Wrong Photograph – Here is Correction
President of National Funding, Joe Gaudio

President of National Funding, Joe Gaudio, added, "Due to better than expected loan origination growth, the timing of this expansion was ahead of our original plan. In addition, the continued support of our banking partners allows National Funding to live its mission of transforming the way small businesses access the capital they need to grow.”

National Funding Announces the Upsize
of Its Bank Credit Facility to $100 Million
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Mar2022/03_18.htm#national

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Current Silicon Valley Gas Prices at the Pump

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New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries

Elizabeth Backes was hired as Vice President of Huntington National Bank, Columbus, Ohio. She is located in River Forest, Illinois. She began her career a Bank of American Leasing, starting 2003, as Vice President EMB, promoted 2011, Vice President, promoted February, 2017, Senior Vice President, Senior Equipment Manager.   Education: Middlebury College (1978 - 1982). Laurel School. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-backes-657b2311/

Andre Clifford, CLFP, was hired as Sales Consultant, Quality Leasing Co., Inc., Carmel, Indiana. He is located in Harleyville, Pennsylvania. Previously, he was VP, Small-Ticket, BankFinancial (March, 2020 - March, 2022).  He joined Bryn Mawr Trust February, 2012 as Document Administrator, promoted August, 2017, Underwriting and Funding Manger. He began his career June, 2015 at Customers Bank, as Deposit Operations Project Assistant, promoted September, 2015, Card Services specialist, promoted August, 2016, ACH Administrator. Certifications: CLFP Foundation, Issued February, 2019.  Education: Penn State University, Bachelor of Science (BS) Economics (2011 - 2015). https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreclifford2/

John Donahue was hired as Executive Vice President/Managing Director, Customers Commercial Finance, LLC, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  Previously, he was Principal, Ducere Advisors (2020 - Present). He is best known for his leadership of Direct Capital, who became a Division of CIT Bank, N.A.  He started as Credit Manager, 1996, promoted 1999, Vice President of Operations, promoted 2008, Senior President, promoted 2016, Managing Director.  Operations Manager, Deutsche Bank Securities (formerly Bankers Trust Company (1990 - 1995). Volunteer: Coach, Portsmouth City Soccer Club (January, 2010 - January, 2018). Board of Advisors, Stay Work Play New Hampshire (February, 2017 - January, 2020). Radio Disc Jockey, WSCA Portsmouth Community Radio (March, 2021 - Present).  Education Providence College, Bachelor's, Finance (1986 - 1990). Christian Brothers Academy (1981 - 1985). https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfdonohue/

Aaron Gehlken was hired as Assistant Vice President, Wintrust Commercial Finance, Irvine, California.  He is located in Costa Mesa, California. Previously, he was Senior Pastor, Central Baptist Church of Orange County (May, 2009 - December, 2021); Regional Account Manager, LaSalle Solutions (2016 - 2019); Vice President of Sales, Nations Equipment Finance (2015 - 2016); Private Equity Regional Manger (2013 - 2015); President and CEO, Factor Security and Continuity, LLC (2006 - 2013); Corporate Security Program Manager, Idaho Power Company Boi (2005 - 2006); Military Intelligence Officer,  USAF (US Air Force) (1993 - 2005). Volunteer: Coach and Umpire, Little League International (January, 2011 - President). Education: University of Maryland Global Campus, PS, Political Science and Government/Middle East Studies, Activities and Societies: US Air Force Academy, Annual Symposium. Graduate with 4.0 GPA.  USAF Intelligence Officer School. Military Intelligence and Analysts. Defence Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Persian-Farsi.  Great Plains School of Divinity. MDIv, Theology. Treasure Valley Bible Institute, BDiv, Theology. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gehlken/

Pamela Hewett was hired as Vice President of National Vendor Accounts Specializing in Packaging and Manufacturing, Balboa Capital, Costa Mesa, Arizona. Previously she was at Packaging Finance, started May, 2015, as President CEO (May, 2014 - March, 2022); CEO/President, Professional Funding company (2004 - May, 2014): CEO, PDH Financial Services (2005 - March, 2012); Vice President, Citigroup (2003 - 2005); Account Manager, American Express Leasing (2002 - 2003); Southeast Regional Account Manager, HPSC (January, 1998 - January, 2002). Volunteer: Founder, Florida Chihuahua Universe and Rescue Share and Chihuahua Universe (January, 2011 - Present). Founder, South Tampa Politics (January, 2011 - Present) Education: University of South Florida, Mass Communications, Marketing (1984 - 1985). Grade: A. Mass Communications Major/Business Minor.  Polk Community College, Associate of Arts, Business Administration and Management, General (1984 - 1986). Grade A.  Southeastern College. https://www.linkedin.com/in/professionalfunding/

