Leasing Company Negotiator Jim Billings Passes Away
February 10, 1944 - September 23, 2020

The Alta Group is sorry to report the death of Jim Billings at age 76 on Sept. 23, 2020. Jim was hired by Bruce Kropschot as Executive Vice President of Kropschot Financial Services in 1987.

Bruce stated, “Kropschot Financial Services would not have attained its status as the leading provider of M&A services to leasing companies without the excellent support of Jim Billings in our early years.

"Jim arranged the sale of more than 30 companies across the U.S. He was especially effective in the sale of vehicle leasing and financing businesses, an area that he knew well from his previous positions managing both the strategic planning and corporate development departments of Commercial Credit Company, which was owned by Control Data and later by CitiGroup.”

Jim joined The Alta Group in 2008 when Kropschot Financial Services became part of Alta. Jim had been a member of the Board of Directors of several associations serving vehicle leasing and specialty finance businesses.

The Alta Group extends its wishes of sympathy to Jim’s wife Judy and to his two daughters and three grandchildren.

Bruce Kropschot, Senior Managing Director
The Alta Group, LLC
7448 Treeline Drive
Naples, FL 34119
(239) 260-4405
bkropschot@thealtagroup.com
www.thealtagroup.com

James (Jim) Billings, of Millersville, Maryland passed away unexpectedly following surgery on September 23, 2020. He was born on February 19, 1944 to Martha and Russell Billings and raised in Stewartville, Minnesota.

He attended the University of Minnesota and earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemistry. He later attended the University of Minnesota and earned a Masters degree in Business.

He worked his entire life in finance, first for Control Data and then Commercial Credit in Minneapolis and Baltimore. Late, he worked on mergers and acquisitions and financing for financial services companies from 1985 to 2000 with Kropschot Financial Services. From 2000 to the present, he has worked as a real estate entrepreneur in the Baltimore-Washington metro area.
 
Jim met and married his wife of 49 years Judy Billings in Rochester, Minnesota and they lived there a short time before moving to Baltimore in 1971, and then relocating to Apple Valley, Minnesota from 1977 to 1980 before relocating to Millersville, Maryland in 1980 to raise their family.

Jim enjoyed boating and spent his summers on the Severn River with his family and friends. The Severna Park United Methodist Church was very important to Jim and he was a loyal member and volunteer. He also loved sports and played racquetball and volleyball for the last 40 years. He loved watching sports and remained a loyal Minnesota Vikings fan. He loved to read and was interested in politics.

He is survived by his wife, Judy Billings, his children, Jennifer Billings (Maurizio) and Sarah Gronowski (Steve), and his grandchildren Maria Antonietta Dal Pino, Brooks Gronowski and Max Gronowski. He also leaves behind two brothers, Russ Billings (Sharon) and Wayne Billings (Donna), and several nieces and nephews.

Jim was a special man with many friends and will be greatly missed. He was a wonderful husband and father, and his grandchildren adored him. His sense of humor, kindness and strength will be missed dearly. He was our rock and our world will not be the same without him.

Semi-private services are to be held on September 30, 2020 with larger memorial celebration of his life at a later date when we can all be together.

Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care

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According to a report by insurer Euler Hermes, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt most severely in 2021 when it comes to business insolvencies. The number of insolvencies will rise sharpest in the USA (up 57 percent compared with 2019), Brazil and the UK. China is also expected to be hit hard. Since many countries stopped requiring businesses which are insolvent to file for insolvency during the pandemic, the real cost to businesses will only unfold much later. Insolvencies are expected to actually fall as a result of these regulations in 2020 and pile on in 2021.

Less of a burden is expected to be felt in Germany, where insolvencies are expected to be up by 12 percent in the coming year. Ron van het Hof, CEO of Euler Hermes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, expects that the calm before the insolvencies storm will be over in the third quarter of 2020. "This time bomb will go off in the third quarter of the year at the latest and the shock waves are likely to spread into the entire first half of 2021, van het Hof said.

Developed economies in East Asia, for example Japan and South Korea, will experience significantly fewer insolvencies as they avoided large scale and prolonged shutdowns. India, which is now the second hardest-hit country in the pandemic, is expected to also get off quite lightly.

By Katharina Bucholz, Statista

 

 

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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

 

 

Modern History of Leasing
Written by Tom McCurnin, Leasing News Legal Editor
and Christopher Menkin, Leasing News Editor

(Part Two of Four)

Brokers Grow in Leasing

As the brokers got into the field, many started their own leasingcompanies as originators and some brought in investors or obtain lines of credit via investors or relatives or putting up their house. Private label contracts used by funders for “captive vendor” business became the purview of independents who did the sales while the funder did the approvals and servicing.

At first it was recourse with the banks, then non-recourse as they taught bank officers how the procedure worked and banks become more comfortable. Companies also were obtaining recourse lines of credit from banks with leasing divisions such as Crocker Citizens, Security Pacific, Union Bank, Wells Fargo with its auto center division. Companies such as TRE Financial, Phoenix, Key Lease, and SHW Capital grew to compete with AT&T Capital, Dana, FMC, and Tri-Continental. GE was still the elephant in the room.

Larger banks at this time were getting into middle-market leasing, and for a long time, Bank of America did not consider any leasing below $500,000, even for good existing bank customers.

Leasing commission by leasing companies financed by banks were often capped at 2% to 3%, what the funders were also paying dealers or the dealer sales personnel direct. Copiers were the most popular to be leased, then telephones, security systems, office furniture, and finally computers and even software in the 1980’s. There was very little “franchise leasing,” even McDonald’s and “7- Eleven were financed, not leased--- and Small Business Administration loans prohibited leasing until their loan was paid off. Brokers learned they could not only earn more of a commission in “discounting,” but could earn the residual when the lease paid out, as it was treated as a “balloon payment,” not counted in the “stream of payments.”

