"I told you to take out the garbage! You didn't do the dishes     
last night! What are you good for? You just sit there and stare!

I don't know why I married you!!!! "

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People's Bank Acquires North Star Leasing Business,
Operating as a Division of People's Bank, Plus Premier Bancorp

"Peoples Bank has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement dated March 24, 2021 (Asset Purchase Agreement) with NS Leasing, LLC, which is headquartered in Burlington, Vermont, and does business as North Star Leasing Company (NSL). The Asset Purchase Agreement calls for Peoples Bank to acquire assets comprising NSL’s equipment finance business and to assume from NSL certain specified liabilities for total consideration of approximately $47.5 million, plus a potential earn out payment of up to $3.1 million. Under the terms of the Asset Purchase Agreement, Peoples Bank will acquire approximately $84 million in leases and will satisfy, on behalf of NSL, certain third-party debt in the amount of approximately $69 million. NSL originates, underwrites and services equipment leases to businesses throughout the United States. Peoples Bank will operate the acquired business as a division of Peoples Bank. The transaction is expected to close on or about March 31, 2021.”  (1)

In June, 2020, People’s United Bank, a subsidiary of People’s United Financial Commercial Banking division, acted as lead arranger to provide North Star Leasing with a four-year, $80 million expandable senior revolving credit facility.

People’s United renewed and upsized the previous $60 million revolving credit facility it provided to North Star Leasing in June 2018.

People’s Bancorp has also entered into an agreement and plan of merge with Premier Financial Bankcorp.  The Merger agreement calls for Premier to merge into Peoples for Premier’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Premier Bank, Inc. and Citizen  Deposit Bank and Trust,
which combined operate 48 branches in the states of Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, to merge into Peoples? wholly owned subsidiary, Peoples Bank. (1)

February, 2021, Buffalo- based M&T Bank Corp. agreed to buy People’s Bancorp in an all-stock deal valued at about US$7.6 billion, joining a string of U.S. regional banks bulking up in recent months to improve their financial position.

People's United Bank, parent of People’s United Financial, announced on July 19, 2017, "... it has entered into an agreement to acquire LEAF Commercial Capital, Inc.  Based in Philadelphia, PA, LEAF is one of the largest, independent commercial equipment finance companies in the U.S., with approximately $500 million of annual originations."

“Since 2002, LEAF has financed over $5.8 billion for more than 243,000 customers nationwide and provides expertise and equipment finance solutions to a wide variety of vendors and end users.  LEAF has nationwide reach with approximately 250 employees and a call center in Orange County, CA as well as a sales and servicing facility in Moberly, MO.” 

(1) SEC Filing
https://fintel.io/doc/sec-peoples-bancorp-inc-8k-2021-march-29-18715-337

 

 

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

 

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Sales Make it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

Top Originators Get Desired Results

  
As a professional originator in the commercial equipment leasing and finance industry, how badly do you want to succeed? What is holding you back? What are you willing to do to deliver the desired results?

The market is active; there are plenty of opportunities to deliver superior results. You control your own destiny and you can outperform your goals if you are willing to work harder and smarter than other participants in the industry.

It boils down to the following factors: The right vendors and end-users need to know that you exist. They need to know that your services and products are superior. Vendors and end-users need the opportunity to know you.

Top originators understand that it is their responsibility let the world know that they, their products, and their services are the best. Top originators find the best means of reaching new, qualified vendors and end-users every day.

• Top originators never stop prospecting.
• Top originators are always expanding their network.
• Top originators sell aggressively.
• Top originators leverage every transaction, relationship, and opportunity.
• Top originators don't wait - they move transactions forward.
• Top originators never stop qualifying their vendors and end-users.
• Top originators spend their time maximizing their results.

Top originators let the world know that they not only exist, but they are the best.

  
Visit Scott Wheeler, CLFP
Newly Designed Website:
https://www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com/

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.htm

Vaccine Distribution Increases Small Business Optimism
By Caity Roach, Editor, Coleman Reports

Despite the growing availability of vaccines, most small business owners do not anticipate the economy returning to normal anytime soon. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly small business report, six out of ten (59%) small business owners now predict it will take more than six months to get back to pre-pandemic conditions. Nevertheless, vaccine distribution does appear to be lifting small business spirits. More than half of small business owners polled report that the vaccine makes them more optimistic about the future of their business (54%) and the business climate across the country (59%).

