Next U.S. Supreme Court Justice? - from January 20, 2011:

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Mazuma Announces Resignation of Director Mike Lee

While Leasing News does not normally write announcements of those leaving a board of directors, this is an exception as Mazuma Capital, Draper, Utah, new to the leasing broker scene, but in business since 2005, announces Mike Lee is leaving as he is the new United States Senator for Utah.

US Senator Mike Lee

A Mazuma Capital spokesman says he is the youngest elected member of the U.S. Senate and the first new senator Utah has had in 18 years.

“Senator Lee is one of the brilliant minds of our time and I personally believe he’s slated and motivated to bring about real change in Washington,” said Mazuma Capital President and Chief Executive Officer Jared Belnap.”  His leadership, intellect, and experience have been a strong edition to Mazuma’s Board,” 

Jared Belnap, Mazuma Capital President/CEO

“Although we are saddened to lose such a great resource, Mazuma is proud to see Senator Lee serve the people of Utah in Washington, D.C.”

 

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

 

Mark Brown was hired as Business Finance Consultant, LQD Business Finance, Chicago, Illinois. Previously, he was Vice President and Business Development Officer, Bibby Financial Services, USA (April, 2017 - June, 2018); Vice President and Business Development Officer, TAB Bank (April, 2015 - April, 2017); Major Account Executive, Atlantix Global Systems (November, 2014 - April, 2015); Bank Sales Executive at ProfitStars, a Division of Jack Henry & Associates (November, 2013 - November, 2014); VP Lending & US Financial Institutions (FTRANS Corp. (January, 2007 - November, 2013); Loan Officer, Hometown Mortgage (March, 2001 - January, 2007); National Account Sales Honda Power Equipment, American Honda Motor Company, Inc. (January, 1991 - March, 2001). Education: The University of Georgia (1987 - 1988).  Kennesaw State University (1988 - 1989). https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-brown-b023a011/

Jason Cha was hired as Director of Originations, Communications and Technology Finance Team, Commercial Division of CIT Group, New York City.  He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Previously, he was Vice President, Millstein & Co. (July, 2016 - April, 2018); Vice President, Barclays Investment Bank (2008 -- August, 2013); Associate, Lehman Brothers (August, 2007 - September, 2008); Associate, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP (October, 2001 - August, 2005).  Education:  New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, MBA (2005 - 2007).  Harvard Law School, JD (1997 - 2001).  Georgetown University, BSFS, International Economics (1993 - 1997). https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-cha-9574506a/

Vito Culmone was hired as Chief Financial Officer, Element Fleet Management Corp., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Previously, he was Director, Chair of Audit Committee, EPCOR (August, 2013 - June, 2018); EVP Finance and CFO, Shaw Communications (June, 2015 - May, 2018); CFO, EVP Finance, WestJet (March, 2007 - June, 2015); Various, Molson Coors (January, 1995 - March, 2007); Associate, Senior Manager, PwC (September, 1987 - January, 1995).  Education: University of Toronto Bachelor's Degree, Business/Commerce, General (1983 - 1987).  St. Michael's College High School (1978 -1983).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vito-culmone-25b67765/

Mike Hampton was promoted to Vice President of Business Development, Technology, with focus on the OEM space. He joined the firm January, 2018. "Hampton is based in Silicon Valley but covers the entire U.S. with particular focus on manufacturers looking to leverage financing options to grow their business. Hampton brings deep experience in financial services in the OEM captive environment." Previously, he was Vice President, Business Unit Leader Technology and Healthcare, BNP Paribas (December, 2015 - July, 2017); Regional Financial Service Manager for the America’s, Fujitsu America, Inc. (May, 2014 - December, 2015); Senior Director Polycom Capital, Polycom, Inc (June, 2012 - July, 2014); President, Hampton Vendor Finance Inc. (HVF) (April, 2003 - June, 2012); Director, General Manager, Juniper Network Credit Corp., Juniper Networks (January, 2001 - February, 2003).  Founder and General Manager, Cisco Capital (1996 - 2002); General Manager, Cisco Systems Capital Corp., Cisco Systems (April, 1996 - December, 2000); GM World Wide Financial Services, Apple Computer (March, 1993 - April, 1996).  Education: The Ohio State University, BS, Accounting. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hampton-8992771/

Aaron Kaplan was promoted to Vice President, Business Development and Sales, Technology and Communications, CIT Group. He joined the firm December, 2017. He is based in the San Francisco, California Bay Area. Previously, he was Director, North America Channel and SMB Programs (2013 - 2017), prior Sales Manager, NA Channel and Midmarket Programs (November, 2006 - October, 2013). He began his career at EMC Corporation, 1998 as Sales Executive; promoted January, 2000, Area Finance Manager; promoted Regional Sales Manager. Community Service: Volunteer: Team Manager and Coach, SRVGAL San Ramon Valley Girls Athletic League (March, 2001 - June, 2009). Assistant Scout Leader, Sea Base Sailing Expedition, Boy Scouts of America (April, 2008); Operational Volunteer, Festival Napa Valley (July, 2007 - Present). Education: University of California, Santa Barbara. BA. Communications/Sociology. Activities and Societies: Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-kaplan-builds-salesteams/

Tim Moriarity was hired as Senior Vice President by Tristate Capital Equipment Finance, TriState Capital Bank, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Previously, he was First Vice President, Regional Sales Director, East West Bank (February, 2015 - May, 2018). He rejoined Webster Capital Finance as Vice President (October, 2011 - February, 2015).  Prior, he was Vice President, Relationship Manager, Citizens Bank (January, 2010 - October, 2011); Vice President, Webster Capital Finance (September, 2003 - December, 2009); Vice President, Equipment Finance Group, PNC (July, 2000 - October, 200); Leasing Officer, CoreStates Bank, Equipment Leasing Group (May, 1997 - July, 2000); Regional Sales Manager, US Bancorp., Equipment Leasing Group (October, 1994 - May, 1997); Senior Leasing Officer, Integra Business Credit Company (a Division of Integra Bank) (September, 1991 - September, 1994); New Business Coordinator, Concord Commercial Corporation ( a division of HSBC (June, 1988 - September, 1991).  Community Service: Volunteer: Board of Directors, Homeless Children's Education Fund (June, 2010 - July, 2011).  Education: University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business.  M.B.A., Business/Finance (1992 - 1995). University of Pittsburgh, B.S., Business Finance (1984 - 1988). Activities and Societies: Phi Gamma Delta.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmoriarity/

Melissa Osburne, CLFP, was hired as Product Manager, Wholesale Digital Customer Experience, TCF Bank, Wayzata, Minnesota. She began her career at International Decisions Systems, May, 2000, as Software Developer; promoted January, 2003, Software Development Team Lead; promoted, January, 2009, Product Specialist; promoted November, 2010, Product Manager; promoted, June, 2013, Senior Product Manager.  Education: Bemidji State University (1996 - 2000).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaorsburne/

