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Monday, June 1, 2009
Actor Morgan Freeman born June 1, 1937 Memphis, Tennessee. He received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, and The Shawshank Redemption before winning in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby. He has appeared in has appeared in many other box office hits, including Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Unforgiven, Seven, Deep Impact, The Sum of All Fears, Bruce Almighty, Batman Begins, Evan Almighty, The Bucket List, Wanted, and The Dark Knight.
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Headlines---
Correction---CLP Circular
Classified Ads---Senior Management
John Otto letter to Investors on HL Leasing
Top 25 Most Influential Leasing People-June 1
Classified Ads---Help Wanted
"Texting" Can Be Effective In Collecting Debt
Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
The Accounting Discussion Paper
Leasing News Top Stories--May 26-29
Bank Beat-Bank Income Down 60.8%
News Briefs---
FBI Seeks Information on HL Leasing
AG Lisa Madigan Parking Meter Lease Deal
Trinity reduces lease warehouse line $475MM
What happens to my GM warranty in BK
You May have Missed---
California Nuts Briefs---
Sport Brief---
"Gimme that Wine"
Today's Top Event in History
This Day in American History
Baseball Poem
SuDoku
Daily Puzzle
GasBuddy
Weather, USA or specific area
Traffic Live----
######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”
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Correction---CLP Circular
For those who had trouble with the correct link for the Certified
Leasing Professional Newsletter, please go here (it is worth
viewing:)
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/CLP%20Circular%20May.pdf
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Classified Ads---Senior Management
Philadelphia, PA |
Europe |
Gig Harbor, WA |
| Philadelphia, PA 27 yrs. exp. sales, ops., credit, strategy, P&L mngmet. Most recently created & executed the biz plans for 2 highly successful Bank-owned small ticket leasing subsidiaries. email: mccarthy2020@comcast.net |
| Philadelphia Metro Area - 30 Years experience Healthcare sales/ management- 3 years experience newly create "small-ticket" healthcare division. Good success - Mitch Utz 215-460-4483 Email: mitutz@msn.com |
For a full listing of all "job wanted" ads, please go to:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm
To place a free "job wanted" Leasing News ad:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm
ELFA Career Center: Job Seekers (free):
http://careers.elfaonline.org/search.cfm
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John Otto letter to Investors on HL Leasing
Friday, May 29, 2009, the FBI served a sealed subpoena on the office of HL Leasing, located in the Otto family residence in Palm Desert, California. According to the DesertSun newspaper, employees have been coming to work every day. Reportedly those to be questioned are Kathy Otto, wife of John Otto, who reportedly signed checks and was involved (according to investors), President Dan Ramirez, CFO, Norma Lewis, Vice-President, and corporate agent Andy Fernandez (also CFO, Heritage Pacific Leasing.) Mrs. Otto works out of the corporate office at her residence. The other three work out of the Fresno office, California. Investor blogs state they have not been cooperative in the investigation to date. Reportedly they have hired attorneys to represent them.
There are several legal firms ready to file against the Otto Estate, once through probate, and it appears the funeral service for John W. Otto was private, according to Wiefels Mortuary, Palm Springs, California. There are also several "ambulance chaser" attorneys who look for class action cases or clients in distress actively contacting investors.
It should be noted that the FBI is not declaring at this time that the operation is a Ponzi scheme, although that is the purpose of their investigation, following investors' accusations that fraud is involved.
The purpose of the FBI investigation is to get to the facts, which involves collecting the information, having accountants and leasing legal expert witnesses review the information as well as legal staff. Without cooperation from those involved, this process will take longer to be made both accurate and a possible grand jury indictment and then ready for a court of law. Investors will have to show patience as the process moves to a final resolution by all jurisdictions involved.
Investors 14 questions:
On July 28, 2008, John W. Otto, Chief Executive Officer, HL Leasing, Inc. personally typed a letter to a group of three investors who had written a list of 14 specific questions to him about the investment program of HL Leasing. While the list of questions was thought out, the answers from John Otto were not per question as originally requested.
It should be noted that the three investors were not aware about UCC's showing title as a mortgage title does for real estate, that American Business Finance not writing new leases since 2001, sold to Key Corp. in 2004, nor did they know how to verify if HL Leasing was licensed (they were not) nor that the State Board of Equalization Permit had expired in 2007. A credit card would have gotten them access to "secured party" UCC filings, public information on line (https://uccconnect.sos.ca.gov/acct/acct-login.asp Secured Party is HL Leasing, Fresno, CA).
The Letter:
In the fourth paragraph of the letter regarding HL Leasing, CEO John Otto states the program has changed, but does seems to confuse Heritage Pacific Leasing and HL Leasing, as it appears he basically refers to the Heritage Pacific Leasing operation, licensed by the State of California:
"The program has changed over the years because of demand by our clients. Many clients want longer terms, with higher Yields. I have no idea where you got your information that a typical lease yields 9%. We at Heritage buy high quality credits, we are small balance lender (5,000 to 100,000) with yields somewhere between 18 and 30%, this takes into consideration: advance payments, residuals, puts (purchase upon termination, documentation fee, etc:, and number of points inserted into the deal above, ouro cost of Money; ...leases above $100,000 are broker out to middle to large buyers, where we are paid fee's of 3 to 10 points of cost of equipment, depending on credit, type of equipment, term of lease, etc."
In this paragraph, he basically explains how HL Leasing works, but confuses it was credit card and accounts receivable (factoring):
"All leases that are sold-to private individuals or companies are secured in the following manner, 1. the lessee. 2: the equipment.3. the company who sold us the lease (thru a reps and warranty agreement) 4. insurance on the lease 5. HL leasing, we do not buy credit card debt, as this involves dealing with individuals, which we do not do. We only buy paper that involves businesses. We however, do buy' accounts receivables from various corporations, that are looking for capital. These are discounted 80%, we receive a fee of 3% per month, and the stream of the remaining payments is insured. These instruments are not sold by Danny, and are designed for very large investors. On a monthly basis all firms, that bill and collect the leases that they sold to us send us an aging analysis of all leasing outstanding. (not available, as this is: confidential information."
