New Hires in Friday News Edition
The link was not active in Constant Contract

https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_14.htm#hires

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

ELFA Provides Details on Enhanced Financial
Disclosure Requirements in CA and NY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association announced that changes in commercial disclosure requirements in California and New York are expected to take effect in 2022 that will have a significant impact on the commercial equipment leasing and finance sector. The new regulations apply to all equipment financing transactions, except true leases, of less than $500,000 in California and less than $2.5 million in New York. New disclosure requirements have also been introduced in Connecticut, Missouri, New Jersey and North Carolina. ELFA has been fighting to exclude the equipment leasing and finance industry from these onerous disclosure laws since they were first introduced. To help educate its members about what they need to know about this important topic, ELFA has compiled a number of critical informational resources.

In-Depth Webinar and Takeaways
ELFA’s State Advocacy team, led by VP of State Government Relations Scott Riehl, has been lobbying vigorously on behalf of members and the industry; the true lease exemptions are among the results of their extensive advocacy efforts. Riehl and ELFA members Moorari Shah, Chair of ELFA’s State Legislative & Regulatory Subcommittee and Partner, Sheppard Mullin; Jeffrey P. Taft, Partner, Mayer Brown; and Bonnie Michael, Shareholder, Baker Donelson presented an ELFA Wednesday Webinar on Dec. 15, 2021, titled “ELFA State Advocacy New Year’s Resolutions: Prepare for Commercial Financing Disclosure Laws in New York and California.” Over 550 people registered for the session, which provided in-depth details of the scope of the new regulations. The webinar recording and slide deck are available on ELFA’s State Advocacy webpage on Lender License and Enhanced Financial Disclosure at https://www.elfaonline.org/advocacy/state-issues/lenders-license.

Given that regulations are not yet finalized in California and New York, ELFA will conduct a follow-up webinar after they are finalized to provide updates and information on the requirements that will become effective. Look for future announcements about the webinar date.

“These types of disclosure requirements were originally intended for consumer finance transactions, but are now being applied to commercial finance transactions, a move that will likely result in more confusion than clarity,” said Riehl. “Banks are generally exempt from the new requirements, but for equipment finance companies, it will mean upgrading systems to accommodate providing disclosures for potentially thousands or hundreds of thousands of transactions.”

Deep Dive into Advocacy
In addition to the Dec. 15 webinar resources, the ELFA Lender License and Enhanced Financial Disclosure webpage also contains an overview of finance licensing, the State Advocacy team’s legislative testimony and regulatory comments, requests for guidance, and regulatory response. ELFA has filed more than six separate, detailed comment letters with the regulatory body in California, and four sets of comments with the New York Department of Financial Services.

“These challenges are increasingly showing up in the states,” Riehl said. “ELFA has and will continue to lead the way to protect the interests of its members and the equipment leasing and finance industry.”

More Wednesday Webinars to Come
The Dec. 15 webinar was part of ELFA’s “Wednesday Webinar” series created to provide critical information to equipment finance professionals on essential hot topics. The free webinars include live Q&A sessions so participants can connect with experts and colleagues on the issues they are grappling with. ELFA will host additional Wednesday Webinars throughout 2022—details will be posted at  https://www.elfaonline.org/events/elearning/web-seminars.

About ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the nearly $1 trillion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its 575 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.

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

ELFA Membership June 2021
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jul2021/07_30.htm#assoc

 

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Leasing News Exclusive:
Is the Disclosure Too Complicated?
State Senator Steven Glazer 
   Position on CA SB 1235 (Part 3 of 3)
By Tom McCurnin
Leasing News Legal Editor

 (This was published September 21, 2018.
Mr. McCurnin is now retired.)

The bill to require full disclosure of interest rates is awaiting Governor Jerry Brown's signature. It was reviewed to be recorded and sent to his office late last week. It seems unlikely he will not sign it as it passed the State Assembly 72-3 and in the Senate 28-6 .It then will be up to the California Department of Business Oversight to set up the formula and procedure by January 1, 2019. 

What If Disclosure is Too Complicated?
Leasing News asked Senator Glazer that in some cases providing a single number would be too complicated for the lender. In response, he stated that it was his intention that the calculation includes only those costs which are unavoidable by the borrower. Furthermore, where the costs could vary over the course of the financing, the disclosure will be based on the best estimates available at the time an offer is made and a deal is closed. The legislation directs the Department of Business Oversight (DBO) to provide guidance to providers of financing on exactly what to disclose and how to calculate it, and in the case of an estimate, what level of accuracy will be required. No lender will have to disclose terms unless the department can tell them exactly how they need to do it.
In short, the Department of Business Oversight assured him that the disclosure requirements in the bill were practical and that they had the expertise and the resources to enforce them.

Are Two Disclosures Necessary?
Leasing News asked Senator Glazer how the disclosure would be implemented in cases where offers or lease quotes are given, and the ultimately lease document has the operative interest rate embedded in it. Our concern was whether that would involve a two-step disclosure process. In response to that question, the Senator stated that it was his intention that disclosure would be done before final papers are drawn up, because otherwise the customer would not know what they are getting into. Indeed, the purpose of the bill is to allow borrowers to comparison shop using these disclosures, so having only disclosure when the papers are signed does not satisfy that goal.  However, it will ultimately be up to the DBO to determine the steps. If borrowers complain that providers of financing are not providing disclosures at the time an offer is made, the DBO has the means to investigate and take action against any provider who is violating the law. 

