Leasing News - information, news, education and entertainment for the commercial bank, finance and leasing industry

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release” and was not written by Leasing News nor information verified, but from the source noted. When an article is signed by the writer, it is considered a “by line.” It reflects the opinion and research of the writer.

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Where's the Dick Tracy Watch?
www.silconvalleywatcher.com

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, is featuring a lot of "wearables" reports Techcrunch (above) (which all seem to be smart watches).

Does it mean I have to give up my Rolex or Patek Philippe; not my Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch “Dark Side of the Moon!?”

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Classified Ads---Senior Management

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

Accomplished leasing executive driven to deliver increased revenues, operating efficiencies, improved sales productivity and customer acquisition. Seeking new opportunity to utilize my strategic, ideation, communication and analytical strengths to develop, implement and execute your organization’s strategic plan.
Reg.Lindholm@gmail.com

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

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

Ascentium Capital Announces Record Momentum: 57% Growth

KINGWOOD, TX, – Ascentium Capital, a national commercial lender providing comprehensive finance solutions, announces significant growth as the company funded $440,000,000 in transactions during 2014, representing a 57% increase over last year.

Ascentium has momentum for long-term success and has a 2015 business plan focused on organic sales growth in key markets while maintaining focus on a healthy portfolio and a strong net income.

Chief Executive Officer, Tom Depping, said, “Businesses are strategically leveraging our unique financing capabilities and this is driving the demand for our finance programs across the United States. We have an exciting growth proposition, and in 2015, we’ll provide new products, continue to streamline the finance process for clients, and launch valuable online vendor tools that enable us to comprehensively integrate financing into their business models.

"Our past achievements and future initiatives remain critically tied to our people and processes and this is where we will continue to invest our resources.

2014 Company Highlights:

• Earned Moody’s Investors Service and DBRS’ highest ratings of Aaa and AAA respectively, on senior class of asset-backed notes
• Enhanced the efficiency-based finance model driven by the company’s technology platform
• Expanded the company’s national sales offices with representation in over 20 states

Due to Ascentium’s success, the organization is attracting the industry’s top finance professionals.

Richard Baccaro, EVP of Sales and Marketing, noted, “Each of our strategic markets is in growth-mode. Our salesforce is prepared with a proactive strategy to win business and to help clients prepare for their own growth.”

Ascentium Capital specializes in providing equipment financing, leasing, and business loans for equipment manufacturers and distributors as well as direct to businesses nationwide. In just three years, the company has obtained the ranking as the fifth largest private-independent finance company by volume in the United States.

For more information, please visit www.AscentiumCapital.com

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CLP Now CLFP
Named Changed to Certified Leasing and Finance Professional

The 2014 Board of Directors of the Certified Leasing Professionals has been planning on changing its name to Certified Leasing and Finance Professionals for about nine months, Leasing News was told. Reportedly, members were not officially informed and this was a 2014 board decision to join the many other associations, as well as leasing companies, who have included finance or capital in their name or changed their name, such as GreatAmerica Financial Services.

In “associations,” the only hold out seems to be the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers.

Reid Raykovich, CLFP
Executive Director

In following up the press release, Executive Director, Reid Raykovich, CLFP, told Leasing News that leasing has changed, that many members write cash advance and business loans, and are involved in factoring, mortgages, and other types of financing.

In the CLFP press release, she wrote: "When I took over the Foundation almost three years ago, the Board had been discussing the name change and I am excited that we have now instituted the change, especially during such a special year for us. It is the 30th year of the designation and the 15th year of the Foundation’s existence.”

The web site is both available as www.CLPfoudation.org and www.CLFPfoundation.org . She told Leasing News, "We own both domains and have for a while, so we will likely keep it up for quite some time."

There is work to be done on the web site, updating the board of directors, as well as the CLFP Handbook, which remains Edition 4, "The Certified Lease Professionals' Handbook Authored by Certified Lease Professionals."

Reid Raykovich, CLFP, told Leasing News, "We are working on the Handbook and we currently have two new CLFPs authoring a section on non-traditional financing and how it to pertains to the commercial equipment industry."

Whether tests to become a member will now contain questions on cash advances, business loans, factoring, finance, mortgage and other type loans is being discussed, as well as this web section, "The Institute for Leasing Professionals" to prepare for the test, which today primarily involves answers to leasing questions.

A change was made last year to allow "associate" membership, reducing the applicant’s time in the leasing business to three years from five years. This obviously also changes the requirements to qualify business loans, factoring, finance, and mortgage loans, as requirements today almost exclusively require knowledge of leasing and are not involved in other types of financing:
http://www.clfpfoundation.org/requirements.php

In addition, an applicant with six months of experience in leasing
and five years in other forms of financing, would seem to qualify;
of course, after passing the examination.

Brian Schonfeld, CLFP
President, 2015 Board of Directors

In the press release, Executive Director, Brian Schonfeld, CLFP, President of the 2015 CLFP Board of Directors, stated, “I’m very excited about the new direction and focus the Foundation is taking. By incorporating ‘Finance’ not only into our name but our knowledge and educational platforms as well, we are demonstrating our commitment to maintaining our position as the preeminent credential for leasing and financing professionals.”

He is Project & Information Manager for Pawnee Leasing, Fort Collins; however, his sister company Winset Capital Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah, does working capital business loans.

2015 Board of Directors

President, Brian Schonfeld, CLFP, Pawnee Leasing Corporation
Vice President, Bob Fisher, CLFP, Ascentium Capital
Treasurer, Amy Spragg, CLFP, Pacifica Capital
Secretary, Marci Slagle, CLFP, Varilease Finance, Inc.
Past President, David Normandin, CLFP, Banc of California
Director, Joe Schmitz, CLFP, F.I.T. Leasing
Director, Carl Villella, CLFP, Acceptance Leasing & Finance
Director, Larry Randall, CLFP, Arvest Equipment Finance
Director, Courtney DioGuardi, CLFP, First American Equip. Finance

There are 229 members of the Certified Leasing & Finance Foundation.

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

No Longer taking Broker/Discounting Business
plus Leasing Companies Out of Business

Companies with an * are no longer in business. The others are companies that were taking broker business, but announced that they no longer are accepting broker business. Many have also down-sized or are managing an existing portfolio.

More details are available in this list by company name:

http://www.leasingnews.org/list_alpha_new.htm

*ABCO Leasing Inc., Bothell, WA
*ACC Capital, Midvale, Utah (lenders running off portfolio residuals, Leasing News receiving Evergreen non-notification complaints, demanding 12 more monthly payments)
Advantage Business Capital, Lake Oswego, Oregon
AEL Financial, Buffalo Grove, Illinois
(No longer taking new broker business)
Allegiant Partners, San Rafael, California
Alliance Financial, Syracuse, New York
*Alternative Capital, Apollo Beach, Florida
*AMC Funding, Charlotte, North Carolina
American Bank Leasing, Alpharetta, Georgia
*American Equipment Finance, Warren, New Jersey
Balboa Capital, Irvine, Ca
Bank of the West Leasing Indirect, San Ramon, California
(Require high volume, successful brokers only)
*Bank Midwest Leasing, Overland Park, KS
Bankers Healthcare Group, Weston, FL
*Blackstone Equipment Financing, Orange, California
*CapitalSource Healthcare Finance, Chevy Chase, Maryland
*CapNet, Los Angeles, California
*C and J Leasing Corp, Des Moines, Iowa
*Carlton Financial Corporation, Wayzata, Minnesota
*Chase Industries, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan
*Chesterfield Financial, Chesterfield, Missouri
CHG-MERIDIAN U.S. Finance, Ltd, Woodland Hills, CA
(Sales Management focuses very selectively on certain brokers.)
*Churchill Group/Churchill Leasing, Jericho, NY
CIT Group (limited)
Columbia Bank Leasing, Tacoma, WA
*Columbia Equipment Finance, Danville, California
Commercial Equipment Lease, Eugene, Oregon
Concord Financial Services, Long Beach, California
*Court Square, Malvern, Pennsylvania
*Creative Capital Leasing Group, LLC, San Diego, CA
Crossroads Equipment Lease & Finance, Rancho Cucamonga, Ca
Direct Capital, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Diversified Financial Service, Omaha, NE
* Dolsen Leasing, Bellevue/Yakima, Washington
Equipment Finance Partners, a division of Altec, Birmingham, Alabama
Evans National Leasing, Inc., Hamburg, NY
Enterprise Funding, Grand Rapids, Michigan
* Evergreen Leasing, South Elgin, Illinois
*Excel Financial Leasing, Lubbock Texas
*First Corp.(IFC subsidiary), Morton Grove, Illinois
First Federal Financial Services, Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
First Republic Bank, San Francisco, CA
Frontier Capital, Teaneck New Jersey
*GCR Capital, Safety Harbor, Florida
GE Capital, Conn (limited)
Global Funding LLC., Clearwater, FL
*Greystone, Burlington, MA
*Heritage Pacific Leasing, Fresno, CA
*Hillcrest Bank Leasing, Overland Park, KS (Parent bank sold)
Huntington Equipment Finance, Vendor Finance Group, Bellevue, Washington
*IFC Credit Corp., Morton Grove, Illinois
Irwin Financial (Irwin Union Bank), Columbus, Indiana
Irwin Union Bank, F.S.B. (Louisville, Kentucky)
Lakeland Bank, Montville, NJ
LaSalle Systems Leasing
*Latitude Equipment Leasing, Marlton, New Jersey
*Leaf Specialty Finance, Columbia, South Carolina
*LEAF Third Party Funding, Santa Barbara, Ca.
Lombard, part of Royal Bank of Scotland, worldwide
Marlin Business Services, Mount Laurel, NJ (accepting no new brokers, they may have opened for a select fee, but no more at this time, they say.)
M&T Credit (Bank)
*MericapCredit, Lisle, Illinois
*Meridian Healthcare Finance, San Diego, California
Merrill Lynch Financial
Midwest Leasing Group, Livonia, Minnesota
National City, Cleveland, Ohio
*Navigator (Pentech subsidiary) San Diego, California
OFC Capital, Roswell, Georgia
Old National Bank, Evansville, Illinois
Pentech Financial, Campbell, CA
*PFF Bancorp, Inc, Pomona, CA
Pinnacle Business Finance, Fife, Washington
*Pioneer Capital Corporation, Addison, Texas
PredictiFund, a subsidiary of Capital Access Network, Inc
Popular Finance, St. Louis, Missouri
Puget Sound Leasing, Seattle, Washington
Radiance-Capital, Tacoma, WA
Rational Technology Solutions, Rolling Meadows, IL
*Reliant National Finance, Jacksonville, Florida
Sandy Springs, Olney, MD
* Securities Equipment Lsg. (SEL, Inc.), Glendora, CA
Sovereign Bank, Melville, New York
Specialty Funding, Albuquerque, NM
*Studebaker-Worthington Leasing, Corp., Jerico, NY
(part of sale from Main Street Bank to Ascentium Capital)
Sun Trust Equipment Finance & Leasing, Baltimore, Maryland
*SunBridge Capital, Mission, Kansas
Suncoast Equipment Funding Corp., Tampa, Florida
TCF Equipment Finance, Minnetonka, Minnesota
TechLease, Morgan Hill, California
*Tennessee Commerce Bank, Franklin, Tennessee
Textron Financial
*Triad Leasing & Financial, Inc., Boise, Idaho
*TriStar Capital, Santa Ana, California
*Union Capital Partners, Midvale, Utah
US Bank, Manifest Funding, Marshall, Minnesota
(new requirement: large yearly funding)
US Bank, Middle-Market, Portland, Oregon
Velocity Financial Group, Rosemont, Illinois
VenCore, Portland, Oregon (former company Len Ludwig)
*Vision Capital, San Diego, California
Wachovia Bank Leasing
*Washington Mutual Financial
Western Bank, Devils Lake, ND
*Westover Financial, Inc., Santa Ana, California

(Note: Should a company policy have changed, please contact kitmenkin@leasingnews.org)

Funders looking for new Brokers:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/New_Broker.htm

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New Hires---Promotions in the Leasing Industry

Shaun Buswell was promoted to Manager, Assets and Risk at Direct Capital Corporation, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He joined the firm June, 2004 as Sr. Asset & Recovery Manager/Appraiser, and was promoted February, 2010, to the company subsidiary EquipmentEngine Financial Services Company, LLC, as Senior Manager, Client Services. Prior, he was Debtor Collections Management, The CCS Companies (April 1997–June 2004). Volunteer: Youth Basketball and Football Coach, Board Member SSYAA (September 2010). Education: University of New Hampshire (1999–2001). Hesser College (1999–2000).
www.linkedin.com/pub/shaun-buswell/5/b0a/a62

Kathy Collatos was hired as Business Development Manager at Engs Commercial Finance Co., Ocala, Florida Area. Previously, she was Office Manager, Red Oak Farm (May 2012-November 2014); Regional V.P. Business Development, Cherry Creek Financial Solutions (2010–2010); Vice President, Business Development, GE Commercial Finance (October 2003–January 2009); Vice President, AMsource Capital (September 2002–September 2003); Vice President, Marketing Manager, Southern Pacific Bankcapital (January 2000–January 2002); Assistant Vice President, Syndications, Capital Associates International, Inc. (January 1998–January 2000); Manager, Lease Plan USA, Inc. (January 1994–January 1998); Contract Manager, First Fleet Corporation (1989–1993); Title Coordinator, Chancellor Corporation (1984 – 1987); Intern, White House (September 1979–January 1980). Education:
Skidmore College, BA, Political Science; Paralegal studies (1977 – 1981). Kimball Union Academy

Giuseppe Cucuzza was hired as Business Development at FirstLease, Inc., Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. Previously, he was Senior Finance Specialist, First Lease, Inc. (March 2008 – December, 2014). Education: East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Activities and Societies: Pi Lambda Phi - BYZ Chapter (President, Vice President and Social). Lansdale Catholic.

Phillip Emory was hired as Asset Manager at Second City Leasing, LLC, Greater Atlanta Area. Previously, President, Bulldog Asset Management, (November 2007–December 2014); Portfolio Manager, American Bank Leasing Corp (May 2008–November 2012. Education: DeVry University-Georgia, Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc), Computer and Information Sciences, General (2010–2012). Southern Polytechnic State University, Business Administration and Management, General (2001–2003). Cherokee High School.

Kevin Freidheim was hired as Business Development Manager at Heartland Financial Services. Greater Milwaukee Area. Previously, he was Business Development Manager, Engs Commercial Finance (January 2014–December, 2014); District Sales Manager, Commercial Credit Group (September 2012–December 2013); Sales and Marketing, Wisconsin Kenworth (2009–September 2012); Marketing Manager, Equilease Financial Services (2007–2008); VP and Director, Construction and Industrial Group, Key Equipment Finance (2003–2006); Director, CNH Global NV (1996–2003);
Dealer Development/Finance Manager, Volvo Construction Equipment (1992–1996). Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
B.S., Business Administration (1982–1986). Activities and Societies: Sigma Chi Daily Tar Heel.
www.linkedin.com/in/kfreidheim

Dana Galvin was promoted to Sr. Account Executive, Capital Markets at EverBank, Deerfield, New Hampshire. He joined EverBank August, 2012 as Program Manager. Previously, he was Broker Channel Manager, MicroFinancial, Inc. (July 2011–August 2012); Credit Analyst, Direct Capital Corporation (March 2008–February 2011); Business Manager, Recycling Transport Corp. (February 2006–March 2008). Education: Suffolk University, Bachelor of Science, Business Administration (2000–2004).
www.linkedin.com/pub/dana-galvin/5/488/425

Francisco J. Gomez V. was hired as Vice Presidente de Estrategia y Desarrollo en Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional, Bogota, Colombia. Previously, he was Shareholder/Business Developer. Gomper Inversiones SAS (October 2012–December 2014), Medellin; Andean Regional Manager, CSI Renting, CSI Leasing (July 2011–September 2012), Colombia, Perú y Chile; VP, Asset Based Finance Leasing, Bancolombia S.A. (January 2010–July 2011); VP, International Business, Leasing Bancolombia S.A. (September 2007–December 2009); President, Suleasing Internacional S.A. (October 1999–August 2007). Education: Universidad de La Sabana (Inalde), Strategic Managerial Program, Srategics, Entrepreneurial Politics (2010–2010). Universidad de Los Andes, Executive Presidents program, Economics and Socials (2002–2003). Universidad Eafit Business Administrator, Administration, Finance, Economics (1985–1991).
http://co.linkedin.com/pub/francisco-j-gomez-v/26/98a/15/en