The "Danny" is Dan Ramirez, the president, who investors all said was their main contact, who told them he and his family had invested, too, that is how sure he was of the safety. Here he explains the dogma given to HL Leasing investors:
"We buy leases from other leasing companies and banks. We generally, discount the remaining stream of payments at 20%. The original term is generally, 48-60-72 months. We are buyers for 12-24-36 mos., of remaining payments. Generally speaking the selling bank has taken all of the profit out of the deal in the first 12 to 24 months, and consequently is willing to take a deep discount, for cash, for the remaining payments. Per our agreement all leases submitted must meet the credit criteria of HL. All leases are purchased on an individual basis and sold in the same manner, not as pools."
The explanation above explains the loan number concept to investors. They are not put in groups as a portfolio, but sold individually to investors. The investor purchases security in a special lease (loan) and receive a "loan number."
The third paragraph states:
"All leases that are sold-to private individuals or companies are secured in the following manner, 1. the lessee. 2: the equipment.3. the company who sold us the lease (thru a reps and warranty agreement) 4. insurance on the lease 5. HL leasing, we do not buy credit card debt, as this involves dealing with individuals, which we do not do. We only buy paper that involves businesses. We however, do buy' accounts receivables from various corporations, that are looking for capital. These are discounted 80%, we receive a fee of 3% per month, and the stream of the remaining payments is insured. These instruments are not sold by Danny, and are designed for very large investors. On a monthly basis all firms, that bill and collect the leases that they sold to us send us an aging analysis of all leasing outstanding. (not available, as this is: confidential information."
The third paragraph from the end of the two page hand typed letter from John Otto states:
"I agree with the old adage of 'don't invest in anything you do not understand'.... I truly hope that the above comments give you a better understanding of what we do. Heritage Pacific leasing is an originator of leases, HL leasing, is a conduit for the sale of leases. We have completed 3 securitizations with a New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm, for large blocks of leases, all with attorney opinions, insurance, rating by Moody's, and sold as debt instruments' at an average rate of 7%., and finally Centerpoint Fin. Services, does the billing and collecting, for in-house leases."
Centerpoint Financial Services closed down in 2001, and according to a highly reliable ex-employee, the leases were taken over by the banks and/or what is now US Bank Manifest, who has a large "back office" for independent companies. There does not appear to be any New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm, although the company had various banking relationships, and Moody's never gave HL Leasing or Heritage Pacific Leasing a rating.
UCC's in D&B Report:
The three investors also received a D&B Bradstreet report. They did question why a supposed multi-million dollar company only had an average credit of $210 and highest credit $750, but were told HL Leasing did not divulge credit information to D&B. This document allegedly shows HL Leasing in "good shape."
The Dun & Bradstreet date is June 9, 2008. It is interesting that the UCC search by Leasing News for secured party of HL Leasing leases do not appear here (2005.) They were primarily Heritage Pacific Leasing type brought by another company and discounted to another party getting a commission up-front, paying a commission to the sender, who more than likely also held onto the residual.
Dun & Bradstreet may not have picked them up, but here in the 2008 report are UCC filings with the secured party: Action Sport Alliance, Inc., Carson City, Nevada, Western Sierra Bank Custodian FBO Oren Hall Ira # H0010 (founder/owner Heritage Leasing, Sacramento, California), Todd & Lori E. Humphrey, Trustees, Humphrey Living Trust, another Humphrey Trust, and PFF Bank & Trust. These would all be expired today.
They give evidence that there may have been an investor program at one time that involved filing UCC's, but not at the numbers claimed by current investors. There are not millions of dollars worth of leases in the report; far from it.
Another investor (not one of the three in the letter) repeats the sales pitch from HL Leasing President Dan Ramirez:
"1. Once Dan had $10 million of money pulled together, John would fly to New York and purchase a bundle of leases from Amex.
2. These leases would then be assigned to us, the investors.
3. If the leases go bad we would have the opportunity to cash out or get assigned another lease…
4. (I am a small business owner and deal with bad accounts that do not pay. So I asked Dan some very specific questions about the leases and the repossession of property) - DAN SAID HE PHYSICALLY VIEWS THE LEASES AND IS PART OF THE REPOSSESSION PROCESS OF THE MEDICAL AND AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT. He told me this "Rarely happens because if a (his example) dentist does not have his X-ray equipment he/she can't run their business". Dan also stated that HE has taken back agricultural equipment from defaulted leases, and that HE is able to retrieve top dollar in a demanding worldwide market for the agricultural equipment."
New Monies $3,777,518.83 54%
Renewals $3,220,479.27 45%
New Clients: 11
YTD
New Monies: $19,607,907.14 52%
Renewals: $18,352,088.37 48%
Total $37,959,995.57
New Clients 55
A second page shows a June 11-June 26, 2008 with side note:
$37,959,994.57
$24,862,522.96
$13,097.472.61
over last yr's
P&I - $775,973.63+ 11%
If this is any indication, a five year investment number could be the $132 million being used, although the investors being over 1,000 may only be from 250 to 300. An indictment will give these answers.
The three investors told Leasing News they were not satisfied with the answers in John Otto's letter, but that HL Leasing President Dan Ramirez overcame their fear at the time. They told Leasing News they regret not asking for their principal back at the time, as they believe they would have received it. Today they believe they will not see anything back. The principal went into the pockets of those who worked at HL Leasing as well as John and Kathy Otto and to make the interest payments. They believe it was a Ponzi scheme that ran out of money as all Ponzi schemes do.
