Newport Financial Partners, Newport Beach, California
Bulletin Board Complaint

Mary Wimbish, Downstream Environmental, LLC, Houston, Texas, who is also a member of the Texas Attorney State Bar, December 19, 2012 sent an email to Leasing News with documentation, stating she signed a lease agreement and then sent in $10,811.02 to finance four bioreactors tanks as she states was assured by Richard Nicholson, Partner, his company Newport Financial Partners was a direct lender via Wells Fargo Bank.

During the course of the transactions, she realized something was not right, according to her, finding where her check was cash, and then contacting Wells Fargo Bank, Newport Beach, California "...and learned that Newport had a business account but no line of credit. Further inquiries in the same industry revealed that Newport is not a direct lender. Newport is a lease Broker."

During the course of this transaction, she obtained a "cash advance" loan, which Newport Financial was aware, as she was considering them for this after they said they could arrange it, then realized they were brokers and not lending the money directly.

Richard Nicholson, Partner, responded to Leasing News, in part:

"I am writing to dispute all claims levied against Newport Financial Partners, LLC by Mary Wimbish at Downstream Environmental, LLC. On Oct 17, 2012 Mary Wimbish entered into a lease agreement with Newport Financial Partners to finance 4 bioreactor tanks. We at Newport Financial Partners, LLC are lenders as well as brokers. We are licensed with the state of California to lend money,"

Newport is licensed, but is no longer located at the address on the license:

In a follow-up email, Mr. Nicholson stated that Downstream Environmental had breached Paragraph 22 of the lease (1):

“22. EXCLUSIVITY: Tenant acknowledges and agrees that Lessor will expend significant effort and expense in considering and responding to Tenant's Lease. Accordingly, Tenant agrees that for the period commencing. on the date hereof and continuing until Tenant enters into this Lease; Tenant will not, directly or indirectly. solicit other inquiries or offers relating to, or entertain, negotiate or consummate any, financing transaction in substitution or in lieu of this Lease or otherwise relating to the Leased Property or similar property contemplated by this Lease." (2)

Ms. Wimbish responded:

"…the contract was signed Oct 17, when it was clear I was defrauded out of my money, I wrote them an email canceling the lease. the lease is not binding until signed by Newport, and they never signed it...see the top of page two of the lease, top left hand corner. "lease not binding until signed"

the 12,500 loan was for cash, not equipment. they sent me an email in writing saying they were the direct lender because I needed the funds right away and wanted assurances that they were ready to fund...they assured me they were the direct lender, and were not shopping for funds from other lenders, that they had the funds.

“I borrowed the 12,500 in cash after I canceled the lease with Newport. I waited for funding for six weeks, and canceled the lease after waiting six weeks, when I discovered they were lying about who they were, I did not want to do any more business with them, they lied so much.

“They induced the contract on false information that they were the lender, they had my money more than 30 days, I was told the funding would be immediate and it did not happen, they asked for the financial statements and I said you are shopping for a lease with a third party, and they told me they were shopping and had no ready to fund...at this time they had my money and I had waited weeks, without funding, and I lost all confidence in them, they would have never received a dime from me if they had not assured me the funding would be immediate.

“I got nothing for my $10,811.00...NOTHING

“Texas has a Deceptive Trade Practices Act that makes it illegal for parties to misrepresent the capacity IN WHICH THEY ARE DOING BUSINESS WITH A CUSTOMER, AND IT ALLOWS FOR TREBLE DAMAGES AND ATTY FEES.

“It also makes it illegal to use bait and switch tactics, or false representations about the amount of time the job will take to finish, or when products will be received etc..

“false timelines are illegal, and I was given a false time line, and falsely led to believe the loan was from Newport and would be Immediate.”

December 27, 2012 Mr. Nicholson responded: "our exclusivity clause states "consummate any, financing..." which means she can't search for ANY credit when we are working with her.

“I'd say I'm hoping you demonstrate a high level of objectivity on the matter; however I will not be surprised when you do not as I understand you have to make a living too by collecting a fee."

Mr. Nicholson left out the major part of the statement Paragraph 22 , which reads:

" ...any, financing transaction in substitution or in lieu of this Lease or otherwise relating to the Lease Property or similar properly contemplated by this Lease." It specifically does not pertain to four bioreactor tanks or Lease Property, or prohibits a "cash advance loan." (3)

For the record, Leasing News earns no fee or financial remuneration in any manner, serving as an ombudsman, a long time news media tradition. The role is to determine if the complaint is legitimate and if so, post the complaint, giving both sides.

1. November 16, 2012 letter
   http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/NicholsonNov16letter.pdf
   

2. Paragraph 22 of Lease
   http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/Paragraph22oflease.pdf
   

3. Downstream Environmental - Signed Lease Agreement-1
   

Preious Bulletin Board Complaints
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2012/11_21.htm#bbc
http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2012/5_09.htm#bbc
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2011/8_03.htm#newport_bbc

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

Classified Ads---Asset Management/Collections

(These ads are “free” to those seeking employment
or looking to improve their position)

Long Grove, Illinois 17+ years Comdisco, accounts receivable, collections, customer service, plus senior management, seeking full time or part time assignment. 847-359-4066roborgaard@aol.com | Resume

Port St Lucie, FL 20+ yrs exp. commercial collection/late stage specialist.  Prefer to work from home based office or transfer to Sarasota areamichaelgalan@comcast.net | Resume

Free Posting for those seeking employment in Leasing:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

All “free” categories “job wanted” ads:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigations
and background information provided by John Kenny)

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2012 "Complaints" Bulletin Board
Customer Complaints

(These are postings for informational purposes. Any response, correction, addition, will be posted. We reserve the right to edit or delete any opinion that is not in good taste)

Complaint Procedure:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2011/9_16.htm#bbc_update

Leasing News receives from 10 to 15 complaints a month, sometimes more. The great majority of these complaints are resolved. They mostly fail into the category of not returning an advance payment followed by abuse of Evergreen clauses, which is becoming more prevalent. There has been a higher amount of brokers not paid by other lessors (who are also brokers) than previous years. Almost all these lessors do not belong to a leasing association, as well as many were introduced on groups on LinkedIn.com.

Complete List to Year 2000
http://www.leasingnews.org/bulletin_board.htm

Bookmark us

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Long Island, New York Experienced & Successful SALESPERSON wanted with immediate "Book of Business", salary -leading to draw/commission comp formula. Excellent Benefits- must be within one hour of our office. svenuto@macrolease.com Since 1969, Macrolease has been operating as a full service national equipment leasing company, a subsidiary of Bank Rhode Island

Business Development Officer Baltimore-Washington DC Area Should have existing client base.  Work from corporate office as required. Salary plus commission structure, benefits, expense plan. Email:Alevine@madisoncapital.com or npistorio@madisoncapital.com www.madisoncapital.com 35 years equipment & vehicle financing full service direct funder for small to mid-ticket transactions, with syndication abilities for large ticket.

For information on placing a help wanted ad, please click here:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Hwanted/Hwanted-post.htm 

Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees.

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“I don’t want to work with the company recruiter!”
Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

Question: I am attempting to apply for a position, but the company is insisting I work directly with the recruiter they have engaged. I prefer to work directly with the company, how do I get around this?

Answer: You can’t … many employers / companies “engage” recruiters to handle their front-end recruiting efforts to save them time by pre-screening, filtering and presenting the best qualified Candidates. The only way to skip this process is if you know someone within the company that has “pull”. However, I caution - if you have already contacted the company and they have explained the process, they will not be pleased that you tried to circumvent the process.

Best bet, get to know the recruiter and present yourself in the best possible light - the employer has chosen this route for a reason.

