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

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Correction: US Business Funding
Personal Guarantee

Peter Ribeiro, US Business Funding, Newport Beach, California pointed out that William Willis of Umpqua Stone did personally guarantee the so-called EFA agreement. (1)

"You crack me up. Your journalism is terrible. I addressed the main concern. My docs are approved at all banks (you can call around) and you said there was no PG? Did you even read any of it? I just see damages increasing as we had to share with a lot of the banks how you work at the NEFA conference. I have to be honest. Things are not looking good.

My Best,
Peter Ribeiro"

The issue regards a “threat email” he had sent to William Willis, who had sent his 8th request to have the $5,915 refunded:

"That is fine…We will place you in default and it will affect your business and personal credit...let me know which direct you want to move in."

---In reality, the guaranty would only come into play and be applicable IF the deal was funded and it wasn't.

--You are not licensed to make or broker loans in the State of California. Why not Peter?

--You did not have a broker contract with Willis which contractually allowed Ribeiro to snatch the deposit money. Why not Peter?

--The so-called basis for seizing the customer’s money was that the customer wanted to increase the amount of the lease to $159,029, and the customer already had approval for $150,000. Why is that bad, Peter?

Now you threaten me “I just see damages increasing as we had to share with a lot of the banks how you work at the NEFA conference. I have to be honest. Things are not looking good.”

The personal guarantee issue doesn't change the main points originally outlined:

1. The broker has no contract and thus no contractual basis to keep the deposit.

2. The so-called Equipment Finance Agreement had many uses of the terms "lessee," "lease" and "lessor" which the attached article from Attorney Barry Marks, said it could not include, as well as a "Purchase Option," which was not necessary for an Equipment Finance Agreement. Per the article...It is not a legal contract.(2)

3. No corporate resolution.

4. Sure the invoice was increased. The payment terms should have increased. If the broker couldn't get it approved based on the new invoice and revised numbers, then the deposit should have been returned.

5. Ribeiro’s employee previously gave the applicant approval for $150k. So I don't get it. (3)

6. Ribeiro is unlicensed. That doesn't really have anything to do with returning the deposit, but he is operating illegally.

Return the $5,915 deposit.

--Christopher Menkin, Editor/Publisher

US Business Funding, Newport Beach, California
Bulletin Board Complaint $5,915 Deposit Made in 2013
by Christopher Menkin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2015/3_02_xx.htm#bbc
EFA Definitions by Barry Marks, Esq.
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2015/2_25.htm#efa
Copy of Memo granting $150,000—
Also Ref. Collecting Invoices
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/
US%20BusinessFundingApproval_2015.pdf

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Third Response
"Didn't Verify Accuracy of Complaint"

Matrix Business Capital, Long Beach, California
New Complaint -- $3,435.60 Bulletin Board
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2013/8_26.htm#bbc

"On or about August 26, 2013, Leasing News published an unverified complaint from David LaDuke of Sputnik, Inc., without attempting to verify the accuracy of said account." (1)

Brian Acosta, himself, verified the complaint, as well as others, too. In the published Leasing News Bulletin Board Complaint a one minute, fifty-two second voice mail to David LaDuke, CEO, Sputnik, Inc., Sausalito, California, was included where Brian Acosta threatened to file a "breach of contract, defamation of character..." if a release was not signed by Mr. LaDuke for the return of partial payment and other stipulations. It was strange. In Mr. Acosta's own voice, he verified the complaint (2).

In addition, the published complaint contained a document from Acosta dated June 20, 2013 on unwinding to refund the deposit (3) along with the procedure (4). It was also confirmed with the copy of a letter to the Certified Leasing Professional dated August 19, 2013: "After it became clear that we were not going to close the deal on those terms, and Brian offered cancellation with a full refund, in writing, we followed the cancellation procedure.

"45 days later (after numerous emails to Matrix) we were told that we would not receive a refund.

"I have provided the most relevant documents that support our complaint but have a copy of all correspondence, emails, voicemail transcripts, etc. should those be needed." (5)

During this time, Leasing News attempted to reach Mr. Acosta by email and telephone. He did not respond.

The matter was to come before the Certified Leasing Professional Foundation Board of Director as requested by Mr. LaDuke. This was verified by Rosanne Wilson, President of the CLP Foundation (also a member of the Leasing News Advisory Board, as well as past director of National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers and current membership chairman), who spoke with Mr. Acosta, who "...reportedly received a stern chat reportedly about how many of his fellow CLP's felt---“ and to clear the current complaint up, she advised he should pay David LaDuke the deposit in full." (6).

It was after this CLP Foundation conversation that Mr. Acosta returned the deposit in full (verified by Leasing News).

This again is another complaint verified as being legitimate in the delay of returning a deposit.

(1) New Cease and Desist Attorney Demand
Delete Leasing News Bulletin Board Complaints or Else!
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2015/3_17.htm#cease

(2) Voicemail of Brian Acosta

(3) Option to Receive Refund
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/option_to_receive8262013.pdf

(4) Matrix Refund Procedure
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/MatrixRefundProcedure8262013.pdf

(5) Letter to Associations, CLP Foundation
www.leasingnews.org/PDF/CLPLetter8262013.pdf

(6) Rosanne Wilson "chat" with Brian Acosta
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2013/8_26.htm#bbc

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

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Classified Ads---Credit

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

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

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

Free Posting for those seeking employment in Leasing
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted-post.htm

All “free” categories “job wanted” ads:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

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Marlin Didn’t Check Out the Vendor
and Paid the Price
by Bernie Boettigheimer, CLFP

Leasing News Legal Editor Tom McCurnin recently wrote about Marlin Leasing taking a hit for $780,755 from one vendor. About six months later, after the leases were booked, some of the lessees contacted Marlin and stated that they did not receive the equipment that they leased. Of the 48 total leases, 23 lessees did not receive their equipment. This sounded more to me as a “hidden sale lease-back,” but that would take more investigation

The total dollar amount of leases funded was not disclosed. There was no written vendor agreement. (1)

Marlin even sued using the wrong name. The correct name of the vendor is "Advanced Security and Fire, Inc." not Advanced Fire & Security, Inc. AMAZING!

It is also obvious that their in-house legal staff should have checked with the Secretary of State-Alabama for the correct spelling of Advanced's legal name.
Tom’s comment was “Can any reader really say that they would fund 48 deals that must have easily totaled over a million dollars with a new relationship without properly documenting the vendor relationship? "

It all comes down to the "Business Model" in any commercial enterprise. In the banking, finance, and leasing industry, the quality of credit is primary — but of equal importance are documentation, vendor, verification, documentation, collateral and future projections. In this highly-leveraged world, there is no room for error.

In the Finance and Leasing Industry, the factors of debtor credit, documentation, vendor evaluation, verification, documentation, and equipment quality are all variables. Actually, it's analogous to the NFL salary cap. Do you want to spend most of your money on a great quarterback, a pass-rusher, a cornerback? Look what the Raiders and Browns do with their salary mix and then we have the Patriots.

