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Leasing News is a website that posts information, news, and
entertainment for the commercial alternate financing,
bank, finance and leasing industries

kitmenkin@leasingnews.org
   

Friday, March 6, 2020



Today's Leasing News Headlines

GreatAmerica Financial Services Submits
   Industrial Bank Application to FDIC
New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
    and Related Industries
Channel Partners: February, 2020, Recent Transactions
  Business Type/FICO/TIB (yrs.)/Annual Revenue/Funding Amt/Term
Competition is Fierce
    Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP
(Do Not) Let the Olympic Games Begin!
   By Felix Richer, Statista
Leasing News Advisor
    Ken Greene, Attorney
OnWard/Vitalina Varela
  Motherless Brooklyn/First Love/Maya Deren Collection
    Film/Digital Reviews by Leasing News' Fernando Croce
Collie, Smooth/Mix
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa  Adopt a Dog
The American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers
    2020 Annual Conference
News Briefs---
HP turns down Xerox’s $35 billion takeover offer
    Latest bid still undervalues Palo Alto-based company
‘Almost Without Precedent’:
   Airlines Hit Hard by Coronavirus

Broker/Funder/Industry Lists | Features (wrilter's columns)
Top Ten Stories Chosen by Readers | Top Stories last six months

www.leasingcomplaints.com (Be Careful of Doing Business)
www.evergreenleasingnews.org
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[headlines]

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

GreatAmerica Financial Services Submits
Industrial Bank Application to FDIC


(Cedar Rapids, IA) – GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation announced today that it has submitted an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions (UDFI) to establish GreatAmerica Bank, an industrial bank to be located in the Salt Lake City, Utah metropolitan area. The proposed GreatAmerica Bank will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of GreatAmerica, helping it expand its ability to help its customers be more successful.


GreatAmerica Chairman and CEO Tony Golobic, said, “Our team is excited to continue working with the FDIC and UDFI in moving towards the establishment of GreatAmerica Bank, and officially filing the application is the next step forward.

“If the application is approved, GreatAmerica and GreatAmerica Bank will work in tandem to help manufacturers, vendors and dealers be more successful and keep their customers for a lifetime.”

As the largest independent, family-owned national commercial equipment finance company in the U.S., GreatAmerica views establishing GreatAmerica Bank as a strategic expansion, aligning GreatAmerica entrepreneurialism with the strength and stability of an FDIC-insured banking institution.

“A banking subsidiary would allow us to collectively provide a more comprehensive suite of financing options to small and medium sized businesses looking to acquire the equipment necessary to support their growth,” said Golobic.

 “For the past 27 years, our manufacturer, equipment distributor, and dealer customers have relied on GreatAmerica to provide the financing needed by their customers to purchase equipment. Establishing GreatAmerica Bank is just one of the things we are doing to ensure continued support of our customers into the future.”

About GreatAmerica
GreatAmerica is the largest independent, family-owned national commercial equipment finance company in the U.S. and is dedicated to helping manufacturers, vendors, and dealers be more successful and keep their customers for a lifetime. A $2 Billion company, GreatAmerica was established in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1992 and has a staff of over 600 employees with offices in Iowa, Georgia, and Minnesota. In addition to financing, GreatAmerica offers innovative non-financial services to help our customers grow. www.greatamerica.com

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




[headlines]

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

 


Kirsten Dargy was promoted to Marketing Team Lead, LTi Technology Solutions, Omaha, Nebraska. She joined the firm February, 2015, Marketing Coordinator; promoted January, 2016, Marketing Communications and Social Media Coordinator; January, 2017, Digital Marketing Coordinator; January, 2019, Digital Marketing Analyst. Prior, she was Assistant High School Softball Coach, Papillon-La Vista School District (April, 2015 - Present); Junior Varsity Softball Coach, Mercy High School, Omaha (February 2014 - April, 2015); Copywriter, Venel, The Communication of Orthopedics (August, 2013 - November, 2014); Intern, Great Plains Athletic Conference (January, 2013 - May, 2013); Campus Security Supervision, Morningside College (2009 - 2013).Volunteer: Assistant Coach, Nebraska Fury Fastpitch 18's (October, 2014 - August, 2016). Assistant Coach, Quakes Fastpitch Softball 16's (January, 2014 - July, 2014).  Education: Morningside College. Bachelor of Business Administration (BBSA), Marketing, Graduate (2009 - 2013). Activities and Societies: Leadership Academy, Softball Team. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstendargy/


Kaitlin Fetes was hired as Credit Manager, Targeted Lease Capital, LLC, Williamsville, New York.  Previously, she was Mortgage Loan Processor, KeyBank (August, 2015 - February, 2020).  She joined United Auto Credit Corporation August, 2014 as Funding Analyst, promoted November, 2013 as Credit Analyst.  Education: State University of New York College at Buffalo.  Bachelor's Degree, Business Administration (2007 - 2012). https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlin-fetes-22a26798/


Stephen Green was hired as Vice President of Direct Channel, CAN Capital, Kennesaw, Georgia, to open an office in Mount Laurel, NJ. It will be their third office; San Jose, Costa Rica, was the second office. He previously was at Marlin Capital Solutions, starting 2003 as National Sales Manager; promoted January, 2015, National Sales Director; promoted January, 2016, Assistant Vice President; promoted May, 2012, Vice President of Vendor Finance. “Our team's hard work, combined with the small business owners who rely on us for working capital, have driven earnings growth,” said CAN Capital CEO Ed Siciliano, also formerly from Marlin Business Capital in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, where he served as Chief Sales Officer and Senior Vice President. “We are proud to show our confidence in CAN's business model by investing back into the business. Our next step is to leverage this momentum to accelerate growth in 2020.”  Green began his career as Sales Representative Heartland Home Finance (2002 - 2003). Education: Rider University, BA, History and Education (1995 -200). Activities and Societies: Rider University Men’s Swimming Team (NCAA) Division). https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-green-90187210/


Jeff Griffin was promoted to Managing Director of Director of Rail Leasing, Stonebriar Commercial Finance, Plano, Texas.  He is located in Bennington, Nebraska. He joined the firm March, 2016, as Vice President, Director of Rail Leasing. Previously, he was Vice President Freight Car Leasing, SMBC Rail Service (purchased by Mitsui Financial Group Inc) (December, 2013 - February, 2016); Vice President Freight Car Leasing, Flagship Rail Services, LLC (May, 2011 - November, 2013); Vice President Freight Car Leasing, AIG Rail Services, Inc (February, 2008 - May, 2011); National Account Manager, GE Commercial Finance (January, 2007 - January, 2008); Senior Account Manager, Coal Sales, GE Rail Services (2004 - 2007); Senior Business Manager Energy Sales, Union Pacific Railroad (1990 - 2004). Education: Bellevue University, MA, Management (1995 -1997).  Clark Atlanta University, BS, Biology (1983 - 1988). https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-griffin-76b4b47/


