Position Wanted – Credit
Work Remotely or Relocate for Right Opportunity

Each Week Leasing News is pleased, as a service to its readership, to offer completely free ads placed by candidates for jobs in the industry.  These ads also can be accessed directly on the website at:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

Each ad is limited to (100) words and ads repeat for up to 6 months unless the candidate tells us to stop. Your submissions should be received here by the end of each week.

Please encourage friends and colleagues to take advantage of this service, including recent graduates and others interested in leasing and related careers. 

Credit

Will relocate for the right opportunity and can work remotely. I have (25+) years in making credit decisions, as well as helping sales team and third party originators close more transactions via understanding their applicant's financial abilities. I can create alternative or additional opportunities (and income) by knowing which type of loan is best for the borrower aaacorrespondent@gmail.com

Orlando, Florida As a Commercial Credit Analyst/Underwriter, I have evaluated transactions from sole proprietorships to listed companies, across a broad spectrum of industries, embracing a multitude of asset types. Sound understanding of balance sheet, income statement and cash flow dynamics which impact credit decisions. Strong appreciation for credit/asset risk.  rpsteiner21@aol.com  407 430-3917

Work Remotely from Portland, Oregon Experienced commercial banker and former commercial equipment leasing industry professional seeking full-time or part-time work out of my home in Portland, Oregon. Over twenty years’ experience in credit analysis, underwriting, sales and collections. Known for creative problem solving and strong quantitative & qualitative analytical skills.  Demonstrated ability to gather information, evaluate and make informed strategic business decisions to maximize profit and mitigate risk. Well known for ability to develop strong business relationships with Clients and large list of national equipment leasing Brokers. Please see attached resume and contact me below if interested.  Resume JFrank@BL-Solutions.com

Seattle, WA – Will Work Remotely A highly skilled credit expert.  Extensive underwriting background in small ticket leasing and commercial banking.  Managing equipment finance credit operations, performing daily credit tasks, spreading/analyzing financial statements, preparing monthly reports.  Exceptional organizational, analytical, communication skills.  I excel at making sound credit decisions in a fast paced environment.  murphy9679@frontier.com

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Top Stories -- January 3
(Opened Most by Readers)

(1) Deborah Monosson
  Leasing Person of the Year 2017
President and CEO, Boston Financial & Equity Corp.
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2018/01_03.htm#poy

(2)  People are ditching Subway, franchisees expect a wave
   of store closures  — here's what went wrong
http://www.businessinsider.com/subways-closes-stores-spirals-downwards-2017-12

(3) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
   and Related Industries
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2018/01_03.htm#hires

(4) Worst Responses to Questions in Interviews
    Recruiter Hal T. Horowitz Speaks Out
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2018/01_03.htm#worst

(5) How a Maryland bank is quietly solving
  the marijuana industry’s cash problem
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/how-a-maryland-bank-is-quietly-solving-the-marijuana-industrys-cash-problem/2018/01/02/a6317088-e0ec-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?utm_term=.cb2939c23ce4

(6) Court Holds Debt Settlement and Bankruptcy
  Consultants Liable for Unauthorized Practice of Law
By Tom McCurnin, Leasing News Legal Editor
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2018/01_03.htm#court

(7) Top Stories -- December 28
  (Opened Most by Readers)
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2018/01_03.htm#top_1228

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Deborah Monosson
Leasing Person of the Year 2017 Reaction

(photo courtesy of Boston Herald)

Deborah Monosson commented, "I am truly honored and humbled by this.... Sonny would be smiling...."

There were hundreds of emails regarding Deborah Monosson, President and CEO, Boston Financial & Equity Corp., being named Leasing Person of the Year 2017 by Leasing News (1). Too many to just select a few, but thank you readers here and on LinkedIn for your positive response. 

The Leasing News Advisory Board should also be congratulated for their nomination, discussion, and encouragement for their participation.

