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Leasing News is a web site that posts information, news, and
entertainment for the commercial alternate financing,
bank
, finance and leasing industry

kitmenkin@leasingnews.org
   

 

 

Monday, March 21, 2016



Today's Equipment Leasing Headlines

Position Wanted –Credit
Work Remotely or Relocate for Right Opportunity
Top Stories  -  March 15 - March 17
(Opened Most by Readers)
FinTech #102  by Christopher Menkin
Over 600 Community and Regional Banks Now Partners with bizfi
Alternate Finance Companies - Subprime
Business Loans/Equipment Finance/Working Capital
Aggregate Funding Sources -- Updated
(Online: connects lessees, lessors, and vendors)
Leasing Portals --Updated
(Business to Business including Finance/Leasing)
Leasing Industry Ads---Help Wanted
Opportunity Knocking on Your Door
“Should I Tell My Work Colleague I am Looking?”
Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII
“Analyzing Sales Data”
Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winders, CLFP
Alan A. Mogol Joins the list of
Twenty-Five Most Influential Attorneys in Leasing and Finance
Cutbacks in Broker Originations Reported
 at Huntington Technology Finance
  by Christopher Menkin
Labrador Retriever
Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan area  Adopt-a-Dog
News Briefs---
OCC: FinTechs Will Not Replace Banks
  "…have always adapted and evolved"
Umpqua Bank Announces Consolidation of 26 Store Locations
"…customers can bank online and on their mobile devices"
PayPal to bring 400 jobs to new N.C. operations center
2015, PayPal processed 4.9B, 23% of them from mobile devices
Cathedral Leasing Wins CODE2040
 To Expand from Industrial Grade 3D Printing equipment
FirstMerit filings show perks of deal with Huntington
     "Consolidation is hot in banking right now"
European Captives Forum Review 2015
  Report from Alan Leesmith, Secretary General

Broker/Funder/Industry Lists | Features (writer'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

You May have Missed---
   SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer
   Winter Poem
    Sports Briefs---
      California Nuts Brief---
       "Gimme that Wine"    
          This Day in American History
         SuDoku
           Daily Puzzle
             GasBuddy
               Weather, USA or specific area
                 Traffic Live----

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



Email Leasing News to a colleague and recommend they subscribe.
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with “subscribe” in the subject line.




[headlines]

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Position Wanted –Credit
Work Remotely or Relocate for Right Opportunity

Each Week Leasing News is pleased, as a service to its readership, to offer completely free ads placed by candidates for jobs in the industry.  These ads also can be accessed directly on the website at:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Classified/Jwanted/Jwanted.htm

Each ad is limited to (100) words and ads repeat for up to 6 months unless the candidate tells us to stop. Your submissions should be received here by the end of each week.

Please encourage friends and colleagues to take advantage of this service, including recent graduates and others interested in leasing and related careers. 

Will relocate for the right opportunity and can work remotely. I have (25+) years in making credit decisions, as well as helping sales team and third party originators close more transactions via understanding their applicant's financial abilities. I can create alternative or additional opportunities (and income) by knowing which type of loan is best for the borrower
aaacorrespondent@gmail.com

Chicago, Illinois
Highly knowledgeable and analytical Equipment Leasing Executive; leveraging 25 years in Portfolio Management, Operations, Credit, and Collections within Banking environment and Commercial Equipment Leasing Industry; proven track record, developing/ implementing strategies, sound operational excellence and process improvement, while maximizing revenues and positioning organizations for greater success.wgriffith61@yahoo.com 
Resume:
http://leasingnews.org/items/BGriffithResume2015.pdf

Orlando, Florida
As a Commercial Credit Analyst/Underwriter, I have evaluated transactions from sole proprietorships to listed companies, across a broad spectrum of industries, embracing a multitude of asset types. Sound understanding of balance sheet, income statement and cash flow dynamics which impact credit decisions. Strong appreciation for credit/asset risk. 
rpsteiner21@aol.com
 
407 430-3917

 


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Top Stories  -  March 15 - March 17
(Opened Most by Readers)

(1) San Diego, California Pentech Reunion
       Photo
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_17.htm#photo

(2) New Hires---Promotions in the Leasing Business
             and Related Industries
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_17.htm#hires

(3) Alternate Financing Companies on Defense
     Forming Associations to Overcome Being Regulated
             By Christopher Menkin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_17.htm#alternate

(4) First FDIC Insured Bank to Fail in 2016
            Milwaukee, Wisconsin
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_15.htm#bank_beat

(5) Readers Survey -- Thank You
     by Christopher Menkin, Editor/Publisher
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_15.htm#survey

(6) Funders Taking New Broker Business List
           Updated
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_17.htm#funders_updated

(7) New Certified Lease & Finance Professionals' Handbook
             2016 Edition
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_17.htm#clfp

(8)   "Good Reasons to Make a Career Change”
   Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_15.htm#crossroad

(9) Consumer Auto Leasing
   Leasing 102 by Mr. Terry Winters, CLFP
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_15.htm#consumer

(10) Are You Charging Too Much for Default Interest?
   There is no Clear Rule, So Err on the Side of 4-5%
By Tom McCurnin, Leasing News Legal Editor
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_15.htm#charging

 

Bookmark Leasing News

 

[headlines]
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FinTech #102  by Christopher Menkin
Over 600 Community and Regional Banks Now Partners with bizfi

March 3, 2015 it was noted that FinTech comes to the New York State Restaurant Association’s 2000 members, bringing bizfi 45 partners, including OnDeck, (ONDK), Funding Circle, Kabbage, IMCA Capital, Bluevine, and SmartBiz. Their press release states, "...bizfi also participates in funding on the platform. Regardless of what kind of capital is sought from any of the funding partners, the restaurant owner is guided through the process by a BizFi funding concierge." (1)

The latest announcement is "Western Independent Bankers (WIB), a trade association which markets to over 600 community and regional banks...will partner with bizfi...As Premier Alternative Finance Provider." (2)

The trade association covers the Western states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and the U.S. Territories.

"...bizfi's connected marketplace instantly provides a diverse selection of financial products and real-time pre-approvals with options ranging from short-term to medium term financing, medical financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and invoice financing. bizfi’s platform includes 15 fully integrated partners including OnDeck, (NASDAQ:ONDK), Funding Circle, Kabbage, IMCA Capital, Bluevine, Dealstruck and Bankers Healthcare Group as well as more than 30 non-integrated partners." (2)

WIB will introduce its partnership with bizfi to its members at their annual conference, to be held on April 2-6, 2016 on The Big Island, Hawaii, as well as through its branded education series, WiBINARS.

