Ascentium Capital Reaches Out for Growth
Hires Goldman Sachs

May 11, 2005, Ascentium Capital announced the company “reached $1 billion in assets under its management. Additionally, the company issued a $237.5 million small ticket equipment securitization of Ascentium Equipment Receivables LLC, Series 2016‐1.

Tom Depping
President, CEO
Ascentium Capital

In less than five years, Ascentium Capital has expanded its national footprint and brand awareness. “Ascentium’s healthy growth to $1 billion dollars in assets is a sign that our range of products allows us to serve a diverse client base which also positively impacts our portfolio stability. This enabled our bond offering to be well received by the market as we executed our fifth securitization,” comments Tom Depping was quoted.

April, 2015 Ascentium Capital announced it has surpassed $2 billion in funded volume since its inception August 4, 2011.

“Less than five years ago, we created a new type of independent financing company to meet the changing needs of small businesses," he said. "We’ve had success creating a brand that represents fast and flexible financing and our continued success will be driven by our processes, people and proprietary finance platform.”

Leasing News obtained an Internal Memo sent to all employees from Tom Depping:

“Congratulations to everyone for contributing to Ascentium’s record year so far in every measurable aspect; including credit quality, net income, and origination volume. 

“As a result of our assets exceeding $1 billion, we are preparing ourselves to capitalize upon future growth opportunities.  In an effort to support this growth, our Board has retained Goldman Sachs.  Their objective is to explore additional sources of capital from private equity firms and/or a future IPO.  Since this process is in its early stages, we do not have any additional information for you at this time but will be sure to keep you posted. 

“Any decision to proceed will place employees, vendors, and customers first.  The retention of Goldman Sachs is about preparing for continued growth as the Ascent continues!”

 

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Position Wanted – Asset Management
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. 

Dedicated and results driven, I have 17+ years of Asset Management experience with bank-owned equipment finance organizations. Additional experience in Documentation, Collections, Technology and Pricing has equipped me with a well-rounded understanding of the full lifecycle of each new opportunity. Willing to relocate. Let’s discuss what I can offer your organization.
Email: mtrroc@gmail.com
Resume

 

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

Senior Credit Analyst - Minimum 5 years of small ticket/high volume equipment finance underwriting experience preferred - Relocation benefits available for the right candidate - For a complete job description, please click here www.pawneeleasing.com Established in 1982, Pawnee Leasing Corporation located in Fort Collins, CO specializes in commercial equipment leasing and financing up to $150,000 to smaller, closely-held business enterprises. Pawnee Leasing is a U.S. subsidiary of Chesswood Group Limited, a publicly-held specialty financial services company based in Toronto, Canada (TSX:CHW).

 

 

Inside Sales Manager San Francisco We are currently seeking qualified talent to be primarily responsible for overseeing the Inside Sales Department within the Vendor business group of the Equipment Finance Division, while developing and improving policies and procedures to properly support high production volume. For more information click here www.bankofthewest.com

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.

Top Stories: June 13 - June 17
(Opened Most by Readers)

(1) California Not Crazy Enough to Make Broker's Being Licensed
    to Obtain Written Permission for Each Bank They Deal With
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2016/06_15.htm#california

(2) Editorial: Confusion Regarding
         California Lender’s License Law
By Christopher “Kit” Menkin, Editor/Publisher
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2016/06_17.htm#confusion

(3) Final Defendant EFI/Sterling Bank Leasing Fraud Sentenced
  $53 Million Stolen by Eight Former EFI Employees
http://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/final-defendant-in-equipment-finance-loan-scam-sentenced-to-months/article_d7125bee-2f32-11e6-801a-633574730ada.html

(4) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
        and Related Industries
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2016/06_17.htm#hires

(5) Purchase Option vs. TRAC
    Leasing #102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLFP
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2016/06_13.htm#purchase

(6) Employee Referral Fee
   Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2016/06_13.htm#crossroad

(7) Common Mistakes Financial Businesses Make
    When It Comes To Marketing Online
FinTech #102 by Brittney Holcomb
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2016/06_17.htm#common

(8) Thomas E. Schaefer, Air Force Colonel Taken Hostage in Iran,
Dies at 85, Father of David Schaefer, CLFP, CEO, Mintaka Financial
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2016/06_15.htm#schaefer

(9) Archives: June 17, 2005
   Dash in Norfolk, Virginia
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Jun2016/06_17.htm#archives

(10) Nikola, the ‘Tesla of Trucking’, just secured $2.3 billion in pre-orders
http://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/nikola-trucking-cars/

 

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

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigative
reporting provided by John Kenny)

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“Haven’t Heard Back. What Should I Do? ”
Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

 

Question: 
I submitted my resume via online application and have not heard anything. What should I do?

Answer: 
Understand that when you submit your application / resume online, it typically goes to HR -they are the “gate keepers”. HR representatives typically handle many more functions than just reviewing resumes. If you have not heard from the company within two weeks of your application, either electronically or telephonically, you may want to reach out telephonically and follow up on your application. If you still do not receive a response, you may want to move on.

Please let Emily know in submitting your questions or inquiry, if you would not like to be named as asking the question. She invites all questions or inquiries be addressed to: emily@riirecruit.com 

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

4th Circuit Refuses to Enforce Forum Selection Clause
on Pay Day Loan to Indian Tribe Jurisdiction

By Tom McCurnin
Leasing News Legal Editor

Hayes v. Delbert Servs. Corp., 811 F.3d 666, 668 (4th Cir. 2016)

I’ve written about Western Sky Financial before, a pay day lender that uses an Indian tribe to generate loans. It’s been busted before, but today’s case was a class action involving nearly 20 lawyers and concerned the issue of whether a forum selection clause in a loan agreement is enforceable where it purports to confer jurisdiction and choice of law and mandatory arbitration before the Sioux Indian tribe. I’ve watched enough westerns in my life to come to the conclusion that mandatory arbitration before the Sioux would not have a happy ending, especially this week (the anniversary of Custer’s Last Stand is this Friday, June 25th). The 4th Circuit reached a similar conclusion, but for different reasons. The facts follow.

James Hayes borrowed money from Western Sky Financial, which was an entity formed within the Sioux Indian tribe. From its base on the Reservation, Western Sky issued payday loans to consumers across the country. Delbert Services was its servicing agent. 

Western Sky issued Hayes a $2,600.00 loan at an annual rate of 139%. The other named plaintiffs in this case received loans with terms that were just as bad or worse—one of the loans came with an annual interest rate of 233.84%.

No one appears to seriously dispute that Western Sky's payday loans violated a host of state and federal lending laws. Despite Western Sky's best efforts, the law caught up with it, because Western Sky was ordered to stop issuing new loans in 2013. But because Western Sky assigned the loans to various servicers, the loans were still being litigated. The servicers sent the borrowers collection notices without disclosing its identity as a debt collector, or the identity of the actual creditor, and used an automatic dialing system to make several calls a week -- and sometimes multiple calls a day to their homes. 