Ronald Palmer, CPA, was hired as Controller by BlueBridge Financial, LLC, Buffalo, New York. Previously, he was Operations Manager, Key Bank, formerly First Niagara Leasing (June, 2015 - May, 2018); Operations Manager, First Niagara Bank (2015 - 2016); Senior Accounting Manager, Community Development Banking (December, 2008 - December, 2014); Accounting Manager, Chase Equipment Leasing (March, 2005 - 2008). Education: Master’s Business Administration, Accounting. Activities and Societies: Taught 2 sections of Accounting 210 as Graduate Assistant.  MBA with an Accounting emphasis.  Northern Michigan University, Bachelor's Degree, Accounting.  Activities and Societies: Accounting Club.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldpalmercpa/

Chris Wren was promoted to President of Business Development Franchise Strategy, CIT, "...to encompass consumer-facing, multi-unit businesses in restaurants, hospitality and other franchised segments."  He is based in the Greater Los Angeles Area. He joined the firm May, 2017, as Vice President, Franchise Finance. Previously, he was CEO USA, IMO Car Wash Group LTD (April, 2016 - March, 2017). He began his career January, 1999, as Associate Manager, M&A, Pizza Hut (January, 1999 - 2001); rejoining May, 2006 - September, 2006, as Chief Financial Officer.   He began at Yum! Restaurant International, February, 2001, as Manager, Treasury and Capital Planning; promoted, January, 2004, Senior Manager, Mergers and Acquisitions. Rejoined, 2006, as Director, M& A/Franchise Finance/Capital Planning; promoted, February, 2010, Chief Development Officer, Europe Franchise. Languages: English, French, Spanish.  Education: Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business. MBA, Finance. Huron University College.  Honors, B.A., Political Science and History.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wren-6898144/

 

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Classified Ads---Employment Web Sites

Here is a list of top internet job web sites, several specializing in financial, money, and leasing, too.

www.adams-inc.com
www.affinitysearch.com
www.allnursejobdescriptions.com
www.bajobs.com
www.careerbank.com
www.careerbuilder.com 
www.careerpath.com
www.careerjet.com
www.craigslist.org
www.creditjobstoday.com 
www.eApplicants.com
www.efinancialcareers.com
www.ejobapplications.com
www.employmentcrossing.com
www.FinanceLadder.com 
www.findhow.com
www.formsswift.com
us.gigajob.com
www.hotjobs.com
www.Hound.com
jobapplicationdb.com
www.indeed.com
www.jobs.net
www.jobs-applications.com
www.jobssearchengine.net
www.jobsearchusa.org 
www.JobSpin.net
www.jobsinthemoney.com
www.ladders.com
www.leasingworld.co.uk
www.lessors.com
www.LinkUp.com
www.livecareer.com 
www.MarketingJobs.com
www.monitordaily.com
www.monster.com
www.monstertrak.monster.com/
www.moonlightingapp.com/
www.neuvoo.com
www.Postonce.com 
www.RecruiterConnection.com
www.resumeblaster.com
www.salary.com
www.simplyhired.com
www.snagajob.com/part-time-jobs/
thejobfind.info/submit/
www.topjobapplications.com/ 
www.toplanguagejobs.com 
www.vault.com
www.vetjobs.com
www.worktree.com
www.ziprecruiter.com

Online Brand Management - Start with the Basics
FinTech #102 by Alex Vaislakos

It takes a great deal of effort to maintain an online presence, but the branding benefits are well worth it. You need to know what’s going on with your brand and use the internet to leverage the exposure it offers.

The Importance of SEO

Search engine optimization is important for online branding. You need to make sure that your website and social media profiles come up in searches related to your brand. When people encounter your brand, even in print or in person, they’re going to head straight to Google and see what else they can find out about you. Put a proactive SEO strategy into place and make sure you’re ranking for relevant keywords.

Email Is Still Number One

Although there are now many ways to communicate online, email is still the main mode of communication. It’s good to build an email list and market directly to your list members’ inboxes. This is a good way to enhance your branding and the personal nature of email makes it excellent for creating an emotional bond.

It’s especially important to leverage the power of review sites like Yelp. Join as many of these sites as possible and manage them well. Encourage your customers to leave good reviews and watch for bad reviews so that you can respond to them in a timely manner.

The World of Social Media

Don’t forget that social media is much more than just Facebook and Twitter. It includes video sharing sites like YouTube, blogs, industry specific social networking sites, online forums and more.

Many businesses find content marketing a good way to build their brand. Content marketing is a strategy in which you regularly publish articles, blog posts, videos or other content that helps your target market. It’s a great way to gain exposure and communicate your brand message.

Online Reputation Management

It’s possible that someone is going to say something bad about your company online and it’s inevitable that many others will see it. This is why you need reputation management protocols in place. When a complaint or negative comment is posted about your brand, you need to swing into action and handle it with the best customer service possible.

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS ‘STAY ON BRAND’

A proactive method of protecting your reputation online is to encourage good reviews and positive comments. When you have a great number of good reviews on a site like Yelp, a few bad ones aren’t so damaging.

Whenever responding to negative comments, remember to stay ‘on-brand’. Never get angry. Your handling of the situation should give others who see the interaction the right brand message. How you respond to these situations is as much a part of your brand marketing as any other activities you engage in.

Get Reviewed

Seek to get reviewed everywhere possible. Form relationships with reviewers and review websites and encourage your customers to leave reviews. Word of mouth is the best possible branding you could hope for.

Alex Vasilakos
Director of Marketing
The Finance Marketing Group
Alex@financemarketing.com 
Office: 518-591-4645x102 / Fax: 518-677-1071
90 State Street, Suite 1500, Albany, NY 12207

Currently, Alex works exclusively with financial services companies but his depth of knowledge and experience can help design and implement long-reaching strategies for businesses across all industries.

Previous Financial Technology Articles
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/fintech.html

 

 

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Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Ally, U.S. Bank
Release Capital Return Plans

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) plans to boost its quarterly stock dividend to 30 cents a share from 25 cents and buy back up to $4.7B of stock in the four quarters starting Q3 2018.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to increase quarterly stock dividend by 25% to 15 cents a share and is authorized to buy back about $20.6B in stock.

Ally (NYSE:ALLY)  plans a 15% increase in its quarterly dividend to 15 cents a share from 13 cents and a 32% boost in its stock buyback program to up to $1.0B.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) plans to recommend Q3 dividend of 37 cents a share, a 23% increase over its current dividend; board has approved a $3.0B stock buyback program.
Previously: JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, American Express, Citi report dividend boosts, buybacks (June 28)

Source: Seekingalpha.com

 

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Somebody working for more than one hour per week is defined as being employed by the International Labour Organization. As a result, rates of self-employment tend to be very high in many countries, particularly in poorer parts of the world where multiple family members assist each other in agricultural work on a family-owned farm. In countries that are less well off, self-employment can be seen as a survival strategy to make ends meet while in more developed economies, it can be a mark of creativity and entrepreneurship.