It appears Michael R. Delucchi, appointed as President and CEO of WIB in April, 2015, is embracing and promoting Financial Technology as a subprime product for its member community and regional banks to both attract and keep bank customers, as well as an income provider without recourse.

(1) BizFi Comes to New York Restaurant Association
 http://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2016/03_04.htm#fintech

(2) Western Independent Bankers Selects Bizfi
           as Premier Alternative Finance Provider
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160317005163/en/Western-Independent-Bankers-Selects-Bizfi-Premier-Alternative

 

Previous Financial Technology Articles
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/fintech.html


 

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Alternate Finance Companies - Subprime
Business Loans/Equipment Finance/Working Capital


www.bizfi.com


www.blindbid.com


www.bluevine.com


www.cancapital.com/


www.credibly.com


www.forafinancial.com


www.forwardfinancing.com


www.kabbage.com


www.lendingclub.com


www.lendit.com


www.rapidadvance.com


www.ondeck.com


www.sfscapital.com


www.unitedcapitalsource.com

Please send companies in Alternate Finance engaged in business loans,
equipment finance, working capital, primarily subprime,  to kitmenkin@leasingnews.org. If they qualify, they will be added to the list.

Funder List “A”
http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/Funders.htm

Funder List “B”
http://www.leasingnews.org/Funders_Only/Funders_B.htm

All Leasing News Lists:
http://www.leasingnews.org/All_Lists.htm

 


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Aggregate Funding Sources
(Online: connects lessees, lessors, and vendors)

CapitalRelay claims a current network of 738 brokers. 
A current network of 119 lenders.

http://www.capitalrelay.com


[headlines]
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Leasing Portals
(Business to Business including Finance/Leasing)



Perhaps the earliest such portals date to when Netscape came on line. Today Google, Yahoo, Opera, Bing, and others provide these searches for free. Portals led those seeking leasing and loans direct to sources. Only one appears active on the Internet today.

http://www.businessfinance.com/

The website states "Search over 4,000 sources of Business Finance and get your free matched list in seconds"
http://www.businessfinance.com/aboutus.asp#axzz3bqWFvQI2

The main page touts small business loans:

Small Business Loans    2,105 sources
Equipment Finance         317 sources
Working Capital             192 sources

Plus
Equity Investments      1,121 sources
Commercial Finance         178 sources
Commercial Mortgages     232 sources

 


[headlines]
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Leasing Industry Help Wanted

 


Please see our Job Wanted section for possible new employees. 

[headlines]
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“Should I Tell My Work Colleague I am Looking?”
Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

 

Question: I am currently employed and I am interested in pursuing new opportunities; I believe my colleague has caught wind of this. I consider this colleague a friend. Do you think I can share this information with my colleague?

Answer: In short, NO. Many of us have made “friends” in the workplace, but keep in mind they are work colleagues. You should never share your intentions until you have secured your new role and given proper notice to your employer. Not only is the job market competitive, but your current employment could be jeopardized due to an unintentional (or intentional – I hate to say) “leak”. Keep your intentions close to the vest ….

After you have secured your new role and given proper notice, then and ONLY then should you share your good news.

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

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

 

[headlines]
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“Analyzing Sales Data”

Sales success is clearly important to stay in business, but how often do you review your whole operation to determine where your success is coming from? How much direction do you give to the sales force on what type, style, or size of business is your niche? How do you keep records of what comes in the door and how you handle it? Statistics on business success is vitally important and knowing how to analyze them is of equal importance.

First of all, you need an application log. Every deal you look at or hear about needs to be recorded. Start with the date, customer name, equipment description, cost, term and type of lease and source. Then who is the salesperson and what are their follow-up requirements. Once the deal is reviewed, record proposal information like residual assumptions, yield requirements, purchase options, anticipated delivery dates, vendors, and current status. If the deal is turned down, then why, and how notice was given to the customer, or if it is credit and equipment approved, record date proposal delivered and anticipated decision date.

Analyzing this data requires a few additional steps so you should record in the log information such as how long did it take to obtain the credit information, how long did it take to turn the decision around, how long was it in-house prior to the decision. How complete was the credit information. Did we get a complete equipment description? The speed of turn around today is a direct result of complete information and a sense of urgency on the part of the verifiers. One is no good without the other.

Record the reasons for turndowns, lost deals, rejections and approvals that never fund. Put approved deals into a new report and question everyday why they are not closed and record why they were lost. You need to know why not just because of the costs involved, but to understand the direction of sales and the quality of the process.

Every three months you should look at this information to determine your average size deal, your average yield, and your average turnaround time to see where you are effective and where you are not. A lot of time and wasted money comes from chasing deals that do not fit your capabilities. Constantly choose new markets that fit your abilities and drop markets that you have poor returns. Look at your statistics and let them help drive your operation.

Look to improve you back office functions. The attitude should be to never go home until there is nothing you can do to move a deal along.

By keeping the correct records you can review where your business is coming from and where you spend a lot of time on non-productive activities. Credit checking transactions that do not fit into your qualifications can shorten time for productive ones and cause you to stumble along instead of building a strong organized effort. Even though you may lose a deal once in a while because you are so focused on the correct path, it will turn out better in the future with a stronger more consistent base.

To manage a leasing company takes time to look at the results and time to plan your actions. You need to act, not react, to the information at your fingertips. To manage requires research and information. To manage requires forethought and planning. To manage requires keeping the wagon headed in the right direction, even if you hit a few rocks along the way.

Previous #102 Columns:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Leasing_102/Index.htm

 


[headlines]
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Alan A. Mogol Joins the list of
Twenty-Five Most Influential Attorneys in Leasing and Finance

Alan J. Mogol, Attorney -Mogol, over the last 40+ years, created a large volume of the middle market lease documentation currently used by the majority of the larger bank and finance companies in the industry; including standard forms of lease documentation as well as industry standar syndication, assignment, notice of assignment, participation and motor vehicle titling trust documents. Much of what Mogol has created is considered de facto industry standard in the bank middle market space. He is a frequent lecturer and author in the equipment financing area.