Sean A. Habermas was promoted to Vice President, Sales Manager, CSI Leasing, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri.  He is located in Oakland, New Jersey. He joined CSI Leasing December, 2011 as Associate Account Executive; promoted January, 2014, Account Executive.  Previously he was Senior Sales Executive,  United Business Systems (February, 2011 - December, 2011); Major Account Executive, Ricoh Business Solutions (August, 2008 - January, 2011); Account Executive, Citi Group (2006 - 2008); Manager, Safilo USA (1996 - 2005). He has been a trainer for Montville Soccer (1999 - 2012). Education: County College of Morris, Business Administration (1995 – 1997); Montville; PTHS. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-a-habermas-b2913a27/


Austin Law, CLFP, was hired as Area Vice President of Sales, Centra Funding, Plano, Texas.  He is located in Portland, Oregon. Previously, he was a Business Consultant, AJL Consulting (February, 2014 - February 2020); Business Development Officer, 360 Equipment Finance (September, 2018 - March, 2020). He joined OneWorld Business Finance in 2015 as Business Development, Equipment Finance; promoted April, 2017, Assistant Vice President, Equipment Finance. He was Administrative Assistant, Ryan Law Firm, LLP  (2015 - 2015). Volunteer Youth Soccer Coach, City of Cheney, Washington Parks and Recreation (2013). Development Committee, CLFP Foundation (2019 - Present).  Certifications: Certified Lease and Finance Professional. Education: Eastern Washington University, Bachelor's Degree, Government/Pre-Law. Activities and Societies: Men's Soccer Program, Clarke University Student Ambassador.  Clark University. Business Administration and Manager, Finance. Activities and Societies: Men's soccer Program, Clarke University Student Ambassador. https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-law-clfp-b64204a9/


Amanda Lopez was hired as Finance Manager, Ascentium Capital, Kingwood, Texas.  She is located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Previously, she was National Account Manager, CSS ProSearch (2019 - 2020).  She joined Marlin Capital Solutions in 2013 as Business Development Manager; promoted 2016 to Senior Business Development Manager. Prior, she was a Server, Grand Lux Cafe (June, 2012 - October, 2015); Cocktail Server, McCormick & Schmick's (August, 2010 - January, 2012); Bartender, Chili's (May, 2008 - August, 2010); Cocktail Server, Adelphia Restaurant and Lounge  (April, 2009 - June, 2010); Host & Carside to Go, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar (2005 - 2008).  Languages: English. Spanish. Education: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Camden, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Criminal Justice (2011 – 2013). Burlington County College, Associate of Arts and Sciences (A.A.S.), Criminal Justice (2009 – 2010). https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda11lynn/


Brent Mitchel was hired as Global Account Manager, DLL.  He is based in Huntington, New York.  Previously, he was Business Development Officer, TCF Equipment Finance (February, 2010 - October, 2014); Senior Vice President, Segment Business Head, GE Capital/CitiCapital (November, 2005 - March, 2009). He joined CitiCapital January, 2002, Vice President, Business Development; promoted April, 2003, Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff; promoted May, 2005, Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing. Education: University of Utah, Business Administration (1980 - 1982). American Management Association, Field Management of Salespeople.  Rutgers University Leadership Development. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-mitchell-903b65b/


Kayleigh Murray was hired as Documentation Specialist, Targeted Lease Capital, LLC, Williamsville, New York.  She previously was at Northtown Automotive Companies, starting May, 2016 as Title Clerk; promoted May, 2018, Corporate Recruiter. Prior, she was Inventory Management Intern, Tony Walker & Company (February, 2018 - April, 2018); Director of First Impressions, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (January, 2016 - May, 2016); Assistant Manager, Maurices (June, 2015 - April, 2016); Sales Leader, Pier 1 Imports (June, 2014 - June, 2015). Volunteer: Co-Director of Operations and Finance. YNPN Greater Bflo (December, 2019 - Present).  Education: Canisius College. Bachelor of Science, BS, Management, 3.11.  Activities and Societies: AS, Tourism Management and Event Planning (2013 - 2015). Niagara County Community College. Associate of Science.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleigh-murray-a7a902107/


Mark Parsons was promoted to Credit Analyst, Ascentium Capital, Kingwood, Texas.  He joined the firm May, 2018, as Account executive.  Previously, he was Account Manager, Providence Capital Funding (December, 2016 - February, 2018); Sales Executive, GMC (2016). Education: Humboldt State University.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-parsons-8a9806137/


Sara Pitchford was hired as Managing Director, Legal and Channel Partners, N.A., CoreTech Leasing, Newport Beach, California. She is located in Tallahassee, Florida. Previously, she was Manager, HBR Consulting (August, 2015 - July, 2019). She joined Aderant August, 1998, as Training Coordinator; promoted April, 2007, Market Development Specialist; promoted March, 2012, Product Marketing Manager at Aderant.  Prior, she was Marketing/Inside Sales, PC Docs (1992 - 1996). Volunteer: Habitat for Humanity, International. Florida Public Interest Group.  Education: Florida State University.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-pitchford-20a21a7/


Kimberley Poston was promoted to Vice President, Billing and Invoice, GreatAmerica Financial Services, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She joined the firm August, 2004, as Vendor Relationship Manager; promoted February, 2011, Team Leader; promoted October, 2013, Director, Account Support (October, 2013 - October, 2018); Senior Director, Contract Operations.  Community Service: Volunteer: Board Member (Chairman, 2013). Caring Corner Christian Daycare and Preschool (2011 - 2013).  Education: Mount Mercy University. Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A), Administrative Management and Marketing (2002 - 2004).  Kirkwood Community College, Associate of Arts (A.A.) (2000 - 2002). https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-poston-0820b5a7/


Bowie Schluter was promoted to Sales Manager, Balboa Capital, Costa Mesa, California.  He is located in Spokane, Washington. He joined the firm April, 2017 as Account Executive.  Previously, he was SMB Account Manager, Ignite (August 2015 - November, 2016); Regional Sales Manager, Act-On Software, Inc. (May, 2014 - May, 2015); Account Executive, Viacord (March, 2013 - March, 2014); Business Consultant, Web.com (January, 2005 - August, 2008). Education: North Idaho College. Associate of Arts (A.A.), Marketing (2006 - 2009). Mt. Spokane High School (2000 - 2004). https://www.linkedin.com/in/bowieschluter/