Christopher Menkin, Editor

1. http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2018/01_03.htm#poy

 

 

Prior Leasing Persons of the Year
With their Announcements

2005  Paul J. Menzel, CLFP, Pacific Capital Bancorp.
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202006/01-03-06.htm#person
2006  Paul A. Larkins, Key Equipment Finance
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202007/01-03-07.htm#year
2007  Randall H. Brook, Sr. Attorney, Federal Trade Commission
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202008/01-07-08.htm#lpy
2008  Robert Teichman, CLFP, Teichman Training
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/January%202009/01-05-09.htm#year
2009  Ralph Petta, COO, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2010/1_05.htm#poy
2010  Curt Ritter, CIT, VP, Communications/Media Relations
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2011/1_04.htm#ritter
2011  John C. Deane, Sr. Mgr. Partner, The Alta Group
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2012/1_04.htm#2011_poy
2012  Tony Golobic, President, GreatAmerica Financial Services
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2013/1_07.htm#poy
2013  Bernard D. Boettigheimer, CLFP, Founder, Lease Police
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2014/1_07.htm#poy
2014 Valerie Jester, President, Brandywine Capital Associates
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2015/1_05.htm#previous
2015 Bruce Kropschot, The Alta Group
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2106/01_06.htm#poy
2016 Reid Raykovich, CLFP, Certified Lease & Finance Professional Foundation
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2017/01_04.htm#poy

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Leasing News Advisor
Ben Carlile

Ben Carlile
Marin County, California
bencarlile9@gmail.com
ben@maximcc.com
 

Ben is small-business lending executive and consultant, specializing in commercial equipment finance. Since January 2017, Ben has played a key role in the management team at Maxim Commercial Capital, LLC, a privately-held specialty finance company located in west Los Angeles. At Maxim, Ben has applied his skills to improve portfolio management results, re-engineer key processes and facilitate executive decision-making. Notable performances to date include a sharp decrease in delinquencies and losses in Maxim’s nonprime transportation business.

Ben joined the Leasing News Advisory Board in 2014, bringing his 26 years of management and lease operation experience as well as his desire to provide his insight and expertise toward a good cause. He is a strong ethical leader with an enduring commitment to the success of our industry.

Previously, Ben was Managing Director and President of Allegiant Partners Inc., an independent equipment finance company in San Rafael, California. He was Chief Credit Officer, Board of Directors member, and shareholder since 2000, involved in strategic planning, operations, capital acquisition and other vital contributions to success.        
 
Prior to Allegiant, Ben spent 11 years as Vice President of Credit Administration for Trinity Capital Corporation, San Francisco, California. At Trinity, he managed strong portfolio growth and performance that led to an improved access to capital and a lucrative portfolio servicing business. Trinity was acquired by Bank of the West in 2002.    

Ben’s earlier experience includes management positions at Bank of America, and CIT. He also served on the Novato Charter School Board (2008-2011), including a term as President. He is a Rosarian and shares an interest in financial innovation and data intensive technologies.

Ben is currently serving his fourth year as a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) Credit and Collections Planning Committee. He, his wife and the twins live in Marin County, California.

 

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Alternate Banking Solution for Cannabis Industry
Banks Being Left Behind  in Growing Marketplace

 MoneyTrac Technology, Inc. (“MTT”), a subsidiary of Global Payout, Inc. (OTC:GOHE) , has established and is now marketing an alternative banking solution for the Cannabis industry.

 MTT currently has the ability to integrate and streamline electronic payment processing such as E-wallet, mobile applications, debit cards, and credit cards. Currently, MoneyTrac Technology has strategic partnerships with top cannabis services such as GreenRush, BlazeNow, High Grade Management Group, and PotSaver, which was a majority acquisition last October.

According to Bloomberg, "MoneyTrac Technology, Inc., through its subsidiary, provides electronic wallet and e-banking financial solutions for the marijuana industry. It offers financial technology, which includes an e-wallet and mobile app that allows users to access financial information. The company also provides white labeling services; mobile platform to manage financial transactions; and solutions for accessing account information, making payments, and online bill pay activities. In addition, it offers transaction management services."

 

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CLFP Announces Three Academies
More to Hopefully Follow in 2018

The Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation has scheduled the first three Academies for Lease & Finance Professionals (ALFP) for 2018. Last year, the CLFP Foundation partnered with twelve different equipment finance companies to organize eight different Academies.  Of the 133 CLFPs that were added to the membership last year, 102 attended an Academy.