Will Brokers Have to Disclose if the Deal is Funded by a Bank?
Leasing News was also concerned about brokers and how their obligation to disclose would be impacted if the lease was ultimately funded by a bank, an exempt entity. Senator Glazer addressed these concerns by stating that the bill requires providers of financing to disclose. If the broker is a subsidiary of the bank, it would be exempt. If not, then the broker would have to provide interest rate disclosures, even if the funds ultimately come from an entity that is exempt.

How Will the DBO Implement the Statute?
It was interesting to learn that the DBO assisted in the drafting, feels perfectly capable of interpreting the statute and, if necessary, enforcing it. Many of the questions and criticisms of the bill stemmed from some ambiguity in the statute. He addressed those concerns by stating that the DBO has looked at every provision and is perfectly capable of interpreting it. Therefore, I would expect rules to be promulgated by the DBO to address the concerns of equipment lessors and merchant cash advance lenders. 

What are the takeaways from this interview and SB 1235?
▪ First, I Was Surprised at the DBO’s Involvement in the Bill. According to Senator Glazer the California Department of Business Oversight reviewed every sentence of the Bill and has signed on to interpreting and enforcing it. This is actually a great relief that the DBO will enact new regulations to clarify any ambiguities in the Bill. 

▪ Second, Brokers Will Have to Comply. This is great news, because some brokers supply inaccurate and misleading interest quotes dressed up in the term “lease factor.” That number is often misunderstood as the operative interest rate. Therefore, many of the bad brokers will not want to disclose interest rates and may just cease brokering leases in California. 

▪ Third, Only Banks and Their Subsidiaries Will Not Have to Disclose. Although I thought that conclusion was obvious, Senator Glazer confirmed my understanding.

The bottom line to this question and answer series and the bill is this—Regulation Z was enacted in 1968 because many lenders did not provide accurate information for loans. The same condition exists today, due mainly to the high interest internet loans to commercial borrowers. If Regulation Z made sense in 1968, SB 1235 makes sense today. The bill will allow commercial borrowers to shop credit, which is good for small businesses’

I was shocked that the bill passed with overwhelming support from even the most conservative senators and representatives. If ELFA and the MCA lobbied against the bill, they didn’t do a very good job.

Finally, all is not lost because the California Department of Business Oversight will enact clarifying regulations which will smooth over any ambiguities.

Questions by Tom McCurnin/Answers by Senator Glazer
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/Q&AwithSenGlazer.pdf

McCurnin Part I:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2018/09_17.htm#state

McCurnin Part 2:
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Sep2018/09_19.htm#opposition

Final Bill that Passed:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1235

(It should be noted that New York passed a similar law, and that both Connecticut and New Jersey have a similar law in motion, as Missouri and North Carolina; Virginia has just started the process.  Editor)

Help Wanted Ads

 

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Top Ten Leasing News Read by Readers
January 10 to January 14

(1) NMLS Reporting Not Applicable to Most CFL Licenses
By Kenneth C. Greene, Leasing News Legal Editor
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_14.htm#nmls

(2) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_14.htm#hires

3) The Whole World is Short Staffed
Sign
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_12.htm#sign

(4) The Moment You Realize 2022 is
Pronounced "2020 too"
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_10.htm#moment

(5) Charles K. Schwartz Released from Prison
  to a Halfway House After Serving Half a Term
By Christopher Menkin, Editor
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_10.htm#schwartz

(6) North Mill Capital Promotes Eight Employees
Celebrating the New Year 2022
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_12.htm#nm

(7) Wintrust Specialty Finance Exceeds
  Half Billion Dollar Milestone in First 3 Years
Dave Normandin, CLFP, Declares Proud of “Our Team”
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_12.htm#wintrust

(9) Federal Express Gets Delivery of First EV600 Vehicles
First Five of 500 Electric Light Commercial Vehicles
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_14.htm#fedex

(10) Merchant Cash Advance Broker 16 Years
Why She Loves MCA
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Jan2022/01_10.htm#mca

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Certified Leasing Finance Professional Foundation
Add 14 New CLFP's

The CLFP designation identifies an individual as a knowledgeable professional to employers, clients, customers, and peers in the equipment finance industry. There are currently 1,097 active Certified Lease & Finance Professionals and Associates in the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, India, Africa, and Australia.

The Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation is pleased to announce that 14 individuals who recently sat through the 8-hour online proctored CLFP exam, have passed. 

Christopher Boire, CLFP
AVP, SR Underwriter
Alliance Funding Group

Erika Colbath, CLFP
Syndications Manager
Ascentium Capital LLC

Charles (Will) Estess, CLFP
Equipment Finance Specialist,
Corporate and Institutional Banking, BancorpSouth Equipment Finance, a division of Cadence Bank

Ericka Garcia, CLFP
Credit Analyst
Ascentium Capital LLC

Choyce LaRue, CLFP
Account Manager, Financial Services
Thermo Fisher Financial Services

James (Sean) O’Malley, CLFP
Senior Account Manager
Nexseer Capital

Olivia Pelham, CLFP Associate
Accounting Manager
Northpoint Commercial Credit, LLC

Nicholas Schneider, CLFP
Senior Account Manager
Nexseer Capital

Olga Seijo Ellis, CLFP
Sr. Credit Risk Manager
Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc.

Kunal Sharad, CLFP
Account Manager
Financial Services, Thermo Fisher Financial Services

Srishti Sinha, CLFP Associate
Fleet Analyst
Fleet Advantage, LLC

Jesse Sorenson, CLFP
Business Development Manager
KLC Financial, Inc.

