virus outbreak has also affected the sale of goods imported into China. In the case of cars – almost 60 percent of which are from foreign brands – sales have plummeted 92 percent in the first two weeks of February, a disastrous sign for foreign and domestic car makers.

China is one of the biggest markets for Japanese and German cars and the biggest car market in the world in general. Daily sales in the third week of February were still 89 percent down despite more dealerships reopening, according to Bloomberg.

Even before the outbreak, the Chinese car market was struggling to find buyers – like markets elsewhere – amidst the global economic slowdown. Yet, sales were deteriorating at a much slower pace, as our graphic shows.

By Katharina Buchholz, Statista

https://www.statista.com/chart/17677/chinese-passenger-car-sales-monthly-change-year-on-year/

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

Leasing News Advisor
Don Myerson

Don Myerson
President
BSB Leasing, Inc.
7921 Southpark Plaza, Suite 208
Littleton, Colorado 80120
dmyerson@bsbleasing.com
800-945-3372 Ext. 336

Don Myerson is the President and founder of BSB Leasing, Inc., and brings over 37 years of industry experience. BSB Leasing, Inc. headquartered in Denver, Colorado was started in 1982 as a broker shop. It was acquired by UniCapital Corporation in 1998 and re-acquired by Myerson and his management team in 2000.

In addition to his role at BSB Leasing, Inc. Mr. Myerson is a Managing Member and co-founder of Mintaka Financial, LLC, a small ticket funding source based in Gig Harbor, Washington, a co­founder and Board Member for Orion First Financial, LLC., a loan and leasing servicing company which provides underwriting, contract servicing and collection services to banks and independent financial institutions.

Don and his wife Dolly and 4 kids split their time between the island of Kauai and the mountains of Colorado. Passions include family travel, and camping and hiking all over the world.

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

Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

A pair of choice imports (“The Traitor,” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”) come to theaters, while DVD releases offer an Oscar-winning remembrance (“Roma”), robust action (“Terminator: Dark Fate”), and a subversive classic (“Teorema”).

In theaters:

The Traitor (Sony Pictures Classics): Veteran Italian director Marco Bellocchio (“Vincere”) is in top form in this robust, absorbing account of real-life mafioso Tommaso Buscetta, played excellently by Pierfrancesco Favino. Spanning several decades, it begins in the early 1980s when Buscetta ditches a growing drug war between crime families in Palermo by seeking sanctuary in Brazil. Escape proves elusive, however, and soon he’s making a deal with Italian authorities for turning over information about underworld organizations. Making him and his family targets, Buscetta’s testimonies make enemies out of several Mafia bosses—a danger that follows him on his way back to America. Lengthy but consistently riveting, Bellocchio’s saga sharply analyzes the contradictions of the fascinating figure at its center. It would make a great double-bill with Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” With subtitles.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Alamode Film): Period elegance and emotional heat clash handsomely in this evocative love story from French filmmaker Celine Sciamma (“Girlhood”). Set in the late 18th-century, it follows Marianne (Noemie Merlant), a young artist who’s commissioned to travel to Brittany and paint the portrait of a strong-willed bride. Said bride, Heloise (Adele Haenel), refuses to pose, which leads Marianne to pretend to be her new hired companion in order to observe her and later paint her in secret. Their relationship quickly grows closer and more intense, which leads to a short-lived romance with lasting consequences. Letting furtive glances and sensations simmer and build, Sciamma and her gifted actresses create a movie that vibrates with gorgeous visuals and sensual tension. With subtitles.

Nextflix: Though not as well-known as fellow Czech New Wave director Milos Forman, Ivan Passer (1933-2020) showcased his own deeply humanistic gifts with a series of piercing, still-underrated films. So check out Netflix for his best films, which include “Intimate Lighting” (1965), “Born to Win” (1971), “Law and Disorder” (1974), and “Cutter’s Way” (1981).