Most Influential Lawyers
in Equipment Finance and Leasing
  

Stewart Abramson
Andrew Alper

Thomas V. Askounis

Julie Babcock
Joe Bonanno, CLFP
Bill Carey
Richard Contino
James Coston, CLFP
Jonathan Fleisher
Marshall Goldberg
Kenneth Charles Greene, Esq.
Michael A. Leichtling
Malcolm C. Lindquist
Barry Marks, Esq., CLFP
David G. Mayer
Alan A. Mogol
Frank Peretore
John G. Sinodis
Ellen Michelle Stern
Mark Stout
Kevin Trabaris
Allan Umans
Mark Wada
Michael J. Witt
Irwin Wittlin

 

 

[headlines]
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Cutbacks in Broker Originations Reported
at Huntington Technology Finance
by Christopher Menkin

Leasing News received several reports that Huntington Technology Finance has been backing out of doing business with brokers. Reportedly, there were 100 brokers in May, 2015, but today it is down to 15.

No one at the Huntington National Bank would confirm or deny the cutback of third party originators. In November, 2008, Laurie A. Bakke, then Vice President, Huntington Equipment Finance, Vendor Finance Group, Bellevue, Washington confirmed that Huntington Bank, Columbus, Ohio, was discontinuing funding for her 12 employee division that specialized in vendor finance and leasing programs. She said Huntington will continue to accept credit submissions through December 31, 2008 and will honor all backlog. Today, she is President, Western Equipment Finance, Inc.

Huntington National Bank on March 10 stated it would be closing 100 branches following its purchase of FirstMerit Corp. later this year. Most of them will reportedly be FirstMerit Branches, although some overlap, it is reported with nearly 50 in the Cleveland, Akron and Canton area. In January, Huntington CEO Steve Steinour said 39 percent of FirstMerit's 367 branches, or about 143 locations, are within one mile of an existing Huntington branch.

As reported in the $3.4 billion purchase of FirstMerit in January, 2015, there would be significant closures and consolidation among the two banks combined 1,000 branches and 1,900 ATMS. There was a story of what would happen to the Sandy Pierce, the President and CEO, of RBS Citizens. (1) In September, 2012, First Merit announced it acquisition of Citizens Republic Bank, noting that leasing and finance would be expanding their roles in the growth of the bank.

Today, it seems things are changing and the direction is consolidation,
efficiency, and moving toward financial technology.

There certainly is change in the air in Ohio, as evidenced by USA Today Network article, "Ohio Economy Has Taken a 15-Year Slide." Here is the crux of it:

Yes, there has been recent job growth in Ohio. Overall, the number of working people has recovered since the year before the great slide. But the types of jobs that remain, and the long-term loss since 2000, continue to plague the state:

• Since 2000, Ohio has lost 442,958 private-sector jobs in 61 of 88 counties.

• Cuyahoga, Montgomery, Hamilton, Franklin, Summit, Trumbull, Stark, Lorain, Lucas and Clark lost about 252,000 goods-producing jobs paying about $15 billion in annual wages today.

• Private-sector growth occurred mostly in the Cincinnati and Columbus areas, in Delaware, Warren, Butler and Franklin counties.

• A majority of Ohio’s new jobs are in the service sector — 144,000 since 2000, with paychecks that are a third less than factory workers. Those jobs include discount stores, low-wage health-care workers and call centers.

• Only 10 Ohio counties saw median household income rise between 2009 and 2014. All were in Appalachia, partly because of the natural gas boom, and also because those counties were at the bottom, with nowhere to go but up.

• Private-sector growth since 2010 masks a significant drop in public-sector jobs throughout the state.

The breathtaking decline in high-paying manufacturing jobs can be seen on multiple levels.

The state’s gross domestic product — its total value of goods and services — slipped from about 4 percent of the national GDP in 2000 to 3.5 percent in 2014, the latest year available.

While a half percent difference doesn’t sound like much, that’s $65 billion less in goods and services produced by Ohio workers than if the state had preserved its share of the nation’s production.

Contributing to this story were Beacon Journal reporters Doug Livingston and Jim Mackinnon, retired Beacon Journal reporter David Knox, the staff of the Dayton Daily News, Lauren Lindstrom of the Toledo Blade and Gannett Ohio’s Benjamin Lanka.(2)

(1) Is there a Huntington Bank in future for FirstMerit's Sandy Pierce?
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20160126/NEWS/160129873/is-there-a-huntington-bank-in-future-for-firstmerits-sandy-pierce

(2) "Ohio Economy Has Taken a 15-Year Slide."
http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/local/2016/03/13/ohio-economy-taken-year-slide/81725520/

 


(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for appraisals and equipment valuations provided by Ed Castagna)

[headlines]
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Labrador Retriever
Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan area  Adopt-a-Dog


Ella
16-03-19 -00450
Female
5 Years Old
Compatibility: Good w/ Most Dogs, Good w/ Most Cats,
Good w/ Kids and Adults
Personality: Average Energy, Average Temperament
Health: Needs to be Spayed, Needs Vaccinations

"Ella is a sweet 5 year old dog. She is affectionate and loves attention. Great will kids and adults. She is crate and potty trained. I will be starting a new job and she needs more attention. She also needs more space to run. The adoption fee is negotiable I just want to make sure she goes to the home she deserves. Breaks my heart I can't keep her."

Adoption Fee: $50 Animal

Location: Union County, Marysville, Ohio
(part of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan area)

Contact:
Kelsi Noel 740-506-4790
http://dog.rescueme.org/Ohio



Adopt a Pet

http://www.adoptapet.com/

[headlines]
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News Briefs---


OCC: FinTechs Will Not Replace Banks:  "…have always adapted and evolved"
http://www.dsnews.com/news/03-18-2016/occ-fintechs-will-not-replace-banks

Umpqua Bank Announces Consolidation of 26 Store Locations
"…customers can bank online and on their mobile devices – and convenience is defined not by bank locations"
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160317005294/en/Umpqua-Bank-Announces-Consolidation-26-Store-Locations

PayPal to bring 400 jobs to new N.C. operations center
2015, PayPal processed 4.9B, 23% of them from mobile devices
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2016/03/18/sources-paypal-to-announce-300-jobs-in-new-n.html