Mark Sheehan joins LCA as a Vice President, National Accounts Business Development. Mr. Sheehan, who resides in the Dallas area, was most recently at Crestmark Equipment Finance, where he was responsible for new business development across multiple industries. He joined the firm in November, 2019. Previously, previously he was Vice President, Wintrust Capital (December, 2014 - October, 2016); Vice President, Business Development, EverBank (December, 2012 - December, 2014); Vice President, Sales, PNC Financial Services Group (February, 2013 - December, 2012); Vice President, Sales, First Data Corporation; Account Sales Manager, Comdisco (January, 2000 - October, 2001); Regional Account Manager, Extricity Software (April, 1999 - January, 2000); Senior Account Manager, Versant (March, 1994 - February, 1999); Managing Director, Director of Vendor Relations and Sales Support, Platinum Technology (September, 1991 - March, 1994); Sales Support/Manager, XA Systems (April,1988 - August, 1991); DBA, EDS (1980 - 1988).  Education: University of Cincinnati. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-sheehan-77b64b2/


Jonathan Smith was hired as Account Executive, Lease Corporation of America, Troy, Michigan. He will work at the company's Headquarters. He previously was Regional Vice President, Primerica, where he managed their Troy office. (June, 2010 - March, 2020). He holds multiple securities certifications including Series 6, 26 and 63, as well as certifications for life insurance and annuities.  Jon will report to Gary Hanson, Vice President Sales.  Education: Walsh College (2009 - 2010).  Oakland Community College. Associate's degree, Business Administration and Management, General (2006 - 2009).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-k-smith/


Francois van Reede was hired as Business Development, Utica Equipment Finance, Rochester Hill, Michigan.  He is located in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Previously, he was Vice President, Equipment Finance, Sterling National Bank (2018 - 2020); Senior Vice President, Originations, Nations Equipment Finance (2015 - 2017); Regional Sales Manager, Commercial Credit Group, Inc. (2012 - 2015); Regional Sales Manager, Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (2007 - 2011); Regional Sales Manager, ABN AMRO Commercial Finance N.V. (2000 - 2006); Business Development Manager, GE Capital (1995 - 1999); Business Development Manager, Nedbank (1990 - 1994); Business Development Manager, Absa Group (1985 -1989); Account Manager, Barclays (1979 - 1984). Volunteer: South African Red Cross Society (1990).  Salvation Army DFA (1987).  Education: University of Johannesburg.  RAU, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Damelin.  Business Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services. https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebankman/


Benjamin Wendt, D.A., was promoted to Vice President, CIT, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  He joined the firm May, 2007, as Finance Associate; promoted December, 2007, Finance Manager; promoted June, 2010, Senior Finance Manager; promoted August, 2014, Senior Client Services Manager, Team Lead. Prior, he was Management Internship, Robert's Main Grill (May, 2007 - December, 2007).  He started at Bob’s Clam Hut, April, 2000, as Food Prep/Dining Room Attendant; promoted May, 2002, Supervisor; promoted May, 2003, Team Leader/Member; promoted May, 2005, Assistant Kitchen Manager, Kitchen Equipment Coordinator, Inventory Manager.  Education: Franklin Pierce University, Doctor of Arts, Organizational Leadership (2011 - 2015).   Southern New Hampshire University, Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Organizational Leadership (2008 - 2010). Activities and Societies: Delta Mu delta National Honors Society, Student Tutor. Southern New Hampshire, Finance (2008 -2010). Activities and Societies: Delta Mu Delta National Honors Society, Student Tutor.  Southern New Hampshire University, Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Business Administration and Management, General (2004 -2008). Dual Minors: Organizational Leadership, Finance. https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminjwendt/



[headlines]
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[headlines]
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Competition is Fierce

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

The commercial equipment finance and leasing industry is in a transformation mode. Competition is fierce. Opportunities are abundant. The strongest participants are well-oiled machines which are performing at their highest level each and every day. Leadership teams are creating effective strategies and every function within their organization is aligned. Every employee is contributing to executing the company's strategy. Everyone is working as a team to outperform their competition to offer a superior product and to deliver outcomes aligned with the overall strategy of the company. During this transformation period, it is important for every company to reaffirm their strategy, to strengthen their strategy, and to embrace their strategy.

Your company's strategy should never be kept a secret. It should be routinely stated while recruiting, in company meetings, during employee reviews, as part of every planning meeting, and during all executive retreats. Companies that truly embrace their strategy produce greater results and build better teams. A strong strategy allows professionals within the company to gauge their activities against the objectives of the company; it allows professionals to align their personal strategies with the company's strategy. 

  • Does your company have a strong strategy?
  • Does the management team embrace the company's strategy?
  • Does every employee know the strategy and their role in strengthening the strategy?
  • Is your strategy routinely shared with all stakeholders?

A strong strategy provides a rudder and direction to an otherwise aimless voyage. Management cannot expect their employees to be high performers unless they are willing to provide a map and guidance to the company's vision.

Wheeler Business Consulting works with management teams to further develop their talent, to identify and strengthen weak links within their organization, and to improve overall efficiencies. Wheeler Business Consulting works with banks, independents, captives, origination companies, and investors in the equipment leasing and finance arena. We provide training, strategic planning, and acquisition services. Scott Wheeler is available to discuss your long-term strategy, to assist your staff to maximize outcomes, and to better position your organization in the market.

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com 

Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.html


[headlines]
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As conferences, trade shows and other mass gatherings are getting cancelled left and right due to the coronavirus epidemic, it’s only natural that one of the biggest events of the year is also becoming a subject of discussion. That is, of course, the 32nd Summer Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9.

When Dick Pound, a senior member of the International Olympic Committee, floated the idea of cancelling the games in an interview with the Associated Press last week, sports fans around the world were put on red alert. While Pound stressed that “all indications are at this stage that it will be business as usual,” he also reassured athletes “that the IOC is not going to send you into a pandemic situation.” As for a possible postponement of the games until the situation has improved, Pound considers this option unlikely: “You just don’t postpone something on the size and scale of the Olympics. There’s so many moving parts, so many countries and different seasons, and competitive seasons, and television seasons. You can’t just say, “We’ll do it in October!”

While Pound estimated that there is a two to three-month window to decide whether the virus is “under sufficient control” for the Olympics to go ahead as planned, the IOC didn’t want to wait that long to put any doubts to rest. "We made a decision, and the decision is the games go ahead," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said in a press conference on Tuesday. In an official statement on the matter, the IOC expressed “its full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” encouraging athletes to continue their preparations. The IOC also stated that it will “continue to follow the advice of the WHO,” however, leaving a backdoor open for an eventual cancellation in case the crisis worsens.

As the following chart shows, the Summer Olympics have only been cancelled three times in the modern era dating back to 1896. The 1916 games in Berlin fell victim to World War I and the 1940 and 1944 games, scheduled to be held in Helsinki and London, respectively, were cancelled due to World War II. Interestingly, the 2016 Rio games were also clouded by a health crisis, as many athletes refused to participate due to the ongoing outbreak of the Zika virus.

https://www.statista.com/chart/21041/overview-of-olympic-summer-games/

 

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Leasing News Advisor
Ken Greene, Attorney

Ken Greene
Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene
5743 Corsa Avenue Suite 208
Westlake Village, California 91362
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
ken@kengreenelaw.com

Ken is an attorney with his own law firm, the Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene. He was involved in the formation of Leasing News, Inc. and represented it (pro bono) in the early days. Ken is currently based in Southern California. He began his leasing career with BankAmerilease in 1981. Ken has been a partner in several law firms including Ross & Ivanjack, one of the first law firms in the country devoted exclusively to the equipment finance industry.