I see current companies with high labor and administration costs caused by ridiculous documentation rules and procedures that were needed 30 years ago, but are no longer necessary. The most recent recession allowed these surviving finance and leasing companies to get by with high rates and large credit loss reserves, but there is a time when adjustments are in order for their "business model " to continue.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation recently came out with a report "The Impact of Alternative Financing on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Industry." (2) It is based on Financial Technology. This is not only changing the loan market, but has opportunities for the leasing industry as well.

I have always advocated the "Three-Legged Stool Approach" to credit with the debtor (lessee), the vendor and equipment to have equal importance in a credit transaction. It is the basis of Lease Police.

Most of the major scandals in recent years come from not paying attention to the vendor and the equipment. Obviously, that is what happened at Marlin with 48 deals with one vendor.

While I do admit equipment and vendor are key players, regardless of all variations of business models, Credit under my model is my Quarterback; however, you need good linemen, receivers, running backs, and special teams to help the Quarterback win the game.

B. D. Boettigheimer, CLFP
President
Lease Police, Inc.
24 Glenmeadow Place
Dallas, Texas. 75225
214-549-3426
www.leasepolice.com
bernieb@leasepolice.com

(1) Marlin Leasing Shutout from Suing Vendor
in New Jersey Over Fraudulent Leases
by Tom McCurnin, Leasing News Legal Editor
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2015/3_10.htm#marlin

(2) Report: "The Impact of Alternative Financing on the
Equipment Leasing and Finance Industry" http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2015/3_23.htm#repor

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

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The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation Releases
study "Digital Documents in the Equipment Finance Industry”

The 103 page study quantifies and refines understanding of the extent to which the equipment leasing industry is now engaged in Electronic Lease Transactions, and the challenges that have been addressed in the process.

The information was gathered from a survey of 42 lessors.

“Of the 42 total Lessors, there are also three basic sub-categories represented:

Bank-Owned (16),
Captives of equipment manufacturers/sellers (7)
Independents (18).

Of the 42 responding Lessors, 43% originate over $250 million per year in equipment leases.

Acceptance of Electronic Lease Transactions

First, the penetration level for Electronic Lease Transactions is about the same for both Lessors-Only and Lenders/Lessors.

For Lessors Only vs. Lenders/Lessors, the percentage that uses electronic records and signatures to document at least some of the equipment leasing transactions is about equal (35% vs. 32% respectively). The over-all percent-age of Lessors engaged in Electronic Lease Transactions is 33%.

For Lessors Only vs. Lenders/Lessors, the percentage that does not use electronic records and signatures to document at least some of their equipment leasing transactions is about equal (65% vs. 68%). The total percentage of Lessors not engaged in Electronic Lease Transactions at all is 67%.

However, a significant difference exists with respect to the Electronic Leasing Transaction adoption rate between the three sub-categories of Lessors.

For Captives:

71% of all Captive Lessors use electronic records and signatures to document at least some of their equipment leasing transactions. Small differences exist between Lessors-Only (75%) and Lenders/Lessors (67%). The interviews support this finding in that they confirmed that captives are often able to implement the use of electronic records and signatures without being hampered by third-party custodian and financing issues.

For Independents:

33% of all Independent Lessors (with both Lessors-Only and Lender/Lessors also at 33%) use electronic records and signatures to document at least some Equipment Leasing Transactions. The interviews likewise support this finding in that Lessors who use third-party financing do successfully use electronic lease documentation; however, it has often required determination and perseverance to overcome the concerns of the financing sources.

For Bank Owned:
Only 19% of all Lessors use electronic records and signatures to document at least some of the equipment leasing transactions. For Lessors-Only, however, 0% use electronic records and signatures to document at least some of the equipment leasing transactions. For Lenders/Lessors, 25% use electronic records and signatures to document at least some of the equipment leasing transactions.

Lessors and vendors who were interviewed indicated that they are not finding enforceability of Electronic Lease Transactions to be an issue – courts are routinely admitting the electronic records into evidence and enforcing Electronic Lease Transactions. In particular, Lessors have noted that challenges to the use of electronic records in Electronic Lease Transactions, and attribution of signatures to lessees, have been raised during litigation. The experience of Lessors and vendors is that courts regularly reject such challenges.

The study also seeks to

understand the obstacles—both actual and perceived—that are slowing the path to expanded use of Electronic Lease Transactions;

offer concrete advice on how the industry may address those challenges and accelerate adoption of Electronic Lease Transactions.

The percentages are also shown by category from the 42 companies’ survey.

“Digital Documents Financing Paperless Transactions” is available at no cost to Foundation donors and for sale for $300 at the Foundation online library at http://www.store.leasefoundation.org/cgi-bin/msascartdll.dll/ProductInfo?productcd=DigitalDocuments

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

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s
Survey of Economic Activity: Monthly Leasing & Finance Index

(Chart: Leasing News/billions)

February New Business Volume Up 13 Percent Year-over-year,
Down 9 Percent Month-to-month, Up 12 Percent Year-to-date

Previous February’s (billions)

2014 $5.4
2013 $4.7
2012 $5.0
2011 $4.1
2010 $3.2
2009 $3.3
2008 $5.4
2007 $4.6

(Leasing News Archives)

Washington, DC,— The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $903 billion equipment finance sector, showed their overall new business volume for February was $6.1 billion, up 13 percent from new business volume in February 2014. Volume was down 9 percent from January. Year to date, cumulative new business volume increased 12 percent compared to 2014.

MLFI-25 New Business Volume (Year Over Year Comparison)
click to make larger
(Chart: ELFA)

Receivables over 30 days were 1.1 percent, unchanged from the previous month and from the same period in 2014. Charge-offs were at an all-time low of 0.2 percent for the 12th consecutive month.

Credit approvals totaled 78.1 percent in February, down slightly from 78.6 percent in January. Total headcount for equipment finance companies was up 3.0 percent year over year.

Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation's Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) for March is 72.1, an increase from the February index of 66.3 and the highest level in four years.

ELFA President and CEO William G. Sutton, CAE, said: “February’s new business growth reflects a U.S. economy that seems to be on the verge of a breakout performance. Most metrics measuring economic health are positive, although the strong dollar is negatively impacting our export markets. Capex shows favorable growth, particularly in certain market sectors. The wild card, of course, is U.S. monetary policy, with the Fed poised to raise interest rates in the not-too-distant future. While higher interest rates typically favor the fixed-rate structure of most equipment finance transactions, it remains to be seen if volume growth can be sustained going forward.”

Brian Holland, President and CFO, Fleet Advantage, LLC, said, “The results of the MLFI report and increase in year-over-year new business volume are reflective of our results and what we are seeing in the market. In the transportation sector, order volume for Class 8 trucks continues to be very robust, and newer technologies and government mandates are driving improved fuel economy. By leveraging flexible leasing solutions to acquire newer, more fuel-efficient equipment, fleet operators are able to capture significant operational savings and achieve the lowest cost of ownership. We continue to see increased optimism and confidence in this sector and maintain a positive outlook for 2015.”