Numbers:
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/d_and_b_pages.pdf
Three Investors' Questions:
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/d_and_b_questions.pdf
2008 Dun & Bradstreet Report:
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/d_and_b_report.pdf
Otto Letter in Word:
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/Otto%20Letter%202008.pdf
Original letter sent by fax to Leasing News:
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/CLPCircularr.pdf
John Otto-Leasing Scandal (Leasing News previous stories)
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/heritage_leasing.htm
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Top 25 Most Influential Leasing People-June 1
"Influential" as "a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events" {Online Dictionary}.
Send nominations to: kitmenkin@leasingnews.org
New nominees to appear in the next list:
Sudhir P. Amembal-Respected worldwide, author, lecturer, leader of international conferences and to name the leasing companies he has served as a consultant would fill up this page. He has been partners in several leasing ventures and services, as well as current co-publisher of WorldLeasingNews.com. As a publisher and author he has published 12 and co-authored 14 books on leasing including the international bestseller, The Handbook of Equipment Leasing. A keynote speaker not only to international and US conferences, but sought after by all US leasing associations. His greatest gift: education. One of his best assets: His sense of humor. http://www.amembalandassociates.com/whoweare.html
Al Gamper, Jr.-CIT Chairman, CEO led the company through two tumultuous periods connected with Tyco, joining Manufacturers Hanover, working his way up to the top, expanding the company overseas, leader extraordinaire building the company to
$50 billion in assets before his retirement in 2004. His last
stock raising tour was a triumph. A major leader in
commercial finance who in his watch was a tremendous
beneficial influence in the entire banking and financial industry.
http://www.cse.edu/index.php?id=1510
Paul A. Larkins-Leasing News chose him as the person who has done the most for the entire equipment leasing industry in 2006. Throughout his career he has promoted education and opportunity, volunteering for many assignments in his community, in the industry,
expanding his company overseas. In addition, it was under his leadership that a smooth transaction and major changes in the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association were accomplished. His influence in the leasing industry, in leasing associations, and continued effort for more education is certainly now missed.
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/March%202007/03-07-07.htm#award
Jim Renner-head of Wells Fargo & Company's leasing and equipment finance business for over 13 years, who led the growth of the business's leasing portfolio during his tenure from $530 million to $7.5 billion. When he retired in 2005 there were 40 locations and 375 employees nationwide who make up Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Inc. (WFEFI) in the U.S. and Canada. He was active in many committees, past chairman Equipment Leasing and Finance Association as well as trustee and chairman of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation; greatly missed by both associations.
Ron Wagner, CLP---Long time veteran in the leasing industry, active in several leasing associations, 1990 WAEL President, an illustrious career, leadership and high ethics by example. The Pentech Financial Navigator Program was run by him. He put together the team that successfully funded over $300 Million in small ticket leases, many already turned down by US Manifest. He ran the San Diego small ticket services with an iron fist. He insisted we look out for the broker first - they were the reason we received our paychecks.
Current Top 25 Influential List (June 1, 2009):
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/June%201%20Most%20Influential%20List.pdf
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Classified ads---Help Wanted
Sales
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The iFinancial Group is looking for highly motivated individuals with experience originating equipment lease transactions . We offer a relaxed work environment, provide leads and offer above industry standard commission. Call Todd Clark 888-852-5155 x223 Ten years providing financing nationwide |
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Like selling vendor programs and large transactions? CLICK HERE to find out how to have fun again. |
Help Wanted ads start at $500 for 21 days. Logo and company description are free, as well as clicking from the ad to a full job description. You can submit your own ad or have Leasing News design one for you.
It is also our policy to place "help wanted" ads above the news edition headlines. This position is not available as a paid position, but appears on the top of the news edition in a rotation basis.
Contact: kitmenkin@leasingnews.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------Study: "Texting" Can Be Effective In Collecting Debt
www.collectionworld.com
Text messaging can be an effective method of reaching delinquent account holders - especially when used with other communication strategies, concludes a report released this week by the Mercator Advisory Group Inc., a Maynard, Mass.-based consultancy.
"There is something about text messages that we still respond to," George Peabody, director of emerging technologies advisory service at Mercator, tells Collections & Credit Risk. "We ignore e-mail. We can use caller ID to screen our calls. But texts seem to be a pretty direct channel. Consumers haven't learned to tune them out."
Text messaging traffic in U.S. financial services applications exceeds 12 million messages per day and is growing more than 100% per year, according to the study.
Sending text messages to indebted consumers can save companies money by referring them to a less-expensive self-service payment system versus talking to an operator at a call center, says Peabody.
According to the study, Verizon Wireless was able to increase its self-service payment utilization to nearly 18% from 5% over a seven-month period by "texting" delinquent accountholders.
"The accelerating effect on consumers of text messaging when used in combination with automated voice messaging and interactive voice response units, never mind traditional media, affirms this new channel's unique value," Peabody says.
But there are challenges with the technology, he adds. "You can't spam anybody, it's still opt in all the way, but it still seems to be effective and used in combination with calls or IVR, there's a lot to be gained there."
Current federal and state laws also can hinder collectors' ability to fully use texting technology, David D. Cherner, legal counsel at ACA International, tells Collections & Credit Risk. Texting offers a limited number of characters to provide information to consumers but laws require extensive disclosures that can exceed those limits.
Also, there is a greater chance that a text could be inadvertently disclosed to a third-party, such as if two people share a cell phone, and that is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
ACA International, the trade association representing collection agencies, is working with the Federal Trade Commission to better understand the challenges behind texting and other new technologies. For example, if an original creditor obtains a prior express permission to contact the consumer via mobile devices, that consent now flows through to any third-party collector working for the issuer. Third-party collectors working with charged-off debt also can obtain permission directly from the consumer, or give the consumer the opportunity to contact the collector via cell phone or text messaging.