Half of workers in Colombia are self-employed according to the most recent data released by the OECD with labor informality, income inequality and non-regular contracts common across the South American nation. In Europe, southern countries such as Greece have the highest self-employment rates while nations in the north, particularly across Scandinavia, tend to have the lowest. In Japan. 10.6 percent of the country's workforce are their own bosses while the U.S. self-employment rate is 6.4 percent.

  By Niall McCarthy, statistica.com

https://www.statista.com/chart/14443/where-are-the-worlds-self-employed/

 

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Ascentium Capital Announces New Sales Office
in Scottsdale, Arizona, Seventh Office in US

Ascentium Capital LLC, an award-winning commercial lender, responds to the strong demand for the Company’s finance offering and announces the opening of a new office in Scottsdale, Arizona. The facility provides capacity to accommodate sales professionals and support personnel. The office officially opened June 18, 2018.

Tom Depping, Ascentium Capital’s Chief Executive Officer, announced, “We are excited to open the Scottsdale office that extends our national sales footprint. We will continue to invest in our in-depth sales training program, Ascentium University, to ensure our new colleagues have a positive and comprehensive onboarding experience.” 

This expansion represents the Company’s seventh sales location. Additional offices are in California with two locations as well as Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Texas. Ascentium Capital continues to recruit national sales representatives to support the growth of its vendor and direct divisions.

Richard Baccaro, Ascentium Capital’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, said, “We found an exceptional location for the expansion of our sales team as well as a passionate industry professional to lead this new sales team, Craig Colling, Senior Vice President of Sales.

"The office will have an energetic atmosphere inside and out as it’s located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. This expansion supports our growth and will ensure we keep pace with our clients’ needs."

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 www.AscentiumCapital.com.

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Middle Market Executives Foresee Strong Growth
in 2018 and Beyond - Harris Poll for CIT Group

- New Hiring Seen Likely, Despite Tight Labor Market
- Middle Market Plans to Invest in Their Business
($500,000 or More for Many in 2018)

The Harris Poll, on behalf of CIT, fielded an online survey among 304 U.S. middle market executives. Qualified respondents were executives at companies with annual revenue between $25 million and $1 billion and 100 to 10,000 employees.

NEW YORK,  -- Middle market executives today are more positive about the health of their businesses and more optimistic about their prospects for future growth than at any time in the last three years, according to the findings of a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT)

Jim Hudak, President of CIT's Commercial Finance Division commented, "Middle market companies are important contributors to a healthy economy," said. "We are encouraged by survey results showing that a large majority of middle market leaders expect their companies will grow and invest in the year ahead.

"As a leading provider of financing to the middle market, CIT listens carefully to the opinions of middle market executives and stays in close touch with trends affecting their businesses," Hudak continued. "This ongoing research demonstrates our commitment to serving the middle market and looking out for its interests."

Executives at middle market companies say the health of their company is strong (84%), that their company is better off today than a year ago (70%), and that their company has experienced increases in sales (77%), product demand (76%), and customers (73%) over the past year, according to the CIT survey.

As a group, these executives are pleased with the current state of the economy on the local (66%), national (71%) and global (51%) levels, and their perceptions on all three economic fronts have grown increasingly more positive since 2015 (local, 47%; national, 35%; global, 22%).

Middle market executives also foresee a brighter future, with a large majority expecting growth over the next 12 months through geographic expansion within the U.S. (85%), product diversification (83%), growing the scope of their products and services (83%) and expanding into adjacent markets (81%).

Most middle market executives (81%) expect to hire additional employees over the next 12 months, which may help accelerate future growth. A large majority (93%) plans to invest in their business in 2018, primarily in technology (74%), equipment (59%) and new personnel (54%). More than a third of the respondents (36%) are planning to invest at least $500,000 this year alone.

Despite their general optimism, middle market leaders do worry about such matters as data security and the challenges of hiring and retaining talent. Lingering economic uncertainty also remains an issue, though less so than in 2016. And inflation is increasingly seen as a pressing concern, rising from 62% of respondents in 2015, to 71% in 2016, to 81% in 2018.

Survey
https://www.cit.com/2018middlemarketoutlook

About CIT
Founded in 1908, CIT (NYSE: CIT) is a financial holding company with approximately $50 billion in assets as of March 31, 2018. Its principal bank subsidiary, CIT Bank, N.A., (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender) has approximately $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 cit.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook.

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SBA Increases Disaster Recovery Lending for Small Businesses
through Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration prides itself in the efforts it takes to help small business owners recover from disasters. The SBA 7(a) Loan Program is aiding in that effort by offering the Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program. This Pilot Program was authorized on October 16, 2017 and is available through September 30, 2020.

With hurricane season upon us, SBA wants to make sure SBA Lenders and small businesses are aware that this Pilot Program is available for SBA Express Lenders to provide immediate loans up to $25,000 with a 50% SBA guaranty for small businesses located in the counties affected by a Presidentially-declared disaster. An important part of recovery is the availability of immediate cash to assist the small business with rebuilding and continuing or restarting its operations while awaiting long-term disaster financing.

The EBL Pilot Program permits a very streamlined delivery available through existing SBA Express Lenders.  Small business owners are not required to apply for an SBA disaster loan in order to qualify for an EBL loan and are advised to contact their bank as soon as possible to determine eligibility.

Lenders must be authorized as SBA Express Lenders at the time of the Presidential disaster declaration in order to offer this assistance. SBA 7(a) Lenders that do not already participate in the SBA Express program are encouraged to contact their local SBA District Office to find out how to participate in order to best assist their local small business owners in the unfortunate circumstance of a disaster.

A Program Guide outlining the full procedures applicable to the Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program is available on the SBA’s website. For further assistance, please contact Robert Carpenter, Acting 7(a) Policy & Program Chief, or your local SBA District Office.

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Cloud Lending Solutions Chosen as a
2018 Red Herring Top 100 North America Winner

SAN MATEO, Calif.--Red Herring announced the winners of its Top 100 North America 2018 event, recognizing the continent’s most exciting and innovative private technology companies.

The winners, celebrated at a special awards ceremony at the Marina Del Rey Hotel, have been chosen from thousands of entrants, whittled down to hundreds making the trip to California. The ceremony, led by Red Herring chairman Alex Vieux, was preceded by two days of keynote speeches, discussions and finalist presentations.

Companies were judged by industry experts, insiders and journalists on a wide variety of criteria including financial performance, innovation, business strategy and market penetration. Winners ran the gamut of verticals, from FinTech and marketing to security, IoT and many more.