Nuria Sotiropoulos, CLFP Associate
Business Development Manager
American Lease Insurance

David Wynn, CLFP
Credit Analyst
Ascentium Capital LLC

Erika Garcia, CLFP, Credit Analyst, Ascentium Capital, attended the virtual, private ALFP hosted by Ascentium Capital LLC and stated, “I chose to pursue the designation as a way to further my education as an equipment leasing and finance specialist with Ascentium Capital, and as the CLFP is the most respected and accepted certification for an equipment and leasing and finance specialist it made perfect sense.

“I am excited for what that will mean for me and my company going forward.”

For more information, visit http://www.CLFPFoundation.org.

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Companies with 3 or More CLFP’s/Associates
Updated

Company	# of CLFPs
First American Equipment Finance	141
Bank Equipment Finance	53
Ascentium Capital LLC	47
Key Equipment Finance	37
DLL	30
Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc.]	29
Amur Equipment Finance	25
Stearns Bank NA-Equipment Finance Division	25
Oakmont Capital Holdings	23
AP Equipment Financing	21
The Huntington National Bank	21
Arvest Equipment Finance	20
KLC Financial, Inc.	17
Orion First Financial LLC	14
Channel	13
1st Source Bank	12
Ivory Consulting Corporation	12
Odessa	12
Fleet Advantage, LLC	11
Lease Corporation of America	11
Navitas Credit Corp.	11
Stryker	11
Wintrust	11
Canon Financial Services, Inc.	10
ECS Financial Services, Inc.	10
Alliance Funding Group	9
Great American Insurance	9
IDS	9
North Mill Equipment Finance	9
BancorpSouth Equipment Finance	8
BMO Harris	8
LTi Technology Solutions	8
Truist	8
Beacon Funding Corporation	7
Northland Capital Financial Services, LLC	7
Celtic Commercial Finance	6
GreatAmerica Financial Services	6
BankFinancial, NA	5
CoreTech Leasing, Inc.	5
First Foundation Bank	5
Nexseer Capital	5
Univest Capital, Inc.	5
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation	4
Global Financial & Leasing Services LLC	4
Hanmi Bank	4
Quality Leasing Co., Inc.	4
UniFi Equipment Finance, Inc.	4
Bank of the West	3
Commerce Bank	3
Commercial Capital Company, LLC	3
ENGS Commercial Finance Co.	3
Falcon Equipment Finance	3
First Commonwealth Bank	3
First National Capital Corporation	3
FIS	3
NCMIC Finance Corporation	3
Northpoint Commercial Credit, LLC	3
Northteq, Inc.	3
Partners Capital Group, Inc.	3
Taycor Financial	3
Thermo Fisher Financial Services	3
Western Equipment Finance	3

Academy for Certified Lease & Finance Professionals
 February, March, April, June, and August

The Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals (ALFP) is a three-day event designed to fully prepare an individual to sit for the CLFP exam assuming the attendee has already self-studied. A trend has begun in having virtual online sessions.

During the first two days, all of the required sections of the CLFP exam are covered in-depth. On the third day, the exam is offered but is not mandatory and may be taken on another day.

Students are strongly advised to have read and studied The Certified Lease & Finance Professionals' Handbook prior to attending the class in order to ensure success.

Crossroads Equipment Finance Host - Virtual
February 3-4
Private ALFP

Key Equipment Host - Virtual
February 15 – February 17
Public ALFP

Channel Host - Virtual
March 1 – March 4
Public ALFP
April 7 - April 8
Private

Huntington Equipment Finance - Virtual
April 7 - April 8
Private

ALFP Host
April 7 – April 8
Private

Arvest Equipment Finance Host – In Person
April 20 - 23, 2022
Private ALFP

AP Equipment Finance - Virtual
June 8 - June 10
Private

Great American Insurance Host – In Person
August 18 - 19
Public ALFP

About Academy
https://clfpfoundation.org/academy-for-lease-and-finance-professionals/

If you are interested in attending, please contact Reid Raykovich, Executive Director: Reid@clfpfoundation.org

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

Tokyo Century Announces Acquisition of Shares of
Fiber Marketing International, Inc., a U.S. Dealer

Tokyo Century Corporation (TC) hereby announces that its' consolidated subsidiary Tokyo Century (USA) Inc.

Headquartered in New York, US, has acquired 100% of shares of the U.S.-based equipment dealer Fiber Marketing International, Inc. (FMI, headquartered in Washington, US) and made it a wholly owned
subsidiary.

1. Purpose of the share acquisition

FMI provides comprehensive services related to the sales of specialized equipment, including the sales of small construction equipment and arbor equipment and vehicles, as well as after-sales service such as parts replacement, maintenance and inspection, and equipment rental, mainly in the State of Washington. Demand for small construction equipment offered by FMI is expected to increase with the expansion of infrastructure investment and repairs in the U.S. In addition, the sustained growth of the market for arbor equipment and vehicles is expected due to increased focus on active prevention and mitigation of wildfires on the West Coast.

TCUSA has made AP Equipment Financing Inc. (API, headquartered in Oregon, US), a leasing and financing company with a focus on small and medium-sized trucks and arbor equipment and vehicles, a wholly owned subsidiary in 2019. Furthermore, it has positioned API’s business as one of the growth drivers in North America and made Work Truck Direct, Inc. (WTD, headquartered in Oregon, US), a dealer of small and medium-sized trucks and arbor equipment and vehicles, a wholly owned subsidiary in May 2021. TCUSA has established a
One-Stop Service structure, which provides not only leasing and financing, but also sales and after-sales service.