Hayes filed suit against the servicer on a class action basis. The servicer claimed that the exclusive jurisdiction was within the Sioux Reservation.

“Governing Law. Neither this Agreement nor Lender is subject to the laws of any state of the United States of America. By executing this Agreement, you hereby expressly agree that this Agreement is executed and performed solely within the exterior boundaries of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, a sovereign Native American Tribal Nation. You also expressly agree that this Agreement shall be subject to and construed in accordance only with the provisions of the laws of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and that no United States state or federal law applies to this Agreement.” 

As an afterthought, Western Sky added a provision that the borrower could select AAA Arbitration (which was to apply Sioux law), “to administer the arbitration” to compensate for the fact that the tribal arbitration mechanism set out in the agreement proved in practice to be illusory.

The trial court split the baby, ruling that the afterthought arbitration clause before the AAA was enforceable, albeit problematic. The borrowers appealed.
The borrowers pointed out that the Tribe has no authorized representatives who conduct arbitrations, and that the Tribe does not even possess a method through which it might select and appoint such a person, and had no rules or statutes governing the loan. 

The servicer responded that AAA was capable of “administrating the arbitration”, but the borrower argued that administration was a far cry from actually conducting arbitration on the Sioux Reservation.

But at the end of the day, the Federal Court ruled that the entire arbitration, forum selection and choice of law provision was illegal because it was a prospective waiver of federal law, which may not be done. Nor did the court believe that the arbitration agreement’s errant provisions are severable because they go the “essence” of the contract. The Court reversed the trial court and held that the class action could proceed against the servicer. Borrower won, Lender-Servicer lost.

What are the take-aways here?

• First, let’s get real here. Does one honestly think that the argument that an arbitration could go forward on the Sioux Reservation applying non-existent law? The fact that the servicer even argued this seemed ridiculous to me. 
• Second, if servicers are real servicers, then they know how to service a loan, the paperwork to use and how to conduct themselves. Given the allegations, I suspected the servicers were straw men for the lenders.

The bottom line to this case is that it was the servicer that got ambushed and scalped here. Lenders and servicers have to understand their legal responsibilities and may not shirk those trying to drive litigation to an illusory venue. 

Tom McCurnin is a partner at Barton, Klugman & Oetting
in Los Angeles, California.

Tom McCurnin
Barton, Klugman & Oetting
350 South Grand Ave.
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Direct Phone: (213) 617-6129
Cell (213) 268-8291
Email: tmccurnin@bkolaw.com
Visit our web site at www.bkolaw.com
Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org

Previous Tom McCurnin Articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/leasing_cases.html

 

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

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Six Basic Types of Bankruptcy

 

There are six types of bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Code, located at Title 11 of the United States Code:

"Chapter 7: basic liquidation for individuals and businesses; also known as straight bankruptcy; it is the simplest and quickest form of bankruptcy available

"Chapter 9: municipal bankruptcy; a federal mechanism for the resolution of municipal debts

"Chapter 11: rehabilitation or reorganization, used primarily by business debtors, but sometimes by individuals with substantial debts and assets; known as corporate bankruptcy, it is a form of corporate financial reorganization which typically allows companies to continue to function while they follow debt repayment plans

"Chapter 12:rehabilitation for family farmers and fishermen;

"Chapter 13: rehabilitation with a payment plan for individuals with a regular source of income; enables individuals with regular income to develop a plan to repay all or part of their debts; also known as Wage Earner Bankruptcy

"Chapter 15: ancillary and other international cases; provides a mechanism for dealing with bankruptcy debtors and helps foreign debtors to clear debts.
While bankruptcy cases are always filed in United States Bankruptcy Court (an adjunct to the U.S. District Courts), bankruptcy cases, particularly with respect to the validity of claims and exemptions, are often dependent upon State law. State law therefore plays a major role in many bankruptcy cases, and it is often not possible to generalize bankruptcy law across state lines.
Generally, a debtor declares bankruptcy to obtain relief from debt, and this is accomplished either through a discharge of the debt or through a restructuring of the debt. Generally, when a debtor files a voluntary petition, his or her bankruptcy case commences.

The most common types of personal bankruptcy for individuals are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. As much as 65% of all U.S. consumer bankruptcy filings are Chapter 7 cases. Corporations and other business forms file under Chapters 7 or 11.

In Chapter 7, a debtor surrenders his or her non-exempt property to a bankruptcy trustee who then liquidates the property and distributes the proceeds to the debtor's unsecured creditors. In exchange, the debtor is entitled to a discharge of some debt; however, the debtor will not be granted a discharge if he or she is guilty of certain types of inappropriate behavior (e.g. concealing records relating to financial condition) and certain debts (e.g. spousal and child support, student loans, some taxes) will not be discharged even though the debtor is generally discharged from his or her debt. Many individuals in financial distress own only exempt property (e.g. clothes, household goods, an older car) and will not have to surrender any property to the trustee. The amount of property that a debtor may exempt varies from state to state. Chapter 7 relief is available only once in any eight year period.

Generally, the rights of secured creditors to their collateral continue even though their debt is discharged.

For example, absent some arrangement by a debtor to surrender a car or "reaffirm" a debt, the creditor with a security interest in the debtor's car may repossess the car even if the debt to the creditor is discharged.

The 2005 amendments to the Bankruptcy Code introduced the "means test" for eligibility for chapter 7. An individual who fails the means test will have his or her chapter 7 case dismissed or may have to convert his or her case to a case under chapter 13.

Generally, a trustee will sell most of the debtor's assets to pay off creditors. However, certain assets of the debtor are protected to some extent. For example, Social Security payments, unemployment compensation, and limited values of your equity in a home, car, or truck, household goods and appliances, trade tools, and books are protected. However, these exemptions vary from state to state. Therefore, it is advisable to consult an experienced bankruptcy attorney.

In Chapter 13, the debtor retains ownership and possession of all of his or her assets, but must devote some portion of his or her future income to repaying creditors, generally over a period of three to five years. The amount of payment and the period of the repayment plan depend upon a variety of factors, including the value of the debtor's property and the amount of a debtor's income and expenses. Secured creditors may be entitled to greater payment than unsecured creditors.

Relief under Chapter 13 is available only to individuals with regular income whose debts do not exceed prescribed limits. If you're an individual or a sole proprietor, you are allowed to file for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy to repay all or part of your debts. Under this chapter, you can propose a repayment plan in which to pay your creditors over three to five years. If your monthly income is less than the state's median income, your plan will be for three years unless the court finds "just cause" to extend the plan for a longer period. If your monthly income is greater than your state's median income, the plan must generally be for five years. A plan cannot exceed the five-year limitation.