Partner up with the recruiter, don’t forget they know of other opportunities; if this position does not work out, they most likely will present other opportunities either now or in the future.

After reading my recommendation, if you still are intent in not wanting to work with the company recruiter, you only other opportunity is to try elsewhere.

Good Luck!

Emily Fitzpatrick
Sr. Recruiter
Recruiters International, Inc.
Phone: 954-885-9241
Cell: 954-612-0567
emily@riirecruit.com
Invite me to Connect on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-fitzpatrick/4/671/76
Also follow us on Twitter #RIIINFO

Career Crossroads Previous Columns
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/crossroad.html

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Companies who utilize Evergreen Clauses
for Extra Lease Payments

These companies use language in their purchase options to confuse, perhaps to deceive, with the result an automatic continuation for an additional twelve months of payments.

Several have continuation of payments and the requirement of replacing the equipment for a new lease. Leasing News has had complaints involving companies who invoke the twelve months on a $1.00 purchase option, as well as on an Equipment Finance Agreements.

ACC Capital, Midvale, Utah
Balboa Capital, Irvine, California
GE Leasing 
IFC Credit, Morton Grove, Illinois
Jules and Associates
LEAF Financial Group, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Marlin Business Leasing, Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Marquette Equipment Finance, Midvale, Utah 
Mazuma Capital Corporation, Draper, Utah
Onset Financial, South Jordan, Utah 
Republic Bank, Bountiful, Utah
Tetra Financial Group, Salt Lake City, Utah

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Leasing 102
by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP

What Is The Supply Contract?

Article 2A presents the requirements to be a “true Lease” in Article. 1-201 (37).GENERAL DEFINITIONS: “SECURITY INTEREST”. A lease is an exception to the definition of a security interest so paragraph 201 (37) presents the definition of a lease in a negative presentation because it is not a security interest. However you have to go into 2A to see some additional requirements.

In Article 2A ownership for legal purposes is defined as a three party lease or a two party lease. A two party lease is when the lessor is always the vendor. A Three party lease separates the lessor and the vendor. This solves the issue of responsibility for equipment condition or performance. In a two party lease the lessor is responsible for performance. In a three party lease if the lessor wants to be removed from responsibility for performance it must follow the requirements.

The supply contract is defined as the warrantees and guarantees provided by the vendor. Article 2A requires the lessor to pass the supply contract to the lessee to avoid performance responsibilities. If the supply contract is passed it means the lessee can contact the vendor directly for warrantee or performance issues. Most leases have language that states the lessor passes the supply contract to the lessee. However, most vendors invoice (when properly drafted) shows the lessor as the purchaser not the lessee.

If you think about it the vendor needs to get out of the middle between the lessee and the vendor. Even though you have passed the supply contract to the lessee you are promising a third party’s performance without their permission and they may refuse to honor it unless the lessor is involved. A lot of extra work for the lessor and it may lead to litigation against the lessor if the warrantees are not satisfactorily handled.

The proper method to pass the supply contract is to include language in the purchase order to the vendor such as:

Title to the equipment shall pass from you directly to us and shall be free of all liens and encumbrances. You warrant that the equipment will comply with all warranties, agreements and representations made by you to lessee, and you agree that all warranties agreements and representations made by you (supply contract) to lessee or to us shall be fully enforceable by us and/or by lessee in its own name.

Many lessors fail to use purchase orders and run the risk of being responsible for equipment that fails to live up to promises made at the beginning. Even if they can deflect the action to the vendor the litigation to defend the case could be very expensive.

Proper documentation in leasing is a critical requirement and proper transfer of the supply contract is just one more issue that seems not to be clearly understood by some lessors.

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 502-649-0448.

He invites your questions and queries.

Previous #102 Columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Leasing_102/Index.htm

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

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Top Stories January 7--January 11
(You May Have Missed)

Here are the top ten stories opened by readers:

(1) Reaction to Leasing News Person of the Year 2012
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_09.htm#reaction

(2) Leasing Person of the Year Tony Golobic, CEO
GreatAmerica Financial Services
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_07.htm

(3) Macquarie to Outsource all to US Micro
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_11.htm#macquarie

(4) New Hires---Promotions
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_11.htm#hires

(5) Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
Who is the Owner of the Equipment?
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_07.htm#owner

(6) Iowa Court Rules that Woman May be Fired for Being Too attractive By Tom McCurnin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_07.htm#iowa

(7) 2012 Leasing Colleagues Who Passed Away
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_11.htm#passed

(Tie) (8) Ascentium Capital Volume Increases 323% vs. Q4 2011
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_11.htm#ac

(Tie) (8) The Aberdeen Kid—Yahoo Blog NorVergence
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_09.htm#blog

(9) Exclusive from ZRG Partners USA Equipment Leasing Hiring Index surges 52% in Q4
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_09.htm#zrg

(10) Cartoon---Recession May Be Endinghttp://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_09.htm#cartoon

Bank in Washington State First to Fail in 2012
Bank Beat

The two branches of Westside Community Bank, University Place, Washington, were closed. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with Sunwest Bank, Irvine, California, to assume all of the deposits. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was Bank of Whitman, Colfax, on August 5, 2011.

Formed March 29, 1995, the bank had 16 full time employees at its office in Puyallup and University Place. In 2007, the bank had 32 full time employees.

According to the newstribune.com, “Westside Community Bank’s capital has been depleted by large loan losses associated with land development and construction, as well as commercial real estate lending,” said Rick Riccobono, director of DFI’s Division of Banks, in a Friday release. “While the board of directors and management have worked diligently to address the bank’s problems they were unable to raise sufficient capital to remain viable.”

Riccobono said that, in his opinion, Westside will be the only bank to fail in Washington in 2013.

At Westside “the numbers were pretty bad,” Riccobono said by phone Friday evening. “There was an unusual circumstance. They had a lot of land, construction development. They needed capital, and the bank president suffered an illness and subsequently died during the fundraising effort. The board hadn’t replaced him in hopes that he would be back. The difference between this and the others – they lost the person who was going to be responsible, and he was out of commission. When they brought someone in, it was too late. It was a critical year.”

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/business/2013/01/11/westside-community-bank-of-university-place-fails-california-bank-takes-over-all-assets/

Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 1.19%

It was much more than poor real estate loans, more like making loans for friends and colleagues, no matter the economy.

Note the charge offs were primarily in nonfarm/nonresidential properties, followed often by commercial and industrial charge offs.

(In Millions, unless otherwise noted)

2006 $421,000 ( $421,000 commercial and industrial)
2007 $3,000 ( $51,000 nonfarm/nonr res., -$48,000 commercial/industrial)
2008 $264,000 ($55,000 1-4 family,$103,000 commercial/ind. $75,000 individual, -$50k000 nonfarm/nonres.)
2009 $6.1 ( $2.1 nonfarm/nonres., $1.8 construction/land, $1.4 commercial/ind., $318,000 other,$317,000 1-4 family)
2010 $2.6 ($2.1 nonfarm/nonres.,$292,00 commercial/ind., $93,00 1-4 family home, $31,000 ind.,$23,000 other)
2011 $4.0 ($1.9 nonfarm/nonres.,$784,000 1-4 family, $768,000 commercial/ind.,$41,000 credit cards,$39,000 indiv.)
9/31 $4.4 ($2.3 nonfarm/nonres., $736,000 1-4 family, $698,00 commercial/ind., $553,000 construction/land,$168,000 indiv.,$99,000 other)

Construction and Land, 1-4 family multiple residential, Multiple Family Residential, Non-Farm Non-Residential loans.

