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March Women in Leasing LinkedIn Luncheon Group

(Left to Right)
Nancy Geary, CPA, CLFP, Partner at ECS Financial Services, Inc
Shari Lipski, CLFP, Principal; ECS Financial Services, Inc., CPA's
Lovern J. Gordon, CLFP, President at Love Life Now Foundation, Inc
Reid Raykovich, CLFP, Executive Director, CLFP Foundation
(LinkedIn.com)

The Women in Leasing LinkedIn Group invited all to their March Luncheon at Parker's Lighthouse, Long Beach, California, Wednesday, March 18th. Not part of the National Equipment Finance Association, but in conjunction of their conference (story in Press Releases below). The luncheon was reportedly very well attended.

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Classified Ads---Legal

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

San Diego , CA
Experienced in-house corporate, equipment leasing and financial services attorney seeks position as managing or transactional counsel. Willing to relocate. Cell Phone: 760-533-4058;
Email:marshallrosenberg@gmail.com | Resume

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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More on LEAF Financial Investment
Says He and Sister were Misled

March 19th, Leasing News wrote about the complaint the LEAF Financial Fund: "Our investments were now worth little or nothing and that within a year the money would be gone with no hope of recovery. This is in total contradiction to positive statements made by Crit DeMent, Chairman and CEO of LEAF." (1)

"We now know that the investment money in the Fund was used to off pay a debt in the millions and then create a new 'LEAF' -LEAF Commercial-with some of the same officers and board members as the dying LEAF Financial. LEAF Financial Partners have lost everything while the reinvented 'LEAF' now receives accolades as one of Philadelphia’s fastest growing privately held companies in 2014. They have benefited from the creation of a new corporation on the backs of the trusting investors of LEAF Financial.”

Both Crit DeMent, and Miles Herman, were contacted for a comment, or asked to direct Leasing News to the appropriate person. Leasing News was referred to Scott Smith, Director, Syndications & Portfolio, who basically emailed: "Based on the attached letter, it would appear that the investor has some misconceptions or misunderstandings about their investment. Please refer them to 866-323-0241 and we will be happy to walk them through this.” (1)

Our reader responded:

“Thank you for following up on my previously published letter. My sister and I have followed your articles on LEAF and you have given us more information on our ‘bad investment’ than we ever received from Scott Smith, Director, Syndications & Portfolio Mgmt., or LEAF’s Investment Relations Rep. This letter should be titled “BEEN THERE, DONE THAT”!

"I contacted LEAF’s investment relations department after receiving my tax form from them. The representative I spoke with had little to say concerning how investment funds were allocated and why the liquidation of equipment and other assets were used to pay off debt rather than reimburse investors. Unfortunately, all he gave me was an ‘I feel your pain’ attitude and a referral to Scott Smith. Ironically, we had spoken to Scott Smith in February with our financial advisor on the phone and got very little information as to what actually went on with these LEAF Funds for the last 7+ years. Mr. Smith told us that the account balance on our most recent investment statement actually reflected numbers from 2013! Unbelievable as it seems, these two LEAF reps could only point to each other for information and neither one had any “information” that would clear up our alleged “misconceptions or misunderstandings” about our investments.

“I’m sure there are many other devastated investors who are confused as to what actually transpired here and would like to recoup some of their hard-earned money and prevent this company with its many LEAF aliases from selling any more deceptive investments to any other trusting investors.”

He followed up with:

“We're also looking for an attorney with the fortitude to take on a lawsuit against LEAF. My sister and I lost hundreds of thousands with this disreputable organization...Please let us know if you have had any other responses to your letter.”

When the story was originally published in Leasing News received many complaints, including this one:

“I am one of those that were duped into Leaf Financial investment by my financial advisor in Matthews, NC. We invested $100,000 with them and according to our advisor would get paid back 7% over 7 years and then get repaid the balance of our investment. Looks like we will lose approx. $70,000. I filed a complaint with FINRA against our advisor (who is no longer our advisor). This was such a rip off and we really can't afford to lose that kind of money. Wish there would be a class action lawsuit against Leaf for this type of rip-off.”

Reader Complaint About LEAF Financial Investmenthttp://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2015/3_19.htm#reader

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

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New Hires---Promotions in the Leasing Industry

Chuck Dale has been hired as Senior Vice President Operations/Syndications for CoreTech Leasing, Newport Beach, California; based in San Diego, California. Previously, he was Owner, Dale Franchise Consultants (September. 2012 – February, 2015); Senior Vice President, Macquarie Group (2002 – 2012); Senior Vice President, Comdisco Inc. (1992 – 2002); Vice President-Service Center Manager, GE Capital/Equitable Lomas Leasing Corporation (1985 – 1992); Western Group Operations Manager, Ingersoll Rand Financial Corporation (1980 – 1985). Education: Michigan State University, Bachelor's degree, Economics. University of Colorado at Denver, MBA Program, Business Administration and Management, General. University of Detroit Mercy, MBA Program, Business Administration and Management, General.
www.linkedin.com/pub/chuck-dale/49/362/66/en

Fred Fial was hired as Senior Vice President Sales at Nations Equipment Finance; based in Phoenix, Arizona. Previously, he was Vice President, Western Alliance Equipment Finance (March, 2013 – January, 2015); Regional Sales Manager, Trilogy Leasing Co., LLC (April, 2011 – April, 2012); Vice President, M&I Equipment Finance Company (December, 1987 – February, 2011); Assistant Vice President, United Bank of Arizona - Equipment Finance Division (November, 1984 – November, 1987); Senior Assistant, Operations Control, Greyhound Leasing & Financial Corp. (1982 – 1984) Education: Arizona State University, Master of Business Administration (MBA), Finance, General (1983 – 1987). Arizona State University (Bachelor of Science (BS), Finance, General (1976 – 1981). North Miami Beach Senior High (1972 – 1976)/
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/fredric-fial/67/a80/867/en

Eric Miller was hired as Managing Director and Group Head of CIT Capital Equipment Finance, Greater New York area. He joined GE Capital, Corporate Finance, January, 2003; rose to Senior Account Executive, promoted February, 2005 to Managing Director, Region Sales Leader. Prior, he was Assistant Vice President, Account Executive Wells Fargo (January, 2001 – February, 2003). Education: State University of New York at Albany (1992 – 1996)
www.linkedin.com/pub/eric-miller/5/349/7a2/en

Howard N. Sobel, P.A., Voohees, New Jersey, joins the Lease Enforcement Network. He began his practice December, 1980. Mr. Sobel is admitted to the New Jersey State Bar, Pennsylvania State Bar, United States District Court for the District of Jersey, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, United States Court of Appeals -Third Circuit and United States Supreme Court. He is also a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and Camden County Bar Association. Education: Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Doctor of Law (J.D.) (1976 – 1979). Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Camden Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science and Government (1972 – 1976).

U.S. Commerce Banks Add $39.6B Loans/Leases in Feb.
SNL Financial Report
By Hina Nawaz and Zuhaib Gull

According to the Federal Reserve's March 13 H.8 release, U.S. commercial banks added $39.60 billion in loans and leases in February, raising the industry's February average aggregate loan balance to $8.041 trillion. C&I loans accounted for more than half of the monthly increase in commercial loan balances with an addition of $20.01 billion from January to February. Average total C&I loans at U.S. commercial banks stood at slightly below $1.821 trillion in February, up 5.59% in the six months since August 2014.

The largest growth segment from August 2014 to February 2015 was "other loans and leases," with $112.40 billion, or 8.99%.

Small domestically chartered banks grew average loan balances much faster than large domestically chartered banks month over month. The large commercial banks grew loan balances by $17.30 billion, or 0.39%, whereas the small commercial banks increased balances by $125.80 billion, or 1.02%.