© 2009 CreditandCollectionsWorld.com and SourceMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Leasing 102
by Mr. Terry Winders, CLP
The Accounting Discussion Paper
The Financial Accounting Standards Board issued on March 19, 2009 a discussion paper on changes to Lessee accounting and request comments by July 17, 2009. The paper is 109 pages long so a detailed review is not possible in this article but I will discuss what I can.
I think it is fair to say that even though this is just a discussion paper what we know as off balance sheet operating leases is going the way of the dinosaurs. They want to put everything on the balance sheet that has a term of one year or greater. The new attitude is that the "right to use" is a quantifiable asset and the "non-cancelable" requirement to pay rent for that use is a quantifiable liability. They are even considering adding residual value guarantees and rights to renew or extend as possible assets or liabilities.
The board noted that in most lease contracts it is not possible to observe the fait value of the obligation to pay rental s directly. Consequently, discounted cash flow techniques will be used to determine the initial measurement of the obligation to pay rentals. The board tentatively decided to initially measure the lessee's obligation to pay rentals at the present value of the lease payments, discounted using the lessee's incremental borrowing rate.
It is important to note that the asset being valued to be placed on the balance sheet is the value of the right of "use" and not the fair value of the asset itself. If a large residual or any residual is assumed by the Lessor then the discounted value of the rent stream will be way below the actual fair value of the equipment at lease signing.
The net value of the discounted rental stream will then be amortized on a straight line basis and the difference charged as interest over the term of the lease. Under the current capital lease rules if a bargain purchase option was included in the lease the term of the amortization had to be equal to the actual useful life and not the lease term. I suspect we will see similar requirements when this is finalized next year.
To avoid balance sheet requirements some lessor's are going to a "per- use" monthly charge eliminating the non-cancelable and changing the name of the form to "rental Agreement" It remains to be seen if this will do any good when the final rules are published.
I will present additional information next time…
Mr. Terry Winders, CLP, has been a teacher, consultant, expert witness for the leasing industry for thirty years and can be reached at leaseconsulting@msn.com or 502-327-8666.
He invites your questions and queries.
Previous #102 Columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Leasing_102/Index.htm
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Leasing News Top Stories--May 26-29
Here are the top ten stories opened by readers:
(1) Archives---April 26, 2004
Richest Man in Leasing
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-26-09.htm#archives
(2) Bulletin Board Complaint
Marlin Leasing, Mount Laurel, New Jersey
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-29-09.htm#bulletin_board
(3) Up-Dated: Leasing Companies Out of Broker Business
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-26-09.htm#outofbroker
(4) Sovereign Joins "No More Broker Business List"
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-26-09.htm#sovereign
(5) El Paso Truckers/Leasing Company want what's due
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_12423385?source=most_viewed
(6) Top 25 Most Influential Leasing People Questions
Answered by Christopher Menkin
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-26-09.htm#influential25
(7)Lease Volume Down 12.8% Month- 42.5% Last Year volume
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-29-09.htm#volume
(8) Playboy for sale $300 Million
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05222009/business/playboy_in_market_for_a_sugar_daddy_with_170437.htm
(9) Top 25 Most Influential Leasing People--May 29th
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-29-09.htm#top25
(10) (tie)
Cartoon---Lessor Applies for Warehouse Line
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-26-09.htm#cartoon
(10) (tie)
40% Drop in Franchise Financing Predicted
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/May%202009/05-29-09.htm#franchise
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Bank Beat-Bank Income Down 60.8% Bank of America Chief Executive Ken Lewis lost his second long time director when O. Temple Sloan retired after 13 years. He was the lead independent director. Meredith Spangler, a large shareholder who had been a director for two decades, left this spring. Certainly after
the last stock holder meeting there are more changes ahead.
Bank Income Drops 60.8%
The first quarter of 2009 saw 21 insured institutions fail, while only 13 new charters were added the first quarter, the lowest since 1994. During the quarter, the number of insured banks and thrifts on the FDIC's "Problem List" increased from 252 to 305, and total assets of "problem" institutions rose from $159 billion to $220 billion.
Insured institutions set aside $60.9 billion in provisions for loan losses in the first quarter, an increase of $23.7 billion (63.6 percent) over the first quarter of 2008. Expenses for goodwill impairment and other intangible asset expenses totaled $7.2 billion, up from $2.8 billion a year earlier. These negative factors outweighed the positive effects of increased noninterest income (up $7.8 billion or 12.8 percent), higher net interest income (up $4.4 billion or 4.7 percent), and higher realized gains on securities and other assets (up $1.9 billion).
Full report here:
FDIC orders changes at five California banks
Washington banks sink deeper, quarterly figures show
Full List: Cease and Desist Orders:
FDIC Board Approves Creation of Advisory Committee on Community Banking
---------------------------------------------------------------- News Briefs---- FBI Seeks Information on HL Leasing
Illinois AG Lisa Madigan Parking Meter Lease Deal
Trinity reduces lease warehouse line to $475 million
What happens to my warranty if GM files for bankruptcy?