Non-Current Loans were also high, coming first in 2009, and for the next few years the FDIC had them on their problem list, with several consent forms, as the net equity diminished as well as the profits.

Non-Current Loans
2006 0
2007   $1.9
2008   $6.2
2009 $13.4
2010 $24.6
2011 $17.7
9/31 $16.7

Net Equity
2006 $12.6
2007 $14.1
2008 $15.4
2009 $12.1
2010 $10.4
2011   $6.4
9/31   $1.0

Profit

2006 $1.6
2007 $1.66
2008 $30,000
2009 -$3.4
2010 -$1.9
2011 -$3.9
9/31 -$5.4

As of September 30, 2012, Westside Community Bank had approximately $97.7 million in total assets and $96.5 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, Sunwest Bank agreed to purchase essentially all of the assets.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $20.3 million.

Bank Failure Map:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_09.htm#problem

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

Bank Beat:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Bank_Beat.htm

Comprehensive personal property tax outsourcing services We accept file exports and integrate personal property tax information with all lease management or accounting software. No other firm offers the combination of individual attention, software capabilities expertise, "full disclosure" and web port accessibility to information more than we do.  Click here to learn what our clients say about our service Gary DiLillo, President 440.871.0555 or gary@avptc.com

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Ten Most Profitable U.S. Companies
24WallSt.com

(Most of these companies pay little, if any corporate income tax, having offshore accounts, including in tax havens, as well as special tax favors.)

10.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $467 billion, up 5%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $16 billion, up 10%
Stock price: $68.36
52-week range: $57.18 – $77.60
Market cap: $228.68 billion

9.
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $58 billion, down 1%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $17 billion, up 6%
Stock price: $26.76
52-week range: $20.75 – $26.77
Market cap: $197.02 billion

8.
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $148 billion, up 2%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $18 billion, up 11%
Stock price: $21.17
52-week range: $18.02 – $23.18
Market cap: $222.00 billion

6.
(tie) International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $107 billion, up 2%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $19 billion, up 10%
Stock price: $192.88
52-week range: $177.35 – $211.79
Market cap: $217.94 billion

6.
(tie) Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $85 billion, down 1%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $19 billion, up 9%
Stock price: $35.40
Range: $28.77 – $36.60
Market cap: $186.36 billion

5.
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $100 billion, up 2%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $20 billion, up 6%
Stock price: $46.15
Range: $30.83 – $46.49
Market cap: $175.44 billion

3.
(tie) Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $80 billion, up 9%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $24 billion, up 7%
Stock price: $26.46
Range: $26.26 – $32.95
Market cap: $222.70 billion

3.

(tie) Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $260 billion, up 8%
Forecast 2013 earnings: Flat at $24 billion
Stock price: $110.47
Range: $95.73 – $118.53
Market cap: $216.21 billion

2.

Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $473 billion, down 1%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $37 billion, up 2%
Stock price: $89.10
Range: $77.13 – $93.67
Market cap: $406.24 billion

1.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)
Forecast 2013 revenue: $191 billion, up 23%
Forecast 2013 earnings: $46 billion, up 10%
Stock price: $523.51
Range: $418.66 – $705.07
Market cap: $491.60 billion

Research by Brian Zajac & Douglas A. McIntyre

Full Story:
http://247wallst.com/2013/01/14/2013s-most-profitable-companies/

German Shepherd Mix
Fultonham, New York Adopt-a-Dog

Rescue Me ID: 13-01-11-00121
Fagan
Male
German Shepherd Mix
Age: Young Puppy

Compatibility: Good with Most Dogs, Good with Kids and Adults
Personality: Average Energy, Average Temperament
Health: Needs to be Neutered

“If you have the love in your heart, and the time, willingness and ability, to commit to sweet Fawn for her whole life -- no matter what may lie ahead in yours -- then, please, register on our website (www.safeatlast.net) (click 'register' on the bottom left hand side of the homepage). When your password is sent back to your email account, then please log back on with your username and password and complete an online adoption application (under Forms/Applications on the left hand side of the homepage). Once we have your completed application, a volunteer will be in touch to work with you through our review process. Our review process is very straightforward, but it does involve a phone interview, reference checks, and a home assessment. An adoption fee of $300, plus a refundable $35 spay/neuter deposit (required by NYS law), also apply. Please understand that because our rescue babies are fostered in private homes, you cannot meet the pups until you have been approved for adoption. We appreciate your understanding in this regard. However, if you have other questions or need assistance along the way, please email us at info@safeatlast.net. We are happy to assist. Thank you for wanting to welcome one of our sweet rescue pups into your heart and home. And thank you for helping us save shelter pets, one life at a time.”

Adoption Fee: $300.00

Animal Location:Safe at Last Animal Rescue
Schoharie County Fultonham, NY
Contact: (518)294-6473
EMAIL: http://editor.rescueme.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/

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

Frechette to Lead Alta’s New Vertical Focus on Diversified Industries,
Gerard to Head Firm’s Management Consulting Practice

RENO, NEV., -- The Alta Group, a global equipment leasing and finance consultancy, announced today the development of a new vertical industry focus, Diversified Industries, to be headed by Paul W. Frechette, a senior managing director. Alta also appointed Valerie L. Gerard to head its Management Consulting Practice.

John Dean, The Alta Group, Founder

“We have seen significant growth in client engagements within Diversified Industries, including health care, construction, alternative energy, manufacturing, and transportation,” said John C. Deane, CEO of The Alta Group. “Paul has more than three decades of experience in equipment leasing and finance, and exposure to the manufacturers using financing to improve sales.

Paul Frechette

Frechette joined Alta in 2011 to head its Vendor and Captive Finance Practice and will continue to be involved in client engagements requiring his expertise in this category. In his new position he will expand Alta’s consulting practice in markets where leasing is attractive and where financing operations can expand, counseling clients on building new markets, driving revenue growth, and improving market positioning.

His accomplished career in vendor and captive finance includes a focus on strategic and financial planning, tactical execution, quality controls, organizational leadership, and hands-on client development activities on a global basis. Prior to joining Alta, Frechette was executive vice president at EverBank Commercial Finance (formerly Tygris Commercial Finance), part of the management team responsible for the growth of its vendor finance business.

Valerie L. Gerard, managing director, will manage the captive and vendor business for Alta in her new role as head of Alta’s Management Consulting Practice. Deane said that since Gerard joined Alta two years ago she has demonstrated excellence in working with Alta’s clients in numerous engagements.

“Our Management Consulting Practice, which now includes vendor/captive programs, is one of our most important. We wanted to pair Valerie's engagement management skills and background with our clients' needs in this very important space,” he added.

Leveraging her extensive career and areas of expertise, Gerard’s research and consulting work for Alta clients has included a variety of market entry, capital markets access, rating agency advisory, investment community messaging, and market survey projects.

She has worked in the financial services, media, and telecommunications industries for more than 25 years, developing deep management expertise in business strategy, capital markets/funding, corporate reputation and valuation, investor relations, and rating agency relations.

About The Alta Group
Since 1992, The Alta Group has represented equipment leasing and finance companies, financial institutions, manufacturers and service providers, offering management consulting and expertise in global market entry, vendor finance, professional development, legal support services, and mergers and acquisitions. The full array of practices in North America is described at www.thealtagroup.com/north-america.