Scott Jackson was hired as Senior Vice President, Business Development, SLF Equipment Finance, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Previously he was Senior Vice President, Team Lead Equipment Finance, Hancock Whitney (September, 2019 - March, 2022); Direct Originator of Equipment Financing Solutions, Fifth Third Bank (August, 2016 - September, 2019). He joined GE Capital Corporate Finance, May, 2005, as Senior Vice President, May, 2005; promoted January, 2009, Managing Director, Corporate Finance, Lending; promoted January, 2011, Managing Director, Corporate Finance, Equipment. Previously, he was Corporate and Investment Banker, Bank of America (January, 1988 - September, 2002). Education: Texas Tech University, Master of Science Business Administration, Corporate Finance & Banking (1986 - 1987). University of Houston, Bachelors of Business Administration, General (1982 - 1985).  https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottajacksontexas/

Stephanie Leyba, CLFP, was hired as Documentation Manager, Targeted Lending Co., LLC, Buffalo, New York.  She is located in Long Beach, California.  Previously, she was Funding Manger, Anuva Capital (February, 2020 - February, 2022); Funder, Partners Capital Group (September, 2019 - January, 2020); Administrator/Doc  Specialist/Account Coordinator, Fidelity Capital Partners
(December, 2014 - September, 2019). She joined Balboa Capital September, 2012, Customer Service Representative/Collections, promoted September, 2012, Account Coordinator.  Funding Support Representative, United Auto Credit Corporation (November, 2010 - June, 2012); Barista, Nordstrom (July, 2010 - December, 2010); Associate, Bucks 4 Books (November, 2009 - November, 2010); Hostess, Panama Joe's (November, 2009 - June, 2010); Footwear Associate, Sports Authority (November, 2008 - November, 2009); Sales Intern, LA Galaxy (March, 2008 - November, 2008); Summer Customer Service Intern, American West WorldWide Express (June, 2008 - September, 2008); Student Assistant, CSULB Alumni Association (January, 2007 - December, 2007). Certification:  CLFP Foundation, 2021.  Education: California State University, Long Beach. BA, Communication Studies (2005 - 2010). Activities and Societies: Delta Delta Delta, Learning Alliance. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-leyba/

Janice (McNeil) Schawillie, CLFP, was hired as Operations Specialist 1, TD Equipment Finance, Rochester, New York. Previously, she was Vice President, Middle Market, Bank Financial (March, 2021 - March, 2022); VP Capital Markets, First American Equipment Finance, a City National Bank company (September, 2015 - May, 2019); Vice President, Syndications/Portfolio Manager, First Niagara Bank (September, 2009 - September, 2015); Leasing Officer, Operations Specialist, Documentation Manager, Aircraft Finance Specialist, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (1983 - 2009). Certification: Certified Lease and Finance Professional, CLFP Foundation.  Education: St. John Fisher College (1973 -1977). Activities and Societies: VP of Junior Class.  West Springfield High School (1973 - 1977). Activities: National Honor Society. French National Honor Society. Student Government. Winner of Lion's Club Scholarship.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceschawillie/

Scott Simmons, CPA, was hired as Business Manager, Rental Division, Med One Group, Sandy, Utah.  He is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Previously he was at Marlin Capital Solutions, starting March, 2008, CFO, Marlin Business Bank, promoted January, 2020, President and CEO.  CFO, LCA Bank, Lease Corporation of America (December, 2005 - March, 2008); CFO, Associates Capital Bank. Licenses and Certifications: Chartered Global Management Accountant, AICPA. Issued July, 2012.  Member of AICP, Issued October, 1995.  Certified Public Accountant, Utah. CPA Issued January, 1995, Expires December, 2022. Education: Utah State University, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. Master's Degree, MAcc, Accounting (1993 - 1994).  Utah State University, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Bachelor's Degree, Account (1989 - 1993). Minors in Finance and Business Information Systems. https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-simmons-92905a41/

Eric Sobczak was hired as Commercial Leader, Structure Finance Office Equipment, DLLL, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Previously, he was Vice President, Major Accounts, CIT Group, Inc. (May, 2000 - March, 2022); National Sales Manager, Fidelity Leasing (1997 - 2000); Regional Credit Manager and Collection Manager, GE Capital (1995 - 1997); Credit Manager, De Lage Landen (1992 - 1996). Education: Penn State University, BA, General Arts & Sciences.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-sobczak-01685814/

Jason Maury was hired as Vice President and Partner, Qualifi LLC, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.  He is located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  Previously, he was President, Self-Employed (2020 - March, 2022); Senior Account Executive and Manager, BizLender LLC (2014 - March, 2022). https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-maury-807356b5/