Cathedral Leasing Wins CODE2040
 To Expand from Industrial Grade 3D Printing equipment
http://exitevent.com/article/meet-doug-speight-cathedral-leasing-founder-code2040-160317

FirstMerit filings show perks of deal with Huntington
     "Consolidation is hot in banking right now"
http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20160320/NEWS/
160319789/firstmerit-filings-show-perks-of-deal-with-huntington

European Captives Forum Review 2015
http://www.leasingnews.org/PDF/EuropeanCaptivesForum2015.pdf

 

 


[headlines]

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--You May Have Missed It

Smartphones and other technology keep changing how we bank
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/
personalfinance/2016/03/19/smartphones-change-how-we-bank/81552484/


[headlines]
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SparkPeople--Live Healthier and Longer



18 Low-Calorie Snacks That Satisfy
100-Calorie Snacks that will Keep You Full
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp


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SPRING IS HERE

Winter is gone, just look around and see;
The snow is turning into slush,

Joining the singing river going down to the sea,
And over all there is a mysterious hush.
The soft warm winds are whispering,
"The bride in all her finery will soon be here!"
The bride (we call her Spring) — she's frolicking
Over the landscape, without fear.

She laughs at the trees' bare limbs
Till they tremble and call forth their leaves
To make a dress so green and trim,
Then joyfully they sway with the breeze.

The flowers sleeping beneath the ground
Awake and send up their blossoms to hear,
Then coquettishly join with the singing birds all around,
Acclaiming, "Spring is here, Spring is here!"

Bee Samann
“Easy Reading Poems”
Vantage Press, NYC


[headlines]

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Sports Briefs----

Best weekend ever?: 15 wild moments of March Madness
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2016/03/21/ncaa-tournament-first-weekend-best-ever-march-madness-college-basketball/82064206

Manning: I'll always be a Colt
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/manning-ill-always-colt-022600210.html

2016 NFL draft first-round order: Titans own top pick
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2016/01/03/2016-nfl-draft-order-first-round/78243956/

Robert Griffin III visited Cleveland Browns Saturday
http://www.theredzone.org/BlogDescription/tabid/61/EntryId/55501/Robert-Griffin-III-visited-Cleveland-Browns-Saturday/Default.aspx

49ers playing dangerous game with John Elway
http://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2016/03/18/colin-kaepernick-trade-update-49ers-playing-dangerous-game-with-john-elway/

 49ers withheld three months of rent
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_29657396/santa-clara-49ers-withheld-three-months-rent

49ers’ best offseason moves might be a coaching staff with promise
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/5403238-181/grant-cohn-49ers-best-offseason


((Please Click on Bulletin Board to learn more information))
(Leasing News provides this ad “gratis” as a means
to help support the growth of Lease Police)


[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

State Water Project deliveries jump to 45 percent
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article66743107.html

California farms added 30,000 jobs in 2015 despite drought
http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article66693797.html

Coding courses a rarity in California high schools
    despite tech explosion
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/a
rticle67095957.html


(Leasing News provides this ad as a trade for investigative
reporting provided by John Kenny)

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“Gimme that Wine”

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

Millennials Catch Boomers in Wine Consumption
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?
section=news&content=166313

Woman Who Stole 20-Plus Cases of Wine from March 4
     Event Identified as Las Vegas Schoolteacher
http://www.independent.com/news/2016/mar/16/blonde-bandit-strikes-world-pinot-noir/

The ultimate Gold Country wine tour
http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/The-ultimate-Gold-Country-wine-tour-6893556.php


Free Mobile Wine Program
http://leasingnews.org/archives/Feb2010/2_26.htm#mobile

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

US/International Wine Events
http://www.localwineevents.com/

Leasing News Wine & Spirits Page
http://two.leasingnews.org/Recommendations/wnensprts.htm