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

News Briefs----

ELFA Announces Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends
http://www.liftandaccess.com/content/equipment-leasing-and-finance-association-announces-top-10-equipment-acquisition-trends-2013

The Alta Group and Carl Chrappa's IEC Announce Merger
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/14/5113005/the-alta-group-and-carl-chrappas.html

OCC Issues Cease and Desist Order Against JPMorgan Chase, N.A.,
---Related to Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering
http://www.occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2013/nr-occ-2013-8a.pdf

JP Morgan CEO James Dimon to lose his bonus
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/whale_bites_again

Officials Indicted After Bank's Collapse in Georgia
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014241278873

CEO: Chrysler on a roll, can't stop now
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2013/01/14/CEO-Chrysler-on-a-roll-cant-stop-now/UPI-85121358200496/

Samsung sells 100 million Galaxy S smartphones
http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/

Apple cutting back on orders for iPhone 5 components
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/apple-cutting-back-on-orders-for-iphone-5-components-according-to-wall-street-journal-report/2013/01/14/38807866-5e49-11e2-8acb-ab5cb77e95c8_story.html

Lance Armstrong comes clean on doping to Oprah, source says
http://www.contracostatimes.com/other-sports/ci_22371113/source-lance-armstrong-says-sorry-livestrong-staff-before

Behind Lance Armstrong's Decision to Talk
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788

Dell in talks to go private
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/dell-talks-private-shares-surge-010243990.html

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---You May Have Missed

Homeland Security How to Disable Java on Your Computer
http://www.designntrend.com/articles/3110/20130112/how-to-disable-java-step-by-step-tutorial-protect-yourself-hackers-using-java-photos.htm

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SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

55 Healthy Snacks under 200 Calories
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1792

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Sports Briefs----

How to Beat the 49ers
http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/jeff-schultz/2013/jan/14/falcons-need-pass-rush-aggressive-approach-vs-49er/

Purdy: Falcons have their hands full with 49ers' Colin Kaepernick
http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_22372844/purdy-falcons-have-their-hands-full-49ers-colin

Stats genius Nate Silver says Niners won’t be in the Super Bowl (VIDEO)
http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2013/01/14/for-once-hes-wrong-stats-genius-nate-silver-says-niners-wont-be-in-the-super-bowl-video/

Sacramento arena at Downtown Plaza now part of Kings courtship
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/13/5110837/sacramento-arena-at-downtown-plaza.html

[headlines]
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American Football Poem

Hope Is a Tattered Flag 
by Carl Sandburg

Hope is a tattered flag and a dream of time. 
Hope is a heartspun word, the rainbow, the shadblow in white 
The evening star inviolable over the coal mines, 
The shimmer of northern lights across a bitter winter night, 
The blue hills beyond the smoke of the steel works, 
The birds who go on singing to their mates in peace, war, peace, 
The ten-cent crocus bulb blooming in a used-car salesroom, 
The horseshoe over the door, the luckpiece in the pocket, 
The kiss and the comforting laugh and resolve— 
Hope is an echo, hope ties itself yonder, yonder. 
The spring grass showing itself where least expected, 
The rolling fluff of white clouds on a changeable sky, 
The broadcast of strings from Japan, bells from Moscow, 
Of the voice of the prime minister of Sweden carried 
Across the sea in behalf of a world family of nations 
And children singing chorals of the Christ child 
And Bach being broadcast from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 
And tall skyscrapers practically empty of tenants 
And the hands of strong men groping for handholds 
And the Salvation Army singing God loves us….

[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

State fiscal analyst says California budget 'roughly in balance'
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2013/01/state-fiscal-analyst-says-california-budget-roughly-in-balance.html

Former councilwoman reports to prison. stole $3.5 million
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jan/14/former-councilwoman-hanson-cox-reports-to-prison/

A Poorer San Bernardino, and a More Dangerous One, Too
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/us/crime-rises-in-san-bernardino-after-bankruptcy.html?hp

[headlines]
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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Wines & Vines Completes Merger with Practical Winery & Vineyard
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news

Buying kosher wine online? L’chaim!
http://thedailyrecord.com/ontherecord/2013/01/11/buying-kosher-wine-online-lchaim/

Foley expanding wine empire with recent acquisitions
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130112/ARTICLES

Vin65 launches iPad POS system for wineries
http://wine.drinks-business-review.com/news/vin65-launches-ipad-pos-system-for-wineries-110113

The ‘3 Vs’ of wine
http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/wine/columnists/allen-balik/the-vs-of-wine/article_11b7f2e6-5b8c-11e2-8cf7-001a4bcf887a.html

Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

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

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

Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\

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

    1697- The citizens of Massachusetts spent a day of fasting and repentance for their roles in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Judge Samuel Sewall, who had presided over many of those 20 capital judgments, published a written confession acknowledging his own "blame and shame."
    1716- Birthday of Phillip Livingston, merchant and signer of the Declaration of Independence, born at Albany, NY. Died at York, PA, June 12, 1778.
http://www.philiplivingston.com/ 
    1762- Fraunces Tavern opens in New York City NY, owned by “Black Sam,” one of the most prominent Blacks involved in the American Revolution ( thought to be born in the West Indies). The tavern was a prominent place with George Washington, and main meeting place for the Sons of Liberty.
http://www.nyfreedom.com/Frauncestavern.htm
http://www.fieldtrip.com/ny/24251778.htm
http://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/
    1777 - Vermont declared its independence from Britain and established a republic, which lasted until the state joined the Union in 1791.
    1781 - A British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burned Richmond, Virginia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold
    1825- the first tax enacted by a state to support public schools was “ an act providing for the establishment of free schools” by Illinois. It provided for a common school in each county, open to every class of white citizens between the ages of 5 and 21 years and supported by a tax of $2 of every $100 and five-sixth of the interest from the school fund.
    1844- The University of Notre Dame was chartered under Roman Catholic auspices in Indiana. 
http://www.nd.edu/
    1845--Birthday of Ella Flagg Young, educator, first woman president of the National Education Association and superintendent of the Chicago school system (1909), the first woman to supervise a school system in a major U.S. city. When an anti-woman faction tried to unseat her in 1913, she drew on all her political experience and rallied public pressure that forced four of her opponents to resign. 
    1852 -Mt. Sinai Hospital was incorporated by Sampson Simson and eight associates in NY City. It was the first Jewish hospital in the U.S.
http://www.mountsinaihospital.org/msh/msh-home.jsp
    1852 - Between January 15th and February 24th a total of 1378 railroad cars were drawn by horses across the frozen Susquehanna River to engines waiting at Havre De Grace, MD.    
    1862- the first ironclad naval vessels were the Benton and the Essex, 1,000 tons each, and seven others of 512 ton s each, delivered at St. Louis, MO, where they were accepted fro the government by Captain Andrew Hull Foote and made part of the Western Flotilla, also known as the Gunboat Flotilla on Eastern Waters, or the Mississippi Squadron.
    1863 - In the United States, "The Boston Morning Journal" became the first paper in the country published on wood pulp paper. 
    1865- Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to Union forces, and Wilmington, the Confederacy's most important blockade-running port, is closed. When President Lincoln declared a blockade of southern ports in 1861, Rebel engineers began construction on a fortress at the mouth of New Inlet, which provided access to Wilmington. Fort Fisher was constructed of timber and sand, and it posed a formidable challenge for the Yankees. The walls were more than 20 feet high and they bristled with large cannon. Land mines and palisades made from sharpened logs created even more obstacles for potential attackers. Union leadership did not make Fort Fisher a high priority until the last year of the war. After the Federals closed Mobile Bay in August 1864, attention turned to shutting down Wilmington. Union ships moved into place in December and began a massive bombardment on Christmas Eve. The next day, a small force failed to capture the fort but the attempt was renewed in January. On January 13, a massive three-day bombardment began. On the third day, 9,000 Yankee infantry commanded by General Alfred Terry hit the beach and attacked Fort Fisher. The Confederates could not repulse the attack. The damage was heavy on both sides: the Union suffered more than 900 Army casualties and 380 Navy casualties, and the Confederates suffered 500 killed or wounded and over 1,000 captured. After the loss of this last major Confederate port, it was only three months before the war concluded.
    1870 - A Thomas Nast cartoon titled, "A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion", was printed in "Harper's Weekly". The cartoon symbolized the Democratic Party with a donkey, a concept still in use today.
    1885- tenor Henry Burr, the most prolific recording artist of his day, was born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. He began his recording career for Columbia in 1902, and is estimated to have recorded an astounding 12,000 titles for dozens of companies. From 1910 to 1928, Burr also managed a vocal group which recorded for Columbia as the Columbia Male Quartet and for Victor as the Peerless Quartet. After his recording career waned, he was a great favorite singing old-time ballads on the "National Barn Dance" from radio station WLS in Chicago. Henry Burr died in New York City in 1941. 
    1888- birthday of folksinger Huddie William Ludbetter (Lead Belly ),Shiloh, LA Died Dec. 6, 1949.
http://leadbelly.lanl.gov/leadbelly.html
http://www.wchandyfest.com/delta/people/ledbettern.htm
http://www.malaspina.com/site/person_748.asp
http://www.geocities.com/joseph_1949/Leadbelly.html
    1899-Birthday of Goodman Ace, radio and TV writer, actor, columnist and humorist. With his wife, Jane, created and acted in the popular series of radio programs (1928-45) “Easy Aces, “ Called “America’s greatest wit” by Fred Allen, Born at Kansas City, MO, died at New York, NY. March 25, 1982, soon after asking that his tombstone be inscribed, “ No flowers, please, I’m allergic.” 
    1907- William H. Taggart, a Chicago dentist, invented dental inlay made of gold, and presented the technique to the New York Odontological Society; a method of casting gold inlays by the inverted pattern procedure, using the ancient principle of “disappearing core.”
    1907-Dr. Lee De Forest, widely regarded as the "father of radio and the grandfather of television," patented the Audion radio tube, which turned radio into a practical transmission device for voice and music. Previously, wireless technology was primarily used for telegraph signals. Unfortunately, De Forest's business partners were prone to fraud: The De Forest Radio Telephone Company began to collapse in 1909, leading to De Forest's indictment for promoting a "worthless device"--the Audion tube. De Forest was later acquitted. Several years later, De Forest devised a way to connect a series of Audion tubes in order to amplify radio signals far beyond what a single tube could do. This process was essential in the development of radio and long-distance telephone. De Forest, despairing of business success, sold his patents at bargain-basement prices to several companies, including American Telephone and Telegraph, which used the repeating Audion tube as a key component in long-distance telephone technology.
    1908- the first sorority for African-American students was Alpha Kappa Alpha, founded at Howard University, Washington, DC by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. The first president was Lucy Slowe.
http://www.aka1908.com/aka/index.htm
    1909-- Gene Krupa birthday, the premier drummer of the big band era, was born in Chicago. Besides leading his own band, he is best known for his work with Benny Goodman. After most of the big bands disbanded, Krupa led small jazz groups through most of the 1950's and '60s. A film loosely based on his life, "The Gene Krupa Story," starring Sal Mineo, was released in 1959. Gene Krupa died of leukemia in 1973.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/krupa.html
http://www.gkrp.net/genebio.html
http://www.harlem.org/people/krupa.html
http://www.provide.net/~jdmig/
    1915-Brithday of folk music collector Alan Lomax.
http://www.memphisguide.com/guide/guide0942.htm
http://www.alan-lomax.com/home.html
    1920 -- The Dry Law goes into effect in the United States. Selling liquor and beer becomes illegal.
    1927 --- The Dumbarton Bridge opens in San Francisco carrying the first auto traffic across the bay.
    1929- birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Black civil rights leader, minister, advocate of nonviolence and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1964). Born at Atlanta, GA, he was assassinated at Memphis, TN, Apr 4, 1968. After his death many states and territories observed his birthday as a holiday. I remember interviewing Dr. King in the early 1960's at KFRC radio when a group Harold Light introduced me to who had brought Dr. King to the Bay Area, which I assumed was more public relations than a fund raiser. He was a shy man, the first time I met him. The second time, he was more vocal, and after the Selma march, there were press conferences, not single radio interviews. He was a excellent dresser, very articulate, very attractive, very handsome in person, and grew into a statesman for freedom for all and equal opportunity for all. In 1983 the Congress approved HR 3706, "A bill to amend Title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday." Signed by the president on Nov 2, 1983, it became Public Law 98-144. The law sets the third Monday in January for observance of King's birthday. First observance was Jan 20, 1986
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan15.html
http://www.thekingcenter.com/
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/hum/mlk/
    1932 - Up to two inches of snow whitened the Los Angeles basin of California. The Los Angeles Civic Center reported an inch of snow, and even the beaches of Santa Monica were whitened with snow, in what proved to be a record snowstorm for Los Angeles.    
    1933- After nearly a century of cooperative living, the utopian Amana colonists of Iowa begin using U.S. currency for the first time. The wide-open spaces of the West have always appealed to visionary reformers attempting to start new societies. Among others, the Mormons in Utah, the Hutterites in South Dakota and Montana, and the Swedenborgians in California all moved West for the same reason: cheap land and freedom from interference. Most reformers moved west after the Civil War, when travel became easier and the threat of Indian resistance was declining. As with the Mormons, the Amana colonial movement began in New York. Christian Metz, taking his cue from the writings of 18th century German mystics, established the group in 1842 on 5,000 acres near Buffalo, New York. Metz and his followers were similar to the Mormons in their rejection of the selfish individualism and dog-eat-dog competition of capitalism in favor of a more cooperative economic system. They isolated themselves from national and global markets and built a largely self-sufficient means of meeting their agricultural and material needs. Barter within the community helped them avoid using American currency. The community's agricultural and craft operations grew so quickly that the members soon found they needed more land than was cheaply available in New York. Like many of other land-hungry Americans, they looked westward. In 1855, the first members began setting up a new colony in Iowa called Amana, purchasing 30,000 acres of contiguous land as a base for their agricultural and craft operations. Amana (located near modern-day Iowa City) flourished in the decades to come. By the turn of the century, the colonists had built seven largely self-sufficient villages with farms, stores, bakeries, woolen mills, wineries, furniture shops, and the other necessities of independent living. The Amana community thrived for nearly 80 years, but its isolation from the rest of the world inevitably began to wane during the 20th century. In the early 1930s, the colony experienced severe economic problems, in part due to the Great Depression. The people voted to abandon their communal life in 1932, and they reorganized the colony on a capitalist basis with each member receiving stock in a new community corporation. The people of Amana began using American currency in January 1933. Although it violated the original precepts of their founders, the decision to bring Amana into the national marketplace actually saved the community. Today, the Amana colony is the center of a thriving business empire of woolen mills, meat shops, bakeries, and wineries. Though its original vision is no longer the same, visitors to the colony will still find a communal society dedicated to preserving many elements of Old World life and craftsmanship.