Here are some additional survey findings included in the MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Q1 2021 report:

• A growing number (45%) say they can operate indefinitely without shutting down in the current environment, up five percentage points from last quarter, 17 points from July 2020, and 22 points from late April 2020 when only 23% said they could operate indefinitely.

• Overall, 62% of small business owners say they are comfortable with their cash flow, just three percentage points below pre-pandemic levels.

• 47% of small businesses anticipate their revenue increasing this year, on par with sentiments during the pandemic. Another 14% expect it to decrease, while 32% think their revenues will stay the same.

• While almost half (49%) of small businesses plan on retaining their current staff size over the next year, 32% plan to increase staff (up from 27% saying they would do so in Q4 2020).

• As the pandemic continues, small businesses are paying more attention to their employee’s mental health. 60% of small business owners say they are actively seeking to improve their employees’ mental health.

• Just over half (52%) of small business owners say they are likely to require employee COVID-19 vaccinations.

Coleman Reports,
 28081 Marguerite Pkwy. #4525,
Mission Viejo, CA 92690
bob@colemanreport.com

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Mapping the World's Key Maritime Choke Points
Visualcapitalist.com

Full Story
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapping-the-worlds-key-maritime-choke-points/

 

Why the Alcohol Industry Is Investing in Cannabis
Is it Healthier than Whiskey and Wine?

Over the last couple of years, the stance on marijuana in the United States has shifted, which can be observed by the number of states that have decriminalized and/or legalized the medical and recreational use of marijuana. According to BDS Analytics, marijuana sales in the United States are expected to be $16.2 billion this year, with marijuana beverage sales making up $1 billion of that amount.

According to the National Cannabis Industry Association, only three states in the country lack some form of legal marijuana; those states are Nebraska, Kansas and Idaho. During the November 2020 elections, Arizona and New Jersey approved measures for adult recreational use of marijuana, with New York possibly following suit in the months to come.

A New Frontier Data survey found that while prior studies couldn’t agree on whether marijuana legalization affected alcohol sales, wellness and health have progressively become consumer priorities, with 81% of marijuana consumers claiming that marijuana is safer when compared to alcohol. This may explain why many alcohol companies have been making considerable investments in marijuana, particularly in the industry’s beverage space, and hedging their bets.

A good example of this would be Constellation Brands, which made a 10% investment into Canopy Growth, a cannabis company based in Canada, a few years ago. This move was followed by other big companies in the alcohol industry getting involved in marijuana. For instance, Great North Distributors, a Southern Glazer subsidiary, started distributing marijuana brand Aphria in 2018 while earlier this year, a CBD-infused sparkling water known as Truss was launched by Molson Coors. Additionally, Pabst and Lagunitas, which are both owned by Heineken, have launched beverages that are infused with THC.

The marijuana beverage market is made up of two primary categories: hemp-derived CBD beverages and THC beverages. With cannabis beverages being seen as healthier alternatives to alcohol and marijuana gaining benefits from the shift towards wellness and health, especially now that millennials are consuming less alcohol, Canopy predicts that the market demand for CBD products derived from hemp will be valued at $10 billion by the year 2023, with hemp-derived CBD beverages making up nearly $1.1 billion of that amount.

However, there are still a few issues these companies have to overcome, both with regard to market challenges and legal hurdles. The first is the fact that CBD and THC are not allowed in alcoholic beverages. With a growing number of players in this burgeoning field, many are excited to see what opportunities this field may offer.

One company that is set to benefit from the interest of the alcohol industry in the cannabis sector is Pure Extracts Technologies Corp. (CSE: PULL) (OTC: PRXTF), whose vast experience and dominance of the extracts segment in Canada puts it in pole position to be the ingredient supplier of choice for alcohol companies venturing into making cannabis-based drinks.