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

This Day in American History

    1595 – Pocahontas (d. 1617), known as Amonute, and later known as Rebecca Rolfe, daughter of Powhatan, was born Matoaka, near the Tidewater region in Virginia.  She helped to foster good will between the colonists of the Jamestown settlement and her people. Early histories established that Pocahontas befriended Capt. John Smith and the Jamestown colony, but there is considerable suspicion surrounding the story that she saved Smith from execution by her father. Pocahontas often went to the settlement and played games with the boys there.  When the colonists were starving, "every once in four or five days, Pocahontas with her attendants brought him [Smith] so much provision that saved many of their lives that else for all this had starved with hunger.”  Pocahontas converted to Christianity, was baptized with the name Rebecca and married John Rolfe on April 5, 1614. In 1616, she accompanied Rolfe on a trip to his native England, where she was regarded as an overseas "ambassador." Pocahontas's stay in England drew so much attention to the Virginia Company's Jamestown settlement that lotteries were held to help support the colony. Shortly before she was scheduled to return to Jamestown, Pocahontas died at Gravesend, Kent, England, of either smallpox or pneumonia. She was buried in a church in Gravesend in the United Kingdom, but the exact location of her grave is unknown.  According to Atlantic Magazine, the Indians had no immune system to ward off European diseases, including smallpox and pneumonia.
    1713 - Birthday of Francis Lewis (d. 1802), signer of the Declaration of Independence, born at Llandaff, Wales. He was a member of the New York Provincial Congress and was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress. In 1778, he signed the United States Articles of Confederation. From 1779 to 1780, Lewis served as the Chairman of the Continental Board of Admiralty. His house in Whitestone, Queens, was destroyed by the British and his wife kidnapped, dying shortly thereafter, and he died in poverty, having lost everything.  Francis Lewis Boulevard in Queens is named for him.
http://www.francislewis.com/
    1788 - The Great New Orleans Fire destroyed 856 of the 1,100 structures in what is now the French Quarter.   After six years of rebuilding, on December 8, 1794, another 212 buildings were destroyed in the Great New Orleans Fire of 1794. Still a colony of Spain, rebuilding continued in Spanish style, and most French-style architecture had disappeared from the city. 
    1851 - Yosemite Valley was discovered by non-natives in California. The 58 men of the Mariposa Battalion under Major James D. Savage were the first whites to enter Yosemite Valley. Their first view of the valley was from the plateau later named Mount Beatitude. They expelled Chief Tenaya and his band of Ahwahneechee Indians. Dr. Bunnell, a physician in the battalion, named the valley Yosemite to honor the local Indians. He did not realize that the word “yohemeti” meant “some of them are killers” and was an insult against the valley people.
    1865 - Battle of Bentonville ended, last Confederate effort to stop Sherman.  It was the last battle between the armies of Union Gen. Sherman and Confederate Gen. Johnston.  Following his March to the Sea, Sherman turned his army northward through the Carolinas. The Union general-in-chief, Gen. Grant ordered Sherman to bring his troops north to Virginia in order to battle the Army of Northern Virginia. However, Sherman argued that it would take too long to transport his troops there, and that his army could destroy Confederate supply lines to Petersburg and defeat Confederate forces by marching through the Carolinas. On March 8, Union soldiers crossed into North Carolina as Confederate units attempted to concentrate their forces to defeat the enemy during the march.  On February 23, Confederate general-in-chief Lee ordered Johnston to take command of the Army of Tennessee and other Confederate units in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, and to "concentrate all available forces and drive back Sherman.  During the night of March 21 until the following dawn, Johnston withdrew his army across Mill Creek and burned the bridge behind him, leaving behind a cavalry detachment as a rearguard. The Union army failed to detect the Confederate retreat until it was over.  Sherman did not pursue the Confederates, but continued his march to Goldsboro, where he joined the Union forces under Terry and Schofield. Sherman planned to continue onward to Petersburg, Virginia. However, following Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House, Johnston surrendered to Sherman at the Bennett Place, North Carolina on April 26.  During the Battle of Bentonville, the Confederates suffered a total of nearly 2,600 casualties: 239 killed, 1,694 wounded and 673 missing. About half of the casualties were lost in the Army of Tennessee.  The Union army lost 194 killed, 1,112 wounded, and 221 missing, for a total of 1,527 casualties. 
    1869 - Birthday of Florenz Ziegfield (d. 1932), legendary showman, Chicago.  Popularly known as Flo Ziegfeld, he was a Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the “Ziegfeld Follies” (1907–1931), inspired by the “Follies Bergere” of Paris. He also produced the musical “Show Boat.”
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar21.html
    1882 - Birthday of Bascom Lunsford (d. 1973) at Mars Hill, NC.  Folk song writer and folklorist who authored the folk song "Mountain Dew," Lunsford started the first folk music festival in 1928 at Asheville, NC. This event, which led to the formation of the National Clogging and Hoedown Council, is held to this day. He was known as the "father of clogging dance" and the "king of folk music." He recorded some 320 folk songs, tunes and stories for the Library of Congress.
    1910 - American vintner Julio Gallo (d. 1993) was born at Oakland, CA. He is best known for his role in the Ernest and Julio Gallo Winery, of Modesto, CA, which at one time claimed about 26 percent of the US wine industry.
    1913 - Over 360 were killed and 20,000 homes destroyed in the Great Flood in Dayton, OH.
    1916 - Frank James Marshall of New York City met 105 local chess players at the National Press Club, Washington DC. He played them all simultaneously, winning a total of 82 games, lost 8, and drew 15.
    1917 - Loretta Walsh (1896-1925) of Philadelphia, was sworn in as chief yeoman. She became the first American active-duty Navy woman, the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Navy, and the first woman allowed to serve as a woman in any of the US armed forces, as anything other than as a nurse, when she enlisted in the Naval Reserve on March 17. Walsh subsequently became the first woman US Navy petty officer when she was sworn in as Chief Yeoman on March 21, 1917.  Walsh fell victim to influenza in the fall of 1918, later contracting tuberculosis
    1918 - Pianist Sir Charles Thompson was born Springfield, Ohio.
http://www.delmark.com/delmark.450.htm
    1918 – In the Second Battle of Somme, until April 4, nearly 500,000 men lost their lives. General Erich Ludendorff launched the Michael offensive, the biggest German offensive of 1918, with a five-hour artillery barrage. The Central Powers objective was to drive a wedge between the British and French forces and drive the British to the sea. Although they did not accomplish this objective, in the south, they captured Montdidier and advanced to a depth of 40 miles. They managed to create a bulge in the front south of Somme and end what had effectively been a stalemate. The Allies lost nearly 230,000 men and the Germans almost as many.
    1925 – The Tennessee Legislature enacted the Butler Act, prohibiting public school teachers from denying the Biblical account of man’s origin. The law also prevented the teaching of the evolution of man from what it referred to as lower orders of animals in place of the Biblical account.  The law was challenged later that year in the famous scope Monkey trial in Dayton, TN which included a raucous confrontation between prosecution attorney and fundamentalist religious leader, William Jennings Bryan, and noted defense attorney and religious agnostic, Clarence Darrow.
    1928 - President Calvin Coolidge gives the Congressional Medal of Honor to Charles Lindbergh for his first trans-Atlantic flight. 
    1932 - A tornado swarm occurred in the Deep South. Between late afternoon and early the next morning severe thunderstorms spawned 31 tornadoes in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee. The tornadoes killed 334 persons and injured 1784 others. Northern Alabama was hardest hit. Tornadoes in Alabama killed 286 persons and caused five million dollars damage.
    1934 - Babe Didriksen, perhaps the greatest female athlete of all time, pitched one inning of baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics in an exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Babe hit the first batter she faced and walked the next. The third hit into a triple play.
    1935 – The Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi, formally asked the international community to call Persia by its native name, Iran.
    1937 – Tom Flores, who won two Super Bowls as head coach of the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, was born in Del Rey, CA.  Flores and Mike Ditka are the only people in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach and head coach (Super Bowl IV as a player for the Chiefs, Super Bowl XI as an assistant coach of the Raiders, and Super Bowls XV and XVIII as head coach of the Raiders). Flores was also the first Hispanic starting quarterback and the first minority head coach in professional football history to win a Super Bowl.  With George Seifert and Jimmy Johnson, he is the only two-time Super Bowl winning coach not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
    1938 - Eddie Duchin, with Pat Normal vocal, records “Ol’ Man Mose”
    1939 - A song, written by Irving Berlin in 1918 as a tribute by a successful immigrant to his adopted country, was recorded by Kate Smith for Victor Records. Ms. Smith had introduced the song on Armistice Day, November 11, 1938, at the New York World’s Fair. It was a fitting tribute to its composer, who gave all royalties from the very popular and emotional, "God Bless America" to the Boy Scouts. The song became Kate Smith’s second signature after "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain" and the second national anthem of the United States of America.  The song is now played regularly at major sports venues throughout the year.  Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, "God Bless America" is commonly sung during the seventh-inning stretch in certain Major League Baseball games.  Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and Turner Field play "God Bless America" in every game during the seventh-inning stretch.
    1946 - Trombonist Dicky Wells Big Seven records “Drag Nasty”.
http://blackhistory.eb.com/micro/727/45.html
    1946 - One year before Jackie Robinson began playing Major League Baseball, Robinson’s UCLA teammate, Kenny Washington, broke the NFL’s color line. Washington signed a contract to play for the Los Angeles Rams.  After graduation in 1940, George Halas attempted to sign Washington to the Chicago Bears, but was blocked by other NFL owners. Instead, Washington played for the Pacific Coast Professional Football League from 1941 to 1945. Washington was drafted into the Army in 1945, where he took part in freeing Jewish prisoners from Auschwitz.  When the Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles, the team sought to play in the publicly-owned LA Memorial Coliseum, a decision which created immediate pressure that the team be racially integrated, since black taxpayers as well as white had paid for construction of the facility.  As a result, the team signed Washington, followed by former UCLA teammate Woody Strode, also an African-American, on May 7. 
http://www.africana.com/Utilities/Content.html?&../cgi-bin/banner.pl?banner=
Lifestyle%20&../Articles/tt_216.htm