---------------------------------------------------------------- You May have Missed--- Trove of Civil War-Era Cases Released
---------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.leasingnews.org/items/sports3.jpg 49ers to move from Candlestick to Santa Clara
---------------------------------------------------------------- California Nuts Briefs--- Prop. 8 opponents take their case to Fresno
---------------------------------------------------------------- “Gimme that Wine” On the eve of Auction Napa Valley 2009, the Vintners' president reflects on the industry, past, present and future
Northwest producers are cashing out equity to finance expansion
Fine Wine Auction Prices Continue to Climb
Wine Prices by vintage ---------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Top Event in History 1974-Heimlick Maneuver introduced: the June issue of the journal Emergency Medicine published an article by Dr. Henry Heimlich, outlining a better method of aiding choking victims. Instead of prevailing method of backslaps (which merely pushed foreign objects further into the airways), Dr. Heimlich advocated "subdiaphragmatic pressure" to force objects out. Three months later the method was dubbed, the Heimlich Maneuver" by the Journal of the American Medical Association. [headlines] This Day in American History
Commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) income declined 60.8% to $11.7 billion.
http://www2.fdic.gov/qbp/2009mar/qbp.pdf
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-banks30-2009may30,0,6515502.story
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009281548_timeswatch31.html
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/enforcement/neworders.html
http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2009/pr09080.html
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090530/NEWS01/905300325&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-parking-madigan30may30,0,1558151.story
http://www.trinityindustries.com/invsrela/press/TrinityIndustriesAnnouncesRenewalofWarehouseFacility_05292009.pdf
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2009-05-31-gm-bankruptcy-warranty-questions_N.htm
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/05/29/Trove_of_Civil_War-Era_Cases_Released.htm
http://leasingnews.org/PDF/niners_news.pdf
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/31/MNIK17U784.DTL
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/05/29/wine/doc4a1f638b0731f648033946.txt
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=64865&htitle=Growth%20and%20Growing%20Pains%20for%20Vineyard%20Sales
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/05/prweb2465794.htm
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/
Winery Atlas
http://www.carterhouse.com/atlas/\
Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm
The London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex) is an electronic exchange for fine wine.
http://www.liv-ex.com/
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"One of the strongest ever seen, because the city was built on a high rock. The ascent was so difficult that we repented climbing to the top. The houses are three and four stories high. The people are of the same type as those in the province of Cibola (Zuni) and they have abundant supplies of maize, beans and turkeys like those of New Spain"
http://www.puebloofacoma.org/index2.htm
1586 - After a surprise raid on the village the night before, Ralph Lane and English garrison murder the Indian chief Pemisapan, behead and mutilate his corpse, announcing "Christ our Victory" as they lay siege to Dasemunkepeac. This was in retaliation to Pemisapan trying to organize the Indians against the European way of life. When Sir Walter Raleigh returns to the area, he finds the white settlement has “vanished.” They state in their journals they don't know why. Other patriot chiefs such as King Phillip, Pontiac, Tecumseh, Sitting bull, et al, will suffer similar fates, as the pattern is set. The citing of journals that follow is fascinating. The Indian population of what was to become the U.S. was about 1,000,000 when European exploration began. Pioneer groups of European colonists were small. They entered regions with sparser populations and more fluid cultures, bringing with them diseases unknown to the area, perhaps the main killer of the Indian population. In retrospect, the first decade of the seventh century was the twilight of aboriginal Indian life.
http://www.nps.gov/fora/teacher.htm
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~jmack/algonqin/mook3.htm
1638- the first earthquake in the US to have been recorded and described in writing occurred at Plymouth, MA, at 2 PM. Governor William Bradford described the event in his History: ... it was very terrible for ye time; and as ye men were set talking in ye house, some women and others were without ye doors, and ye earth shooke with ye violence as they could not stand without catching hold of ye posts . . . but ye violence lasted not long. And about halfe an hower, or less, came an other noyse & shaking, but neither so loud nor strong as ye former, but quickly passed over, and so it ceased.”
1660- Mary Dyer, American colonial-British Quaker convert whose conscience forced her back to Boston in spite of official warnings. There she was arrested for teaching a religious belief other than those approved by the Puritan church leaders and hanged this day. While the history books state religious groups came to American to escape persecution, quite the opposite is true. They came here as missionaries to reform the American Indians and did not accept religious practices except their own. Mary Dyer was executed under the strict anti- Quaker laws enacted by the very same people who came to the "New World" for religious freedom. Dyer's hanging was not part of the witchcraft panic that gripped Salem, Massachusetts later.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/2822/marydyer.html
http://www.gale.com/free_resources/whm/trials/dyer.htm
1779 - The court-martial of Benedict Arnold convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The West Point surrender was also foiled when an American Colonel ignored Arnold's order not to fire on an approaching British ship. Arnold's defection was revealed to the Americans when British officer John André, acting as a messenger, was robbed by AWOL Americans working as pirates in the woods north of New York City. The notes revealing Arnold's traitorous agreement were stashed in his boots. Arnold and his wife Peggy, who fooled American officers into believing she had no involvement in the betrayal, escaped to New York City. At the British surrender at Yorktown, Benedict Arnold was burned in effigy and his name has since become synonymous with traitor. The British didn't treat him very well after the war either. After prevailing in a libel action, he was awarded only a nominal amount because his reputation was already so tarnished. He died in 1801 and was buried in England without military honor.
1792- Kentucky became the 15th State of the Union. Since its name is an American Indian word for "great meadow", it is fitting that Kentucky's nickname is the Bluegrass State, and its flower is the goldenrod. The official state bird is the cardinal. The capital of Kentucky is the city of Frankfort.
1794 - Protected by a French fleet, a large convoy of US ships carrying provisions to famine-stricken France is encountered by a British fleet under Admiral Sir Richard Howe. Although Howe defeats the French, the US convoy is able to escape safely during the heat of the battle.
1796 - Tennessee joined the United States of America on this day. Long before it officially became the 16th state, Tennessee had already begun to earn its nickname, the Volunteer State, as it sent large numbers of volunteers to fight in the American Revolution. The tradition continued for the War of 1812, the Mexican War and the Civil War. The country-music capital of the world, Nashville, is also the governmental capital of Tennessee. The state's official flower is the iris, its bird, the mockingbird.
1801- Bringham Young, Mormon Church leader born at Whittingham, VT. Known as “the American Moses,” having led thousands of religious followers across 1,000 miles of wilderness to settle more than 300 towns in the West. He died at Salt Lake City, UT, Aug 29, 1877, and was survived by 17 wives and 47 children. Utah observes, as a state holiday, the anniversary of his entrance into the Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1847.