In contrast to Chapter 7, the debtor in Chapter 13 may keep all of his or her property, whether or not exempt. If the plan appears feasible and if the debtor complies with all the other requirements, the bankruptcy court will typically confirm the plan and the debtor and creditors will be bound by its terms. Creditors have no say in the formulation of the plan other than to object to the plan, if appropriate, on the grounds that it does not comply with one of the Code's statutory requirements. Generally, the payments are made to a trustee who in turn disburses the funds in accordance with the terms of the confirmed plan.

When the debtor completes payments pursuant to the terms of the plan, the court will formally grant the debtor a discharge of the debts provided for in the plan. However, if the debtor fails to make the agreed upon payments or fails to seek or gain court approval of a modified plan, a bankruptcy court will often dismiss the case on the motion of the trustee. Pursuant to the dismissal, creditors will typically resume pursuit of state law remedies to the extent a debt remains unpaid.

In Chapter 11, the debtor retains ownership and control of its assets and is re-termed a debtor in possession ("DIP"). The debtor in possession runs the day to day operations of the business while creditors and the debtor work with the Bankruptcy Court in order to negotiate and complete a plan. Upon meeting certain requirements (e.g. fairness among creditors, priority of certain creditors) creditors are permitted to vote on the proposed plan. If a plan is confirmed the debtor will continue to operate and pay its debts under the terms of the confirmed plan. If a specified majority of creditors do not vote to confirm a plan, additional requirements may be imposed by the court in order to confirm the plan.

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 are the efficient bankruptcy chapters often used by most individuals. The chapters which almost always apply to consumer debtors are chapter 7, known as a "straight bankruptcy", and chapter 13, which involves an affordable plan of repayment. An important feature applicable to all types of bankruptcy filings is the automatic stay. The automatic stay means that the mere request for bankruptcy protection automatically stops and brings to a grinding halt most lawsuits, repossessions, foreclosures, evictions, garnishments, attachments, utility shut-offs, and debt collection harassment.

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

 

(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for appraisals and equipment valuations provided by Ed Castagna)

 

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10 million self-driving cars will be on the road by 2020
That's Within Four Years
by John Grenough, www.businessinsider.com

 

A Lexus RX450h retrofitted by Google for its driverless car fleet

Self-driving cars are no longer a futuristic idea. Companies like Mercedes, BMW, and Tesla have already released, or are soon to release, self-driving features that give the car some ability to drive itself.

Tech companies are also trying to pioneer the self-driving car. Recently, Google announced that it would be testing its prototype of a driverless car on roads this summer in California.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Self-driving cars are not some futuristic auto technology; in fact there are already cars with self-driving features on the road.  We define the self-driving car as any car with features that allow it to accelerate, brake, and steer a car's course with limited or no driver interaction.

• We divide the self-driving car into two different types: semi-autonomous and fully autonomous. A fully autonomous vehicle can drive from point A to point B and encounter the entire range of on-road scenarios without needing any interaction from the driver. These will debut in 2019.

• By the end of the forecast period, we expect there will be nearly 10 million cars with one of our defined self-driving car features.

• Fully autonomous cars are further divided into user-operated and driverless vehicles. Because of regulatory and insurance questions, user-operated fully autonomous cars will come to market within the next five years, while driverless cars will remain a long ways off.

• The biggest benefits of self-driving cars are that they will help to make roads safer and people's lives easier. In the UK, KPMG estimates that self-driving cars will lead to 2,500 fewer deaths between 2014 and 2030.

• But the barriers to self-driving cars remain significant. Costs need to come down and regulations need to be clarified around certain self-driving car features before the vehicles fully take off among mainstream consumers.

Google Self-Driving Car Project
https://www.google.com/selfdrivingcar/

 

 

Learn Why First American Equipment Finance Has
55 CLFPs, the Company with the Most in the Industry

 

Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals - Philadelphia Area
Thu, September 22, 2016 8:00 AM (PDT) • The Desmond Hotel
Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals - Denver Area
Thu, November 03, 2016 8:00 AM (PDT) • Littleton, CO
Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals - St. Cloud, MN
Thu, February 23, 2017 8:00 AM (PST) • St. Cloud, MN

 

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

Congrats to Grads of ELFA's Principles Course!
June, 2016

Congratulations to the graduates of Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's June 2016 Principles of Equipment Leasing and Finance Workshop! A group of 24 stellar attendees from 15 industry companies met at Dilworth Parson in Philadelphia, June 14-16, under the expert instruction of Bob Golden.

The terrific attendees came from a wide range of companies, including BTMU Leasing & Finance, DLL, Data Sales Co, M&T Bank, MB Equipment Finance, MB Financial Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance, NEC Financial Services, Presidential Bank, Ricoh Americas Corporation, Siemens Financial Services, Societe Generale Equipment Finance, Somerset Capital Group, Vision Financial Group and Volvo Financial Services.

If you missed the Philly Workshop, there's still time to sign up for the September 2016 Workshop in Los Angeles!

September 2016 Principles of Equipment Leasing
and Finance Workshop
9/12/2016 - 9/14/2016
Frandzel Robins Bloom & Csato, L.C.
Los Angeles, California
Learn more at
https://www.elfaonline.org/cvweb_elfa/cgi-bin/eventsdll.dll/EventInfo?sessionaltcd=POLSEPT2016

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

Labrador Retriever
Houston, Texas Adopt a Dog

Pet ID: 307782
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Sex: Female
Age: 3 years and 2 months
Weight: 66 lbs.
Location: Kennels - Large Dogs

"My name is Annie and I am a timid dog looking for my forever home! It might take some time for me to come out of my shell, but if you are patient with me I will make it worth your while. I was brought in to the Houston SPCA as a stray, so my previous behavior and history is unknown. I am available for adoption for $95, so be sure to ask for more information about me!"

Houston SPCA
900 Portway Drive
Houston, TX 77024

Adoptions:
Monday - Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Phone:
(713) 869-SPCA (7722)

What do you get with every adoption?

