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Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Today's Leasing News Headlines

Nevada Law on Being Registered for Financing
  and Leasing Brings Up: Are You Licensed
    to Do Business at a Conference?
      By Christopher Menkin
New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
    and Related Industries
ELFA Monthly Index Up 49% from February 2022
    Year-to-Date Up 5% - Statistical Charts
Finance and Leasing Industry Ads
    We Are Growing Our Senior Sales Team Now!
Opportunities are Plentiful
    Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP
Does 9 to 5 Still Work in 2022?
    Actual and Preferred Degree Chart
In Choosing a Password,
    Use a Password Generator
Ascentium Capital LLC Reports $392.5 Million
    in First Quarter 2022 Funding Volume
Coonhound, Treeing Walker Hound
    San Francisco, California  Adopt-a-Dog
News Briefs---
Satellite Maps: Shanghai’s Supply Chain Standstill
    Shipping volume has dipped drastically
John Deere is slowly becoming one of the world’s
    most important Ag Industry companies

You May have Missed---
San Francisco is very similar to this state
    on the East Coast. Here’s why

Broker/Funder/Industry Lists | Features (wrilter's columns)
Top Ten Stories Chosen by Readers | Top Stories last six months
www.leasingcomplaints.com (Be Careful of Doing Business)
www.evergreenleasingnews.org
Leasing News Icon for Android Mobile Device

Sports Brief----
 California Nuts Brief---
   "Gimme that wine"
    This Day in History
     SuDoku
      Daily Puzzle
       GasBuddy
        Weather, USA or specific area
         Traffic Live----
          Wordle

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release,” it was not written by Leasing News nor has the information been verified. The source noted. When an article is signed by the writer, it is considered a “byline.” It reflects the opinion and research of the writer.


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The Nevada Law on Being Registered for Financing
and Leasing Brings Up: Are You Licensed
to Do Business at a Conference?
By Christopher Menkin

Nevada statute re exemptions:
NRS 675.060 

 2.  For the purpose of this section, a person engages in the business of lending in this State if he or she:

(a) Solicits loans in this State or makes loans to persons in this State, unless these are isolated, incidental or occasional transactions; or
(b) Is located in this State and solicits loans outside of this State or makes loans to persons located outside of this State, unless these are isolated, incidental or occasional transactions

As Leasing News Legal Editor Ken Greene explains, "Nevada statute re: exemptions: If you are in the business of making loans, you can't avail yourself of this exemption." 

It means to conduct business in Nevada at a Conference, meaning to solicit or arrange, a commercial loan or lease, you need to be licensed in Nevada.  This concerns AACFB, Money2020, LendIt or even a regular Leasing or Financial Association Conference meeting.

This may also apply to other states that require a commercial lending license and have strict regulations, including fines, as well as prohibiting business in the state.  It also may affect a default when the borrower can claim the party who arranged the transaction was not licensed and therefore the transaction was illegal.

California has a similar restriction as does Nevada. In California, you do not have to be licensed if you do five deals in any twelve month period, BUT the kicker is those deals have to be "incidental to the business" of the lender. Ken Greene  interprets this to mean “if you are in the business of lending, that exemption is inapplicable."

As Ken Green explains, "If you are, say, a franchisor like Burger King, and you loan money to a franchisee to help them get started, you probably don't need a license because bad food, not loans, are principally what you sell. The loan is 'incidental' to your main business.”

Ken is digging into the case law regarding this to explain it further and may report back next week the earliest.

As a final note, the states that have enacted these licensing laws may also cover factoring, MCA, and all other commercial financial transactions.

Nevada License Law:
https://leasingnews.org/Pages/states_license.html#nv


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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries


Ralph Aurelia was hired as Business Development Officer, Crestmark, a division of MetaBank, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He is located in Stratford, Connecticut.  Previously, he was Sales Manager, Northeast Region, Flexent (August, 2021 - February, 2022); Senior Vice President, Business Development Officer, SLR Business Credit (July, 2019 - August, 2021); Vice President and Business Development Officer, Summit Financial Resources: Working Capital Financing (September, 2008 - June, 2019). Education: Sacred Heart University, Bachelor's degree, Accounting. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-aurelia-51528a11/


Ken Elliott was hired as Vice President of Business Development, specializing in Healthcare, Wintrust Specially Finance, Irvine, California. He is located in Palm Harbor, Florida. Previously, he was Senior Sales Development Executive, Meridian Equipment Finance (June, 2021 - April, 2022); Vice President Sales, Pitney Bowes (September, 2019 - June, 2021); Regional Sales Manager, Hitachi Capital America Vendor Service (August, 2017 - September, 2019); Assistant Vice President, CIT (December,2016 - August, 2017); Chief Finance and Sales Officer, TIG Worldwide (July, 2014 - December, 2016); Regional Finance Manager, Philips Medical Capital (September, 1996 - July, 2014): Reginal Sales Manager, Eastman Kodak Company (February, 1985 - September, 1996), Education: George Mason University, BS, Business with concentration in Sales Management and Marketing. Annadale High School, General Academic. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-elliott-26342524/


Kris Farquhar was hired as Account Manager, Blue Street Capital, Huntington Beach, California. She is located in Costa Mesa, California.  She began her career at Regents Capital Corporation January, 2018, as Account Manager, promoted January, 2018, Account Executive. Education: University of La Verne, Bachelor's Degree.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-farquhar-450639155/


