Leasing News

Leasing 102
by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

Part III: Starting a leasing Company and New Markets

One way to begin building a portfolio is to arrange a line of credit from your own bank where they are familiar with you. Get a fixed rate and pledge something you own free and clear or something you have equity in to arrange a line where the banker gets to backstop the credit decision but you take the risk. It should be small tax transactions at first with a fair market purchase option or no option at all. If it is short term you do not have to worry about the rate or passing any tax advantages. Most lessees’ use short term tax leases to be able to expense the rent so their tax expense matches their cash expense.

Do not rely on the first few deals to make you any money or do anything but establish yourself with the bank. You need to continue brokering or selling off deals to earn a living. The line of credit should only hold your top credits with lessees that will have repeat business. However you cannot take a credit risk greater than 10% of your line so in the beginning you need to diversify your risk. All of the earnings from the first few years should be used to increase the line by offsetting the equity requirements of the line of credit allowing you to increase the size of the line.

The problem is the tax transactions cannot be too small because they need to throw off enough cash and profit to pay for outside bookkeeping and sales tax returns. For example: a $50,000 tax lease would probably require you to have $5,000 to $10,000 of additional collateral at first. It should decrease as your history of success grows and income begins to build. A transaction of this size should throw off enough cash to pay its cost and you may need to wait until termination for your payoff. Think of it as a retirement program and then once it grows to a size where it’s got a steady income you can branch out into other type of leases and begin your own company.

Remember “fixed” rate lines not variable rate in this time frame. When rates are low as they are now you do not want to get caught in a situation where your cost are growing and your transaction is fixed. Most bankers like variable rates but we are in a fixed rate business so we need to have matched rates.

In addition it appears that the new accounting rules in the near future will create a new leasing industry built on the foundation of rental yards. It appears that any lease of one year or less will still be off the balance sheet so if you could get with a secondary market source or vendor of quality used equipment that is called “hard equipment”, that means not technology driven, and you create a lease with solid maintenance requirements and tight return conditions you may be in the leasing business of the future.

This one year lease with an evergreen clause could create a whole new form of leasing. Most major credits in lots of industries will be looking for this product because it allows them to have lots of equipment without putting the debt on the balance sheet. Everything from material handling equipment to tools will be included. The evergreen clause at the end of the first year will allow the lease to run a natural course of three to five years, making it very profitable for the leasing companies who are prepared to assume the risk of equipment return after the first year of use. Eventually new equipment will be included after history shows what equipment has the staying power and is not returned. The key will be that the rent will have to cover the first years loss in value and the maintenance requirements will need to be very specific and the return conditions detailed.

Looking for new opportunities to apply the proposed new accounting rules to commercial equipment leasing is the future of our industry. Finance leasing or equipment finance will always be with us but the real money will be made by those prepared to move with the times and except new kinds of risk and get much more involved with the “equipment” and not just the credit. Keep your eyes open on how to take advantage of these new opportunities.

Mr. Terry Winders, CLP, has been a teacher, consultant, expert witness for the leasing industry for thirty years and can be reached at leaseconsulting@msn.com or 502-327-8666. He invites your questions and queries.

Part I---Starting a Leasing Company
http://leasingnews.org/archives/December%202009/12-21-09.htm#start

Part II— Starting a Leasing Company
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_05.htm#starting

(This ad is a “trade” for the writing of this column. Opinions
contained in the column are those of Mr. Terry Winders, CLP)

FBI Investigating Equipment Acquisition Resources

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reportedly investigating Equipment Acquisition Resource and its officers and related parties, including ex-convict Sheldon Player, who has served time: what many believe is the same scenario that sent him to jail regarding Greyhound Leasing.

Attorney George P. Apostolides representing Equipment Acquisition Resources, Inc. as part of Arnstein & Lehr, LLP, Chicago, Illinois filing states it best requesting "....the issuance of an injunction, without bond, pursuant to Section 105(a) of the Bankruptcy Code and Bankruptcy Rules 7001 and 7065, enjoining the Defendants, or any other party, from liquidating real or personal property purchased and/or maintained with assets which were either property of the Debtor or which were obtained from the Debtor through voidable transfers."

Here are highlights (lines 14-24):

"Beginning in at least 2005, the Individual Defendants, for the purpose of enriching themselves, the Player Children and the LLC Defendants at the Debtor's expense, misappropriated Debtor's assets to purchase real and personal property and funded the LLC Defendants. The Individual Defendants also failed or refused to account for such misappropriations, failed or refused to observe corporate formalities, and failed or refused to accurately maintain the Debtor's books and records.
15. The Debtor's misappropriated assets were used to acquire Real Property in the names the Player Children, none of which were shareholders of the Debtor. On information and belief, the Debtor's misappropriated assets were also used to acquire personal property in the names of the Player Children.
17. It has recently become apparent that the Individual Defendants may have also pledged certain of the Debtor's assets multiple times and misappropriated the monies derived from such multiple pledging to further enrich themselves.
18. As a direct result of the Individual Defendants having failed or refused to account for the misappropriations, failed or refused to observe corporate formalities, and failed or refused to accurately maintain the Debtor's books and records, the Debtor does not know and cannot accurately determine the full extent of the assets they misappropriated.
19. Subsequent to the filing of the Debtor's Petition and in response to the Debtor's demands, Sheldon Player, Donna Malone, Dale Player, Dana Malone, Katie Malone, Gerald Illinois I, LLC, and Gerald Vermont Street, LLC collectively quitclaimed 29 parcels real estate to Debtor and returned certain automobiles, all of which the Debtor discovered had been purchased with misappropriated assets of the Debtor.
20. For the years ending December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008, Debtor's audited balance sheets reported net income of $17,344,130 and $34,944,576, respectively. On information and belief, a substantial portion, if not all, of Debtor's net income from 2007-2008 was misappropriated by the Individual Defendants, the Player Children, and/or the LLC Defendants and used for unknown purposes. The Debtor's books and records, which were prepared and/or maintained by the Individual Defendants, are incomplete and do not fully account for the distribution or expenditure of such net income.
21. On information and belief, a substantial portion, if not all, of Debtor's net income from 2007-2008 was misappropriated by the Individual Defendants, the Player Children, and/or the LLC Defendants and used for unknown purposes. The Debtor's books and records, which were prepared and/or maintained by the Individual Defendants, are incomplete and do not fully account for the distribution or expenditure of such net income. Because its books and records are now known to contain errors and possible misinformation, the CRO retained Mesirow Financial as forensic accountants prior to the Debtor filing its chapter 11 Petition.
23. On information and belief, a substantial portion, if not all, of Debtor's net income for 2009 was also misappropriated by the Individual Defendants, the Player Children, and/or the LLC Defendants.
24. On or around December 11, 2009, Debtor's counsel received notice that Sheldon Player and Donna Malone were in the process of liquidating personal property which, on information and belief, included a portion of Debtor's misappropriated assets or was purchased using misappropriated assets. None of the proceeds of the liquidation of personal property have been delivered to the Debtor and, on information and belief, the liquidation continues.”