    1952 - Top Hits
“Cry” - Johnnie Ray
“Wheel of Fortune” - Kay Starr
“Anytime” - Eddie Fisher
(“When You Feel like You’re in Love”) “Don’t Just Stand There” - Carl Smith
    1952 - At the Cleveland Arena, influential DJ Alan Freed holds what is today considered the first true "rock and roll concert," as his Moondog Coronation Ball features Billy Ward and the Dominoes, Tiny Grimes, and Paul Williams and the Hucklebuckers. With ten thousand attendees (and twice that many outside, waiting to get in), the local police shut the concert down prematurely for fire code violations, causing a near-riot.
    1953 - Patti Page's "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" hits #1
    1955 - No. 1 Billboard hit: “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,'' Bill Hayes.
    1956 - Rock 'n' Roll pioneer Carl Perkins received four broken ribs and a broken shoulder in a car accident on US 13 in Delaware that also severely injured his brother Jay while the two were on their way the way to appear on “The Perry Como Show” in New York. Perkins would spend several months in the hospital and by the time he is well, Elvis Presley had covered his song, "Blue Suede Shoes".
    1956 - The 28th Academy Awards were celebrated at the RKO Pantages Theater, Los Angeles, California. Hosting the festivities were comedian/actor/singer/producer Jerry Lewis in Hollywood, plus actress Claudette Colbert and writer/producer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz in New York City. "Marty," produced by Harold Hecht, was a big winner: Best Picture; Best Director (Delbert Mann); Best Actor (Ernest Borgnine); and Best Writing/Screenplay (Paddy Chayefsky). Best Actress was Anna Magnani for "The Rose Tattoo;" Best Supporting Actor was Jack Lemmon for "Mister Roberts;" Best Supporting Actress was Jo Van Fleet for "East of Eden;" and Best Music/Song to Sammy Fain (music), Paul Francis Webster (lyrics) for "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" from the movie of the same title. 1955 was a great year for other great movies, too: "Picnic"; "Bad Day at Black Rock"; "The Man with the Golden Arm"; "Rebel Without a Cause"; "Pete Kelly’s Blues"; "The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell"; "The Seven Little Foys"; "Blackboard Jungle"; "To Catch a Thief"; "The Bridges at Toko-Ri."
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0148661.html
    1960 - Top Hits
“The Theme from ‘A Summer Place’ " - Percy Faith
“Wild One” - Bobby Rydell
“Puppy Love” - Paul Anka
“He’ll Have to Go” - Jim Reeves
    1963 – Alcatraz, the world's most secure prison, closes. Only one man ever escaped the island in San Francisco Bay in 30 years -- only to be arrested when reaching the mainland.  The main prison building was built in 1910–12 during its time as an Army military prison. Alcatraz had been the site of a citadel since the 1860s.  Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons. One of the world's most notorious and best known prisons over the years, Alcatraz housed some 1,576 of America's most ruthless criminals including Al Capone; Robert Stroud, “The Birdman;” Machine Gun Kelly, Mickey Cohen, Doc Barker, Whitey Bulger and Alvin Karpis, who served more time at Alcatraz than any other inmate. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts during the 29 years of the prison's existence, the most notable of which were the violent escape attempt of May 1946 known as the "Battle of Alcatraz", and the arguably successful "Escape from Alcatraz" by Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin in June 1962. The three men who took part in the escape attempt were never found and they are officially listed by the FBI as missing and presumed drowned.  The US Marshals Service continues, however, to investigate and considers their missing status to be an open case.  High maintenance costs and a poor reputation forced the closing.
    1964 - Singer Judy Collins made her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City and established herself “in the front rank of American balladeers.” She would first hit the Top 40 in 1968 with "Both Sides Now", a Joni Mitchell song. Her versions of "Amazing Grace" and "Send In the Clowns" also became classics. 
    1964 - The Beatles replaced one Billboard chart topper with another when "She Loves You" took over from "I Want to Hold Your Hand".
    1965 - More than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., began a four-day march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama to demand federal protection of voting rights. There were violent attempts by local police, using fire hoses and dogs, to suppress the march. A march two weeks before, on Mar 7. 1965, was called "Bloody Sunday" because of the use of night sticks, chains and electric cattle prods against the marchers by the police. As a young news editor for KFRC radio in San Francisco, I interviewed live marchers, plus recorded interviews with  sheriff’s spokesmen, who were surprised that a San Francisco radio station would be interested in the event and their comments were quite candid. I had interviewed Dr. King, Jr., several times, but he was at the lead of the demonstration and could not come to the telephone booth on the parade route. The marchers were also not allowed bathroom privileges, food and water were also a problem, and there was no television coverage in those days, plus film camera were held off by the local police. This was the beginning of true equality for Black people in all parts of the United States.
    1967 - HOSKING, CHARLES ERNEST, JR., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Phuoc Long Province, Republic of Vietnam, 21 March 1967. Entered service at: Fort Dix, N.J. Born: 12 May 1924, Ramsey, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. M/Sgt. Hosking (then SFC.), Detachment A-302, Company A, greatly distinguished himself while serving as company advisor in the III Corps Civilian Irregular Defense Group Reaction Battalion during combat operations in Don Luan District. A Viet Cong suspect was apprehended and subsequently identified as a Viet Cong sniper. While M/Sgt. Hosking was preparing the enemy for movement back to the base camp, the prisoner suddenly grabbed a hand grenade from M/Sgt. Hosking's belt, armed the grenade, and started running towards the company command group which consisted of 2 Americans and 2 Vietnamese who were standing a few feet away. Instantly realizing that the enemy intended to kill the other men, M/Sgt. Hosking immediately leaped upon the Viet Cong's back. With utter disregard for his personal safety, he grasped the Viet Cong in a "Bear Hug" forcing the grenade against the enemy soldier's chest. He then wrestled the Viet Cong to the ground and covered the enemy's body with his body until the grenade detonated. The blast instantly killed both M/Sgt. Hosking and the Viet Cong. By absorbing the full force of the exploding grenade with his body and that of the enemy, he saved the other members of his command group from death or serious injury. M/Sgt. Hosking's risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty is in the highest tradition of the U.S. Army and reflects great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