Source: Cannabisnewswire

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Certified Leasing & Finance Professional Foundation
Volume 1, 2021  Circular/Message/Photo's/Spotlight
Will Equipment Finance Companies Return to the Office in 2021?

http://leasingnews.org/PDF/clfp_32021.pdf

Mixed Breed
Houston, Texas  Adopt-a-Dog

Hot Fudge Sundae

HPA-A-9835
Female
Age: 8 years
50 lbs.
Dog Friendly
Cat Friendly - Unknown
Kid Friendly - Unknown

"Hot Fudge Sundae got her name for being perfectly sweet! This girl is everything you could want in a dog, plus a charming smile. She is 7-8 years old, 50 lbs., and looks like a super mixed breed. She is very affectionate and loves being petted and cuddling. She is a senior, and has a really wonderful medium-low energy level. She is happy to go for a stroll with you, but would probably be just as happy curled up by your side on the couch. Hot Fudge Sundae is quiet and calm in a kennel, and is very well potty trained. She is spayed and adoption-ready!"

Houston Pets Alive
2800 Antoine Drive Suite 2854
Houston, TX 77092
(Adoption Hours: 12-7pm every day)
adopt@houstonpetsalive.org

Application Process
https://www.houstonpetsalive.org/find-dogs/#sl_embed&page=shelterluv_wrap_1601325966061%2Fmatchme%2Fadopt%2FHPA-A-9835%3Fspecies%3D%26intakeType%3D

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COVID Strikes Close to Home
By Ralph Mango, Associate Editor, Leasing News

Recently, a longtime friend and former teammate passed due to complications from COVID-19. He was part of the teammates we played summer league, college and semi pro baseball together in the 60s and 70s. It hurts because he was a close friend and it could have been avoided.

Members of my family have also contracted the disease but with only mild symptoms and they have completely recovered.  My sister’s daughter-in-law is in the Navy and was stationed in the Far East before returning home just before Christmas.  She, my nephew, and their son joined my sister and my brother and his family for Christmas, departing the next day.  The daughter-in-law was subsequently advised that she had been in contact with the virus while on duty and the entire family group contracted the virus soon thereafter. Fortunately, it was not serious and apart from minor bouts of lung congestion and taste and smell loss, they are all healthy.

My friend’s wife found out she had the virus in the latter part of February. He already had his first vaccination scheduled for March 5 and tested negative until the 4th when he finally tested positive.  By then, he clearly was feeling symptoms.  The vaccination could not occur and with the developing symptoms of fever, difficult breathing, low oxygen, and loss of smell, he entered the hospital shortly thereafter. When he went into ICU on Wednesday and onto a ventilator, we all feared the worst.

I should add that he and his wife, second marriage for both, did not practice reasonable self-quarantine; their social calendars were only slightly reduced.

Our other teammates and I, who all reunited often over the years, are clearly upset that this apparent disregard for self was the major reason for their viruses, and ultimately, for his death; something that could have been avoided. Oddly, she has recovered fully from the virus, not having suffered any significant symptoms. She is, however, devastated at the loss of her mate with a deep sense of responsibility that she was the transmitter although that has not been confirmed. In any event, we all still suffer the pain and loss of his passing as he was the youngest among us.

Readers will draw their own conclusions as they should. I remain cautious, having both doses and I will continue to wear the mask whenever I leave home. Here in the DC Mero area, new cases continue to occur weekly despite the vaccinations, leaving me the impression that they still don’t have their hands around the controls. Baseball season is upon us and crowds will gather, admittedly in controlled numbers, graduations and parties will resume while the new strains continue to appear.  We’ve already seen spring break in Miami and that is the behavior that concerns me.

Use your head and stay safe.

Ralph
ralphmango@hotmail.com

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Over 30 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the U.S. as of March 29, 2021, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University. While New York was the early U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, it has now been surpassed by California, Texas, and Florida in cases, with the Golden State recording over 3.6 million. So far, nearly 550,000 Americans have died due to Covid-19.

By Niall McCarthy, Statista

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Free COVID-19 Vaccination Card Lamination
Available Staples and Office Depot

Protect Your Proof of Vaccination

 

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California Government Closures for March 31, 2021
in honor of Cesar Chavez

The California Secretary of State's office will be closed 3/31/21, in honor of Cesar Chavez Day. Many county filing offices including: Butte, Fresno, Madera, Mono, Napa, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma will close as well.