The request was denied “without prejudice” December 22, 2009.

If there is fraud involved, as many claim, this will affect the bankruptcy hearing as well as separate law suites requesting a default judgment. Stay tuned, you will hear the news first here at Leasing News.

A bankruptcy hearing is scheduled for 1/14/2010 at 10:00 AM at 219 South Dearborn, Courtroom 680, Chicago, Illinois regarding Bankruptcy Petition #: 09-39937

Case 09-01305 Doc 1 Filed 12/18/09 (nine pages):
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/EAR_latest.pdf

December 22 ruling:
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/US_Fin_Civil.pdf

Sheldon Player and his brokers
by Christopher Menkin

Yes, the business card above is how Sheldon Player presented himself to a potential funder, a senior officer at a major bank. The person who provided this business card said Player was accompanied by Mark Anstett, who's business card bore the title of president, Equipment Acquisition Resources, Inc. After reviewing what they showed him, this banker didn’t want to learn anymore, and said after they left, he felt like taking a shower.

Player preferred to distance himself, giving gifts and reportedly cash to brokers who put deals together; in fact, several now being accused of even fronting “dummy money” in accounts.

When Leasing News discovered his operation in 2007, Player said his "wife" Donna Malone ran the company, he was not involved, but 75% of the leasing companies he was dealing with knew his background of being sent to federal penitentiary regarding the Greyhound Leasing swindle. In the subsequent checking, the funders found from UCC filings that Leasing News spoke to were not aware of his background. While Player promised another interview to explain in more detail the cause of his being sent to jail, the first time, he stopped returning telephone calls.

Readers of Leasing News or subscribers of Leasepolice.com were alerted.

The fact is: Many of the leases were not presented by Player, but by independent leasing brokers.

John F. Kingsbury, President Bank of Dixon County, Ponca, Nebraska, told Leasing News the presentation of the used equipment for $321,596 came from a person who had referred good business to the bank in the past. They saw an alleged audited financial statement, excellent cash in the bank, full professional equipment appraisal on a Refurbished Okamoto Model GNX 200 Precision Backgrinder s/n GNX 200-009-HT costing $297,000, and the seller Leasing Innovations founded in 1992 (2), raising funds through investors (there is another story here), but it was more they knew the person who referred the business and who made an excellent presentation. His comment was his first impression was "It was too good to be true." He said he should have listed to his first impression, “It was too good to be true.” He relied on the person who made the presentation, he said, was the deciding factor as well as the documents presented.

Player placed most of the leases through independents. He had his favorites. Leasing News has a list of five of them. Two may be in law suits regarding their involvement. One was reportedly Timothy Nieder, TMN Financial, Park Ridge, Illinois.

Timothy Nieder

Leasing News readers may remember a story last that made the local newspapers regarding the development of a king-sized, $50 million basketball camp at Sportscore Two, Rock River Valley, Illinois.

While TMN website is up, http://tmnfs.com, Leasing News attempted to reach him by email, and notes the telephone is disconnected.

PNC Bank, N.A., successor to National City Bank, filed a suit November 19, 2009 against TMN Financial and Timothy Nieder individually, regarding a $50,000 check he wrote personally that overdrew his business account $121,496.60. (1)

Another involves US Financial and Mark Franke, whereupon Comerica Leasing, a division of Comerica Bank, filed a complaint for $2,000,000 regarding warehouse loans and recourse leases with Equipment Acquisition Resources (3). Mr. Franke did not return telephone or email contacts. Comerica also has a $9,999,000 suit against Equipment Acquisition Resources.

The total separate laws suits appear to be around $50 million, including Comerica $9,999,999,Fifth Third Bank, $10 million, Home Federal Savings Bank, Rochester, Minnesota $3.2 million, Farmers Bank & Capital Trust, $2 million, Red Oak Acquisition, $2 million, and Bank of Dixon County, Ponca, Nebraska. $321,596. They do not include attorney fees or court costs.

These suits are seeking "default judgment" against the guarantors, which most likely will be separate from the corporate bankruptcy, and even if individuals are sent to jail, attachments or levies may be made, particularly if fraud is proved in a court of law. It also may be an avenue to seek remedy from those involved in the financial presentation.