On DVD:

Roma (Netflix): At last available on DVD after winning the 2019 Best Foreign Picture Oscar, this personal remembrance by director Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity”) takes a meditative look at his young days in early 1970s Mexico. Rather than resting the focus on himself, however, Cuaron centers the film on Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), the diligent maid in the family household. Unfolding as memories brought back to life, the film weaves quotidian events into an impressionistic whole. Against a backdrop of increasing national unrest, Cleo cares for unruly children, helps her boss with her marital problems, and deals with her own emotional problems. Using a distanced, perpetually moving camera, Cuaron fuses the intimate with the cosmic in ways that have reminded critics of the great memory-films by Italian master Federico Fellini (“Amarcord”). With subtitles.

Terminator: Dark Fate (Paramount Pictures): The slam-bang sci-fi franchise returns in its strongest entry in more than decade with this robust action extravaganza, directed by Tim Miller (“Deadpool”). Unfolding as a direct sequel to James Cameron’s “Terminator 2,” the plot has Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) as the guardian of Dani (Natalia Reyes), a young woman being targeted by implacable robot killers from the future. In this mission to save humankind’s very existence, she’s helped by a Resistance soldier named Grace (Mackenzie Davis) as well as “Carl” (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a vintage Terminator android who’s learned to live in human society. Vibrating with the pleasure of seeing the original stars reunited (Hamilton’s toughness harmonizes marvelously with Schwarzenegger’s deadpan), the film provides plenty of pulpy excitement as a solid entry in the series.

Teorema (Criterion): One of the most idiosyncratic of all filmmakers, Pier Paolo Pasolini offered one of his greatest visions in this enigmatic drama from 1968, set in a bourgeois household in Italy. Terence Stamp plays “The Visitor,” a handsome young stranger who enters the rich family’s orbit and proceeds to seduce everyone. When he leaves as mysteriously as he appeared, the characters experience wildly different forms of breakdown. The industrialist father (Massimo Girotti) begins to feel the weight of materialism as the mother (Silvana Mangana) tries to replicate the experience with a string of affairs. The son and daughter have their own breakthroughs, while the maid (Laura Betti) attains enlightenment. Making the similarly-themed “Parasite” seem timid by comparison, Pasolini’s classic remains as beautiful and dangerous as ever. With subtitles.

Labrador Retriever
Birmingham, Alabama  Adopt a Dog

Patrick

Pet ID 226130
Male
Black/w White
44 lbs.
10 months old
Neutered
Adoption fee $50.00

Greater Birmingham Humane Society
300 Snow Drive
Birmingham, Alabama
(205) 942-1211
contactus@gbhs.org
http://www.gbhs.org

Our Hours are as follows:
Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - Sunday: 12p-5p

The adoption fees include:

* Flea & tick preventative
* Deworming treatment
* Initial vaccinations
* Rabies vaccination - for pets over 3 months
* Feline leukemia test - for cats 3 months and older
* Heartworm test - for dogs 6 months and older
* Heartworm preventative - for dogs 6 months and older
* Microchip, corresponding tag & registration (1 yr.)

 

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

 

This year's Finance Summit has a record number of exhibitors!  Click HERE to view a full list:
https://eventmobi.com/2020summit/companies/97cd3bb5-ab37-43d7-b6d0-0d98d2359b80

Early Bird discounts are still available through February 29! Remember registration prices will go up on March 1st. Be sure to sign up before prices increase! Click HERE to register:
https://www.nefassociation.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1219218&group=

Registration for the Golf Networking Event at the Quarry Golf Course is still open! All net proceeds go to benefit to the Chris Walker Education Fund.

Women in Leasing LinkedIn Group
to Meet for Lunch, Wednesday, March 25 San Antonio, Texas
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2020/02_18.htm#women

If you are interested in volunteering on the conference committee and or have educational session / speaker suggestions, please reach out to:

Mike Toglia, Executive Director & CEO of NEFA
E: mtoglia@nefassociation.org
P: (847) 562-5057

Marci Slagle, CLFP | BankFinancial Equipment Finance
E: MSlagle@BankFinancial.com
P: (801) 663-7117

Tara Aasand | LTi Technology Solutions
E: taasand@ltisolutions.com
P: (425) 256-0806