Red Herring’s editors have been evaluating the world’s startups and tech companies for over two decades. It gives them the ability to see through the industry’s hype, to pick firms that will continue on a trajectory to success. Brands such as Alibaba, Google, Kakao, Skype, Spotify, Twitter and YouTube have all been singled out in Red Herring’s storied history.

Alex Vieux, CEO, Red Herring, said, “2018’s crop of Top 100 winners has been among our most intriguing yet. North America has led the way in tech for so many years, and to see such unique, pioneering entrepreneurs and companies here in California, which is in many ways the heartland of the industry, has been a thrilling experience.

“What has excited me most is to see so many people forging niches in high-tech and cutting-edge sectors,” added Vieux. “Some of the technical wizardry and first-rate business models on show here at the conference has been fantastic to learn about. We believe Cloud Lending Solutions embodies the drive, skill and passion on which tech thrives. Cloud Lending Solutions should be proud of its achievement: the competition was incredibly strong.”

Snehal Fulzele, CEO and Co-Founder of Cloud Lending Solutions said, “We are honored to be recognized by Red Herring as an industry leader and innovator in technology.

 “Our goal is to bring transformative digital lending solutions to progressive financial institutions looking to provide differentiated borrower experiences for their lending products. This award is a continued validation of our company’s dedication and commitment to our mission.”

Following Cloud Lending Solution’s Top 100 win it is invited to showcase itself at the Top 100 Global event in October. Red Herring is dedicated to supporting Cloud Lending Solution’s continued path to success and innovation.

About Cloud Lending Solutions

Cloud Lending Solutions is the technology of choice for financial institutions leading the next wave of lending and leasing. Through our integrated front-to-end lending platform, financial institutions can simplify the borrower experience, accelerate loan processing, increase application volumes, and reduce operational inefficiencies through automation & configuration. We provide solutions for Commercial, Small Business, Construction, and Consumer Loans, and Equipment Leasing. To learn more, visit us at https://www.cloudlendinginc.com.

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Fernando’s View: 4th of July Edition
By Fernando Croce

With the Fourth of July just ahead, we at Leasing News are proud to recommend five red, white and blue movies (available at Netflix) that are sure to get audiences laughing, cheering, and saluting.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(Frank Capra, 1939): Though dismissed by many modern critics as a creator of corny fantasies, director Frank Capra (“It’s a Wonderful Life”) was in reality a much tougher and darker artist whose films suggested an America perpetually split between dream and nightmare. So it goes with Capra’s classic account of idealistic politican Jefferson Smith (beautifully played by James Stewart) and his fall from innocence when he comes to Washington. Not only showing how vulnerable the political system is to human venality, the film also anticipates government scandals of decades to come. With an extraordinary cast that includes Jean Arthur, Claude Rains and Thomas Mitchell, it’s a political film in the greatest sense—aware of injustice yet optimistic about humanity’s potential for change.

Wagon Master (John Ford, 1950): Widely renown as one of the greatest American filmmakers, John Ford is cherished by buffs for such classics as “Stagecoach” and “The Searchers.” Among his most poetic and underrated films is this delightful Western, which focuses on a group of outsiders searching for a new life in the Utah wilderness. Ran out of town for their beliefs, a group of Mormon settlers led by Wiggs (Ward Bond) sets out on an arduous journey to a new land, joined by a theater troupe and guided by two horse traders, Travis (Ben Johnson) and Sandy (Harry Carey Jr.). Many obstacles await along the way, including a gang of brutal criminals. With subtle Biblical intimations, Ford creates a beautiful study of a diverse commune emerging much like America herself.

Stroszek (Werner Herzog, 1977): For an offbeat vantage point of America, you can hardly do better than this harsh and luminous drama from eccentric German master Werner Herzog (“Aguirre: The Wrath of God”). Bruno Stroszek (played by the galvanizing Bruno S.) is a Berlin accordion-player who endures a harsh life of joblessness and threats. Together with his wizened neighbor (Clemens Scheitz) and a battered prostitute (Eva Mattes), he follows his dream and moves to rural Wisconsin, where he hopes to get a taste of the American Dream. Delighted by the friendliness of the locals, Bruno however soon experiences culture shock as he tries to navigate this new land. Taking the point of view of a bewildered immigrant, Herzog’s film blends despair and humor into a surreal love letter to America.

Stripes (Ivan Reitman, 1981): The funny side of the Army is the subject of this popular comedy, which teams up star Bill Murray and director Ivan Reitman four years before their smash hit “Ghostbusters.” Murray plays John Winger, a wise-guy New York taxi driver who, after a run of bad luck, decides to try a new direction by enlisting in the armed forces. Together with his roommate Russell (Harold Ramis), he enters basic training and joins a gaggle of assorted misfits and goofballs. Promptly locking horns with tough-as-nails Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates), John and his friends get a chance to show their patriotic skills when they find themselves behind enemy lines. Boasting crowd-pleasing gags and a cast that includes John Candy, the film is sure to fill Fourth of July with laughter.

American Sniper (Clint Eastwood, 2014): Well into his 80s, Clint Eastwood proves he's still able to stir up controversy with this hot-button war film, based on the real-life story of the late Navy Seal marksman Chris Kyle. Played in an acclaimed, Oscar-nominated performance by Bradley Cooper, Kyle is depicted as a born warrior whose exploits on the battlefield are prepared by his early years in Texas, where he joins the military and marries his wife Tanya (Sienna Miller). When he's sent overseas for the Iraq War, his gun skills are put to the test in an environment of everyday tension and threat. But how deep does the horrors of war affect him once he's back home? A director of plainspoken starkness and moral force, Eastwood creates a powerful and vivid portrait.

German Shepherd
Mesa, Utah  Adopt-a-Dog

Athena
Female
Two Years Old

"This beautiful girl is Athena. She is a 2 year old German Shepherd. She is full of energy and loves life. She is good with other dogs and people. She is very smart and learns quickly. If you are interested in adopting her please email us at adoptions@votsdr.org for an adoption application."

Valley of the Sun Dog Rescue
Email:
votsdradoptions@gmail.com
Phone:
480.228.0126

We are headquartered and operated from our home. We are a family run organization with the help of foster care providers and volunteers. With this great working staff we rescue all breeds of dogs that are ill, injured, maimed, abandoned or simply unwanted. Our dogs are obtained from the various animal shelters in the area, as well as those animals given up by private citizens.