(1) PNC Law Suit vs TMN and Nieder
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/PNC_TMN_Financial.pdf
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/US_Fin_Exhibit_A.pdf
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/US_Fin_Exhibit_B.pdf
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/US_Fin_Exhibit_C.pdf

(2) BBB Award to Leasing Innovations:
http://two.leasingnews.org/archives/March2002/03-05-02.htm

Rock River Valley Sports Center story
http://www.rrstar.com/lovespark/x140393066/Sports-complex-could-suit-up-in-Loves-Park

(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)

Bank Beat---Banks in Washington State in Trouble
by Christopher Menkin

Horizon Bank, Bellingham, Washington with 18 branches and 238 employees became the first bank to fail this year. Te FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Washington Federal Savings and Loan Association, Seattle, Washington, to assume all of the deposits of Horizon Bank. Bank Beat predicted bank failures in the Washington would rise in 2010 due to both residential and commercial real estate and the down economy catching up with community banks and regional banks that are undercapitalized for the long run. The state is not being singled out as Georgia, Florida, Nevada, California, Illinois, Michigan are in similar situations. As cities, counties, and states face budget crises, more unemployment is certainly to follow.

As of September 30, 2009, Horizon Bank had approximately $1.3 billion in total assets and $1.1 billion in total deposits. Washington Federal Savings and Loan Association. The equity of the bank went from $121.2 million September 30, 2008 to $12.4 million September 30, 2009, with a $93.9 million charge off, creating a $105.9 million loss. Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 0.99%.

At the end of last year, Horizon had 19 branch offices, four commercial-loan centers and four real-estate loan centers in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish and Pierce counties; past-due loans, nonperforming loans and foreclosed assets totaled $174.8 million, nearly 12 percent of the bank's total assets. The bank's allowance for loan losses was $25.3 million.

The FDIC and Washington Federal Savings and Loan Association entered into a loss-share transaction on approximately $1.0 billion of Horizon Bank's assets. Washington Federal Savings and Loan Association will share in the losses on the asset pools covered under the loss-share agreement.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $539.1 million.

http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2010/pr10004.html

Regulators shut down Horizon Bank; Washington Federal takes over (full story)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/255/story/1236076.html

The 140 bank failures last year were the highest since 1992 at the height of the savings and loan crisis. They cost the insurance fund more than $30 billion last year. The failures compare with 25 in 2008 and three in 2007.

Last week the assets out of 22 failed bank receiverships, 1200 distressed commercial real estate loans, of which 70% were delinquent, were sold by the FDIC to Colony Capital Acquisitions, LLC, Los Angeles, CA. They were the top bidder. A total of 21 groups submitted bids to purchase a 40 percent ownership interest in the newly formed LLC.

The F.D.I.C. will own 60 percent of the newly formed limited liability company that will hold the loans, while Colony will own the remaining 40 percent.

Colony is paying about $90.5 million, excluding working capital and transaction costs, for its stake. Collectively, the loans have an unpaid principal balance of $1.02 billion. Seventy-five percent of the collateral of the portfolio is located in Georgia, California, Nevada and Florida. The participating FDIC receiverships provided financing to the LLC by issuing approximately $233 million of corporate guaranteed notes. Colony Capital paid a total of approximately $90.5 million (net of working capital) in cash for its 40 percent equity stake in the LLC, which equals approximately 44 percent of the unpaid principal balance of the assets. As the LLC's managing equity owner, Colony Capital will provide for the management, servicing and ultimate disposition of the LLC's assets.

2009 Bank Failures in Brief:
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/historical/bank/2009/index.html

List of Bank Failures
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html

Top Stories-January 4-8

Here are the top ten stories opened by readers:

(1) Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
Part II- Starting a Leasing Company
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_05.htm#starting

(2) 2009 Leasing News Person of the Year
Ralph Petta
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_05.htm#poy

(3) Peacock golf club files for bankruptcy
http://www.marinij.com/sanrafael/ci_14128967

(4) Personal Bankruptcy Filings Rising Fast
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126263231055415303.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories

(5) Cartoon - If you don’t have an attorney...
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_08.htm#cartoon

(6) (Tie)
ELFA and Evergreen/Winter Green Clauses
by Christopher Menkin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_08.htm#elfa

(6) (Tie)
Ralph Petta, 2009 Leasing News Person of the Year
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_08.htm#poy

(7) North Hollywood Man Gets 4 Years plus
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_08.htm#hollywood

(8) TEQlease Hires Runnalls Lead Finance Team
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_08.htm#teq

(9) View from the Top---by Steve Chriest
The Role of the Sales Team in Risk Management
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_08.htm#risk

(10) The List---November/December
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_05.htm#list_1109

Alexa Ranks Leasing Media Web Sites
World rankings

Rank	1/9/2010	12/9/2009	WEBSITE NAME
1.	178,825	180,489	www.leasingnews.org Leasing News
2.	722,904	1,125,910	www.icba.org Ind Community Bankers of America
3.	742,075	720,355	www.monitordaily.com Monitor Daily
4.	917,678	1,132,352	www.elfaonline.org
5.	1,200,674	1,377,690	www.naelb.org* National Assoc. of Equip Leasing Brokers
6.	1,363,526	1,298,074	www.leasinglife.co.uk The Journal for Asset Finance
7.	1,548,754	1,495,677	www.lessors.com eLessors Networking Association
8.	2,567,865	2,228,147	www.cfa.com Commercial Finance Association
9.	2,900,715	2,355,908	www.Worldleasingnews.com World Leasing News
10.	2,989,845	5,791,649	w www.leasefoundation.org Equip. Leasing & Fin Fndn
11.	4,467,128	3,541,631	www.executivecaliber.ws Exec Caliber-Jeffrey Taylor
12.	4,650,458	5,639,81	www.iicl.org Institute of International Container Lessors
13.	5,075,433	4,575,501	www.clpfoundation.org CLP Foundation
14.	6,131,102	5,078,897	www.nefassociation.org National Equipment Finance Association
15	6,995,424	no data	www.lesseeadvocate.com Lessee Advocate
16	12,791,648	9,803,910	www.leasingnotes.com Leasing Notes
17.	16,470,951	9,094,683	www.aglf.org Assoc of Government Leasing Financing
18.	16,527,368	no data	www.nationalfunding.org
19.	20,540,046	13,265,760	www.leasecollect.org Lean -Lease Enforcement Att Net
20.	21,083,659	13,476,944	www.Leasingpress.com Leasing Press