News Briefs----

Coronavirus: CDC issues new rules on who can be tested
   after San Francisco  Bay Area patient found infected
https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/CDC-changes-coronavirus-testing-rules-15090498.php

Coronavirus: PayPal says disease’s spread is impacting sales,
   warns that revenue will be at the low end of estimates
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/27/coronavirus-paypal-says-diseases-spread-is-impacting-sales/

Coronavirus and its global sweep stokes fear over facts
Experts say it's unlikely to produce 'apocalyptic scenario'
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/27/coronavirus-experts-urge-sharing-facts-covid-19-spreads-worldwide/4892422002/

Stock markets plummet on virus fears
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/dow-jones-plummets-1000-points-amid-coronavirus-uncertainty/story?id=69264423
 

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

You May Have Missed---

An Oakland street dweller generously helped others.
   When he died, thieves helped themselves
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/otisrtaylorjr/article/An-Oakland-street-dweller-generously-helped-15087353.php

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

  God Protects Fools with Curveballs
By Tim Peller

Going after her
Was chasing
A bad pitch,
A sharp curve
That tailed off
Into the dirt,
Evaded the end
Of my whirling bat.
Thank goodness
I only looked stupid
On the first strike. 

These come from a soft cover 128 pages with index published by www.mcfarlandpub.com

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

Raiders sell Vegas-area facility for 30 times
    what they paid for it 2 years ago
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/26/raiders-raise-eyebrows-by-selling-new-nevada-headquarters-for-185-million-profit/

Gruden continues to talk up Derek Carr for 2020
http://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/80578/Gruden-continues-to-talk-up-Derek-Carr-for-2020

Isaiah Simmons' versatility is huge asset in NFL draft
   but Clemson star's fit leaves questions
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2020/02/27/isaiah-simmons-nfl-draft-clemson-linebacker-versatility-first-round/4882988002/

Once a top recruit, former Michigan football QB Shea Patterson
   just hopes to be drafted
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2020/02/27/shea-patterson-nfl-draft-quarterback-michigan-football/4890207002/

49ers will be looking for receiver help
https://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/49ers-will-be-looking-for-receiver-help/

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

California Nuts Briefs---

8,400 people in Calif. are being monitored
   for coronavirus, Gov. Newsom says
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Gavin-Newsom-coronavirus-California-people-monitor-15089928.php

San Francisco Taxi Drivers Who Go Every Week to City Hall:
    'Buy Back Our Medallions'
https://www.kqed.org/news/11803400/sf-taxi-drivers-who-go-every-week-to-city-hall-buy-back-our-medallions

California’s new plan to deal with climate change, sea-level rise OKd
https://www.sfchronicle.com/environment/article/Giving-the-ocean-some-help-California-s-new-15087454.php

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

“Gimme that Wine”

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

Driven by warmer temperatures,
  grapes are budding in Sonoma County vineyards
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/10751587-181/driven-by-warmer-temperatures-grapes

Gundlach-Bundschu owner acquires
 Valley of the Moon Winery property in Sonoma County
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/sonomacounty/10759385-181/gundlach-bundschu-valley-of-the-moon-winery-acquisition

Silver Oak Toppled at Premiere Napa Auction
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2020/02/silver-oak-toppled-at-premiere-napa-auction

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Celebrates 50 Years 
   of Winemaking Excellence
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=226661

Seven Reasons to Love Springtime in California Wine Country
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seven-reasons-to-love-springtime-in-california-wine-country-301011523.html

The Half Moon Bay Downtown Association Announces
  Inaugural Wine & Jazz Festival  May  23, 2020  12 - 5 pm
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=226684