 The class is a three-day event designed to fully prepare an individual to sit for the CLFP exam assuming that the candidate has read and studied The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals’ Handbook prior to attending the class.  During the first two days, all of the required sections of the CLFP exam are covered in-depth and on the third day, the exam is offered, but not mandatory.

The CLFP designation identifies an individual as a knowledgeable professional to employers, clients, customers, and peers in the equipment finance industry. There are currently 521 Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates throughout the world.

Southern California
Start: Thu, May 03, 2018
8:00 AM (PDT)
End: Sat, May 05, 2018
4:00 PM (PDT)
Location: Hosted by First Foundation Bank. Class Location: 18101 Von Karman Ave.; Irvine, CA
Spaces left: 20
Registered: Nobody

Overland Park, Kansas
Start: Thu, May 17, 2018
8:00 AM (CDT)
End: Sat, May 19, 2018
4:00 PM (CDT)
Location: Hosted by Arvest Equipment Finance. Class Location: Arvest Bank Training Room, 7401 W. 135th Street, Overland Park, KS 66223
Spaces left: 16
Registered: 4 registrants

Cincinnati, Ohio
Start : Thu, August 16, 2018 
8:00 AM (PDT)
End: Sat, August 18, 2018
4:00 PM (PDT)
Location: Hosted by Great American Insurance. Class Location: Great American Insurance, Queen City Square, 301 E. 4th Street, 23rd Floor, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Guests will check-in at lobby security for access to the 23rd floor.
Spaces left: 18
Registered: 2 registrants

For more information, call Executive Director Reid Raykovich, CLFP at (206) 535-6281 or visit www.CLFPFoundation.org or to register for an Academy, visit: http://www.clfpfoundation.org/alfp-calendar  Registration to each event is limited.

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

Marlin to Record a $10 Million Tax Benefit
Result of Tax Cuts

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., -- Marlin Business Services Corp. (NASDAQ:MRLN) (“Marlin” or the “Company”) announced  that as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 enacted December 22, 2017, it will be required to revalue its deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities to account for the future impact of lower corporate tax rates on these deferred amounts.

Based on preliminary analysis of the reduction in the federal tax rate from 35% to 21%, Marlin expects to record a one-time net tax benefit of approximately $10 million primarily related to the revaluation of these deferred tax items.  This decrease to income tax expense will be reflected in Marlin’s operating results for the fourth quarter of 2017, including a corresponding increase to the Company’s capital base. Marlin has not completed its process to determine the actual net tax benefits related to the impacted items, and the ultimate amount of the actual net tax benefit will be based upon a number of factors, including final net deferred tax liabilities as of December 31, 2017, the completion of Marlin’s consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ending December 31, 2017 and the completion of Marlin’s 2017 tax returns.

For 2018 and beyond, Marlin’s effective tax rate will be comprised of the new, lower federal tax rate plus a blended state tax rate. In 2018, the Company expects a net reduction of 13 to 14 percentage points in its effective tax rate as a result of the new tax law.

Estimates presented in this press release are preliminary and subject to change. These preliminary estimates of the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on Marlin should not be viewed as a substitute for full financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and are not necessarily indicative of the results to be achieved for any future periods. The estimates have been prepared by management and Marlin’s independent auditors have not completed their audit or review of such information.

About Marlin Business Services Corp.
Marlin Business Services Corp. is a nationwide provider of credit products and services to small businesses with a mission of helping small businesses achieve their American dream. Our products and services are offered directly to small businesses and through financing programs with equipment manufacturers, distributors, dealers and other intermediaries. Marlin and its wholly-owned operating subsidiary, Marlin Business Bank, are publicly traded (NASDAQ:MRLN). For more information about Marlin, visit www.marlinfinance.com or call toll free at (888) 479-9111.