Aging of Receivables:

click to make larger

Average Losses (Charge-offs) as a % of net receivables
(Year Over Year Comparison)

click image to make larger

Credit Approval Ratios As % of all Decisions Submitted
(Year Over Year Comparison)

click image to make larger

Total Number of Employees
(Year Over Year Comparison)

click image to make larger

(Charts: ELFA)

About the ELFA’s MLFI-25

The MLFI-25 is the only index that reflects capex, or the volume of commercial equipment financed in the U.S. The MLFI-25 is released globally at 8 a.m. Eastern time from Washington, D.C., each month on the day before the U.S. Department of Commerce releases the durable goods report. The MLFI-25 is a financial indicator that complements the durable goods report and other economic indexes, including the Institute for Supply Management Index, which reports economic activity in the manufacturing sector. Together with the MLFI-25 these reports provide a complete view of the status of productive assets in the U.S. economy: equipment produced, acquired and financed.

The MLFI-25 is a time series that reflects two years of business activity for the 25 companies currently participating in the survey. The latest MLFI-25, including methodology and participants is available below and also at http://www.elfaonline.org/Data/MLFI/

MLFI-25 Methodology

The ELFA produces the MLFI-25 survey to help member organizations achieve competitive advantage by providing them with leading-edge research and benchmarking information to support strategic business decision making.

The MLFI-25 is a barometer of the trends in U.S. capital equipment investment. Five components are included in the survey: new business volume (originations), aging of receivables, charge-offs, credit approval ratios, (approved vs. submitted) and headcount for the equipment finance business.

The MLFI-25 measures monthly commercial equipment lease and loan activity as reported by participating ELFA member equipment finance companies representing a cross section of the equipment finance sector, including small ticket, middle-market, large ticket, bank, captive and independent leasing and finance companies. Based on hard survey data, the responses mirror the economic activity of the broader equipment finance sector and current business conditions nationally.

ELFA MLFI-25 Participants
BancorpSouth Equipment Finance
Bank of America
Bank of the West
BB&T Bank
BMO Harris Equipment Finance
Canon Financial Services
Caterpillar Financial Services
CIT
DLL
Dell Financial Services
Direct Capital Corporation
EverBank Commercial Finance
Fifth Third Equipment Finance
First American Equipment Finance, a City National Bank Company
GreatAmerica Financial Services
Hitachi Credit America
HP Financial Services
Huntington Equipment Finance
John Deere Financial
Key Equipment Finance
LEAF Commercial Capital
M&T Bank
Marlin Leasing
Merchants Capital
PNC Equipment Finance
RBS Asset Finance
SG Equipment Finance
Siemens Financial Services
Stearns Bank
SunTrust Equipment Finance Group
Susquehanna Commercial Finance
TCF Equipment Finance
US Bancorp Equipment Finance
Verizon Capital
Volvo Financial Services
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance

About ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the $903 billion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its 580 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.

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

Morgan Hill, California native serves aboard USS New Orleans
by Lt. j.g. Christopher Hanson,
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO – A 2010 Ann Sobrato High School graduate and Morgan Hill, California, native is serving aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18), one of the Navy’s newest and most advanced amphibious ships, designed to deliver Marines and their equipment to and from war zones.

Firemen John Ford is an electrician’s mate aboard the San Diego-based San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship. The ship is longer than two football fields at 684 feet, 105 feet wide and weighs more than 24 tons. Four diesel engines can push the ship through the water at more than 24 mph.

USS New Orleans is the fourth Navy ship to be named for the city of New Orleans, and is the second vessel in the San Antonio-class of high-tech amphibious assault ships.

As a 23 year-old with numerous responsibilities, Ford said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person. He added that it is an exciting time to be in the Navy, and serving aboard a ship has truly made him a better person. “It has allowed me to take on a lot more responsibilities which have helped me to grow as a person,” said Ford.

He also said he is proud of the work he is doing as part of the New Orleans’ 361-member crew, protecting and defending America on the world’s oceans. “The Navy projects power and acts as a deterrent to those countries or groups that want to cause problems,” Ford explained.

Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard USS New Orleans. Approximately 46 officers and 381 enlisted men and women make up the ship’s company, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly — this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the engines. Another 700 or so form the deployable Marine Corps battalion and New Orleans is capable of transporting the battalion and landing them in hostile territory via helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and air-cushioned landing craft.

Captain Doug Verissimo

“New Orleans is truly a fine warship and it is our duty to bring her to life,” said Capt. Doug Verissimo, the ship’s commanding officer. “Our Sailors have been working very hard bringing her from a post-deployment repair period to our upcoming tactical integration with our Marine teammates. I feel an unparalleled sense of pride working alongside our nation’s finest.”

Collectively, the San Antonio-class ships will functionally replace more than 41 ships providing the Navy and Marine Corps with modern sea-based platforms. Amphibious transport dock ships are warships that embark, transport, and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions. These ships support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions and can serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious ready groups. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to also support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s high-tech amphibious assault ships, Ford and other New Orleans sailors are proud to part of a warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.

“I love the opportunity to travel and visit other cultures, which gives me a better appreciation for living in the United States,” said Ford.

----------------------------------------

"Why Being There Matters"

On our planet, more than 70 percent of which is covered by water, being there means having the ability to act from the sea. The Navy is uniquely positioned to be there; the world's oceans give the Navy the power to protect America's interests anywhere, and at any time. Your Navy protects and defends America on the world's oceans. Navy ships, submarines, aircraft and, most importantly, tens of thousands of America's finest young men and women are deployed around the world doing just that. They are there now. They will be there when we are sleeping tonight. They will be there every Saturday, Sunday and holiday this year. They are there around the clock, far from our shores, defending America at all times.

Thank you very much for your support of the men and women in U.S. Navy, deployed around the clock and ready to protect and defend America on the world's oceans.

Very respectfully,

MC2 Dusty Good
Navy Office of Community Outreach

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

CSI Leasing Announces Investment by Century Tokyo Leasing
(No Dollar Amount Given. Editor)

ST. LOUIS - CSI Leasing, Inc. (“CSI”) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation (“CTL”), one of the largest leasing companies in Japan, on the purchase of approximately 35 percent of the common stock of CSI.

CSI is one of the largest privately-held equipment leasing and equipment lifecycle companies in the U.S. and has operations in 30 countries worldwide. CTL offers an extensive range of products, including IT and automobile leasing, as well as highly specialized financings in real estate, shipping, aircraft, healthcare and environmental energy. Like CSI, CTL has an extensive overseas network and operates in more than 10 countries worldwide.

CSI and CTL have transacted business together since 2003 and have engaged in joint marketing efforts since 2012. A strategic alliance between CSI and CTL will complement CSI’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region and other markets, and will allow CTL to access CSI’s strong platforms in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and Europe.

Ken Steinbeck
CSI Founder/Chairman

“This is a great opportunity in the ongoing evolution of our company,” said CSI founder and chairman, Ken Steinback. “We will be working together with a strong and creative team from CTL who appreciates the strength and durability of our customer-focused business model. The entire CSI marketing and back office teams remain in place and it is business as usual for our customers.”