This was the start of independent brokers, and a group in California joined together and were up to over 80 members when the then Western Association of Equipment Lessors began to take brokers. In the group were A.J. Batt of Atel Capital, Louis Funkenstein (Funston) of Western States, Mont Gates of Leaserite, Jim Harris of Allco Leasing and Financial, Kit Menkin of American Leasing, Ted Parker of CCLease, just to name a few who began their own leasing companies. (5)

The former Equipment Leasing and Finance Association was slow in accepting third party originators, according to their directories, as well as their membership fees were higher. The newly formed Western Association of Equipment Lessors (WAEL) voted against allowing brokers being a member of their group. In reality, most of the members were “brokers with a staff” acting as a lessor. When it got to the point of competing for broker business, they were allowed to join so they could go to meetings and attract more brokers. Many of them kept direct sales staff, but augmented their business with an “indirect business” representative/processing staff. (6)

As the independent leasing companies grew, they began to have portfolios, warehouse lines to fund leases, and the syndication age began where companies would build up warehouse lines of leases and then discount them in dollar amounts, primarily over $1 million or more. As the marketplace changed, banks got involved and would start to accept portfolios and warehouse lines of credit. In the beginning, it was all recourse to the leasing company.

As competition grew, the 1980's saw the growth of lessors with non-recourse and recourse lines of credit with large banks, then smaller regional banks, and even community banks as it become more acceptable. There were books and manuals published and with brokers joining associations, then other funders, including banks, also wanted to join to vie for their business. The trend was away from direct sales to independent brokers who had access to smaller vendors, manufacturers, distributors, too expensive for the larger companies to service. Fax machines sped up the business, as well as lower price leasing software was becoming available as computers were less expensive and could now not only do accounting, but contain contracts from various companies, which sped up the process. Sending applications, constructs, documents by Federal Express became very popular. Speed became very popular, more than “rate.” Software was catching up with Capital Stream, Lease Team, McCue, and others (even brokers now had software to speed up the typing and processing of documents.)

In 1990, a group of leasing brokers formed an association called the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers, where brokers were the only ones who could vote in a general election, as well as had a much lower fee than another group, such as funder or service provider. At first they had a part-time “secretary” and with the help primarily of two attorneys, Joe Bonanno and Barry Marks, Esq. grew into a premier organization which had 1,089 members.

With the roaring economy of the 1990's, everyone became a leasing broker, including the dealers who were demanding higher and higher referral fees for their business. Franchise business was booming, and so was leasing of franchises as well as when they had an SBA loan as the covenant not to lease was changed. Second mortgage made subprime leasing with very high rates acceptable. The trend then turned to "automated credit scoring" and “application only” kept growing up to $150,000 for when once what was standard requirement were a financial statement, tax return, and personal financial statement requirement for small leases especially.

Computerized credit scoring became very popular, not only for marketing purposes, but for approving credit. Often a consumer credit report, time in business, and average bank account was all that was needed. Certain professions such as medical or dental, the limit on “app. only” was higher than others.

Colonial Pacific Leasing developed Pegasus a program for lessors who generated a specific volume and could use the credit scoring system, this may be likened to a franchise operation as the leasing company had a territory and franchise. First Sierra took this a step further by combining many independent lessors into one large company for the volume, making them “corporate partners” and companies such as Republic Leasing of South Carolina began syndicating leases with banks, mortgage companies and others who would underwrite the lease portfolio, enabling them to extend their lines of credit for more leases. (7)

In 1998 and 1999 companies were being merged into large groups, and this trend continued into a downturn in 2000 that saw many companies closed and Leasing News started its well-read “The List”, eventually labeling the list of companies closed as being hit by "The Perfect Storm" after a movie came out starring George Clooney who takes his boat out into weather that the ship no longer can ride. (8)

As the companies merged or went out of business, they rose up again as independents, small lessors who were basically brokers, but instead of using company documents, the thrust was "originators," who began to act as if they were a "funder" as the contracts were theirs, and often the check emanated from them as that was the discounting arrangement with the actual funding source. First Sierra and Colonial grew at terrific rates during this short time period. General Electric was buying leasing companies left and right.

Some of the originators had warehouse lines to fund the leases and then when all the parts were in place, or a group, they were then packaged and discounted. Computers made it simpler. Summit, Lease Team, among others came up with affordable software packages. Companies such as Pioneer Capital gave brokers not only internet access, but software to type and fund documents very simply. (9)

It was the “Age of the Broker” who often was making 15 points on a transaction. Several, such as Balboa Capital, would pay up to 20%, discounting some of the profit in advance from the residual or Evergreen Lease clause. (10)

As of 2005 the National Association of Equipment Brokers (NAELB) had grown to 648 members, where the now Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) who had 850 members in 2000 was down to 780 members, and the United Association of Equipment Lessors who was at 589 members in the year 2000 was down to 297 members. It was a “no holds bar the door” and get the deal funded as quickly as you could, “due diligence” out the window, and the race was on who could bring in the most business and earn the most in commissions---take the money and run. Everyone wanted to be an independent broker and earn the generous commissions.