Adoption Questionnaire
https://www.valleyofthesundogrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/adoption-questionnaire.pdf

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

 

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Photo for Fans of Barry S. Marks, Esq., CLFP
On Vacation in Italy

Castillo di Postignano, Umbria, Italy - 2 hours northeast of Rome.
 Near Spoleto & Assisi

News Briefs----

Amazon jumps into drug business with PillPack acquisition,
    threatening to disrupt another industry
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-amazon-pillpack-20180628-story.html 

 

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You May Have Missed---

John Legend Plunges Into the Celebrity Rosé Business
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/28/style/john-legend-chrissy-teigen-wine.html

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That Home Run Feeling
   by Tim Peeler 

tired and poisoned by yellow jacket stings,
go for a hard run through the ripe dark July night,
strides shortened, quickened,
lap by ill-lit lap
in rain-plowed sand
that tightens a muscle against the pull of a worn shoe,
circling the pale glow of Little League baseball field,
enamored by the plink of metal bats,
the hearty high-pitched cheers,
circling as they circle a tauter diamond 
in a high geometry of runs;
eighteen-fifteen the park announcer drawls
and I am drawn to the memory of my own Little League
experience playing that 60's cinema
as I suck humidity by the round ball court
where rapper wannabes
work their slant rhymes and turnover dribbles, 
and a tired backboard shivers.

Leaving now, I consider
the perfect orange moon
hanging for a moment on the light pole 
above silent horseshoe pits,
and just for one splendid moment
I have that home run feeling again.

Touching All Bases
   Poems from Baseball
Tim Peeler
www.mcfarlandpub.com

 

[headlines]
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Sports Briefs---

Fanatics' jersey exchange to be tested if LeBron leaves
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23935692/lebron-james-switching-teams-cost-jersey-company-millions

Frank Gore has an NFL record that NOBODY will ever be break
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/m/d8fbd5a6-026a-34e8-860b-aa0c7f134e64/ss_frank-gore-has-an-nfl-record.html

Outgoing Panthers owner Jerry Richardson fined
    $2.75 million by NFL for workplace misconduct
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/panthers/2018/06/28/jerry-richardson-fined-carolina-panthers-owner-nfl/742482002/

[headlines]
--------------------------------------------------------------

California Nuts Briefs---

Gov. Jerry Brown signs his final state budget,
    California's largest yet
http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-may-2018-gov-jerry-brown-signs-into-law-his-1530118224-htmlstory.html

California voters will decide daylight saving time
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article214002999.html#emlnl=Afternoon_Newsletter

Northern California wildfires:
Pawnee Fire crews prepare for strong winds,
    Lassen residents evacuate
https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article213999329.html

 

[headlines]
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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Bruce Cohn debuts new wine label,
   3 years after loss of namesake winery
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/8471195-181/bruce-cohn-debuts-new-wine

The Case for Chianti Classico
https://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com/news/entry/the-case-for-chianti-classico

Meet the Producers That are Redefining American Wine
https://www.winemag.com/2018/06/27/producers-american-wine/

Total Wine & More co-owner David Trone
   wins Maryland Democratic House primary race
http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/total-wine-more-co-owner-david-trone-wins-maryland-democratic-house-primary-race

