Monday, March 20, 2006
Headlines--- Spring ######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”
SPRING The date is significant in Christianity because Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. It is also probably no coincidence that early Egyptians built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising Sun on the day of the vernal equinox. -------------------------------------------------------------- Classified Ads---Credit
Workers dye the Chicago River for the city's annual St. Patrick's Day celebrations. If you are ever asked in a trivia contest, which city dyes its river green for St. Patrick's, you now know the answer. Atlanta, GA Boston Ma Corona, CA Fort Lee, NJ Irvine, CA Los Angeles, CA New Jersey, NJ New York, NY. Sausalito, Ca Orange, CA. Senior Credit Officer For a full listing of all “job wanted” ads, please go to: http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm To place a free “job wanted” ad, please go to: http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/PostingForm.asp --------------------------------------------------------------
“Funder” List up-dated
To view the list with the ability to click on names above the list, please go here: http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/Funders.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------- Marlin Leasing Officers continue to dispose of stock: “This grant vests over an eight year period at the following annual increments: 2.5% in first year; 5.0% in second year; 7.5% in third year; 10.0% in fourth year; 15.0% in fifth year; and 20.0% in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth years. Vesting can be accelerated upon the reporting person's achievement of certain performance goals set forth in the grant instrument.” DYER DANIEL P 3/10/2006 3,500 A $1.91 sold 3,500 at $21.01 3/9/2006 3,500 A $1.91 sold 3,500 at $21.01 PELOSE GEORGE D 3/09/2006 1,250 option or purchase of $4.23, sold 1,250 at $21.34 2/24/06 1,250 A $4.23 sold 1,250 at $22.365 2/17 sold 4,070 at $22.79 Marlin Stock at end of day, Friday, March 17, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------- Wal-Mart Bank scares legislators Wal-Marts application for an industrial bank in the State of Utah, drew so much criticism that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is holding a special hearing on the issue in Washington on April 10 and 11, and another hearing, to be held in Kansas City, Mo., on April 25 and 26 at the request primarily of U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton. Last Friday, two lawmakers introduced bills to restrict Wal-Mart Stores' plans for banking operations in their states. Rep. John Gleason of Michigan, a Democrat, proposed a bill Friday that would bar industrial banks like one Wal-Mart is seeking to start. State Delegate Brian Moe in Maryland, also a Democrat, introduced legislation last week that would ban bank branches from Wal-Mart stores. There is a move in Washington, D.C. to bring federal regulations and laws reportedly from intense opposition from community banks and groups to the company's application for an industrial bank charter. "I'm really concerned that they're going to put the local community banks out of business," Gleason said in a statement to the press. Wal-Mart would be joining the other 35 Industrial Loan Companies (ILC) located in Utah, which should be of interest as they have a “rental” and small “lease-to-own” program. As reported earlier, Marlin Leasing is seeking an industrial bank application in Utah. The FDIC states the reasons for the two hearings is they are interested "...in obtaining the views of the general public, the financial services industry and other industry trade groups, public interest groups, state financial institution supervisors, other state authorities, and any other interested parties." Wal-Mart has said it wants to process its own credit and debit applications by opening an industrial bank. Last fall, in reaction to criticism of the plan, the company pledged not to expand into branch banking, but lawmakers are questioning whether the federal government can permanently restrict the retailer from doing so. --------------------------------------------------------------
“Back Office” request for “Up-Dates” Companies not listed, please contact us. Listing is free. Any up-dates to present list, please send to kitmenkin@leasingnews.org
(a) Barrett offers proactive lease management/administration of commercial/consumer vehicles and lease/finance portfolios, covering insurance, titles, registrations, sales/property taxes, tickets, collections, repossessions, vehicle transportation and dispositions. Since 1975. (b) Group 88 is a business partner of McCue Systems Inc, maker of LeasePak. With over 20 years supporting major firms in the leasing industry, Group 88 provides data conversions, system implementations, custom software development and outsourced system support. (c) JDR Solutions, LLC., based in Indianapolis, Indiana provides back office lease/loan administration services and hosting of related accounting and portfolio management software. Under a preferred partnership arrangement with International Decision Systems (IDS), JDR Solutions offers its "Managed Service" solutions utilizing the robust capabilities od Infolease and related software applications. JDR will soon offer IDS's next generation software, Profinia, in a hosted environment. For more information about JDR Solutions, visit www.jdrsol.com or call: Paul Henkel, Director of Marketing (d) We also