The main equipment provided by FMI does not overlap with that of WTD. Moreover, FMI and WTD are based in neighboring marketing areas that form a mutually complementary relationship, which can increase financing opportunities for API. In addition, they are expected to achieve synergies that will lead to an increase in sales
volume by introducing manufacturers to each other and strengthening purchasing ability.

With the addition of FMI to the collaborative structure of API and WTD, TCUSA will be able to expand its One Stop Service model that offers sales and financing of niche products in the U.S. as an integrated service, which was formulated in its strategy. Going forward, TC will continue to accelerate the expansion of its business domains in the U.S., the important strategic area of its International Business Segment

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

CCHD Rescue Dog
Central Coast Herding Dog Rescue, California  Adopt-a-Dog

Beau is here from the Porterville Shelter! Carla noticed him, got all his ducks in a row, and Beau is ready to roll!

Young, about 1 - 2, tri color heeler, Beau is a doll! He's part of the house pack and will integrate into his new home seamlessly.

Beau loves to fetch tennis balls, and he's a cuddlier. 
He's met the dogs and gone on may pack hikes. Always off leash, he's tough to get photos of; he doesn't get far enough away!

But more photos on the way!  

Beau is housebroken and has lovely manners.

He spent his very first night in my room on a dog bed and not a peep!

He's now independent using the dog door. He has full privileges and such a perfect dog! 

My inside dogs aren't batting an eyelash at Beau, means he is a balanced, and accepted pack member.

Someone will be very lucky to have him. 

More photos as we get them: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3037799006436158&type=3

Central Coast Herding Dog Rescue
Open 24 hours · (805) 238-1446
Our geographical area covers Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.

Contact Us:
https://www.cchdrescue.org/contactus.html

The Adoption Process:
https://www.cchdrescue.org/adoptionprocess.html

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Niner Estate Wines
Winery Founded in the early 2000s

Leasing News Wine Reviewer Kavin Wilkinson Recommends
See Video Gallery, Paso Robles, CA.
https://www.ninerwine.com/trade

Full Website:
www.ninerwine.com

News Briefs---

Virginia Hopes on the Commercial Finance
    APR Disclosure Bandwagon
https://debanked.com/2022/01/virginia-hops-on-the-commercial-finance-apr-disclosure-bandwagon/

Sales of Electric Vehicles Surpass Diesel in Europe,
a First!
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/17/business/electric-vehicles-europe.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Business

Airlines Warn of Chaos if 5G Mobile Service
Is Deployed This Week
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/17/business/airlines-5g-warning.html

World’s 10 richest men see their wealth
double during COVID pandemic
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/17/world-10-richest-men-see-their-wealth-double-during-covid-pandemic

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You May Have Missed---

Edwards AFB moves to HPCON Charlie
Latest Pandemic Affecting Military Bases
http://www.aerotechnews.com/edwardsafb/2022/01/13/edwards-afb-moves-to-hpcon-charlie/

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Sports Briefs---

Instant analysis of 49ers’ 23-17 win over Cowboys
    in a harrowing wild-card finish
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/16/instant-analysis-of-49ers-23-17-win-over-cowboys-in-a-harrowing-wild-card-finish/

Novak Djokovic deported, won’t compete in Australian
Open after bid to play unvaccinated fails
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/15/novak-djokovic-australia-visa/

Opinion: Dak Prescott’s postgame blunder even worse
than squandering the clock in Cowboys' loss
https://sports.yahoo.com/opinion-dak-prescott-postgame-blunder-111923550.html

49ers’ Shanahan optimistic about Bosa, Warner and
Garoppolo, who played with right shoulder sprain
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/17/49ers-shanahan-optimistic-about-bosa-warner-and-garoppolo-who-played-with-right-shoulder-sprain/

Las Vegas Raiders oust GM Mike Mayock after 3 seasons
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2022/01/17/las-vegas-raiders-oust-gm-mike-mayock-after-3-seasons/49663971/

Jim Harbaugh, Rich Bisaccia favorites for Raiders job
https://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/20425/Jim-Harbaugh--Rich-Bisaccia-favorites-for-Raiders-job

This is the story behind the most legendary 49ers
    bar in America
https://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/San-Francisco-49ers-Legendary-Bar-Canyon-Inn-14274475.php

List of Pac-12 players entering the 2022 NFL Draft features
Lloyd, London, Thibodeaux and all the top talents
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/01/17/list-of-pac-12-players-entering-the-2022-nfl-draft-features-lloyd-london-thibodeaux-and-all-the-top-talents/

In vacillating coaching landscape, UCLA’s Chip Kelly
stays put with contract extension
https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2022-01-14/ucla-coach-chip-kelly-extension-finalized-football?ut

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California Nuts Briefs---

Sacramento County breaks record for hospitalized
     COVID cases amid omicron surge
https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article257404787.html?ac_cid=DM594316&ac_bid=-1338639482

Oakland student organizers say they’ll stay
home from school starting Tuesday
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/01/17/covid-oakland-students-organizers-are-demanding-safety-measures-school-leaders-promised/

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"Gimme that wine"

Exclusive: Joel Gott Wines Buys Napa's
    Historic Edge Hill Winery
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/joel-gott-wines-buys-napa-s-historic-edge-hill-winery?utm_source=AfternoonBrief&utm_medium=newsletter

Virginia bill would do away with state-run ABC liquor stores
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/virginia-bill-would-do-away-with-state-run-abc-liquor-stores