Debbie Harold has been hired as Business Development Officer,
TD Bank, Greater Boston area. Previously, she was National Accounts Manager, CapitalSource (August 2010–May 2013); Guest Service Agent, Fairmont Battery Wharf (2009–2010); National Accounts Manager, GE Healthcare Financial Services (formerly HPSC) (May, 2006 – January, 2009); Inside Sale Support/Practice Finance, HPSC (1999 – 2006); Mortgage Loan Officer, Coldwell Banker (January, 1996 – February, 1999).
www.linkedin.com/pub/debbie-harold/a/384/240

Steve Leege was been hired as Chief Credit Officer for Financial Pacific, a wholly owned subsidiary of Umpqua Bank. Veteran Bruce Spencer has now retired. Previously, Leege was Director of Credit, CIT (November 2007– December 2014); Chief Credit Officer, RX Financial Corporation (January 2003–October 2007); Consultant, Oracle, Rx Financial, LFC Capital (November 2000–December 2002); Credit Manager, CIT Group (formerly Newcourt Financial) (January 1999–October 2000); Credit Manager, Sanwa Business Credit Corp (August 1986–December 1998). Education: Valparaiso University, BS – Finance (1982–1986). Activities and Societies: Sigma Pi Fraternity
www.linkedin.com/pub/steve-leege/2/812/138

Ricardo Sondakh-Dorantes was promoted to Relationship Manager
UniFi Equipment Finance, formerly Ervin Equipment Finance, Ann Arbor, Michigan. He joined the firm in 2014 as Client Service Representative/Sales. Previously he was Senior Sales Associate MetroPCS (November, 2010 – December, 2013); Grounds Maintenance, Lake Forest Golf Club (2009 – 2010). Education: Washtenaw Community College, Associates, Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (2012).

Jeff Visscher was hired as Regional Sales Manager at Bank of the West, Noblesville, Indiana. Previously, he was Vice President Sales, Ascentium Capital (September 2012–November 2014); Business Development Manager, Commonwealth Capital Corp. (September 2011–September 2012); Real Estate Sales at The Estridge Companies (2010- September 2011), Midwest Sales Director, De Lage Landen (2003-2009), Finance Manager, Ingersoll-Rand Financial Services, A Division of CitiCapital (1996-2003), Senior Retail Credit Analyst, Ingersoll-Rand Financial Services, Wholesale Credit Analyst, Ingersoll-Rand Financial Services (1993-1995), Regional Collection Representative, Ingersoll-Rand Financial Services (1990-1993), Customer Service Supervisor, Chrysler Credit Corporation (189-1990), Field Representative, Chrysler Credit Corporation (1988-1989). Hope College BA, Business Administration (1984 – 1988).
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffvisscher

Edward Zonis was promoted to Manager, Relationship Management at Canon Financial Services, Inc., Greater Philadelphia area. He joined the firm November, 2005, as Dealer Service Representative; promoted to Account Executive, April, 2008; named Customer Remarketer, Senior, April, 2009; Specialist, Senior Portfolio Management, July, 2010; Sr. Specialist, Relationship Management, September, 2013. Prior, he was Senior Loan Consultant, Liberty Penn Financial, LLC (2004–2005); Travel Consultant, Liberty Travel (2002–2004). June, 1999, he went to work for Vertical Screen, Inc. as Data Entry Operator; promoted to Quality Assurance Representative, June, 2000; then Client Services Representative, August, 2001. Languages: Russian. Education: Strayer University-New Jersey, Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Business Administration and Management, General (2012–2016 (expected). Travel & Business Academy, Certificate, Travel Agency (2002–2003). Certification in selling leisure travel and owning and operating a travel agency, Bucks County Community College (2000–2002).

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

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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US Hiring Demand Ends Year Strong
But Signs of Weakening Appear

ZRG Partners Year-end Report

2014 continued the bull market run in commercial finance and leasing for talent but some signs are beginning to point to a slower 2015.

Hiring growth was recorded throughout the year, ending in December at the high water mark for 2014 in our index.

What is causing the increases? We believe it is difficulty in filling currently open roles and the lengthened hiring timelines caused by the candidate driven market environment, where there is clearly more job needs then there is talent to fill certain open roles.

A bigger percentage of the year-end hiring now relates to business development and growth initiatives. However, three of the larger index companies we track, CIT, DLL and GE all showed slight hiring decreases in the fourth quarter, from mid-year levels, perhaps signaling that 2015 may begin to show slowdowns. These bellwethers could foreshadow what might be in store for 2015. Additionally, we have seen some larger corporate restructures, resulting in lost jobs without plans for replacement in Q4.

A robust environment for M&A and lots of “deal book activity” may also stunt Q1 2015 hiring growth, while the current inventory of transactions gets digested or retracted from the markets and new strategies emerge from this activity. “In process” firms seem to be pausing on hiring.

ZRG Partners News Letter
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/ZRGNewsletter_12015.pdf

Leasing News Chief Investigators Doesn’t Mind the Cold
John Kenny with his dog Chester

As the ice-storm brews outside, John Kenny sits with his dog Chester in his office/clubhouse, which he says is quite cozy on a winter's night.

John lives and works on a farm near the Village of Mohawk, New York, south of Utica; where the high yesterday was 19 degrees, and low 12 degrees. The claim to fame: George Washington was known to stop in Mohawk to have lunch at the Shoemaker Tavern on his way to and from Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY.

John says, "Big window in the back looks out onto our property then out into the Mohawk Valley. Front window looks out to the road and hills and meadows. I have a big-screen TV and a nice sound system in here too. Everyone should be so lucky!!"

His hobby is photography, thus his Wall Calendar series:
http://www.organic-pics.com/calendars.html

Receivables Management LLC
John Kenny

• End of Lease Negotiations & Enforcement
• Fraud Investigations
• Credit Investigations • Asset Searches
• Skip-tracing • Third-party Commercial Collections
(For Flat Fee or Commission Basis)

john@jkrmdirect.com | ph 315-866-1167| www.jkrmdirect.com

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

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Failed banks, class of 2014
SNL Financial Report

By Daniel M. Burkard and Divya Lulla and Zuhaib Gull
(With bank stories from Leasing News)

Regulators closed a total of 18 banks and thrifts in 2014, compared to 24 in 2013 and 51 in 2012.

The FDIC relied less on loss-share agreements to complete its failed-bank transactions over the last few years. None of the government-assisted transactions in 2014 included a loss-share agreement, while three of the failures in 2013 included these agreements. In 2012, 20 failures included loss-share agreements.

Failures in 2014 cost the FDIC's deposit insurance fund less than previous years. In 2014, the median cost to the fund at the time of announcement was 14% of the failed banks' assets. This is down from 22% for 2013 and 21% in 2012.

Mankato, Minn.-based Northern Star Bank ($18.8 million) It is another one of the Zombie banks the FDIC has been keeping open, and their trouble started before the recession, over ten years ago.

Northern Star Bank has been under regulatory scrutiny for years due to a large amount of troubled loans, operating losses, and inadequate capital. The internet shows criticism of Northern Star Bank President Tom Stienessen, particularly the banks issuance of subprime mortgages. It is stated, Mr. Stienessen replied the bank did not participate in sub-prime loans, yet the high non-current loans for a small bank were substantial, especially starting in 2007.

Non-Current Loans

2004 $89,000
2005 $420,000
2006 $92,000
2007 $959,000
2008 $2.5
2009 $2.5
2010 $763,000
2011 $928,000
2012 $38,000
2013 $109,000
9/30 $337,000

Northern Star Bank Report by Leasing News
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2014/12_22.htm#bank_beat

Palm Desert, Calif.-based Frontier Bank FSB ($80.7 million)

Regulators closed a small lender in California on Friday, marking the 17th U.S. bank failure this year after 24 closures in 2013.

U.S. bank failures have been declining since they peaked in 2010 in the wake of the financial crisis and the Great Recession.

Only three banks went under in 2007. That jumped to 25 in 2008, after the financial meltdown, and ballooned to 140 in 2009.

In 2010, regulators seized 157 banks, the most in any year since the savings and loan crisis two decades ago. The FDIC has said 2010 likely was the high-water mark for bank failures from the recession. They declined to 92 in 2011 and fell to 51 in 2012.