Alexa Ranks Leasing Media Web Sites
US rankings

Rank	1/9/2010	12/9/2009	WEBSITE NAME
1.	41,741	41,066	www.leasingnews.org Leasing News
2.	111,253	209,142	www.icba.org Ind Community Bankers of America
3.	210,748	175,154	www.monitordaily.com Monitor Daily
4.	225,170	267,289	www.elfaonline.org
5.	230,016	270,076	www.naelb.org* National Assoc. of Equip Leasing Brokers
6.	305,062	768,611	www.lessors.com eLessors Networking Association
7.	618,672	no data	w www.leasefoundation.org Equip. Leasing & Fin Fndn
8.	959,583	no data	www.iicl.org Institute of International Container Lessors

	no data	no data	www.cfa.com Commercial Finance Association
	no data	no data	www.clpfoundation.org CLP Foundation
	no data	no data	www.nefassociation.org National Equipment Finance Association
	no data	710,234	www.Worldleasingnews.com World Leasing News
	no data	959,705	www.executivecaliber.ws Exec Caliber-Jeffrey Taylor
	no data	no data	www.aglf.org Assoc of Government Leasing Financing
	no data	no data	www.Leasingpress.com Leasing Press
	no data	no data	www.leasingnotes.com Leasing Notes
	no data	no data	www.leaseassistant.org Lease Assistant
	no data	no data	www.leasecollect.org Lean -Lease Enforcement Att Net
	no data	no data	www.nationalfunding.org
	no data	no data	www.lesseeadvocate.com Lessee Advocate

David G. Mayer's Business Leasing and Finance News is not included in the Alexa report list as it does not have its own individual site and Alexa finds Patton Boggs, LLP Attorneys at Law. The rating is not valid as it includes all those who visit and communicate with the law firm. When Business Leasing and Finance News has its own individual web site, it will be included in the Alexa survey.

*It should be noted that NAELB web site "list serve" requires logging onto their site, meaing their e-mails are counted as a visit to the site, whereas they are "list serve" communication. These are technically visits to the web site, but primarily to use "list serve."

The Alexa tool bar works on most browsers. They are partnered with Google.

You may download their free tool bar A graph and analysis of the last three months are available.

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

EquipmentReady Introduces On-line Auction Website

TrucksReady.com provides one-stop-shopping for buyers and sellers

(SAN DIEGO) EquipmentReady, a free online classified service specializing in trucks, trailers and construction equipment, is proud to announce their newest division, TrucksReady.

TrucksReady was incepted when it was realized that most buyers searching for off-lease and repo-equipment were without a single resource that provided sale and auction listings as well as financing resources.

It was also realized that while some lenders manage and finance their own assets, some have small asset recovery companies do that for them. There is also a segment of lenders which finance their own assets to lower tier buyers based on their specific credit criteria.

The missing piece, however, was the creation of a single umbrella which would bring all these pieces together.

“I strongly believe we have an effective model which allows bank’s resellers and buyers to go to one website where buying, selling, and finance options are all available,” said Jules Dalsey, TrucksReady website manager. “What we’ve created is a one-stop-shop.

“Assets often sit for a very long time because many of the remarketing companies have limited budgets- which means assets that clearly need to be sold receive very limited marketing. Sometimes the listings only appear on one website- and unless that website is drawing a lot of traffic, this limits the number of people who are aware the listing exists.”

Unlike EBay Motors which limits sellers to 10 or 21 day listings, TrucksReady offers listings lasting up to 90 days. Sellers may terminate auctions early and have the option to auto-relist if their items don’t sell. There is also no upfront cost for listing assets on TrucksReady- the only cost sellers incur comes at the time of the sale. It is at that point and that point only, that 3% of the asset selling price will be billed. In addition, TrucksReady does not charge a buyer’s premium.

Although websites like Craigslist offer free listing options, TrucksReady feels they provide a service which is far superior.

“We feel that listing assets with us is a better option because our listings don’t get flagged down,” adds Dalsey. “Craigslist ads also expire every seven days- which means unsold assets need to be reposted, over and over and over again until a buyer is found. This process can become extremely time-consuming for banks and dealers alike. Not only have we created a way to remove the tediousness from this process, TrucksReady provides a single resource where bank assets and lenders can come together.”

TrucksReady is not, however trying to compete with the companies charged with selling bank owned assets.

“Our goal is not compete with any of these asset companies,” concludes Dalsey. “We want to work with them. What TrucksReady is offering is a place where bank owned assets are able to receive additional marketing- because we’re better positioned to expose these listings to potential buyers.”

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

San Fernando Tax Return Preparer Faces Federal Prison for
Filing False Tax Returns with the IRS and Stealing Refund Checks

Los Angeles – Appearing before United States District Judge S. James Otero, a San Fernando tax return preparer pleaded guilty this afternoon to charges that she filed false federal income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and stole refund checks payable to her clients.

Rosa Isela Naranjo, 34, of San Fernando, operator of Irma’s Tax Service, admitted in her plea agreement that she falsified information on her clients’ tax returns in order to generate fraudulent tax refunds and to under report her clients’ tax liability to the IRS.

Beginning in 2005 and continuing through 2008, Naranjo prepared false income tax returns claiming refunds based upon inflated deductions for medical, mortgage interest, and property tax expenses as well as business deductions. Additionally, Naranjo claimed credits for dependent care, residential energy, and education to which her clients were not entitled. Naranjo admitted filing 28 income tax returns on behalf of sixteen clients fraudulently claiming more than $90,000 in refunds.