“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/

This Day in History

     1770 - The Sons of Liberty in New York City attacked British soldiers. They were called this because the group of American civilians attacked the 40 to 50 armed soldiers because they had cut down the liberty poles that the Americans had erected. The soldiers used their bayonets and dispersed them. No one was killed but several persons on both sides were seriously injured. What was really a mob fight was termed the Battle of Golden Hill.
    1778 - Captain James Cook of the British Navy thought he was the first to find a group of islands in the Pacific. He named them the Sandwich Islands in honor of England's Earl of Sandwich, the first lord of the British Admiralty. Little did he know that the islands already had a name. The people who lived on them called the islands, Hawaii. Actually, these islands had been discovered long before by the Polynesians. Other explorers before Cook probably stopped at the Hawaiian Islands as early as the 1500s. However, it was Cook who spread the word of the existence of this group of tropical isles to the rest of the world. He was killed in Waimea, Kauai, after a dispute with the natives. A plaque marks his discovery of the island, in a rather remote area, actually on the ocean near the river inlet, and the when I visited, it was defaced with many words written over it. The city fathers put up a statute in the “downtown” area. While it says it is in the actual spot, it is not, as evidenced by not only the original plaque but a book about the errors of historic markers in the United States.
http://www.kauai-hawaii.com/destinations.php?54
    1782 - Birthday of Daniel Webster (d. 1852), at Salisbury, NH.  American statesman and orator who said, on Apr 6, 1830, "The people's government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people."
    1803 - Seeking information on what lay west of the young United Sates, President Thomas Jefferson sent a confidential letter to Congress requesting funds for an exploratory expedition to be led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark. After the Louisiana Purchase was signed on April 30, 1803, the expedition's mission changed and it became a survey of new American land. The “Corps of Discovery” set off May 14 from St. Louis and returned with much information about the land, the peoples there and the flora and fauna.      
    1813 - Joseph Farwell Glidden (d. 1906) was born, Charlestown, NH.  Inventor of barbed wire. Glidden began experimenting with ways to improved barbed wire and the next year, he received a patent for a machine that added the barbs to the wire mechanically, thus allowing for mass production. Glidden and his partner, Isaac L. Ellwood, established the Barb Fence Company in De Kalb, and in a few years, barbed wire was being used all over the West. Barbed wire accelerated the development of the region, closed the open range, and ended the golden age of the cowboy, who had roamed freely over wide stretches of land. Glidden was soon one of the richest men in America. He invested in the fancy Glidden Hotel in De Kalb and bought 180,000 acres of land in Texas, where he raised 15,000 head of cattle.
    1836 - Jim Bowie arrives at the Alamo to assist its Texas defenders.
    1836 - Marines reinforced Army to repulse Indians at Ft. Brooke, Florida the Army’s headquarters during the Second Seminole War.
    1840 - The ElectroMagnetic and Mechanics Intelligencer first appeared. It was printed in New York City on a press “propelled by electro-magnetism.” The editor of the magazine and the inventor of the electrical printing press was Thomas Davenport.
    1854 - Thomas Watson, (d. 1934) the American telephone pioneer and shipbuilder, was born in Salem, MA.  An assistant to Alexander Graham Bell, notably in the invention of the telephone in 1876, he is best known because, as the recipient of the first telephone call – although coming from just the next room – his name became the first words ever said over the phone. "Mr. Watson – Come here – I want to see you."
    1857 - A great cold storm swept across the Atlantic Seaboard. Snowfall totals of 12 inches were common, whole gales caused shipwrecks and damage property on islands, and temperatures near zero prevailed from Virginia northward. Great drifts of snow blocked transportation. Richmond, VA was cut off from Washington, DC for a week.
    1866 - As Congress convened, first on the agenda was reconstruction.  The process of dealing with the former Confederate states and the millions of freed Black slaves was to occupy the government and the nation for the next decade. President Andrew Johnson proposed fairly lenient treatment of the secessionists but showed no interest in securing civil rights for Blacks. He has made a deal to win the electoral votes of Southern Democrats. Opposing him was a group of radical Republicans, who wanted the South severely punished. The deal created hostility on both sides, also giving the congressional election in the fall an overwhelming victory that paved the way for harsh treatment of the South. Thus was born the "Dixie Democrats," which through this day, elected and supported only Democrats.  While the Civil War was officially over, there was no end to it in Washington, D.C.
   1891 - The first Armenian Church in the U.S. was consecrated in Worcester, MA. New churches were later consecrated in Fresno, CA (1900); West Hoboken, NJ (1907); and Fowler, CA (1910).
    1892 – Oliver Hardy was born Norvell Hardy (d. 1957) in Harlem, Ga.  American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic act that began in the era of silent films and lasted 25 years, from 1927-1951. He appeared with his comedy partner Stan Laurel in 107 short films, feature films, and cameo roles.  In 1917, Hardy moved to Los Angeles, working freelance for several Hollywood studios. Between 1918 and 1923, Hardy made more than 40 films for Vitagraph, mostly playing the "heavy."  In 1921, he appeared in the movie, “The Lucky Dog,” starring a young British comedian named Stan Laurel. In 1925, he was in the film “Yes, Yes, Nanette!,” starring Jimmy Finlayson and directed by Stan Laurel. (In later years Finlayson frequently was a supporting actor in the Laurel and Hardy film series.) In 1927, Laurel and Hardy began sharing screen time together in “Slipping Wives,” “Duck Soup” (no relation to the 1933 Marx Brothers film) and “With Love and Hisses.”  Roach Studios' supervising director Leo McCarey, realizing the audience reaction to the two, began intentionally teaming them together. This led to the start of a Laurel and Hardy series later that year.     