The transaction is expected to close by March 31, 2015 and CTL will assume two seats on CSI’s Board of Directors.

CSI Leasing, Inc. is one of the largest privately-held independent equipment leasing and equipment lifecycle services companies in the world. Established in 1972, CSI has operations throughout North, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. More information is available at www.csileasing.com.

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

Fleet Financing Resources Reports Record Year End,
Originations Up 9%

Riverside, California, March 24, 2015 – Fleet Financing Resources, LLC. (FFR) reports another record year with originated volume at $56 million, up 9% compared to 2013. Gross income for the year ended December 31, 2014 increased 8%, while net income was $1,400,000, up 14% from the year prior.

FFR’s President and CEO Dave Reynolds commented, “As a specialist financing titled transportation, 2014 was marked by a significant increase in new lenders entering the marketplace and rate compression. Fortunately for FFR, the annuity of our customer base of fleet accounts, regularly replacing and adding vehicles, accounted for 80% of our volume with the balance derived from new business. We are very pleased with the results.”

FFR, a national lender, manages a current portfolio receivable of $125 million in titled transportation equipment including motor coaches, buses of all sizes, school transportation, vocational trucks, and all livery related vehicles.

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

Receivables Management LLC
John Kenny

• End of Lease Negotiations & Enforcement
• Third-Party Commercial Collections

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

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

News Briefs----

Warren Capital fees climb to $818,000
Cash balances at end of January totaled $1.8 million
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/105743/warren-capital-fees-climb-to-818000/

More details on Japanese Leasing Company Buying Stake in CSI Leasing
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/blog/2015/03/japanese-leasing-company-to-buy-stake-in-csi.html

Honda Grants 2-Year $199 Lease Extension for New and Used Fit EVs
http://www.hybridcars.com/honda-grants-2-year-199-lease-extension-for-new-and-used-fit-evs/

Time Warner Cable Expected to Take $1B Loss for Bad Dodger Deal
http://nypost.com/2015/03/24/time-warner-cable-expected-to-take-1b-loss-for-bad-dodger-deal/

Hawaii SC: Online travel companies owe state $70 million in taxes
http://legalnewsline.com/news/255517-hawaii-sc-online-travel-companies-owe-state-70-million-in-taxes

Pope gets pizza hand-delivered to his Popemobile (w/Video)
http://nypost.com/2015/03/24/pope-gets-pizza-hand-delivered-to-his-popemobile/

Collector
Irvine, California

Resolve Customer Billing Issues
Reduce Receivable Delinquency

Click here for full description.
Please send resume and cover letter to: acole@quickbridgefunding.com

Senior Credit Analyst
Irvine, California

Underwrites larger, more complex transactions up to $250k in high volume faced paced environment. Works within credit and across departments to resolve issues and improve the credit submission process

Click here for full description.
Please send resume and cover letter to: acole@quickbridgefunding.com

www.quickbridgefunding.com
Quick Bridge Funding has the financial
products a business needs to grow!

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--You May Have Missed It

Netflix, Amazon and Hulu No Longer Find Themselves TV’s Upstarts
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/25/business/media/netflix-amazon-and-hulu-no-longer-find-themselves-tvs-upstarts.html

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SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer

Food Showdown: Which Berry is Higher in Antioxidants?

http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?
post=food_showdown_a_berry_educational_battle

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Spring Poem

Mending Wall

by Robert Frost

SOMETHING there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
“Stay where you are until our backs are turned!”
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, “Good fences make good neighbors.”
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
“Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down.” I could say “Elves” to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, “Good fences make good neighbors.”

[headlines]
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Sports Briefs----

Reunited: McDonald will join Fangio with Bears
http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Reunited-DT-McDonald-will-join-Fangio-with-Bears-6155715.php

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones: ‘Our best chance of getting better’ was to let DeMarco Murray go
http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/2015/03/cowboys-owner-jerry-jones-says-our-best-chance-of-getting-better-was-to-let-demarco-murray-go.html/

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

California Nuts Briefs---

Autopsy shows Napa vineyard murder victim shot five times
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/3707703-181/autopsy-shows-napa-vineyard-murder

More than money at stake in University of California
budget negotiations
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article16110284.html#emlnl=Morning_Newsletter

Readers' picks: Notable women in Bay Area history
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Reader-picks-Notable-Women-throughout-the-Bay-6152999.php

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

“Gimme that Wine”

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

E & J Gallo buying J Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/3709140-181/e--j-gallo-buying

Led By Barefoot, Gallo’s Wine Portfolio Achieves Impressive Growth
http://www.shankennewsdaily.com/index.php/2015/03/24/11991/led-by-barefoot-gallos-wine-portfolio-achieves-impressive-growth/

New technology uses giant blender to chop up wine
grape skins to improves reds
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-24/new-technology-for-red-wine-making/6343452

Theft and recovery of rare French Laundry wine still a mystery
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/blog/morning-edition/2015/03/theft-and-recovery-of-rare-french-laundry-wine.html

Covenant Winery owners dish on Passover dishes
http://www.mercurynews.com/eat-drink-play/ci_27739263/covenant-winery-owners-dish-passover-dishes