• A best friend happy to provide a lifetime of unconditional love
• A health evaluation, age-appropriate vaccinations and rabies vaccinations for felines and canines three months and older
• Spay/neuter surgery
• Deworming
• Heartworm testing for dogs six months of age and older
• One adoption gift courtesy of Hill’s Science Diet
• A complimentary overall wellness examination from a VCA Animal Hospital
• A HomeAgain microchip with free lifetime registration

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

 

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Leasing News Classified

Complete Turnkey Blog
Generate Leads, Build Authority and Showcase your expertise with your own lease blog. Don't have the time? We do it for you. Complete turnkey blog setup and/or content only provided by leasing expert for leasing companies. 
Email for free evaluationstu@p2plendingexpert.com

 

News Briefs---

Iran Now Allowed to Fly European Airspace
Airbus and Boeing are bailing Iran out of a huge problem
http://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-boeing-iran-air-eu-2016-6

Financial Technology Matures as Government Steps In
  Compliance and Transparency Good for Marketplace
https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/19/financial-technology-matures-as-government-steps-in/?ncid=mobilenavtrend

Treasury Auctions Set
    for the Week of June 20
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/20/business/treasury-auctions-set-for-the-week-of-june-20.html?src=busln

Senior Credit Analyst - Transportation - Minimum 5 years of small ticket/high volume equipment finance underwriting experience preferred - Relocation benefits available for the right candidate - For a complete job description, please click here www.pawneeleasing.com Established in 1982, Pawnee Leasing Corporation located in Fort Collins, CO specializes in commercial equipment leasing and financing up to $150,000 to smaller, closely-held business enterprises. Pawnee Leasing is a U.S. subsidiary of Chesswood Group Limited, a publicly-held specialty financial services company based in Toronto, Canada (TSX:CHW).

 

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--You May Have Missed It

Can Netflix survive in the new world it created?
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/magazine/can-netflix-survive-in-the-new-world-it-created.html

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SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

11 Healthy Habits You Can Learn from Your Dog
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/slideshow.asp?show=111

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Baseball Poem

For Junior Gilliam (1928-1978)

by B.H. Fairchild ©

In the bleak, bleacherless corner
of my rightfield American youth,
I killed time with bubble gum
and baseball cards and read the stats
and saw a sign: your birthday was mine.

And so I dreamed: to rise far
from Kansas skies and fenceless outfields
where flies vanished in the summer sun.
To wake up black in Brooklyn,
to be a Bum and have folks call me Junior
and almost errorless hit .280 every year
and on the field, like you, dance double plays,
make flawless moves, amaze the baseball masses.

You would turn, take the toss from Reese,
lean back and, leaping past the runner's cleats,
wing the ball along a line reeled out
from home and suddenly drawn taut
with a soft pop in Hodges' crablike glove.
And we went wild in Kansas living rooms.

The inning's over. You're in the shadows now.
But summers past you taught us how to play
the pivot (or how to dream of it).
And when one day they put me in at second,
I dropped four easy ones behind your ghost,
who plays a perfect game.

 

 

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Sports Briefs----

The curse is over: Cavaliers win NBA title, 93-89 over Golden State
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2016/06/nba_finals.html

Jared Goff won't be Los Angeles Rams' starting quarterback
http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_30028156/jared-goff-wont-be-los-angeles-rams-starting

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo says he feels great,
   but knows 'you can't disregard history'
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/cowboys/2016/06/16/tony-romo-dallas-cowboys/85994752/

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California Nuts Briefs---

A feud is brewing between two Silicon Valley mayors
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/internal-affairs/2016/06/17/feud-brewing-two-silicon-valley-mayors/

Oakland police: Scandal casts shadow over department
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/breaking-news/ci_30029865/oakland-police-scandal-casts-shadow-over-department

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Wineries Eye Direct Shipments to Pennsylvania
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=170219

Brassfield Estate Winery Hires Matt Hughes as Winemaker
http://www.winebusiness.com/people/?go=getPeopleArticle&dataId=170209

Wine in groceries debate cropping up again in NY?
http://www.mpnnow.com/news/20160616/wine-in-groceries-debate-cropping-up-again-in-ny