    1896 - First college basketball game.  At Springfield College, MA, Dr. James Naismith, a physical education teacher, was trying to keep students occupied during a rainy day. 
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jan18.html
    1896 – Before Curt Flood, there was John Montgomery Ward, who had not played or managed for the last two seasons.  He objected to being reserved by the New York Giants. At the NL meeting in February, his appeal was upheld, and Ward was declared a free agent. 
    1904 - Actor Cary Grant was born Archibald Leach (d. 1986) in Bristol, England.  Known as one of classic Hollywood’s definitive leading men, he began a career in Hollywood in the early 1930s, and became known for his transatlantic accent, debonair demeanor, and light-hearted approach to acting and sense of comic timing. He became an American citizen in 1942.  After his retirement from film acting in 1966, Grant pursued numerous business interests and sat on the board of MGM and others. He was presented with an Honorary Oscar by his friend Frank Sinatra in 1970, and in 1981, he was accorded the Kennedy Center Honors. In 1999, the AFI named Grant the second greatest male star of Golden Age Hollywood cinema, after Bogart. 
    1911 - The first landing of an aircraft on a ship took place as pilot Eugene B. Ely flew onto the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay.
    1912 - English explorer Robert F. Scott and his expedition reached the South Pole, only to discover that Roald Amundsen had reached it first.
    1913 - Birthday of entertainer and movie star Danny Kaye, born David Daniel Kaminski (d. 1987) at Brooklyn, NY.  Actor, singer, dancer, comedian, and musician. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs.   
    1918 - Legendary blues guitarist Elmore James (d. 1963) was born in Durant, Mississippi. He is cited by Eric Clapton, George Harrison and countless other rock guitarists as a major influence. James's early 1950's recording of "Dust My Broom" is his most famous.
    1932 – Jazz singer Irene Kral (d. 1978) was born in Chicago. 
http://www.irenekral.com/html/discography.html
    1936 - In Washington, DC, Catholic biblical scholars met to discuss two proposals: the preparation of a new Bible translation and the formation of a society of Catholic biblical scholars. In result, the Catholic Biblical Association (CBA) was formed in 1937, and the New American Bible (NAB) was published in 1970.
    1938 - Curtis Charles “Curt” Flood (d. 1992) born at Houston, TX. Flood was one of baseball's best centerfielders in the 1960's, batting .293 over 15 seasons and playing spectacular defense. After the 1969 season, he refused to accept a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies. “I am not a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes,” he said in a letter to MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. The resulting lawsuit went to the Supreme Court where Flood lost. But his stand, taken because he did not want to switch teams, paved the way for the end of baseball's reserve clause and the advent of free agency.
    1939 - On Decca Records, Louis Armstrong and his orchestra recorded "Jeepers Creepers." Vocals were provided by Satchmo.
    1940 - Canadian jazz pianist and bassist Don Thompson was born, Powell River, BC.
    1941 - David Ruffin (d. 1991), co-lead singer of the Temptations until 1968, was born in Meridian, Mississippi. The Temptations emerged during the mid-1960's as one of the leading vocal groups in soul music and their sound, as well as their elaborate stage show, became the model for countless groups that followed. The Temptations’ major breakthrough came in 1965, when they took Smokey Robinson's composition, "My Girl," to the top of the charts. David Ruffin left the Temptations in 1968, beginning a successful solo career with his 1969 hit "My Whole World Ended." He died of a cocaine overdose in Philadelphia on June 1st, 1991.
    1941 - Singer Bobby Goldsboro was born in Marianna, Florida. His sentimental pop songs, such as "See the Funny Little Clown," "Honey" and "Watching Scotty Grow" were big hits from the mid-1960's to the early '70s.
    1944 - The first jazz music concert ever held at the New York City Metropolitan Opera House was performed. Performing were: Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton.
    1946 - Ella Fitzgerald has another hit with “You Won't Be Satisfied.” Decca
    1948 - The Original Amateur Hour debuted on the DuMont Television Network with Ted Mack as the host.  Mack was the field assistant of Major Bowes who created the show on radio in 1934.  The show is a progenitor of later, similar programs such as “Star Search,” “American Idol,” and “America’s Got Talent.”  As CBS began terminating long-running shows because of the demographics of their viewers, Mack beat CBS to the punch and terminated the “Original Amateur Hour” of his own volition. The final show was broadcast on September 27, 1970.     
    1951 – The NFL took control of the failing Baltimore Colts.  In the rival All-American Football Conference, Baltimore was granted a franchise after Miami folded. The team would be named Colts in honor of Baltimore's rich history with racing and breeding of horses. The Colts became one of three teams  - San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns -  to join the NFL in 1950. However, the team could not make money and the league bought the team instead and had them play in Dallas. The Texans were a miserable failure, and by the middle of the season were operating out of Hershey, Pennsylvania and playing all their games on the road. Baltimore was granted a franchise that would pay homage to the former team by carrying the name Colts. 
    1954 - Top Hits
“Oh! My Pa-Pa” - Eddie Fisher
“Changing Partners” - Patti Page
“Secret Love” - Doris Day
“Bimbo” - Jim Reeves
    1956 - Little Richard enters the pop chart at #26 with "Tutti Frutti." His original beats out covers by Elvis Presley and Pat Boone. Also, the Top Fifty pop album chart which is dominated by records like "Jackie Gleason Plays Music for Lovers Only" and "Jackie Gleason Plays Romantic Jazz," lists its first rock and roll entry. Billy Haley & the Comets' "Rock around the Clock" is #12.
    1956 - The Bill Haley and the Comets album “Rock Around the Clock” enters the charts
    1958 - Willie O'Ree became the first black player in the National Hockey League when he played for the Boston Bruins in a game against the Montreal Canadians. Boston won, 3-0.