 

News Briefs---

One dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines was 80% effective
    in preventing COVIS-19 in CDC study of health workers
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/29/cdc-study-shows-single-dose-of-pfizer-or-moderna-covid-vaccines-was-80percent-effective.html

Southwest Airlines expands Boeing fleet order: 737 MAX jets
    Boeing could build more than 600 new 737
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2021-03-29/southwest-airlines-orders-100-boeing-737-max-planes

Nearly 40% of Homes Selling Above Listing Price
    themreport.com
https://themreport.com/daily-dose/03-29-2021/nearly-40-of-homes-selling-above-listing-price

Banks Face Billions in Losses as a Bet
    on ViacomCBS and Other Stocks Goes Awry
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/business/archegos-hwang-viacomcbs-discovery.html

$2.25 trillion plan expected to include
    $650 billion for roads, bridges, more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/03/30/biden-infrastructure-plan-jobs/

 

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You May Have Missed---

Hours spent commuting pre-COVID added up to days wasted.
    How many? We have a handy one-button calculator for that
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/03/29/working-from-home-in-the-bay-area-use-our-calculator-to-see-how-much-commuting-time-youve-saved/

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Sports Briefs---

NFL makes move to 17-game season official;
    Cowboys-Patriots set to play in 2021
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/cowboys/2021/03/30/nfl-makes-move-to-17-game-season-official-cowboys-patriots-set-to-play-in-2021/

NFL expects full stadiums in 2021,
    sends 49ers on road for added 17th game
https://www.mercurynews.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/

Raiders great Tim Brown hits hole-in-one
     on one of golf’s most famous holes
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/03/29/tim-brown-hits-hole-in-one-at-famed-17th-hole-at-tpc-sawgrass/

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California Nuts Briefs---

Increase in San Diego home prices
     among highest in nation
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/real-estate/story/2021-03-30/increase-in-san-diego-home-prices-among-highest-in-nation

How the SF treasure behind one of Anthony Bourdain's
    favorite burgers in the world survived COVID-19
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/SF-Sams-Burgers-North-Beach-Anthony-Bourdain-16059579.php?IPID=SFGate-HP-CP-Spotlight

Here's why California gas prices are so high
    compared to other states
https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Here-s-why-California-gas-prices-are-so-high-

Monterey Bay Aquarium announces reopening date
    Open May 1 for members, May 15 for general public
https://usanewssite.com/culture/monterey-bay-aquarium-announces-reopening-date/

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Why Now Is the Time to Buy Argentine Malbec Again
https://www.winemag.com/2021/03/19/buy-argentine-malbec-vintage/

Brian Carter Wins 2020 Grand Vin Award
https://www.winebusiness.com/people/?go=getPeopleArticle&dataId=243416

Senators Dodd, McGuire to Chair Select Committee on Wine
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=243427

Howell Mountain's Summit Lake Turns 50
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=243438

COVIS-19 puts paid to independent winegrower fairs in France this spring
https://www.vitisphere.com/news-93738-Covid-puts-paid-to-independent-winegrower-fairs-in-France-this-spring.htm