In a strong economy, about four or five banks close annually.

Frontier Bank Report by Leasing News
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2014/11_12.htm#frontier

Chicago-based GreenChoice Bank fsb ($70.3 million)
GreenChoice Bank was the third Illinois institution to fail this year after regulators shuttered Moline-based Valley Bank on June 20. Established in 1910, GreenChoice Bank operated three branches, all in Illinois. The savings bank failed to post a profit in any quarter since the end of 2008 and had a Texas ratio of 551.04% on June 30. South Holland, Ill.-based Providence assumed the bank's deposits, which stood at $68.7 million at the end of the second quarter. Providence Bank also purchased $67.7 million of GreenChoice Bank's assets. The FDIC retained the remaining assets for later disposition.
Leasing News on Chicago-based GreenChoice Ban: (http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jul2014/7_28.htm#bank_beatk fsb)

Conyers, Ga.-based Eastside Commercial Bank ($173.9 million)
Eastside Commercial Bank was the first Georgia bank to fail since regulators shuttered Valdosta, Ga.-based Sunrise Bank on May 10, 2013. Established in 2005, Eastside Commercial Bank operated two branches, both in Georgia. The institution posted a profit in only two quarters since the start of 2010. Atlanta-based Community & Southern Bank assumed all of Eastside's deposits, which stood at $166.9 million at June 30. The Community & Southern Holdings Inc. unit also entered into an agreementwith the FDIC to buy $104.7 million of Eastside's assets. In a separate deal, the FDIC agreed to sell $42.6 million of the failed bank's loans to Macon, Ga.-based State Bank and Trust Co., a subsidiary of State Bank Financial Corp. The regulator has retained the remaining assets for later disposition.
Leasing News on Conyers, Ga. based Eastside Commercial Bank (http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jul2014/7_21.htm#bank_beat)

Freedom State Bank ($22.8 million)
Freedom State Bank's closure marked the second failure in Oklahoma this year after Bank of Union was shuttered Jan. 24. Established in 1919, Freedom State Bank operated a single branch in Oklahoma before it was shut down. The FDIC had issued a prompt corrective action directive to the bank May 2.
Leasing News article on Freedom State Bank Closing:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jul2014/7_01.htm#bank_beat)

Moline, Ill.-based Valley Bank ($456.4 million
Valley Bank, one of the River Valley Bancorp subsidiaries to fail June 20, operated 13 branches in Illinois before its closure. The bank's nonperforming loans ratio stood just shy of 24% at March 31, and the institution posted $51.3 million in total losses from 2010 through March 31. Valley Bank was also operating under a cease and desist order from Jan. 15.
Leasing News article on Valley Bank Closing:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2014/6_23.htm#bank_beating)

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Valley Bank ($81.8 million)
Established in 1974, Valley Bank operated four branches in Florida before its closure June 20. This was the first Florida failure since Graceville, Fla.-based Bank of Jackson County closed Oct. 30, 2013. Valley Bank was operating under a cease and desist order dated Dec. 18, 2013, and had lost $17.9 million from 2009 through March 31. The Seminole Tribe of Florida had expressed an interest in acquiring Valley Bank but withdrewits application June 4.
Leasing News article on Valley Bank Closing:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2014/6_23.htm#bank_beating)

Bel Air, Md.-based Slavie Federal Savings Bank (MHC) ($140.1 million)
Founded as a community bank in 1900, Slavie Federal Savings Bank (MHC) marks the ninth bank failure in Maryland since 1998. This was the first failure in the state since regulators closed HarVest Bank of Maryland on April 27, 2012. Prior to its closure, the OCC issued a cease and desist order to Slavie on Jan. 7. The institution had struggled to improve its capital position as its Tier 1 risk-based ratio fell to 3.83% in the first quarter from 11.92% two years prior. Furthermore, the bank failed to earn a profit in the last 11 quarters, incurring an aggregate net loss of $16.4 million over that period.
Leasing News article on Slavie Federal Savings Bank Closing:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2014/6_02.htm#bank_beat)

Cincinnati-based Columbia Savings Bank ($36.5 million)
Established in 1892, Columbia Savings Bank operated out of a single branch in Cincinnati. The failure marks the first in Ohio after regulators closed Milford-based Bramble Savings Bank in 2010. The FDIC issued a prompt corrective action directive to Columbia Savings Bank on March 13, ordering it to either increase its capital levels or accept an offer to be acquired by another bank. Prior to its failure, the institution had incurred a net loss in 22 of its last 24 quarters. The aggregate loss for those quarters totaled $5.36 million.
Leasing News article on Columbia Savings Bank Closing:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2014/5_27.htm#bank_beat)

Berwyn, Ill.-based AztecAmerica Bank ($66.3 million)
The bank was established in 2005, focusing on the Hispanic community in Chicago, according to Crain's Chicago Business. In an SNL analysis, AztecAmerica was ranked fifth in the list of banks and thrifts with the highest adjusted Texas in the first quarter. The bank had incurred net losses for 22 of the last 25 quarters for an aggregate loss of $13.8 million.
AztecAmerica Bank Report by Leasing News:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/May2014/5_19.htm#bank_beat)

Fairfax, S.C.-based Allendale County Bank ($51.5 million)
The bank was established in 1937 and operated five branches in South Carolina. This represents the first bank failure in South Carolina since Carolina Federal Savings Bank in June 2012. The FDIC had issued a cease and desist order to Allendale County Bank in July 2013. At the end of 2013, about 56% of the company's loan portfolio consisted of consumer loans. Due to a substantial rise in its loan loss provision, the bank incurred a net loss of $3.1 million in the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2013.
Allendale County Bank report by Leasing News
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Apr2014/4_28.htm#bank_beat)

Sterling, Va.-based Millennium Bank NA ($130.3 million)
Established in 1999, the bank had two branches in northern Virginia. It was the first failure in Virginia since Bank of the Commonwealth in September 2011. The bank had incurred net losses for 23 consecutive quarters for an aggregate loss of $52.1 million. Millennium topped the list of banks having the highest adjusted Texas ratio for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2013, according to an analysis conducted by SNL.
Millennium Bank report by Leasing News:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2014/3_03.htm#bank_beat)

Horsham, Pa.-based Vantage Point Bank ($63.5 million)
The bank was formed in 2007 and operated one branch in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. This marks the first failure in Pennsylvania since Nova Bank in October 2012. The FDIC had issued a consent order to Vantage Point on Dec. 9, 2013. The bank had also recently experienced turnover in senior management.
Vantage Bank report by Leasing News:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2014/3_03.htm#bank_beat)

Boise, Idaho-based Syringa Bank ($153.4 million)
Established in 1997, the bank had six branches in Idaho, five of which were in the Boise City-Nampa MSA. This was the first bank failure in Idaho since April 2009. Syringa Bank's parent, Syringa Bancorp, had received TARP funds in January 2009. Syringa Bank had incurred net losses for 19 consecutive quarters for an aggregate loss of $40.0 million. Total loans and leases were $119.8 million at year-end 2013, down from $260.2 million five years earlier.
Syringa Bank Report by Leasing News:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2014/2_03.htm#abnk_beat)

El Reno, Okla.-based Bank of Union ($317.2 million)
Established in 1900, Bank of Union had two branches in central Oklahoma. This was the first bank failure in Oklahoma since First Capital Bank in June 2012. The FDIC issued Bank of Union a consent order in June 2013. More than half of the bank's loan portfolio was nonperforming as of Sept. 30, 2013.
Bank of Union report by Leasing News:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2014/1_27.htm#bank_beat)

West Chicago, Ill.-based DuPage National Bank ($53.5 million)
The bank was established in 1891 and operated three branches in the Chicago MSA. DuPage National was the first bank failure in Illinois since Covenant Bank in February 2013. The bank had incurred net losses for 25 consecutive quarters for an aggregate loss of $17.7 million. As of Sept. 30, 2013, 17.41% of its gross loans were past due or nonaccrual.
DuPage Bank Report by Leasing News:
(http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2014/1_27.htm#bank_beat)

FDIC List of Bank Failures:
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html
Leasing News Bank Beat:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Bank_Beat.htm

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Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

A pair of prestige releases ("A Most Violent Year," "Big Eyes") come to theaters, while new DVDs offer acclaimed drama ("Boyhood"), tough action ("The Equalizer"), and an energetic biopic ("Get on Up").