http://www.amanasociety.com/
http://www.iowa-city.com/amanas/historical/index.html
http://www.jeonet.com/amanas/welcome/index.html
    1936- Owens Illinois Glass of Toledo, HO completed the first all-glass windowless structure, using eight thousand translucent water-clear hollow glass blocks wearing about 150 ton for a two-story building, which had 39 rooms and an aggregate floor area of 20,000 square feet. Do not know if the building is still standing.
    1937 - 1.77 inches of rain fell at Washington, DC, making it the wettest inaugural day of record. Temperatures were only in the 30s as Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for his second term.
    1937 -the record low temperature for the state of California was set at Boca when the thermometer dropped to 45 degrees below zero.
    1942- Benny Goodman Band records “Jersey Bounce.”
    1942--The Glen Gray Orchestra records their hit "It’s the Talk of the Town"
    1943- Pentagon completed: the world's largest office building with 6.5 million square feet of usable space, the Pentagon is located in Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, and serves as headquarters for the Department of Defense.
    1943 - Famous temperature antics occurred in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The temperature was 52 degrees above zero at Lead and 16 degrees below zero degrees at Deadwood simultaneously. The places are only 1.5 miles apart, but there is an elevation difference of 600 feet.
    1945--BEYER, ARTHUR O.  Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company C, 603d Tank Destroyer Battalion. Place and date: Near Arloncourt, Belgium, 15 January 1945. Entered service at: St. Ansgar, lowa. Born: 20 May 1909, Rock Township, Mitchell County, lowa. G.O. No.: 73, 30 August 1945. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry in action. His platoon, in which he was a tank-destroyer gunner, was held up by antitank, machinegun, and rifle fire from enemy troops dug in along a ridge about 200 yards to the front. Noting a machinegun position in this defense line, he fired upon it with his 76-mm. gun killing 1 man and silencing the weapon. He dismounted from his vehicle and, under direct enemy observation, crossed open ground to capture the 2 remaining members of the crew. Another machinegun, about 250 yards to the left, continued to fire on him. Through withering fire, he advanced on the position. Throwing a grenade into the emplacement, he killed 1 crewmember and again captured the 2 survivors. He was subjected to concentrated small-arms fire but, with great bravery, he worked his way a quarter mile along the ridge, attacking hostile soldiers in their foxholes with his carbine and grenades. When he had completed his self-imposed mission against powerful German forces, he had destroyed 2 machinegun positions, killed 8 of the enemy and captured 18 prisoners, including 2 bazooka teams. Cpl. Beyer's intrepid action and unflinching determination to close with and destroy the enemy eliminated the German defense line and enabled his task force to gain its objective.
    1947-Birthday of trumpet player/composer Baikida Carroll, St. Louis. MO
http://www.baikida.com/bio.html
http://www.omnitone.com/marionettes/carroll-bio.htm
http://artists.spun.com/baikida_carroll
    1949—Birthday of Ronnie Van Zandt, lead singer of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, born in Jacksonville, Florida. The band built a loyal following, beginning in the American South in 1973. Their best known songs were "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird," a tribute to Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band. Lynyrd Skynyrd seemed on the verge of superstardom in 1977 when a plane crash in Mississippi killed Ronnie Van Zandt and five others, including Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines.
    1951---Top Hits
Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page
The Thing - Phil Harris
My Heart Cries for You - Guy Mitchell
The Golden Rocket - Hank Snow
    1952 - A six day snowstorm was in progress in the western U.S. The storm produced 44 inches of snow at Marlette Lake NV, 52 inches at Sun Valley ID, and 149 inches at Tahoe CA, establishing single storm records for each of those three states. In addition, 24 hour snowfall totals of 22 inches at the University of Nevada, and 26 inches at Arco ID, established records for those two states. The streamliner, 'City of San Francisco' was snowbound in the Sierra Nevada Range, near Donner Summit. 
    1954-the coldest temperature ever recorded in the 48 contiguous states was recorded at Rogers Pass, MT. The temperature dropped to 69.7 degrees below zero.
    1954--Joe DiMaggio marries Marilyn Monroe in San Francisco at City Hall. 
    1955---A young singer named Elvis Presley performs at the Louisiana Hayride, Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, LA, performing "Hearts Of Stone," "That's All Right, Mama" and "Tweedle Dee." In the audience is "Colonel" Tom Parker, who was witnessing Elvis for the first time.
    1958--Elvis Presley records "Hard Headed Woman," "Trouble," "New Orleans," "King Creole," "Crawfish"
    1959—Top 
The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - The Platters
My Happiness - Connie Francis
City Lights - Ray Price
    1961 - the "Kennedy Inaugural snowstorm" belted the mid Atlantic area and New England. Up to 29 inches of snow fell in northern New Jersey and southeastern New York. Areas north and west of Boston, MA received over two feet. This was the second of three major snowstorms during the 1960-61 winter season in the northeastern U.S.
    1964-- Giant outfielder Willie Mays, the highest paid player in baseball, signs for $105,000.
    1965- The NFL teams pledged not to sign college seniors until completion of all their games, including bowl games.
    1966--The Beach Boys enter Billboard's Hot 100 for the 23rd time with their version of "Barbara Ann", previously a #13 hit for the Regents in 1961. The song was recorded live at a party and actually features the voice of Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean on lead vocal. The record will peak at number 2 in the US.
    1966--Petula Clark's "My Love" entered the Billboard chart, where it would become her second #1 hit
    1966-- The Supremes' "My World is Empty Without You" enters the pop charts.
    1966-The Rolling Stones receive their third gold record for the album "December's Children." It features the tunes "Get Off My Cloud," "Route 66," "As Tears Go By" and "I'm Free."
    1967--The film The Fastest Guitar Alive, starring Roy Orbison and Sheb Wooley, 
premieres in New York City.
    1967--Ed Sullivan refuses to let the Rolling Stones sing their big hit "Let’s Spend the Night Together" on his CBS show of the same name unless they change the title and lyrics to "Let's Spend Some Time Together." The band does as it's told, but lead singer Mick Jagger mocks the censorship by making faces at the camera while he sings the cleaned-up line.
    1967-considered the “First Super Bowl:”*** the Green Bay Packers won the first NFL-AFL World Championship Game, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Packers quarterback Bart Starr completed 16 out of 25 passes and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Pro football's title game later became known as the Super Bowl and is now played on the last Sunday in January.
    1967---Top Hits
I’m a Believer - The Monkees
Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville
Good Thing - Paul Revere & The Raiders
There Goes My Everything - Jack Greene
    1967 - Ed Sullivan told the Rolling Stones to either alter the lyrics and the title of the song, "Let's Spend the Night Together", or not perform on his show. The Stones actually agreed, and changed the tune to "Let's Spend Some Time Together". 
    1968- Elvis Presley records "Too Much Monkey Business"
    1968--JOHNSON, DWIGHT H.  Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Specialist Fifth Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion, 69th Armor, 4th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Dak To, Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 15 January 1968. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich. Born: 7 May 1947, Detroit, Mich. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp5c. Johnson, a tank driver with Company B, was a member of a reaction force moving to aid other elements of his platoon, which was in heavy contact with a battalion size North Vietnamese force. Sp5c. Johnson's tank, upon reaching the point of contact, threw a track and became immobilized. Realizing that he could do no more as a driver, he climbed out of the vehicle, armed only with a .45 caliber pistol. Despite intense hostile fire, Sp5c. Johnson killed several enemy soldiers before he had expended his ammunition. Returning to his tank through a heavy volume of antitank rocket, small arms and automatic weapons fire, he obtained a sub-machine gun with which to continue his fight against the advancing enemy. Armed with this weapon, Sp5c. Johnson again braved deadly enemy fire to return to the center of the ambush site where he courageously eliminated more of the determined foe. Engaged in extremely close combat when the last of his ammunition was expended, he killed an enemy soldier with the stock end of his submachine gun. Now weaponless, Sp5c. Johnson ignored the enemy fire around him, climbed into his platoon sergeant's tank, extricated a wounded crewmember and carried him to an armored personnel carrier. He then returned to the same tank and assisted in firing the main gun until it jammed. In a magnificent display of courage, Sp5c. Johnson exited the tank and again armed only with a .45 caliber pistol, engaged several North Vietnamese troops in close proximity to the vehicle. Fighting his way through devastating fire and remounting his own immobilized tank, he remained fully exposed to the enemy as he bravely and skillfully engaged them with the tank's externally-mounted .50 caliber machine gun; where he remained until the situation was brought under control. Sp5c. Johnson's profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
    1969-- In South Florida Barbara Jo Rubin, 19, was to ride as the first woman jockey at a major race track - and then was taken off her mount by track officials. Reportedly it was money, not chivalry that was at the heart of the matter. A winning jockey gets ten percent of the purse and the jockeys, always a very touchy group because of their smallness and their constant dieting, didn't want to share the pots of gold (and ego) with a GIRL!  Finally, on February 22, 1969, Jo was able to ride at Charles Town, West Virginia without the world stopping - and she won her first race. She crossed the finish line first in 11 of her first 22 starts. Unfortunately Jo at 5'5" was tall by jockey standards and was still growing. Her height combined with an old knee injury ended her racing career in less than a year.
    1969- Elvis Presley records--"A Little Bit of Green," "Gentle on My Mind"
    1971-George Harrison releases "My Sweet Lord".
    1972 - Elvis Presley, was censored from the waist down by Ed Sullivan, but still reportedly brought in largest audience for a single television show, to that time, in a live worldwide concert from 
Honolulu, Hawaii. 
    1972 - Don McLean's classic single, American Pie, jumped to Number 1 on Billboard's popular record charts, and stayed there for 4 weeks. 
    1973-Citing "progress" in the Paris peace negotiations between National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam, President Richard Nixon halts the most concentrated bombing of the war, as well as mining, shelling, and all other offensive action against North Vietnam. The cessation of direct attacks against North Vietnam did not extend to South Vietnam, where the fighting continued as both sides jockeyed for control of territory before the anticipated cease-fire.