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

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

Ascentium Capital Exceeds $1 Billion
in Funded Volume During Fiscal Year 2017

Ascentium Capital LLC, the nation’s largest private-independent finance company, announced it surpassed $1 billion in annual funded volume for the first time in the organization’s history.
The Company manages $1.9 billion in assets and funded $3.7 billion  since 2011. Ascentium Capital experienced other key accomplishments during 2017:

• Ranked as the Top Private Independent Finance Company in the U.S.
• Recognized as Best Business Lending Platform with FinTech Breakthrough Award Designation
• Completed eight small ticket equipment securitizations since inception
• Awarded Houston Business Journal’s Fast 100 based on growth

President, CEO
Ascentium Capital

“These significant milestones are celebrated with gratitude for our employees, clients and business partners,” comments Tom Depping, Chief Executive Officer at Ascentium Capital. “This represents our unwavering commitment and focus on providing customers with unmatched opportunities that our financing products and services deliver.”

Ascentium Capital has over 300 employees including a national salesforce of 125 finance professionals. The Company will expand the size of the sales team in 2018, continue to enhance the Ascentium University sales training program and invest in strategic technology initiatives.

Richard Baccaro, Ascentium Capital’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer commented, “Our customized financing programs empower organizations. We continue to seize market share in the small and middle ticket marketplace and our record-breaking year was made possible by the continued strength of our brand, financial product offering and the relentless commitment of Team Ascentium.”

As a direct lender, Ascentium Capital LLC specializes in providing a broad range of financing, leasing and small business loans. The company’s offering benefits equipment manufacturers and distributors as well as direct to businesses nationwide. Ascentium Capital is backed by the strength of leading investment firm Warburg Pincus LLC. For more information, please visit AscentiumCapital.com.

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

 

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

CIT To Plant 18,000 Trees Across California & Florida
Through Its Gratitude & Growth Project

NEW YORK, -- CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT)  announced its interactive philanthropic campaign, the Gratitude & Growth Project, garnered support from stakeholders across the country to plant nearly 18,000 trees in California and Florida to help restore forests in the states that were affected by recent wildfires and hurricanes.

The Gratitude & Growth Project was extended from November through December 31, 2017 to allow CIT's customers more time to participate in the program and help restore forests in two states where the company has a significant presence. Customers were invited to engage with the content on social media and through direct communications to show support for the cause.

Gina Proia
CIT Chief Marketing/Communication Officer

"Through the collective efforts of our employees, business clients and bank customers, CIT will donate 18,000 trees to two important areas that have suffered extensive damage last year," said CIT Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Gina Proia. "The response to this program shows a collective commitment to make our communities stronger, and we extend our sincere gratitude to all that participated."

CIT has partnered with OneTreePlanted.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reforestation, and the trees will be planted this spring. OneTreePlanted.org estimates between 46,000 and 58,000 square miles of forest are lost each year, the equivalent of 36 football fields each minute.

About CIT 
Founded in 1908, CIT (NYSE: CIT) is a financial holding company with approximately $50 billion in assets as of Sept. 30, 2017. Its principal bank subsidiary, CIT Bank, N.A., (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender) has more than $30 billion of deposits and more than $40 billion of assets. CIT provides financing, leasing, and advisory services principally to middle-market companies and small businesses across a wide variety of industries. It also offers products and services to consumers through its Internet bank franchise and a network of retail branches in Southern California, operating as OneWest Bank, a division of CIT Bank, N.A. For more information visit www.cit.com.

 

Receivables Management LLC John Kenny • End of Lease Negotiations & Enforcement  • Third-Party Commercial Collections johnkenny2@verizon.net | ph 315-866-1167 www.jkrmdirect.com

German Shepherd
Rockford, Illinois  Adopt a Dog

Luna
Female
4 years old
Housetrained
Spayed
Up to Date with Vaccinations
Good in a Home with Children,
Perfers a Home without other dogs, cats

"Luna is a 4 yr old female Black German Shepherd. She has lived her whole life as an only pet. Her owner is in the military and is no longer available to care for Luna so she is seeking a new home where she can still be an only pet. Please submit an application to www.pawshs.org. This is a courtesy listing thru PAWS Humane Society.

"In order to set up a meeting to see one of our dogs, an application must be submitted at www.pawshs.org.