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

     1646 - Roger Scott was tried in Massachusetts for sleeping in church.
    1778 - The Rhode Island General Assembly authorized the enlistment of slaves during the American Revolution. About 200 blacks soon joined the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, the only all-black regiment of the war. In August 1778, they defended Newport during the Battle of Rhode Island. In 1750, more than 10 percent of Rhode Island's population was black -- the highest concentration of blacks in New England. Rhode Island was the first colony/state to establish a public school for blacks (1773), to outlaw the importation of slaves (1774), and to declare free the children born of slave mothers (1784). Segregation in Rhode Island's public schools was outlawed in 1866, and a law forbidding interracial marriage was repealed in 1881. 
    1793 - The Senate election of Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin of Pennsylvania presented his credentials this day, but his election was declared void.  He was born in Switzerland and immigrated to the United States in 1780. On December 2, a petition was presented alleging that he had not been a citizen of the United States for the nine years required by the Constitution. The trial began on February 28, 1794, after he had served a year, and on February 28 the Senate declared his election void. Gallatin was later elected to the House of Representatives, where he served from March 4, 1795 to March 3, 1801. A motion passed on the first day of the trial required that the Senate chamber “ be provided with gallery, which shall be permitted to be open every morning so long as the Senate shall be engaged in their legislative capacity, unless in such case as may in the opinion of the Senate require secrecy.” Born in Geneva, Switzerland, January 29, 1761. Democrat. Delegate to Pennsylvania state constitutional convention, 1790; member of Pennsylvania state house of representatives, 1790-92; U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, 1793-94; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 11th District, 1795-1801; U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, 1801-14; U.S. Minister to France, 1815-23; U.S. Minister to Great Britain, 1826-27. His portrait appeared on the $500 U.S. Note in the 1860s. Died in Astoria, Queens, Queens County, N.Y., August 12, 1849. Entombed at Trinity Churchyard, New York, N.Y. Gallatin counties in Ill., Ky. and Mont. are named for him. See also: congressional biography. Books about Albert Gallatin: John Austin Stevens, Albert Gallatin: An American Statesman; L. B. Kuppenheimer, Albert Gallatin's Vision of Democratic Stability.
http://currencygallery.org/vignettes/gallatin.htm
http://gallatinky.tripod.com/Gallatin.html
    1797 - Mary Lyon, born near Buckland, MA, became a pioneer in the field of higher education for women. She founded Mount Holyoke Seminary (forerunner of Mount Holyoke College) in South Hadley, MA, in 1837 at a time when American women were educated primarily by ministers in classes held in their homes. Mount Holyoke was one of the first permanent women's colleges. She died Mar 5, 1849, at South Hadley.
    1827 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad became the first commercial railroad for passengers and freight.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/feb28.html
    1844 - During an official inspection tour of the U.S.S. Princeton, a 10-inch gun (the Navy's largest at the time) blew up, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Kilmer, and 10 others. President John Tyler, who at the time of the explosion was in a cabin below with Miss Julia Gardiner (the daughter of one of those killed) was unharmed. They subsequently married. Tyler was the first of the three presidents to be married while in office. Between his two wives, he fathered 14 children- seven by each woman.
http://www.exploredc.org/index.php?id=82
http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/rodman.html
    1849 - During the California Gold Rush, the first shipload of prospectors arrive in San Francisco Bay from the East Coast via South America's Cape Horn. The prospectors join the thousands of gold-seekers who had already traveled to California by land to reap the rewards of California's newly found riches. Over a year earlier, near Coloma, California, gold was discovered on the property of Johann A. Sutter by James W. Marshall. After the find was assayed in Sacramento, modest prospecting in the area showed favorable results, and in the summer of 1848, eastern newspapers published the first reports of the newly discovered gold fields. As there had been false claims of gold in California before, the majority of the US public treated Sutter's claims with skepticism. 