In Theaters:

A Most Violent Year (A24): After "Margin Call" and "All Is Lost," director J.C. Chandor continues his run of unpredictable quality projects with this moody, stylish drama, set in New York City in 1981. In a performance that's been compared to the intensity of the young Al Pacino, Oscar Isaac stars as Abel Morales, an ambitious dealer determined to escape his impoverished immigrant roots by cashing in on the city's rampant corruption. As he becomes more deeply involved with underworld connections, the closer his family (including his tough-as-nails wife Anna, played by Jessica Chastain) is drawn to danger. Filled with period details and moral complications, Chandor's film is a gritty and absorbing snapshot of troubled characters in an ominous cityscape.

Big Eyes (The Weinstein Company): Taking a break from his trademark goth whimsy, Tim Burton serves up a gorgeous portrait of the thorny relationship between artists and their work. Unfolding in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the movie centers on Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), whose famous paintings featuring figures with huge, celestial eyes were appropriated, packaged and sold by her ambitious husband Walter (Christoph Waltz). Following timid Margaret's gradual awakening from her easily manipulated doormat to a painter willing to regain her stylistic voice in a man's world, the movie is a lively and well-acted meditation on the often trying but ultimately soulful nature of personal expression, painted by Burton with eccentricity and tenderness.

Netflix Tip: A reliably warm presence on screen for decades, Edward Herrmann (1943-2014) played his share of avancular authority figures on stage, film and TV. So check out some of his most memorable roles, ranging from "Annie" (1982) and "The Lost Boys" (1987) to "The Cat's Meow" (2001) and the beloved TV series "Gilmore Girls."

On DVD:

Boyhood (Paramount): A veteran of the American indie scene, director Richard Linklater ("Slacker," "Before Midnight") delivers his most critically acclaimed film yet with this absorbing slice-of-life drama. Filmed over the course of twelve years so that audiences can actually witness the growth of the main character from ages 5 to 17, the story centers on Mason (Ellar Coltrane), a young Texan drifting through life. As time passes, we see his relationship with his Mom (Patricia Arquette) and Dad (Ethan Hawke), his entering school and dealing with bullies and crushes, his new homes and interests and assorted coming-of-age rituals. Filming with patience and tenderness, Linklater evokes the ebb and flow of life, resulting in a deceptively modest vision that's brimming with deeply humanistic moments. Not to be missed.

The Equalizer (Sony): The 1980s TV series "The Equalizer" gets a robust big-screen update in this exciting remake, which reunites Denzel Washington with his "Training Day" director, Antoine Fuqua. Washington stars as McCall, a Massachusetts man who's determined to leave his violent past behind him. His attempts at leading a new and peaceful life are shaken, however, when he meets a young girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) who's being pursued by a gang of brutal Russian gangsters. Faced with the idea of innocent people in danger, McCall must reluctantly dust off his old ways. But can he do it without falling back into the abyss of his past? Shading regret and melancholia into his charismatic persona, Washington delivers a compelling performance that's complimented by Fuqua's dynamic handling of action.

Get On Up (Universal): Chadwick Boseman delivers an electrifying portrayal of James Brown in this robust biopic about the turbulent life of the legendary funk-music performer. Structured as a series of flashbacks triggered by Brown on the way to one of his later concerts, the movie covers his troubled childhood in rural Georgia, his discovery of music, his battle with society racism, his often volatile relationships, and his ascension into full-blown "Godfather of Soul" status. Directed with plenty of energy by Tate Taylor ("The Help") and featuring tons of Brown's music as well as a supporting cast that includes Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, the film is a highly enjoyable view of one of show business' most dynamic figures.