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

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

This Day in History

     1774 – Great Britain ordered the port of Boston closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.   
    1849 - Colonel John W Geary arrives as the first postmaster of San Francisco.  He will get a street named after him.
    1850 – The U.S. population hit 23,191,876.
    1854 - In Tokyo, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, representing the U.S. government, signs the Treaty of Kanagawa with the Japanese government, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade and permitting the establishment of a U.S. consulate in Japan.
    1870 - Thomas Peterson-Mundy, of Perth Amboy, NJ, became the first black to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment, passed by Congress in February, 1870.  It prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." It was ratified on February 3, 1870, as the third and last of the Reconstruction Amendments.   
    1871 - Millions of birds fly over San Francisco and darken the sky.
    1878 - John "Jack" Arthur Johnson (d. 1946) birthday, Galveston, TX.  In 1908, Johnson became the first black to win the heavyweight boxing championship when he defeated Tommy Burns at Sydney, Australia.  Unable to accept a black man's triumph, the boxing world tried to find a white challenger.  Jim Jeffries, former heavyweight title holder, was badgered out of retirement. On July 4, 1910, at Reno, Nevada, the "battle of the century" proved to be a farce when Johnson handily defeated Jeffries. Race riots swept the US and plans to exhibit the film of the fight were canceled.  Johnson died in an automobile accident June 10, 1946 at Raleigh, NC.  He was inducted in the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. The film "The Great White Hope” is based on his life.
    1880 - The first electric street lights installed by a municipality were turned on in Wabash, Indiana.
    1883 - The Olympic Town-Ball Club of Philadelphia celebrated its 50th anniversary.
    1889 – The Eiffel Tower opened to the public in Paris.
    1890 - Saint Louis, MO, received 20 inches of snow in 24 hours. It was the worst snowstorm of record for the St Louis.    
    1895 - Birthday of Lizzie Miles (d. 1963), born Elizabeth Mary Landreaux in New Orleans.  Popular black singer in New Orleans and Los Angeles in the 1920's and 30's, developed a style known as "gumbo French" jazz.
    1906 - The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later to become the NCAA, was established to set rules for college sports in the US.
    1909 – Construction began on RMS Titanic.
    1917 - Transfer Day commemorates the transfer resulting from purchase of the Virgin Islands by the US from Denmark, March 31, 1917, for $25 million.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar31.html
    1918 - Daylight Savings Time went into effect throughout the U.S. for the first time.  Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist George Hudson in 1895.  Many publications credit DST's proposal to the prominent English builder and outdoorsman William Willett who independently conceived DST in 1905 during a pre-breakfast ride, when he observed with dismay how many Londoners slept through a large part of a summer's day.  His solution was to advance the clock during the summer months, a proposal he published two years later.  The first Daylight Saving Bill was presented to the House of Commons on February 12, 1908 but did not become law.  William Sword Frost, mayor of Orillia, Ontario, introduced daylight saving time in the municipality during his tenure from 1911 to 1912.  Starting on April 30, 1916, Germany and Austria-Hungary were the first to use DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime. Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the next year and the United States adopted it in 1918.
    1922 - KFI-AM in Los Angeles CA begins radio transmissions.
    1927 – Cesar Chavez (d. 1993) was born in Yuma, AZ.  One of America’s greatest labor leaders and champions of social justice who organized migrant farmworkers for better working conditions.  He initiated the United Farm Workers Association in 1962, attraction attention to their plight by organizing boycotts of farm products including grapes and lettuce.  His birthday is a holiday in California.
    1929 - Birthday of Liz Claiborne (d. 2007) Brussels, Belgium.  Founder, president, CEO and chair as well as fashion designer of Liz Claiborne, Inc., a billion-dollar corp. Her mother taught her to sew and Liz says instilled ambition in her.
    1930 - The Motion Picture Production Code was instituted, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film, in the U.S., for the next thirty-eight years.
   1930 - Scotch Tape is first sold.  Richard Drew, a 3M engineer, developed the first transparent sticky tape in St. Paul, MN with material known as cellophane.  Drew's inspiration came from watching auto-engineers try to achieve smooth paintings on two-color cars. It was then that he created Scotch masking tape, and later evolved the product to be transparent.  In 1932, John A. Borden, also a 3M engineer, built the tape dispenser to hold the fast-selling new product.  During the Great Depressions, the versatility and durability of Scotch tape led to a surge in demand, as customers used it to mend household items like books, curtains, clothing, etc.  It had industrial applications as well: Goodyear used it to tape the inner supportive ribs of dirigibles to prevent corrosion.