    1974 -- During the Watergate affair, an expert testifies before the House Judiciary Committee that an 18-1/2-minute gap discovered during a critical subpoenaed recording of a White House conversation between President Richard M. Nixon & White House staff member H. R. Haldemen caused by “deliberate & repeated erasures. The White House fails to satisfactorily explain the long silence during the key conversation between Nixon & Haldeman.
    1974- “Happy Days” premiered on TV. This nostalgic comedy set in Milwaukee in the 1950s starred Ron Howard as teenager Richie Cunningham with Anson Williams as his best friend "Potsie" Weber and Don Most as his best friend Ralph Malph. Tom Bosley and Marion Ross played Richie's parents and his sister, Joanie, was played by Erin Moran. The most memorable character was The Fonz--Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli--played by Henry Winkler. In 1977, it remained number 1 in the Neilsen ratings for the season. "Happy Days" remained on the air until July 12, 1984, and has been in syndication ever since. The comedy launched two spin-offs: Laverne and Shirley and Joanie Loves Chachi. Happy Days originated as a 1972 skit on Love, American Style.
    1974-Expert testifies on gap in Watergate tape. 
During the Watergate affair, an expert testifies before the House Judiciary Committee that an 18½-minute gap discovered during a critical subpoenaed recording of a White House conversation between President Richard M. Nixon and White House staff member H. R. Haldeman was caused by 5 deliberate separate erasures. The Watergate affair began after a break-in to the Watergate Hotel by White House officials was uncovered by journalists and the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, and then escalated when President Nixon attempted to use executive privilege and national security as reasons to suppress the subsequent investigation. On July 16, 1973, former White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield brought the existence of official recordings of Nixon's White House conversations to the attention of the Senate committee investigating Watergate, and on July 26, the Senate subpoenaed the nine Watergate tapes. Nixon failed to comply with the subpoena, and on August 9, the Senate committee filed suit against the president. Finally, on October 23, Nixon agreed to turn over the tapes, but when the tapes finally arrive at the Capitol, two of the nine are missing, and an eighteen-and-a-half-minute gap on one of the tapes is discovered. The White House fails to satisfactorily explain the long silence during the key conversation between Nixon and Haldeman, although an expert determined that the gap had been deliberately erased. Nixon's failure to comply in a timely fashion to the subpoena for the Watergate tapes contributed to the articles of impeachment voted against him on July 30, 1974, and helped force his resignation one week later
    1975---Top Hits
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Elton John
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything - Barry White
Junior’s Farm/Sally G - Paul McCartney & Wings
Ruby, Baby - Billy "Crash" Craddock
    1975- "I've got bad news and I don't expect any applause," President Gerald Ford warned Congress before launching into his very first state of the union address. During the ensuing speech, Ford painted a grim portrait of America's economic woes. The state of the union, he confessed, was "not good. Millions of Americans are out of work. Recession and inflation are eroding the money of millions more. Prices are too high and sales are too low." Along with these problems, Ford offered an ominous budget estimate that showed the government running increasingly in the red over the next few fiscal years. However, Ford, who had recently been installed as the President after Richard Nixon's scandal-ridden resignation, attempted to balance the bad news by offering a remedy for the America's fiscal ailments. He unveiled a relief package that featured a few rounds of tax cuts for individuals and corporations, as well as an energy program that promised to raise money, albeit through raising costs and taxes on oil for consumers and businesses. James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr was elected president of the United States in 1976 with 297 electoral votes to outgoing president Ford 240.
    1977-- Leo Sayer's "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" hits #1
    1977-- The Eagles' Hotel California album hits #1
    1978 - Super Bowl XII (at New Orleans): Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10. The first Super Bowl played without a sky. This one opened the Louisiana Superdome. Tom Landry was the Cowboys’ coach, Roger Staubach was their quarterback. Co-MVPs: DT Randy White and DE Harvey Martin (only co-MVPs in Super Bowl history). Tickets: $30.00. 
    1978 - snowblitz! -- a paralyzing nor'easter blasted New England and the mid Atlantic states. Boston, MA recorded 21 inches in 24 hours to set a new record 24 hour snowfall amount -- only to have it broken 2 weeks later. Snowfall was under forecast since a predicted changeover from snow to rain did not occur.
    1981--Minutes after the presidential inauguration of Ronald Reagan, Iran releases 52 Americans held 444 days in exchange for the release of $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets seized by the U.S. Later, it's revealed that the release was delayed until the first hours of the administration by Reagan's transition team, in order to make him look good.
    1981- “Hill Street Blues” premiered on TV. This Immensely popular NBC police series created by Stephen Bochco and Michael Kozoll that focused more on police officers than on crime. The show was very realistic and highly praised by real policemen. Hill Street Blues was set in an anonymous northern city (the exteriors were actually filmed in Chicago) and was the first real attempt by television to portray police officers as fallible human beings. Each episode began with the 7 a.m. roll call led by Sergeant Ezterhaus. He closed the roll call with his trademark refrain, "Let's be careful out there." Hill Street Blues not only changed the way that Americans viewed police officers, it also revolutionized the television drama itself. The show resisted formula and introduced the ensemble cast. Whereas early cop shows like Dragnet and Adam-12 were centered around a couple of officers who always got their man by the end of the hour, the full squad house of regulars on Hill Street Blues rarely resolved cases in one episode.
It won a slew of Emmys and ran for seven seasons. Cast: Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo, Veronica Hamel as public defender Joyce Davenport, Michael Conrad as Sergeant Phil "Let's be careful out there" Esterhaus, Barbara Bosson as Fay Furillo, and as the wonderfully drawn cops, Bruce Weitz (Mick Belker), Taurean Blacque (Neal Washington), Kiel Martin (Johnny LaRue), Joe Spano (Henry Goldblume), James B. Sikking (Howard Hunter), René Enríquez (Ray Calletano), Michael Warren (Bobby Hill), Betty Thomas (Lucy Bates), Ed Marinaro (Joe Coffey) and Charles Haid (Andy Renko). 
The last telecast was on May 19, 1987.
http://www.tripletsandus.com/80s/shows/hill.htm
    1983---Top Hits
Down Under - Men at Work
The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson /Paul McCartney
Dirty Laundry - Don Henley
I Can’t Even Get the Blues - Reba McEntire
    1985 - At Carnegie Hall, in New York, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored 79 year old actress, Myrna Loy, who never received an Academy nomination although she appeared in 120 films. 
    1987 - Paramount Home Video said, for the first time, it would put a commercial at the start of one of its video releases. The movie "Top Gun" had a 30-second Diet Pepsi ad tacked on to its beginning. The idea behind adding something else to be fast forwarded through was to reduce the price of the video by $3. The difference to Paramount would be made up by Pepsi money. It was also thought more consumers would buy the Tom Cruise picture rather than paying more for videos without the commercial.
    1987 - A powerful storm over the Southern Plateau and the Southern Rockies produced 24 inches of snow at Colorado Springs CO, including 22 inches in 24 hours, a January record. High winds in the southwestern U.S. gusted to 65 mph in the Yosemite Valley of California.       
    1988 - A small storm over the Atlantic Ocean produced heavy snow along the coast of North Carolina. The five inch total at Wilmington NC was their third highest for any storm in January in 117 years of records. 
    1988 -Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder makes racist remarks about black athletes
http://www.goodbyemag.com/apr/snyder.htm
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment050200d.html
    1990 - ‘Big’ George Foreman, on the comeback-trail at 42 years of age, knocked out Gerry Cooney in the second round at Atlantic City, NJ. (Foreman became the oldest [age 45] ever to win the heavyweight title when he knocked out Michael Moorer on Nov 5, 1994.)
    1990 - While one Pacific storm crossed the Central Rockies, another approached the west coast. The northern mountains of Utah were buried under 17 to 35 inches of snow while the mountains of southern Utah received another 12 to 16 inches. Eighteen cities in the central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date as readings warmed into the 50s and 60s. Wichita KS reported a record high of 68 degrees.
    1991---Top Hits
Justify My Love - Madonna
High Enough - Damn Yankees
Love Will Never Do (Without You) - Janet Jackson
Unanswered Prayers - Garth Brooks
    1992-- The Seventh Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T. and the MGs, Johnny Cash, The Isley Brothers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sam and Dave, and The Yardbirds.
    1992- Tim Berners Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, released a simple line-mode Web browser on the Internet. Berners Lee had first proposed the Web in 1990 and had presented early versions of Web clients, servers, and browsers to his colleagues throughout 1991.http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/berners-lee.htm
Until then you needed the actual address or had to rely on Archer or Gopher to search for a website which basically was cumbersome and very slow.
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/ShortHistory.html
    1993 - In the southern U.S., train echo thunderstorms drenched Lafayette and Baton Rouge, LA with 10.83 and 9.02 inches of rain in 24 hours, respectively.
    1994 - Frigid conditions persisted over the northeastern U.S. Rangeley, ME reported 45 degrees below zero for a morning low for the cold spot in the nation. First Connecticut Lake, NH dropped to a frigid 44 degrees below zero. Both Pittsburgh, PA and Cleveland, OH completed their longest stretch of subzero readings on record, with 52 and 56 consecutive hours, respectively.
    1994- "Dazzey Duks" by Duice was on the Billboard Hot 100 for the 54th consecutive week, the longest run ever on any of the magazine's charts. Also on the Hot 100 that week, Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)" was in the top-ten for the 24th week - another record. 
    1995 - The San Francisco 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys 38-28 in the NFC championship game and the San Diego Chargers edged the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 in the AFC title game. (The 49ers beat the Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX.) 
    1995 - The Golf Channel began on some U.S. cable systems. Four years later, the world’s first 24-hour golf network was seen in over 30,000,000 homes.
    1997 - During a heated Chicago vs. Minneapolis basketball game, Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman brazenly kicked a courtside cameraman in the groin. Rodman later claimed it was an accident, but the incident was captured from several angles by other cameramen, and was seen by millions of people across the country. Eugene Amos, the cameraman, was treated at a hospital and then released - the extent of his injuries were not released. Prosecutors told the press later that they were considering assault charges against Rodman. If suspended, it would be the second of the season for the temperamental, flamboyant athlete. Rodman was later suspended from 23 games and heavily fined; the suspension was the second-longest in NBA history. A few days later, a financial settlement between Amos and Rodman was reached; Amos received $200,000 from Rodman.