Friday—Part Three of Four
“Hits the Fan”

(5) http://www.leasingnews.org/list_alpha_new.htm#allco

(6) http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/WAEL_Hist_I.htm

(7) http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/CLP.htm

(8) http://two.leasingnews.org/archives/November/11-29-00.htm

(9) http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/April%202008/04-02-08.htm#adv
http://two.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202001/11-09-01.htm

(10) http://two.leasingnews.org/archives/May01/5-29-01.htm
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/September%202004/9-21-04.htm#sales
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Salesman_Survey_update.htm
http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/October%202006/10-18-06.htm#points

 

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Anger and the 80% Rule

Sales Makes it Happen by Steve Chriest

All of us have, at one time or another, encountered a lease customer or a co-worker who became angry as we negotiated with them about business or company matters. The most successful negotiators recognize the basis of anger and what to do when they encounter someone who is angry. I am going to pass on to you the "80% rule."

First, it's important to understand what drives people to anger. According to psychological studies, there are three primary causes of anger:

• fear
• hurt
• frustration

People exhibit anger when they are afraid of something, when they are hurting for some reason, or when they are simply frustrated.

The customer who becomes angry because she cannot obtain the low, implicit interest rate that her boss asked her to secure from your company is not angry because of the higher interest rate. That's just a number. The cause of her anger is most likely the fear she feels when she contemplates telling her boss she failed to secure the low interest rate he wanted.

If, for some reason beyond your control, you aren't able to provide a service to a long-time customer, he or she may perceive your failure to help as a sign of their and their company's diminished importance to you and your company. Their feelings may be hurt in this process. These hurt feelings can manifest as anger directed toward you or your company.

Sometimes people express anger simply out of frustration. I've often observed that no one appears upset, irritated or really angry when things are going their way! When a client or co-worker faces one too many obstacles in a day, their increasing frustrations may result in a display of anger directed at anyone within shouting distance.

Although there are three primary drivers of anger, sometimes anger isn't driven by fear, hurt or frustration. In some negotiations, like labor contract talks, anger is used by experienced negotiators as a favorite tactic to coerce, intimidate and threaten the other side. This manufactured anger has become part of the way the labor contract negotiation game is played.

Some leasing applicants use the same ploy to obtain a better deal.

Whatever the source of someone's anger, it's important to remember that your reaction determines, to a large degree, how the negotiation proceeds and ends. According to research done at the Harvard Negotiation Project, there is an 80% chance that you can influence, and even control the atmosphere and tone of a negotiation simply by mirroring the behavior you want from your negotiating partners.

If you find yourself negotiating with someone who is angry, or irritated, and you want to control the tone of the negotiation, don't buy into their anger or frustration. Instead, remain calm, and listen carefully to what your negotiation partner says. At some point, in 80% of all cases, your negotiating partner will calm down and will begin to mirror your behavior. Very few people will argue with themselves or maintain anger when there is no reaction from the other side of the table!

In tough negotiations, remember the 80% rule. By definition, it doesn't always work, but knowing that you have an 80% chance of controlling the tone and atmosphere in any negotiation, simply by mirroring the behavior you want from you negotiating partners, keeps the 80% rule on your side!

Steve Chriest is the CEO of Open Advance and author of “Selling to the E-Suite, The Proven System for Reaching and Selling Senior Executives and Business Acumen 101.”  He is also the author of Selling "The E-Suite, The Proven System for Reaching and "Selling Senior Executives" and "Profits and Cash – The Game of Business." He is the past president and founder of a major leasing company. He produces video and radio blogs, as well as continuing as a columnist for Leasing News since 2005.
www.openadvance.com/contact/
925-263-2702
www.openadvance.com/

 

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How to Handle Behavioral Questions
Career Crossroads---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

Question: I am going to be interviewing soon and I know I will be asked behavioral type questions.  Can you give me some samples

Answer: There are a number of questions the interviewer might use in order to find out if you: (1) will fit in with the staff (2) are a team player (3) is a good person and (4) are manageable.
 
Sample questions may include:
1.      What do you think of your current or previous boss?
2.      What kinds of things do you worry about?
3.      How interested are you in sports?

The interviewer may have you explain an action or define a word; for example:

What do you think of your current or previous boss?
Candidates who complain about their employers are recognized as people that may cause disruption in a department.  Sample response: “I liked her as a person, respected her professionally, and appreciated her guidance.”  The question is often followed by one that tries to validate your answer, e.g. “Describe a situation where your work was criticized.”

What kinds of things do you worry about?
Keep your private phobias to yourself; they have nothing to do with your job.  It is best to confine your answer to sensible worries of a conscientious professional.  Sample response:  “I worry about deadlines, staff turnover, tardiness, or that one of my team members will defect to the competition – just the normal stuff.  It goes with the territory, so I don’t let it get me down.” 

How interested are you in sports?
The interviewer is looking for your involvement in groups, as a signal that you know how to get along with others and pull together as a team.  Sample response:  “I really enjoy most team sports, and I am a member of my company’s softball team.”  Apart from team sports, endurance sports are seen as a sign of determination:  swimming, running and cycling are all okay.  Games of skill (bridge, chess) demonstrate analytical skills. 

Define Cooperation
This asks you to explain how to function as a team player in the workplace.  Sample response: “Cooperation is a person’s ability to sacrifice personal wishes and beliefs whenever necessary to assure the department reaches its goals.  It is also a person’s desire to be part of a team, and by hard work and goodwill make the department greater than the sum of its parts.” 