Rich Flemang was promoted to Western Regional Manager, Crestmark, a division of MetaBank, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He is located in Appleton, Wisconsin.  He joined the firm October, 2021, as Business Manager. Previously, he was at SLR Business Credit, starting June, 2019, Senior Vice President, Managing Director, promoted February 2021, Senior Vice President/Managing Director, SLR Business Credit. Prior, he was at Summit Financial Resources, Working Capital Financing, joining 2000 as Vice President, Regional Sales Manager, promoted January, 2007, First Vice President, Community South Small Business Lending, promoted Vice President, November, 2008, promoted August, 2014, Senior Vice President, National Sales Manager. Education: University of Minnesota Duluth, BBA, Finance (1981 - 1986). Graduate School of Banking. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-flamang-809879b/


Jeffery Knapp was hired as Vice President, Regional Sales Manager, Construction & Industrial Vendor Finance, PNC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is located in Maryville, Tennessee. Previously, he was vice President of Sales, People's Capital and Leasing Corporation (February, 2021 - April, 2022); Regional Sales Manager, PNC Vendor Finance (September, 2017 - February, 2021); Regional Sales Manager, People's United Equipment Finance Corp. f/k/a Financial Federal Credit, Inc. (March, 2017 - September, 2017); Regional Sales Manager, Commercial Credit Group Inc. (January, 2016 - March, 2017); Parts Specialist, ConEquip Parts & Equipment LLC (2014 - 2015); Financial Advisor, LPL Financial (2013 - 2014); Financial Advisor, UBS (September, 2013 - December, 2013);  Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch (May, 2010 - September, 2012); Territory Manager, Vantage Equipment (March, 2008 - July, 2009); Sales Manager, K-1 Equipment LLC (2006 - 2008). Education: Colgate University, Economics (2000 -2002); Phillips Exeter Academy (1999 - 2000). Orchard Park High School (1995 - 1999). https://www.linkedin.com/in/knappjeffery/


Chris Stout was hired as Senior Managing Director, Clerkhaus LLC, Anaheim, California. He is located in Austin, Texas. Previously, he was Managing Director, Public Sector, TEQlease Capital (July, 2020 - March, 2022). He joined Government Leasing, LLC, April, 2000, as Contract Administrator, promoted May, 2004, Manager, Contract Finance and Lease Administration, promoted August, 2008, Vice President, Department Administrator, Deaf Advocate, Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (January, 1998 - October, 1999). Education: Pensacola Junior College, General Studies (1993 - 1994).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-stout-175a356/


Beth Wadi was promoted to Senior Account Manager II at Forward Financing, Boston, Massachusetts. She joined the firm April, 2018 as Collection Specialist, promoted January, 2021, Manager. Previously she was Collector, TimePayment Corp. (September, 2016 - August, 2017); Assistant Manager, EOS CCA (April, 2010 - November, 2012); CC TV Operator, Naratoone Security (May, 2003 - November, 2006).  Education: Everest Institute (2007 - 2009). https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethel-wadi-0374512a/

 


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ELFA Monthly Index Up 49% from February, 2022
Year-to-Date Up 5% - Statistical Charts

 

 (Chart: Leasing News)

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index which reports economic activity from 35 companies was  $10.6 in March  from $8.1 billion in February, up 49%,  Year-to-date is was up 5%.


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ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta said, “MLFI-25 participants end the first quarter of the year very favorably: new business volume continues to surge and portfolios are performing extremely well. This, while inflationary pressures, the war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions continue unabated.

“With the Fed increasing short-term borrowing rates now and into the foreseeable future, business owners—both large and small—are choosing to lease and finance their critical equipment needs.”

Mike Jones, President, CIT Business Capital, a division of First Citizens Bank, said, “Strong performance in the ELFA survey—for both month-over-month and year-over-year results—highlights the continued strength of the economy and the appetite of the business community for equipment financing to drive their growth. These positive results come even as ongoing supply chain issues delay some deliveries.

“Overall, the results are very encouraging for the balance of 2022, as end-customers show their determination to compete by investing in the latest equipment to power their businesses forward.”

Receivables over 30 days were 1.5 percent, down from 1.7 percent the previous month and down from 1.9 percent in the same period in 2021. Charge-offs were 0.10 percent, up from 0.09 percent the previous month and down from 0.43 percent in the year-earlier period.

Credit approvals totaled 78.3 percent, up from 78.2 percent in February. Total headcount for equipment finance companies was flat year-over-year.

Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) in April is 56.1, a decrease from 58.2 in March.


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35 Participants from the Survey, as noted by ELFA
Bank of America Global Leasing
Bank of the West
BB&T Bank
BMO Harris Equipment Finance
Canon Financial Services
Caterpillar Financial Services
CIT
Citizens Asset Finance
Dell Financial Services
DLL
Fifth Third Bank
First American Equipment Finance,
    a City National Bank Company
Frost Equipment Leasing and Finance
GreatAmerica Financial Services
Hitachi Capital America
HP, Inc.
HPE Financial Services Company
Huntington Equipment Finance
John Deere Financial
Key Equipment Finance
LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.
M&T Bank
Marlin Capital Solutions
Merchants Bank Equipment Finance
PNC Equipment Finance
Societe Generale Equipment Finance
Siemens Financial Services
Stearns Bank
Stonebriar Commercial Finance
TCF Capital Solutions, a division of TCF National Bank
TD Equipment Finance
TIAA Commercial Finance, Inc.
US Bancorp Business Equipment Finance
Volvo Financial Services
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance

There haven’t been 25 participants for years as ELFA claims in their press releases. They also have changed participants many times.