Naranjo also admitted that, with respect to ten of her clients, she stole their tax refund payments by advising them that they did not qualify for a tax refund and showing them tax returns that did not claim a refund. Naranjo admitted that she filed tax returns on behalf of these ten clients claiming inflated tax refunds without their knowledge. She then diverted the refund payments she received from the IRS to herself, using the proceeds to pay her mortgage and make purchases at grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations. In total, Naranjo admitted she stole over $61,000 in checks payable to her clients, of which her clients were entitled to receive approximately $22,903 as legitimate refunds.

When sentenced, Naranjo faces a statutory maximum 30 years in federal prison and fines totaling $1,000,000 or more. Judge Otero ordered Naranjo to appear for sentencing on May 17, 2010.

The investigation and prosecution of Naranjo was conducted by IRS - Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office and the office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

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

Little Rock, Arkansas---Adopt-a-Dog

“Pepper is a charming little Shepherd mix puppy who is looking for a family to love and a home to call her own. Pepper was found lost, hungry, and thirsty in Little Rock. She was too young to be away from her mother and the little pup was too scared and too tired to run away from the Animal services officer. Poor little Pepper had huddled into a corner in fear when she was scooped up into the hands of her rescuer.

“The shelter is a frightening place for a small puppy. The cries, the constant barking, and the smell of fear is very stressful to small pups like Pepper, not to mention the heightened risk of infectious disease. Fortunately for Pepper and her siblings, they were spotted by a visiting volunteer from DogsOnly, and released to a caring foster home where they can run about and play in safety until they find their new permanent homes and families.

“To learn more about Pepper you can send an email to contact@dogsonly.org or complete an online adoption application by clicking the orange colored text links at the top or bottom of this page. We always try and answer all emails within 24 hours. All of our young and adult dogs require a 2 week home visit before finalizing the adoption process. This is to help ensure it is a good match for all involved without making a final commitment. All of our rescues are in private homes and not available to be visited outside of showing times. You can also meet Pepper and find out for yourself how wonderful she is at the DogsOnly adoption showings.

“All DogsOnly foster homes work with our rescues to ensure they are crate trained and most are also housetrained. None of the DogsOnly fosters have cats in their homes so we can only make our best guess as to how our rescues would do with cats. We rescue from high kill shelters and once accepted into our program, none of our rescues are euthanized. We provide for all their vet care, socialization and training until an appropriate home can be found.”

Pepper (left) with her sister Munchkin

“DogsOnly relies solely on donations and is a 501(c)3 Humane Society. Our mission is to rescue dogs that most other groups are not interested in due to their size, breed, age, health or other various reasons, and to provide education resources for dog owners and those with an interest in the wellbeing of dogs. DogsOnly believes that no dog should be left behind.

“All of our foster homes work with our rescues to ensure they are crate trained and most are also housetrained. None of our foster homes have cats, so we can only make our best guess as to how our rescues would do with cats.

“Thank you for your interest in rescue and in saving the life of a dog. Every day in the United States, 11,000 dogs die.”

http://www.dogsonly.org/

Adopt-a-Pet by Leasing Co. State/City
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Adopt_Pet.htm

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

1964 --U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued the first government report saying that smoking may be hazardous to one's health.