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    1776 - Propagandist Thomas Paine anonymously published "Common Sense," a scathing attack on King George III's reign over the colonies and a call for complete independence.   In a land with a population of 2.5 million, 500,000 copies of Paine's stirring call for independence were sold within a few months, greatly affecting public sentiment and the deliberations of the Continental Congress leading up to the Declaration of Independence. He advocated an immediate declaration of independence from Britain. An instant bestseller in both the colonies and in Britain, Paine boldly stated that King George III was a tyrant and that Americans should shed any sentimental attachment to the monarchy
    1788 - By a vote of 128 to 40, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the US Constitution.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan09.html
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?amtoday:1:./temp/~ammem_UKE8
    1793 - Invited to the United States by Benjamin Franklin , a Frenchman, Jean-Pierre Francois Blanchard, made the first manned free-balloon flight in America's history at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event was watched by President George Washington and many other high government officials. The hydrogen-filled balloon rose to a height of about 5,800 feet, traveled some 15 miles and landed 46 minutes later in New Jersey. Reportedly Blanchard had only one passenger on the flight-a little black dog (name unknown).
    1839 - The Academy of Sciences in France announced the Daguerreotype photography process.
    1847 - Yerba Buena's first newspaper, "The California Star," published its first issue on the press Sam Brannan brought with him from New York. Brannan was the publisher and Dr. E.B. Jones, editor. It is the first newspaper published in what is to become the City and County of San Francisco.
    1849 - In San Francisco, Henry M. Naglee and Richard H. Sinton formed a bank called the Exchange and Deposit Office on Kearny St. facing Portsmouth Plaza. Sinton was acting paymaster aboard the “Ohio" and came to San Francisco with Commodore Jones.
    1854 – Birthday of Lady Randolph Churchill, born Jeanette Jerome in Brooklyn. She was Winston Churchill’s mother.
    1857 - The Fort Tejon earthquake struck California in the pass north of Los Angeles, registering an estimated magnitude of 7.9.
    1859 - Carrie Lane Chapman Catt was born at Ripon, WI. An American women’s rights leader, she founded, in 1919, the National League of Women Voters.   She died at New Rochelle, NY, Mar 9, 1947.
http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/catt.htm
http://www.catt.org/
    1861 - Mississippi follows South Carolina in seceding from the Union when a state convention at Jackson ratifies an article of secession by a vote of 84 to 15.
    1861 - The "Star of the West” incident occurred near Charleston, SC. It is considered by most historians to be the "First Shots of the American Civil War". A detachment of Confederate forces at Morris Island, in Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC, fired upon the Star of the West, a merchant steam vessel. The vessel had been chartered by the federal government to convey supplies and men to reinforce Major Robert Anderson at Fort Sumter in the harbor, although the announced destinations were Savannah, GA, and New Orleans, LA. It left New York harbor January 5, 1861, and was fired on within two miles of Forts Sumter and Moultrie. Its captain, John McGowan, retired from the scene after 17 shots had been fired at his ship. The first shot was fired by Cadet George E. Haynesworth of Sumter, SC, who was ordered to fire by Major P.F. Stevens.
    1862 - Orders from the Navy Department appointed Flag Officer Farragut to command Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, flagship U.S.S. Hartford, then at Philadelphia. The bounds of the command extended from West Florida to the Rio Grande, but a far larger purpose than even the important function of blockade lay behind Farragut's appointment. Late in 1861, the administration had made a decision that would have fateful results on the war. The full list of senior officers in the Navy was reviewed for a commander for an enterprise of first importance: the capture of New Orleans, the South's "richest and most populous city," and the beginning of the drive of sea-based power up the Father of Waters to meet General Grant, who would soon move south behind the spearhead of the armored gunboats. On 21 December 1861, in Washington, Farragut had written his wife; ''Keep your lips closed, and burn my letters; for perfect silence is to be observed- the first injunction of the Secretary. I am to have a flag in the Gulf and the rest depends upon myself. Keep calm and silent. I shall sail in three weeks.'' Meanwhile, the tight blockade was causing grave concern in New Orleans. The Commercial Bulletin reported: ''The situation of this port makes it a matter of vast moment to the whole Confederate State that it should be opened to the commerce of the world within the least possible period ... We believe the blockading vessels of the enemy might have been driven away and kept away months ago, if the requisite energy had been put forth . . . The blockade has remained and the great port of New Orleans has been hermetically sealed. . ."
    1866 - The Fisk School, to become known as Fisk University, convened classes in former Union army barracks in Nashville, Tennessee. One of the first black colleges in the United States, alma mater of W.E. DuBois and others, the school was named for General Clinton B. Fisk of the Tennessee Freedmen's Bureau who provided the facility. Fisk University, incorporated on August 22, 1867, is one of several historically black colleges founded with help from the American Missionary Association. The organization was formed in 1846 from three anti-slavery societies involved in the effort to colonize freed slaves overseas. Other schools founded by the AMA include Atlanta University, Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), and Emory University. The Fisk Jubilee Singers, organized in 1867, began touring the United States and Europe in 1871 to raise money for the university. Renowned for their discipline and high standards of musical performance, they brought international attention to traditional African-American sacred music. Jubilee Hall, the first permanent structure built in the South for the education of African Americans, was constructed with proceeds from the Singers' tours. During their first U.S. tour in 1871, the obscure Fisk Jubilee Singers followed the route of the old Underground Railroad and performed in churches and private homes. By 1872, the group, most of whom had been born into slavery, were presenting their artistry and a new body of music to the general public at Steinway Hall in Manhattan, to President Grant at the White House, and Queen Victoria in England. Sheet music of songs they sung: (lower half of http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan09.html )
    1873 - In the foremost scandal of the day, Victoria Woodhull, publisher, was arrested for writing that renowned preacher Henry Ward Beecher had committed adultery. The postal authorities charged her with sending obscene literature through the mail. She was acquitted of the charge. What made the event more newsworthy is that Beecher was subsequently sued for alienation of affections by Theodore Tilton. The jury and the public found Dr. Beecher innocent but found Mrs. Tilton guilty.
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/woodhull/woodhull_bio.html
http://www.victoria-woodhull.com/whoisvw.htm
    1875 - The temperature at Cheyenne, WY, dipped to an all-time record cold reading of -38 degrees.
    1880 – Six feet (1.8 meters) of snow falls in Seattle in 5 days.
    1886 - Ida Cohen Rosenthal was born in Russia. She was an American manufacturing executive who operated a small dress store in New York with Enid Bissett. To make their clothes hang better, the duo added tucks in front of the strips of cloth that were the brassieres of that time. The "cupped" bras became so popular that they organized the Maiden Form Brassiere Company in 1923. ICR's mother ran a store in Europe to support the family because her father was a Hebrew scholar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Rosenthal
    1888 - Severe cold gripped much of the western U.S. At Portland, OR, the Columbia River was frozen for two weeks, and in southern California, temperatures dipped below freezing in some of the citrus growing areas.
    1894 – New England Telephone and Telegraph installed the first battery-operated telephone switchboard in Lexington, MA.
    1903 - Frank Farrell and Bill Devery bought the one year old Baltimore Orioles franchise in the American League for $18,000 and moved the team to New York, changing their name to the New York Highlanders to compete with the New York Giants. They played at Hilltop Park. In 1913, the team was renamed New York Yankees. They played at Polo Grounds from 1913-1922. By the middle of the decade, Farrell and Devery had become estranged and both were in dire need of money. At the start of 1915, they sold the team to Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Captain Tillinghast L’Hommedieu Huston for $1.25 million. In 1923, the Yankees moved into Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York where they remained until 2009, except for 1974-1975 when they played at Shea Stadium while Yankee Stadium was being remodeled. The new Yankee Stadium opened across River Ave at 161st St and the field of the old ball park was turned into playing fields for the community.
    1913 - Birthday of Richard Milhous Nixon. Served as 36th vice president of the US, under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jan 20, 1953, to Jan 20, 1961. He was the 37th president of the US, serving Jan 20, 1969, to Aug 9, 1974, when he resigned the presidency while under the threat of impeachment. Nixon is the only US president to resign the office. He was born at Yorba Linda, CA, and died at New York, NY, Apr 22, 1994.
    1914 - The first historically black intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, to be officially recognized at Howard University was founded.
   1914 - Drummer Kenny Clark’s Birthday in Pittsburgh.   He was a major innovator of the bebop style of drumming. As the house drummer at Minton’s Playhouse in the early 1940s, he participated in the afterhours jams that led to the birth of Be-Bop, which in turn led to modern jazz. While in New York, he played with the major innovators of the emerging bop style, Charlie parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Curly Russell and others, as well as musicians of the prior generation, including Sidney Bechet. He spent his later life in Paris and died there in 1985.
http://www-music.duke.edu/jazz_archive/artists/clarke.kenny/02/index.html
1914 - The very famous singer/dancer/stripper Gypsy Rose Lee born Seattle, WA
http://www.streetswing.com/histmai2/d2gypsy1.htm
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/eyes/gypsy_rose_lee.html
http://www.streetswing.com/histmai2/d3gypsy5.htm
    1915 - Pancho Villa signs a treaty with the United States, halting border conflicts.
    1916 – Gallipoli: In the waning days of World War I, the Ottoman Empire scored a victory when the last Allied forces are evacuated from the peninsula.
    1918 - The last battle of the American Indian wars was fought at the Battle of Bear Valley. Elements of the 10th Cavalry detected about thirty armed Yaquis in Bear Valley, AZ, a large area that was commonly used as a passage across the international border with Mexico. A short firefight ensued, which resulted in the death of the Yaqui commander and the capture of nine others. Though the conflict was merely a skirmish, it was the last time the United States Army engaged Native Americans in combat.