Head ‘em off at the pass

I recommend having on your resume your PROFESSIONAL affiliations.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
Treasurer, Parent/Teacher Assoc.             2008-Present
VOLUNTEER:
Big Sister Program                                 2009 -2013
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
Member, Equipment Leasing
and Finance Association                         Present

Again, these types of questions that probe your attitude and behaviors are asked to find out the kind of person you are. Be prepared for them …

Emily Fitzpatrick
Sr. Recruiter
Recruiters International, Inc.
Phone:  954-885-9241
Cell:  954-612-0567
emily@riirecruit.com
Invite me to connect on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-fitzpatrick/4/671/76
Also follow us on Twitter #RIIINFO

Career Crossroads Previous Columns
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/crossroad.html

Companies with 2 or More CLFP’s/Associates
  List Updated

Account Name	Total
First American Equipment Finance	133
Ascentium Capital LLC	49
U.S. Bank Equipment Finance	39
Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc.	34
Stearns Bank NA-Equipment Finance Division	33
Amur Equipment Finance	27
BB&T	25
Arvest Equipment Finance	19
ECS Financial Services, Inc.	18
AP Equipment Financing	17
Key Equipment Finance	16
Oakmont Capital Services, LLC	16
1st Source Bank	14
DLL	13
International Decision Systems	13
KLC Financial, Inc.	13
Stryker	13
Fleet Advantage, LLC	11
Ivory Consulting Corporation	11
Canon Financial Services, Inc.	10
Great American Insurance	10
Orion First Financial LLC	10
BMO	9
Northland Capital Financial Services, LLC	9
Wintrust	9
BancorpSouth Equipment Finance	7
Beacon Funding Corporation	7
Celtic Commercial Finance	7
Odessa	7
The Huntington National Bank	7
Navitas Credit Corp.	6
Alliance Funding Group	5
First Foundation Bank	5
GreatAmerica Financial Services	5
LTi Technology Solutions	5
NorthTeq, Inc.	5
Univest Capital, Inc.	5
Bank of the West	4
Commerce Bank	4
Marlin Capital Solutions	4
NCMIC Finance Corporation	4
UniFi Equipment Finance, Inc.	4
Western Equipment Finance	4
Bryn Mawr Equipment Finance, Inc.	3
Commercial Capital Company, LLC	3
ENGS Commercial Finance Co.	3
First National Capital Corporation	3
FIS	3
FSG Capital, Inc.	3
Global Financial & Leasing Services LLC	3
Hanmi Bank	3
Lease Corporation of America	3
North Mill Equipment Finance	3
Northpoint Commercial Credit, LLC	3
Partners Capital Group, Inc.	3
Providence Capital Funding, Inc.	3
Quality Leasing Co., Inc.	3
Taycor Financial	3
American Equipment Financial Services	2
Balboa Capital Corporation	2
BankFinancial, NA	2
BSB Leasing, Inc.	2
Centra Funding, LLC	2
CHG-MERIDIAN USA Corp.	2
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation	2
Crossroads Equipment Lease & Finance LLC	2
Customers Bank Commercial Finance	2
Dakota Financial, LLC	2
Dell Financial Services	2
Diversified Capital Credit Corporation	2
Falcon Leasing	2
First Utah Bank	2
FirstLease, Inc.	2
Koala Capital Group, LLC	2
Macquarie Group	2
Madison Capital LLC	2
Maxim Commercial Capital, LLC	2
OnPoint Capital, LLC	2
Pacifica Capital	2
Padco Financial Services, Inc.	2
Patriot Capital Corporation	2
Smarter Equipment Finance, LLC	2
Tamarack Consulting, Inc.	2
TimePayment Corporation	2
Zions Bancorp	2

 

 

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By Niall McCarthy, Statista

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

Today! Last Day for Non-Member Special Price
Secured Finance Network 76th Annual Convention
November 17 – 19, 2020

Don't miss out on networking, over 30 sessions with more than 150 speakers and presenters representing all corners of our diverse and inclusive community, keynote addresses by General James Mattis, Danielle DiMartino Booth, and David A. Brandon and more. Over 900 of your colleagues have already registered, click here to see which companies will be represented:
https://www.sfnet.com/home/76th-annual-convention/sfnet-connect-registration?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sfnet-convention&utm_content=Conv+Pgm+Book+Deadline+NM+9.29.20

If you register today, September 30, you can join us at SFNet’s 76th Annual “Live Online” Convention for a special non-member rate of just $995. If you would like to register others from your organization as well, contact James Kravitz at 917-881-1247 or jkravitz@sfnet.com for a multi-registrant deal.

To learn more about this year’s agenda and our virtual event platform, SFNet Connect, click here: https://www.sfnet.com/home/76th-annual-convention

Make sure you take advantage of our early registration perks:

    Option to request a private virtual room for small group meetings (limited space available)
    Early access to the newest SFNet Market Pulse Report
    Opportunity to submit questions for one of the three Keynote speakers and be featured on air during their presentation

You must register today, September 30 to access these perks.

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

Belgian Malinois / Mix
Atlanta, Georgia  Adopt-a-Dog

Harvey

ID#45568505
Male
Neutered
1 Year Old
Large
Adoption Fee: $200.00

Hello! My name is Harvey!

I'm looking forward to meeting you soon. I'm not the touchy-feely type. In fact, you could say I'm am a bit independent. I don't have much known history with dogs, cats, or kids, but would love to meet your current dog or children to see if we'd get along!
Love, Harvey

We are currently doing adoptions virtually.
If you’re interested in adopting this pet, start by filling out a pre-adoption application form
at www.atlantahumane.org/adoption-application/

Atlanta Humane Society
Our Resource Center is available 7 days a week
from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Give us a call at 404.875.5331

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Early Bird Pricing Ends October 1st
ELFA 2020 Business Live Oct. 27 - 28

 (download brochure)
https://cvdata.elfaonline.org/cvweb/cgi-bin/documentdll.dll/view?DOCUMENTNUM=2770

Early Bird Fees (Until October 1):
Member Registration Fee: $595
Non-member Registration Fee: $795

After October 1:
Member Registration Fee: $650
Non-member Registration Fee: $850

ELFA Members - sending 10 or more individuals from your company?
Special rates apply:
10 or more attendees: $500
20 or more attendees: $450

Please contact Janet Fianko to register at these discounted rates. jfianko@elfaonline.org.