    1755- Alexander Hamilton, American statesman, an author of The Federalist papers, first secretary of the treasury, born at British West Indies. Engaged in a duel with Aaron Burr the morning of July 11, 1804, at Weehawken, NJ. Mortally wounded there and died July 12,1804.
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/B/hamilton/hamilxx.htm
    1770- Rhubarb was shipped by Benjamin Franklin from London, England to John Bartram in Philadelphia, Pa. Rhubarb pie was a favorite in the United Colonies.
    1775 - Francis Salvador, the first Jew to be elected in the Americas, takes his seat on the South Carolina Provincial Congress. In June 1776, Salvador, a Patriot, became known as the "Southern Paul Revere" when he warned Charleston, South Carolina, of the approaching British naval fleet. Thanks to Salvador's intelligence information, Fort Sullivan in Charleston harbor was able to prepare for the British attack, and the half-completed fort successfully repelled an attack by a British fleet under Sir Peter Parker. On August 1 of the same year, while leading a militia group under the general command of Major Wilkinson, Salvador and his men were ambushed by a group of Cherokees and Loyalists near present-day Seneca, South Carolina. Salvador was wounded and then scalped by the Cherokees. He was the first recorded Jewish soldier killed in the American War for Independence.
    1791--- In Philadelphia, Episcopal Bishop William White, 43, founded the First Day Society. It became the forerunner of the American Missionary Fellowship, chartered in 1817 and headquartered today in Villanova, PA.
    1795-Birthday of Barbara Heinemann or Heynemann, French-born U.S. spiritual leader of the Community of True Inspiration who supported Christian Metz in his moves from Europe to Iowa and organizing the network of the seven communities known as the Amana Society. As spiritual leader she held the society together after Metz's death.
    1801-Birthday of Caroline Matilda Stansbury Kirkland, a New Yorker who after her marriage lived as a frontier wife and authored A New Home - Who'll Follow? (1839). She wrote in a realistic style life that set a new standard for fiction. Her style was continued by her son Joseph Kirkland in his novels. She succeeded her husband as editor of a Unitarian weekly and later edited what became Sartain's Union Magazine. She was prominent in New York City literary circles.
    1813--First pineapples planted in Hawaii, brought from Spain.
http://www.royalty.nu/America/Hawaii.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pineapple.html
    1815- Birthday of John A. MacDonald, Canadian statesman, first prime minister of Canada. Born at Glasgow, Scotland, he died June 6,1891, at Ottawa. His birth anniversary is observed in Canada.
    1839- birthday of Eugenio Maria Hostos, Puerto Rican patriot, scholar and author of more than 50 books. Born at Rio Canas, Puerto Rico, he died at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Aug 11, 1903. The anniversary of his birth is observed as a public holiday in Puerto Rico.
    1842- birthday of William James, American psychologist and philosopher of distinguished family that included his brother, novelist Henry James. “There is no worse lie,” he wrote in Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), “than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.” Born at New York City, he died at Chocorua, NH, Aug 26, 1910.
    1848---The Town Council attempted to ban gambling in San Francisco.
    1861 - Alabama seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy.
    1870-Birthday of Alice (Caldwell) Hegan Rice, American novelist and short-story writer best known for her 1901 novel Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch which has been translated into dozens of languages, made into plays and movies.
    1878 - In New York, Alexander Campbell made the first delivery of milk in glass bottles. Until then, milk had been ladled from a container by the milkman, into the customer's own container.
    1885- Birthday of Alice Paul, Women's rights leader and founder of the National Woman's Party in: advocate of an equal rights amendment to the US Constitution. Born at Moorestown, NJ, she died there July 10,1977.
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?amtoday:1:./temp/~ammem_4bjr
    1892-- Paul Gauguin marries a 13-year-old Tahitian girl
    1897-Birthday of M.H. Cannon of Utah became the first woman state senator in America.
    1902 - "Popular Mechanics" magazine was first published. Initially, it had only five paying subscribers, and a few hundred readers who paid a nickel to buy it at newsstands. In September, 1903, the magazine became a monthly.
    1904- Pianist/composer Pinetop Smith born Orion, AL. One of my favorites, I have all his records, best known for “Pinetop's Boogie Woogie.”
    1907-- The Church of God, headquartered today in Cleveland, Tennessee, and with roots going back to 1886, officially adopted its current name
    1910- Canadian singer and saxophonist Art Hallman was born in Kitchener, Ontario. One of Canada's most popular tenors in the 1940's, Hallman was featured vocalist from 1939 to 1944 with Mart Kenney and his Western Gentlemen. He formed the Art Hallman Orchestra in 1945, and the band appeared in top hotels and dance halls in Toronto, as well as on CBC radio and station CFRB. Hallman's theme song was "Just a Moment More With You."
    1913-, Hudson Sedan, manufactured by the Hudson Motor Car Company, Detroit, MI, was shown at the 13 th National Automobile Show. It was the first sedan car with all accessories as standard equipment.
    1918 - A tremendous blizzard completely immobilized the Midwest, stopping mail service for two weeks. The vast storm then moved through the Great Lakes Region and the Ohio Valley. Winds reached 60 mph at Toledo OH, and the temperature plunged from 28 above to 15 below zero during passage of the cold front.
    1922 - A 14-year-old-boy, Canadian Leonard Thompson, became the first person to have his diabetes successfully treated with insulin.
    1923—drummer Osie Johnson birthday.
http://www.harlem.org/people/johnson.html#
    1924-- Louisiana blues singer Slim Harpo was born in West Baton Rouge. Heavily-influenced by Chicago boogie singer Jimmy Reed, Harpo scored on the pop charts in 1966 with "Baby, Scratch My Back." As well, he had a number-one rhythm-and-blues record in 1961 with "Rainin' in My Heart." Slim Harpo died in 1970.
    1927-- '50s pop singer Gisele MacKenzie, born Winnipeg.CA.
    1928 - Paul Whiteman recorded "Ol' Man River" on Victor Records. Bing Crosby sang as the featured vocalist on the song from the Broadway musical, "Showboat".
    1935 - Amelia Earhart Putnam became the first person to make a solo flight from Hawaii to California. Three years earlier, she became the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
    1935- Ronnie Hawkins, a pioneer of rock 'n' roll in Canada, was born in Huntsville, Arkansas.
Hawkins has been a father figure to many of Canada's leading rock musicians, and the graduates of his bands include the groups Crowbar and The Band, as well as Dom Troiano, King Biscuit Boy and David Clayton-Thomas. (Rompin') Ronnie Hawkins began touring the Ontario night club circuit in 1958 with his band the Hawks. In 1959, he scored on the US charts with "Mary Lou" and "40 Days."
Hawkins has remained in Canada since then, leaving his Ontario base only occasionally, as he did in 1976 to appear at The Band's farewell concert in San Francisco.
    1938 - The first woman bank president, Frances Moulton, assumed her duties in Limerick, Maine.