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

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

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

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

       1675 - Abenaki, Massachusetts, Mohegan & Wampanoag Indians formed an anti-English front. Wampanoag warriors attacked livestock and looted farms.
   1682 - A major tornado ripped through southwestern Connecticut, passing through Stratford, Milford, and New Haven, and then into Long Island Sound. 
    1782 - Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States and the eagle as its symbol.  It was the fourth submission of several committees designated by the Continental Congress, the first committee having been appointed on July 4, 1776 after the signing of The Declaration of Independence.
    1819 - The 320-ton paddle-wheel steamship Savannah became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. It arrived in Liverpool after a journey from Savannah, Georgia, of 27 days 11 hours.
    1856-In San Francisco, Committee of Vigilance headquarters was fortified with sandbags to stop any attacks by troops sent by the Governor to quell the insurrection. Cannons are mounted on the roof to forestall bombardment. 
    1858- Birthday of Charles W. Chestnutt, who is considered by many as the first noted black novelist in American Literature. His collections of short stories included “The Conjure Woman (1899)” and “The Wife of His Youth and other Stories of the Color Line” (1899). “The Colonel’s Dream” (1905) dealt with the struggles of the freed slave. His work has been compared to later writers such as William Faulkner, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin.http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~c350445/witter1.html
    1863- West Virginia became the 34th state. This date is observed as a holiday in West Virginia. Following the Wheeling Conventions of 1861, in which 50 northwestern counties of Virginia decided tobreak away from Virginia during the Civil War because its citizens were against slavery, the new state was admitted to the Union and was a key Civil War border state. West Virginia did not secede from the Union.  It was the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state and was one of two states formed during the Civil War (the other being Nevada, which separated from Utah Territory). Charleston is the capital of the Mountain State which boasts of having the most rugged terrain of any state east of the Mississippi. Throughout the forested hills of West Virginia, you’ll also find many cardinals (the state bird) and multitudes of the state flower, the big rhododendron.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun20.html
    1867 - The first territory that was noncontiguous was annexed to the United States. Alaska was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million. General Lovell Harrison Rousseau, the first military governor of the territory, took formal possession of Alaska in October, 1867.
http://www.state.ak.us/?TTFUID=2545
    1885-- A band of Moravian missionaries landed on the shores of Alaska and founded the Bethel Mission. During the first year of their mission work among the Eskimos, winter temperatures outside their makeshift housing plummeted to 50 degrees below zero! 
    1893 -- Eugene Debs forms the American Railway Union (ARU). 
In just a few months the union leads an 18-day strike against the Great Northern Railroad, forcing management to reverse three wage cuts. The victory against a railroad with 2,500 miles of track and 9,000 employees was so remarkable, especially during a depression, that the union signs up 2,000 members a day. This sets the stage for Chicago's Pullman Strike of 1894, the first organized nationwide strike in US history. 
    1893-Spectators at her trial cheered when the “not guilty” verdict was read by the jury foreman in the murder trial of Lizzy Borden. Elizabeth Borden had been accused of and tried for the hacking to death of her father and stepmother in their Fall River, MA, home, Aug 4, 1892.
    1894 - Birthday of Dr. Lloyd A. Hall, African-American pioneer in food chemistry, Illinoishttp://scienceu.fsu.edu/content/scienceyou/meetscience/hall.html
    1894 - During the summer of 1894, the Pullman Palace Car Company was embroiled in what proved to be one of the most bitter strikes in American history. The strike was a direct response to company Chief George Pullman and his hardball tactics, most notably his decision in the midst of the Depression of 1893 to preserve profits by slashing wages and hiking workers' rents. Though Pullman's cars didn't carry any mail, the scheme proved effective.  In early July, the government banned the boycotts and swiftly shipped troops to Chicago. Fighting broke out shortly after the government forces hit the scene; by the time the militia left Chicago on July 20, the "war" between the troops and the strikers had left thirty-four men dead. But, the damage had already been done to the Pullman strikers: their ranks and clout had been depleted, and, when American Federation of Labor chief Samuel Gompers refused to lend them any substantial support, the rail workers were forced to capitulate to management. In the wake of the settlement, many of the strikers were barred from working in the rail industry.
    1895- Caroline Willard Baldwin became the first woman to earn a PhD in Science from an American university, at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.  Caroline was born in San Francisco on June 30, 1869. She was the only child of Army vet and miner Alfred Baldwin, one of the pioneering members of Santa Cruz County in California, and Fannie Willard, who was noted for her intellectual pursuits.  Caroline later became the first woman to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Mechanics at the University of California in 1892.
    1898-Having not known that a war was in progress and having no ammunition on the island, the Spanish commander of Guam surrendered to Captain Glass of the USS Charleston. The United Statestook control of the island in the 1898 Spanish-American War, as part of the Treaty of Paris.  It later became, and remains, a protectorate of the US.
    1901-Charlotte Manye becomes the first native African to graduate from an American Universityhttp://www.greatepicbooks.com/epics/march98.html
    1903--Birthday of Glenna Collett Vare, American amateur golfer who dominated the sport in the 1920s, winning 59 of 60 consecutive matches. She won her last championship in 1935, defeating such teenagers as the immortal Patty Berg.  An estimated 15,000 came to watch the Grande Dame of golf and those who competed for the fun of it since there were no money prizes for women in those days.
    1905 -- Playwright Lillian Hellman born, New Orleans. American playwright/memoirist. Had lifelong relationship with mystery writer Dashiell Hammett until his death (1961). Among her plays that have entered the modern repertory are ''The Children's Hour,'' ''The Little Foxes'' and ''Watch on the Rhine.'' She was also one of the most successful motion-picture scenarists.  Her life took a sharp turn in 1952 when the House Committee on Un-American Activities was investigating links between American leftists and the Communist Party in this country and abroad.  She offered to testify about her own opinions and actions, but not about those of others. ''I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's fashions,'' she wrote.  For this, she risked imprisonment for contempt of Congress, was blacklisted and saw her income drop from $150,000 a year to virtually nothing.  Not until ''Toys in the Attic'' appeared in 1960 did her financial straits end. Although she had participated with Communists in many causes, she was not a Communist. Throughout her life, Miss Hellman continued to raise her voice for such causes as civil rights and peace, and with others filed a suit that won a court ruling that the Nixon White House tapes were public property.  Died July 1, 1984 at Martha’s Vineyard.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/lhellman.htm
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/hellman-today.html
    1907 -- First Portland, Oregon Rose festival.
    1909 – Birthday of naturalized American actor Errol Flynn at Tasmania, Australia.  Flynn was an overnight sensation in his first starring role soon after arriving in Hollywood, “Captain Blood” (1935). He followed with a succession of films over the next six years:  “The Charge of the Light Brigade” (1936), “The Prince and the Pauper” (1937), “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938), “The Dawn Patrol” (1938), “Dodge City” (1939), “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex” (1939) and “The Sea Hawk” (1940).  In 1940, he was voted the 4th most popular star in the US according to Variety and the 7th most popular in Britain, and was at the zenith of his career.  When Flynn became anaturalized American citizen on 15 August 1942, he also became eligible for the military draft, as the United States had entered World War II eight months earlier. Grateful to the country that had given him fame and wealth, he attempted to join the armed services but he had several health problems, his heart was enlarged, with a murmur, and he had already suffered at least one heart attack.  Accordingly, he was classified 4-F.  This created a public image problem for both Flynn and Warner Brothers as he was often criticized for his failure to enlist in the Armed Forces for war service as many other Hollywood actors of service age had, and yet while not apparently enlisting he continued to play war heroes in flag-waver productions such as “Dive Bomber” (1941), “Desperate Journey” (1942) and “Objective Burma” (1945).  Flynn died in Vancouver, BC on October 9, 1959.