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

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

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

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

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

       1584 - Sir Walter Raleigh, English explorer, courtier, and writer, renewed Humphrey Gilbert's patent to explore North America. He went on to settle the Virginia colony on Roanoke Island, naming it after the virgin queen.
    1609 - Henry Hudson embarked on an exploration for Dutch East India Co.
    1634 - Lord Baltimore founded the Catholic colony in Maryland. In 1629, Baltimore, actually George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, arrived in Jamestown where the Virginians, who suspected him of designs on some of their territory and vehemently opposed Catholicism, gave him a cool welcome. They gave him the oaths of supremacy and allegiance, which he refused to take, so they ordered him to leave. After no more than a few weeks in the colony, Baltimore left for England to pursue the new charter, leaving his wife and servants behind. In early 1630, he procured a ship to fetch them, but it foundered off the Irish coast, and his wife was drowned. Baltimore spent the last two years of his life constantly lobbying for his new charter, though the obstacles proved difficult. The Virginians campaigned aggressively against separate colonizing of the Chesapeake, claiming they possessed the rights to that area. Baltimore was short of capital, having exhausted his fortune, and was sometimes forced to depend on the assistance of his friends. His health declining, Baltimore's persistence over the charter finally paid off in 1632. The king first granted him a location south of Jamestown, but Baltimore asked the king to reconsider in response to opposition from other investors interested in settling the new land of Carolina into a sugar plantation. Baltimore eventually compromised by accepting redrawn boundaries to the north of the Potomac River, on either side of the Chesapeake Bay.   The charter was about to pass when Baltimore died on 15 April 1632. Five weeks later, on 20 June 1632, the charter for Maryland passed the seals. In his will, Baltimore beseeched his friends to act as guardians and supervisors to his first son Cecil, who became 2d Baron Baltimore and after whom the city took its name, who inherited the title of Lord Baltimore and the imminent grant of Maryland. After meeting with the Virginians at Jamestown, the new Lord Baltimore and his guardians continued up the Bay to the Potomac, then further upstream and landed on 25 March 1634 at Blakistone Island. There they erected a cross and celebrated their first Mass with Father White. Maryland became a prime tobacco exporting colony in the mid-Atlantic and, for a time, a refuge for Catholic settlers, as George Calvert had hoped. Under the rule of the Lords Baltimore, thousands of British Catholics immigrated to Maryland, establishing some of the oldest Catholic communities in what later became the United States. However Catholic rule in Maryland was eventually nullified by the re-assertion of royal control over the colony.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar25.html
    1655 - Puritans jailed Governor Stone after a military victory over Catholic forces in the colony of Maryland.
    1751 - New Year's Day was celebrated in Great Britain and its North American colonies. This was the beginning of the New Year up through 1751, when, with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, the beginning of the year was changed to Jan 1.
    1774 - English Parliament passed the Boston Port Bill.
    1775 - George Washington planted pecan trees (some of which still survive) at Mount Vernon. The trees were a gift to Washington from Thomas Jefferson, who had planted a few pecan trees from the southern US at Monticello, VA. The pecan, native to southern North America, is sometimes called "America's own nut." First cultivated by American Indians, it has been transplanted to other continents but has failed to achieve wide use or popularity outside the US.
    1776 - The Continental Congress authorized a medal for General George Washington.
    1813 - The first U.S. flag flown in battle was on the frigate Essex in the Pacific. USS Essex took Neryeda, the first capture by U.S. Navy in Pacific. Early in 1813, the USS ESSEX, under the Command of Captain David Porter, USN, rounded Cape Horn and became the first Navy ship to carry the American flag into the Pacific Ocean. The ESSEX began operating in Pacific waters and captured a British commerce raider, several British merchantmen, and several large British whaling ships.
    1843 - Seventeen Texans, who picked black beans from a jar otherwise filled with white beans, were executed by a Mexican firing squad. After months of raiding, captivity and escapes in Northern Mexico, Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna ordered the execution of one tenth of the 176 Texas freebooters of the Mier Expedition.
    1848 - News item in the "California Star" about the discovery of gold did not stir excitement in San Francisco.
    1856 - A.E. Burnside patented the Burnside carbine.
    1865 - Confederate General Robert E. Lee makes Fort Stedman his last attack of the war in a desperate attempt to break out of Petersburg, Virginia. The attack failed, and within a week, Lee was evacuating his positions around Petersburg. For nine months, Petersburg was under siege by the Army of the Potomac and the overall Union commander, General Ulysses S. Grant. The two great armies had fought a bloody campaign in the spring of 1864, and then settled into trenches that eventually stretched for fifty miles around Petersburg and the Confederate capital of Richmond. Lee could not win this war of attrition, but his men held out through the winter of 1864 to 1865. Now, Lee realized the growing Yankee army could overwhelm his diminishing force when the spring brought better weather for an assault. After a desperate battle, the Rebels could not overrun the Union soldiers, who not only were in superior number, but with continual reinforcements. The Rebels were unable to hold the captured ground, and they were driven back to their original position. The Union lost 1,000 men killed, wounded, and captured, while the Lee lost probably three times that number, including 1,500 captured during the retreat. Already outnumbered, these losses were more than Lee's army could bear. Lee wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis that it would be impossible to maintain the Petersburg line much longer. On March 29, Grant began his offensive, and Petersburg fell on April 3. Two weeks after the Battle of Fort Stedman, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
    1872 - Dr. Zabdiel Boylston inoculated his six year old son, Thomas, and two African-American servants with human smallpox pustules. He then went out to inoculate 247 individuals. The public acceptance in his area of acceptance of the inoculation was due in large measure to the efforts of Cotton Mather, the Boston minister and scientist, who persistently advocated it. Small pox was a dreaded disease around the world. In 1800, Dr. Edward Jenner of England introduced to Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse of Cambridge, MA, professor of theory and practice of medicine at Harvard University, who inoculated his son, Daniel, three children, and three servants, with smallpox using cowpox. It was not until this day in 1802, that a smallpox clinic was opened and free distribution of the vaccine was given to the poor. This was started by Dr. James Smith in Baltimore, Maryland. This is a major event as small pox was the epidemic of the new world.
    1880 - Birthday of Aline Bernstein in NYC. U.S. stage and costume designer, author and unofficial agent for Thomas Wolfe. After doing costumes and scenery for the Henry Street Settlement for almost ten years, she applied for membership in the brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of the AFL but was turned down until 1926 when she became the first female member of the union. For the next 20 years, she worked as resident designer for Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre in New York. At age 71, she won the Tony for her costume designs for the opera “Regina” (1949). Following their well-known affair, Thomas Wolfe based the character of Esther Jack in two of his novels on her. She supported Wolfe who was 20 years younger, helped turn him into a novelist, found a publisher - and he left her. She died in 1955.
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/abernstein.html
http://www.fau.edu/library/bro59.htm
http://www.sweetstar.com/book/080784117x