    1939- First Metronome all-Star session (Berigan, James, Goodman) records “ Blue Lou,” “The Blues.” Victor. These Metronome Jazz Magazine masters are fascinating to listen to as they are basically all star jam sessions.
    1939- actor-singer Sal Mineo was born in New York City. Better known for his acting than his singing, he did manage a top-ten record in 1957, "Start Movin'." On February 12th, 1975, Mineo was found murdered in Los Angeles.
    1939- Marlene Dietrich, "Falling In Love Again"
    1942- Saxophonist Clarence “Big Man” Clemmons born Norfolk, VA; with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
    1942 -23ºF (-31ºC), Kingston RI (state record)
    1943- Singer Jim Croce was born in Philadelphia. His narrative songs, such as "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" and "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," were extremely popular in the early '70s. Like Otis Redding, Croce's greatest popularity came after his death. And like Redding, Croce was killed in a plane crash - in 1973.
    1944 - Franz Kettner, a private in the German army and a prisoner of war at Camp Hearne in Texas, is killed by a Nazi kangaroo court. Internment camps for German prisoners of war were dominated by Nazi enforcers, who killed as many as 150 of their fellow prisoners during World War II.
    1944-HOWARD, JAMES H. (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Oschersleben, Germany, 11 January 1944. Entered service at: St. Louis, Mo. Birth: Canton, China. G.O. No.: 45, 5 June 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Oschersleben, Germany, on 11 January 1944. On that day Col. Howard was the leader of a group of P51 aircraft providing support for a heavy bomber formation on a long-range mission deep in enemy territory. As Col. Howard's group met the bombers in the target area the bomber force was attacked by numerous enemy fighters. Col. Howard, with his group, and at once engaged the enemy and himself destroyed a German ME. 110. As a result of this attack Col. Howard lost contact with his group, and at once returned to the level of the bomber formation. He then saw that the bombers were being heavily attacked by enemy airplanes and that no other friendly fighters were at hand. While Col. Howard could have waited to attempt to assemble his group before engaging the enemy, he chose instead to attack single-handed a formation of more than 30 German airplanes. With utter disregard for his own safety he immediately pressed home determined attacks for some 30 minutes, during which time he destroyed 3 enemy airplanes and probably destroyed and damaged others. Toward the end of this engagement 3 of his guns went out of action and his fuel supply was becoming dangerously low. Despite these handicaps and the almost insuperable odds against him, Col. Howard continued his aggressive action in an attempt to protect the bombers from the numerous fighters. His skill, courage, and intrepidity on this occasion set an example of heroism which will be an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.
    1945- Birthday of singer Naomi Judd.
    1947---Top Hits
For Sentimental Reasons - Nat King Cole
Ole Buttermilk Sky - The Kay Kyser Orchestra (vocal: Mike Douglas & The Campus Kids)
The Old Lamplighter - The Sammy Kaye Orchestra (vocal: Billy Williams)
Divorce Me C.O.D. - Merle Travis
    1948- future country superstar Loretta Lynn married Oliver (Mooney) Lynn. She was not quite 14 years old.
    1949- Lee Konitz's cuts first record “Progression” on Prestige.
    1953-Birthday of rock singer Pat Benatar.
    1955---Top Hits
Mr. Sandman - The Chordettes
The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane - The Ames Brothers
Hearts of Stone - The Fontane Sisters
Loose Talk - Carl Smith
    1956- Elvis Presley began his first recording session in Nashville. Among the songs recorded were "Heartbreak Hotel" and "I Was the One," which became Presley's first single for RCA Victor. Artists-and-repertoire chief Steve Sholes had bought his contract from Sun Records in Memphis for 35- thousand dollars. The record became the first of Elvis's more than 50 million-sellers.
    1956 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Memories Are Made of This," Dean Martin.
1957: In one of the biggest scandals to ever hit rock music, Jerry Lee Lewis marries his 14-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown, daughter of his cousin Jim. Lewis' first marriage is still valid; the divorce wouldn't be finalized for six months. Reports are that Myra still believes in Santa Claus. When the story breaks a few weeks later, Lewis' career would be seriously damaged.
    1958- The Coasters, "Charlie Brown"
    1958 - On CBS-TV's "Seahunt," Lloyd Bridges starred as Mike Nelson, an ex-Navy frogman turned underwater trouble shooter. The show spent four years on the network. The underwater sequences were shot in Silver Springs, Florida. The out-of- water sequences were filmed at Marineland of the Pacific.
My father Lawrence Menkin wrote several of the episodes.
    1958-- "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis became the number-one song in the US. Later in the year, many radio stations began banning his records because of his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin.
    1960: Aretha Franklin makes her stage debut at New York's Village Vanguard.
    1961-- The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman" hits #1
    1963---Top Hits
Telstar - The Tornadoes
Go Away Little Girl - Steve Lawrence
Hotel Happiness - Brook Benton
Ruby Ann - Marty Robbins
    1963 - On Sunset Boulevard in California, Whiskey-A-Go-Go opened. Bright lights and mini-skirt clad dancers in cages were the main features of the United State's first discotheque. . In the next decade and beyond, the Whiskey will be a popular meeting place for the record industry and a good place to be seen if you want to get into the industry. The Doors, among others, got their start there.
    1963- Tracy Caulkins, American swimmer, winner of more titles than any other amateur athlete. TC won 48 national titles, three Olympic gold medals (1984), set 66 world or U.S. records, and is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1990).
   1964 --U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued the first government report saying that smoking may be hazardous to one's health.
   1964- The famed Whisky a Go-Go nightclub opened on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard. The combination discotheque and concert venue quickly became the favored hangout for LA's hip set. It was famed for its go-go girls who both danced and acted as dj's, and for its house band, led by Johnny Rivers. The club also spotlighted the hottest acts from the US and Britain, among them the Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, the Who and Led Zeppelin.
    1964 - "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash becomes the first country album to top the U.S. pop album chart.
    1964—Famed singer Sam Cooke is shot and killed under mysterious circumstances at the Hacienda Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. The married singer picked up a young woman at a party, who claimed Cooke attempted to rape her. When she ran away, according to her testimony, Cooke followed and assaulted the hotel manager, demanding to know the girl's whereabouts. The manager shot Cooke three times.
    1965-- Ray Charles' "Crying Time" enters the pop charts
    1966-British Invasion band Herman's Hermits receive a gold record for the album "The Best of Herman's Hermits."