Ken served as corporate counsel to a leasing company and a real estate development company. He was a partner in a major Universal City law firm before opening his own firm in Westlake Village, California in 2013. The new firm continues representation of equipment finance companies, including lessors and brokers, in litigation, bankruptcy, licensing, compliance and transactions. He also represents small businesses and individuals in litigation, bankruptcy, transactions, contract, and corporate matters, as well as entities and individuals in the entertainment industry.

Ken has been associated with the American Bankruptcy Institute, California Bankruptcy Forum, Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (“EAEL”), Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (“ELFA”—formerly the Equipment Leasing Association), and National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) (formerly NAEL, UAEL, and, once upon a time, WAEL). He has served on the Board of Directors of that association and has been its Legal Committee Chairman, Legal Line Editor, Regional Committee Chair, and Conference Chairman. He is currently General Counsel for the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (formerly the "National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers”)  and has spoken at conference panels the last four years, and is a member of the American Bar Association.

Ken has served on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, the Mountain Play Association in Marin County, California, and the Marin Symphony Orchestra Association. He has been active in musical theater at the school and community levels. Until recently, he was Musical Director at the Westlake Village Inn, and was very active in the Conejo Valley music community. In 2019 he was recently featured in Calabasas Style Magazine in the "People to Watch" section.
Ken received his B. A, at Brandeis University, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, graduating cum laude. He received his J.D. at Santa Clara University in 1980, also graduating with honors.

Mr. Greene has been a frequent writer and lecturer on matters of leasing law and other related legal issues. He is an acknowledged contributor on bankruptcy issues to Miller & Starr, California Real Estate 2d (Bancroft Whitney). He has lectured on leasing law and documentation, litigation and collection matters, and has created and presented seminars to leasing companies on enhancing the attorney-client relationship. He has also taught nationally for Euromoney Lease Training. He currently writes for the AACFB's "Commercial Break" and the National Association of Commercial Lease Brokers' "Dealmaker".

Ken’s passions, besides music, include travel, yoga, cooking, hiking, reading, golf, crossword puzzles, the Yankees, cigars, wine, and more. He lives in Moorpark, California with his wife Barbara and their son Alex, who is a graduate of Cal Lutheran and is pursing further education in video game design. His daughter, Gigi, graduated UC Irvine and is about to begin work at Service Titan as an event planner. She also has a photography business (PhotoGGraphy). In his "spare" time, Ken plays keyboards with several Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area bands, and plays and records with other local artists.

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Fernando's View
By Fernando F. Croce

A pair of wildly different releases (“Onward,” “Vitalina Varela”) come to theaters, while new DVDs offer handsome period mystery (“Motherless Brooklyn”), brutally inventive drama (“First Love”), and an experimental master’s restored works (“Maya Deren Collection”).

In theaters:

Onward (Walt Disney Studios): Pixar’s trademark warmth and ingenuity are in generous supply in this fanciful animated adventure, directed by “Monster University” veteran Dan Scanton. The setting is New Mushroomtown, a previously magical realm where mythological beings lead regular lives. The Lightfoot brothers, gawky Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) and brash Barley (Chris Pratt), are young elves who yearn to reconnect with the magic they’ve lost. When they get their hands on a mystical spell, they use it to grant their wish of spending time with the father they can’t remember. When the spell goes awry, the two must embark on a quest that could change not only their lives, but those of Mushroomtown as well. With the studio’s typical blend of adventure and humor, the film brims with colorful pleasures.

Vitalina Varela (Grasshopper Films): One of today’s most demanding and most unique filmmakers, Portuguese director Pedro Costa (“Colossal Youth”) creates a masterpiece of lugubrious humanism with this evocative, visually stunning feature, which blurs fictional drama and documentary. The eponymous heroine is a middle-aged Cape Verde woman who immigrates to Lisbon shortly after the funeral of her husband. Trying to piece together clues about his life, she wanders through a bleak, shadowy wasteland, a journey that involves a priest dealing with a spiritual crisis of his own. Death, struggle, redemption and the search for dignity are the key elements of Costa’s painterly compositions, visuals profoundly keyed to the emotions of the characters. More mood piece than straightforward narrative, this is difficult yet beautifully moving cinema. With subtitles.

Nextflix: A witty talent who flourished in writing, acting and directing, Buck Henry (1930-2020) left his mark on cinema history with his Oscar-nominated screenplay for “The Graduate.” So check out Netflix for his best films, which include “Catch-22” (1970), “What’s Up, Doc?” (1972), “Heaven Can Wait” (1978) and “To Die For” (1995).

On DVD:

Motherless Brooklyn (Warner Bros.): Oscar nominee Edward Norton does triple duty as director, screenwriter and star of this tough, earnest film noir, set in New York City in the 1950s. Norton plays Lionel Essrog, a private detective with an obsessive drive to go with his tics and outbursts. When his boss (Bruce Willis) is murdered, Lionel sets out to track down the culprit in a search that quickly spirals into a welter of suspects, corruption, and prejudice. There’s a fierce activist (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) working for Harlem residents, a powerful urban tycoon (Alec Baldwin) with shadowy plans, and other characters played by a strong cast that includes Willem Dafoe, Bobby Cannavale and Michael T. Williams. A long-gestating passion project for Norton, this is a sturdy period mystery that aims for current urgency.


First Love (Well Go USA Entertainment): Known for his extreme productivity and screen violence, Japanese director Takashi Miike (“Audition”) offers a characteristically inventive and idiosyncratic vision with this crime drama, which comes with expected brutality and unexpected poignancy. The protagonist is Leo (Masataka Kubota), a boxer who is successful in the ring yet has the existential load of having nothing to fight for. Doomed with an incurable disease, he nevertheless sees a light amid the darkness in the form of Yuri (Sakurako Kanishi), a young call girl caught in a twisted underworld intrigue. Can the two lost souls find peace together amid the grimness of the city? Putting gleeful new spins on stock characters and situations, Miike brings his customary demonic energy along with a haunting layer of emotion. With subtitles.

Maya Deren Collection (Kino): A key figure in early experimental cinema, Maya Deren (1917-1961) made works that strikingly blended poetry, dance and surrealism. This set from Kino presents pristine restorations of her films, shining a light on a vital avant-garde artist. Her most famous film, “Meshes in the Afternoon” (1943), stars Deren herself as a young woman who experiences a highly symbolic split in her personality, a subject further developed in “At Land” (1944). “A Study in Choreography for Camera” (1945) and “Ritual in Transfigured Time” (1946) provide dynamic meditations on space and movement, while later works like “Divine Horsemen” examine native ceremonies in Haiti. Packed with commentaries and booklets, this set is the perfect way to discover the oeuvre of this highly influential yet often overlooked artist.