     1910 - Singer and comedienne Fanny Brice made her debut in the Ziegfeld Follies. She received rave reviews from the Broadway critics.
    1911-The National Association of Advancement of Colored People incorporates in New York City, NY
http://www.naacp.org/
    1912 - Trumpeter Lammar Wright, Sr. born Texakana, Texas (with Benny Moten, Cab Calloway for 17 years).  ” Benny Moten's band is now a solid New Orleans style group even though they are from Kansas City. The trumpeter Lammar Wright is now playing with a fast terminal vibrato. ‘18th Street Strut’ uses Oliver-style phrases.”
    1915-The St. Louis Browns arrived in Detroit for a game against the Tigers without their uniforms. The Tigers lent the Browns spare uniforms and then beat them, 1-0.
    1917-Birthday of guitarist/singer Jimmy Driftwood, Mountain View, AR, Died 1998.
http://www.billslater.com/driftwood.htm
    1920-Trumpet player Doc Evans birthday
http://www.docevans.com/
    1920--Race riots in Chicago, Illinois leave two dead and many wounded.
    1920 -- Actor DeForest Kelley born at Atlanta, Georgia; perhaps best known for his role in “Star Trek” as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy.
    1921-Miss Alice Robertson of Oklahoma became the first woman to preside in the US House of Representatives. Miss Robertson was President for half an hour.
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000318 
    1921 - Circle, MT, received 11.5 inches of rain in 24 hours, a record for the state. The town of Circle received a total of 16.79 inches of rain that month to establish a rainfall record for any town in Montana for any month of the year.
    1924 - Audie Murphy was born in Kingston, TX. He became the most decorated American soldier of World War II who went on to make movies and write a book about his war experiences called “To Hell and Back.”
    1924 - Birthday of guitarist Chet Atkins, Luttrell, TN.  American guitarist, vocalist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as theNashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.  His trademark picking style and musicianship brought him admirers within and outside the country scene, both in the United States and internationally. Atkins produced records for The Browns, Hank Snow, Porter Wagoner, Norma Jean, Dolly Parton, Dottie West, Perry Como, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed, Skeeter Davis, Waylon Jennings and many others.  Among many honors, Atkins received 14 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, nine Country Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year awards, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.  He died on June 30, 2001, at his home in Nashville.
http://www.misterguitar.com/caas.html
    1928 – Birthday of American actor Martin Landau in Brooklyn.  American film and television actor. His career started in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's “North by Northwest” (1959). He played regular roles in the television series “Mission: Impossible” (for which he received several Emmy Award nominations) and “Space: 1999”. 
    1928 - Birthday of alto sax/flutist Eric Dolphy, Los Angeles, Ca. Died, 1964.
    1929 -- Louis Armstrong and an all-black cast open in "Hot Chocolates," New York City.
    1931--Birthday of Olympia Dukakis, stage and screen actor.  Won Academy Award for best supporting actress for her work in “Moonstruck” (1987).
    1936-- Billy Guy, baritone singer with the 1950's group the Coasters, was born in Los Angeles. The Coasters, formed in 1955, had a series of hits with novelty songs written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. The group achieved widespread popularity with their first releases in 1956 - "Down in Mexico" and "One Kiss Leads to Another." The Coasters' other hits included "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown" and "Poison Ivy." Many of the sax breaks on the Coasters' records are played by King Curtis.
    1940 - President Roosevelt strengthens his Cabinet by bringing in two prominent Republicans. Henry Stimson becomes Secretary for War and Frank Knox becomes Secretary for the Navy. Stimson is strongly against America's isolationist tradition and will be a champion of Lend-Lease.
    1942- Brian Wilson, lead singer and main songwriter for the Beach Boys, was born in Hawthorne, California. Wilson's songs - such as "Surfin' USA," "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda" - were all about being a teenager in California in the early 1960's - about surfing, driving and dating. The group turned to more grown up topics later in the decade, but the Beach Boys have survived mainly as a nostalgia act. In the mid-1960s, Wilson composed and produced “Pet Sounds”, considered one of thegreatest albums of all time.  The Beach Boys have sold more than 65 million records worldwide. Brian Wilson became a virtual recluse in 1970 when his neuroses and drug abuse got the better of him. He has since done the odd live show, and released a solo album in 1988. 
http://www.brianwilson.com/
    1943-Federal troops put down racial riot in Detroit in which 30 are dead.
http://www.ustrek.org/odyssey/semester2/022801/022801nickdetroit.html
    1944 - The Japanese fleet withdraws to refuel, believing that their aircraft have landed safely on Guam. US Task Force 58 (Admiral Mitscher) launches an air strike on the Japanese fleet in the late afternoon. The 216 American aircraft encounter 35 defending fighters and sink the carrier Hiyo. Two other Japanese aircraft carriers are damaged as are a battleship and a cruiser. US loses amount to 20 planes shot down and 72 crashing while attempting to land on their carriers in the dark. During the night, the Japanese fleet withdraws and is not pursued. The battle of the Philippine Sea ended with Japan losing almost all its remaining trained pilots and at least 4,000 seamen.
    1944--*O'BRIEN, WILLIAM J. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry, 27th Infantry Division. Place and date: At Saipan, Marianas Islands, 20 June through 7 July 1944. Entered service at: Troy, N.Y. Birth: Troy, N.Y. G.O. No.: 35, 9 May 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty at Saipan, Marianas Islands, from 20 June through 7 July 1944. When assault elements of his platoon were held up by intense enemy fire, Lt. Col. O'Brien ordered 3 tanks to precede the assault companies in an attempt to knock out the strongpoint. Due to direct enemy fire the tanks' turrets were closed, causing the tanks to lose direction and to fire into our own troops. Lt. Col. O'Brien, with complete disregard for his own safety, dashed into full view of the enemy and ran to the leader's tank, and pounded on the tank with his pistol butt to attract 2 of the tank's crew and, mounting the tank fully exposed to enemy fire, Lt. Col. O'Brien personally directed the assault until the enemy strongpoint had been liquidated. On 28 June 1944, while his platoon was attempting to take a bitterly defended high ridge in the vicinity of Donnay, Lt. Col. O'Brien arranged to capture the ridge by a double envelopment movement of 2 large combat battalions. He personally took control of the maneuver. Lt. Col. O'Brien crossed 1,200 yards of sniper-infested underbrush alone to arrive at a point where one of his platoons was being held up by the enemy. Leaving some men to contain the enemy, he personally led 4 men into a narrow ravine behind, and killed or drove off all the Japanese manning that strongpoint. In this action he captured five machineguns and one 77-mm. fieldpiece. Lt. Col. O'Brien then organized the 2 platoons for night defense and, against repeated counterattacks, directed them. Meanwhile he managed to hold ground. On 7 July 1944, his and another battalion were attacked by an overwhelming enemy force estimated at between 3,000 and 5,000 Japanese. With bloody hand-to-hand fighting in progress everywhere, their forward positions were finally overrun by the sheer weight of the enemy numbers. With many casualties and ammunition running low, Lt. Col. O'Brien refused to leave the front lines. Striding up and down the lines, he fired at the enemy with a pistol in each hand and his presence there bolstered the spirits of the men, encouraged them in their fight, and sustained them in their heroic stand. Even after he was seriously wounded, Lt. Col. O'Brien refused to be evacuated and after his pistol ammunition was exhausted, he manned a .50 caliber machinegun, mounted on a Jeep, and continued firing. When last seen alive, he was standing upright firing into the Jap hordes that were then enveloping him. Sometime later his body was found surrounded by enemy he had killed. His valor was consistent with the highest traditions of the service.   