    1960 - Johnny Preston started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Running Bear.' Written by J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), the tune originally entered the chart in October, 1959, then quickly vanished, but re-entered in November and slowly climbed to the top. It was also a UK No.1.    
    1962 - Top Hits
“The Twist” - Chubby Checker
“Peppermint Twist” - Joey Dee & The Starliters
“Can't Help Falling in Love” - Elvis Presley
“Walk on By” - Leroy Van Dyke
    1964 - The Beatles had their first appearance on the US singles chart with "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The disc entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #45, just ten days after its release, making it the fastest-breaking and the fastest selling single in Capitol Records history. Capitol had earlier turned down "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "From Me to You" and "She Loves You," which were then released by Vee Jay Records. After a nasty lawsuit, Capitol Records was granted an injunction, restraining Vee Jay Records from further manufacturing, distributing, advertising or otherwise disposing of recordings by the Beatles. If you have any old Beatles records on Vee Jay, hang on to them, they are now collector's items.
    1965 - Paul Simon drops out of law school to pursue music full-time.
    1966 - Robert Clifton Weaver was sworn in as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first black cabinet member in U.S. history. He was nominated by President Lyndon Johnson.
    1968 – Singer Eartha Kitt made headlines, as she got into a now-famous confrontation with First Lady Lady Bird Johnson at a White House luncheon to discuss urban crime. Ms. Kitt told the First Lady that American youth were rebelling against the war in Vietnam, linking the crime rate with the war escalation. She had a lot to say and it definitely was not "C'est Si Bon."
    1968 - YNTEMA, GORDON DOUGLAS, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Place and date: Near Thong Binh, Republic of Vietnam, 16-18 January 1968. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich. Born: 26 June 1945, Bethesda, Md. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Yntema, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while assigned to Detachment A-431, Company D. As part of a larger force of civilian irregulars from Camp Cai Cai, he accompanied 2 platoons to a blocking position east of the village of Thong Binh, where they became heavily engaged in a small-arms fire fight with the Viet Cong. Assuming control of the force when the Vietnamese commander was seriously wounded, he advanced his troops to within 50 meters of the enemy bunkers. After a fierce 30-minute fire fight, the enemy forced Sgt. Yntema to withdraw his men to a trench in order to afford them protection and still perform their assigned blocking mission. Under cover of machinegun fire, approximately 1 company of Viet Cong maneuvered into a position which pinned down the friendly platoons from 3 sides. A dwindling ammunition supply, coupled with a Viet Cong mortar barrage which inflicted heavy losses on the exposed friendly troops, caused many of the irregulars to withdraw. Seriously wounded and ordered to withdraw himself, Sgt. Yntema refused to leave his fallen comrades. Under withering small arms and machinegun fire, he carried the wounded Vietnamese commander and a mortally wounded American Special Forces advisor to a small gully 50 meters away in order to shield them from the enemy fire. Sgt. Yntema then continued to repulse the attacking Viet Cong attempting to overrun his position until, out of ammunition and surrounded, he was offered the opportunity to surrender. Refusing, Sgt. Yntema stood his ground, using his rifle as a club to fight the approximately 15 Viet Cong attempting his capture. His resistance was so fierce that the Viet Cong were forced to shoot in order to overcome him. Sgt. Yntema's personal bravery in the face of insurmountable odds and supreme self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect the utmost credit upon himself, the 1st Special Forces, and the U.S. Army.
    1969 - Albums released this week include the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" on Apple Records; Tommy James & the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover" on Roulette; Creedance Clearwater Revival's "Bayou Country" on Fantasy and the self-titled LP by Blood, Sweat and Tears on Columbia.
    1969 – The Washington Senators signed Ted Williams as manager to a five-year contract worth a reported salary of $75,000 per season. Under his leadership, the Senators complied a record of 86-76, the best mark in the franchise's history since the original Senators moved to Minneapolis and their replacements bolted to Texas…before the current Washington Nationals.
    1970 - Top Hits
“Raindrop Keep Fallin' on My Head” - B.J. Thomas
“Venus” - The Shocking Blue
“I Want You Back” - The Jackson 5
“Baby, Baby (I Know You're a Lady)” - David Houston
    1971 - The McCann-Erickson advertising agency takes a meeting with British songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway to record a Coca-Cola commercial with the group the New Seekers that will eventually become "I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing." While it initially attracts little attention on its radio release, it becomes a smash hit as a TV ad filmed with a globally diverse cast performing on a hillside outside Rome. The commercial, titled simply "Hillside" and costing a whopping $250,000 to film, is first aired in July, 1971 and becomes a smash hit with many sequels, including a Christmas version filmed at night with a choir holding candles on a hillside in a tree formation. The commercials become some of the most successful and iconic ever filmed, and in a way herald in the dawn of the globalization era. They also make chart-topping stars of the New Seekers.
    1975 - “The Jeffersons” premiered on TV; CBS sitcom about an African American family (formerly neighbors of the Bunkers on "All in the Family") who moved to Manhattan's East Side, thanks to the success of George Jefferson's chain of dry cleaning stores. Having a format similar to "All in the Family," the show featured a black bigot, George Jefferson. Particularly memorable were the racial slurs Jefferson used against the mixed-marriage neighbors, Tom and Helen Willis. The show was able to humorously introduce subjects such as mixed marriage on a prime-time series. Cast included Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson, Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson, Mike Evans and Damon Evans as Lionel, Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker as the mixed couple, Berlinda Tolbert as their daughter, Jenny, and Paul Benedict as the British bachelor neighbor Bentley. The last episode aired July 23, 1985.