News Briefs---

Dr. Fauci says US ‘not in a good place’
    with over 205,000 coronavirus deaths
https://nypost.com/2020/09/29/fauci-says-us-is-not-in-a-good-place-with-the-coronavirus/

Another scary thing about COVID:
     Survivors aren’t fully recovering
https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/Another-scary-thing-about-COVID-Survivors-15601758.php

Disney to lay off 28,000 employees as coronavirus
     slams its theme park business
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/disney-to-layoff-28000-employees-as-coronavirus-slams-theme-park-business.html

Former economic development officials paid themselves
     over $200,000 in unauthorized bonuses, audit says
https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/former-economic-development-officials-paid-themselves-over-200-000-in-unauthorized-bonuses-audit-says/article_1b23a167-c128-5598-9a7e-f3054bb94357.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

The Trump tax costs the French wine industry $500 million,
    and its patience
https://www.vitisphere.com/news-92473-The-Trump-tax-costs-the-French-wine-industry-500-million-and-its-patience.htm

JPMorgan to pay $920M for 'spoofing' bond, metals markets
    over an eight-year period
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/investing/2020/09/29/jpmorgan-pay-920-m-manipulating-bond-metals-markets/3575167001/

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Seattle Passes Minimum Pay Rate for Uber and Lyft Drivers
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Tennessee Titans' COVID-19 outbreak: What we know
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Broncos name Brett Rypien starting quarterback
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California Nuts Briefs---

Palo Alto Unified wants to reopen classes
    Oct. 12; parents and teachers object
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/28/palo-alto-unified-wants-to-reopen-classes-oct-12-parents-and-teachers-object/

S.F. readies reopening indoor dining Wednesday
    after moving to orange reopening tier
https://www.sfchronicle.com/coronavirus/article/S-F-readies-reopening-indoor-dining-Wednesday-15606701.php?utm_campaign=premiumsfgate_breakingnews_20200929&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

California consumer confidence takes biggest jump in 9 years
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/29/california-consumer-confidence-takes-biggest-jump-in-9-years/

The fire-resistant home is coming to California,
    and here’s what it looks like
https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/The-fireproof-home-is-coming-to-California-and-14102417.php

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Scores of Napa Wineries, Restaurants, and Resorts
    Have Been Damaged by the Glass Incident Fire
https://sf.eater.com/2020/9/29/21493458/glass-fire-napa-sonoma-calistoga-ranch-meadowood-wineries-fires-damage-destruction

Rombauer is safe. Here are Napa Valley wineries not yet
    damaged in the Glass Fire despite rumors
https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/Rombauer-Vineyards-winery-safe-from-Glass-Fire-15606291.php

The fires that have scarred Wine Country
https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2020/wine-country-fires-map/

About 350 Sonoma County farmworkers have
     contracted the coronavirus
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/about-350-sonoma-county-farm-workers-have-contracted-the-coronavirus/

Taco Bell says it has seen 'mind-boggling' demand
     for Jalapeño Noir wine
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getNewsIssue&issueId=12273

The Trump tax costs the French wine industry $500 million,
    and its patience
https://www.vitisphere.com/news-92473-The-Trump-tax-costs-the-French-wine-industry-500-million-and-its-patience.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