However, in December of the same year, President James K. Polk corroborated "the accounts of the abundance of gold" found in the recently acquired territory, and the California Gold Rush began. By the spring of 1849, tens of thousands of prospectors had set out for El Dorado, often abandoning their farms, their jobs, and their families. By the end of 1849, some 55'000 people had arrived by land and another 25'000 had made their way by sea. In 1850, California's rapidly increasing population encouraged Congress to grant statehood to the territory. Although many of California's original "Forty-Niners" returned to their home states empty-handed, tens of thousands made a living in California, and by 1852, the population at the time of Marshall's discovery — 14'000 non-Indians — had grown to 250'000 Californians.
    1861 - The Confederate government bond was authorized today “ to raise money for the support of the government and to provide for the defense of the Confederate States of America.” The bond issue limit was $15 million.
    1861 - Congress creates Colorado Territory. In July 1858, a band of prospectors working streambeds near modern-day Denver found tiny flecks of gold in their pans. Since the gold-bearing streams were located in the foothills not far from the massive mountain named for the explorer Zebulon Pike, the subsequent influx of hopeful miners was termed the Pike's Peak gold rush. By the spring of 1859, an estimated 50,000 gold seekers had reached this latest of a long series of American El Dorados. The Congressional designation of new western states and territories had been bogged down for several years as southern and northern politicians fought over whether slavery would be permitted in the new western regions. By 1861, the South had seceded, clearing the way for the northern politicians to begin creating free-labor states. On this day in 1861, Congress combined pieces of Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico to make a large rectangle of land it designated Colorado Territory.
    1876 - American composer John Alden Carpenter, born Park Ridge, IL, Died 1951
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/composer/carpenter.html
http://www.teachervision.com/ce6/people/A0810557.html
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/f01/pollack.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1560984007/inktomi-bkasin-20/
102-1682336-8966565
    1882 - Birthday of Geraldine Farrar, born Melrose, MA American-born opera singer who studied in Europe and became the toast of the continent before being offered a contract at the Metropolitan Opera in 1906. She overworked her voice which broke in a performance in 1913. She returned after a rest and amassed a record of 493 performances of 29 roles including 95 as Butterfly. She and Arturo Toscanini were reportedly lovers for seven years and before that she and Crown Prince Frederick Wilhelm of Germany had been lovers. For her verve and modern life-style she drew a legend of "Gerry-flappers" women fans. , Died March 11, 1967
http://search.eb.com/women/articles/Farrar_Geraldine.html
http://www.cantabile-subito.de/Sopranos/FarrarBio/farrarbio.htm
http://www.silentsmajority.com/PhotoGallery3/farrar.htm
    1894 - Ben Hecht birthday. His newspaper column, "1001 Afternoons in Chicago," popularized human interest sketches. His play The Front Page, written with Charles MacArthur, was a hit on Broadway (1928) and on film (1931). He was a successful reporter and his first novel Eric Dorn, resulted partly from his time reporting from Berlin after World War I. Hecht wrote or co-wrote a number of successful movie scripts, including Notorious and Wuthering Heights. Born at New York City, he died there Apr 18, 1964.
    1900 - A massive storm spread record snows from Kansas to New York State. Snowfall totals ranged up to 17.5 inches at Springfield IL and 43 inches at Rochester NY, with up to 60 inches in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State.
    1903 - Ford hires the Dodges: Henry Ford hired John F. and Horace E. Dodge to supply the chassis and running gear for his 650 Ford automobiles. They were originally bicycle manufacturers. In providing car bodies for Henry Ford and Ransom Olds, they became largest parts-manufacturing firm in the U.S. by 1910. In 1914, the brothers founded the Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company and began work on their first automobiles. Dodge vehicles were known for their quality and sturdiness. Soon they were among the richest men in America. The influenza epidemic that swept the country in 1920 claimed their lives. Their company was sold to a New York bank, before eventually being purchased by Chrysler in 1928. 