offer specialized programs for banks which want to start their own leasing operations and for vendors who want to find financing or act as lessor for their customers. We also act as a broker for end users looking for commercial equipment financing. Sincerely, (e) ECS Financial Services, Inc. is one of only a few CPA firms in the United States that specializes in providing portfolio management, accounting, tax and management advisory services to the equipment leasing industry. ECS Financial provides lease management services including accounts receivable billing and collections, preparation of monthly lease income and residual schedules, book and tax depreciation tracking, as well as guidance and a variety of useful management reports to assist management in making sound financial decisions. ECS Financial offers accounting and financial statement compilation, review and audit services, as well as multiple state sales tax preparation, federal and state income tax return preparation, and personal property tax preparation and tracking. Our lease management team of accountants and tax specialists are experienced in providing quality professional service in the management of lease portfolios, and their efforts are enhanced by the state of the art, industry-specific software we utilize. ECS Financial serves clients throughout the United States . The name has changed, but the quality service remains the same! (f) PFSC is the largest independent commercial lease and loan-servicing company is the U.S. and is headquartered in Portland , Oregon . PFSC provides primary/master servicing, backup/successor servicing, and consulting for lease and loan portfolios. It currently manages over $14.0 billion in assets. More information can be found at www.pfsc.com. (g) Advanced Property Tax Compliance Major Clients: LaSalle System Leasing, Evans Leasing, Summit Funding, Merrimak Capital, IFC Credit, Highland Capital, Telerent Leasing, Main Street National Bank, Blackstone Capital, SolarCom World Holdings, Bayer Healthcare, Altec Capital, Alabama Banker's Bank, Outsource Lease, Vision Financial, VenCore Solutions, Aztec Financial, Davel Communications -------------------------------------------------------------- Leasing Associations Meetings Open to Non-members
Roundtable Event Roundtable Discussions: Ken Goodman, Goodman & Associates Bob Robichaud, PFF Bank & Trust Paul Foster, Allegiant Partners Experian Chris Pisacane, PFF Bank & Trust No cost to UAEL Members, $10 for Non-Members ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 30, 2006 at 6:00 PM Fox & Hounds Pub No Cost Appetizers, No host bar Guest Speaker to be announced 50-50 Raffle Register online at www.uael.org or contact Bill Grohe at Phone: 415-681-2234 or email at bill@uael.org --------------------------------------------------------------
Top Stories--March 13-17
Here are the top ten stories most "opened" by readers last week. (1) Sales Makes it Happen—Terry Winders, CLP (2 ) Reasons to lease, Section 179-Shawn Halladay (3) Leasing still a Relationship Business -Christopher Menkin (4) Salzano's House on Line (5) Marborough names LaChance “ Business Person of the Year ” (6) Leasing Decisions of Small Firms (2006) (7 ) Better Programs up-dated: “Leasing Software” list (8) Are you Licensed or Don't Care? -by Christopher Menkin (9) Cartoon--- How's My Accounting ? (10) Selling Up -- "All Sales Are Complex" by Steve Chriest
-------------------------------------------------------------- Classified Ads—Help Wanted Account Executive
Financial Analyst
Lease Coordinator
Lease Representatives
Portfolio Collection & Customer Service
Sales Manager
-------------------------------------------------------------- Why I Became a CLP Johnnie Johnson, CLP, from Kuwait
This is the second in a series about the Certified Lease Professional program, explaining why individuals decided to become a CLP, the process, and their reaction to the knowledge and other benefits gained. Mr. Johnson was one of the early “educators” and “proctors” of tests: Sorry for the delay in answering your e-mail, but have been attending the Euromoney World Leasing Conference (this year held in Dubai, UAE). Great conference!. I had the privilege of being the Keynote speaker for the conference, as well has presenting a day long workshop on Islamic leasing. The conference included representatives from approximately 35 different countries around the world. Sudhir Amembal was the Chairman for the event, and as always, it was a pleasure to share the podium with him. Sudhir commands great respect in the world of International leasing. To answer your questions regarding the education program for the CLP. In 1997, I became involved in discussion at United Association of Equipment Leasing (UAEL) centered on the need for additional education opportunities in the leasing industry, specifically as they related to the Certified Leasing Professional (CLP) program. The CLP program was at that time under the sponsorship of UAEL. While The Leasing Professionals' Handbook was available through UAEL as a reference and study resource, it was somewhat outdated, and was not comprehensive as to the “Body of Knowledge” that was required to prepare for the CLP exam. At this time there was a recognized need within UAEL for an updating of the CLP exam, for defining the “Body of Knowledge” required for competency as a CLP, and for re-writing The Leasing Professionals' Handbook. In early 1998, I had sold all my interests in my leasing company, and was doing lease brokerage and consulting. I made