The Federal Reserve defines large commercial banks as the top 25 domestically chartered commercial banks ranked by domestic assets as of the last call report filing. Small commercial banks compose all domestically chartered commercial banks not included in the top 25. Commercial banks include the U.S. branches of foreign banks in addition to domestically chartered banks.

Over the last six months, or since August 2014, small banks bulked up on C&I and commercial real estate loans by 5.00% and 4.56%, respectively. In the short term, the two loan categories grew by 1.02% and 1.04%, month over month. Other loans and leases for the same bucket of banks grew by 3.19% since January and 13.35% since August 2014.

Large commercial banks have increased C&I loans, with a 0.86% increase month over month, and a 5.11% increase since August 2014. CRE loans for these 25 institutions grew at a slower pace — 0.26% month over month and 1.18% over six months. Meanwhile, other loans and leases grew 0.78% since January and 8.21% in half a year.

Tim Scholten, president of Columbus, Ohio-based consulting firm Visible Progress, told SNL in February, "I believe C&I will be the strongest growth area for regional banks in 2015."

Deposits

Deposits continued to outpace loan growth in February as average deposits at U.S. commercial banks increased $125.00 billion, or 1.19%, during the month to $10.623 trillion.

One of the largest banks in the nation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., plans to reduce its nonoperating deposits by $100 billion by the end of 2015, according to a Feb. 24 presentation at the company's investor day. That's over a quarter of its current total deposits of $390 billion, but half the $200 billion currently nonoperating deposits listed in the same presentation.

Large domestically chartered banks increased average total deposits to slightly less than $6.181 trillion in February, a hike of 0.86% from the previous month and a leap of 4.20% since August 2014. Average deposits at small commercial banks saw 1.50% of growth since January 2015 and 4.55% since August 2014, closing February with more than $3.303 trillion.

Unrealized gains and losses

Net unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities declined by 17.07% month over month to an average $20.40 billion in February. Although lower than the previous month, it is still an increase of $9.60 billion, or 88.89%, since August 2014.

Averages at large domestic commercial banks for net unrealized gains were $15.40 billion in February, a decrease of 26.67%, or $5.6 billion month over month. Meanwhile small domestic banks saw an increase of 71.43%, or $1.5 billion, over the same period to end February with $3.60 billion.

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Why did you switch your bank in the last 12 months?
SNL Financial Feature
by John Fletcher

About one in 10 respondents in SNL Financial's February 2015 survey of 4,998 smartphone users changed their primary checking account bank in the previous year.

When asked why they switched, lower fees were cited as the leading reason, with over one-third of those switching indicating that as a factor. After lower bank fees, poor customer service at their current bank was the second most cited reason at 28%. Moving was selected as a reason for 27% of the changes.

Of those surveyed, about one in four said a better mobile bank app played a role in the switch. According to the survey, a better bank app was more likely to motivate a bank change than were incentive offers or higher APRs from competing banks.

Mobile has become a new battleground in the fight for bank customers.

When ranking answers by income, the survey indicates that the more a smartphone user made annually, the more likely they were to have switched banks in the previous year, with 13% of survey takers making $75,000 or more per year having changed banks a year ago. This compares to 10% for those with lower incomes, according to the survey.

By age, millennials were more likely to answer they changed banks with 19% of smartphone users surveyed in the 18-25 demographic doing so. And 16% of those 26-35 had switched banks in the previous year. Baby boomers and seniors were the least likely to have switched at 6% and 4%, respectively.

Of the 535 surveyed saying they had switched their primary bank in the previous year, 5% indicated other reasons outside of the seven we provided as motivators. These survey takers were able to type in their reason and we present some of the more notable replies in the table below. Many reasons involved life changes like divorce or marriage.

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Fourth Response
"Didn't Take Time to Properly Investigate"

"On or about August 16, 2013, Leasing News admitted that it had published a defamatory piece regarding ACS without first conducting an independent investigation. Only after printing the harmful allegations did Leasing News take the time to properly investigate the truthfulness of the allegations. That investigation revealed, according to Leasing News, that: 'Mr. Kastleman did not fulfill his obligation to commence the lease after it was arranged by Ability Capital.'

Apology to Ability Capital Solution
And Mr. Brian Acosta, CLP
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2013/8_16.htm#apology

First, for readers who want to see the original that was retracted from the Leasing News Bulletin Board Complaint section, please go to (1). It
originated as "a complaint from Bryan Kastleman of Kastleman & Associates, Inc., regarding $9,594.36 not returned by Ability Capital Solutions, Long Beach, California founder Brian Acosta, CLP, who's company Blue Star Capital, Inc. Subsidiaries of Blue Star include Matrix Business Capital and Ability Capital Solutions."

It mentioned that Mr. Kastleman had contacted the Certified Leasing Professional Foundation, the National Association of Equipment Brokers, and National Equipment Finance Association, and basically went into their procedure of filing a complaint.

It started here June 18, 2013 when Mr. Kastleman sent an email to Leasing News, "I noticed in an old posting a complaint filed against a broker I too am having a problem with. How do I go about filing a complaint against a broker?"

At the time, Mr. Kastleman had signed a proposal that had not been funded and wanted his money back. I count 217 emails from this date concerning this complaint, mostly from Mr. Kastleman. None from Brian Acosta. He never answered any emails or provided any information. The subject of the emails was "Hill Country Hillside Ltd--Terms and Options."

It was very difficult to confirm what was sent and not sent, only obtaining from one side from one party, plus all the emails asking for his deposit back from the original proposal signed as well as the emails back and forth between he and Brian Acosta (may have been 200 of these, never counted them) not only negotiations but asking for financial statements and tax returns, a lot of questions. The bottom line: Acosta did not communicate with Leasing News.

The inside story on how the retraction occurred comes from a CLP procedure for the board of directors to consider the complaint. Reportedly, CLP expected that Brian Acosta would bring his attorney Mark Scott with him. I was asked to see if Tom McCurnin (Leasing News Legal Editor as well as on the Advisory Board of Leasing News) would get involved to make a presentation to the CLP Foundation Board of Directors. I said I saw this as a "conflict of interest" as I was trying to be neutral, unbiased, and was still looking into the matter. That is the policy of Leasing News acting as an Ombudsman. I suggested Mr. McCurnin be contacted directly and asked to do the work "pro bono," which I thought he would do, if asked. But they had to ask him.

I have emails from Reid Raykovich, Executive Director of the then CLP, now Certified Leasing and Finance Foundation (CLFP), responding to Mr. Kastleman's complaint to send all the paperwork to her. He also said he had voice mails on a disk and would put them all on a thumbnail program.

I did not forward my paperwork or consult with Tom McCurnin, as he contacted Mr. Kastleman directly and asked for all the paperwork and copies of any emails or correspondence sent to a secure program at his office. Later, I did see a copy of the outline Mr. McCurnin would present, sent to me by CLP, and his plan to first get a written statement, and if necessary, a brief hearing be made with the outline of the procedure.

In the meantime, Mr. Kastleman sent me a copy of an email from Joseph Boannano, director and Legal Counsel to for the NAELB, outlining his procedure, which seemed to be very similar to Mr. McCurnin’s.

On August 15, 2013, Tom McCurnin asked me to call him. It seems in the documents Mr. Kastleman had sent to him, there was an agreement signed by Mr. Kastleman, as the representative for Hill Country Hillside Ltd, for a $54,592.47 lease as well as information regarding an approved lease that meets the signed addendum and he had refused to go ahead with it. Tom McCurnin said the addendum tied into the original proposal.

In other words, the lessee agreed to pay Matrix a commission if Matrix procured a lease in the sum of $54,592.47 and Matrix actually procured a funding source and lease documents from that funding source were generated and sent to the lessee to sign. Although the lessee “rescinded” its agreement with Matrix, Matrix was entitled to retain the commission. In other words, the lessee agreed to the lease terms, agreed to pay a commission if those terms were delivered, to forfeit its deposit if it did not go forward with the lease, and the lease documents from a reputable funder were issued. Thus, Matrix was entitled to retain the deposit on a contractual basis.