     1541 - Spanish conquistador de Soto and his forces enter Tula territory in present-day western Arkansas, encountering fierce resistance.
     1630 - John Billington, one of the first pilgrims to land in America, was hanged for mur­der, becoming the first criminal to be executed in the American Colonies. He was one of the signers of the Pilgrim's compact. He way-laid a young man, one John Newcomin (“about a former quarele, and shote him with a gune, whereof he dyed.”)
    1659 - Peter Stuyvesant of New Netherlands (the Delmarva peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod) forbade tennis playing during religious services.  This is believed to be the first reference to tennis in what would become the US.
    1777 – With the British advancing, Congress fled to York, PA.
    1787 - The first ship to carry the American flag around the world was the “Columbia,” a 212-ton vessel under Captain Kendrick that sailed from Boston, MA on a fur-trading mission to Canada. It was accompanied by the sloop “Washington,” under Captain Robert Gray, who exchanged commands with Captain Kendrick and completed the trip, returning to Boston on August 9, 1790. The trip took nearly three years and covered a distance of 41,899 miles. The crew explored the Queen Charlotte Island and discovered the straits of Juan de Fuca and the mouth of the Columbia River.
    1788 - The Pennsylvania Legislature elected the first two members of the U.S. Senate - William Maclay of Harrisburg and Robert Morris of Philadelphia.
    1811 - The first year exports exceeded imports. Imports were $43.5 million and exports were $45.3 million and of foreign merchandise (the territories) $16 million for total exports of $61.3 million.
    1832 – Ann Jarvis, (d. 1905), the inspiration for Mothers’ Day, was born in Culpeper, VA. 
    1846 - William Thomas Green Morton (1819-68) was an American dentist who first publicly demonstrated the use of inhaled ether as a surgical anesthetic, in Boston.
    1851 - The barge "Mount Washington" arrived in port with cargo that included macaroni and other foods, candles, soap, fishing nets, books and mail. Mail was delivered to the post master by Capt. Ebenezer G. Libby.
    1861 – William Wrigley, Jr., (d. 1932) was born in Philadelphia.  He was founder of the Wm. Wrigley, Jr. Company in 1891, rumored to have co-founded his namesake company with a lesser known Canadian named J.W. Flavelle, who was a close childhood friend. 
    1882 – Edison’s first commercial hydroelectric power plant (later known as Appleton Edison Light Company) begins operation on the Fox River in Appleton, WI.
    1904 – White Sox pitcher Doc White threw his fifth shutout in eighteen days. The southpaw pitched six of his season total of seven shutouts in September.
    1917 - Drummer Buddy Rich (d. 1987) birthday, Brooklyn.  He performed with many bandleaders, most notably Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Count Basie, and led his own "Buddy Rich Big Band."
http://www.buddyrich.com/bio.html
    1922 - Bassist Oscar Pettiford (d. 1960) was born, Okmulgee, OK.  He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom.
    1924 - American novelist and literary celebrity was born Truman Streckfus Persons (d. 1984) at New Orleans, LA. He later took the name of his stepfather and became Truman Capote. Among his best remembered books: “Other Voices, Other Rooms,” “Breakfast at Tiffany's”and “In Cold Blood.”He was working on a new novel, “Answered Prayers,”at the time of his death.
    1924 – 48-year-old Nick Altrock pitched the last two innings for the Nationals and gave up a run, while driving in the lone tally with a triple. With the Red Sox outfielders making little attempt to run the ball down, Altrock became and still is, the oldest player in Major League history to hit a triple.
    1926 – Phillies’ Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts (d. 2010) was born in Springfield, IL.  Roberts won 286 games in a 19-year career with a 3.24 ERA for mostly horrible Phillies teams.  One of baseball's great pitchers of the 1950s, he was a workhorse who eight times had over 20 complete games in a season and averaged over 300 innings pitched during a nine-year period. During one stretch, he completed 28 consecutive games. He won 20 or more games in six seasons, and at least ten games in 16 ML seasons. 
    1927 - George Herman ‘Babe” Ruth hit his 60th home run of the season off Tom Zachary of the Washington Senators, breaking his own record of 59. Ruth's record for the most homers in a single season stood for 34 years until Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961. In the 9th, Walter Johnson, made his final appearance before retiring.
    1928 – Elie Wiesel (d. 2016) was born in Romania.  An American Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor, he was the author of 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including “Night,“ a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in Auschwitz and Buchenwald during World War II.  He was also a professor of the humanities at Boston University, which created the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies in his honor. He was involved with Jewish causes, helped establish the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and remained a strong defender of human rights during his lifetime. He had been described as "the most important Jew in America" by the Los Angeles Times.  Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.      
    1934 - The Babe played his last game for the New York Yankees. Soon after, while watching the fifth game of the World Series (between St. Louis and Detroit) and angry that he was not to be named Yankees manager, Ruth told Joe Williams, sports editor of the Scripps-Howard newspapers, that after 15 sea­sons he would no longer be playing for the Yankees.
    1935 - Singer Johnny Mathis born Gilmer, Texas.  Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status and 73 making the Billboard charts to date. Mathis has sold well over 350 million records worldwide, according to “Guinness Book of World Records” writer and charts music historian Paul Gambaccini and other sources. This makes Mathis the third biggest selling artist of the 20th century. 
    1935 – The Hoover Dam is dedicated.
    1935 - The Gershwin musical “Porgy and Bess” opens at Boston's Colonial Theatre. While not commercially successful, a revival in 1942 would turn it into one of the longest-running musicals in history.
    1939 – NBC broadcast the first televised football game between the Waynesburg State Yellow Jackets and the Fordham University Rams. Fordham won the game 34–7.
    1946 – The military tribunal at Nuremberg, Germany found 22 top Nazi leaders guilty of war crimes.
    1947 - The first World Series to be televised opened with the New York Yankees beating the Brooklyn Dodgers, 5-3. Dodgers’ rookie, Ralph Branca, at age 21, became the youngest pitcher to start a World Series game.  The Yankees won the Series, four games to three. The entire series was telecast under the joint sponsorship of the Ford Motor Company and the Gillette Safety Razor Company at a cost of $65,000. The play-by-play descriptions were given by Bob Edge, Bob Stanton, and Bill Slater.