    1932 - The last Ford Model A was produced, ending an era for the Ford Motor Company. The successor to the Model T, the Model A was an attempt to escape the image of bare bones transportation that had driven both the Model T’s success and its ultimate failure in the market. The vastly improved Model A boasted elegant Lincoln-like styling, a peppy 40 horsepower four-cylinder engine, and, of course, a self-starting mechanism. The Model A was as affordable as its predecessor, however, and with a base price at $460, five million Model A’s would roll onto US highways between 1927 and 1932.
    1934 - Percussionist Willie Bobo was born William Correa, New York City, NY
http://www.spaceagepop.com/bobo.htm
    1936 - Louis Prima records his composition “Sing, Sing, Sing” for Brunswick.
    1939 - Guitarist John Fahey born Takoma Park, MD Died Feb. 22,2001
http://www.furious.com/perfect/johnfahey.html
http://www.johnfahey.com/
http://www.musicfringe.com/store/fahey-john/index.htm
http://www.countryjoe.com/fahey.htm
http://www.guitarvideos.com/interviews/fahey/core.htm
http://www.netmagic.net/~snake/fahey/voyager1.htm
    1939 - Tenor Sax player Charles Gayle born Buffalo, NY 
http://www.creativemusicarchive.com/artistList_query.asp?artID=
168&artName=Charles%20Gayle
http://www.theiceberg.com/artist.html?artist_id=30947
http://www.jazzpages.com/scheiner/gayle.htm
http://www.furious.com/perfect/charlesgayle.html
    1939 - Singer/song writer/arranger General Crook born Mt. Bayou, MS.
http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/General%20Crook.html
    1941 - Happy birthday Alice Brock. 
http://www.answers.com/topic/arlo-guthrie
http://www.guthriecenter.org/main.shtml
http://www.wgbh.org/cainan/article?item_id=1081316
    1942 - Guitarist and creator of rock styles Brian Jones birthday, best known as an early guitarist with the Rolling Stones, was born in Cheltenham, England. Jones began playing with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated in the early 1960's, and it was here that he met Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The three began to play on their own and by 1962 were calling themselves the Rolling Stones, after a Muddy Waters song. With the addition of bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts in 1963, the Rolling Stones were complete. By their third single, "It's All Over Now," the band was a sensation in Britain. And in late 1964, they had their first top ten hit in North America, "Time Is on My Side." 
During the British invasion of 1964, the Stones were promoted as rock 'n' roll's bad boys, an image that has remained with them for more than 30 years. By the late '60s, the Stones were billing themselves as the "World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band." In June 1969, Brian Jones announced he was leaving the group because of musical differences (he was getting heavier into drugs.) He said he was going to form his own band, but less than a month later was found dead in the swimming pool at his home. The coroner's verdict - death by misadventure; July 3, 1969.
http://home.earthlink.net/~hobhead/ 
http://www.angelfire.com/rock2/faithlessjones/
http://www.classicrockpage.com/rrheaven/jones.htm
    1945 - The first Charlie Parker-Dizzy Gillespie record date on Guild. “Groovin’ High,” “All the Things You Are,” “Dizzy Atmosphere.” Clyde Hart on piano, Slam Stewart on bass, Cozy Cole on drums, Remo Palmieri on guitar.
http://www.citypaper.net/articles/052297/article014.shtml
http://www.rhino.com/features/tracks/72260trx.lasso
    1947 - Top Hits
“For Sentimental Reasons” - Nat King Cole
“The Anniversary Song” - Dinah Shore
“Oh, But I Do” - Margaret Whiting
“So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed” - Merle Travis
    1951 - The US Senate committee, headed by Estes Kefauver, D-Tenn., issued a preliminary report saying at least two major crime syndicates were operating in the US.
    1955 – Top Hits 
“Sincerely” - McGuire Sisters
“Melody of Love” - Billy Vaughn
“The Crazy Otto” (Medley) - Johnny Maddox
“In the Jailhouse Now” - Webb Pierce
    1959 – Chicago Cardinals halfback/receiver Ollie Matson was traded to the LA Rams for NINE players in one of the biggest trades in NFL history.  When Matson retired in 1966, he was second to Jim Brown in total yards gained.  The architect of that trade was Rams GM, Pete Rozelle.
    1960 - Richard Petty won the first grand National (later Winston Cup) stock car race of his career in Charlotte, NC. The victory earned him $800 and set him on the road toward 200 wins on the NASCAR circuit, including seven triumphs in the Daytona 500 and seven NASCAR driving titles.
    1960 - The US hockey team defeated Czechoslovakia, 9-4, to win the gold medal at the VIIth Winter Olympic Games at Squaw Valley, CA. 