I sent an email to Mr. Kastleman, who responded the same day: "That is true. I also agreed via email to another proposal which he never followed through on..."

He said he later cancelled them, but the fact is he had signed them and it would take two parties to agree to a cancellation.

There were now many emails fast and furious, but Tom McCurnin concluded to Mr. Kastleman with a cc: email to me "... as the deposit goes, I think your signed Addendum and the proposed lease is dispositive...My opinion that the deposit was rightfully withheld is not an endorsement of Brian Acosta or Ability, and the file is full of issues, but my only issue I looked at was the deposit."

On August 16, 2013, an apology to Ability Capital Solutions and Mr. Brian Acosta, CLP, appeared at the top of the Leasing News Editor:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2013/8_16.htm#apology

There is a lot more to the story, the reaction of those involved, and then on August 26, 2013, Brian Acosta serving a law suit to Bryan Kastleman, as well as listing John Does 1-2 plus the CLP Foundation and Leasing News (2)

Contacted by email on March 25, 2015, Mr. Kastleman responded: "I am not allowed to discuss the terms of the lawsuit dismissal with you...If you are going to write another article naming me in your article, you should at the least use the correct name of the party to the agreement, which is NOT “Mr. Kastleman”. In other words, Hill Country Hillside, Ltd. ALLEGEDLY (alleged by you) did not fulfill its obligation…… I simply signed the agreement as the owner’s representative."

He followed up with a second email: “If Acosta tells you anything about the dismissal (terms, etc.), he will probably be in breach of a confidentiality clause. I have no desire to discuss this any further."

Christopher Menkin, editor/publisher

(1) Ability Capital Solutions, Long Beach, California
NAELB, CLP, NEFA Bulletin Board Complaint Status
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2013/8_14.htm#ability

(2) NAELB/CLP Foundation/Leasing News/John Does 1-20
Bryan Kastleman/Hill Country Hillside, LTD.
Named in Lawsuit by Brian Acosta, CLP
-Founder Blue Star Capital Inc., Ability/Matrix/
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Aug2013/8_26.htm#lawsuit

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Eastern Funding's Brian Grell Wins CLA Award

Every two years, the Coin Laundry Association names its recipient for the CLA Industry Award. In 2015, that recipient was Eastern Funding Executive Vice President Brian Grell.

"Brian was one of the founding members of Eastern Funding alongside President Michael Fanger, and since that time he has been able to integrate his accounting, construction and industry development knowledge into the business. Brian has had faith in and dedication to the coin laundry industry and its members since the very beginning.

"The idea behind the award is to recognize special dedication and service in the coin laundry industry. Every day Brian proves that he is willing to go above and beyond for his colleagues, vendors, brokers and clients, and he has done an incredible amount to raise awareness of the CLA and its mission."

2015 U.S. Digital Future in Focus
by comScore, Inc.

The digital world achieved enormous progress in 2014 as several transformative changes shaped how Americans interacted with technology and consumed media. Perhaps more so than at any other time in recent memory, changes were not merely incremental but rather seemed to represent key inflection points in the evolution of various markets and behaviors. We saw platforms collide in ways that upended existing markets, reconfigured the economics of various industries, and suggested that we are embarking on a new era of digital that will look markedly different from its predecessor.

Consider some of the digital milestones of 2014 and what they suggest about the future. This was the year that:

Mobile app usage exploded on its way to becoming the majority of all digital media activity.

Leading publishers saw mobile revenues surpass desktop revenues, signaling a shift towards mobile as the primary digital media platform.

Traditional TV ratings saw pronounced declines as Americans’ viewing habits time-shifted and moved to emerging platforms.

Digital advertising went through a challenging but important transition to transacting on impressions that are actually seen by people.

comScore Digital Future in Focus Report (26 pages)
http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations-and-Whitepapers/2015/2015-US-Digital-Future-in-Focus

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Just a small fraction of iPhone 6 owners
have actually tried Apple Pay
by Dave Smith, Business Insider

An analysis of three separate surveys of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners reveals that approximately one out of every seven people have used Apple Pay in stores at least once, according to BI Intelligence. The surveys — created by Auriemma Consulting, Trustev, and InfoScout — were all taken during February and March.

Though the surveys varied for in-store and in-app use cases in aggregate, the adoption statistics across all three surveys were extremely similar. But, even though about 16% of iPhone 6 owners on average have tried the service, this isn't an indicator of regular usage: Trustev's survey, for instance, found that 30% of respondents who tried Apple Pay at least once now say they "never" use the service in an average week. Habits could change by the end of the year, however: A new survey from Boston Retail Partners shows that nearly 40% of all large US retailers plan to support Apple Pay in 2015.

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Leasing Conferences 2015 -- Up-Date
NAELB & AGLF/ELFA Conference Information

27th Annual National Funding Conference
4/21/2015 - 4/23/2015
Fairmont Hotel Chicago
Chicago, IL

Brochure:
http://www.elfaonline.org/cvweb_elfa/cgi-bin/documentdll.dll
/view?DOCUMENTNUM=1024

Registration Form:
http://www.elfaonline.org/cvweb_elfa/templates/eventsdll
/regforms/FUND2015_RegForm.pdf

Funding Source Exhibitors as of March 3, 2015
Acrecent Financial
Ascentium Capital LLC
ATEL Capital Corp
Banc of California
Bank of the West
Baytree Financial Group
BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company
Boston Financial & Equity Corporation
CapitalSource, Inc.
Chase Equipment Finance
CBT Equipment Finance
CIT
Citizens Asset Finance, Inc.
EverBank Commercial Finance
Fifth Third Equipment Finance Company
Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc., an Umpqua Bank Company
First American Equipment Finance, a City National Bank Company
First Bank of Highland Park
Fuyo General Lease (USA) Inc.
GE Capital Markets
Huntington Equipment Finance
Key Equipment Finance
Lease Corporation of America
MB Financial Bank
Nations Equipment Finance LLC
NXT Capital
People's Capital and Leasing Corp
SCG Capital Corporation
Securcor Financial Group
Signature Financial
Societe Generale Equipment Finance
Sterling National Bank Equipment Finance
Stearns Bank NA-Equipment Finance Division
SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Equipment Finance Group
TCF Equipment Finance
VFI Corporate Finance
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance

For more information about this event, you may contact Lesley Sterling at (202)238-3435
or lsterling@elfaonline.org

Talking Stick Resort
This year’s NVLA Conference will take place at Talking Stick Resort, a luxurious Four-Diamond resort set in the Sonoran Desert.

Scottsdale’s newest resort destination offers something for everyone, including Vegas-style gaming and entertainment, a relaxing spa treatment, world-class cuisine, and that famous Arizona sun.

Reserve your room today by calling 866.877.9897 by March 31, 2015. Please reference the booking ID #7773 to receive a discounted rate.

Golf Outing

The 2015 NVLA Golf Outing will take place on Wednesday, April 22 at 11:30 a.m. This year’s event will be conveniently held at Talking Stick Golf Club, which is located on the grounds of Talking Stick Resort. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Talking Stick Golf Club has been recognized as a top public golf course in Arizona by Golfweek magazine.

Cost of the event is $95.00 per player, which includes green fee and cart. Rental clubs are available at the club for an additional fee.

If you’re interested in participating in this year’s outing, please contact Rick Damush (Miller Ford) at 609-261-6842 or via email at rdamush@millertransgroup.com.

Exhibiting Opportunities

The NVLA Conference presents vehicle leasing industry partners with a unique opportunity to make and solidify relationships with independent lessors.