    1894 - Coxey's Army of ragtag bums (Common-Wealth Army) heads for Washington DC, demanding economic reform. Coxey, a well-to-do businessman who was a Populist and quite untypical of his class in other ways, proposed a plan of federal work relief on public roads to be financed by an issue of Treasury notes, thus ending the depression of 1893 by means of monetary inflation and work relief for the unemployed. When Congress refused to pass this bill, Coxey stated, "We will send a petition to Washington with boots on." Thus Coxey's Army marched peacefully from Ohio to Washington, D.C. where they were cheered by crowds, but Coxey and his lieutenants were arrested by police and about 50 people were beaten or trampled. Library of Congress. John M. Blum et al, “The National Experience, Part Two: A History of the United States since 1865” (New York: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1981), p. 515.
    1898 - Assist. SECNAV Theodore Roosevelt proposed the Navy investigate the military application of Samuel Langley's flying machine, beginning naval aviation. Langley had been experimenting for over a decade with steam powered flying machines and was attempting to adapt a working steam model to an internal combustion powered design.
    1900 - US Socialist Party was formed in Indianapolis.
    1901 - The Mercedes was introduced by Daimler at the five-day "Week of Nice" in Nice, France.
    1906 - Birthday guitarist Curley Weaver, Covington, GA
http://www.io.com/~tbone1/blues/ECblz/curwea.html
    1911 - At about 4:30 PM, fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company at New York, NY, minutes before the seamstresses were to go home. Some workers were fatally burned while others leaped to their deaths from the windows of the 10-story building. The fire lasted only 18 minutes but left 146 workers dead, most of them young immigrant women. It was found that some of the deaths were a direct result of workers being trapped on the ninth floor by a locked door. Labor law forbade locking factory doors while employees were at work, and owners of the company were indicted on charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter. The tragic fire became a turning point in labor history, bringing about reforms in health and safety laws.
http://www.csun.edu/~ghy7463/mw2.html
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/
    1911 – Jack Ruby was born Jacob Leon Rubenstein in Chicago. On November 24, 1963, Ruby fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald, who was in police custody after being charged with the murder of President Kennedy two days earlier. A Dallas jury found Ruby guilty of murdering Oswald, and Ruby was sentenced to death. Later, Ruby appealed his conviction and was granted a new trial. As the date for his new trial was being set, Ruby became ill and died of a pulmonary embolism due to lung cancer.
    1913 - The Palace Theatre opened its doors in New York City. Ed Wynn was first on the vaudeville bill. Some 20 years later, Wynn would be named as radio's top entertainer. He later became popular on early television, as did his son, Keenan Wynn.
    1914 - Society Hill, SC, was buried under 18 inches of snow, establishing a state record.
    1916 - Ishi dies, last of his California-based Yahi Yana, his Native American tribe in Northern California. Captured in 1911, he had escaped from settlers who exterminated the rest of the Yahis, along with the elk they had hunted, only to spend his last years in captivity, studied by anthropologists as a freakish curiosity.
    1917 - Birthday of drummer Armand “Jump” Jackson, New Orleans, LA
http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/mallard.html
    1918 - Howard Cosell, broadcaster, born at New York, NY. After earning a law degree, Cosell began his broadcasting career as the host of "Howard Cosell Speaking of Sports." He achieved national prominence and a great deal of notoriety for his support of Muhammad Ali's conscientious objector stand against the Vietnam War and then as co-host of “ABC's Monday Night Football”. Died at New York, Apr 23, 1994.
    1928 - Astronaut Jim Lovell was born in Cleveland. He was commander of Apollo 13, which suffered a critical failure en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission control. Lovell was also the command module pilot of Apollo 8, the first Apollo mission to enter lunar orbit.
   1931 - Scottsboro Boys arrested, Point Rock, Alabama. Nine African-American teenagers were accused in Alabama of raping two white women on a train. All but a twelve-year-old were convicted of rape and sentenced to death, the common sentence in Alabama at the time for black men convicted of raping white women, even though there was medical evidence to suggest that they had not committed the crime. With help from the US Communist Party, the case was appealed. The Alabama Supreme Court affirmed seven of the eight convictions. Chief Justice John C. Anderson dissented, ruling that the defendants had been denied an impartial jury, fair trial, fair sentencing, and effective counsel. The cases were twice appealed to the Supreme Court, which led to landmark decisions on the conduct of trials. In ‘Powell v. Alabama’ (1932), it ordered new trials. The case was returned to the lower court. During the retrials, one of the alleged victims admitted fabricating the rape story and asserted that none of the Scottsboro Boys touched either of the white women. The jury again found the defendants guilty, but the judge set aside the verdict and granted a new trial. For the third time a jury, including one African-American, returned a third guilty verdict. The case returned to the Supreme Court on appeal. It ruled that African-Americans had to be included on juries, and ordered retrials. Charges were finally dropped for four of the nine defendants. Sentences for the rest ranged from 75 years to death. (Life sentences were considered an acknowledgement of innocence at the time). All but two served prison sentences. One was shot in prison by a guard and permanently disabled. Two escaped, were later charged with other crimes, convicted, and sent back to prison. Clarence Norris, the oldest defendant and the only one sentenced to death, "jumped parole" in 1946 and went into hiding. He was found in 1976 and pardoned by Governor George Wallace, by which time the case had been thoroughly analyzed and shown to be an injustice. The case has been explored in many works of literature, music, theatre, film and television. On November 21, 2013, Alabama's parole board voted to grant posthumous pardons to the three Scottsboro Boys who had not been pardoned or had their convictions overturned. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm
    1933 - Birthday of guitarist Clarence “Swamp Blues” Edwards, Lindsay, LA
http://www.rootsandrhythm.com/roots/BLUES%20&%20GOSPEL/
blues_e1.htm#CLARENCE%20EDWARDS
    1934 - Horton Smith won the first Masters golf tournament under the magnolia trees of Augusta National in Georgia.
    1934 – Early rock ‘n’ roller Johnny Burnette was born in Memphis. With his older brother Dorsey and friend Paul Burlison, Burnette was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio, who wrote many of Ricky Nelson’s early hits: "Believe What You Say", "It’s Late", "Waitin’ in School", and "Just a Little Too Much". For Liberty Records, Johnny’s third single, "Dreamin’" (Liberty F-55285), released on May 4, 1960, made him famous to millions who had never heard of The Rock and Roll Trio. It reached No. 11 and it reached No. 5 in Britain. His next Liberty single "You’re Sixteen", released on October 5, 1960, did even better, reaching No. 8 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 in Britain and earned him a gold record. Johnny went quickly back into the studio and recorded "Little Boy Sad" released on January 3, 1961. On August 14, 1964, Burnette's unlit fishing boat was struck by an unaware cabin cruiser on Clear Lake, CA. The impact threw him off the boat and he drowned.
    1934 – Gloria Steinem was born in Toledo, OH. Feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and spokeswoman for the feminist movement in the late 1960s and 1970s, she was a columnist for ‘New York’ magazine and a founder of ‘Ms.’ magazine. In 1969, she published an article, "After Black Power, Women's Liberation", which brought her to national fame as a feminist leader.
    1938 - Birthday of guitarist/songwriter/actor Hoyt Axton in Duncan, OK. Some of his songwriting efforts became well known throughout the world. Among them were "Joy to the World", "The Pusher", "No No Song", "Greenback Dollar", and "Never Ben to Spain". His mother co-wrote the classic "Heartbreak Hotel" which became Elvis’ first major hit. He died in 1999 of a heart attack.
http://www.sixcats.com/axton/hoyt2.htm