Here is the list from November, 2006
(since Leasing News has been collecting them):

ELFA MLFI-25 Participants
ADP Credit Corporation
Amsouth Leasing Corporation
Bank of America Leasing
Bank of the West
Canon Financial Services
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
CIT
De Lage Landen Financial Services
First American Equipment Finance
GreatAmerica Leasing Corporation
Hitachi Credit America
HP Financial Services
Irwin Financial
John Deere Credit Corporation
Key Equipment Finance
LaSalle National Leasing Corporation
Marlin Leasing Corporation
National City Commercial Corp.
RBS Asset Finance
Siemens Financial Services
US Bancorp Leasing & Financial
US Express Leasing
Verizon Capital Corp/Verizon Credit
Volvo Financial Services
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
(Source: ELFA)
https://leasingnews.org/archives/November%202006/11-06-06.htm#grow

Previous Surveys from November 2006:
https://leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/ELFA-Survey.htm


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Help Wanted Ads

[headlines]
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Opportunities are Plentiful


Sales Makes it Happen
by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

"The best means of developing an end-user is through a vendor referral and the best means of initiating a vendor relationship is through an end-user relationship."

Too often I hear originators claim that they are strictly vendor focused or that they strictly solicit end-user business. There is "gold in those files". Top originators are well aware of the gold that is right in front of them.

I recently challenged a group of originators (that are vendor driven) to spend just one morning calling all the end-users that were referred to them by vendors and funded within the past three months. These calls were warm calls thanking the end-users for their past business and asking what additional equipment the end-user was considering in the next 30 to 90 days.

The results were astonishing. Five originators discovered seven new opportunities within just a few hours. They were opportunities which had a high probability of slipping through the cracks and being lost if the originators had not made their solicitation calls that morning.

End-user driven originators have a similar opportunity by soliciting the vendors that their end-user clients are using to acquire equipment. There is no better "door opener" then when a finance company is delivering proceeds to a vendor for an end-user transaction; it emphasizes how an originator and a vendor share a common customer and how the originator is delighted to help the vendor with his other clients.

A highly successful originator explained that his largest vendor and most successful vendor program was initiated through a common end-user which the vendor and originator shared.

There is gold in connecting the dots and leveraging every relationship.

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

 

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After having had a taste of remote working through the pandemic, employees are now yearning for even greater flexibility when it comes to their working hours. According to a report by Adobe, 51 percent of enterprise employees would like to have complete flexibility when it comes to their schedule, in contrast to only 16 percent of respondents who said their ideal work week would have no flexibility at all, but rather “start and end work according to a set work schedule.”

Younger generations in particular appear to care about levels of self-autonomy over their work schedule, with 73 percent of Millennials saying that they would switch jobs to another with greater flexibility if their salary and job description stayed the same, according to the report. At the same time, as Wrike writes, an increase in flexible work schedules may also help gender equality, as parents can share the burden of child care. This trend appears to be gaining steam, as we’ve seen more companies taking up the idea, and even governments, as Ireland now gets set to implement the right to request flexible work arrangements, according to RTÉ.

Times have changed since Henry Ford introduced 8 hour shifts for factory workers, back in the early 1900s. As Forbes writes, living in a service economy is not the same as a manufacturing economy; we now have the technology to connect us with colleagues in different time zones instantaneously, and for many people, at least in the global north, social patterns have completely changed. As Adobe writes, “Employers need to address these challenges, or risk losing top talent.”

By Anna Fleck, Statista

[headlines]
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In Choosing a Password,
Use a Password Generator

This is primarily for computer, laptop and perhaps tablet users, as most smartphones will find the suggestion of having many passwords or as long as 15 spaces too cumbersome.

To prevent your passwords from being hacked by social engineering, brute force or dictionary attack method, you should notice that:

1. Do not use the same password for multiple important accounts.

2. Use a password that has at least 15 characters, use at least one number, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter and one special symbol.

3. Do not use the names of your families, friends or pets in your passwords.

4. Do not use postcodes, house numbers, phone numbers, birthdates, ID card numbers, social security numbers, and so on in your passwords.

5. Do not use any dictionary word in your passwords.

6. Do not let your Web browsers (Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, IE) store your passwords, since all passwords saved in Web browsers can be revealed easily.

7. Do not log in to important accounts using the computers of others, or when connected to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, Tor, free VPN or web proxy.

8. Do not send sensitive information online via HTTP or FTP connections because messages in these connections can be sniffed with very little effort. You should use encrypted connections such as HTTPS and SFTP whenever possible.

9. It's recommended to change your passwords every 10 weeks.

10. It's recommended that you remember a few master passwords, store other passwords in a plain text file and encrypt this file with 7-Zip, GPG or a disk encryption software such as BitLocker, or manage your passwords with a password management software such as iPassword Generator.

11. Turn on 2-step authentication whenever possible.

12. Do not store your critical passwords in the cloud.

http://passwordsgenerator.net/

 


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

Ascentium Capital LLC Reports $392.5 Million
in First Quarter 2022 Funding Volume

Kingwood, Texas - Ascentium Capital LLC, a national commercial lender, announced a positive start to the year, wrapping up the first quarter of 2022 with $392.5 million in financed volume. The company exceeded Q1 2021 volume by $81.4 million or 26.2%.


Thomas Depping, Founder now Executive Vice, President and Ascentium Group Manager remarked, “Particularly over the last two years, businesses have shown they are ready to adapt, innovate, and meet the needs of their clients, and while we are mindful of continued uncertainty such as lingering impacts from the pandemic, we are also seeing optimism, strength, and resilience among our clients.