a proposal to the UAEL Board to do an update of the CLP exam and to develop and write the “Body of Knowledge”. The proposal was accepted, and I proceeded to do the work required. The exam update was limited—that is it involved only removing/rewriting the ambiguous questions and the removing or addition of a few other questions needed to bring the exam up to date. This work “cleaned-up” the exam, and extended the then-current exam's useful life. The CLP exam, of course, has been updated a number of times since then. I also developed and documented the “Body of Knowledge”. Simultaneously, discussions were ongoing about how to best deliver this knowledge to prospective CLP candidates. These discussions resulted in the formation of the Institute for Leasing Professionals under the sponsorship of the UAEL. I was asked to serve as the Dean of the Institute, and to develop a curriculum (based on the “Body of Knowledge”) for classroom presentation. I was also asked to develop a schedule of classes to be presented around the U.S. We used two approaches in developing the class schedule. One was to schedule a class in a major metropolitan area, essentially with UAEL as the sponsor. Our second and main, effort, however, was to find a Corporate sponsor for the class – A leasing company/bank that would provide the facilities and a minimum number of participants. Both approaches were used successfully, but the corporate sponsorship worked the best. Financially, expenses connected with the class were covered, then, for my efforts as the organizer and instructor, I received a percentage of the net revenues generated. UAEL received the rest, and provided support as to registrations, disseminated of material, etc. The program was never meant to really “make money”, but was designed just to pay all the costs. At only $800 for a registration fee, the class was a real bargain. Discounts were also given for multiple registrations, and for participants from the corporate sponsors. The classes were typically 4 days in length, with actual classroom time of at least 8 hours each day. It was a very intensive class, and comprehensively covered the entire body of knowledge required as a base for the CLP exam (the presentation involved nearly a thousand power-point slides). The classes were held all around the country. In most of the classes, the CLP exam was scheduled for the day following (or sometimes two or three days following) the end of the class, and probably 90% or more of the class participants ended up taking the exam at that time. Usually, I also acted as the proctor for the exam—although where there were schedule conflicts, other CLP's would from time to time act as proctor. Mini classes were also presented in connection with UAEL events and conferences. These were essentially 1 day review session on the CLP “Body of Knowledge”. As you can imagine, these classes were just a superficial covering of the curriculum. Typically, extra time was spent on areas where there were historic problems with understanding the material. The Institute was also involved in other education efforts, and presented education on other subjects related to leasing on a regular basis. The schedule was, at times, very hectic, often with classes scheduled week after week. Personally, that meant I was often traveling for several weeks at a time, giving a class and exam in a different city each week. The program continued until late 1999, when I ended up in Kuwait and was no longer available to do the instructing. I believe there was some activity after I left, but it was limited. The CLP Foundation was already under discussion at that time, and eventually the Institute for Leasing Professionals and all of the material I developed was folded into the CLP Foundation. For example, the CLP “Body of Knowledge” I developed is published on the CLP Foundation website, virtually unchanged from my original version. The Leasing Professionals' Handbook was updated and re-written under the auspices of the CLP Foundation, and is available as The Certified Lease Professionals' Handbook through the CLP Foundation. Personally I found these efforts with the CLP program and the Institute for Leasing Professionals very rewarding. It was a pleasure to share the knowledge that I had gained from actually running a leasing company and being involved in the industry for nearly 20 years. I loved the teaching, and fortunately, have been able to continue sharing my experience and knowledge, both in the classroom and out, through my current activities in Kuwait. The value of the knowledge gained by the students who participated is really incalculable. The experience level of the students ranged from the seasoned profession to a few who had just started in the industry—and who were not eligible to take the CLP exam, but who were hoping to enhance their knowledge. Without fail, however, even the seasoned professionals walked away with additional understanding of leasing and the industry. There is no doubt in my mind that those who participated gained a competitive edge for their success in the leasing industry. Individuals who pass the CLP exam must have a comprehensive understanding of the industry, and a secure grounding in the basic skill required to be successful in leasing. The CLP designation does not guarantee success, but it is a clear affirmation of the individual's level of professionalism. I would strongly encourage anyone who meets the requirements to prepare for and take the exam—and receive their CLP. Certainly anyone who does