    1968- The Rolling Stones film their legendary Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus television special at Wembley television studios in Middlesex, England, featuring performances by John Lennon, Eric Clapton, the Who, Jethro Tull, Marianne Faithful -- and yes, circus people, all filmed in a circus tent. The show is never aired and only sees the light of day in 1996, supposedly because the Stones thought the Who upstaged them with their performance.
   1969--FRITZ, HAROLD A. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Place and date: Binh Long Province, Republic of Vietnam, 11 January 1969. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 21 February 1944, Chicago, 111. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. (then 1st Lt.) Fritz, Armor, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader with Troop A, near Quan Loi. Capt. Fritz was leading his 7-vehicle armored column along Highway 13 to meet and escort a truck convoy when the column suddenly came under intense crossfire from a reinforced enemy company deployed in ambush positions. In the initial attack, Capt. Fritz' vehicle was hit and he was seriously wounded. Realizing that his platoon was completely surrounded vastly outnumbered, and in danger of being overrun, Capt. Fritz leaped to the top of his burning vehicle and directed the positioning of his remaining vehicles and men. With complete disregard for his wounds and safety, he ran from vehicle to vehicle in complete view of the enemy gunners in order to reposition his men, to improve the defenses, to assist the wounded, to distribute ammunition, to direct fire, and to provide encouragement to his men. When a strong enemy force assaulted the position and attempted to overrun the platoon, Capt. Fritz manned a machine gun and through his exemplary action inspired his men to deliver intense and deadly fire which broke the assault and routed the attackers. Moments later a second enemy force advanced to within 2 meters of the position and threatened to overwhelm the defenders. Capt. Fritz, armed only with a pistol and bayonet, led a small group of his men in a fierce and daring charge which routed the attackers and inflicted heavy casualties. When a relief force arrived, Capt. Fritz saw that it was not deploying effectively against the enemy positions, and he moved through the heavy enemy fire to direct its deployment against the hostile positions. This deployment forced the enemy to abandon the ambush site and withdraw. Despite his wounds, Capt. Fritz returned to his position, assisted his men, and refused medical attention until all of his wounded comrades had been treated and evacuated. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Capt. Fritz, at the repeated risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect the greatest credit upon himself, his unit, and the Armed Forces.
    1970-- The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, to win Super Bowl IV. the Chiefs, 14—point underdogs, evened the AFL's Super Bowl record at 2-2 with their triumph. Kansas City was led by quarterback Len Dawson, named the game's Most Valuable Player.
    1970 - Billy Casper became the second golfer in history to top the $1-million mark in career earnings; thanks to winning the Los Angeles Open golf tournament.
    1971---Top Hits
My Sweet Lord/Isn't It a Pity - George Harrison
Knock Three Times - Dawn
Black Magic Woman - Santana
Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson
    1972 - Downslope winds hit the eastern slopes of the Rockies in northern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming. Boulder CO reported wind gusts to 143 mph and twenty-five million dollars property damage.
    1973-- The American League changed its playing rules to allow for the use of a designated hitter, one player to bat for the pitcher throughout the game without being required to play in the field. the rule was intended to boost offensive production and to allow better starting pitchers to remain in the game longer.
  1974-country storyteller Tom. T. Hall topped the country singles charts with "I Love." His other number-one songs that year included "That Song is Driving Me Crazy" and "Country Is."
    1976-- US female Figure Skating championship won by Dorothy Hamill.
    1976-- Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat" enters the pop charts
    1977- AT & T approves dual listings in phone books for wife and husband without extra charge, ending a three-year battle by feminists.
    1979---Top Hits
Too Much Heaven - Bee Gees
My Life - Billy Joel
Sharing the Night Together - Dr. Hook
Tulsa Time - Don Williams
    1980- composer John Williams succeeded the late Arthur Fiedler as the conductor of the Boston Pops.
    1984-the album "Thriller" by Michael Jackson became the all-time bestselling LP. "Thriller," with ten-million copies sold, surpassed the previous best-seller, the soundtrack from "Saturday Night Fever." "Thriller" eventually sold more than 40 million copies. Also on January 11th, 1984, Michael Jackson was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards.
    1986-- L. Douglas Wilder was sworn in as lieutenant governor of Virginia. He was the first black elected to statewide office in the South since Reconstruction. He later served as governor.
    1987- Madonna's video about a pregnant teenager, "Papa Don't Preach," won the top award on the first World Music Video Awards. The three-hour program was co-produced by Canada's MuchMusic Network and Europe's Sky Channel. It was telecast live via satellite to five continents.
    1987---Top Hits
Walk Like an Egyptian - Bangles
Notorious - Duran Duran
Shake You Down - Gregory Abbott
Give Me Wings - Michael Johnson
    1987 -- Denver quarterback John Elway engineers "The Drive." Trailing Cleveland 20-13 with 5:32 remaining in the AFC championship game, Elway marches the Broncos 98 yards on 15 plays to force overtime, then moves Denver 60 yards on nine plays on their first possession of overtime to set up Rich Karlis' game-winning 33-yard field goal in the Broncos' 23-20 victory.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/0111.jpg
    1987 - A storm in the northeastern U.S. buried the mountains of central Vermont with up to 26 inches of snow, and snowfall totals in Maine ranged up to 27 inches at Telos Lake. Winds gusted to 45 mph at Newark NJ and Albany NY.
    1988 - Snow and high winds in Utah resulted in a fifty car pile-up along Interstate 15. Winds in Wyoming gusted to 115 mph at Rendezvous Peak.
    1992-Paul Simon becomes the first international star to perform in South Africa following the end of the UN cultural boycott. He began a concert tour in Johannesburg.
    1992--- US female Figure Skating championship won by Kristi Yamaguchi
    1998 --NFC Championship Green Bay Packers beat San Francisco 49'ers 23-10
    1998-- AFC Championship Denver Broncos beat Pitt Steelers 24-21
    1998-- US female Figure Skating championship won by Michelle Kwan
    1998--- US male Figure Skating championship won by Todd Eldredge
    1999-- NASA declared 1998 the warmest year on record. Global surface temperatures increased by 0.34 of a degree Fahrenheit. The average temperature of 58.496 degrees Fahrenheit eclipsed the previous record set in 1995. The 1998 warmth was associated partly with a strong El Niño, a periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean.
    1999-At the American Music Awards, Billy Joel is given the Special Award of Merit for his "inspired songwriting skills" and "exciting showmanship." Also at the show, Blondie (with four of the original members: Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri, and Clem Burke) perform on stage with rapper Coolio singing the band's "No Exit."

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