“Quarter-over-quarter originations growth remains strong along with our other KPIs. Ascentium’s customer-first focus, passion for delivering fast, flexible financing, and consultative approach all resonate with our customers, keeping them coming back to us to meet their financing and lending needs.”


David Lyder, CPA, CMA, Senior Vice President of Ascentium Sales & Marketing, said, “We saw a fairly equal distribution of funding activity across the various markets we serve.

“Demand for financing remains strong in all industries as customers look for ways to maximize liquidity, manage expenses, and hedge against inflation. Our approach to service helps differentiate Ascentium Capital as we work one-on-one with clients to help them build on their success.”

Ascentium Capital offers specialized equipment financing and business loans to commercial entities nationwide. The company also provides customized finance programs for equipment manufacturers and distributors with simplified application procedures to help businesses in a broad array of industries including commercial vehicles, energy, franchise, healthcare, industrial, and technology.

About Ascentium Capital LLC
Ascentium Capital LLC, a subsidiary of Regions Bank, specializes in providing a broad range of business equipment financing, leasing, and loans across the United States. The Company’s offering is designed to benefit equipment manufacturers and distributors as well as direct to businesses nationwide. For additional information about Ascentium and its business financing products and services, please visit www.AscentiumCapital.com

About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $163 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,300 banking offices and more than 2000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com

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

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Coonound, Treeing Walker Hound
San Francisco, California  Adopt-a-Dog


Cooper
Male
Two Year

Meet Cooper!  He’s a Treeing Walker Coonhound who is almost 2 years old and looking for a home where exercise, clear rules, and expectations are the norm. Cooper is a great dog that just needs to be reminded of his training. He’s a teenager, so he’s pushing his boundaries, but responds well to firm and clear expectations. He’s got tons of energy, and is happy on long runs with you or you on your bike.

He is great with other dogs, big and small, and would do really well in a house with a friend to help him spend his energy.
He is very food driven, which is good for training, but he needs to be monitored and separated if food (human or dog) is around. (Due to his food issues, we are requiring Cooper to go to an adult only home.)

Cooper is (nearly) crate-trained (he settles pretty quickly, though, sometimes he complains a little, but it doesn’t last long). He’s house trained and leash-trained. For a hound dog he’s relatively quiet, but does sing when he’s upset.

More info on Cooper’s breed can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treeing_Walker_Coonhound

Interested in seeing if you and Cooper are a match? Please fill out an application here https://www.shelterluv.com/matchme/adopt/RCKT-A-2873
and a volunteer will contact you. (DA)

2022 Rocket Dog Rescue
P.O. Box 460826
San Francisco, CA 94146
(415) 756-8188
www.rocketdogrescue.org
https://www.rocketdogrescue.org

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News Briefs---

Satellite Maps: Shanghai’s Supply Chain Standstill
    Shipping volume has dipped drastically
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/satellite-maps-shanghais-supply-chain-standstill/

John Deere is slowly becoming one of the world’s
    most important Ag Industry companies
https://thenextweb.com/news/john-deere-slowly-becoming-one-worlds-most-important-ai-companies


[headlines]
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You May Have Missed---

San Francisco is very similar to this state on the East Coast
https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2022/most-san-francisco-state/


[headlines]

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Sports Briefs---

The Nets and the Lakers Did Not Win.
      But Super teams Never Die.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/26/sports/basketball/nets-lakers-nba-playoffs.html

SF Bay Area baseball team has won 34 straight games,
     longest streak in the nation?
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/04/26/bay-area-junior-college-baseball-team-has-nations-longest-winning-streak/

Amazon Prime making $100 million bet on Black Friday game
https://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/22525/Amazon-Prime-making--100-million-bet-on-Black-Friday-game

[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

Here’s what Elon Musk’s $44 billion purchase
    of Twitter could mean for San Francisco
https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/Here-s-what-Elon-Musk-s-44-billion-purchase-17125449.php

San Francisco spends millions of dollars to shelter its most
  
vulnerable residents in dilapidated hotels.  
    With little oversight or support, the results are disastrous.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2022/san-francisco-sros/


[headlines]

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"Gimme that wine"

Napa Valley vintner John Williams receives
     climate ‘champion’ award
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/industrynews/napa-valley-vintner-john-williams-receives-climate-champion-award/

Wine of the week: Davis Bynum, 2020 Virginia’s Block,
    Jane’s Vineyard, Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/lifestyle/wine-of-the-week-davis-bynum-2020-virginias-block-janes-vineyard-sono/

Heitz Cellar Sues Cask Manufacturer
https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/258179


“Gimme that Wine”