business in the international scene will find the CLP designation as a helpful augmentation to their professional stature. I hope this answers your questions regarding some of the early development work that was done. If you need any further information or clarification on anything, please feel free to contact me. Johnnie W. R. Johnnie Johnson, CLP Previous article: http://www.leasingnews.org/CLP/Index.htm ### Press Release ########################### New Technology Vs. Legacy Systems Alta Group Conference to Examine Dilemma faced by Lessors LAKE TAHOE, Nev., To convert or not to convert? That is the question many lessors and asset finance providers are asking themselves these days, as they evaluate their business technology platforms. Is it worth the significant commitment in time and money to migrate to one of the new accounting applications available, or does it make more sense to continue with legacy systems? This dilemma will be explored in-depth at The Alta Group's Creating IT Solutions in Leasing conference at the Chicago Marriott Oakbrook, April 19-21, 2006. Persons interested in attending the event can register by calling 801-322-4499. “There are technology platforms available in North America now, all of which offer features that claim to help lessors operate more efficiently and grow profits,” said Shawn Halladay, Alta Group principal and event moderator. “We've invited representatives from select lease accounting software companies to present the pros and cons of these applications and present their products' real functionality using actual lease transactions and business requirements. We promise substance in their demonstrations and no fluff.” In addition to Halladay, scheduled speakers at this year's conference include Dr. Pat Preston of Harvard University, who will discuss how information technology systems can actually deliver real business value; Andrew Denton, CHP Consulting; John McCue, McCue Systems; like-kind exchange experts at PriceWaterhouseCoopers; consultants from Tata Consultancy Services; Mark Belec, Bearing Point and Tom Matlon, a recognized leasing systems consultant. The keynote, panel and concurrent sessions are designed for senior personnel with responsibility for implementing, managing and maximizing the value of their companies' information systems and processes. These include COOs, CFOs, CIOs, IT managers, portfolio/equipment managers, conversion specialists, auditors and quality teams. To make the conference as valuable as possible, separate learning tracks address issues pertaining to information technology conversion and portfolio management concerns. “We recognize everyone has their own business requirements,” Halladay said. “The ultimate goal for this event is to provide an open review of the applications and how they interact with others to help attendees determine their back-end system strategies.” This year's event includes discussions on the following topics: • A real look at the benefits and challenges of a legacy system, new application or ASP. The Alta Group is a global consultancy serving equipment leasing and finance companies, investment professionals, manufacturers, banks and government organizations. Founded in 1992, The Alta Group supports clients in North America; Latin America; Western, Central and Eastern Europe; Australia and China. For more information, visit www.thealtagroup.com. ### Press Release ########################### Merv R. Lennon new Key Equipment Finance VP Business Development SUPERIOR, CO. – Key Equipment Finance, one of the nation's largest bank-affiliated equipment financing companies and an affiliate of KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY), has named Merv R. Lennon to the position of vice president, Business Development, within its express leasing healthcare group. Mr. Lennon is based at Key Equipment Finance's worldwide headquarters outside Boulder, Colorado. Mr. Lennon has 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and has significant experience in healthcare program management. During his 11-year tenure at CitiCapital (formerly Copelco Capital), he held various positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently he was vice president and sales manager of vendor markets for the Portfolio Growth Group. He earned his bachelor of science degree in finance from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. “We are extremely pleased to have attracted a candidate of Merv's caliber,” said Erik R. Jensen, senior vice president of Key Equipment Finance's healthcare express leasing services sales group. “He is a results-oriented leasing professional who will be a strong asset in shaping the strategic direction of our healthcare vendor financing group.” Key Equipment Finance is an affiliate of KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) and provides business-to-business equipment financing solutions to businesses of many types and sizes. The company focuses on four distinct markets: · businesses of all sizes in the U.S. and Canada (from small business to large corporate); · equipment manufacturers, distributors and value-added resellers worldwide; · federal, provincial, state and local governments as well as other public sector organizations; and · lease advisory services for manufacturers' captive leasing and finance companies. Key Equipment Finance is an affiliate of KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) and provides business-to-business equipment financing solutions to businesses of many types and sizes. The company