NVLA is pleased to offer exhibit tables for member and non-member companies at affordable rates. Each exhibit table package includes a 3’ x 6’ skirted table, complimentary conference registration, and listing on the NVLA website and conference program.

Mike Mathy
Executive Director,
National Vehicle Leasing Association
mmathy@nvla.org
ph 414.533.3300 ext. 1108

Program:
http://www.nvla.org/events/2015-annual-conference/program.aspx

Confirmed Speakers/Registration
https://nvla.wildapricot.org/event-1784380

Agenda
http://www.naelb.org/NAELB/Events/2015_Annual_Conference.aspx

List of Attendees as of March 20, 2015
(Including Brokers and Funders

http://www.naelb.org/NAELB_Docs/2015%20Annual%20Conference
/NAELB%202015%20-%20Attendee%20List%203.20.15.pdf

Brochure
http://www.naelb.org/NAELB_Docs/2015%20Annual%20Conference/
NAELB%20Registration%20Brochure%201.9.15.pdf

Registration
http://www.naelb.org/NAELB/Events/2015_Annual_Conference.aspx

The Public Sector Finance Forum is a joint venture of the Association for Governmental Leasing and Financing and the Equipment Leasing Finance Association. The 2015 Forum will be held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, CO on May 6 through May 8, 2015.

Preliminary Agenda
https://aglf.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/2015Spring/
preliminary_conf_agenda_updated_3.25.pdf

Registration
https://aglf.memberclicks.net/aglf-elfa-public-sector-finance-forum

8th China Leasing Summit 2015
June 10-12, 2015
Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town.

The event is strongly supported by leading companies
and international leasing association.

The China Leasing Summit is based on over 10 years’ of research into the Chinese leasing industry and will provide an effective platform on which attendees can familiarize themselves with the current status of the market and the latest policies and regulations in order to gain a better understanding of China’s leasing market, thereby optimizing their development strategies. Furthermore, speakers from the government, as well as from the leading leasing companies, will share their invaluable experiences and opinions on the state of China’s leasing industry.

For more information, please go here:
http://www.duxes-events.com/lease15/index.html

2015 Eastern Regional Meeting
September 11-12, 2015
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Atlanta, GA

2015 Western Regional Meeting
November 13-14, 2015
Doubletree by Hilton Anaheim - Orange County
Anaheim, CA

2015 54th Annual Convention
10/25/2015 - 10/27/2015
JW Marriott Hill Country
San Antonio, TX

CFA
71st Annual Convention
November 11 - 13, 2015
JW Marriott Austin
Austin, TX

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

Chesswood Announces Results for Fiscal 2014
Fourth Consecutive Record Year

TORONTO, ONTARIO -Chesswood Group Limited (the "Company") (TSX: CHW), announced today its results for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Chesswood had its fourth consecutive year of record earnings in 2014. Income before taxes was $20.4 million for the year, compared to $19.7 million in the prior year. This year's results include the write-off of $607,000 in non-cash banking fees from the Company's prior banking syndicate, which was replaced in December by Chesswood's new syndicated banking facility.

Barry Shafran
President/CEO

"Our largest business, Pawnee Leasing, located in Colorado, once again delivered excellent profitability and return on equity" said Barry Shafran, Chesswood's President and CEO. As a large portion of Chesswood’s profits are earned in United States, the Company expects results in 2015 to benefit from the more recent strength of the U.S. dollar.

"Not only was 2014 another record year for us, but since January 2014 when the Company purchased Northstar Leasing, through the first few months of 2015, Chesswood has undergone considerable and significant change. We believe these changes greatly strengthen our strategic positioning for future growth in both Canada and the United States" said Barry Shafran, the Company's President and CEO.

The changes include:

Entering the Canadian equipment finance industry through the acquisition of Northstar Leasing, in January 2014.
Chesswood's U.S. based working capital loan business, Windset Capital, went from a start-up in late 2013 to a strong going concern in less than twelve months, and quickly contributed to overall profitability during 2014.
Acura Sherway began a long awaited re-imaging program that disrupted the dealership in every way, and still generated outstanding earnings.
Centralizing treasury management and gaining greater financing flexibility by entering into a new corporate banking syndication in December. This new cross-border Canadian and U.S. dollar facility provides Chesswood with greater flexibility in the provision and management of capital to our various operating businesses, in both countries.
Taking advantage of an opportunity to exit our legal finance business in the U.S. as the business was not sufficiently scalable within acceptable risk parameters.
Most significantly, just a few days ago, completion of the capital raise and acquisition of Blue Chip Leasing and EcoHome Financial. Blue Chip is a tenured small-ticket equipment finance business that serves the prime market in Canada, while EcoHome is a younger business, operating in the consumer finance market in Canada. Both businesses are profitable and growing. This transaction included our successful raising of equity in the public markets in early 2015, and added approximately $175 million in gross receivables portfolio to Chesswood.


Financial Highlights	For the Year
(in CDN $000's, except EPS)	Ended December 31
	2014	2013

Income before taxes, fair value adjustments, unrealized foreign exchange gains and one-time non-cash bank fee write-off	$22,515	$19,881

Net Income	$11,539	$10,905

Earnings Per Share - basic	$0.98	$0.96

Adjusted EBITDA(1)	$22,975	$21,623

(1) - See "Non-GAAP Measures" below.

Non GAAP Measures
References to Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized measures under International Financial Reporting Standards and do not have standard meanings. Accordingly, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

Please refer to the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2014 for additional information concerning this measure and a reconciliation of this measure to the Company's consolidated net income for the period.

About Chesswood Group Limited
Chesswood Group Limited is a financial services company with operating businesses in both Canada and the U.S.

To learn more about Chesswood Group Limited, visit www.ChesswoodGroup.com.

The separate websites of Chesswood Group Limited's operating businesses are at www.PawneeLeasing.com, www.WindsetCapital.com
www.BlueChipLeasing.com, www.EcoHomeFinancial.com
www.NStarleasing.com, and www.AcuraSherway.com

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

Waypoint Leasing Closes $85 Million Term Loan Facility

LIMERICK, Ireland, -- Waypoint Leasing (“Waypoint”), the largest independent global helicopter leasing company, today announced that it has closed on a five year US$85 million term loan facility led by Deutsche Bank AG. The company will use the proceeds to support its customers through the provision of further liquidity into the global helicopter market.

Alan Jenkins, CFO of Waypoint, said, “We are very pleased that Deutsche Bank AG has led this facility and joined our well diversified pool of over 20 lender relationships to date. Lenders recognize our leading position in the helicopter leasing sector and the tremendous job by our team in building scale and a global platform to support our customers for the long-term.”

((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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#### Press Release #############################

Element Announces the Appointment of
William Lovatt as Chairman and Richard Venn as Vice-Chairman

Toronto, Canada –– Element Financial Corporation (TSX:EFN) (“Element” or the “Company”), one of North America’s leading equipment and vehicle finance companies, announced today that it has appointed independent director William Lovatt as Chairman of the Company’s board of directors, effective as of April 1, 2015.

William Lovatt
Chair of Element Financial
Board of Directors

This appointment aligns Element with optimal corporate governance standards where the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer are separated. Element’s Chief Executive Officer, Steven K. Hudson, will remain an executive member on the board.

Steven K. Hudson
Chairman/CEO

“Having served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of one of Canada’s largest financial services companies, Bill Lovatt brings four decades of leadership experience in the financial services industry to Element’s board and shareholders,” said Steven K. Hudson, Element’s Chief Executive Officer.

Richard E. Venn
BASC, MBA
Vice-Chairman Element Financial
Board of Directors

In addition, the Company announced that Mr. Richard Venn has been appointed as Vice-Chairman of the board of directors as of April 1, 2015. Mr. Lovatt and Mr. Venn were first appointed to Element’s board in December of 2014.