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

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

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

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

This Day in History

      1773 - The British Parliament passes the Tea Act, a bill designed to save the faltering East India Company by greatly lowering its tea tax and thus granting it a monopoly on the American tea trade. The low tax allows the East India Company to undercut even tea smuggled out of America, and many colonists view the act as another example of taxation without representation. When three tea ships, the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver, arrived in Boston Harbor, the colonists demanded that the tea be returned to England. After Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused, Patriot leader Samuel Adams organized the so-called "Boston Tea Party" with about sixty members of the "Sons of Liberty." On December 16, 1773, the Patriots boarded the three British ships disguised as Mohawk Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The destroyed tea was valued at approximately ten thousand pounds. Parliament, outraged by the Boston Tea Party and other blatant destruction of British property, enacted the Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, in the following year. The colonists, in turn, responded by calling the first Continental Congress to consider a united American resistance against the British
    1791 - Birthday of American artist and inventor, Samuel Finley Breese Morse (d. 1872), after whom the Morse code is named, born at Charleston, MA. Graduating from Yale University in 1810, he went to the Royal Academy of London to study painting. After returning to America, he achieved success as a portraitist. Morse conceived the head of an electromagnetic telegraph while on shipboard, returning from art instruction in Europe in 1832, and he proceeded to develop his idea. With financial assistance approved by Congress, the first telegraph line in the US was constructed between Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. The first message tapped out by Morse from the Supreme Court Chamber of the US Capitol building on May 24, 1844, was, ‘What hath God wrought?”
    1805 - The first American flag flown over a fortress of the Old World
was flown when Lieutenant Presley Neville O’Bannon of the Marines raised the colors over the Tripolitan fortress at Dama, on the north coast of Africa (now in Libya). After marching 800 km from Egypt, US agent William Eaton leads a small force of US Marines and Berber mercenaries against the Tripolitan port city of Derna. Lieutenant Presely O’ Bannon, commanding the Marines, performed so heroically in the battle that Hamet Karamanli presented him with an elaborately designed sword that now serves as the pattern for the swords carried by Marine officers. The phrase "to the shores of Tripoli" from the official song of the US Marine Corps also has its origins in the Derna campaign.
    1810 - Ludwig van Beethoven gives the world a romantic piece for piano, with the dedication, "For Therese, as a remembrance." Now, nobody remembers Therese. The publisher couldn't read Beethoven's handwriting & to this day the piece is known as "Fur Elise." 
While Beethoven never married, he came very close several times, and had many loves of his life as a musician and composer. "We can only speculate upon whether it was Beethoven's intention to write the piece in the letters of the name of his beloved. The famous melody starts with the tones E - D# - E, or enharmonically E - Eb - E, which in German languages equivalents E - Es - E, the "tuneable" letters in the name ThErESE or EliSE.
http://users.sowega.net/chanhtu/furelise.html
http://www.8notes.com/scores/7063.asp
http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/tabs1/fur-elise/fur-elise.html
    1813 - US burns captures York (today called Toronto) and then
proceeds to burn it to the ground in an unsuccessful attempt to gain control of Lake Ontario. There is the fight regarding boundaries, fishing, and as important, over 300,000 loyalists left after the Revolutionary War, many to Canada where England granted land to those who opposed the revolution and assisted the British. There were still hard feelings between the two groups, as Canada was a province
of England and many believed the colonist here were still a threat.
    1816 - The first tariff passed by Congress for protection rather than primarily for revenue was the “act to regulate the duties on imports and tonnage.”
    1822 - Birthday of Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president of the US (Mar 4, 1869—Mar 3, 1877), born Hiram Ulysses Grant (d. 1885) at Point Pleasant, OH. President Lincoln promoted Grant to lieutenant general in command of all the Union armies Mar 9, 1864, changing the direction of the war effort. On April 9, 1865, Grant received General Robert F. Lee’s surrender, at Appomattox Court House, VA, which he announced to the Secretary of War as follows: “General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia this afternoon on terms proposed by myself. The accompanying additional correspondence will show the conditions fully.” Nicknamed Unconditional Surrender Grant,” Grant was a brilliant, inventive, creative general, who did like to drink, but he was a controversial president, who failed in his second attempt for the presidency.  He died a “broken man,” four days after completing his memoirs. He was buried at Riverside Park, New York, NY, following a huge parade. Grant’s Tomb was dedicated in 1897. So now you know who is buried at Grant’s Tomb.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/apr27.html
    1825 - The industrialist Robert Owen sets up Utopian Socialist Colony at New Harmony, Indiana. About 1,000 settlers were attracted to the 20,000acres made available. Dissension arose and there was lack of direction among those who were supposed to cooperate. Owen left in 1827. In 1828 the community ceased to exist as a Utopian enterprise.
    1825 - The first strike for the 10-hour work-day, by carpenters in Boston.
    1848 - Slavery abolished in all French territories.
http://www.info-france-usa.org/atoz/overseas.asp
    1860 – Maj. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was appointed to lead the US arsenal at Harpers Ferry following John Brown’s raid.  
    1864 - On his birthday, General Grant officially issued orders to his armies that would lead to the end of the American Civil War. The plan called for Sherman to advance on Confederate forces through Georgia, Siegal to move through the Shenandoah Valley, Butler to advance up the James River toward Richmond and Meade to follow and engage the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee.