1813 - The U.S. Navy gained its motto as the mortally wounded commander of the U.S. frigate "Chesapeake", Captain James Lawrence (b.1871) was heard to say, "Don't give up the ship!", during a losing battle with a British frigate "Shannon"; his ship was captured by the British frigate. Oliver Hazard Perry honored his dead friend Lawrence when he had the motto sewn onto the private battle flag flown during the Battle of Lake Erie, 10 September 1813.
1843-Sojourner Truth begins travel as abolitionist speaker.
http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/trut-soj.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/9840/sojourn.html
http://www.noho.com/sojourner/
1860-The first census compiled by machines was the 1890 census, which recorded a population of 62,979,766. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the resident population of the United States, projected to 5/29/2004 at 3:48:56 PM EDT is 293,364,634COMPONENT SETTINGS
One birth every.................................. 8 seconds
One death every.................................. 12 seconds
One international migrant (net) every............ 25 seconds
Net gain of one person every..................... 12 seconds
Historic Census by Year
http://eire.census.gov/popest/archives/pre1980/popclockest.txt
1861- John Quincy Marr of Warrenton, VA, commander of the Warrenton Rifle Guards ( designated Company K of the 17 th Virginia Infantry Regiment ) was the first Confederate officer killed in the Civil War; in a skirmish at Fairfax Court House, VA. Marr was actually a lieutenant colonel, having been commission on May 2, 1861, but his letter of commission from Governor John Letcher had not been delivered to him.
1862—General Robert E. Lee was appointed commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
1898- Molly Picon birthday: U.S. actor and singer, the star of New York Yiddish theater. Known as the Sweetheart of Second Avenue, she projected a light, charming character with a great sense of humor.
http://www.jwa.org/exhibits/wov/picon/index.html
http://www.jwa.org/archive/picon/mpcl.html
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0682000/
1899-The annual parade of "New York's Finest" was filmed on June 1, 1899 in Union Square.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun01.html
1901-The first motorcycle powered by a gasoline engine was demonstrated in a climbing hill exhibition. The first motorcycle with a built-in gasoline engine was manufactured in Springfield, MA, by George M. Hendee, who formed the Hendee Manufacturing Company, which began to market the Indian motorcycle. Previously, motorcycles had been ordinary bicycles to which motors were attached. Three motorcycles were built in 1901. The following year, production was increased to 143. The motors were made by the Aurora Machine Company, Auroa, IL, and were mounted to the motorcycle frames in Springfield.
1908 - John Krohn decided to take a walk around the United States - with his wheelbarrow! He completed the walk around the perimeter of the U.S. in 357 days. He walked 9,024 miles, went through 11 pair of shoes, 112 pair of socks, five wheels for his trusty wheelbarrow and never walked on Sunday.
1911- The first life insurance group policy was written for 121 employees of the Pantasote Leather Company of Passaic, NJ, by agent William J. Graham of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Each employee was given insurance protection amounting to a year's salary and a funeral benefit of $100.
1915- Country singer Johnny Bond was born in Enville, Oklahoma. He is best known as the composer of "Hot Rod Lincoln," a hit for both Bond and Charlie Ryan in 1960, and for Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen in 1970. Bond also appeared in more than 50 movies. And in the less-enlightened days of the 1950's and '60s, he wrote a series of comic songs about drunkenness, the most famous of which is "10 Little Bottles." Bond died of a heart attack on June 12th, 1978.
1919-Birthday of singer/pianist Lafayette Leake, Winona, MS
http://mp3.com/artists/78507/summary.html
http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/card/0,,457357,00.html
http://www.joes-corner.de/dawkins/disco/dawkins_rec82.htm
http://community-2.webtv.net/W-Media-Player/BLUESPIANOGREATS/
1903 - A strong tornado just 50 to 75 yards in width killed many persons around the Gainesville GA Cotton Mill. The tornado strengthened and widened near the end of its four mile path, killing 40 persons at New Holland GA. A total of 104 persons were killed in the tornado.
1920--WEB DuBois, civil right activist and educator, awarded Spingarn Medal,
http://or.essortment.com/springarnmedal_rlwp.htm
http://www.wlib.com/BlackHistory.htm
No. 27 here: http://or.essortment.com/springarnmedal_rlwp.htm
1921 -- More than 300 killed in race riot in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The black community of Greenwood is destroyed by a white mob, who murdered many & burned down nearly the entire area, destroying over 1,000 homes & businesses in a 35 block area. No one was ever charged with any wrongdoing, no reparations were ever made and accounts of the riot were literally cut out of the newspaper archives as Tulsa (read "white" Tulsa) tried to erase accounts & memories of the events...
http://www.forgottenhistory.org/exhibits/tulsa.html
http://www.lib.utulsa.edu/speccoll/tulsa_race_riot.htm
1921- composer and arranger Nelson Riddle was born in Ordell, New Jersey. Well-known as an orchestrator for such singers as Frank Sinatra and Linda Ronstadt, Riddle also had several hits under his own name, including the 1956 million seller "Lisbon Antigua." He died on October 6th, 1985.