    1963 - Top Hits
“Hey Paula” - Paul & Paula
“Ruby Baby” - Dion
“From a Jack to a King” - Ned Miller
“The Ballad of Jed Clampett” - Flatt & Scruggs
    1967 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Ruby Tuesday,'' The Rolling Stones. The song is released as the B side to the single, “Let's Spend the Night Together.'' Most American radio stations play “Ruby Tuesday'' because the other song is so blatantly sexual.
    1968 - General Earle Wheeler, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, returns from his recent round of talks with General William Westmoreland in Saigon and immediately delivers a written report to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Wheeler stated that despite the heavy casualties incurred during the Tet Offensive, North Vietnam and Viet Cong forces had the initiative and were "operating with relative freedom in the countryside."
    1970 - Simon and Garfunkle's Bridge Over Troubled Water zoomed to the Number 1 spot on Billboard's record charts on this date, and remained there for 6 weeks. The album and the single went on to win six Grammy awards. 
    1970 - Bicycles permitted to cross Golden Gate Bridge.
http://www.inetours.com/Pages/SFNbrhds/Golden_Gate_Bridge.html
http://www.blazingsaddles.com/about.html
http://www.infohub.com/TRAVEL/SIT/sit_pages/3900.html
    1971 - Top Hits
“One Bad Apple” - The Osmonds
“Mama’s Pearl” - The Jackson 5
“Sweet Mary” - Wadsworth Mansion
“Help Me Make It Through the Night” - Sammi Smith
    1971 - For the second time, Jack Nicklaus, ‘The Golden Bear,’ won the Professional Golfers Association Championship after completing the cycle of winning golf’s four major titles twice. The Big Four in golf are: The United States Open, the Masters, the PGA Championship and the British Open.
    1972 - Radical Angela Davis trial starts, San Jose, California. Davis worked to free the Soledad (Prison) Brothers, African-American prisoners held in California during the late 1960s. She befriended George Jackson, one of the prisoners. On August 7, 1970, during an abortive escape and kidnap attempt from Marin County's Hall of Justice, the trial judge and three people were killed, including Jackson's brother Jonathan. Although not at the crime scene, Davis was implicated when police claimed that the guns used had been registered in her name, plus she had visited the prisoners as an attorney with her briefcase never being searched. Davis fled underground. She was captured in New York City in August 1970 but was freed eighteen months later and cleared of all charges in 1972 by an all-white jury. She teaches today at UC Santa Cruz.
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/authors/AngelaDavis.html
http://www.disinfo.com/pages/dossier/id91/pg1/
    1974 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Seasons in the Sun,'' Terry Jacks.
    1977 - Orca was born in captivity, a six-foot, 125 pound calf, at Marineland, Los Angeles, CA. She was the off-spring of Cork, a 16-year-old, 11-ton orca. Orcas are also known as killer whales.
    1979 - Top Hits
“Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” - Rod Stewart
“Fire” - Pointer Sisters
“I Will Survive” - Gloria Gaynor
“Every Which Way But Loose” - Eddie Rabbitt
    1982 - The J. Paul Getty Museum receives a $1.2 billion bequest left to it by the late J. Paul Getty. The American oil billionaire died in 1976, but legal wrangling over his fortune by his children and ex- wives kept his will in probate until 1982. During those six years, what was an originally $700 million bequest to the museum nearly doubled. By 2000, the endowment was worth $5 billion--even after the trust spent nearly $1 billion in the 1990s on the construction of a massive museum and arts education complex in Los Angeles.
    1983 - “M*A*S*H: The Final Episode: concluding a run of 255 episodes, this 2 1/2-hour finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," was the most-watched television show at that time.  77 percent of the viewing public was tuned in, topping the "Who Shot JR.?" revelation on "Dallas." The show premiered in 1972. The series was based on the 1970 Robert Altman movie and a book by Richard Hooker. Set during the Korean War, the show aired for 11 years (lasting longer than the war). It followed the lives of doctors and nurses on the war front with both humor and pathos. The cast included: Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, Wayne Rogers as Captain John "Trapper John" Mcintyre, McLean Stevenson as Colonel Henry Blake, Loretta Swit as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, Larry Linville as Major Frank Burns, Gary Burghoff as Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly, William Christopher as Father Francis Mulcahy, Jamie Farr as Corporal Max Klinger, Harry Morgan as Colonel Sherman Potter and Mike Farrell as Captain B.J. Hunnicut.