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/avert/hoytaxton/index.shtml
    1940 – The US agreed to give Britain and France access to all American warplanes.
    1942 - Singer Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, TN. Franklin recorded a total of 112 charted singles on ‘Billboard’, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and twenty number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the chart's history. She has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling female artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records worldwide. Franklin has been honored throughout her career including a 1987 induction into the Rock and rock hall of Fame, in which she became the first female performer to be inducted. She was inducted to the UK Music hall of Fame in 2005. In August 2012, Franklin was inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Franklin is listed in at least two all-time lists on ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine, including the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, in which she placed number 9, and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time in which she placed number 1.
From “The Blues Brothers:”
Mrs. Murphy: Help you two?
Elwood: Do you have any white bread ma'am?
Mrs. Murphy: Yeah.
Elwood: I'll have some toasted white bread please.
Mrs. Murphy: You want butter or jam on that, honey?
Elwood: No ma'am, dry.
Jake: Do you have any fried chicken, ma'am?
Mrs. Murphy: Best damned chicken in the state.
Jake: Bring me four fried chickens and a Coke.
Mrs. Murphy: You want chicken wings or chicken legs?
Jake: Four fried chickens and a Coke.
Elwood: And some dry white toast please.
Mrs. Murphy: Ya'all want anything to drink with that?
Elwood: No ma'am.
Jake: A Coke.
Mrs. Murphy: Be right back.
Blues Brothers, 1980
    1943 - A second great snowstorm hit the northeastern U.S. The storm produced snow from Maine all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Natchez, MS received three inches of snow, and up to 15 inches buried eastern Tennessee. Coastal Maine received 204 inches of snow that winter.
    1945 - After 35 days of bitter fighting, the amphibious assault on the rocky fortress of Iwo Jima finally appeared over. On the night of 25 March, however, a 300-man Japanese force launched a vicious final counterattack in the vicinity of Airfield Number 2. Army pilots, Seabees and Marines of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 28th Marines fought the fanatical Japanese force until morning but suffered heavy casualties --more than l00 killed and another 200 Americans wounded. Nearly all of the Japanese force was killed in the battle.
    1946 - The first “Jazz at the Philharmonic”. One of the most influential solos of jazz alto saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker's career was his rendition of “Lady Be Good,” performed at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium. Every aspect of the performance became part of the language of modern jazz. There are many albums of the various years produced by Norman Granz on Emarcy records.
    1946 - Woody Herman band premiers Igor Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto at Carnegie Hall.
    1947 - Singer/composer Elton John’s birthday, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in England. In his career, Elton John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.   He has more than fifty Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 58 ‘Billboard Top 40’ singles, 27 Top 10, four No. 2 and nine No. 1. For 31 consecutive years (1970–2000), he had at least one song in the ‘Billboard Hot 100’.
www.eltonjohn.com
    1947 - John D. Rockefeller III presented a check for $8.5 million to the United Nations for the purchase of land for the site of the U.N. center.
    1948 - For the second time in less than a week, airplanes were destroyed by a tornado at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City OK. A March 20th tornado destroyed fifty planes at Tinker AFB causing more than ten million dollars damage, and the March 25th tornado destroyed another thirty-five planes causing six million dollars damage. The first tornado struck without warning, and caused more damage than any previous tornado in the state of Oklahoma. The second tornado was predicted by Fawbush and Miller of the United States Air Force, and their accurate tornado forecast ushered in the modern era of severe weather forecasting
    1952 - Bill Mosienko of the Chicago Blackhawks set an NHL record by scoring three goals in 21 minutes in a game against the New York Rangers. Mosienko scored at 6:09, 6:20 and 6:30 of the third period against goalie Lorne Anderson. Chicago won 7-6.
    1954 - RCA manufactures the first color television set.
    1954 - 26th Annual Academy Awards, RKO Pantages Theater in Los Angeles. Actor/singer/dancer Donald O'Connor and actor Fredric March (in New York) kept the audience informed on who won what. "From Here to Eternity" (Buddy Adler, producer) won Best Picture of the year, also picking up the Oscar for Best Director for Fred Zinnemann, Best Supporting Actor for Frank Sinatra and Best Supporting Actress for Donna Reed, in addition to Best Writing/Screenplay (Daniel Taradash); Best Cinematography/Black-and-White (Burnett Guffey); Best Sound/ Recording (John P. Livadary, Columbia SSD); and Best Film Editing (William A. Lyon). The Best Actor award for the films of 1953 went to William Holden for "Stalag 17" while the Best Actress award went to Audrey Hepburn for "Roman Holiday". "Secret Love" from "Calamity Jane" was the Best Music/Song of the Year (Sammy Fain, music, Paul Francis Webster, lyrics). An interesting note: The Best Writing/ Story and Screenplay went to the 1953 version of "Titanic" (Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, Richard L. Breen). Other memorable movies that year (some Oscar winners, some not): "The Robe", "Shane", "Mogambo", "The Moon is Blue" and "Hondo".   The Oscar won by Sinatra is credited with reviving what to then had been a flagging career.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0148588.html .
    1955 - U.S. Customs Collector of Customs Chester McPhee confiscated 520 copies of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" as they enter the U.S. It will then be published by City Lights publishers in San Francisco, leading to the arrest of publisher (and prominent poet) Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Customs also seized and destroyed another shipment of Ginsberg's poetry sent from Canada in the 60s.   "The words and the sense of the writing is obscene," MacPhee declares "You wouldn't want your children to come across it." "Howl" was considered scandalous at the time of its publication, because of the rawness of its language. Shortly after its 1956 publication by San Francisco's City Lights Bookstore, it was banned for obscenity. The ban became a cause celebre among defenders of the First Amendment, and was later lifted, after Judge Clayton W. Horn declared the poem to possess redeeming artistic value. Ginsberg and Shig Murao, the City Lights manager who was jailed for selling "Howl," became lifelong friends.
    1956 - Top Hits
“Lisbon Antigua” - Nelson Riddle
“The Poor People of Paris” - Les Baxter
“A Tear Fell” - Teresa Brewer
“Heartbreak Hotel” - Elvis Presley
    1957 - The European Economic Community was established with the signing of the Treaty of Rome.
    1958 - Elvis Presley received the regulation short haircut from army barber James Peterson.
    1960 - A guided missile was launched from a nuclear powered submarine for the first time.
    1960 – Roy Orbison recorded "Only the Lonely."
    1961 - Elvis Presley appears in concert at a benefit for the U.S.S. Arizona memorial in Hawaii. Following his 17 song set, the King would not play another live date for the next eight years.
    1964 - Top Hits
“She Loves You” - The Beatles
“Fun Fun Fun” - The Beach Boys
“Twist and Shout” - The Beatles
“Saginaw, Michigan” - Lefty Frizzell
    1965 - Martin Luther King Jr., leads 25,000 into Montgomery, AL, completing civil rights march begun in Selma. After a weeks-long struggle against local police, the civil rights march ends triumphantly with a 50,000 person demonstration in Montgomery.
http://i.timeinc.net/Life/mlk/mlk08.jpg
    1966 - Poll taxes were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on grounds that they represented an economic barrier to voting.
    1966 – Braves’ Hall of Fame lefty Tom Glavine was born in Concord, MA. His record is 305-203 with an ERA of 3.54. He was a five-time 20-game winner, two-time Cy Young Award winner, and one of only 6 left-handers in Major League history to earn 300 career wins.
    1967 - The Doors debut album, featuring "Light My Fire", enters the Billboard LP chart.