    1920 - Singer Betty Roche was born in Wilmington, DE. With Savoy Sultans (1941-41), Duke Ellington (1943-44). She became most famous with her cover of the song "Take the ‘A’ Train" and she was the first to sing “Black, Brown and Beige.”
http://elvispelvis.com/bettyroche.htm
http://www.thatplusmore.com/betty-roche.html
    1921 – The birthday of John Sperling, founder of the University of Phoenix, in the Ozarks, in MO. He died August, 2014.
    1924 - Ford Motor Co. stock is valued at nearly $1 billion.
    1926 - Birthday of guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, Paterson, NJ
http://www.riverwalk.org/profiles/pizzarelli_b.htm
http://www.classicjazzguitar.com/artists/artists_page.jsp?artist=23
http://www.jazzbymail.com/albums_guitar/arcd19254.html
    1928 – Singer Domenico Modugno (“Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu”) was born in Puglia, Italy. He co-wrote the song that became an international and US hit and won two Grammy Awards in 1958. In addition, the Anglicized version, “Volare”, was covered by several artists who took it high on the charts as well. He died in 1994 in Sicily.
    1929 - In Nashville, Tennessee, the Seeing Eye, whose purpose was to train guide dogs for the blind, was incorporated.
    1931 - Bassist Carson Smith born San Francisco CA
http://noahlambert.tripod.com/theclassicbrassquintet/id8.html
    1934 - Birthday of Bryan Bartlett “Bart” Starr at Montgomery , AL.
Pro football Hall of Fame quarterback of the Green Bay Packers and their former coach, he won the first two Super Bowls, and was MVP of both, under Hall of Fame and legendary coach, Vince Lombardi. Starr is the only quarterback in NFL history to lead a team to five championships, including those Super Bowls (1961–62, 1965–67). http://www.sportsstarsusa.com/football/starr_bart.html
    1935 - Actor Bob Denver was born in New Rochelle, NY. After his off-beat role as Maynard G. Krebs in “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis”, he took the lead role as Gilligan in “Gilligan’s Island.” The burning question still: “Mary Anne or Ginger?”
http://www.bobdenver.com/
    1939 - Producer Alfred Lion recorded boogie-woogie pianists Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons at a session in New York. Lion pressed only a few copies for his friends, but demand for the records was so great that he made other recordings of Dixieland artists like Sidney Bechet. This was the beginning of Lion's famous Blue Note record label, for which practically every major jazz artist of the past 50 years has recorded at one time or another. Lion sold the label to Liberty-United Artists in 1966. He died in 1987.
    1939 - Southern Tenant Farmers' Union lead Missouri Highway sit-down of 1,700 tenant families.
http://www.umsl.edu/services/library/blackstudies/homeless.htm
    1941 - Birthday of folksinger Joan Baez, Staten Island, NY. Her politics and music have always been closely connected, and she was active in opposing the US military draft and American involvement in the Vietnam War. In March, 1968, she married David Harris, a former student leader at Stanford University who was facing a three-year prison term for draft resistance. Joan Baez played an important role in launching Bob Dylan's career, inviting him on stage during her concerts in the early '60s.
http://www.baez.woz.org/
    1941 - Sammy Kaye and his orchestra recorded "Until Tomorrow" on Victor Records. This song became the sign-off melody for Kaye and other big bands.
    1944 - Rock guitarist Jimmy Page was born in London. He established his reputation as a session musician in London in the early '60s, and is rumored to have played the guitar solo on the Kinks' recording of "You Really Got Me." Page later joined the Yardbirds as bass guitarist, taking over the lead guitar role when Jeff Beck left the group. When the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Page formed Led Zeppelin with vocalist Robert Plant. Led Zeppelin is generally regarded as the first heavy metal rock group.
    1945 - Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the American 6th Army landed on the Lingayen Gulf of Luzon, another step in the capture of the Philippine Islands from the Japanese. The Japanese controlled the Philippines from May 1942, when the defeat of American forces led to General MacArthur's departure and Gen. Jonathan Wainwright's capture. But in October 1944, more than 100,000 American soldiers landed on Leyte Island to launch one of one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific war and herald the beginning of the end for Japan. Newsreels captured the event as MacArthur waded ashore at Leyte on October 20, returning to the Philippines as he had famously promised he would after the original defeat of American forces there. What the newsreels didn't capture were the 67 days it took to subdue the island, with the loss of more than 55,000 Japanese soldiers during the two months of battle and approximately 25,000 more soldiers killed in smaller-scale engagements necessary to fully clear the area of enemy troops. The U.S. forces lost about 3,500. The sea battle of Leyte Gulf was the same story. The loss of ships and sailors was horrendous for both sides. That battle also saw the introduction of the Japanese kamikaze suicide bombers. More than 5,000 kamikaze pilots died in this gulf battle, taking down 34 ships. But the Japanese were not able to prevent the loss of their biggest and best warships, which meant the virtual end of the Japanese Imperial Fleet. These American victories on land and sea at Leyte opened the door for the landing of more than 60,000 American troops on Luzon on January 9. Once again, cameras recorded MacArthur walking ashore, this time to greet cheering Filipinos. Although the American troops met little opposition when they landed, American warships were in for a new surprise: kamikaze boats. Japanese boats loaded with explosives and piloted by kamikaze personnel rammed the light cruiser Columbia and the battleship Mississippi, killing a total of 49 American crewmen. The initial ease of the American fighters' first week on land was explained when they discovered the intricate defensive network of caves and tunnels that the Japanese created on Luzon. The intention of the caves and tunnels was to draw the Americans inland, while allowing the Japanese to avoid the initial devastating bombardment of an invasion force. Once Americans reached them, the Japanese fought vigorously, convinced they were directing American strength away from the Japanese homeland. Despite their best efforts, the Japanese lost the battle for Luzon and eventually, the battle for control over all of the Philippines.
    1945 - The fleet carriers of Task Force 38 attack targets on Okinawa and Formosa in conjunction with US Army Air Force B-29 Superfortress bombers from bases in China. This is intended to give cover to the landings on Luzon. One Japanese destroyer is sunk along with seven other ships.
    1945 - *CAREY, CHARLES F., JR., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, 397th Infantry, 100th Infantry Division. Place and date: Rimling, France, 8-9 January 1945. Entered service at: Cheyenne, Wyo. Birth: Canadian, Okla. G.O. No.: 53, July 1945. Citation: He was in command of an antitank platoon when about 200 enemy infantrymen and 12 tanks attacked his battalion, overrunning part of its position. After losing his guns, T/Sgt. Carey, acting entirely on his own initiative, organized a patrol and rescued 2 of his squads from a threatened sector, evacuating those who had been wounded. He organized a second patrol and advanced against an enemy-held house from which vicious fire issued, preventing the free movement of our troops. Covered by fire from his patrol, he approached the house, killed 2 snipers with his rifle, and threw a grenade in the door. He entered alone and a few minutes later emerged with 16 prisoners. Acting on information he furnished, the American forces were able to capture an additional 41 Germans in adjacent houses. He assembled another patrol, and, under covering fire, moved to within a few yards of an enemy tank and damaged it with a rocket. As the crew attempted to leave their burning vehicle, he calmly shot them with his rifle, killing 3 and wounding a fourth. Early in the morning of 9 January, German infantry moved into the western part of the town and encircled a house in which T/Sgt. Carey had previously posted a squad. Four of the group escaped to the attic. By maneuvering an old staircase against the building, T/Sgt. Carey was able to rescue these men. Later that day, when attempting to reach an outpost, he was struck down by sniper fire. The fearless and aggressive leadership of T/Sgt. Carey, his courage in the face of heavy fire from superior enemy forces, provided an inspiring example for his comrades and materially helped his battalion to withstand the German onslaught.
    1945 - Top Hits
“Don’t Fence Me In” - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
“There Goes that Song Again” - Russ Morgan
“I’m Making Believe” - Ella Fitzgerald & The Ink Spots
“I’m Wastin’ My Tears on You” - Tex Ritter
    1947 – “The Black Dahlia”, Betty Short, was last seen alive. Short was found mutilated, her body sliced in half at the waist, on January 15, 1947, in Leimert Park in LA. Short's unsolved murder has been the source of widespread speculation, leading to many suspects, along with several books and film adaptations of the story. Short's murder is one of the oldest unsolved murder cases in Los Angeles history.
    1950 - Blues singer Buster Poindexter born Staten Island New York
    1951 - In New York City, the United Nations headquarters officially opened.
    1951 - Birthday of country singer Crystal Gayle (Brenda Gayle Webb), at Paintsville, KY. Best known for her 1977 country-pop crossover hit song, "Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", she accumulated 20 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s with six certified Gold albums. Crystal Gayle became the first female artist in country music history to reach Platinum sales with her 1977 album, "We Must Believe in Magic". She is also a younger sister of country star Loretta Lynn.
    1952 - Jackie Robinson becomes the highest paid player in Brooklyn Dodger history. In his five years to date with the club, the Dodgers went to the World Series twice and finished second in the NL twice.
    1953 - Top Hits
“Why Don’t You Believe Me” - Joni James
“Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” - Perry Como
“Glow Worm” - The Mills Brothers
“Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” - Skeets McDonald
    1953 - Starring Alan Young, Victor Mature, Jean Simmons, Maurice Evans, and Elsa Lanchester, the film “Androcles and the Lion” opened in United States theaters. Based on George Bernard Shaw's satirical comedy, it was the story of a Christian in ancient Rome who befriends a lion.
    1954 - 87ºF (-66ºC), North Ice Station, Greenland (Greenland record)
    1956 - A trio known as Buddy Holly and the Two-Tunes kick off a two week tour of the Southern United States, as a supporting act for George Jones and Hank Thompson.
    1959 - "Rawhide" premiered this day in 1959. My father, Lawrence Menkin, was the story editor. Supposedly he kept increasing Clint Eastwood's part because the ladies liked him, although Eric Fleming (1959-65) as trail boss Gil Favor wanted larger parts himself. After Favor left, the show continued with Eastwood as the ramrod and trail boss. My father was instrumental in hiring black actors for local and network shows, winning awards for this, and, perhaps little known to television history, Raymond St. Jacques as Simon Blake was the first African-American regular on a television series