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Collie, Smooth/Mix
Cedar Rapids, Iowa  Adopt a Dog


Leo

ID #43944493
Male
Age: 1 year, 2 days
Size: Medium
Color: red/white
Neutered
Declawed: No
Housetrained Unknown
Site: Cedar Valley Humane Society
Location: Adoption Dogs
Intake Date: 3/3/2020
Adoption Price: $150

Cedar Valley Humane Society
7411 Mt Vernon Rd, SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
319-362-6288

Shelter Hours
Monday - Friday: 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Saturday: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Sunday: Closed

 

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The American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers'
2020 Annual Conference

Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, May 6th – 8th for this must-attend event packed with education, networking and (let's face it) a lot of fun!

AACFB was founded by brokers and we know every dollar counts, which is why we pride ourselves on keeping registration fees very affordable for brokerages of all sizes and funders alike.

AACFB attendees can take advantage of a special rate of $170 per night, plus a $39 resort fee but we encourage you to book early. The cut-off for this rate is April 13, 2020 or until the block is full.

2020 ANNUAL CONFERENCE EXHIBITORS
As of 2/28/2020

1st Commercial Credit, LLC
4 Hour Funding
360 Equipment Finance
American Lease Insurance Agency
Amur Equipment Finance
Ascentium Capital, LLC
AvTech Capital LLC
Bankers Capital
Banleaco
Baystone Government Finance/KS StateBank
Blue Bridge Financial, LLC
Bryn Mawr Funding
C.H. Brown Co., LLC
Celtic Bank
Channel Partners Capital
CLFP Foundation
Commercial Funding Partners LLC
ConnectedFi
Dedicated Funding, LLC
Equipment Leasing Group of America, LLC (ELGA)
Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc.
First Business Growth Funding
First Federal Leasing
Fora Financial LLC
Foundation Group, LLC
Global Financial & Leasing Services
Gulf Coast Business Credit
instaCOVER
LenderKiosk by Tamarack
Marlin Capital Solutions
Maxim Commercial Capital LLC
Navitas Credit Corp
NCMIC/Professional Solutions
NewLane Finance
NFS Leasing, Inc.
North Avenue Capital
North Mill Equipment Finance, LLC
North Star Leasing
Northwind Financial
Orange Commercial Credit
Pawnee Leasing Corporation
Providence Equipment Finance, a Division of Providence Bank & Trust
Q2 Business Capital
Quality Leasing Co., Inc.
Rapid Finance
Ready Capital
SLIM Capital LLC
 Stenn International Ltd.
Sterling National Bank - Transportation Finance
TBS Capital Funding
TEAM Funding Solutions
The Hamilton Group
The Monitor
VFI Corporate Finance

Program and Sign in to Register
https://annualconference.aacfb.org/general-info-tab/general-info

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

News Briefs----

HP turns down Xerox’s $35 billion takeover offer
    Latest bid still undervalues Palo Alto-based company
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/05/hp-turns-down-xeroxs-35-billion-takeover-offer/

‘Almost Without Precedent’:
   Airlines Hit Hard by Coronavirus
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/business/coronavirus-airline-industry.html



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


You May Have Missed---

Gas prices drop by 6 cents because of coronavirus fears
   Here’s how they’re connected
https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article240934546.htm


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

Spring Poem

Winter is gone, just look around and see;
The snow is turning into slush,

Joining the singing river going down to the sea,
And over all there is a mysterious hush.
The soft warm winds are whispering,
"The bride in all her finery will soon be here!"
The bride (we call her Spring) — she's frolicking
Over the landscape, without fear.

She laughs at the trees' bare limbs
Till they tremble and call forth their leaves
To make a dress so green and trim,
Then joyfully they sway with the breeze.

The flowers sleeping beneath the ground
Awake and send up their blossoms to hear,
Then coquettishly join with the singing birds all around,
Acclaiming, "Spring is here, Spring is here!"

Bee Samann
“Easy Reading Poems”
Vantage Press, NYC



[headlines]
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NFL franchise tag primer:
   Breaking down options for all 32 teams in 2020
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/03/05/nfl-franchise-tag-transition-teams-player-dak-prescott-cowboys/4944967002/

UFC boss Dana White made an emotional pitch
  to Tom Brady to join Las Vegas Raiders
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2020/03/04/tom-brady-courted-dana-white-join-las-vegas-raiders/41363867/


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


California Nuts Briefs---

Valley Fair mall readies grand opening amid $1.1 billion expansion
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/04/valley-fair-mall-readies-grand-opening-1-1-billion-expansion-san-jose-mall-retail-restaurant-apple-bloomingdales-tech/

Sutter Santa Rosa orders coronavirus quarantine
    for at least 30 hospital workers, union says
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10788596-181/sutter-santa-rosa-orders-coronavirus?sba=AAS

‘Like the coronavirus’: Rampaging insect shows up
     in California, alarming farmers
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/napacounty/10782887-181/lanternfly-vineyard-pest-california

Welcome to Sac-Vegas: How Sacramento became
   the new casino capital of Northern California
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/sacramento-tipping-point/article240450781.html?

Marin, Sonoma county voters say no to SMART train tax measure
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Marin-Sonoma-voters-rejecting-SMART-train-tax-15103457.php

Bankrupt PG&E wants to pay bonuses to California
    executives and staff. Here’s how much
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article240927216.html?


[headlines]

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

The World's Most Wanted Chardonnays
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2020/03/the-worlds-most-wanted-chardonnays

Shannon Ridge Family of Wines Purchases Giannecchini Vineyard
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=227072

French Winemakers Have Too Much Inventory,
  So They’re Cutting Prices on US Imports
https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/french-winemakers-are-struggling-due-to-us-tariffs-2902778/

The Hunt is on to Find the World's Top Sauvignons
https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/french-winemakers-are-struggling-due-to-us-tariffs-2902778/

Willamette Pinot Noir Auction Debuts 2018 Vintage
   April 4 at The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, OR
https://www.winebusiness.com/newreleases/?go=getArticle&dataId=227067


Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

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]
----------------------------------------------------------------