Super bowl Champions This Day

    1967 Green Bay Packers
    1978 Dallas Cowboys

**** Super Bowl

The year was 1966, and war was raging in professional football. It was a bidding war for talent and it had been going on since the American Football League came onto the scene in 1960 to challenge the National Football League, 40 years its senior. 
At first, the battles were for college players, and the AFL scored an early victory when a court ruled in favor of the Houston Oilers over the NFL's Los Angeles Rams after both clubs had signed Billy Cannon, the Heisman Trophy winning halfback at Louisiana State. 
Although the leagues agreed to a "no tampering" rule on existing player contracts, the stakes became high for college talent. Bonuses went sky-high. The AFL's New York Jets signed Alabama quarterback Joe Namath in 1965 to a $400,000 contract, the largest amount ever for a collegian. In 1966, the NFL's Atlanta Falcons gave Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis a $600,000 package and the Green Bay Packers forked over $711,000 to Texas Tech running back Donny Anderson. 
Meanwhile, veteran players were settling for small raises on relatively small salaries. For example, John Brodie, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, received $35,000 in 1965 and was asking for a raise to $65,000 after leading the NFL in completions, completion percentage, yardage and touchdown passes. 
Then came a back-breaker. Buffalo place-kicker Pete Gogolak, who had played out his option in 1965, signed with the NFL's New York Giants. The "no tampering" code had been broken. The conflict was in the open, and it was time for action. 
On April 7, 1966, peacemaker Joe Foss resigned as AFL commissioner and the next day Al Davis, general manager of the Oakland Raiders, took over. Davis was a hawk in regard to the NFL, and he had a plan. 
Davis organized an AFL war chest and urged owners to start talking to established NFL stars. The NFL had bragged of its superiority because of the caliber of its quarterbacks. Davis wanted to sign those quarterbacks for the AFL. 
The Raiders quickly signed Los Angeles quarterback Roman Gabriel to a commitment starting in '67. Houston offered the 49ers' Brodie $75,000, spread over 10 years, to sign a five-year deal with the Oilers. Reportedly, eight of the NFL's starting quarterbacks were dickering with the AFL. 
The NFL had no choice. On June 8, 1966, two months after Davis became the AFL commissioner, a merger agreement was announced. There would be a common draft starting in 1967, interleague preseason games starting in '67 and regular-season play combining the leagues in 1970. Territorial indemnification of $18 million was to be paid to the 49ers and Giants over a 20-year period. 
Most important, from the standpoint of football fans, was the immediate establishment of a championship game between the leagues. This was the AFL-NFL World Championship Game -- which was popularized as the Super Bowl from its inception. 
Gabriel never went to the Raiders and Brodie never left the 49ers, but Brodie collected a million dollars on the agreement he had made in his talks with Houston. 
Davis resigned as AFL commissioner a month after the merger. He clearly had won his battle.