Hon. Brian Tobin
Former Federal Minister and
Premier of Newfoundland

The Company also announced that The Hon. Brian Tobin, P.C., O.C. has been appointed to the Company’s board of directors to sit as an independent director effective April 1, 2015.

Mr. Tobin is currently a Vice Chairman of BMO Capital Markets. He was named as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013 for his contribution to Canadian public policy. Mr. Tobin served as Federal Minister of Industry from October 2000 to January 2002, prior to which he served as the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1996 to 2000. Mr. Tobin served as a Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1996 and served as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans in the federal cabinet from 1993 to 1996. Mr. Tobin also serves as Lead Director and Vice Chairman of Aecon Group Inc. and Chairman of the Board of New Flyer Industries Inc.

Concurrent with these appointments, Steven Small and Michael D. Harris have announced their retirement from the Company’s board of directors, having each served the Company as directors for the past five years. Mr. Harris will be retiring as of April 1, 2015 and Dr. Small will be retiring as of April 30, 2015.

“On behalf of Element’s employees and shareholders, I want to thank Steven and Michael as founding directors for their exceptional long-standing service to the Company through a period of remarkable growth and development,” said Mr. Hudson.

About Element Financial Corporation
With total assets of more than $11 billion, Element Financial Corporation is one of North America’s leading equipment and vehicle finance companies. Element operates across North America in four verticals of the equipment finance market – Commercial & Vendor Finance, Aviation Finance, Railcar Finance and Fleet Management.

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NEFA Finance Summit Draws Record Crowd

Raleigh, NC – More than 240 equipment finance professionals registered for NEFA’s 2015 National Equipment Finance Summit in Long Beach, California last week setting a new attendance record for the National Equipment Finance Association.

Attendees at the 2015 National Equipment Finance Summit held March 18th - 20th at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel in Long Beach California enjoyed networking, service and funding source exhibits, educational breakout sessions and, for many, some much needed warmth and sunshine – exactly what Southern California is known for.

Raquel O’Leary, CLFP
Conference Chairperson
Operations Manager, Allegiant Partners

“Putting together the educational program for the Summit gave me an opportunity to work with an inspiring and dedicated group of industry professionals committed to giving back to their industry,” said Conference Chairperson Raquel O’Leary, CLFP, of Allegiant Partners. “On top of the education, the location in Southern California provided a nice break for those attendees who had an unusually harsh winter, and it was fun watching them enjoy it. It all came together as a record setting conference for NEFA and I’m proud to have been the Summit Chairperson.”

Current NEFA President, Tara Aasand, of LeaseTeam said, “This year’s Summit was the biggest we’ve ever had and included the most exhibitors we’ve had at a Summit. That alone was a great opportunity for the attendees. Attendees had the opportunity to meet with leading service providers and funding sources in our industry. We also had lots of great feedback on the educational programs,” said Ms. Aasand. “That’s wonderful since education is a core focus of NEFA and will continue to be going forward.”

Gerry Egan, NEFA’s Executive Director said, “We registered more attendees for this Summit than for any prior NEFA event and equally rewarding was we had a record number of both first time attendees and new NEFA Members present.”

“We also ran a golf event as a fundraiser for NEFA’s Chris Walker Education fund and Stearns Bank generously donated two six-hundred dollar Amazon gift cards for us to raffle off during the conference. Between the golf event and the raffle, we raised well over five-thousand dollars for the Fund,” said Egan.

The CLFP Foundation, with whom NEFA has a long and close relationship, also presented some of their own awards during one of the luncheons.

About National Equipment Finance Association

The National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) is a national association serving small to mid-sized independent equipment finance companies, lessors and brokers. NEFA is a strong association offering enhanced educational programs and premium networking opportunities with broad geographic and industry segment diversity. The mission of NEFA is to provide a forum for members to pursue personal and professional growth and promote ethical business practices through advocacy, networking and industry involvement. For more information, visit: www.NEFAssociation.org or call: 847-380-5050.

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)