    1951 - ”Red Skelton Show” premiers. Vaudevillian and radio per­former Red Skelton hosted several popular variety shows on NBC and CBS in a career that spanned 20 years. He was a gifted comedian, famous for his loony characters, sight gags, pan­tomimes and ad-libs. His show was also notable for introducing Johnny Carson and the Rolling Stones to national audiences.
    1951 – Jackie Robinson hit an upper-deck home run in the 14th inning off Robin Roberts, who came on in the 8th, to give the Dodgers a critical 9-8 win over the Phillies. Robbie saved the game in the 13th by making a great catch of a line drive and throwing to second base for a double play. The Dodgers overcame a 6-1 deficit to win and set the stage for a playoff with the Giants.
    1954 - Julie Andrews makes her Broadway debut in “The Boy Friend.”
    1954 – The world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, was commissioned.
    1955 - James Dean meets his end. It was at the intersection of what are now highways 41 and 46 (41 and 466 then) at Cholame, California. He was 25 miles away from US 101 and would have taken that road. Dean was on his way from LA to Monterey to race his Porsche. Most people think it was Dean's fault, probably due to speed, and he did get a speeding ticket earlier that day, but police at the scene don't believe he was speeding at the time. Besides, his aluminum Porsche was no match for a big heavy Ford. This is a Y intersection, and Dean had the right of way. He was headed west on 466 into the setting sun and didn't see the approaching Ford.  The Ford driver probably didn't see the silver Porsche, and turned left in front of Dean onto 41 toward Kettleman City. No time to stop. I've been to that location. I still have my 1961 Super 90.
http://www.americanlegends.com/bookstore/deanstory/intro.html
http://www.snopes.com/autos/cursed/spyder.asp
http://www.allsands.com/jamesdeanbiogr_rz_gn.htm
http://members.aol.com/jaydeebee1/memorial.html
http://www.20six.co.uk/weblogCategory/1pptzo5jz5iqo
http://www.jamesdean.com/
    1956 - Top Hits
“Canadian Sunset” - Hugo Winterhalter and Eddie Heywood
“The Flying Saucer” (Parts 1 and 2) - Buchanan and Goodman
“Honky Tonk” (Parts 1 and 2) - Bill Doggett
“Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog” - Elvis Presley
    1960 - ”The Flintstones” premiered on ABC-TV. This Hanna-Barbera cartoon comedy was set in prehistoric times. Characters included two Stone Age families, Fred and Wilma Flintstone and neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble. It is widely believed that this was a take-off on “The Honeymooners” as the Fred character was the loud, boisterous persona of Ralph Kramden, and the goofy, comedic Barney was similar to Ed Norton.  Also, Wilma had Alice’s dark hair while Betty was a blonde as was Trixie.  In 1994, “The Flintstones” movie was released, star­ring John Goodman, Rick Moranis and Rosie O'Donnell. It also was the first cartoon series to be televised on prime-time.
http://www.topthat.net/webrock/
    1960 - On Howdy Doody's last TV show, Clarabelle, played by Bob Keeshan who later became Captain Kangaroo, finally talks: "Goodbye Kids."
    1961 - Bob Dylan plays harmonica on three cuts recorded for his friend Caroline Hester's first Columbia album. The session is produced by John Hammond and he is so impressed that he promptly signs Dylan to a deal. Now that Dylan is a part of Columbia Records, Hammond arranges for a solo recording session in October.
    1961 – An early season snowfall occurred over the northern plains with the greatest total (4 inches in the Ulm-Mankato area in Minnesota). Omaha, NE had its first September snow in 70 years.
    1962 - Rioting broke out when James Meredith became the first black to enroll in the all-white University of Mississippi. President Kennedy sent 3000 US troops to the area to force compli­ance with the law. Three people died in the fighting and 50 were injured. The next day, Meredith was enrolled and began to attend classes amid continuing disruption by protestors. On June 6, 1966, Meredith was shot while participating in a civil rights march at Mississippi. On June 25, Meredith, barely recovered, rejoined the marchers near Jackson, MS.
    1962 - The National Farm Workers Association, founded by Cesar Chavez and a forerunner of the United Farm Workers, held its first meeting in Fresno, Calif.
    1964 - Top Hits
“Oh, Pretty Woman” - Roy Orbison
“Bread and Butter” - The Newbeats
“G.T.O.” - Ronny and The Daytonas
“I Guess I'm Crazy” - Jim Reeves
    1965 – Dodgers’ righty Don Drysdale won his 13th consecutive game, seven by shutout, finishing with a 23-12 record.
    1966 - Three-day Acid Test opened at San Francisco State College Commons. The test was to peak on the evening of Oct. 1. The Grateful Dead perform.  Posters from this era are quite the collector items.
http://www.richardandmimi.com/posters.html
    1966 - At Comiskey Park in the top of the ninth inning, Roger Maris, in his last at-bat as a Yankee, slams a two-run home run as a pinch-hitter putting the club ahead of the White Sox, 5-4. As the slugger contemplates retirement, the former two-time American League MVP is stunned and embarrassed when New York trades him in the off-season to the Cardinals for utility player Charley Smith.  After his record-setting year in 1961, Maris suffered a series of injuries, including a mis-diagnosed broken wrist, that kept him idle for long stretches and gradually, he fell out of favor with the fans and Yankees management.  It is notable that in his two years with the Cardinals, they went to the World Series both years and won in ‘67 over the Boston Red Sox.  Maris hit .385 with two homers in that Series.  For his career, he was on three World Series winners of a total of seven Series appearances.
    1967 - Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl" peaks at #10 on the singles chart.
    1967 - 13th Floor Elevators; Quicksilver Messenger Service at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, presented by the Family Dog collective.
    1968 - The Boeing 747 was rolled out and shown to the public for the first time at the Boeing factory in Everett, WA.
    1970 - A nineteen-month drought in southern California came to a climax. The drought, which made brush and buildings tinder dry, set up the worst fire conditions in California history as hot Santa Anna winds sent the temperature soaring to 105 degrees at Los Angeles, and to 97 degrees at San Diego. During that last week of September, whole communities of interior San Diego County were consumed by fire. Half a million acres were burned, and the fires caused fifty million dollars damage.
    1972 - Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates doubled against New York Mets pitcher Jon Matlack as the Pirates defeated the Mets, 5-0. It was Clemente's 3,000 career hit and his last one as he was killed in a plane crash on Dec 31, delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
    1972 - Top Hits
“Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me” - Mac Davis