focuses on four distinct markets: · businesses of all sizes in the U.S. and Canada (from small business to large corporate); · equipment manufacturers, distributors and value-added resellers worldwide; · federal, provincial, state and local governments as well as other public sector organizations; and · lease advisory services for manufacturers' captive leasing and finance companies. Headquartered outside Boulder, Colorado, Key Equipment Finance manages a $12.6 billion equipment portfolio with annual originations of approximately $5.7 billion. The company has major management and operations bases in Toronto, Ontario; Albany, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas; London, England; and Sydney, Australia. The company, which operates in 26 countries and employs 1,100 people worldwide, has been in the equipment financing business for more than 30 years. Additional information regarding Key Equipment Finance, its products and services can be obtained online at www.KEFonline.com. Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $93 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. ### Press Release ########################### Interpool, Inc. to Pay Cash Dividend on Common Stock PRINCETON, N.J.----Interpool, Inc. (NYSE:IPX) announced today that it will pay a cash dividend of $.08 cents per share for the first quarter of 2006. The dividend will be payable on April 17, 2006 to shareholders of record on April 3, 2006. The aggregate amount of the dividend is expected to be approximately $2,280,000. The amount of the quarterly dividend is based on an indicated annualized dividend rate of 32 cents per share. Interpool is one of the world's leading suppliers of equipment and services to the transportation industry. It is the world's largest lessor of intermodal container chassis and a world-leading lessor of cargo containers used in international trade. ### Press Release ########################### CIT to Host Fixed Income Forum NEW YORK, -- CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT), a leading provider of commercial and consumer finance solutions, will host a Fixed Income Forum on Tuesday, March 21, 2005. The scheduled start time of the presentation is 3:30 p.m. EST and is expected to last until approximately 5:00 p.m. EST. Presenters include Joseph M. Leone, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer, Frederick W. Wolfert, Vice Chairman, Commercial Finance, Thomas B. Hallman, Vice Chairman, Specialty Finance, and Lawrence A. Marsiello, Vice Chairman and Chief Lending Officer. A live webcast of the presentation, in addition to the accompanying slides, will be available on CIT's Investor Relations web site at http://ir.cit.com. To view the presentations and listen to the live event, log on to the web site approximately fifteen minutes prior to the event to register, and to download and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the event will be archived at About CIT CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT), a leading commercial and consumer finance company, provides clients with financing and leasing products and advisory services. Founded in 1908, CIT has over $60 billion in assets under management and possesses the financial resources, industry expertise and product knowledge to serve the needs of clients across approximately 30 industries worldwide. CIT, a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 Index, holds leading positions in vendor financing, factoring, equipment and transportation financing, Small Business Administration loans, and asset-based lending. With its Global Headquarters in New York City, CIT has approximately 6,000 employees in locations throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim. For more information, visit http://www.cit.com . ### Press Release ########################### Mackintosh Joins Capital Markets Team of Merrill Lynch Capital Equipment Finance Scott Mackintosh has joined the Capital Markets team of Merrill Lynch Capital Equipment Finance as Vice President responsible for both buying and selling transactions in the institutional marketplace. Mr. Mackintosh has over 18 years of experience in the commercial finance and structured products market in a variety of positions including originations, management and capital markets. Mr. Mackintosh joined Merrill Lynch Capital Equipment Finance in late 2004 to manage its direct originations in the New England market. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Capital, Mr. Mackintosh was a Vice President with 42 North Structured Finance and its predecessor company, Key Global Finance where his main responsibilities were to syndicate intermediate and long-term domestic and international structured finance and secured credit facilities through a diverse debt and equity investor base. During his tenure with 42 North, he successfully closed transactions with a total value of over $2.5B on a wide variety of products including equipment based single investor and leveraged lease, facility leases, securitizations, real estate financings and other senior secured credit facilities. Mr. Mackintosh joins Dave Buccolo, Vice President, on the newly-revamped Capital Markets team lead by Chris Giuliano, Director. Merrill Lynch Capital is a leading commercial finance business providing a broad range of structured financing solutions to middle market companies nationwide. Based in Chicago and with regional offices throughout the country, Merrill Lynch Capital is focused on four market segments—corporate finance, equipment