    1975 - Barry Manilow's "Mandy" hits #1.
    1976 - The Pittsburgh Steelers won their second consecutive Super Bowl, defeating the Dallas Cowboys, 21-17, in Super Bowl X. Pittsburgh wide receiver Lynn Swann was named the game's MVP by setting a Super Bowl record with 161 yards on four receptions.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/0118.jpg
    1978 - Top Hits
“Baby Come Back” - Player
“Here You Come Again” - Dolly Parton
“You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)” - Rod Stewart
“Take This Job and Shove It” - Johnny Paycheck
    1985 - Newspaper USA Today took a poll of its readers as to where the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame should be built. The winner was Cleveland.  The building was opened in 1996.
    1986 - Dionne Warwick's single for AID's research, "That's What Friends are For," became her second #1 song on the music charts. Although Dionne had many hits in the 1960s, singing Burt Bacharach tunes like, "I Say a Little Prayer" and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," she first hit the top spot when she added an ‘e' to Warwick and joined the Spinners in the 1974 hit, "Then Came You." She changed her name back to Warwick (without the ‘e') after making a couple of hits produced by Barry Manilow in the early '80s. That'll do it. Remember, "I'll Never Love This Way Again?"
    1986 - Top Hits
“That's What Friends are For” - Dionne & Friends
“Talk to Me” - Stevie Nicks
“Burning Heart” – Survivor
“Bop” - Dan Seals
    1987 - For the first time in history, the Public Broadcasting System, PBS, was watched by more than 100 million viewers. The record audience was measured during the week of January 12-18.
    1989 - At just 38 years old, Stevie Wonder became the youngest living person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, other inductees include Dion, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, and Otis Redding. 
    1990 - Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting.
    1991 – Eastern Airlines, after suffering crippling losses for several years, discontinued operations after 6 decades.
    1993 - Martin Luther King Jr. holiday observed in all 50 states for first time.
    1988 - A storm in the southwestern U.S. produced a 15 to 20-foot surf along the southern coast of California resulting in more than $50 million damage. A small tornado in Orange County, CA lifted a baseball dugout fifteen feet into the air and deposited it in the street, 150 yards away. The same storm also produced 26 inches of snow at Duck Creek, UT.
    1990 - A winter storm produced heavy snow and high winds across the southwestern U.S. Snowfall totals ranged up to 18 inches at Lake Arrowhead, CA and Ashford, AZ. High winds in New Mexico gusted to 100 mph east of Albuquerque. Unseasonably warm weather continued from Texas to the Atlantic coast. Twenty cities reported record high temperatures for the date including Roanoke, VA with a reading of 71 degrees.
    1995 - The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia escapes unhurt when his rented BMW crashes into a guardrail near Mill Valley, California.
    1996 - The first computer software application on Digital Video Disc was the PhoneDisc PowerFinder USA ONE, an electronic phone directory for the entire United States. It contained on a single digital video disc, or DVD, information that previously required the storage capacity of six CD-Rom discs.
    2001 - San Francisco sues 13 energy providers for collusion to fix prices and restrict the energy supply.
    2003 - In the US tens of thousands rallied in Washington, DC in an emphatic dissent against preparations for war in Iraq. As many as 500,000 rallied outside the Capitol. In San Francisco, the rally drew at least 100,000 by my count. A small band of anarchists vandalized the Financial District in “black bloc” protests.
    2011 - A $28 billion merger between Comcast and NBC Universal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission.
    2011 - The largest collection of Beatles memorabilia went on display in a new museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rodolfo Vazquez, a 53-year-old accountant, turned his mammoth Beatles collection into a museum with more than 8,500 objects - setting the new world record for the largest collection of Beatles memorabilia. Some of the items included a box of condoms bearing the names of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, a brick from the Cavern Club, a chunk of the stage from the Star Club in Hamburg, and certified copies of the band members' birth certificates. Among his favorite items were 64 boxes of chewing gum in the form of Beatles records.
    2013 - NASA scientists achieved a first in laser communication when they successfully beamed a picture of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a spacecraft orbiting the Moon.
    2016 - Glenn Frey, lead guitarist of The Eagles, died at the age of 67 in New York City from complications arising from rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and pneumonia. Frey co-founded The Eagles in 1971 with Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. After the breakup of the Eagles in 1980, Frey embarked on a successful solo career and went on to score the Top 40 hits 'The One You Love,' 'Smuggler's Blues,' 'The Heat Is On,' and 'You Belong to the City.'  At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)” and “Hotel California,” were ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the US according to the RIAA. “Hotel California” is ranked 37th in Rolling Stone’s list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and the band was ranked number 75 on the magazine's 2004 list of “The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”  The Eagles are one of the world’s best-selling bands in history, having sold more than 150 million records - 100 million in the U.S. alone - including 42 million copies of “Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)” and 32 million copies of “Hotel California.”  “Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)” was the best-selling album of the 20th century in the U.S.  They are the fifth-highest-selling music act and the highest-selling American band in U.S. history.  They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
 
Super Bowl Champions:
    1976 -  Pittsburgh Steelers