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

     1502 - Christopher Columbus arrived at Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, on his 4th voyage to the new world. He requested harbor and advised Gov. Nicolas de Ovando of an approaching hurricane. Ovando denied the request and dispatched a treasure fleet to Spain. 20 ships sank in the storm, 9 returned to port and one made it to Spain.
    1541 - The Spanish first crossed the Arkansas River. Francisco Vazquez de Coronado continued to explore the American southwest. He left New Mexico and crossed Texas, Oklahoma and east Kansas.
    1652 - Massachusetts declared itself an independent commonwealth.     
    1744 - “Yankee Doodle” was written by Dr. Richard Shuckburgh, regimental surgeon to General Edward Braddock, commander in chief of the British forces during the French and Indian War.  The verses were written at Albany, NY, and set to an ancient English tune, “The World Turned Down.” Shuckburgh intended to ridicule the “homely clad colonials,” but the song was taken up by the colonist themselves and was played at the victory celebration in Yorktown in 1781 when Lord Cornwallis surrendered at the end of the Revolutionary War.
    Some of the popular songs during this time were “The Liberty Song,” also known as “In Freedom We're Born,” and “My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free.”  Perhaps the most popular war song, according to historians, was “Chester,” composed in 1778 by William Billings of Boston, MA.  The song was published in Billings' “The Singing Master's Assistant or Key to Practical Music,” printed by Draper and Folsom, Boston. “Chester” contains the following chorus: “Let tyrants shake their iron rod;/ And Slav'ry clank her galling chains,/We fear them not;/ We trust in God,/New England's God forever reigns.”
    1767 - British Parliament passed the Townshend Revenue Act levying taxes on America.
    1776 - Tule Arbor--- First Church in San Francisco before Mission Dolores.  The Mission was founded by Lt. Jose Joaquin Moraga and Fr. Francisco Palou (a companion of Fr. Serra), both members of the de Anza Expedition, which had been charged with bringing Spanish settlers to Alta (upper) California and evangelizing the local Ohlone natives.
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist5/misdolor.html
    1776 - Virginia state constitution was adopted and Patrick Henry was made governor.  The original Virginia Constitution of 1776 was enacted in conjunction with the Declaration of Independence. Virginia was an early state to adopt its own Constitution and the document was widely influential both in the United States and abroad.  
    1804 - Privates John Collins and Hugh Hall of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were found guilty by a court-martial consisting of members of the Corps of Discovery for getting drunk on duty. Collins receives 100 lashes on his back and Hall receives 50
    1820 - Revenue cutter Dallas captured the 12-gun brig-of-war General Ramirez, which was loaded with 280 slaves, off St. Augustine. The 8 July 1820 issue of the Savannah Republican noted: "On the 28th ultimo, while the Cutter DALLAS was lying in the St. Mary's River, Captain Jackson received information that the Brig of war GENERAL RAMIREZ, supposed to be a piratical vessel was hovering off St. Augustine. The Cutter forthwith got under way in pursuit of the Brig having first obtained 12 United States soldiers from Fernandina to strengthen the Cutter's force. At half past three the next day, she hailed the Brig and received for answer, "This is the Patriot Brig GENERAL RAMIREZ." Captain Jackson finding a number of blacks on board took possession of the vessel and brought her into St. Mary's, arriving on the 1st instant. Captain Jackson found on the Brig about 280 African slaves. The Captain and crew, 28 in number, acknowledged themselves Americans.
    1831 - “America” or “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” was written on a scrap of paper in a half hour by Dr. Samuel Francis Smith, a Baptist minister.  Smith gave Lowell Mason the lyrics he had written and the song was first performed in public on July 4, 1831, at a children's Independence Day celebration in Boston. The song was first published by Lowell Mason in “The Choir” in 1832. The original manuscript is in the Harvard University Library, Smith’s alma mater.
    1858 - Birthday of George Washington Goethals (1858-1928) at Brooklyn, NY. American engineer and army officer, chief engineer of the Panama Canal and first civil governor of the Canal Zone.
    1858 - Birthday of Julia C. Lathrop (1858-1932) at Rockford, IL, a pioneer in the battle to establish child-labor laws.  Julia C. Lathrop was the first woman member of the Illinois State Board of Charities and in 1900, was instrumental in establishing the first juvenile court in the U.S.  In 1912, President Taft named Lathrop chief of the newly created Children's Bureau, then part of the US Dept. of Commerce and Labor. In 1925, she became a member of the Child Welfare Committee of the League of Nations. 
    1862 - To set the record straight about a famous Internet hoax about “Taps,” a military signal indicating “lights out” at night and “farewell” at military funerals, the hoax names the right period of time, but the wrong circumstances.   Actually “Taps” was played on the drum for many years, thus its name.  The musical form of “Taps” is performed as a bugle call and as a song.  Union General Daniel Butterfield wrote the music on the back of a torn envelope and whistled the tune to Oliver Wilcox Norton, bugler and aide-de-camp of General Strong Vincent, commander of the 83rd Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Army of the Potomac. They were resting in camp at Harrison's Landing on the James River in Virginia, immediately after the seven days of fighting near Richmond.
    1863 – At age 23, George A. Custer was appointed a Brigadier General in the Union Army.
    1880 – Harry Frazee (d. 1929) was born in Peoria, IL.  He is always remembered as the owner of the Boston Red Sox who sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees.  Heavily influenced by American League president Ban Johnson, with whom Frazee had a long-standing feud, Frazee was limited to talking with the Chicago White Sox and the Yankees in trade talks.  The White Sox offered Shoeless Joe Jackson and $60,000, but the Yankees offered an all-cash deal: $25,000 up front and three notes of $25,000 each, plus a $300,000 loan to be secured by a mortgage on Fenway Park. With the note that he'd used in part to finance his purchase of the Red Sox having come due in November 1919, Frazee had little choice but to take the Yankees' offer. Ruth became the property of the Yankees on January 5, 1920.  The Curse was born. 
    1886 - Harlem photographer James VanDer Zee (1886-1983) was born in Lenox, MA.
http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/965/
James_Van_Der_Zee_was_an_acclaimed_photographer
http://www.ccsf.edu/Events_Pubs/Guardsman/s980227/ae01.htm
http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/
    1905 - Archibald Wright “Moonlight” Graham, a real-life ballplayer made famous by his appearance in W.P. Kinsella's novel, “Shoeless Joe,” and the movie, “Field of Dreams,” played in his only Major League game.  A substitute outfielder for the New York Giants, for the bottom of the eighth, Graham was sent in to play right field. In the top of the ninth inning, Graham was on deck when the third out was made. Graham played the bottom of the ninth in right field but never came to bat. That game turned out to be his only appearance in the Majors.  Poetic license in the book and film moved this game to 1922.  The story of his life was otherwise true.  Graham completed his medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1905, obtained his license the following year and began practicing medicine in Chisholm, MN.  "Doc" Graham, as he became known after his career as a ballplayer, served the people of Chisholm for fifty years. From 1919 to 1959, Graham was the doctor for the Chisholm schools. The Graham Scholarship Fund, established in his honor, provides financial assistance to two Chisholm High School graduating seniors each year. The award is given to one boy and one girl, $500 to each. For many years, "Doc" Graham made arrangements to have used eyeglasses sent to his Chisholm office. On Saturdays, he would have the children of the Iron Range miners, from Grand Rapids to Virginia, come to his office, have their eyes checked and then fit them with the proper set of glasses, all free of charge.
http://www.uslink.net/~0695vs/moonlight.html
http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/grahamo01.shtml
    1910 - Birthday of song writer Frank Loesser (1910-69), New York City, NY.  He wrote the lyrics and music to the Broadway hits “Guys and Dolls,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” the latter winning the Academy Award for Best Song.
http://www.frankloesser.com/
    1922 - Composer-pianist Ralph Burns (1922-2001) was born in Newton, Mass.  He wrote “Bijou,” “Early Autumn,” many others for Woody Herman before going out on his own as a pianist.