finance, healthcare finance and real estate finance. The Equipment Finance Group of Merrill Lynch Capital provides flexible structured financing and leasing solutions up to $75 million to public and private corporations in need of equipment throughout a broad cross section of industries. ### Press Release ########################### Hess Joins Alter Moneta James E. Hess has recently joined Alter Moneta in the capacity of Business Development Manager for the Vendor Finance Group. Jim was most recently employed by De Lage Laden and brings to Alter Moneta nearly fifteen years of financial expertise. In his new position Jim has been charged with the identification and implementation of vendor financial solutions for dealer and distributor networks throughout the New England and Mid Atlantic territory. In conjunction with our partners, he will be responsible for new business development by providing dealer as well as end-user financial offerings. Core industries within the Group include construction and transportation. Mark Lempko, Executive Vice President for Alter Moneta offered, “Jim's years of experience and industry involvement will permit Alter Moneta to further expand its offerings of financial services and solutions to our growing list of vendor and dealer partners.” Alter Moneta Corporation manages over 5,000 accounts with over of $1 billion in assets while maintaining an entrepreneurial environment. It is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec with its United States division domiciled in Buffalo, New York. Alter Moneta is a dynamic, experienced company, committed to offering superior service and flexibility to its customers. ### Press Release ###########################
News Briefs---- Storm brings rain and snow to Colorado Slowing home market to ripple through job market Retailers take down borders for immigrant shoppers ---------------------------------------------------------------
You May have Missed--- A 49ers glory days reunion extravaganza in Las Vegas Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young will attend http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/20/MANDR.TMP ---------------------------------------------------------------
Sports Briefs---- Full NCAA Scoreboard Owens vows to leave issues behind Owens Says That He's Wiser, Then Cowboys Make Him Richer Lions checking Harrington trade possibilities ----------------------------------------------------------------
“Gimme that Wine” Wines with 'critter' labels are hot sellers Napa wineries pouring it on to lure upscale clients Texas Hill Country: The next Napa? Movie appearance of Fiddlehead wine sparks first year in the black since '96 Idol's Seacrest tapped to emcee 2006 Auction Napa Valley If you want to know if you got a value for your wine, or what the wine price is today, go to www.winezap.com Type in the vintage (year) and name of the producer with wine type or geographic area, such as 1995 Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac. Even 1995 Lynch Bages will work, or 1999 Viader ----------------------------------------------------------------
Calendar Events This Day Act Happy Day Method acting techniques are prescribed by phsicians to release chemicals in the body which aid health, wealth and friendship. Annually, the third Monday in March. Astrology Day Cranberra Day Australian Capital Territory. Public holiday the third Monday in March. National Agriculture Day A day when producers, agricultural associations, corporations universities, go9vernment agencies and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Annually, the first day of spring. Week of celebration. March 19-25 Ostara One of the “Lesser Sabbats” during the Wiccan year. Ostara is a fire and fertility festival that marks the beginning of spring. Annually, on the spring equinox. Proposal Day A holiday for singles who are seeking marriage. Both bachelors and bachelorettes are encouraged to propose marriage to their true love on Proposal Day; the days of the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Singles not quite ready to propose can celebrate the holiday by sending a gift to the one they hope to marry someday. List released each equinox of the 10 most eligible celebrity singles. Annually, on the first day of spring (vernal equinox). Smile Rejuvenation Day Tunisia Independence Day. Commemorates treaty in 1956 by which France recognized Tunisian autonomy. Wellderly Day Celebration and recognition of senior citizens who never act their age. Annually, the third Monday in March. ----------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Top Event in History 1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic book was published. "Uncle Tom's Cabin", subtitled "Life Among the Lowly", became an instant success, selling 300,000 copies in its first year. It has been translated into twenty languages and performed as a play the world over. ----------------------------------------------------------------
This Day in American History 1723- Benjamin Franklin, discontent with the manner in which his brother treated him, left Boston and settled in Philadelphia, where he was to become famous. NCCA Basketball Champions This Date 1954 LaSalle -------------------------------------------------------------- Spring Poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves "Beware the Jabberwock, my son He took his vorpal sword in hand; And, as in uffish thought he stood, One, two! One, two! And through and through "And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 