    1959 - Dion and The Belmonts perform their newest recording, "Teenager in Love", on American Bandstand. The song will reach #5 in the US and #28 in the UK.
    1960 - Eddie Cochran arrived in England to begin his ill-fated final tour.   He would lose his life in an automobile accident in the UK.
    1961 - Top Hits
“Wonderland by Night” - Bert Kaempfert
“Exodus” - Ferrante & Teicher
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” - The Shirelles
“North to Alaska” - Johnny Horton
    1961 - "Rhinoceros", the play, opened on Broadway, starring Eli Wallach and Zero Mostel.
    1961 - Orchestra leader Bert Kaempfert knocked Elvis Presley out of the number one spot on the US charts after six weeks, with a sleepy instrumental called "Wonderland by Night".
    1961 - Bob Newhart's comedy LP "The Button Down Mind Strikes Back!" topped the Billboard album chart, just as "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart" did the previous year.
    1962 – On the heels of the huge success of Chubby Checker, Sam Cooke released “Twistin’ the Night Away”.
    1963 - A London jazz drummer named Charlie Watts leaves his old group, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, to join a new band called The Rolling Stones.
    1964 - The Temptations record "The Way You Do the Things You Do" for Detroit's Motown Records. The single will become The Temps' first Billboard Top 40 hit, peaking at #1
    1965 - The US-only album “Beatles '65” shatters Billboard chart records by leaping all the way from #98 to #1 in one week
    1968 - “It Takes a Thief” premiered on TV. ABC’s adventure series starred Robert Wagner as Alexander Mundy, an unlikely thief who agrees to conduct secret government missions instead of serving out his prison term. Malachi Throne costarred as Noah Bain, chief of the SIA and Mundy’s employer. Fred Astaire sometimes made recurring cameo appearances as Mundy’s father. The teleplay was loosely based on the Cary Grant movie, “To Catch a Thief”.
    1969 - Top Hits
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” - Marvin Gaye
“For Once in My Life” - Stevie Wonder
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations
“Daddy Sang Bass” - Johnny Cash
    1970 - After 140 years of unofficial racial discrimination, the Mormons issued an official statement declaring that blacks were not yet to receive the priesthood "for reasons which we believe are known to God, but which He has not made fully known to man."
    1970 - *PETERSEN, DANNY J., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 4th Battalion, 23d Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 9 January 1970. Entered service at: Kansas City, Mo. Born: 11 March 1949, Horton, Kans. Citation: Sp4c. Petersen distinguished himself while serving as an armored personnel carrier commander with Company B during a combat operation against a North Vietnamese Army Force estimated to be of battalion size. During the initial contact with the enemy, an armored personnel carrier was disabled and the crewmen were pinned down by the heavy onslaught of enemy small arms, automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Sp4c. Petersen immediately maneuvered his armored personnel carrier to a position between the disabled vehicle and the enemy. He placed suppressive fire on the enemy's well-fortified position, thereby enabling the crewmembers of the disabled personnel carrier to repair their vehicle. He then maneuvered his vehicle, while still under heavy hostile fire to within 10 feet of the enemy's defensive emplacement. After a period of intense fighting, his vehicle received a direct hit and the driver was wounded. With extraordinary courage and selfless disregard for his own safety, Sp4c. Petersen carried his wounded comrade 45 meters across the bullet-swept field to a secure area. He then voluntarily returned to his disabled armored personnel carrier to provide covering fire for both the other vehicles and the dismounted personnel of his platoon as they withdrew. Despite heavy fire from 3 sides, he remained with his disabled vehicle, alone and completely exposed. Sp4c. Petersen was standing on top of his vehicle, firing his weapon, when he was mortally wounded. His heroic and selfless actions prevented further loss of life in his platoon. Sp4c. Petersen's conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism are in the highest traditions of the service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1971 - Elvis is voted one of the Most Outstanding Young Men of the Year for 1970 by the national board of the Junior Chamber of Commerce (known as the Jaycees). It would become one of Presley's most treasured achievements, honoring as it does men who have made the most of America's "free enterprise" system. He will bring the award with him wherever he tours for the rest of his days.
    1973 - Mick Jagger was refused a Japanese visa because of a 1969 drug bust. The event halted the Rolling Stones' plan to tour the Orient.
   1976 - C.W. McCall's recording of "Convoy" reached the top of the country music charts. Its success led to a long string of CB radio-related novelty records during the next year and a-half. It also drove the sale of CB radios to all-time highs, truck or not.
    1977 - The Oakland Raiders won Super Bowl IX, 32-14, over the Minnesota Vikings. Oakland’s first Super Bowl triumph came in the Rose Bowl before a record crowd of 103,424. Raiders wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, stick ‘em and all, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. The game is played before a record Super Bowl crowd plus 81 million television viewers, the largest audience ever to watch a sporting event.
    1977 - Top Hits
You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show) - Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.
You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
Broken Down in Tiny Pieces - Billy "Crash" Craddock
    1979 - New Orleans basketball player Daryl Moreau set a high school record by converting his 126th free throw in a row, a streak that lasted a year.
    1979 - A fund-raising concert for UNICEF, the world hunger organization, was held in New York at the United Nations General Assembly. Performers included Rod Stewart, ABBA, The Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, Rita Coolidge, Olivia Newton-John, Earth, Wind and Fire, Kris Kristofferson, John Denver and others. The show raised about half a million dollars, but an album of the concert was a flop.
    1981 - The Hockey Hall of Fame's Phil Esposito said he was quitting hockey after the New York Rangers-Buffalo Sabres game; which seemed unending when both teams played to a 3-3 tie. Esposito became their General Manager and coach of the Rangers. In 1969 and 1974, Esposito played for the Boston Bruins when he won the Hart Memorial Trophy for Most Valuable Player in the NHL, and helped the Bruins to two Stanley Cup Championships in 1970 and 1972. Billboard near the old Boston Garden: “Jesus saves…and Espo scores on the rebound!!”
    1981 - 'Elvis Presley Day' was declared in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, North and South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
    1984 - Television audiences got their first look at Clara Peller in the now-famous, annoying, and yet successful, "WHERE’S THE BEEF?" commercial for Wendy’s fast-food chain. Dave Thomas, the company's owner, spent $8 million on the ads as well as T-shirts, baseball caps, records, greeting cards and other items bearing the picture of the of Dave Thomas. The theme also became a political question about the economy.
    1985 - Top Hits
“Like a Virgin” - Madonna
“The Wild Boys” - Duran Duran
“Sea of Love” - The Honeydrippers
“Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” - George Strait
    1988 - A storm in the northeastern U.S. produced ten inches of snow at Boston, MA, and 14 inches at Worcester MA. A winter storm in the northwestern U.S. produced a foot of snow in three hours at McCall, ID.
    1990 - A third storm in four days hit the Pacific Northwest. Winds in Oregon gusted above 100 mph at Netarts and at Oceanside. Up to 8.16 inches of rain was reported around Seaside, OR, and the total of 4.53 inches of rain at Astoria, OR was a record for the date. Twelve cities in the western U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. The high of 70 degrees at Cedar City, UT was a record for January.
    1991 - Representatives from the US and Iraq meet at the Geneva Peace Conference to try to find a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Upon failure to reconcile their differences, US President George H.W. Bush ordered the invasion and attack on Iraq in Operation Desert Storm. The fighting would be over in six weeks.
    1996 - “3rd Rock from the Sun” premiered on TV. In this comedy, a quartet of space aliens who had taken on human form came to Earth to spy on its natives. They were led by Dick Solomon, played by John Lithgow, who fell in love with earthling Mary Albright, played by Jane Curtin. Other cast members included Kristen Johnson, Frenchy Steward and Joseph Gordon-Leviett. On May 22, 2001, Commander Solomon was ordered to conclude the mission and bring his crew home. Thought it won a slew of Emmys, NBC bounced the series around to more than a dozen timeslots, damaging the ratings, and finally pulled the show after six seasons.
http://www.3rdrock.com/
    1996 - Sun Microsystems announced the formation of JavaSoft, a business unit to develop and promote its Java programming language. Former Delphi Internet Services Corporation president Alan Baratz was named president of the new unit. Microsoft later came to see Java as a powerful threat to its operating system and became embroiled in disagreements with Sun.
    1997 - Jazz musician Lionel Hampton was presented with the National Medal of the Arts by President Bill Clinton at a White House ceremony. The presentation took place two days after the 88-year-old Hampton lost most of his possessions in a fire at his New York apartment
    1998 – It must have been a slow news day! Sonny Bono's Palm Springs, CA funeral is broadcast live on CNN, with Cher delivering a tearful eulogy that reads in part: "Some people were under the misconception that Son was a short man, but he was heads and tails taller than anyone else. He could see above the tallest people. He had a vision of the future and just how he was going to build it. And his enthusiasm was so great that he just swept everybody along with him. Not that we knew where he was going, but we just wanted to be there. He was also successful at anything he ever tried. Not the first time he tried maybe, but he just -- he kept going. If he was really -- But if he really wanted something, he kept going until he achieved it..."
    2005 - Carlos Beltran (.267, 38 HRs, 104 RBIs) becomes the tenth $100 million player in major league history as the 27-year old native of Puerto Rico agrees to seven-year deal for $119 million with the Mets. The five-tool outfielder, who had his market value increase in the post season by helping the Astros come within a win of their first World Series appearance in franchise history, goes to New York after Houston refuses to include a no-trade clause in their very attractive monetary offer to keep him on the club.
    2007 - Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the first iPhone.

Super Bowl Champions This Date: 1977 Oakland Raiders

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