1922 Birth of Ray Knighton, who in 1954 founded the Medical Assistance Program (MAP International) in Chicago.
1924-Alto-Clarinet player Hal McKusick born Medford, Mass.
http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=
600294&TMPL=LONG#bio
http://www.fantasyjazz.com/catalog/mckusick_h_cat.html
1924---Birthday of drummer Herbie Lovelle, New York City, NY
1926-Marilyn Monroe's birthday, American actress and sex symbol of the '50s, born at Los Angeles as Norma Jean Mortensen or Baker. She had an unstable childhood in a series of orphanages and foster homes. Her film career came to epitomize Hollywood glamour. In 1954 she wed Yankee legend "Jolting Joe" DiMaggio, but the marriage didn't last. Monroe remained fragile and insecure, tormented by the pressures of Hollywood life. Her death from an overdose Aug 5, 1962, at Los Angeles shocked the world. Among her films: The Seven Year Itch, Bus Stop, Some Like It Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Misfits.
http://www.ellensplace.net/marilyn.html
1934-Singer Pat Boone birthday, considered the second most popular singer in the 50's, after Elvis Presely. Also an actor (State Fair), author, born Jacksonville, FL. At his peak in the late 1950's, Boone was considered a rock 'n' roller, a sort of sanitized, parent approved alternative to Elvis Presley. The first of his more than 50 chart records came in 1955 a cover version of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame." Boone's record went to number one while Domino's version made it only to number 16. Pat Boone became one of the all time biggest selling pop singers, and from 1957 to 1960 had his own network television series. His daughter, Debby Boone, had a number one record in 1977 with "You Light Up My Life."
http://home.att.net/~boomers.fifties.pinups/page7.html
http://www.tsimon.com/boone.htm
1936-Brithday of Sandra Scoppetone, U.S. writer of mysteries featuring Lauren Laureno, Lesbian private eye who has a wonderful view of New York City. Her conversations with the natives are priceless.
http://www.imt.net/~gedison/scoppett.html
http://www.xs4all.nl/~embden11/Engels2/scoppetone.htm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316776483/102-7693729-8155316?v=glance
http://encarta.msn.com/text_761559994___10/Detective_Story.html
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/trivia/triv140.html
1938 - The first issue of the comic book "Superman" appeared in news stands throughout the country. "Superman" was created by two teenagers: Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster. Originally a newspaper comic strip, Superman was changed to a booklet format to immediate acclaim. It became a movie and one of the first television series hits. The story idea came from Jerry Siegel in a dream he had about the baby, Moses, who was abandoned by his parents in order that his life be saved. This dream prompted Siegel's creation of the ‘Man of Steel'. Artist Joe Shuster made the comic book hero come alive. The first story, in this first issue, took place on the planet, Krypton, where baby Kal-El was born. The infant was shot to Earth in a rocket just before Krypton exploded.
1938 - Batters wore protective baseball helmets for the first time. Helmets were brought into use in a game between the Springfield Greys and the House of David in New York City.
1944---Top Hits
Long Ago and Far Away - Helen Forrest & Dick Haymes
I'll Get By - The Harry James Orchestra (vocal: Dick Haymes)
I'll Be Seeing You - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Frank Sinatra)
Straighten Up and Fly Right - King Cole Trio
1947- Guitarist Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones was born in London. A veteran of the Jeff Beck Group and Faces, Wood was chosen by the Stones to replace Mick Taylor in 1974. Wood was also a member of Keith Richards's New Barbarians, the group that shared billing with the Rolling Stones at a free concert for the blind in Oshawa, Ontario in April 1979. The concert was in lieu of a jail sentence for Richards, who had been convicted of possession of heroin.
1949 - Subscribers to "Newsweek" magazine were offered microfilm copies of the magazine for the first time. The weekly publication cost $15 a year.
1950—birthday of singer Charlene (CHARLENE D'ANGELO) Hollywood, Ca.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0152965/
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p_charlene_artist_1927012792;_ylt=
Aigw8fFcuX290VsHKd2ruNdUvQcF;_ylu=X3oDMTBudjI1N2xwBF9z
Azg0MzkzMzAwBHNlYwNhcnRmZWF0?a=b
http://www.westword.com/extra/jukebox/bh10-17.html
1952---Top Hits
Kiss of Fire - Georgia Gibbs
Blue Tango - The Leroy Anderson Orchestra
Be Anything - Eddy Howard
The Wild Side of Life - Hank Thompson
1956-Doris Day signed a five-year recording contract with Columbia Records worth $1 million. By late June, "Whatever Will Be, Will Be" (Que Sera, Sera) entered the charts and eventually climbed to number 2 for a three week stay.
1957- at the Pacific Amateur Athletic Union Meet at Stockton, CA, Don Bowden of the University of California became the first American to break the four minute mile ( 3 minutes 57.7 seconds )
1957-Sam Cooke records "You Send Me" at Radio Recorders Studio in Los Angeles. The song will rise to the top of the US chart next December and become the first of Cook's 29 Billboard Top 40 hits.
1959 - Columbia Records' "Johnny's Greatest Hits" celebrated a full year at the top of the album charts. The LP continued to stay at or near the top of the charts for several more years. The album became the album leader of all-time after 490 weeks. Johnny Mathis went on to have an LP on the charts nearly every year for over three decades.
1960- The popular and enigmatic British mini-series, "The Prisoner," aired for the first time in US television. Starring Patrick McGoohan as a secret agent held against his will in a remote, controlled environment known as the Village, "The Prisoner" was one of TV's most imaginative series. In both the US and England, The Prisoner became an instant cult series. "The Prisoner" was one of the most imaginative shows on TV, regarded by some as the finest dramatic series in TV history. Patrick McGoohan, who produced and starred in the series, also wrote and directed some episodes. In the series, McGoohan found himself in a self-contained community known as "the village" where he was referred to, not by name, but as Number 6. Number 6 realized he was a prisoner, and spent most of the series trying to escape or to learn the identity of the leader, Number 1. In the last episode, he learned that he was Number 1.
1960-The first parking meter enforcement division of a police department was appointed by Mayor Robert F. Wagner of New York Ci9ty. The “meter maids” underwent about two weeks of training and received salaries ranging from $3,150 to $4,830 a year. The first summons was issued on June 6, 1960.