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

     1513 - Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sighted Florida. He equipped three ships with at least 200 men at his own expense and set out from Puerto Rico on March 4. On March 27, Easter Sunday, they sighted an island that was unfamiliar to the sailors on the expedition. Because many Spanish seamen were acquainted with the Bahamas, which had been depopulated by slaving ventures, some scholars believe that this "island" was actually Florida, as it was thought to be an island for several years after its formal discovery.
    1790 - The modern shoestring (string and shoe holes) was invented in England and quickly adopted in New England where shoemaking was a major industry.
    1792 - The first Congressional investigation was authorized after troops under the command of Major General Arthur St. Clair were defeated by Native American forces near the Ohio-Indiana border on November 4, 1791. The House of Representatives, by a vote of 44-10, resolved “that a committee be appointed to inquire into the causes of the failure of the late expedition under Major General St. Clair; and that the said committee be empowered to call for such persons, papers and records as may be necessary to assist their inquiries.” The seven member committee, which was headed by Thomas Fitzsimons, a Federalist of Pennsylvania, absolved St. Clair and ruled that his defeat “can in no respect be imputed to his conduct either at any time before or during the action.” St. Clair nonetheless resigned his army command, retaining his post as governor of the Northwest Territory.
    1794 - President Washington and Congress authorized creation of the U.S. Navy. The bill authorizes construction of 6 frigates, including Constitution.
    1794 - James Monroe is appointed the American minister to France replacing Governeur Morris, whose recall the French have requested because of his royalist sympathies and meddling.
    1813 - In a US attack on Fort George, near the mouth of the Niagara River, LTC Winfield Scott with a 4000-man force captures the 1600-man British garrison under General John Vincent. The British withdraw from Lake Erie. This action permits Captain Oliver Hazard Perry to surreptitiously remove five vessels from the Black Rock shipyard and take them to Presque Isle in order to reinforce the flotilla under construction there.
    1814 - General Andrew Jackson led U.S. soldiers who killed 700 Creek Indians at Horseshoe Bend in central Alabama. Jackson lost 49 men.
    1836 - The Mormon Temple built in Kirtland, Ohio by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (or Mormon Church), was dedicated. He had moved to Ohio with 50 families.
    1836 - In a disastrous setback for the Texans resisting Santa Anna's dictatorial regime, the Mexican army defeats and executes 417 Texas revolutionaries at Goliad. Now determined to break completely from Mexico, the Texas revolutionaries began to yell "Remember Goliad!" along with the more famous battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!" Less than a month later, Texan forces under General Sam Houston dealt a stunning blow to Santa Anna's army in the Battle of San Jacinto, and Texas won its independence.
    1841 – The first steam fire engine was tested in NYC
    1851 – Europeans first sighted Yosemite.
    1855 - Kerosene distilled from bituminous shale and cannel coal for illuminating purposes was obtained by Dr. Abraham Gesner. The name “kerosene” is derived from keros, the Greek work for wax, referring to the use of paraffin in the distillation process.
    1860 - The device which, officially, is a “covered gimlet screw with a ‘T' handle”, or corkscrew, was patented this day by M. L. Byrne of New York City
    1865 - President Lincoln meets with Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman at City Point, Virginia, to plot the last stages of the war. Lincoln came to Virginia just as Grant was preparing to attack Confederate General Robert E. Lee's lines around Petersburg and Richmond, an assault that promised to end the siege that had dragged on for 10 months. Meanwhile, Sherman's force was steamrolling northward through the Carolinas. The three architects of Union victory met for the first time as a group--Sherman and Lincoln had never met--to plot the final destruction of the Confederacy. Grant and Sherman confidently assured the President that the end was in sight. Lincoln emphasized to his generals that any surrender terms must preserve the Union war aims of emancipation and a pledge of equality for the freed slaves. After meeting the next day with Admiral David Dixon Porter, the three went their separate ways. In less than four weeks, Grant and Sherman had secured the surrender of the Confederacy.
    1866 - President Andrew Johnson vetoed the civil rights bill, which later became the 14th amendment.
    1868 - Birthday of Patty Smith, schoolteacher, author and education specialist, born at Anchorage (suburb of Louisville), KY. She was author of the lyrics of the song "Good Morning to All," which later became known as "Happy Birthday to You." Her older sister, Mildred J. Hill, composed the melody for the song which was first published in 1893 as a classroom greeting in the book “Song Stories for the Sunday School”.A stanza beginning "Happy Birthday to You" was added in 1924, and the song became arguably the most frequently sung song in the world. Hill died at New York, NY, May 25, 1946
    1879 - Birthday of Edward Steichen, celebrated American photographer, in Luxembourg. His photos of gowns for the magazine “Art et Décoration” in 1911 are regarded as the first modern fashion photography ever published. From 1923 to 1938, Steichen was a photographer for the Conde Nast magazines ‘Vogue’ and ‘Vanity Fair’ while also working for many advertising agencies including J. Walter Thompson. During these years, Steichen was regarded as the best known and highest paid photographer in the world. In 1944, he directed the war documentary “The Fighting Lady”, which won the 1945 Academy Award for Best Documentary. He died Mar 25, 1973, at West Redding, CT.
http://www.cosmopolis.ch/english/cosmo13/steichen.htm
    1884 - The first long-distance telephone call was made by branch managers of the American Bell Telephone Company in Boston, MA, and New York City. Said a contemporary account: The words were heard as perfectly as though the speakers were standing close by, while no extra effort was needed at the other end of the line to accomplish the result.”
    1884 - A Cincinnati mob attacked members of a jury who had returned a verdict of manslaughter in a clear case of murder. Over the next few days they rioted and destroyed the courthouse.
    1886 – Geronimo surrendered to Lt Charles Gatewood and General Nelson Miles of the US Army in the Sierra Madre in Mexico, ending the Apache wars.
    1890 - An outbreak of tornadoes occurred in the Ohio Valley. One of the tornadoes struck Louisville, KY, killing 78 persons and causing four million dollars damage.
    1899 – Actress Gloria Swanson was born in Chicago. She was one of the most prominent stars during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille. She starred in dozens of silent films and was nominated for the first Academy Award in the Best Actress category. She also, after a time, successfully transitioned to ‘talkies’ evidenced by her second Academy Award nomination, for “Sunset Boulevard” (1950). Swanson died in 1983.
    1906 - Clarinet player Pee Wee Russell birthday in Maplewood, MO.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/peewee.html
    1909 - Tenor saxophone player Ben Webster born Kansas City, MO
http://jazzcanadiana.on.ca/_WEBSTER.HTM
    1912 - Cherry trees planted on the Potomac River, a gift from the Empire of Japan. Japan gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees as a gift to the United States to celebrate the nations' then-growing friendship, replacing an earlier gift of 2000 trees which had to be destroyed due to disease in 1910. These trees were planted in Sakura Park in Manhattan and line the shore of the Tidal basin in Washington, D.C’s West Potomac Park. The first two original trees were planted by first lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda on the bank of the Tidal Basin. The gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1965. In Washington, D.C. the cherry blossom trees continue to be a popular tourist attraction when they reach full bloom in early spring.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar27.html
    1914 - Birthday of Snooky Lanson, born Roy Landman in Memphis, Singer, vocalist on “Your Hit Parade” on radio and TV. Lanson died in 1990 in NYC.
    1915 - Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary) was arrested and returned to quarantine on North Brother Island, New York after spending five years evading health authorities and causing several further outbreaks of typhoid
    1916 - US purchases Danish West Indies for $25M and renames them Virgin Islands.
http://www.usvitourism.vi/
    1924 - Birthday of Sarah Vaughan, legendary jazz singer, at Newark, NJ. Renowned for her melodic improvising, wide vocal range and extraordinary technique, she began her career by winning an amateur contest at New York's Apollo Theater in 1943. She was spotted and hired by Earl Hines to accompany his band as his relief pianist as well as singer. As her career took off, she was given the nickname "The Divine One" by Chicago disc jockey Dave Garroway, a moniker that would remain with her the rest of her life. She toured with the Norman Granz Gramacy Jazz Group along with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in the early 1950's. Her signature song, “Broken Hearted Melody”, written by Hal David, was published in 1958 before she recorded it in 1959. Despite the record's commercial success, Vaughan herself always thought the song to be corny. However, "Broken Hearted Melody" was to become her first gold record, peaking at #7 in the Billboard Charts and #5 on the R&B charts. She died in 1990.
http://www.parsec-santa.com/celebrity/celeb_pages/SarahVaughn.html
    1930 – The first US radio broadcast from a ship at sea
    1931 – Charlie Chaplin received France's distinguished Legion of Honor
    1931 - John McGraw said night baseball will not catch on.
    1933 – The Farm Credit Administration was established by the Farm Credit Act of 1933, part of The New Deal. Allowing farmers to refinance mortgages over a longer time at below-market interest rates at regional and national banks, this helped farmers recover from the Dust Bowl. The Emergency Farm Mortgage Act loaned funds to farmers in danger of losing their properties. The campaign refinanced 20% of farmers' mortgages. An Executive order by President Roosevelt in 1933 placed all existing agricultural credit organizations under the supervision of a new agency, the Farm Credit Administration.