"We appreciate your support in helping us to rescue and find homes for local animals in need! This is how we can help lower the euthanasia rate in this county. PAWS Humane Society is a local volunteer group that has helped with over 1300 spays/neuters for the community during 2016.We also adopted over 460 animals during 2016. Our adoption fees include the cost of spaying/neutering, Heart worm testing, vaccinations (including rabies for rabies for dogs 4 months of age), flea prevention, worming and microchipping. All PAWS Humane Society dogs are home-fostered so that you can be assured of a pet's good temperament before adopting from us. Adoption fees are puppy to one year $275, 1 year to 5 $200, Senior dogs $125.

" The location of our Adoption Center are: at PETCO at 6305 E. State St - Forest Plaza. in Rockford, Illinois and at our PAWS Shelter at 7283 N Cherryvale Mall Drive.
SAgolan9@aol.com
8152608495

"You can also contact us on our hotline: 815/299-PAWS."
                     
Adopt a Pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/

 

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(This column did not open last week in Constant Contact,
only on the website. If you missed it, worth reading. Editor)

Worst Responses to Questions in Interviews
Recruiter Hal T. Horowitz Speaks Out

(Hal says these are true responses from clients and recruiters, several recent, he notes. Editor)

I was prompted by a recent item I read on lame excuses for missing work to think back over some of the worst of the worst responses to questions I asked when vetting candidates, obtaining job searches or debriefing interviews. Caveat: These are not meant as good examples. 

• Vetting a candidate: As it applies to your job, where do you see yourself as being weak?
  
  Response: My worst weakness is that I often think I can do more so I take on more. As a result, I’ve missed deadlines, caused reports to get out late, I even got someone fired once, because I blamed a major delay on her.

• Debriefing a candidate following an interview for a credit manager: How did you like the company? Think you can work for them?
  
  I think I could accomplish a lot there. I even told [the hiring manager] that his department looked like it needs new software, and that he has some weak people in some key positions that should be replaced. When he asked me which ones, I said, him, for one.

• Debriefing a hiring manager trying to hire a leasing rep: First question, what did you think of him?
  
  I told him we can’t use him. If I want to put someone who swears like a f*****g sailor in front of our customers, I’d do the job myself.

• Attempting to find out why a candidate missed an interview without notifying me or the company.
  
  I locked my keys and phone in the car. 

• Asking why a chief credit officer let my candidate sit in an empty conference room for an hour and then left the office without saying anything.
  
  I forgot, but it doesn’t matter. If he wants the job, he’ll come back for the interview. If he doesn’t want it, find us someone else. We don’t need someone who’s going to complain and create a negative environment.

• Trying to assess a candidate’s need for coaching: You’ve had seven interviews this year, so why do you think you haven’t been invited back for any second rounds?
  
  I think most employers discriminate against people who lie on their résumés.

• Hiring manager interviewing a candidate: Do you have any questions?
  
  Yes. (Pulls out and unfolds a sheet of paper, then reads non-stop.) Why do you like working for this company? What is the one thing you want me to accomplish the most? How can I make your job easier? And where do we go from here?

And finally.

• This time debriefing a candidate who interviewed for a position as a portfolio manager for a bank: What was your first impression?
  
  I don’t think it’s the right position for me. The second guy I met said the company is overly micromanaged and more than that, he said there were some things going on there that hadn’t gotten out yet.
  
  Follow up question: Like what?
  
  Well he wasn’t specific, but he said the bank is probably going to be under an order by the end of the year and be a takeover target if it expects to survive.

You may laugh at the absurdity of these responses, but let me tell you, they’re real, and there are more that are as equally inane or worse. Ask any recruiter.

Like lenders and financers, we have our own horror stories, and like you, at those moments, we’re not laughing. We’re cringing and probably using some colorful language of our own.

We’ve fired candidates and clients because there are people out there who just don’t get it.  But most of you looking for jobs or trying to fill slots for your firms do get it  You are dedicated to your trade, your industry and your search, and you have the technical skills to do your job. A major difference between you and them is in how you communicate that to others.