1960---Top Hits
Cathy's Clown - The Everly Brothers
He'll Have to Stay - Jeanne Black
Paper Roses - Anita Bryant
Please Help Me, I'm Falling - Hank Locklin
1963---Four weeks after it entered the Billboard chart, 17 year old Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" hit the number one spot. It was a song that was chosen for her by Quincy Jones, then a staff producer for Mercury Records, who had seen Leslie sing for the first time just a few weeks earlier.
1963 -- 531, including NAACP Executive Secretary Roy Wilkins, arrested at a peaceful civil rights march in Jackson, Mississippi.
1964 - Leslie Gore's hit single, It's My Party, rose to the Number 1 spot on Billboard's record charts on this date, and stayed there for 2 weeks. Gore was just 17 when she recorded the song, and she became one of the youngest solo female artists in music history to top the charts (1963). The Rolling Stones landed at JFK International Airport in New York for their first U.S. tour, which began the next day at the Manning Bowl, a high-school football stadium in Lynn, Massachusetts.
1964- The Rolling Stones arrived in New York to begin their first American tour. Their first date was at a high school stadium in Lynn, Massachusetts. The Stones also stopped in Chicago to record an EP at the Chess studios, and when they tried to hold a news conference, a riot broke out.
1964- The Equal Pay Act became law. Two years before, July, 1962, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure requiring equal pay for equal work for women dealing in interstate commerce work, but that fall the U.S. Senate refused to take action.
1966 -- June 1-2, White House Conference on Civil Rights with Roy Wilkins of NAACP; Whitney Young Jr. of National Urban League;
Floyd McKissick & James Farmer of CORE; Martin Luther King Jr. of SCLC; Stokely Carmichael of SNCC ("We feel that integration is irrelevant. We have got to go after political power.").
1967 - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was released by The Beatles in England. The North American release came two days later. "Sgt. Pepper's" became one of the first rock albums to be critically-acclaimed, and went on to become the number one album in the world. It spent 15 weeks at the top of the album list in the United States It took 700 hours over three months to record under the direction of George Martin, Britain's top pop producer. A then state-of-the-art four track recorder was used to build each song layer by layer. The cost of recording - $75,000. "Sergeant Pepper's" wide range of styles and sounds and its use of electronic noises ushered in the psychedelic era. Some of its songs, such as "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life" were carefully examined for hidden meanings. The album is estimated to have sold more than 15 million copies, and stayed on the Billboard chart for 113 weeks. On June 1st, 1987, 20 years to the day after it originally came out, the compact disc version of "Sergeant Pepper's" was released. The CD contained what some might consider a bonus - a two-second burst of laughter and gibberish which had only been available previously on European versions of the album, and a high frequency note at the end of the LP audible only to dogs.
1968- Simon and Garfunkel reached the top of the US charts with "Mrs. Robinson," a song featured in the soundtrack of the film "The Graduate." The song won a Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary Pop Performance by a Vocal Duo or Group.
1968---Top Hits
Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Hugo Montenegro
Yummy Yummy Yummy - Ohio Express
Honey - Bobby Goldsboro
1973-The James Bond thriller, "Live and Let Die" opens. The movie features the title track by Paul McCartney and Wings.
1974-Heimlick Maneuver introduced: the June issue of the journal Emergency Medicine published an article by Dr. Henry Heimlich, outlining a better method of aiding choking victims. Instead of prevailing method of backslaps (which merely pushed foreign objects further into the airways), Dr. Heimlick advocated “subdiaphragmatic pressure” to force objects out. Three months later the method was dubbed, the Hemlich Maneuver” by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
1974-Birthday of Alanis Morissette, Ottawa, Ontario
http://www.alanis-morissette.com/biography.html
http://www.alanis.com/socalledchaos/socalledchaos.html
http://www.canehdian.com/artistlinks/artists/alanis.html
1975 - Nolan Ryan of the California Angels threw his fourth career no-hitter game with a 1-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles. As a result, Ryan tied the major league baseball no-hit record.
1976---Top Hits
Love Hangover - Diana Ross
Get Up and Boogie (That's Right) - Silver Convention
Misty Blue - Dorthy Moore
One Piece at a Time - Johnny Cash
1977--28 year old, Long Island native, Billy Joel wraps up a four month tour of the US by appearing at Carnegie Hall in New York.
1980-, CNN debuted, the Cable News Network, TV's first all-news services went on air.
1980 - A man from Falmouth ME was struck by lightning restoring his eyesight. The man had been blind and partially deaf since a truck accident in 1971
1984---Top Hits
Let's Hear It for the Boy - Deniece Williams
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
Oh Sherrie - Steve Perry
As Long as I'm Rockin' with You - John Conlee
1987-Niekro Brothers the Winninest. Phil Niekro pitched the Cleveland Indians to a 9-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers to put himself and his brother Joe into the lead as the winningest brothers in major-league pitching history. Their 530 combined victories surpassed Gaylord and Jim Perry. The Niekros ended their careers with 539 wins, 318 by Phil and 221 by Joe.
1989 - Thunderstorms developing during the afternoon over the Southern Plains Region produced severe weather through the evening and the night, spawning nine tornadoes. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 80 mph at Alpine TX, and baseball size hail at Balmorhea, TX, Fluvanna, TX, and in Borden County, TX
1990 - U.S. President George Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed a bilateral agreement to stop producing chemical arms and to begin destroying stocks by the end of 1992.
1995- Joe Garagiola Jr. is named as the Diamondbacks first general manager.
1997-Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey won a special 150-meter match race against American Michael Johnson to reassert his claim to the title of the “World's Faster Human.” After Bailey had won the 100 meters at the 1996 Summer Olympics and Johnson had won the 2200 meters and the 400 meters, the two engaged in a nasty bragging-rights battle. This special race was supposed to put an end to their flap. But the race in Toronto proved inconclusive as Johnson, well behind at the halfway point, pulled up short, claiming that he had injured his left quadriceps.
Stanley Cup Champions This Date
1992 Pittsburgh Penguins
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