    1939 - The Oregon Ducks defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes, 46-33, to win the first NCAA men's basketball tournament. Oregon beat Texas and Oklahoma to reach the final, held at Northwestern's Patten Gymnasium. Ohio State defeated Wake Forest and Villanova in the eastern half of the eight-team draw.
    1942 - Seeing the unworkability of his plan to allow Japanese-Americans to leave the Pacific Coast of their own accord (most of the Nisei were turned back at whatever state line they happened to reach, or were attacked by hostile mobs once they did manage to find a new home.), Lt. General John DeWitt ended the voluntary policy of evacuation. Two days letter, a more "practical" policy, forced evacuation and interment, officially took effect.
    1943 – “Blue Ribbon Town” with Groucho Marx was first heard on CBS Radio
    1943 – The Battle of Komandorski Village began inn the Aleutian Islands when United States Navy forces intercepted the Japanese attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska.
    1945 - Ella Fitzgerald and the Delta Rhythm Boys recorded "It's Only a Paper Moon" for Decca Records.
    1945 – General Eisenhower declared the German defenses on the western front broken.
    1948 - 11 days after being released from prison, Billie Holiday played in front of a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. On May 16, 1947, she was arrested for possessing narcotics in her New York apartment. During the trial, dehydrated and unable to hold down food, she pleaded guilty and asked to be sent to the hospital. The district attorney spoke in her defense, saying, "If your honor please, this is a case of a drug addict, but more serious, however, than most of our cases, Miss Holiday is a professional entertainer and among the higher rank as far as income was concerned." At the end of the trial, Holiday was sentenced to Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia, popularly known then as "Camp Cupcake".   There were 2,700 tickets sold in advance, a record at the time for the venue.
    1950 - Jazz pianist Erroll Garner became one of the first jazz instrumentalists to give a solo concert. He played the Music Hall in Cleveland, OH. In 1954, Garner would gain international applause for writing and recording a standard that has been presented many times since: "Misty". Johnny Mathis and Sarah Vaughan are but two of many recording artists to offer vocal renditions of this renowned Garner composition. Play "Misty" for me. I believe I have all his albums and play them often at the office.
    1950 - Top Hits
“Music, Music, Music” - Teresa Brewer
“There's No Tomorrow” - Tony Martin
“If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake” - Eileen Barton
“Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy” - Red Foley
    1951 - Frank Sinatra recorded "I'm a Fool to Want You" for Columbia. This was one of the last songs Sinatra recorded for Mitch Miller, who had taken over as head of recording for the label.
1952 – Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Studio of Memphis, Tennessee began releasing records. The label would later become the home of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and many others.
    1952 - HAMMOND, FRANCIS C., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman, U.S. Navy, attached as a medical corpsman to 1st Marine Division. Place and date: Korea, 26-27 March 1953. Entered service at: Alexandria, Va. Birth: Alexandria, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a HC serving with the 1st Marine Division in action against enemy aggressor forces on the night of 26-27 March 1953. After reaching an intermediate objective during a counterattack against a heavily entrenched and numerically superior hostile force occupying ground on a bitterly contested outpost far in advance of the main line of resistance. HC Hammond's platoon was subjected to a murderous barrage of hostile mortar and artillery fire, followed by a vicious assault by onrushing enemy troops. Resolutely advancing through the veritable curtain of fire to aid his stricken comrades, HC Hammond moved among the stalwart garrison of marines and, although critically wounded himself, valiantly continued to administer aid to the other wounded throughout an exhausting 4-hour period. When the unit was ordered to withdraw, he skillfully directed the evacuation of casualties and remained in the fire-swept area to assist the corpsmen of the relieving unit until he was struck by a round of enemy mortar fire and fell, mortally wounded. By his exceptional fortitude, inspiring initiative and self-sacrificing efforts, HC Hammond undoubtedly saved the lives of many marines. His great personal valor in the face of overwhelming odds enhances and sustains the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
    1952 - CHARETTE, WILLIAM R., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy Medical Corpsman serving with a marine rifle company. Place and date: Korea, 27 March 1953. Entered service at: Ludington, Michigan. Birth: Ludington, Mich. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against enemy aggressor forces during the early morning hours. Participating in a fierce encounter with a cleverly concealed and well-entrenched enemy force occupying positions on a vital and bitterly contested outpost far in advance of the main line of resistance, HC3c. Charette repeatedly and unhesitatingly moved about through a murderous barrage of hostile small-arms and mortar fire to render assistance to his wounded comrades. When an enemy grenade landed within a few feet of a marine he was attending, he immediately threw himself upon the stricken man and absorbed the entire concussion of the deadly missile with his body. Although sustaining painful facial wounds, and undergoing shock from the intensity of the blast which ripped the helmet and medical aid kit from his person, HC3c. Charette resourcefully improvised emergency bandages by tearing off part of his clothing, and gallantly continued to administer medical aid to the wounded in his own unit and to those in adjacent platoon areas as well. Observing a seriously wounded comrade whose armored vest had been torn from his body by the blast from an exploding shell, he selflessly removed his own battle vest and placed it upon the helpless man although fully aware of the added jeopardy to himself. Moving to the side of another casualty who was suffering excruciating pain from a serious leg wound, HC3c. Charette stood upright in the trench line and exposed himself to a deadly hail of enemy fire in order to lend more effective aid to the victim and to alleviate his anguish while being removed to a position of safety. By his indomitable courage and inspiring efforts in behalf of his wounded comrades, HC3c. Charette was directly responsible for saving many lives. His great personal valor reflects the highest credit upon himself and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1952 - "Singin' in the Rain", a musical comedy starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, was released
    1953 - The State Department bans Dashiell [DASH-ell] Hammett's novels from its overseas libraries. This year, Senator Joseph McCarthy sent aides Roy Cohn and G. David Schine on a tour of U.S. libraries in Europe to ferret out so-called subversive books. McCarthy's boys found 300 Hammett detective stories there. Questioned by Cohn in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Hammett would not say whether he was a Communist, when he wrote the books, nor whether royalties ended up in party coffers. Hammett frustrated the committee with these ambiguous words, and some say inebriated (he was an alcoholic at the time: "If I were fighting Communism, I don't think I would do it by giving people any books at all."
http://www.mysterynet.com/hammett/
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/spade_sam.html
    1954 - Director Quentin Tarantino was born in Knoxville, TN.
    1955 - Steve McQueen made his network TV debut on "Goodyear Playhouse". McQueen starred in "The Chivington Raid". In 1958, McQueen was starred in his own TV series, "Wanted Dead or Alive", on NBC. My father Lawrence Menkin wrote many of the scripts.
    1955 - The first Jewish mobile synagogue was dedicated, called the Circuit Riding Rabbi Buss, at the Amity Country Club, Charlotte, NC. It was the project of the North Carolina Association of Jewish Men. The first rabbi was Harold A. Friedman. The bus was equipped with desks, blackboards, maps, a projection machine, a record player, and a library.
    1955 - Frustrated over Ike Turner's inability to find a label to record the follow up to his hit, Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88," Sam Phillips decides to form his own independent label in Memphis, known as Sun Records. Within a matter of days, Sun will release its first single, Johnny London's "Drivin' Slow" b/w "Flat Tire" (Sun 175). He is also associated with several other noteworthy rhythm and blues, country, and rock and roll musicians of the period. Phillips sold Sun in 1969. He was an early investor in the Holiday Inn chain of hotels. He also advocated racial equality and helped break down racial music industry barriers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Phillips
    1957 - Jerry Lewis (in Hollywood) and actress Celeste Holm (in New York City) hosted the 29th Annual Academy Awards at the RKO Pantages Theater, Los Angeles. Best Picture, "Around the World in 80 Days" (Michael Todd, producer). There were many other epic productions it competed against, including Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments". Others of that genre included "The Rainmaker"; "Richard III"; "The Bad Seed"; King Vidor's "War and Peace"; "High Society"; "Written on the Wind", "The King and I" and "Anastasia". "Around the World in 80 Days" received additional accolades for Best Writing/Best Screenplay - Adapted (James Poe, John Farrow, S.J. Perelman); Best Cinematography/Color (Lionel Lindon); Best Film Editing (Gene Ruggiero, Paul Weatherwax); and Best Music/Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Victor Young). The Oscar for Best Director went to George Stevens for "Giant". Best Actor was Yul Brynner for "The King and I" and the Best Actress prize was given to Ingrid Bergman for "Anastasia". Anthony Quinn was Best Supporting Actor in for "Lust for Life" and Dorothy Malone was Best Supporting Actress in "Written on the Wind". The Best Music/Song Oscar was awarded to Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" from "The Man Who Knew Too Much".
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0148697.html