“Saturday in the Park” - Chicago
“Back Stabbers” - O'Jays
“I Ain't Never” - Mel Tillis
    1976 - California became the first state to enact a “Right-to-Die” law, which allowed physicians of terminally ill patients to withhold life-sustaining procedures under certain conditions.
    1976 - "Two Centuries of Black American Art" opens at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The exhibit features over 60 lithographers, painters, and sculptors including 19th century masters Joshua Johnston, Edward Bannister, and Henry O. Tanner as well as modern artists Charles White, Romar Bearden, and Elizabeth Catlett. The exhibit's catalogue notes that the assembled artists' work proves “the human creative impulse can triumph in the face of impossible odds, and at times even because of them.”
    1977 - The Rolling Stones release their "Bridges to Babylon" LP.
    1977 - The temperature at Wichita Falls, TX, soared to 108 degrees to establish a record for September.
    1977 – "Kiss You All Over" by Exile topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.
    1980 – Ethernet technologies specifications, commonly used in LANs and metropolitan area networks, were published by Xerox working with Intel and Digital Equipment Corp.
    1980 - Top Hits
“Upside Down” - Diana Ross
“All Out of Love” - Air Supply
“Another One Bites the Dust” - Queen
“Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You” - Dolly Parton
    1982 - ”Cheers” premiered. NBC sitcom revolving around the owner, employees and patrons of a Beacon Street bar at Boston. Original cast: Ted Dan­son as owner Sam “Mayday” Malone, Shelley Long and Rhea Perlman as waitresses Diane Chambers and Carla Tortelli, Nicholas Colasanto as bartender Ernie “Coach” Pantusso, John Ratzenberger as mail­man Cliff Clavin and George Wendt as accountant Norm Peter­son. Later cast members: Woody Harrelson as bartender Woody Boyd, Kelsey Grammar as Dr. Frasier Crane, Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe and Babe Neuwirth as Dr. Lilith Sternin Crane. The theme song “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” was sung by Gary Portnoy and written by him and Judy Hart Angelo. Cre­ated by Glen Charles, Les Charles and James Burrows. The last episode aired Aug 19, 1993.
http://epguides.com/Cheers/
http://www.tvtome.com/Cheers/
http://members.aol.com/TampaChatr/cheers.html
http://www.cheersboston.com/index_bh.html
    1982 – Cyanide-laced Tylenol killed six in the Chicago area. Seven were killed in all.  The incidents led to reforms in the packaging of over-the-counter substances and to federal anti-tampering laws. The actions of Johnson& Johnson to reduce deaths and warn the public of poisonings risks has been widely praised as an exemplary response to such a crisis.
    1984 - “Murder, She Wrote” premiers. Angela Lansbury starred as crime novelist Jessica Fletcher from Cabot Cove, Maine, who traveled the country solving murders. This top-rated detective show was unusual in having an older female star, since young men are usu­ally preferred in leading roles on TV. Also appearing were Tom Bosley as Sheriff Amos Tupper and William Windom as Dr. Seth Hazlett. The program ran for 12 years.
http://www.mysteries.com/tv/murder.html
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/murdershew/murdershew.htm
http://www.jumptheshark.com/m/murdershewrote.htm
    1984 - Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly wins the American League batting title with a .343 average, finishing three points higher than teammate Dave Winfield. It was the first of six consecutive seasons that 'Donnie Baseball' will finish hitting over .300, but will prove to be his only batting crown during a 14-year Major League career. 
    1985 - An early season snowstorm covered the Arrowhead region of Minnesota with 7 to 9 inches of snow. 7 inches fell at Babbitt and Aurora, 7.5 inches at Isabella and 8.5 inches at Polar Lake. This was believed to be the most ever for September in this region.
    1987 - Afternoon thunderstorms in Michigan produced hail an inch in diameter at Pinckney, and wind gusts to 68 mph at Wyandotte. A thunderstorm in northern Indiana produced wet snow at South Bend. Seven cities in the northwestern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including readings of 98 degrees at Medford, OR and 101 degrees at downtown Sacramento, CA
    1988 - Pitcher Orel Hershiser of the Los Angeles Dodgers extended his streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 59, thereby breaking Don Drysdale's mark by one inning. Hershiser shut out the San Diego Padres for 10 innings, but the Padres won the game 2-1, in 16 innings.
    1988 - Ronald Reagan, nearing the end of his presidency, throws out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field. The former Cub announcer then spends an inning and a half doing play-by-play with Harry Caray in the WGN television booth
    1988 - Top Hits
“Don't Worry Be Happy” - Bobby McFerrin
“I'll Always Love You” - Taylor Dayne
“Love Bites” - Def Leppard
“Addicted” - Dan Seals
    1988 - Unseasonably warm weather prevailed over Florida, and in the western U.S. The afternoon high of 94 degrees at Fort Myers, FL was their tenth record high for the month. Highs of 98 degrees at Medford, OR and 99 degrees at Fresno, CA were records for the date, and the temperature at Borrego Springs, CA soared to 108 degrees.
    1992 - George Brett of the Kansas City Royals singled off Tom Fortugno of the California Angeles in the 7th inning, thus recording the 3,000th hit of his Major League career. The single gave Brett four hits in a game for the 59th time. He was accorded a standing ovation and became so distracted that he was picked off first.
    1995 - "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey topped the charts and stayed there for 8 weeks.
    1997 – For the first time ever in Major League postseason history, three consecutive homers were hit in a game.  The Yankees’ Tim Raines, Derek Jeter, and Paul O’Neill turned the trick.
    1999 - The largest regular-season crowd in San Francisco Candlestick Park history, 61,389 fans, watch the Dodgers beat the home team, 9-4 in the last baseball game to ever be played at the 'Stick.' Giant greats help mark the occasion with Juan Marichal tossing out the ceremonial first pitch before the game and Willie Mays throwing out the ballpark's final pitch after the game. Sue and I were there.
    2000 - In the highest scoring game in A's franchise history, Oakland defeats the Rangers 23-2 to remain a half-game ahead of the Mariners for the western division lead as Seattle scores the most runs ever against the Angels, 21-9, assuring the team at least a tie for the American League wild card.
    2004 - Merck & Co. pulled Vioxx, its heavily promoted arthritis drug, from the market after a study found it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
     2007 – The Green Bay Packers’ QB, Brett Favre, throws the 421st TD pass of his career, breaking the NFL career record for most TD passes.
    2013 - GlaxoSmithKline sold its thrombosis drug brands to Aspen Pharmacare for $1.13 billion.