This Day in History

     1521 - Magellan discovered Guam, today a protectorate of the United States.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gq.html
    1775 – The first African-American Mason was initiated in Boston.  Having been rejected by colonial American Freemasonry, Prince Hall and 14 others sought and were initiated into Masonry through Lodge No. 441 of the Grand Lodge of Ireland.
    1779 - The US Congress declared that only the federal government, not individual states, had the power to determine the legality of captures on the high seas. This was the basis for the first test case of the US Constitution in 1808.
    1791 - American painter of miniatures and a member of the famous Peale family of artists, Anna Claypoole Peal (d. 1878) was born at Philadelphia, PA.
http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/13976/mcms.html
    1806 – Elizabeth Barrett Browning (d. 1861), was born near Durham, England.  Poet and author, “Sonnets from the Portuguese,” she was also the wife of poet Robert Browning.
    1808 - The first college orchestra was established at Harvard.
    1810 – Illinois passed the first state legislation dealing with vaccinations.
    1820 - The Missouri Compromise, enacted by Congress, was signed by President James Monroe. This compromise provided for the admission of Missouri into the Union as a slave state but prohibited slavery in the rest of the northern Louisiana Purchase territory. The compromise was invalidated in the Dred Scott vs. Sandford case (below 1857).
    1822 - USS Enterprise captures four pirate ships in Gulf of Mexico.
    1831 – Edgar Allen Poe was removed from the US Military Academy.
    1834 - Delmonico's, one of NY's finest restaurants, provides a meal of soup, steak, coffee & half a pie for 12 cents. The restaurant is considered the oldest in New York. Some of its “firsts:”
 The first diner called by the French name restaurant
 The first diner where guests sat at their own tables
 The first printed menu
 The first tablecloths
 The first debutante ball outside a private home
 The first restaurant to offer a leisurely lunch and dinner
 Oysters Rockefeller
 Lobster Newberg, first called Lobster Wenberg
 Baked Alaska
 Eggs Benedict
 Delmonico potatoes
 Delmonico steak
 Hamburger (known then as the Hamburg Steak)
First use of the expression that something is "86'd", since the Delmonico Steak was item 86 on the menu and, when sold out, it was “86'd."
http://www.nextmagazine.net/restaurants/delmonicos.shtml
http://www.cbbqa.com
    1836 - Four days after Texas declared itself an independent republic, the Alamo, a fortified mission at San Antonio, Texas, where fewer than 200 Texans were garrisoned, was captured by the Mexican leader Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who had led 3000 troops across the Rio Grande. Every Texan except a mother, a child, and servant was killed, including Jim Bowie, Col. Travis, and Davy Crockett. The siege began Feb 23 and reached its climax Mar 6, when the last of the defenders was slain. Texans, under General Sam Houston, rallied with the war cry "Remember the Alamo" and, at the Battle of San Jacinto, Apr 21, defeated and captured Santa Anna, who signed a treaty recognizing Texas's independence.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar06.html
    1857 - Dred Scott decision (Dred Scott v. Sandford) was delivered by the US Supreme Court.  This was a major setback for anti-slavery forces and further aggravated the growing ill feeling between North and South. Dred Scott was a slave whose owner had taken him and his family from Missouri to Illinois, a free state in 1834. Scott later returned to Missouri and, in 1846, sued for his liberty on the grounds that his stay in free territory ended his slavery. The Court ruled, however, that Scott could not sue because slaves were not citizens. Going beyond the specific case, the Court also said that Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in territories and therefore, the Missouri Compromise of 1820, already repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, was unconstitutional.
    1861 – The Provisionary Confederate Congress established the Confederate Army
    1862 - The Battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., was fought. A Confederate army of 16,000 under General Earl Van Dorn attacked a Union army of 10,500 under Brig. General Samuel Ryan Curtis, whose last reserves prevented a Union disaster on the second day. Among the heavy losses on both sides were two Confederate generals, Benjamin McCulloch and James McQueen McIntosh.
    1864 - There was an average of 7,333 desertions a month from the Union army. Many desertions were the result of bounty jumpers - men who would collect bounty to enlist, then desert and do it again elsewhere. The US government spent $300 million dollars on bounties while state and local governments spent about the same.
http://www.tnstate.edu/library/digital/document.htm
    1872 - A cold wave hit the East coast sending the mercury plunging to 8 degrees below zero at Boston. It was the most severe March cold wave in modern history.
    1885 - Birthday of humorist and sportswriter Ring Lardner, Sr., born Ringgold Wilmer Lardner (d. 1933) in Niles, Michigan. Lardner wrote about sports for a variety of newspaper, mostly in Chicago. In both his columns and his short stories, he reproduced ballplayers' vernacular speech patterns with great success, thereby laying the groundwork for generations of baseball fiction to come. Lardner abandoned baseball after the Black Sox scandal was exposed. He wrote songs, plays and magazine articles but never the novel that some of his friends though he should. Taciturn and solemn with a biting sense of humor, Lardner drank and smoked to excess, even after contracting tuberculosis in 1926. Posthumously given the J.G. Taylor Spink Award in 1963 for his baseball writing.
    1886 – The first plant to generate alternating current in the US was launched at Great Barrington, MA.
    1892 - The first women's collegiate basketball game was played at Smith College in Northampton, MA. Senda Bereson, then Smith‘s director of physical education and “mother of women's basketball,” supervised the game, in which Smith's sophomore team beat the freshman team, 5-4.
    1892 - Clark Daniel Shaughnessy (d. 1970), football player and coach born at St. Cloud, MN. After playing football at the University of Minnesota, Shaughnessy strung together a coaching career of several institutions: Tulane, Loyola of the South, Chicago, Stanford, Maryland and Pittsburgh. He coached the Los Angeles Rams and assisted George Halas with the Chicago Bears. Shaughnessy is known as the father of the modern T formation and played a key role in developing modern pro defensive football.
    1900 – Lefty Grove was born Robert Moses Groves (d. 1975), Lonaconing, MD.  Regarded by many as the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time, rivaled for the honor only by Warren Spahn and Sandy Koufax, he won over two-thirds of his lifetime decisions and was a perennial league leader in ERA.  A six-time All-Star, 1931 MVP, 7-time strikeouts leader, he was with the World Series champion Philadelphia Athletics of 1929 and 1930 and won exactly 300 games in his career.  Baseball Hall of Fame, 1947.
    1905 - Father of Western Swing, Bob Willis (d. 1975), born in Kosse, TX. Originally a performer (fiddler) with the Light Crust Doughboys, Willis later former the popular Texas Playboys. Bob Willis and the Texas Playboys appeared on film and at the grand Ole Opry made western swing popular with such hits as “San Antonio Rose.”   
    1906 – Comedian Lou Costello (d. 1959) was born in Paterson, NJ.  The legendary duo of Abbott and Costello started in vaudeville in 1936 then moved to radio and television.  They also made several successful films, including “Buck Privates” and “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.”  Their legendary skit, “Who’s on First,” greets visitors to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and is one of the best remembered skits in history.