    1968 - Top Hits
(“Sittin’ On”) “The Dock of the Bay” - Otis Redding
“Love is Blue” - Paul Mauriat
“Simon Says” - 1910 Fruitgum Co.
“A World of Our Own” - Sonny James
    1969 - JOHNSTON, DONALD R., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company D, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Place and date: Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 21 March 1969. Entered service at: Columbus, Ga. Born: 19 November 1947, Columbus, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Johnston distinguished himself while serving as a mortar man with Company D, at a fire support base in Tay Ninh Province. Sp4c. Johnston's company was in defensive positions when it came under a devastating rocket and mortar attack. Under cover of the bombardment, enemy sappers broke through the defensive perimeter and began hurling explosive charges into the main defensive bunkers. Sp4c. Johnston and 6 of his comrades had moved from their exposed positions to 1 of the bunkers to continue their fight against the enemy attackers. As they were firing from the bunker, an enemy soldier threw 3 explosive charges into their position. Sensing the danger to his comrades, Sp4c. Johnston, with complete disregard for his safety, hurled himself onto the explosive charges, smothering the detonations with his body and shielding his fellow soldiers from the blast. His heroic action saved the lives of 6 of his comrades. Sp4c. Johnston's concern for his fellow men at the cost of his life were in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1970 - The Beatles established a new record. "Let It Be" entered the "Billboard" chart at number six. This was the highest debuting position ever for a record. "Let It Be" reached number two a week later and made it to the top spot on April 11, overtaking Simon & Garfunkel’s "Bridge over Troubled Water".
    1970 – “ABC" by the Jackson Five is released. The song is the group's second hit and also their second hit to go to #1!
    1972 – The Supreme Court ruled that states can't require 1-year residency to vote.
    1973 - Frank Mahovlich of the Montreal Canadiens scored the 500th goal of his career in a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Mahovlich finished his career with 533 goals and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.
    1975 - No. 1 Billboard hit:  “My Eyes Adored You,'' by Frankie Valli. The song helps revive the careers of both Valli and his former group, the Four Seasons. The group has its fifth No. 1 single, “December 1963 (Oh What a Night)'' - exactly one year after “My Eyes Adored You.''
    1976 - Top Hits
“December 1963” (“Oh, What a Night”) - The Four Seasons
“Dream Weaver” - Gary Wright
“Lonely Night” (“Angel Face”) - Captain & Tennille
“Faster Horses” (“The Cowboy and the Poet”) - Tom T. Hall
    1980 - President Jimmy Carter announces that, in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan started in December 1979, the US will boycott the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. It is the only time that the US has boycotted the Olympics. It does not stop the Russians in Afghanistan and it hurts the Olympics.
    1980 – “Dallas” aired its "A House Divided" episode, which leads to eight months of international speculation regarding ‘who shot JR?’  Ultimately, it was revealed to be J.R.'s scheming sister-in-law and mistress Kristin, played by Mary Crosby.  J.R. did not press charges, as Kristin claimed she was pregnant with his child as a result of their affair. 
    1981 - New wave pop rockers, Blondie, enter the soul LPs chart with "Autoamerican," which peaks at #7 in 25 weeks on the chart. It has climbed to #7 on the pop chart. One song off the album, "Rapture" is one of the first big crossover raps hits. It goes to Number One for two weeks and another tune "The Tide is High" makes to the head of the class as well.
    1984 - No. 1 Billboard hit:  “Jump,'' by Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen writes the music for the song two years before band member David Lee Roth agrees to write the lyrics and record it.
    1984 - Top Hits
“Jump” - Van Halen
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” - Cyndi Lauper
“Somebody’s Watching Me” – Rockwell
“Elizabeth” - The Statler Brothers
    1984 - John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, dedicates a section of New York City's Central Park as a place of meditation called Strawberry Fields. Every December 8, thousands of fans converge on the spot to remember her last husband, who was murdered by a deranged fan on that day in 1980.
    1986 - Debi Thomas becomes the first black woman to win the gold medal in a world skating competition.  Thomas was diagnosed with bipolar disorder by April 2012.  In November, 2015, reports stated that she was living in a bed-bug-infested trailer in the Appalachian Mountains with her fiancé who was struggling with anger and alcohol issues. Thomas stated that she was "broke" and had lost custody of her son when he was 13.
    1988 - Bitterly cold weather prevailed across the northeastern U.S. Portland, ME reported their coldest spring day of record with a morning low of 5 above, and an afternoon high of just 21 degrees. Marquette, MI reported a record low of 15 degrees below zero.
    1989 - Madonna's "Like a Prayer" LP is released.
    1989 – Sports Illustrated first reported allegations that Pete Rose was gambling on baseball games.  Amid reports that he had bet on baseball, Rose was questioned in February, 1989 by outgoing Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and his replacement, Bart Giamatti. Rose denied the allegations and Ueberroth dropped the investigation. However, three days after Giamatti became Commissioner, lawyer John M. Dowd was retained to investigate these charges against Rose. Sports Illustrated gave the public their first detailed report of the allegations that Rose had placed bets on baseball games on March 21, 1989, in the cover story of the issue dated April 3, 1989.  Dowd interviewed many of Rose's associates, including alleged bookies and bet runners. He delivered a summary of his findings to the Commissioner in May. In it, Dowd documented Rose's alleged gambling activities in 1985 and 1986 and compiled a day-by-day account of Rose's alleged betting on baseball games in 1987. The Dowd Report documented his alleged bets on 52 Reds games in 1987, where Rose wagered a minimum of $10,000 a day.  