    1865 - The Sultana, heavily overloaded with an estimated 2,300 passengers, exploded in the Mississippi River, just north of Memphis, en route to Cairo, Illinois. Most of the passengers were Union soldiers who had been prisoners of war and were eagerly returning to their homes. Although there was never an accurate accounting of the dead, estimates range from 1,450 to nearly 2,000. Cause of the explosion was not determined but the little-known event is unparalleled in US history.
    1865 - Actor John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, was shot and killed in a barn near Port Royal, Virginia, by federal cavalrymen after they set the barn on fire. 
    1865 – Cornell University was chartered in New York.  Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, the university was intended to teach and make contributions in all fields of knowledge and from the theoretical to the applied. Cornell is one of the few private land grant universities in the United States. 
    1875 - John McCloskey was the first Catholic priest from the United States to be made a cardinal, under the title of Santa Maria supra Minervam by Pope Pius IX. The investiture was made in the cathedral on Mott street, New York City.
    1880 – Francis D. Clarke and M.G. Foster secured a patent on a “device for aiding the deaf to hear” that made its own electricity and operated by bone conduction. The first electrical hearing aid produced commercially was the Acousticon, invented by Miller Reese Hutchinson of New York City in 1901. The first hearing aid using transistors was manufactured by Sonotone Corporation, Elmsford, NY, and offered for sale on December 29, 1942. It weighted 3.5 ounces and was three inches long.
    1892 - Birthday of composer and conductor Howard Fogg (d. 1953), a pioneer in the composition and synchronization of film soundtracks, was born in Lewiston, Maine. Fogg spent much of his life in Montreal. In 1934, he wrote what is considered the first original composition for a Canadian film - the music for a documentary called "Rhapsody in Two Languages."
    1899 - In Chicago, Illinois, the Western Golf Association was founded. 
    1899 - A tornado struck Kirksville, MO, killing 34 persons and destroying 300 buildings.
    1900 - Birthday of Walter Lantz (d. 1994), at New Rochelle, NY.  Originator of Universal Studios’ animated opening sequence from their first major musical film, “The King of Jazz.” Walter Lantz is best remembered as the creator of Woody Woodpecker, the bird with the wacky laugh and the taunting ways. Lantz received a lifetime achievement Academy Award for his animation in 1979.
    1903 - In Long Island, New York, Jamaica Race Track opened. Spectators included Lillian Russell and Diamond Jim Brady. 
    1904 - Congress extends the Chinese Exclusion Act indefinitely (first passed in 1882; again in 1902 extending the act for 10 years), making it unlawful for Chinese laborers to enter the US and denying naturalized citizenship to the Chinese already here.  These laws attempted to stop all Chinese immigration, with exceptions for diplomats, teachers, students, merchants, and travelers. The laws were widely evaded.  Exclusion was repealed by the Magnuson Act in 1943, which allowed 105 Chinese to enter per year. Chinese immigration later increased with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which abolished direct racial barriers, and later by Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 which abolished the National Origins Formula. 
    1912 - One of the worst tornado outbreaks in Oklahoma's history occurred. 16 tornadoes rated F2 or greater touched down in the state with 6 of them rated F4. 29 people were killed.
    1915 - The temperature at Washington, DC hit 92 degrees, the highest ever in April. New York City hit 92 degrees as well.
    1927 - Birthday of Coretta Scott King (d. 2006), Marion, AL.  Civil rights activist, wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. 
    1931 - 100ºF (38ºC), Pahala, Hawaii (state record)
    1932 - Birthday of Casey Kasem, born Kemal Amin Kasem (d. 2014), Detroit, MI.  He was the host of several music radio countdown programs, notably “American Top 40” from 1970 until his retirement in 2009. He also provided the voice of Shaggy Rogers in the “Scooby-Doo” franchise from 1969 to 1997, and again from 2002 until 2009.  Kasem co-founded the “American Top 40” franchise in 1970, hosting it from its inception to 1988, and again from 1998 to 2004.
    1932 - Birthday of Maxine Brown (d. 2019) of the country trio, the Browns, born in Camti, Louisiana. Their recordings of "The Three Bells," "Scarlet Ribbons" and "The Old Lamplighter" were big hits on both the country and pop charts in 1959 and '60. Maxine tried a solo career after the Browns broke up in 1967 but had only one minor hit.
    1938 - On Victor Records, Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra recorded "I Hadn’t Anyone ’til You", featuring Jack Leonard on vocals. 
    1939 - Drummer Jerry Mercer of the Montreal-based rock group April Wine was born in Newfoundland. Mercer replaced April Wine's original drummer, Richie Henman, in 1974. April Wine was Canada's leading touring band of the '70s, and among their hits were 1972's "You Could Have Been a Lady" and "Roller" from 1979. Their biggest international success came in the following decade when "Just Between You and Me" made number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981. April Wine also appeared with the Rolling Stones at a Toronto night club in March 1977. 
    1942 - A destructive tornado, rated F4, tracked through Rogers and Mayes counties in Oklahoma. The town of Pryor was hit squarely. 52 people were killed and damage amounted to $2.5 million.
    1944 - Cuba Gooding (d. 2017) was born in Harlem.  He was the most successful lead singer of the soul group The Main Ingredient.  He is perhaps best known as the father of Cuba Gooding, Jr 
    1947 - Peter Ham (d. 1975) of Badfinger is born, Swansea, Wales. Ham committed suicide in 1975, when he became depressed while embroiled in band-related issues, such as label and management problems, as well as a lack of funds. One of rock music's true talents who died way to soon.
    1947 – Babe Ruth Day was celebrated at Yankee Stadium, in every ballpark in the Majors and minors, and in Japan.  Mortally ill with throat cancer, having submitted to experimental chemotherapy treatments that are now commonplace, Ruth ambled to the plate wearing his number 3 uniform for the last time.  His gravelly voice, captured in often-seen newsreel of the day, Ruth thanked his fans and spoke of the great game he loved.  The chemo brought improvement in his condition, allowing him to promote American Legion baseball through the sponsorship of Ford Motor Company. 