    1912 - Oreo sandwich cookies were first introduced by the National Biscuit Co., which later became Nabisco.
    1915 – Pete Gray was born Peter Wyshner (d. 2002), Nanticoke, PA.  He badly injured his right arm at the age of six when he was caught on truck spokes while trying to jump off the vehicle. His arm was amputated that day.  His 1944 minor league season earned him a call-up to the St. Louis Browns, the defending American League champions, in 1945, for whom he appeared in 77 games, never to play a Major League game again.  His ability to reach the Majors with only one arm is still marveled by many historians.
    1918 - Bassist Red Callendar (d. 1992) was born in Haynesville, VA.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll
    1923 - Guitarist Wes Montgomery (d. 1968), birthday, Indianapolis.
http://www.duke.edu/~mjs4/wes/
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll
    1924 - Sarah Caldwell’s (d. 2006) birthday, Maryville, MO. She founded and produced almost 50 operas at the Boston Opera, was the first woman to conduct at the Metropolitan and the New York Philharmonic, and the first recipient of the Kennedy Center Award for Excellence.
http://arts.endow.gov/artforms/Opera/Caldwell.html
http://smithsonianassociates.org/programs/caldwell/caldwell.htm
    1926 - Economist, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, birthday, New York, New York
    1933 - A nationwide bank holiday declared by President Franklin D. Roosevelt went into effect.  He had taken the oath of office only thirty-six hours earlier.  The crisis had been a long time coming. In the three years leading up to it thousands of banks had failed. But a new round of problems that began in early 1933 placed a severe strain on New York banks, many of which held balances for banks in other parts of the country.  George Harrison, head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Federal Reserve Board Governor Eugene Meyer were pivotal figures in the bank holiday. On March 1, 1933, Harrison sent an urgent message to Meyer and Secretary of the Treasury Ogden Mills:  The New York Reserve Bank’s gold reserve had fallen below the legal limit (the US was still on the gold standard at this time which required Reserve Banks to maintain gold reserves equal to 40 percent of the paper currency they issued, but foreign and domestic holders of US currency were rapidly losing faith in paper money and were redeeming dollars at an alarming rate). For an entire week in March 1933, all banking transactions were suspended in an effort to stem bank failures and ultimately restore confidence in the financial system.  The crisis began to subside on March 9, when Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act. On March 13, member banks in Federal Reserve cities received permission to reopen. By March 15, banks controlling 90 percent of the country’s banking resources had resumed operations and deposits far exceeded withdrawals. Although some 4,000 banks would remain closed forever and full economic recovery was still years in the future, the worst of the banking crisis seemed to be over.
    1936 - Singer Sylvia Vanderpool (d. 2011) of Mickey and Sylvia, was born New York City, New York
http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Sylvia%20Robinson.html
    1939 - Harry James records “Two O'clock Jump.”
    1940 - Duke Ellington records “Jack the Bear” and “KoKo.”
    1941 - Les Hite and his orchestra recorded "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise" on Bluebird Records. The instrumental became Hite's most popular work. A decade later, Les Paul and Mary Ford added a vocal to the tune, making it one of their biggest-selling hit songs.
    1944 - Heavy bombers staged the first American raid on Berlin during World War II.  The Eighth Air Force commander, Maj. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, he of the 1942 bombing raid on Tokyo, had changed fighter defense of strategic bomber formations that had bolstered the confidence of U.S. strategic bombing crews. Until that time, Allied bombers avoided contact with the Luftwaffe; now, the Americans used any method that would force the Luftwaffe into combat. Implementing this policy, the United States looked toward Berlin. Raiding the German capital, the Air Force reasoned, would force the Luftwaffe into battle. Consequently, they launched the first of several attacks against Berlin.  Fierce battles raged and resulted in heavy losses for both sides; 69 B-17s were lost on March 6 but the Luftwaffe lost 160 aircraft. The Allies replaced their losses; the Luftwaffe could not.
    1945 - Top Hits
 “Accentuate the Positive” - Johnny Mercer
 “I Dream of You” - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Freddy Stewart)
 “A Little on the Lonely Side” - The Frankie Carle Orchestra (vocal: Paul Allen)
 “I'm Losing My Mind Over You” - Al Dexter
     1953 - Top Hits
 “Till I Waltz Again with You” - Teresa Brewer
 “Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes” - Perry Como
 “Keep It a Secret” - Jo Stafford
 “Kaw-Liga” - Hank Williams
    1954 - Florida received its greatest modern-day snowfall of record, with 4.0 inches at the Milton Experimental Station. Pensacola equaled their 24-hour record with 2.1 inches of snow.
    1957 - The doo-wop quartet the Diamonds make their pop chart debut with "Little Darlin'," their biggest hit. It reaches #2 on the pop chart and #3 R&B.
    1961 - Top Hits
 “Pony Time” - Chubby Checker
 “Surrender” - Elvis Presley
 “Wheels” - The String-A-Longs
 “Don't Worry” - Marty Robbins
    1962 - Frank Sinatra recorded his final session for Capitol Records in Hollywood. Sinatra had been recording for his own record label, Reprise, for two years. His final side on Capitol was "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues," with Skip Martin's orchestra.
    1964 - Tom O'Hara ran the mile in 3 minutes, 56.4 seconds, setting a world indoor record in Chicago, IL.
    1964 - Heavyweight champion Cassius Marcellus Clay announced that he had embraced the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. As Clay, he had won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome and captured the heavyweight crown with a stunning TKO of Sonny Liston at Miami Beach on February 25, 1964.
    1965 - The Temptations went to #1 on the US singles chart with the Smokey Robinson penned song "My Girl," making the group the first male act to have a chart topper for Motown Records.
    1967 - *OUELLET, DAVID G., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy, River Squadron 5, My Tho Detachment 532. Place and date: Mekong River, Republic of Vietnam, 6 March 1967. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Born: 13 June, 1944, Newton, Mass. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As the forward machine gunner on River Patrol Boat (PBR) 124, which was on patrol during the early evening hours, Seaman Ouellet observed suspicious activity near the river bank, alerted his boat captain, and recommended movement of the boat to the area to investigate. While the PBR was making a high-speed run along the river bank, Seaman Ouellet spotted an incoming enemy grenade falling toward the boat. He immediately left the protected position of his gun mount and ran aft for the full length of the speeding boat, shouting to his fellow crewmembers to take cover. Observing the boat captain standing unprotected on the boat, Seaman Ouellet bounded on to the engine compartment cover, and pushed the boat captain down to safety. In the split second that followed the grenade's landing, and in the face of certain death, Seaman Ouellet fearlessly placed himself between the deadly missile and his shipmates, courageously absorbing most of the blast fragments with his body in order to protect his shipmates from injury and death. His extraordinary heroism and his selfless and courageous actions on behalf of his comrades at the expense of his life were in the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1969 - Top Hits
 “Everyday People” - Sly & The Family Stone
 “Proud Mary” - Credence Clearwater Revival