    1931 – TWA Flight 599 crashed near Bazaar, KS, killing eight, including Notre Dame head football coach Knute Rockne.
    1932 – Author John Jakes was born in Chicago.  Best known for American historical fiction. His Civil War trilogy, “North and South,”, has sold millions of copies worldwide. He is also the author of “The Kent Family Chronicles.”  His works have sold in excess of 60 million copies worldwide.
    1933 – The Civilian Conservation Corps was established with the mission of relieving rampant unemployment in the United States.
    1934 - Birthday of Shirley Jones, Charleroi, PA.  After a very successful stage career in such musicals as “Oklahoma!” which she brought to the screen in 1955, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in “Elmer Gantry” (1960). Best known to a generation for her TV work in “The Partridge Family.”
    1935 – Herb Alpert was born in LA.  Most associated with the group Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Alpert is also a recording industry executive, the "A" of A&M Records, a recording label he and business partner Jerry Moss founded.   Alpert is the only recording artist to hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop chart as both a vocalist ("This Guy’s in Love with You", 1968), and an instrumentalist ("Rise", 1979).
    1943 - Rogers and Hammerstein's landmark musical “Oklahoma!” their first collaboration, opened at the St. James Theatre.  It had its world premiere under the title “Away we Go" at the Shubert Theater in New Haven, CT, on March 11, 1943.  Oklahoma is considered significant because it was the first musical in which songs, music, characterization and story are integrated into an emotional whole.  It changed musicals forever.  It was also the first musical to run more than 2,000 performances and to have a cast album recorded.  Agnes de Mille was the choreographer. It received a special Pulitzer Prize for drama on May 2, 1944.  In 1957, "Oklahoma" became that state's official song.
    1945 - Tennessee Williams' "Glass Menagerie" premieres in New York NY.
    1945 – Comedian, actor, director Gabe Kaplan was born in Brooklyn.  A stand-up comic, he starred in the TV series, “Welcome Back, Kotter,” (ABC 1975-79) about the return of a teacher to the high school he attended.  His class included a racially and ethnically diverse remedial class called the "Sweathogs," among whom was John Travolta as Vinny Barbarino in his first major role.  After “Kotter.” Kaplan returned to his stand-up roots and became involved in the beginnings of the World Poker Tour on which he has won in excess of $1 million.
    1948 - J. D. Salinger's short story "A Perfect Day for Banana Fish" appears in "The New Yorker."
http://jdsalinger.com/
    1949 - RCA Victor introduces the 45 rpm single record, which had been in development since 1940. The 7-inch disc was designed to compete with the 33 1/3 LP introduced by Columbia a year earlier. Both formats offered better fidelity and longer playing time than the 78 rpm platter that was currently in use. Advertisements for new record players boasted that with 45 RPM records, the listener could hear up to ten records with speedy, silent, hardly noticeable changes. Remember that the next time you load your iPod.
    1951 – Remington Rand delivered the first UNIVAC I computer to the US Census Bureau. The UNIVAC I became known for predicting the outcome of the U.S. presidential election the following year: this incident is noteworthy because the computer predicted an Eisenhower landslide over Adlai Stevenson, whereas the final Gallup poll had Eisenhower winning the popular vote 51-49 in a close contest.  The prediction left CBS’ news boss in New York, Sigfried Mickelson, to believe the computer was in error, and he refused to allow the prediction to be read. Instead, the crew showed some staged theatrics that suggested the computer was not responsive, and announced it was predicting 8-7 odds for an Eisenhower win (the actual prediction was 100-1 in his favor).
    1954 - Top Hits
“Make Love to Me!” - Jo Stafford
“Wanted” - Perry Como
“Answer Me, My Love” - Nat ‘King’ Cole
“Slowly” - Webb Pierce
    1954 - The temperature at Rio Grande City, TX, hit 108 degrees, which for thirty years was a U.S. record for the month of March.
    1955 - Chase National (3rd largest bank) and Bank of the Manhattan Company (15th largest bank) merge to form Chase Manhattan.
    1956 – Brenda Lee made her US television debut, singing an unrehearsed version of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" on ABC-TV's “Ozark Jamboree.”
    1958 - Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" is released. It would enter the Billboard chart six weeks later and rise to number 8.
    1962 – The Shirelles released “Soldier Boy,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100.
    1962 - Top Hits
“Don’t Break the Heart that Loves You” - Connie Francis
“Johnny Angel” - Shelley Fabares