    1948 - Kate Pierson of The B-52s is born in Weehawken, N.J. The group's biggest hits are the 1989 songs, “Love Shack'' and “Roam,'' both of which reach No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100. Pierson also sings backup on R.E.M.'s top 10 hit, “Shiny Happy People.'' Both bands are based in Athens, Ga.
    1949 - Top Hits
“Cruising Down the River” - The Blue Barron Orchestra (vocal: ensemble)
“Forever and Ever” - Perry Como
" ‘A’ You’re Adorable” - Perry Como
“Candy Kisses” - George Morgan
    1950 - The modern state of Israel is officially recognized by the British government.
    1951 - Birthday of Ace Frehley, former lead guitarist with the theatrical rock group Kiss, was born in New York. Kiss, known for their painted faces and extravagant on-stage antics, was one of the biggest-selling acts of the 1970's. Frehley was recruited for the band through an ad in The Village Voice. The critics almost unanimously panned Kiss's heavy-metal thudding, but their albums sold in the millions. Frehley left Kiss in 1983.
    1956 - At age 31, Rocky Marciano, undefeated in 49 professional bouts (43 knockouts and six title defense), announced his retirement as World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
    1956 - Capitol Records signs Gene Vincent, intending to market him as the next Elvis; "Be-Bop-a-lula."  The writing of the song is credited to Gene Vincent and his manager, Bill "Sheriff Tex" Davis. Evidently, the song originated in 1955, when Vincent was recuperating from a motorcycle accident at the US Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, VA. There, he met Donald Graves, who supposedly wrote the words to the song while Vincent wrote the tune.  The song was released in June 1956 on Capitol Records' single F3450, and immediately sold well. The song was successful on three American singles charts: it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard pop music chart, No. 8 on the R&B chart, and made the top ten on the C&W Best Seller cart, peaking at No. 5.  In the UK, it peaked at No. 16 in August 1956.  In April 1957, the record company announced that over 2 million copies had been sold to date.  
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdid7_gene-vincent-be-bop-alula_music
    1957 - Elvis makes his second and last appearance outside of the US, wearing his classic gold lame suit for the last time as he plays Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens.
    1957 - Top Hits
“Little Darlin’” - The Diamonds
“All Shook Up” - Elvis Presley
“Mama Look at Bubu” - Harry Belafonte
“Gone” - Ferlin Husky
    1959 - "Personality," by Lloyd Price was released. From the 1950s to the early 1960s, Price had 10 songs on the nation’s pop music charts.
    1959 - Sheena Easton is born in Bellshill, Scotland. Her biggest hit is “Morning Train (Nine to Five),'' which tops Billboard's Hot 100 for two weeks in 1981.
    1963 - Martha and the Vandellas had their first entry on the Billboard rhythm-and-blues chart, "Come and Get These Memories." Three months later, the Motown group would have its biggest hit, "Heat Wave."
    1963 - Little Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him" hits #1 
    1964 - John Lennon's "In His Own Write," a collection of funny poems and drawings, is published in the U.S.
    1965 - Top Hits
“Game of Love” - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
“Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” - Herman’s Hermits
“I Know a Place” - Petula Clark
“This is It” - Jim Reeves
    1968 - Vice President Hubert Humphrey announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. In an interview, he said he supported the current US policy of sending troops "where required by our own national security." On 31 March 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, frustrated with his inability to reach a solution in Vietnam, announced that he would neither seek nor accept the nomination of his party for re-election. This set up a contest for the Democratic nomination. Humphrey's main competition was Senator Eugene McCarthy (D-Minnesota), who had come within a few hundred votes of beating Lyndon Johnson in the New Hampshire primary. Robert Kennedy had entered the race and won most of the Democratic primaries until he was assassinated in June. When the Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago in August, a conflict immediately erupted over the party's Vietnam platform. While demonstrations against the war took place in the streets outside the convention hall, Humphrey won the party nomination. He was ultimately defeated in the general election by Republican Richard Nixon, who criticized the Johnson's handling of the war and ran on a platform of achieving "peace with honor" in Vietnam.
    1968 - Jimmy Ellis won a 15-round decision over Jerry Quarry to capture the heavyweight championship. This fight at Oakland, CA, was the final in an eight-man elimination tournament to select a champion to replace Muhammad Ali, form whom the title was stripped.
    1968 - Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" is released. It is from
the soundtrack of “The Graduate.”  "Mrs. Robinson" became the duo's second chart-topper, hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as peaking within the top 10 of the UK, Ireland and Spain, among other countries. In 1969, it became the first rock song to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Frank Sinatra. In 2004, it finished at No. 6 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
    1969 - Joe Cocker makes his American debut on the "Ed Sullivan Show" before embarking on a tour.
    1970 - The Civic Center branch of Surety National Bank, Los Angeles, became the first bank to be fully automated. It contained six telestations equipped with closed-circuit television and monitored by a teller. A “validator” provided instant validation of checks by code rather than by signature. A money machine dispensed cash in an envelope. This was well before ATM’s. It is not known what
happened to Surety National Bank. 
    1973 - Top Hits
“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” - Dawn featuring Tony   
        Orlando
“Sing” - Carpenters
“The Cisco Kid” - War
“Superman” - Donna Fargo
    1974 - Waylon Jennings's first number-one single, "This Time," entered the country charts in the US.
    1975 - Saigon is encircled by North Vietnamese troops.
    1976 - Maxine Nightingale was awarded a gold record for the single, "Right Back Where We Started From," which spent 2 weeks at #2. In the early 1970s, Nightingale was in the productions of "Hair," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Godspell" and "Savages." 
    1976 - Bruce Springsteen's meteoric career rise is stalled when he sues manager Mike Appel for fraud and breach of contract, keeping him from performing or recording for over a year.
    1976 - After years of alleged physical and verbal abuse, and having left over the Fourth of July with nothing but pocket change and a gas station credit card, Tina Turner files for divorce from her husband of sixteen years, Ike.