    1944 - Vice Admiral Marc Mitchner, commander of the U.S. Task Force 58, ordered all lights on his ships turned on to help guide his carrier-based pilots back from the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
    1945- Anne Murray, one of the most popular female singers in the world, was born in Springhill, Nova Scotia. In 1966, she became a member of the chorus of "Singalong Jubilee," a CBC TV show from Halifax. Murray continued as a featured performer on the show until 1970, the year the success of her recording of "Snowbird" caused a dramatic increase in her popularity. It was the first disc by a Canadian female vocalist to earn a gold record in the US. During the 1970's, Murray developed into Canada's most popular female singer. And she began enjoying great success with pop and country audiences in the US and Britain. She began appearing frequently on "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" on CBS-TV. Her hits included "Talk It Over in the Morning," "What About Me" and "You Needed Me," a 1978 million-seller. In 1986, she opted for a new, more contemporary image, with the hit "Now and Forever," produced by David Foster. 
    1945 -- Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First" routine is first seen, in the film "The Naughty Nineties".  The routine is now a regular feature in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
    1948 - President Harry S. Truman institutes a military draft with a proclamation calling for nearly 10 million men to register for military service within the next two months. Truman's action came during increasing Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union.
    1948 - “The Ed Sullivan Show” premiered on television. It was officially titled “Toast of the Town” until 1955. We all watched it, especially since we were living in the early 1950’s in Port Chester, NY, where he also lived. It was the longest-running variety show (through 1971) and the most popular for decades. Ed Sullivan, the host, signed all types of acts, both well-known and new, trying to have something to please everyone. Thousands of performers appeared, many making their television debut, such as Irving Berlin, Victor Borge, Hedy Lamarr, Walt Disney, Fred Astaire and Jane Powell. Two acts attracted the largest audience of the time: Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
    1949 - Birthday of Lionel Richie, Tuskegee, AL.  Tenor sax, songwriter, the son of a retired U.S. Army captain and a teacher. The former lead singer of the Commodores had five No. 1 hits, including "Endless Love." That duet with Diana Ross sold more than 2 million copies and in 1981 topped Billboard's Hot 100 for nine weeks, longer than any other duet. 
http://www.alamhof.org/richiel.htm
http://www.lionelrichie.com/ 
    1950 - Willie Mays graduated from high school this day and immediately signed with the New York Giants for a $6,000 bonus. The ‘Say Hey Kid’ would play most of his career for the Giants -- in both New York and San Francisco -- becoming a baseball legend. As his career came to a close, Mays was traded to the New York Mets. Mays, an all-star center fielder, considered one of the game’s greatest stars, and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He lives on the San Francisco Peninsula. 
    1950 -  After stroking a RBI single in the third inning, Joe DiMaggio strikes again in the seventh with another run-scoring safety to collect his 2,000th career hit. The Yankee Clipper reaches the milestone in an 8-2 victory in Cleveland, the 1537th contest he has played in the major leagues.
   1952--Birthday of Zoë Baird, American insurance company executive who almost became the first woman Attorney General of the United States. Baird withdrew her name after it was disclosed she failed to pay Social Security and unemployment taxes for her nanny. Kimba Wood later became the second nominee, but she, too, withdrew when it was revealed HER HUSBAND had failed to pay taxes for their domestic help but in spite of it being her husband's fault, she withdrew in the face of stiff Republican opposition. The third nominee by President Clinton was Janet Reno who did win confirmation. 
    1952 – Actor John Goodman born at St. Louis, MO…”Roseanne” (1988–1997), for which he won aBest Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993. “Raising Arizona” (1987), “King Ralph” (1991), “Barton Fink” (1991), “The Big Lebowski” (1998), “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000), and “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013). A prolific voice actor, he perhaps most notably provided the voice of Sully in “Monsters, Inc.” (2001) and “Monsters University” (2013). Other prominent film performances include the lead role in “The Flintstones” (1994) and supporting roles in “The Artist” (2011), “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (2011), “Argo” (2012), “Flight” (2012), “Trouble With The Curve” (2012), and “The Hangover Part III“(2013), among many others. 
    1953 – Singer Cyndi Lauper is born in New York City. Her first single, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,'' sells more than 2 million copies and reaches No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100. Two later releases, “Time After Time'' and “True Colors'' top the chart.
    1955---Top Hits
“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” - Perez Prado
“Rock Around the Clock” - Bill Haley & His Comets
“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” - Somethin’ Smith & The Redheads
“Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young” - Faron Young
    1957 -A violent tornado, rated F5 on the Fujita scale, tore through Fargo, North Dakota. 10 people were killed and 103 injured. Over 1300 homes were damaged or destroyed.
    1960-Floyd Patterson became the first boxer to regain the heavyweight championship when he knocked out Ingemar Johansson of Sweden at 1:51 of the fifth round. Patterson won the crown for the first time on November 30, 1956, defeating Archie Moore. Johansson scored a TKO over the champion on June 26, 1959. Johansson also lost a third fight on March 13, 1961.
    1960-17-year-old Annette Funicello entered the Billboard Pop chart with the Paul Anka-penned "Train of Love". The song would become the fourth of her five Top 40 hits, eventually reaching #36. 
    1963 - The United States and the Soviet Union established a hot-line to serve as an emergency communications system between the two superpowers during the Cold War. While the system was tested, it was never used. 
    1963---Top Hits
“Sukiyaki” - Kyu Sakamoto
“You Can’t Sit Down” - The Dovells
“Blue on Blue” - Bobby Vinton
“Act Naturally” - Buck Owens
    1964 - A squall line producing large hail swept through central Illinois. A second squall line moved through during the early morning hours of the 21st, and a third one moved through shortly after dawn. The series of hailstorms caused nine million dollars damage. Hailstones as large as grapefruit caused heavy damage to trees, utility lines, crops and buildings. The thunderstorms also produced as much as five inches of rain in an eight hour period 
    1964-Birthday of actor Michael Landon, Jr. “Bonanza” “The Ghosts,” born
Encino, California
    1965 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Mr. Tambourine Man," The Byrds.
    1966 - The U.S. Open golf tournament was broadcast from San Francisco, with something extra for the nation’s golf fans. It was the first time TV had beamed a golf event in color.
    1967---Boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of refusing induction into the American armed services. The conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court.
      1967-Birthday of actress Nicole Kidman, born Honolulu, Hawaii.
      1969--The three day Newport Festival began in Northridge, California, featuring such performers as Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, and Ike and Tina Turner. Hendrix was paid $135,000, at the time the most ever paid to a rock performer for a single performance. Like the notorious Altamont Festival later in the year, there were violent gate-crashing incidents and a motorcycle gang had been hired for security.
http://www.jimi-hendrix.com/
       1970 - Beatles tune "The Long and Winding Road" began its second week on the pop music charts number one spot. It would be the last song released by The Beatles. 
    1970-Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" goes gold.
    1971---Top Hits
“It’s Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move” - Carole King
“Rainy Days and Mondays” - Carpenters
“Treat Her Like a Lady” - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
“When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” - Jerry Reed