“Dream Baby” - Roy Orbison
“She’s Got You” - Patsy Cline
    1962 - A tornado struck the town of Milton, FL, killing 17 persons and injuring 100 others. It was the worst tornado disaster in Florida history.
    1962 - The Pacific Coast League proposal to use a DH was voted down 8-1 by the Professional Baseball Rules Committee. Prompted by the Cubs’ college of coaches, the committee also ruled each team must name a manager 30 minutes prior to the game. The DH will not come into Major League use until 1973, when it is adopted by the American League.  The National League still prohibits the DH although MLB mandated its use in both leagues in 2020 as an experiment, one of many driven by the pandemic-shortened season.
    1965 - US ordered the first combat troops to Vietnam
    1968 - President Johnson stunned the country by announcing he would not run for another term of office.  With the Vietnam War going badly, in late March, polls suggested that Minnesota Sen. Eugene McCarthy would likely win the Wisconsin Democratic Primary.  Following the Tet Offensive, which despite being a tactical victory, resulted in the deaths of thousands of American and South Vietnamese soldiers.  The offensive included an invasion of the US Embassy in Saigon which led many Americans to believe that the North Vietnamese were stronger than had been reported, and that the war was not nearing an end, despite Johnson’s assurances otherwise.  He stepped down, saying "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president." http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0331.html#article
    1970 - Top Hits
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” - Simon & Garfunkel
“Let It Be” - The Beatles
“Instant Karma” (“We All Shine On”) - John Ono Lennon
“The Fightin’ Side of Me” - Merle Haggard
    1971 - THACKER, BRIAN MILES, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Battery A, 1st Battalion, 92d Artillery. Place and date: Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 31 March 1971. Entered service at: Salt Lake City, Utah. Born: 25 April 1945, Columbus, Ohio. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Thacker, Field Artillery, Battery A, distinguished himself while serving as the team leader of an Integrated Observation System collocated with elements of 2 Army of the Republic of Vietnam units at Fire Base 6. A numerically superior North Vietnamese Army force launched a well-planned, dawn attack on the small, isolated, hilltop fire base. Employing rockets, grenades, flame-throwers, and automatic weapons, the enemy forces penetrated the perimeter defenses and engaged the defenders in hand-to-hand combat. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, 1st Lt. Thacker rallied and encouraged the U.S. and Republic of Vietnam soldiers in heroic efforts to repulse the enemy. He occupied a dangerously exposed observation position for a period of 4 hours while directing friendly air strikes and artillery fire against the assaulting enemy forces. His personal bravery and inspired leadership enabled the outnumbered friendly forces to inflict a maximum of casualties on the attacking enemy forces and prevented the base from being overrun. By late afternoon, the situation had become untenable. 1st Lt. Thacker organized and directed the withdrawal of the remaining friendly forces. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he remained inside the perimeter alone to provide covering fire with his M-16 rifle until all other friendly forces had escaped from the besieged fire base. Then, in an act of supreme courage, he called for friendly artillery fire on his own position to allow his comrades more time to withdraw safely from the area and, at the same time, inflict even greater casualties on the enemy forces. Although wounded and unable to escape from the area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for 8 days until friendly forces regained control of the fire base. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by 1st Lt. Thacker were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the military service.
    1972 - Swimmer Mark Spitz was awarded the Amateur Athletic Union’s Sullivan Award as 1971's outstanding amateur athlete. Spitz went on to Olympic legendry a few months later, winning seven gold medals.
    1973 - Ken Norton defeated Muhammad Ali in a 12-round split decision. Ali had his jaw broken during the fight.
    1973 - A devastating tornado took a nearly continuous 75 mile path through north central Georgia causing more than 113 million dollars damage, the highest total of record for a natural disaster in the state.
    1977 – Less than six months before his death, during intermission at Elvis Presley's latest show in Baton Rouge, LA, the King became too ill to return to the stage. The concert was canceled and Elvis was admitted to Baptist Hospital in Memphis the next day, suffering from "fatigue" and "intestinal flu."
    1978 - Top Hits
“Night Fever” - Bee Gees
“Stayin’ Alive” - Bee Gees
“Lay Down Sally” - Eric Clapton
“Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” - Waylon & Willie