    1967 - Although they had cracked the Top 40 on three previous occasions, The Turtles enjoyed their first and only Billboard number one hit with "Happy Together."
    1969 - *DOANE, STEPHEN HOLDEN, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam, 25 March 1969. Entered service at: Albany, N.Y. Born: 13 October 1947, Beverley, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. First Lt. Doane was serving as a platoon leader when his company, engaged in a tactical operation, abruptly contacted an enemy force concealed in protected bunkers and trenches. Three of the leading soldiers were pinned down by enemy crossfire. One was seriously wounded. After efforts of 1 platoon to rescue these men had failed, it became obvious that only a small group could successfully move close enough to destroy the enemy position and rescue or relieve the trapped soldiers, 1st Lt. Doane, although fully aware of the danger of such an action, crawled to the nearest enemy bunker and silenced it. He was wounded but continued to advance to a second enemy bunker. As he prepared to throw a grenade, he was again wounded. Undaunted, he deliberately pulled the pin on the grenade and lunged with it into the enemy bunker, destroying this final obstacle. 1st Lt. Doane's supreme act enabled his company to rescue the trapped men without further casualties. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by this officer were an inspiration to his men and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
    1971 - Tom Jones went gold with his single, "She's a Lady", written by Paul Anka. In the US, it is Jones' highest-charting single to date. It hit #1 in Cash Box magazine and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The original version of the song was re-written for commercial release in 1971 by Jones and Anka due to the explicit lyrics. BTW, the B side was “My Way”, also written by Anka and made his own by Sinatra in 1969.
    1971 – The Boston Patriots, one of the charter AFL teams, became the New England Patriots.
    1972 - The group, America, rode to the top of the pop music charts with their LP, "America", and the single (included on the LP), "A Horse with No Name". "A Horse With No Name" would be the group's only gold record and one of two number one songs (the other was "Sister Golden Hair", 6/14/75). America placed 11 tunes on the pop music charts between 1972 and 1983.
    1972 - Top Hits
“A Horse with No Name” - America
“Puppy Love” - Donny Osmond
“Mother and Child Reunion” - Paul Simon
“My Hang-Up is You” - Freddie Hart
    1972 - Roberta Flack started a five-week run to the top of the Billboard album chart with "First Take".
    1972 – Bobby Hull joined Gordie Howe as the only players to score 600 goals in the NHL.
    1975 - The town of Sandberg reported a wind gust to 101 mph, a record for the state of California
    1977 - After a decade of having only local success in the Michigan area, 33 year old Bob Seger gets his big break. His 7th album, "Night Moves" goes Platinum on the strength of three Top Forty hits: "Night Moves", "Mainstreet" and "Rock and Roll Never Forgets".
    1979 - The first fully functional space shuttle orbiter, ‘Columbia’, is delivered to the Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch.
    1980 - Top Hits
“Another Brick in the Wall” - Pink Floyd
“Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl” - Spinners
“Him” - Rupert Holmes
“Why Don't You Spend the Night” - Ronnie Milsap
    1982 - “9 to 5 ” premiered on TV. This half-hour sitcom was based on the 1980 movie of the same name about three working women in dead-end jobs in a larger corporation. The three women were played by Rita Moreno, Valerie Curtin and Rachel Dennison, in the role her sister Dolly Parton had played in the movie.
    1982 - "Cagney & Lacey" premiered on TV, breaking new ground as the first TV crime show in which the central characters were both female. The series was based on a made-for-TV movie that aired Oct 8, 1981, starring Loretta Swit and Tyne Daly. Meg Foster played Swit's character, Chris Cagney, but after one season she was replaced by Sharon Gless. Daly and Gless won six Emmys together for their roles. The last telecast aired on Aug 25, 1988.
http://timstvshowcase.com/cagney.html
    1982 – Wayne Gretsky became the first player in the NHL to score 200 points in a season.
    1983 - Motown Records celebrates its 25 anniversary with a concert in Pasadena, featuring The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Jr. Walker, The Commodores, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and The Jackson 5.
    1983 - Congress passed legislation to rescue Social Security from bankruptcy.
    1985 - 57th Academy awards, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, no less. Host for the big show was actor/director Jack Lemmon. The Best Picture of 1985 was "Amadeus", produced by Saul Zaentz. It also won Oscars for Best Director for Milos Forman and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham. The film also won top honors for Best Writing/Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Peter Shaffer); Best Costume Design (Theodor Pistek); Best Sound (Mark Berger, Thomas Scott II, Todd Boekelheide, Christopher Newman); and Best Makeup (Paul LeBlanc, Dick Smith). Sally Field was pronounced Best Actress for "Places in the Heart", Best Supporting Actor was Haing S. Ngor for "The Killing Fields", and the Best Supporting Actress Oscar was given to Peggy Ashcroft for "A Passage to India". Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from "The Woman in Red" took the honors for Best Movie/Song. And the Academy gave an honorary Oscar to Jimmy Stewart in recognition of more than 70 films in his 50-year career. Stewart earned one Oscar for Best Actor in "Philadelphia Story" (1940), and nominations for Best Actor in "Mr. Smith Goes to ". Washington", "Harvey", "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Anatomy of a Murder". http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0149613.html
    1988 - Top Hits
“Never Gonna Give You Up” - Rick Astley
“I Get Weak” - Belinda Carlisle
“Man in the Mirror” - Michael Jackson
“Life Turned Her that Way” - Ricky Van Shelton
    1988 - An early season heat wave prevailed in the southwestern U.S. The high of 93 degrees at Tucson, AZ was a new record for March. Windy conditions prevailed across the central and eastern U.S. Winds gusted to 60 mph at Minneapolis MN, and reached 120 mph atop Rendezvous Peak, WY
    1990 - Temperatures dipped below zero in the Northern Rocky Mountain Region. Hardin, MT was the cold spot in the nation with a morning low of 10 degrees below zero. Freezing drizzle was reported in the Southern Plains Region, with afternoon highs only in the 30s from the Southern High Plains to Missouri and Arkansas.
    1991 – 63rd Academy Awards Celebration, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Host was Billy Crystal, wearing an Armani tuxedo as did actors Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hanks, Dennis Hopper, Steve Martin and Denzel Washington. Also clad in Armani ... gowns ... were Oscar nominees Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts and Jessica Tandy, prompting "Women's Wear Daily" to refer to the occasion as the “Armani Awards”. Best Picture of the year (1990) was "Dances with Wolves" (Jim Wilson, Kevin Costner, producers). Costner also won for his Best Direction of "Dances with Wolves". The Best Actor Oscar went to Jeremy Irons for "Reversal of Fortune". Best Actress was Kathy Bates for "Misery". The prize for Best Supporting Actor was claimed by Joe Pesci for "GoodFellas" and Best Supporting Actress was Whoopi Goldberg for "Ghost". The Best Music/Song was presented to Stephen Sondheim for "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)" from "Dick Tracy".
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0149801.html
    1995 - Top Hits
“Take A Bow” - Madonna
“Candy Rain” - Soul For Real
“Creep” - TLC
“Red Light Special” – TLC
    2000 - Top Hits
“Say My Name” - Destiny s Child
“Maria Maria” - Santana Featuring The Product G
“Breathe” - Faith Hill
“Amazed” - Lonestar
    2001 - Steve Martin hosts the Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. “Gladiator” wins the Best Picture; Russell Crowe, Best Actor for the “Gladiator”; Julia Roberts, Best Actress for “Erin Brockovich”;
Benicio Del Toro, Best Supporting Actor for “Traffic”; Best Supporting Actress, Marcia Gay Harden for “Pollock”; Steven Soderbergh, Best Director for “Traffic”; Best Writer, Stephen Gaghan for “Traffic”; Bob Dylan wins the Best Original Song Oscar for "Things Have Changed" from the movie “Wonder Boys”.
http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Years/2000/academy-awards

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