 “Baby, Baby Don't Cry” - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
 “To Make Love Sweeter for You” - Jerry Lee Lewis
    1969 - Russell Louis Schweickart and Colonel James Alton McDivitt, were the first astronauts to transfer from one spacecraft to another while in orbit, making an intra-vehicular transfer from Gumdrop, the Apollo 9 command ship to the Spider, the lunar module, leaving the pilot, Colonel David Randolph Scott in the command ship.
    1972 - Shaquille Rashan O'Neal, former basketball player, born Newark, NJ.  He was on four NBA Champions, including three consecutive titles with Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers.
    1972 - The ‘Golden Bear,' Jack Nicklaus, passed Arnold Palmer as golf's all-time, money winner. Nicklaus captured the Doral Eastern Open golf tournament to run his career earnings up to $1,477,200
    1973 - The group, War, out from under the shadow of former leader Eric Burdon, receive their second gold single of the week for "Cisco Kid," four days after "The World is a Ghetto" did likewise.
    1975 - Led Zeppelin's sixth album, "Physical Graffiti," was certified gold.
    1976 - The Waylon & Willie (Jennings and Nelson) song, "Good Hearted Woman," started the last of three weeks at the top of the country music charts. Waylon and Willie wrote the song in 1969 during a poker game in Ft. Worth, TX. According to Jennings, “I'd been reading an ad for Ike and Tina Turner and it said, ‘Tina Turner singing songs about good-hearted women loving good-timing men.' I thought, ‘What a great country song title that is!'”
    1976 - Dorothy Hamill of the US completed women's figure skating celebrated double triumph by adding first place in the world's Championship, contested in Goteberg, Sweden, to the Olympic gold medal she won in February in Innsbruck, Austria.
    1977 - Top Hits
 Love Theme from "A Star is Born" (Evergreen) - Barbra Streisand
 Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller
 I Like Dreamin' - Kenny Nolan
 Heart Healer - Mel Tillis
    1976 - After placing 28 songs in the Top 40 of Billboard's Pop chart, The Miracles make the list for the last time when "Love Machine" went to the top. Their run included seven Top 10 hits and two number ones.
    1978 - Billy Joel was awarded a rare platinum single for "Just the Way You Are."
    1981 - Walter Cronkite, the dean of American television newscasters, said “And that's the way it is” for the final time, as he closed the "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite." An audience estimated at 17,000,000 viewers saw ‘the most trusted man in America' sign-off. Cronkite retired after more than 30 years in broadcasting. He was replaced by Dan Rather at the anchor desk.
    1982 - Billboard points out that Dick Clark has donated the podium he stood behind on the original "American Bandstand" to the national museum at the Smithsonian.
    1982 - The Go-Go's debut LP, "Beauty and the Beast," released last July, starts a seven week run at Number One.
    1982 - Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind" enters the pop chart at #88. The original was recorded in 1972 by Elvis Presley. Nelson's version will reach number One on the country chart and win a Grammy for Song of the Year.
    1982 - The most points scored by two teams in the National Basketball Association made history. San Antonio beat Milwaukee 171-166 in three overtime periods to set the mark.
    1983 - The United States Football League opened its first season of play with five games. The USFL was designed to avoid competing with the NFL by playing in the spring, but it lasted only three years.
    1985 - Yul Brynner played his famous role as the king in "The King and I" in his 4,500th performance in the musical. The actor, age 64, opened the successful production on Broadway in 1951.
    1985 - Top Hits
 “Careless Whisper” - Wham! featuring George Michael
 “Can't Fight This Feeling” - REO Speedwagon
 “California Girls” - David Lee Roth
 “Baby Bye Bye” - Gary Morris
    1987 - Twenty-eight cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Pickstown, SD was the hot spot in the nation with a reading of 83 degrees. The high of 71 at Saint Cloud, MN smashed their previous record by 21 degrees.
    1988 - Julie Krone won the 1,205th victory of her career, thereby becoming the all-time winning female jockey in history, Krone rode Squawter, a filly, to victory in the ninth race at Aqueduct Racetrack.
    1988 - “In the Heat of the Night” premiered on TV. NBC's police drama was based on the 1967 movie with the same name. Carroll O'Connor played Mississippi police chief Bill Gillespie who, along with Howard Rollins as Detective Virgil Tibbs, investigated crimes in the rural South. The cast featured Alan Autry as Sergeant Bubba Skinner, Anne-Marie Johnson as Virgil's wife, Althea, David Hart as Deputy Parker William, Hugh O'Connor as Deputy Lonnie Jamison, Christian LeBlanc as Deputy Junior Abernathy, Geoffrey Thorne as Deputy Sweet and Crystal Fox as dispatcher Luanne Corbin. The last telecast aired July 28, 1994, but the program remains popular in re-runs.
http://timstvshowcase.com/heatbak.jpg
    1990 - Colorado's strongest winter storm of the season moved northeastward across the state producing 50 inches of snow at Echo Lake, 46.5 inches on Buckhorn Mountain, and 46 inches near the top of Coal Canyon. Snow fell at the rate of several inches per hour during the height of the storm, while winds gusted above 50 mph. Several hundred rush hour commuters, including the state governor, were stranded in blizzard conditions along Highway 36 between Denver and Boulder. Drifts up to twelve feet high had to be cleared southeast of Boulder.
    1996 - Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings became the third goalie in NHL history to score a goal. He fired the puck into an empty net with 11 seconds remaining as Detroit beat the Harford Whalers, 4-2.
    2000 - Eric Clapton was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the third time, after receiving previous honors as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream.
    2003 - President Bush held a news conference and warned that he was prepared to go to war soon in Iraq with or without UN backing.
    2005 – Suzyn Waldman became the first woman to be a full-time color commentator in Major League history, making her debut with John Sterling on WCBS-AM 880, the radio flagship of the New York Yankees. The former radio-talk host on WFAN, the first all-sports radio station in United States, was also the first female to broadcast on a national baseball telecast, as well as the first to provide local TV (Yankees) Major League play-by-play.
    2007 - Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Jr. was convicted on four of five counts of perjury and obstruction of justice trial.
    2013 – Microsoft was fined €561 by the Euro Commission for not providing alternative web browsers.
    2015 - AT&T, part of the DJIA for over 100 years, was replaced with Apple Inc. on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), reflecting shifts in the U.S. economy between telecommunications and technology.

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SuDoku

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?

http://leasingnews.org/Soduku/soduko-main.htm

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Daily Puzzle

How to play:
http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle_frame.htm

Refresh for current date:
http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle_frame.htm

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http://www.gasbuddy.com/
http://www.gasbuddy.com/GB_Map_Gas_Prices.aspx
http://www.gasbuddy.com/GB_Mobile_Instructions.aspx

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Weather

See USA map, click to specific area, no commercials

http://www.weather.gov/

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Traffic Live---

Real Time Traffic Information

You can save up to 20 different routes and check them out with one click,
or type in a new route to learn the traffic live

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