    1981 - The 1980 Academy Awards were presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, "Ordinary People" (Ronald L. Schwary, producer) won four Academy Awards at the 53rd Oscar ceremonies. Johnny Carson hosted the show from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Oscars were presented to a lot of ordinary people, like "Tess" and "Melvin and Howard." However, it was the Best Picture, "Ordinary People," that also won for Best Director (Robert Redford), Best Supporting Actor (Timothy Hutton) and Best Writing (screenplay based on material from another medium: Alvin Sargent). Best Actor that year was Robert De Niro for "Raging Bull" and the Best Actress was Sissy Spacek for "Coal Miner’s Daughter." The Best Supporting Actress prize went to Mary Steenburgen for "Melvin and Howard" and Best Music/Song Oscars were awarded to Michael Gore (music) and Dean Pitchford (lyrics) for "Fame" from the film of the same name. A special award was given to Henry Fonda in recognition of his brilliant accomplishments and enduring contribution to the art of motion pictures.
    1985 - A reunion of stars lit up Beverly Hills, California, as ABC-TV celebrated the 200th episode of "The Love Boat." The network also honored the 1,000th guest star: Lana Turner. She was joined by Mary Martin, who was the 700th guest star to set sail on the show. Ginger Rogers was the 300th, Robert Guillaume #500 and we could go on but we won’t. "The Love Boat" had as a crew: Captain Merrill Stubing (Gavin MacLeod), Dr. Adam Bricker (Bernie Kopell), Yeoman-Purser Burl ‘Gopher’ Smith (Fred Grandy, who went on to become a U.S. Congressman), Bartender Isaac Washington (Ted Lange) and Photographer Ashley Covington Evans (Ted McGinley). Singer Jack Jones provided the vocal to the opening theme song and Ernie Anderson was the distinctive voice for the millions of network promos before each show.
    1986 - Top Hits
“Rock Me Amadeus” - Falco
“R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” - John Cougar Mellencamp
“Kiss” - Prince & The Revolution
“Don’t Underestimate My Love for You” - Lee Greenwood
    1987 - HBO (Home Box Office) earned its first Oscar as "Down and Out in America" tied for Best Documentary feature. The cable-TV film played in a Los Angeles movie theatre for one week to qualify for the Academy Award.
    1989 - Afternoon thunderstorms produced severe weather from North Carolina to Pennsylvania. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 76 mph at Cape Henry, VA. While squalls blanketed northwest Pennsylvania with up to 9 inches of snow, thunderstorms in eastern Pennsylvania produced golf ball size hail at Avondale.
    1992 - The USS Missouri, the last active United States Navy battleship, was decommissioned in Long Beach, CA.  Missouri was the last battleship commissioned by the United States and is best remembered as the site of the Japan’s surrender, which ended World War II.Missouri received a total of 11 battle stars for service in World War II, Korea, and the Persian Gulf.  In 1998, she was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association and became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor.
    1995 - Concerned about embezzlement from her fan club and boutique accounts, Tejana singer Selena confronted Yolanda Saldivar, her recently-fired manager and first fan club founder, while they stayed in a motel in Corpus Christi, Texas. During the heated argument that ensued, Selena was shot fatally in the back by Saldivar. The bullet struck her in her right shoulder. With sapping strength, Selena ran in a panic to the motel lobby to get help. She collapsed in a pool of blood on the floor as the clerk called 911. An ambulance took her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead about an hour later.
    1995 - The longest strike in sports history ended - in a courtroom. A U.S. District court order forbids owners from implementing new financial working conditions in the wake of the impasse in negotiations. The court decides that conditions will revert to the old rules from the previous season. Because of the timing of the court order, 18 games will have to be trimmed from the Major League schedule.
    1996 - For the first time in Major League history, the regular season opened in March with the Seattle Mariners beating the Chicago White Sox in 12 innings, 3 - 2, at the Kingdome. Five Mariners pitchers strike out 21 batters, with Randy Johnson fanning 14 Sox in seven innings.
    1996 - 15th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Georgia 83-65.
    1997 - 59th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arizona beats Kentucky 84-79 (OT)
    1998 – In their first games ever, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays lost to the Detroit Tigers, 11-6 while the Arizona Diamondbacks lost to the Colorado Rockies, 9-2.
    1998 – Netscape released Mozilla source code under an open source license.
    2000 - The $345 million Pacific Bell Park at Third and King Streets, San Francisco, opened with an exhibition game between the Giants and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Giants won 8-3.  It is now known as Oracle Park.
    2012 - The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists merge to create the SAG-AFTRA union.
    2013 - Once the world's fastest computer, the IBM Roadrunner, was decommissioned; advances in chip design have surpassed its capabilities.