    1972 - Pres. Nixon recorded on tape information relating to the Jun 16 Watergate break-in. Sections of the tape were later erased, allegedly accidentally by sec. Rose Mary Woods. A panel of experts examined the tape to see if the 18-minute gap was intentional. Richard H. Bolt (d.2002 at 90), acoustic expert at Bolt, Beranek and Newman, later said that if it was an accident than it was committed at least 5 time in the 18 minutes.
   1972-The Tallahatchie Bridge, made famous in Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe", collapsed into the Yazoo River. Although an article which appeared in the November 1967 issue of Life magazine showed a picture of Bobbie walking across it, she later said that she didn't have any particular span in mind when she wrote the song. It's also worth noting that Chocktaw Ridge, which is also referred to in the song, is located a hundred miles away on the east side of the I-55, and not anywhere near the Tallahatchie River as it passes through Leflore County. 
      1973 - American Bandstand airs its 20th anniversary special on ABC-TV, featuring Little Richard, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Three Dog Night, Johnny Mathis, Annette Funicello, and Cheech and Chong. It also features the first appearance of his many huge "all-star" rock jams.
    1975—“Jaws” Film released: With its tagline, “Don’t go in the water” and its ominous cello music, the Steven Spielberg-directed thriller shocked audiences on this date. Adapted from a Peter Benchley bestseller, ”Jaws” showed a great white shark preying on the beachgoers of a New England town. It won three Oscars—best editing, best sound and best original score ( by John Williams)—and was a blockbuster success. 
    1977-Former White House chief of staff HR Haldeman enters prison.  Died 1993. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/stories/halobit.htm
    1977 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Got to Give It Up (Pt. 1)," Marvin Gaye.
    1979---Top Hits
“Hot Stuff” - Donna Summer
“We are Family” - Sister Sledge
“Ring My Bell” - Anita Ward
“She Believes in Me” - Kenny Rogers
    1980- "It's Still Rock & Roll" becomes Billy Joel's first #1 hit.
    1985 - Coach Rollie Massimino told reporters, "I just can’t leave Villanova," when he turned down a $2.1 million, ten years offer to coach basketball for the New Jersey Nets.
    1987 - Whitney Houston’s album, "Whitney", debuted on "Billboard" magazine’s album chart at number one. Houston became the first female to have an LP debut at the top. The singer, daughter of Cissy Houston and cousin of Dionne Warwick, began her singing career at age 11 with the New Hope Baptist Junior Choir in New Jersey. Houston first worked as a backup vocalist for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls.  She entered modeling in 1981, appearing in "Glamour" magazine and on the cover of "Seventeen". Whitney married soul singer, Bobby Brown, in the late 1980s.  On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in her guest room at The Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California. The official coroner's report showed that she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors. 
    1987---Top Hits
“Head to Toe” - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
“I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” - Whitney Houston
“In Too Deep” - Genesis
“Forever and Ever, Amen” - Randy Travis
    1988-A law to force the admission of women to private clubs was upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court. At issue was a New York City law requiring women to be admitted to large, private clubs that are said to play important roles in business and professional life. In New York, the University Club had already voted to admit women. By the end of August, the Union League Club, the Century Association, and the Friars Club in New York agreed to admit women. The Friars Club in California admitted its first female member in 1987. On June 18, the exclusive Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C.C. unassailably male for 110 years, voted by a large majority to accept women. It too had been threatened with legal action.
    1988 - Thirty-eight cities in the central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Afternoon highs of 97 degrees at Flint, MI, and 104 degrees at Chicago, IL, equaled records for the month of June. Thunderstorms in North Dakota produced baseball size hail near Kief, and wind gusts to 100 mph near McGregor
    1993- With a four-games-to-two victory over the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals, the Chicago Bulls earned their third straight NBA title. The Bulls became the first team to “three-peat” since 1966, when the Boston Celtics won their eighth in a row. In 1996, the Bulls won the NBA title for a fourth time, in 1997 for a fifth, and in 1998 for a sixth, for another three-in-a-row sweep.
    1994 - O.J. Simpson pleaded innocent to murdering his ex-wife and her friend.
    1994-- Geffen Records offered the estimated two million subscribers to the CompuServe computer bulletin board an opportunity to download a previously unreleased Aerosmith song, "Head First." The track was recorded during the band's sessions for the 1993 album "Get a Grip." It was one of the first times that subscribers to a bulletin board service could download an entire song over computer lines. 
    1995-- Michael Jackson's "HIStory - Past, Present and Future: Book One" was released. The double CD, Jackson's first album since child molestation allegations two years earlier, debuted at number one on the Billboard chart. Initial sales in the US were strong but dropped off sharply in subsequent weeks. Canadian record stores reported only moderate sales. Jackson had to battle controversy over anti-Semitic lyrics in the song "They Don't Care About Us." He said he used the words to illustrate the evils of prejudice. Jackson promised to include a written explanation in albums already produced and not shipped and to re-record the song with new lyrics for future releases.
    1995 -A supercell thunderstorm dumped unusually large hail for New England in Connecticut. Baseball size hail fell at Vernon, Manchester, Deep River, and Old Saybrook. At Deep River, the large hail lasted for 20 minutes, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Some automobiles were totaled. In one historic building, 25 windows were broken, including a 100 year old curved window. 
    1995 - Legendary country duo George Jones and Tammy Wynette release reunion album "One." 
    1997 - The tobacco industry agreed to a massive settlement in exchange for relief from mounting lawsuits and legal bills.
      1999 - Payne Stewart made a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole at famous Pinehurst Resort & Country Club's No. 2 course in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The putt was just enough to win the U.S. Open by one stroke over Phil Mickelson. Stewart, one stroke behind with three holes to play – and apparently heading for a play-off round the next day -- made a 25-foot putt for par to catch Mickelson, a 3-foot birdie putt on No. 17 to take the lead, and then his 24th putt of the day to win the championship. He tragically died in a plane crash October 25, the same year, 1999.
    2001-- Hitting his 38th homer of the season, Barry Bonds breaks the major league mark established by Reggie Jackson (1969) and Mark McGwire (1998) for home runs hit before the All-Star game. The Giants' left fielder still has 17 games to add to the record.
    2002 - The U.S. Supreme Court declared that executing mentally retarded murderers was unconstitutionally cruel. 
      2004-- On Father's Day with his dad present, Ken Griffey, Jr. nails a 6th inning fastball of Cardinal hurler Matt Morris over the right field wall at Busch Stadium for his 500th career home run. The Reds' center fielder becomes the 20th major leaguer and the sixth youngest (34) to reach the milestone.
    2004-June 20th marked the 3000th time that Paul McCartney took to the stage as a professional musician. He had performed 2,535 concerts with the Quarrymen and the Beatles, 140 gigs with Wings and 325 solo shows. 
    2006 - An album of jazz standards Diana Ross recorded more than 30 years earlier finally sees the light of day. "Blue" was intended as a companion to the hit 1972 soundtrack to "Lady Sings the Blues," in which Ross portrayed jazz legend Billie Holiday. However, Ross instead followed up the project with the pop album "Touch Me in the Morning," which reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. In its wake, "Blue" was shelved.
    2007 - Sammy Sosa of the Texas Rangers became the fifth major leaguer to hit 600 career home runs.
      2008-Jimmy Buffett announced that his Margaritaville Holdings has paired with New York gambling company Coastal Marina to buy the Trump Marina Hotel Casino for $316 million. His vast business empire also includes tequila, beer, frozen food, footwear, restaurants, a resort, a record label and a recording studio. In 2006, Rolling Stone magazine estimated Buffett's earnings at $44 million - the seventh-most of any musician.

NBA Finals Champions This Date

    1993 Chicago Bulls
    2006 Miami Heat