    1924 – Birthday of American poet Cid Corman (1924-2004) in Boston’s Roxbury.  Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, Corman's magazine ORIGIN published some of the major works of the Black Mountain poets, as well as other important work, choosing mostly poems not yet readily available elsewhere: the early poetry of Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, and Denise Levertov with the late works of Wallace Stevens and William Carlos Williams.
Corman has published over 70 volumes of poetry, translated several French and Japanese poets, and published four volumes of essays. He had lived in Kyoto, Japan since 1958 where he and his wife run a business, Cid Corman's Dessert Shop, until his death.
"A hint or tint of music — as if the silence were being turned on."
http:// www.english.upenn.edu/~wh/ corman.html
http://www.sover.net/~poetry/ corman.html
    1927 – The first flight from the West Coast arrived in Hawaii.
    1931 - The temperature at Monticello, FL hit 109 degrees to establish an all-time record for the state.
    1933 - Primo Carnera won the heavyweight championship of the world by knocking out Jack Sharkey in the sixth round of a fight at Long Island City, NY. Carnera held the title for only a year. He knocked out two contenders and then was defeated by Max Baer in June, 1924.
    1934 - After four years in the National Football League, the Portsmouth Spartans were sold to G.A. “Dick” Richards.  He moved the team to Detroit and changed its nickname to the Lions.
    1936 - Birthday of third baseman Harmon Clayton Killebrew (1936-2011), Payette, ID.  During his 22-year MLB career in, primarily with the Minnesota Twins, Killebrew was a prolific power hitter who, at the time of his retirement, was second only to Babe Ruth in American League home runs and was the AL career leader in home runs by a right-handed batter (since broken by Alex Rodriguez). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.
    1938 - Birthday of The Valiants’ leader Billy Storm, Dayton, OH.
http://members.tripod.com/~thevaliants/surf.html
http://www.clodius.de/reviews/review.asp?id=31
    1939 - Benny Carter records theme “Melancholy Lullaby” (Vocalion 4984)
    1940 - U.S. passed the Alien Registration Act requiring aliens (non-citizens) to register.
    1941 - Birthday of crusader and Freedom rider Stokely Carmichael (1941-98) in Trinidad. As a radio newsman, I interviewed him by telephone during the March as arranged by Hal Light of San Francisco.  He reported coined the word: “Black Power.” I also interviewed him in Oakland, California. In 1960, Carmichael formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The SNCC was a student desegregation and civil rights group recognized for organizing massive voter registration drives in the 1960s. In 1967, Carmichael became honorary prime minister of the militant Black Panther Party. Carmichael and his then wife, famed South African singer Miriam Makeba, moved to Guinea in 1969. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcarmichael.htm
http://www.interchange.org/Kwameture/nytimes111698.html
    1941 - In a doubleheader with the Senators, Joe DiMaggio ties and then breaks the American League consecutive game hitting streak of 41 established by George Sisler. In the opener, he knots the record with a double off Dutch Leonard, and in the nightcap, 'The Yankee Clipper' tops the record with a seventh inning single against Walt Masterson.
    1944 - Singer Little Eva, whose full name is Eva Narcissus Boyd, was born in Belhaven, North Carolina. She was the babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin when she recorded their song, "The Loco-Motion." It went to number one in the summer of 1962. The background singers on the record were a group called the Cookies, who had a hit of their own later in '62 with "Chains."
    1945 - President Truman approves the plan, devised by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to invade Japan. The plan calls for 5 million troops, mostly Americans. Kyushu is to be invaded on November 1st with some 13 divisions (Operation Olympic) and Honshu is to be invaded on March 1, 1946 with some 23 divisions (Operation Coronet), including forces of the US 1st Army from Europe. The British will deploy a very long range bomber force in support of the invasion.
    1948 - Top Hits
“Nature Boy” - Nat King
“Toolie Oolie Doolie” - The Andrews Sisters
“Woody Woodpecker Song” - The Kay Kaiser Orchestra (vocal: Gloria Wood & The Campus Kids)
“Bouquet of Roses” - Eddy Arnold
    1950 – Whitey Ford was called up by the Yankees from their Kansas City farm team.  Ford would go on to a 9-1 record and win the final game of the World Series sweep of the Phillies.
    1952 -  I remember this day very well, the start of my teenager years, when the first “Rock and Roll” song to hit Number 1 in the pop charts was “Rock Around the Clock.“  The recording artists were Bill Haley and the Comets, one of the first all-white acts to play “Rock and Roll.”  It was the title song to the movie, “Blackboard Jungle.” Haley was originally a country and western singer, who my father hired in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1948 to sing “rock-a-billy” to a radio station when he was the general manager.  Haley later learned the electric guitar and the rest is history.
    1956 - Top Hits
“The Wayward Wind” - Gogi Grant
“I Almost Lost My Mind” - Pat Boone
“Picnic” - The McGuire Sisters
“Crazy Arms” - Ray Price
    1956 - Charles Dumas of the US became the first high jumper to clear the seven-foot barrier when he reached 7’, 5/8” at the US Olympic Trials meet in Los Angeles. He won the gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics later that year at a height of 6’, 11½”.
    1956 - President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.  With an original authorization of $25 billion for the construction of 41,000 miles of the Interstate Highway System, supposedly over a 10-year period, it was the biggest public works program in history.  Eisenhower's support of the Act can be directly attributed to his experiences in 1919 as a participant in the U.S. Army's first Transcontinental Motor Convoy across the United States on the historic Lincoln Highway, which was the first road across America. The highly publicized convoy was intended, in part, to dramatize the need for better main highways and continued federal aid. The convoy left the Ellipse south of the White House on July 7, 1919, headed for Gettysburg, PA. From there, it followed the Lincoln Highway to San Francisco. Bridges cracked and were rebuilt, vehicles became stuck in mud and equipment broke, but the convoy was greeted warmly by communities across the country. The convoy reached San Francisco on September 6, 1919.  The convoy was memorable enough for a young Army officer, 28-year-old Lt. Col. Eisenhower, “The trip had been difficult, tiring and fun," he said. That experience on the Lincoln Highway convinced him to support construction of the Interstate System when he became president. "The old convoy had started me thinking about good, two-lane highways, but Germany had made me see the wisdom of broader ribbons across the land." His "Grand Plan" for highways, announced in 1954, led to the 1956 legislative breakthrough that created the Highway Trust Fund to accelerate construction of the Interstate System.  Eisenhower advocated for the highways for the purpose of national defense. In the event of a ground invasion by a foreign power, the Army would need good highways to be able to transport troops across the country efficiently. Following completion of the highways, the cross-country journey that took the convoy two months in 1919 was cut down to five days.
    1959 - Dick Clark announces his first Caravan of Stars tour, which would feature The Skyliners, who were still riding high on their hit "Since I Don't Have You."
    1960 - Birthday of singer Evelyn “Champagne” King, The Bronx, New York
http://www.evelynchampagneking.com/
    1963 - The first song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney makes it to the Hot 100. It's "From Me to You" as performed by Del Shannon.
    1964 - Top Hits
“A World Without Love” - Peter & Gordon
“I Get Around” - The Beach Boys
“My Boy Lollipop” - Millie Small
“Together Again” - Buck Owens