    1956 – The US government seized the US communist newspaper "Daily Worker"
    1958 - Top Hits
“Don't/I Beg of You” - Elvis Presley
“Tequila” - The Champs
“Breathless” - Jerry Lee Lewis
“Ballad of a Teenage Queen” - Johnny Cash
    1958 - CBS Laboratories announced a new stereophonic record that was playable on ordinary LP phonographs, meaning, monaural. In stereo, on the proper equipment, a new rich and fuller sound was heard. It eventually became a standard for record and equipment buyers.
    1958 – Khrushchev became Soviet Premier, which had a great effect
on foreign policy.
    1960 - Representative Emanuel Celler (D-NY) introduced two bills designed to halt the practice of "payola" -- that is, DJs receiving cash, gifts, or writing credits to promote certain records. Celler, echoing the sentiments of his era, declares that "the cacophonous music called Rock and Roll" could not possibly have risen up the charts without the practice of payola.
    1961 - The first mobile computer assignment was undertaken for the Douglas Aircraft Corporation, Charlotte, NC. Remington Rand Univac, a division of the Sperry Rand Corporation, New York City, equipped a motor van with a UNIVAC Solid-State computer. Today's smartphones and tablets have more memory and speed. The ability of a laptop computer was thought to be a Captain Video science fiction fantasy.
    1962 - In Louisiana, Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel ordered all Roman Catholic schools in the New Orleans diocese to end segregation.
    1962 – Goalie Jacques Plante tied the record by winning his 6th NHL Vezina Trophy.
    1963- Birthday of Quentin Tarantino, director, screenwriter, born Knoxville, TN.
    1964 - The strongest earthquake in North American history (8.4 on the Richter scale) struck Alaska, east of Anchorage. 117 people were killed. This was the world's second worst earthquake of the 20th century in terms of magnitude.
    1964 – The Great Train Robbers, 15-strong gang, were sentenced to a total of 307 years in prison for robbing a Royal Mail train heading between Glasgow and London in the early hours of August 8, 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge in Buckinghamshire, England. With inside information from an individual known as 'The Ulsterman' (named as Patrick McKenna in 2014), the robbers got away with over £2.6 million (the equivalent of £48 million today). The bulk of the stolen money was never recovered. Though the gang did not use any firearms, the train driver was beaten over the head with a metal bar that caused injuries were severe enough to end his career.
   1965 - The Who released their first US chart entry, "I Can't Explain". Although the song would not crack the Billboard Top 40, the band still gained a large following thanks in part to their exciting live performances.
    1966 - Top Hits
“The Ballad of the Green Berets” - SSgt Barry Sadler
“19th Nervous Breakdown” - The Rolling Stones
“Nowhere Man” - The Beatles
“Waitin' in Your Welfare Line” - Buck Owens
    1966 - Roy Orbison took a curve too tightly while out motorcycling in Hawkstone Park in Birmingham, England, and fractured his foot, resulting in the Big O playing his next few English dates in crutches on a stool.
    1967 - At a ceremony held at the Playhouse Theatre in London, The Beatles were awarded three Ivor Novello awards: best-selling British single of 1966 - "Yellow Submarine."
    1967 - Fats Domino played his first UK gig at London's Saville Theatre on a ticket that included the Bee Gees and Gerry & the Pacemakers.
    1969 - Bo Diddley opened at the San Francisco Winterland.
    1970 - Birthday of singer Mariah Carey, Long Island, NY.
    1971 - UCLA became the first team ever to win five consecutive NCAA basketball titles. The Bruins defeated Villanova 68-62. UCLA, under coaching legend John Wooden, dominated NCAA tournament play until 1974, when North Carolina State won the tourney, thus ending UCLA’s streak of consecutive championships at seven. The Bruins roared back next season to win the championship once more, the final of the ten of the Wooden era.
    1971 - Janis Joplin started her second (and final) week at the top of the pop music charts with the hit, "Me and Bobby McGee", written by Kris Kristofferson.
    1971 - Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" enters the Billboard Hot 100 on its way to becoming the biggest selling single of the year.
    1972 - Elvis Presley records what proves to be his last Top Ten hit during his lifetime, "Burning Love". It made #2 on the US chart,
    1972 - Adolph Rupp of the University of Kentucky retired after 42 years of coaching the Wildcats. During his long tenure at Kentucky, Rupp won 874 games for a winning average of 82.1 percent. Rupp was second only to Clair Bee who coached at Rider College in New Jersey and at Long Island University.
    1973 – A routine speeding ticket in New Jersey for Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia became much more when police searched his car and found a significant quantity of LSD. He was released on two thousand dollars bail.
    1973 - It was Oscar night (for the 45th time) at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson. Most people, when offered an Academy Award, can't get up to the stage fast enough to claim the little gold guy. But, Marlon Brando said, “You can keep it," when AMPAS offered him the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as "The Godfather". Brando refused to accept the award because he felt that the U.S. and Hollywood were discriminating against American Indians. "The Godfather" (Albert S. Ruddy, producer) also was awarded the prize for Best Picture. That Oscar was accepted, as were several for "Cabaret": Best Director (Bob Fosse), Best Actress (Liza Minnelli) and Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey). Best Supporting Actress was Eileen Heckart for "Butterflies are Free" and the Best Music/Song prize went to Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn for "The Morning After" from "The Poseidon Adventure".
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0149237.html
    1974 - Top Hits
“Dark Lady” - Cher
“Sunshine on My Shoulders” - John Denver
“Mockingbird” - Carly Simon & James Taylor
“There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)” - Conway Twitty
    1975 – Construction began on the Trans-Alaska pipeline, 800 miles with the diameter of 48 inches that conveys oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska. The pipeline is privately owned by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The pipeline was built completed in 1977 after the 1973 OPEC oil embargo caused a sharp rise in oil prices and shortages in the US.
    1977 - Worst accident in aviation history occurs when a Pan Am 747 collided with a KLM 747 on a runway in Tenerife in the Canary Islands, resulting in about 580 deaths.
    1979 - Bruce Springsteen's first video, a live version of "Rosalita", made its world debut on the BBC.
    1982 - Top Hits
“I Love Rock 'N Roll” - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“Open Arms” - Journey
“We Got the Beat” - Go-Go's
“She Left Love All Over Me” - Razzy Bailey
    1984 - The temperature at Brownsville, TX, soared to 106 degrees, and Cotulla, TX, reached 108 degrees, equaling the March record for the U.S.
    1985 - Billy Dee Williams received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. His place, for those looking to visit, is located between Joan Davis and Harry Carey.
    1986 - Sammy Hagar plays his first show as lead singer of Van Halen.
    1988-- World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Budapest won by Katarina Witt (German Democratic Republic)
    1988 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Budapest won by Brian Boitano (USA)
    1988 - Temperatures rose quickly, then dropped just as rapidly, in the central U.S. Eight cities reported record high temperatures for the date as readings soared into the 80s. In southeastern Colorado, the temperature at Lamar, CO reached 91 degrees. Strong southerly winds gusted to 63 mph at Gage, OK. Strong northwesterly winds, gusting to 61 mph at Goodland, KS, then proceeded to usher much colder air into the area.
    1990 - Top Hits
“Black Velvet” - Alannah Myles
“Love Will Lead You Back” - Taylor Dayne
“I Wish It Would Rain Down” - Phil Collins
“Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart” - Randy Travis
    1990 - Temperatures dipped into the teens and single numbers in the northeastern U.S. Scranton, PA tied their record for the date with a morning low of 18 degrees. Temperatures warmed into the 60s and lower 70s in the Pacific Northwest. The afternoon high of 65 degrees at Astoria, OR equaled their record for the date
    1995 – David Letterman was the host of the 67th Annual Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The Best Picture was "Forrest Gump"(Wendy Finerman, Steve Starkey, Steve Tisch, producers). Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks won Oscars for Best Director and Best Actor, respectively, in...you got it..."Forrest Gump". The Best Actress prize was claimed by Jessica Lange for "Blue Sky". Best Supporting Actor was Martin Landau for "Ed Wood" and the Best Supporting Actress award went to Dianne Wiest for "Bullets Over Broadway". The Best Music/Song Oscar went to Elton John (music) and Tim on “Can You Feel the Love Tonight". Rice (lyrics) for the fine job they did for the animated movie, "The Lion King", with the song, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0149926.html
    1998 - The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Viagra, made by Pfizer, to fight male impotence.
    2003 - The city of Liverpool finally opened John Lennon's "Mendips" boyhood home, located at 251 Menlove Avenue, to the public.
    2006 - Victor Willis, the "policeman" in the Village People, was arrested in San Francisco for failing to appear at his trial for cocaine and gun possession. After agreeing to enter rehab, his sentence was reduced to three years’ probation.
    2007 - Jefferson Airplane/Starship vocalist Grace Slick sued former bandmate Paul Kantner for touring with different musicians under the name "Paul Kantner's Starship."
    2007 – NFL owners voted to make instant replay a permanent officiating tool.
    2009 - President Barack Obama launched a fresh effort to defeat al-Qaida terrorists in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, ordering in 4,000 more troops.

NCAA Basketball Champions This Date
    1939 - Oregon
    1945 - Oklahoma A&M
    1951 - Kentucky
    1971 - UCLA
    1978 - Kentucky
    2005 - North Carolina

The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. What could be simpler?

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