    1979 - Stevie Wonder makes a surprise appearance at a Duke Ellington tribute concert at UCLA's Royce Hall. He performs "Sir Duke and Ellington's "C-Jam Blues." 
    1980 - Three years and a day after opening its doors, New York's legendary disco, Studio 54 shuts down due to numerous questionable activities. Several movies about the club and its attendees will make it appears the club was open for longer, but it was not.
    1981 - Top Hits
“Kiss on My List” - Daryl Hall & John Oates
“Morning Train” (“Nine to Five”) - Sheena Easton
“Being with You” - Smokey Robinson
“A Headache Tomorrow” (“Or a Heartache Tonight”) - Mickey Gilley
    1981 - Xerox introduces its STAR 8010 information system, the first computer on the market to boast a mouse and a point-and-click interface. The STAR was based on cutting-edge work at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center, which had developed a graphic user interface using a mouse for a machine called the Alto. The mouse, first demonstrated in 1968 by Douglas Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute, would not catch on until the Apple Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Xerox devoted nine years and some $50 million to developing the STAR, but the product failed, partly because of its high price of $16,500, It had no easy language to learn and no spreadsheet capabilities, and one of the major developers, Alan Kay, went on to Atari and then to Apple, to help in development of its computer.
384 KB (expandable to 1.5MB) of real memory 
10, 29 or 40 MB hard drive 
17-inch display 
mouse 
8" floppy drive 
Ethernet connection
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/xerox-8010/index.html
http://www.thocp.net/hardware/xerox_star.htm
http://xeroxstar.tripod.com/index.html
    1986 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Addicted to Love,'' Robert Palmer. This is Palmer's first No. 1 single.
    1987 - Forty-two cities in the western and south-central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. The afternoon high of 87 degrees at Olympia, WA was an April record, and highs of 92 degrees at Boise, ID, 95 degrees at Monroe, LA, and 96 degrees at Sacramento, CA tied April records. (The National Weather Summary) More than 300 daily temperature records fell by the wayside during a two week long heat wave across thirty-four states in the southern and western U.S. Thirteen cities established records for the month of April.
    1988 - Observers at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire reported over 7 feet of snowfall in a 10 day period, bringing their total for April to 89.9 inches. This set a new record for April snowfall on the mountain breaking the old standard of 89.3 inches set in 1975. Records have been kept on the summit since December of 1932.
    1989 - Severe thunderstorms struck Omaha, Nebraska. Hail up to 4.5 inches in diameter fell. 3 inches of rain in a relatively short period of time caused flooding of streets with 3 feet of water reported at some intersections.
    1989 - Top Hits
“Like a Prayer” - Madonna
“Funky Cold Medina” - Tone Loc
“I’ll Be There for You” - Bon Jovi
“The Church on Cumberland Road” - Shenandoah
    1990 - Thunderstorms produced severe weather in eastern Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley. Severe thunderstorms spawned thirteen tornadoes in Texas and twelve in Louisiana. A tornado southwest of Coolidge, TX injured eight persons and caused more than five million dollars damage. There were also eighty-five reports of large hail and damaging winds, with baseball size hail reported at Mexia, TX and Shreveport, LA. Forty-three cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Records highs included 94 degrees at Charleston, WV, 95 degrees at Baltimore, MD and 96 degrees at Richmond, VA.
    1994 - The first criminal convicted on the evidence of DNA matching was Timothy W. Spencer, who died in the electric chair in Greensville Correctional Center, Greensville, VA. Spencer was convicted of murdering four women in Richmond, VA, in 1987. DNA from his cells were matched with DNA found in evidence at the scene of the crime, a process also known as genetic fingerprinting.
    1995 - The US Justice Department files an antitrust suit to block Microsoft from buying Intuit, makers of the popular Quicken financial software, for $2.1 billion. The suit argued that financial software was one of the only remaining software sectors not dominated by Microsoft. Intuit dominated about 70% of the personal finance software segment, while Microsoft Money held only 22%. Microsoft voluntarily abandoned the merger in May.  Of all the products developed by Microsoft to date, Microsoft Money never took off compared to Quicken.
    1995 - Ross Glatzer, president of Prodigy Services Co., the leader of the pack on the Internet, quits amid tension between parent companies IBM and Sears. IBM reportedly wanted more power over the online venture, which had just started showing signs of profitability. The two companies had invested $1 billion in the venture since 1985. In March, Prodigy's second-in-command, Scott Kurnit, left the company to join MCI's new Internet venture. The company continued to struggle after Glatzer's departure. In 1996, Prodigy's management purchased the company and began transforming it into an Internet service provider.
    1996 - Barry Bonds, joins his father, godfather, and Andre Dawson, becoming then only the fourth Major Leaguer to hit 300 homers and swipe 300 bases as he homers for the Giants' in a 6-3 victory over the Marlins. Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, Dawson, Reggie Sanders, Steve Finley, Alex Rodriguez, and Carlos Beltran are the only other 300-300 players. 
    2000 - Sixteen players of the Tigers and White Sox are suspended for a total of 82 games for participating in two brawls at Comiskey Park five days ago making it the most severe punishment ever given for a bench-clearing incident. Both managers, Phil Garner and Jerry Manuel, are suspended for eight games each.
    2011 - An estimated 305 tornados between the 27th and 28th sets a record for the largest outbreak ever recorded, including two EF-5s, four EF-4s and 21 EF-3s. Arkansas through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, southern Tennessee, Virginia to Pennsylvania and New York were all affected. An estimated 300 died including 210 in Alabama alone. This brought the April total past 600, the most in any month in recorded US weather history.
    2011 - Rod Stewart was honored at the 28th annual ASCAP Pop Awards in Los Angeles for the string of hits he wrote in the 1970s that included "Maggie May," "You Wear It Well," "Tonight's The Night" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy."

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