Here’s my 9 cents worth: Candidates, from the moment you pull into your interviewer’s parking lot until you pull out you need to be at the top of your game.

Hiring managers, if you don’t have the skills to engage a candidate, or the confidence that your company has something to offer, step out of the hiring loop. 

Happy 2018, everyone.

Hal T. Horowitz
Financial Pro Solutions
Executive recruitment serving financial professionals
Career coaching & professional résumé writing services & interview preparation
Phone: 818-347-FINA (347-3462)
Cell: 818-730-0645
Email: halh@finapros.com
Website: www.finapros.com
Twitter:  @finapros

Recruiter Hal T. Horwitz Speaks Out
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/recuiter_hh.htm

News Briefs----

LA sues three major port trucking companies for
  'disgraceful exploitation' of workers in lease-to-own
http://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-now/la-sues-three-major-port-trucking-companies-for-disgraceful-exploitation-of-workers/465-f936395a-0545-4ee4-a1c6-6589f93109d0

Robomart is the latest startup to try and unseat
  the local convenience store--See to Believe
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/05/robomart-is-the-latest-startup-to-try-and-unseat-the-local-convenience-store/  

America’s 24 Dying Industries
 Includes Sound Studios, Office Supply Stores, Formal Wear
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2017/12/28/americas-25-dying-industries-include-sound-studios-textiles-newspapers/982514001/

Sole Proprietor Income Up, Loan Defaults Down
 SBA Report from Bob Coleman, Coleman Reports
http://colemanreport.com/main-street-monday-sole-proprietor-income-up-loan-defaults-down/

Retirement Tips: 4 signs you're the target
   of a Ponzi scheme
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2018/01/07/retirement-tips-4-signs-youre-target-ponzi-scheme/1005690001/

Tax Law May Send Factories and Jobs Abroad,
   Critics Say
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/business/economy/gop-says-tax-bill-will-add-jobs-in-us-it-may-yield-more-hiring-abroad.html

 

 

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You May Have Missed---

You've been charging your smartphone wrong
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-way-to-charge-your-smartphone-2018-1?op=0#/#the-best-way-to-charge-your-phone-is-a-little-at-a-time-whenever-you-have-a-chance-1

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Born To Win

R.G. Graham

When you were in your crib tiny and small,
And everyone was looking at you one and all,
They smiled with pride and said again and again,
This child is special and was born to win!

Grandma and grandpa and mom and dad too,
Brother and sister were all looking at you,
They just couldn't help getting a grin,
And saying this child is special and was born to win!

And now you're getting older probably past two,
And they keep saying there's nothing you can't do
Because you're kind to all and obey your mom and dad,
You pick up your toys and go early to bed.

You're kind to your neighbors and all your friends too,
You share with them things that are special to you,
And children are so happy that you are their friend,
They know in their heart you were born to win.

So when you go to school and see children that are sad.
Pat them on the back and say it's not so bad.
Because I like you, would you please be my friend,
Because you and I are special, we were born to win!

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Sports Briefs---

Gruden hire makes it clear:
  Raiders’ Davis is a mover, shaker
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/01/08/gruden-hire-makes-it-clear-raiders-davis-is-a-mover-shaker/

NFL ratings faced steeper declines in 2017
http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-ratings-faced-steeper-declines-in-2017-2018-1

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California Nuts Briefs---

Looking for a US job? Try Santa Rosa in Sonoma County
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/sonomacounty/7827735-181/santa-rosa-best-place-job

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Wine mogul Dave Phinney poised to transform Mare Island
   with distillery
http://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/Wine-mogul-Dave-Phinney-poised-to-transform-Mare-12479116.php#photo-14792707

Chinese investor Peter Kwok buys seventh Bordeaux vineyard
http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/22892/
Chinese_investor_Peter_Kwok_buys_seventh_Bordeaux_vineyard.html

Tim Carl's Local Tastes:
  The story behind Duckhorn's big win
http://napavalleyregister.com/wine/columnists/tim-carl/tim-carl-s-local-tastes-the-story-behind-duckhorn-s/article_28f14261-f631-5846-a06a-3067c13146bd.html

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

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

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

This Day in History

     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