    1966 - MORRIS, CHARLES B., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant (then Sgt.), U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1966. Entered service at: Roanoke, Va. Born: 29 December 1931, Carroll County, Va. C.O. No.: 51, 14 December 1967. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Seeing indications of the enemy's presence in the area, S/Sgt. Morris deployed his squad and continued forward alone to make a reconnaissance. He unknowingly crawled within 20 meters of an enemy machinegun, whereupon the gunner fired, wounding him in the chest. S/Sgt. Morris instantly returned the fire and killed the gunner. Continuing to crawl within a few feet of the gun, he hurled a grenade and killed the remainder of the enemy crew. Although in pain and bleeding profusely, S/Sgt. Morris continued his reconnaissance. Returning to the platoon area, he reported the results of his reconnaissance to the platoon leader. As he spoke, the platoon came under heavy fire. Refusing medical attention for himself, he deployed his men in better firing positions confronting the entrenched enemy to his front. Then for 8 hours the platoon engaged the numerically superior enemy force. Withdrawal was impossible without abandoning many wounded and dead. Finding the platoon medic dead, S/Sgt. Morris administered first aid to himself and was returning to treat the wounded members of his squad with the medic's first aid kit when he was again wounded. Knocked down and stunned, he regained consciousness and continued to treat the wounded, reposition his men, and inspire and encourage their efforts. Wounded again when an enemy grenade shattered his left hand, nonetheless he personally took up the fight and armed and threw several grenades which killed a number of enemy soldiers. Seeing that an enemy machinegun had maneuvered behind his platoon and was delivering the fire upon his men, S/Sgt. Morris and another man crawled toward the gun to knock it out. His comrade was killed and S/Sgt. Morris sustained another wound, but, firing his rifle with 1 hand, he silenced the enemy machinegun. Returning to the platoon, he courageously exposed himself to the devastating enemy fire to drag the wounded to a protected area, and with utter disregard for his personal safety and the pain he suffered, he continued to lead and direct the efforts of his men until relief arrived. Upon termination of the battle, important documents were found among the enemy dead revealing a planned ambush of a Republic of Vietnam battalion. Use of this information prevented the ambush and saved many lives. S/Sgt. Morris' gallantry was instrumental in the successful defeat of the enemy, saved many lives, and was in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
    1967 - Actress Jayne Mansfield, 34, and two male companions died when their car struck a trailer truck east of New Orleans.
    1968 - Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" enters the Billboard chart, where it will reach #5. The song featured former Yardbirds guitarist, Jeff Beck.
    1968 - Pink Floyd's second LP "A Saucerful of Secrets" is released.
    1968 - "Tip-Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me" by Tiny Tim peaks at #17
    1969 - Detroit Tiger Jim Northrup ended an exciting week in his baseball career when he connected for his third grand-slam home run in seven days, setting a Major League record.
    1970 - With the award-winning "Liza Minelli Special," NBC offered an evening of entertaining television.
    1971 - The City of Memphis, TN, voted to name a road in honor of Elvis Presley---a 12-mile portion of the highway that passes Graceland.
    1972 - *BENNETT, STEVEN L., Medal of Honor.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Air Force. 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Pacific Air Forces. Place and date: Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam, 29 June 1972. Entered service at: Lafayette, La. Born: 22 April 1946, Palestine, Tex. Citation: Capt. Bennett was the pilot of a light aircraft flying an artillery adjustment mission along a heavily defended segment of route structure. A large concentration of enemy troops was massing for an attack on a friendly unit. Capt. Bennett requested tactical air support but was advised that none was available. He also requested artillery support but this too was denied due to the close proximity of friendly troops to the target. Capt. Bennett was determined to aid the endangered unit and elected to strafe the hostile positions. After 4 such passes, the enemy force began to retreat. Capt. Bennett continued the attack, but, as he completed his fifth strafing pass, his aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile, which severely damaged the left engine and the left main landing gear. As fire spread in the left engine, Capt. Bennett realized that recovery at a friendly airfield was impossible. He instructed his observer to prepare for an ejection, but was informed by the observer that his parachute had been shredded by the force of the impacting missile. Although Capt. Bennett had a good parachute, he knew that if he ejected, the observer would have no chance of survival. With complete disregard for his own life, Capt. Bennett elected to ditch the aircraft into the Gulf of Tonkin, even though he realized that a pilot of this type aircraft had never survived a ditching. The ensuing impact upon the water caused the aircraft to cartwheel and severely damaged the front cockpit, making escape for Capt. Bennett impossible. The observer successfully made his way out of the aircraft and was rescued. Capt. Bennett's unparalleled concern for his companion, extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
    1972 - The Supreme Court ruled the death penalty could constitute "cruel and unusual punishment."
    1972 - Top Hits
“The Candy Man” - Sammy Davis, Jr.
“Song Sung Blue” - Neil Diamond
“Outa-Space” - Billy Preston
“That's Why I Love You Like I Do” - Sonny James
    1975 – Steve Wozniak tested his first prototype of Apple I computer.
    1980 - Top Hits
Coming Up - Paul McCartney & Wings
The Rose - Bette Midler
It's Still Rock & Roll to Me - Billy Joel
Trying to Love Two Women - The Oak Ridge Boys
    1984 - Bruce Springsteen kicks off his “Born in The U.S.A.” tour in St. Paul, Minnesota. His single, "Dancing in the Dark," peaks at #2 on the same day.  In all, the album produced a record-tying seven Top 10 singles.
    1988 – Top Hits
“Foolish Beat” - Debbie Gibson
“Dirty Diana” - Michael Jackson
“Make It Real” - The Jets
“He's Back and I'm Blue” - The Desert Rose Band
    1988 - Alpena, MI, reported a record low of 39 degrees while Jackson, MS, equaled their record for the month of June with an afternoon high of 105 degrees. Thunderstorms in the central U.S. soaked Springfield, MO with 3.62 inches of rain, a record for the date.
    1990 - Dave Stewart of the Oakland Athletics pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays at SkyDome.  Later in the day, Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals.  This marked the first time in Major League history that no-hitters were recorded in each league on the same day and the first time in the 20th century that two pitchers hurled complete-game no-hitters on the same day.
    1994 - The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirms its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on legal abortion, but its 5-to-4 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey supports a Pennsylvania law limiting a woman's right to abortion. The Court also lets stand a Mississippi law requiring a 24-hour waiting period, which critics believe hindered many poorer women from obtaining legal abortions because they cannot afford overnight stays in cities far from their homes and jobs.
    1994 - Top Hits
“I Swear” - All-4-One
“Regulate” (From "Above The Rim") - Warren G
“Any Time, Any Place/And On And On” - Janet Jackson
“Don’t Turn Around” - Ace Of Base
    1995 - An American space shuttle docked with a Russian space station for the first time, resulting in the biggest craft ever assembled in space.  The cooperation involved in this linkup was to serve as a stepping-stone to building the International Space Station.
    1996 - Superman's Action Comic #1 (1938) auctioned at Sotheby at $61,900.
    1998 - George Harrison (1943-2001) announces that he had been receiving radiation treatment for throat cancer caused by smoking. Harrison says he has been given a clean bill of health by saying, "I'm not going to die on you folks just yet." That sad event would take place on November 29th, 2001.
    1999 - Singer/songwriter Jewel forgets the words to her song "Little Sister" from her “Pieces of You” album during a concert in Mountain View, California. She asks the audience if anyone has a copy of her album with the front cover. A boy in the audience pulls it out of his backpack, and holds the lyrics up for Jewel while she performs
    2000 - On his much awaited return to Shea Stadium, John Rocker pitches a perfect eighth inning in front of 46,998 booing fans helping the Braves to stop the Mets' winning streak at seven, 6-4. Prior to the game, the Atlanta reliever read a statement apologizing for his inappropriate comments about New Yorkers which appeared in the off season in Sports Illustrated.
http://www.nationalpastime.com/%20Documents/rockersapology.html
    2003 - Top Hits
“This Is The Night” - Clay Aiken
“Flying Without Wings” - Ruben Studdard
“Crazy In Love” - Beyonce Featuring Jay-Z
“Magic Stick” - Lil' Kim Featuring 50 Cent
    2004 - The Diamondbacks’ Randy Johnson, 40, threw his 4,000th career strikeout to become the fourth player in Major League history to reach the plateau. The "Big Unit" needs fewer innings (3,237 1/3) than Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens or Steve Carlton to accomplish the feat.
    2006 - The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that President George W. Bush's plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law.
    2007 – Apple Inc. released its first mobile phone, the iPhone.  Development began in 2004 when Apple started to gather a team of 1,000 employees to work on the highly confidential "Project Purple."  Apple CEO Steve Jobs steered the original focus away from a tablet (which Apple eventually revisited in the form of the iPad) towards a phone.  Apple created the device during a secretive collaboration with Cingular Wireless (which became AT&T Mobility) at the time—at an estimated development cost of $150 million over thirty months.