http://timstvshowcase.com/mash2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rickstvshows/mash.html
    1984 - Singer Michael Jackson won a record eight Grammy Awards at the presentation ceremony in Los Angeles. But he lost the best song award to "Every Breath You Take," written by Sting for the Police. Jackson's Pepsi commercial - the one in which he was injured when his hair caught fire - premiered that day on MTV. He broke the previous record of six awards set by Roger Miller in 1965. The reason: the biggest selling album of all time, "Thriller," which sold more than 35 million copies around the world soon after its release in 1983. 
    1987 - Top Hits
“Livin’ on a Prayer” - Bon Jovi
“Jacob’s Ladder” - Huey Lewis & The News
“You Got It All” - The Jets
“I Can’t Win for Losin’ You” - Earl Thomas Conley
    1987 - A powerful storm produced severe thunderstorms in Louisiana and Mississippi early in the day. About mid-morning, a monstrous tornado touched down near Moselle, MS and grew to a width of two miles as it passed near Laurel, MS. The tornado traveled a distance of 40 miles killing six persons, injuring 350 others, and causing $28.5 million damage. The tornado swept homes right off their foundations and tossed eighteen wheel trucks about like toys. Strong straight-line winds associated with the powerful storm system gusted to 70 mph at Jonesboro, AR and Carbondale, IL.
    1991 - IBM announced it would cut up to 10,000 workers from its payroll. IBM struggled to keep up with small, fast-moving technology firms but its tremendous size and inertia weighed it down. In another effort to turn the company around, IBM hired former chairman of R. J. R. Nabisco, Lou Gerstner, as CEO in 1993. Gerstner was IBM's first leader brought in from outside the company.
    1991 - The Record Plant in Hollywood closes. Among the albums recorded at the recording studio and rock hangout were the Eagles' “Hotel California,'' Fleetwood Mac's “Rumours'' and Stevie Wonder's “Songs in the Key of Life.''
    1992 - The “Star Trek” television series exhibit opened at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., an exhibit honoring the original “Star Trek” television series.
    1993 - United States Federal agents battled it out with members of an armed religious cult in Waco, Texas. Four agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and two cult members were killed and 12 agents were wounded during the shootout. The agents planned to arrest Branch Davidian cult leader, David Koresh, on federal firearms charges, but were taken by surprise when cult members began firing on them with heavy weapons.
    1994 - Hewlett-Packard announces a new line of ink-jet printers. The resolution of the printers doubled from 300 to 600dpi and the cost went down, instead of up. An economic color ink-jet printer was in the works.
    1994 - Canadian singer Celine Dion made her New York debut at Town Hall. Reviews were mixed. New York Newsday reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli described Dion as "a classy, upscale alternative for people who think of Mariah Carey as a shopping mall superstar." The New York Times' Stephen Holden was less kind, dismissing Dion's songs as "the kind of generic pop anthems that win international song competitions and that Olympic athletes use to accompany their routines."
    1996 - Canadian singer Alanis Morissette won four major Grammy Awards, including album of the year and rock album of the year for "Jagged Little Pill." She also picked up trophies for best rock song and best female rock vocal performance, both for her single "You Oughta Know." Canadians picked up a total of 11 Grammys, including two by Joni Mitchell for her album "Turbulent Indigo." Faith Hill won the best country album Grammy for "The Woman In Me." Hootie and the Blowfish are named Best New Artist
    1997 - The Food and Drug Administration implemented restrictions on retailers that required them to check the ages of all customers younger than 27 to prevent persons under 18 years of age from buying tobacco. Store owners caught selling cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors faced federal fines of $250 per violation. All states already had laws banning the sale of tobacco to persons under 18, but enforcement was erratic.
    1997 - Netscape announced it had created alliances with VeriFone and CyberCash, a developer of Internet-payment software, to foster secure online purchases.
    1998 – “My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion's runaway hit single from the film “Titanic,” went to Number 1 on the pop charts, and was in the top spot for 2 weeks.