Rose continued to deny all of the accusations against him and refused to appear at a hearing with Giamatti on the matter. He filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court alleging that the Commissioner had prejudged the case and could not provide a fair hearing. A Cincinnati judge issued a temporary restraining order to delay the hearing, but Giamatti fought to have the case moved to Federal Court. The Commissioner prevailed in that effort, after which he and Rose entered settlement negotiations.  On August 24, 1989, Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent place on baseball's ineligible list.  Rose accepted that there was a factual reason for the ban; in return, Major League Baseball agreed to make no formal finding with regard to the gambling allegations. According to baseball's rules, Rose could apply for reinstatement in one year but the Commissioner said, "There is absolutely no deal for reinstatement. That is exactly what we did not agree to in terms of a fixed number of years." Giamatti died of a heart attack on September 1, 1989, eight days after announcing Rose's suspension.  In 2004, after years of public denial, Rose finally admitted to betting on baseball.  On June 22, 2015, ESPN concluded an investigation and determined that Rose bet on baseball while still a player, from 1984 to 1986. The investigation also made public the existence of records of bets made by Rose on baseball, which had been seized by US federal authorities from an associate of Rose.  The issue of Rose's possible reinstatement and election to the Hall of Fame remains a contentious one throughout baseball.  
    1990 - The first full day of spring was a cold one for the eastern U.S. Freezing temperatures damaged 62 percent of the peach crop in upstate South Carolina, and 72 percent of the peach crop in the ridge area of South Carolina. Elkins, WV, which a week earlier reported a record high of 82 degrees, was the cold spot in the nation with a morning low of 16 degrees.
  1992 - Intense snow squalls associated with a stalled cold front and a "norlun" instability trough buried Kennebunkport, Maine under 14 inches of snow in only 4 hours. Goose Rocks Beach reported an amazing two feet in the same time period. Portland, Maine recorded 4 inches of snow in just one hour with a total of 11.4 inches. Nearly 6 inches of snow fell in one hour in the Beverly, Massachusetts area, resulting in a 27 car pile-up on route 128 and the closing down of the route for 1.5 hours.
    1994 - Actress/Comedienne Whoopi Goldberg hosted the 66th Annual Academy Awards show at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The film that was created so the world would never forget the Holocaust -- the inhumanity of mankind to other humans -- received the highest honors this evening. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) awarded "Schindler’s List", nominated in no less than 12 categories, with seven Oscars: beginning with Best Writing/Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Stephen Zaillian); Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Allan Starski, Ewa Braun); Best Cinematography (Janusz Kaminski); Best Film Editing (Michael Kahn); Best Music/Original Score (John Williams); Best Director (Steven Spielberg); and culminating with Best Picture (Producers Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen and Branko Lustig). "Schindler’s List" was not the only film to receive multiple golden statuettes. "Philadelphia" (nominated five times) scored two awards, Best Actor (Tom Hanks) and Best Music/Song, "Streets of Philadelphia" to Bruce Springsteen. "The Piano" (nominated in eight categories) won both Best Actress (Holly Hunter)and Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin), and Best Writing/Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Jane Campion); "Jurassic Park" received the Best Sound award (Gary Summers, Gary Rydstrom, Shawn Murphy, Ron Judkins), the Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing award (Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns), and the Best Effects, Visual Effects award (Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Phil Tippett, Michael Lantieri). Tommy Lee Jones picked up the Best Supporting Actor award for "The Fugitive", a film nominated in seven categories.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0149895.html
    1995 - Top Hits
“Take A Bow” - Madonna 
“Candy Rain” - Soul For Real 
“Creep” - TLC 
“Red Light Special” - TLC
    1999 - The 71st Annual Academy Awards ceremony was hosted comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, who modeled the beautiful, and sometimes bizarre, costumes from the movies nominated in the Best Costume Design category. (And the Oscar went to Sandy Powell for "Shakespeare in Love".) Gwyneth Paltrow, emotionally accepted the Best Actress Oscar for her role in "Shakespeare in Love," the film with 13 nominations and seven wins including the upset win of Best Picture of the 1998 year; Best Supporting Actress (Dame Judi Dench); Best Writing/Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard); Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Martin Childs, Jill Quertier); and Best Music/Original Musical or Comedy Score (Stephen Warbeck). This was the first time in nine years that the film that won Best Picture did not win for Best Director. Steven Spielberg was the winning director for "Saving Private Ryan" (which also won four more of the golden statuettes). Best Supporting Actor Oscar was awarded to James Coburn ("Affliction"), his first Academy Award nomination in over 70 films. It was the longest running Academy Award ceremony to date, including Sophia Loren, who said, “and the Oscar goes to Roberto!” (Best Actor: La Vita è bella - Roberto Benigni). In plain English, "Life is Beautiful". Roberto Benigni was the first actor in a foreign language film to receive an Oscar. Coincidentally, Ms. Loren had been the first actress to be so honored. Benigni had received an Oscar earlier in the evening for Best Foreign Film ("Life is Beautiful") when he pirouetted on top of seat backs, hopping and dancing to the stage.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774113.html
    2000 - Top Hits
“Say My Name” - Destiny’s Child
“Maria Maria” - Santana Featuring The Product G 
“Amazed” - Lonestar 
“Breathe” - Faith Hill
    2004 - George Michael scored his fifth UK #1 album with "Patience".
    2006 - After a six-year legal battle, the three surviving daughters of African musician Solomon Linda are awarded one-quarter of all future royalties from the Tokens' 1961 hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The court ruled that the song, which the Tokens adapted from a Pete Seeger song called "Wimoweh," which was actually Linda's 1939 adaptation of a native folk song. Linda, who died in 1962, had nothing to leave to his family, who were destitute at the time of the ruling.
    2006 – Twitter was founded.
    2011 - The first full face transplant was performed by surgeons at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions:
    1959 - California
    1964 - UCLA
    1970 - UCLA

 


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