Melissa Scheu was hired was Finance Service Manager, CIT, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Previously, she  was Operations Manager, Financial Partners Group (August, 2020 - November, 2020; Loan Operation Manager, Ascentium Capital (December, 2014 - August, 2020); Funding Manager, Direct Capital Corporation (February, 2014 - November, 2014); Assistant School Director, Empire Beauty Schools (February, 2013 - February, 2014); Bartender, Paddy's American Grille (October, 2010 - February, 2013); Bartender, Wentworth by the Sea Country Club (June, 2005 - January, 2013). https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-scheu-1b05974b/

Steven Schuit was hired as ABL Team Leader, Portfolio Management & Portfolio Originations, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, New York, New York.  He is located in Oceanside, New York. Previously, he was First Vice President, Israel Discount Bank (September, 2018 - March, 2022); Vice President, Senior Underwriter, Webster Business Credit Corp. (October, 20156 - August, 2018); Director of Underwriting, EverBank Commercial Finance (August, 2015 - September, 2016); Vice President, Portfolio Management, Webster Business Credit Corp. (June, 2012 - July, 2015); Director of Underwriting, EverBank Commercial Finance (August, 2015 - September, 2016); Senior Consultant, Management Services Consultants, LLC (2009  - 2012); Vice President, Healthcare Finance Group (2007 - 2009); Vice President, Senior Team Leader, CIT Group, Inc. (2000 - 2007); Assistant Vice President, Congress Financial Corporation (1996 - 2000). Education: Adelphi University, Bachelors of Business Administration, Accounting (1986 - 1989). Activities and Societies: Secretary, Accounting Society (1988 -1989). Recipient: Geico Achievement Award, 1988. https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-schuit-5bb8701

Masaya Togawa was promoted to Head of Syndication Finance and Business Development, Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing, New York, New York. In this role, Togawa will be responsible for oversite and management of the syndication buy and sell business in the United States, as well as for developing new business and products for Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing on a global basis. She joined the firm April, 2002, as Deputy General Manager. https://www.linkedin.com/in/masaya-togawa-267944209/

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Help Wanted Ads

 

Documentation Matters

Sales Makes it Happen by Scott Wheeler, CLFP

Originators in the commercial equipment finance and leasing industry sell a process and are required to know the nuances of how transactions are approved, funded, and collected.

Proper documentation is the backbone of any transaction. End-users are required to sign a legal document for every transaction. As an originator of financing and leasing transactions, when was
the last time you read through a set of documents?

Every word of the documentation was placed in a lease, loan, or equipment finance agreement for a purpose. By comprehending documentation, an originator will better understand the process and know the importance of protecting the interests of the lender or lessor.

One of the greatest learning experiences for any professional in the commercial equipment finance and leasing industry is understanding the process of defending a set of documents in the courts. An originator should have the ability to take the stand and explain to a judge the reasoning behind a certain condition, paragraph, or intent of a particular document.

As a sales manager, I often asked my originators to represent the company in court cases. Originators rarely cared for the task. However, they always learned from the experience, became better originators, and were able to answer vendor's and end-user's questions about the process with clarity.

Proper documentation is a critical part any company's success. To be a successful professional in the commercial equipment finance and leasing industry, originators must have a thorough understanding of the documents that they are requiring their clients to sign on a daily basis.

Scott A. Wheeler, CLFP
Wheeler Business Consulting
1314 Marquis Ct.
Fallston, Maryland 21047
Phone: 410 877 0428
Fax: 410 877 8161
Email: scott@wheelerbusinessconsulting.com
Web: www.wheelerbusinessconsulting.com

Sales Makes it Happen articles:
http://www.leasingnews.org/Legacy/index.htm

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ELFA Reports February Business Down to $7.1 Billion
From $8.1 Billion in January

(Chart: Leasing News)

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index which reports economic activity from 35 companies was $7.1 billion in February from $8.1 billion in January, 2022.

click to make larger
(Chart: ELFA)

ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta said, “New business volume at MLFI 25 companies has grown modestly in 2022, as it typically does in the early months. What is eye-catching, however, is the extremely high credit quality reported by respondents. Geopolitical unrest, increasing interest rates, inflation and continuing supply disruptions all pose headwinds that bear monitoring.  But, equipment finance companies always find ways to stay relevant, resilient and reliable in helping American businesses acquire the assets they need to thrive.”

Kris Foster, President of Equipment Finance, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc., said, “With a quarter of the year nearly complete, we remain cautiously optimistic with steady deal flow and a strong pipeline. Supply chain constraints continue to be a major issue as we see equipment delivery delays for the foreseeable future. Positively, we see these delivery delays coupled with strong demand across most asset classes being a tailwind for future financing opportunities. Competition continues to be very strong with continued pressure on loan yield spreads. Credit quality and credit metrics are at historically strong levels; however, we are closely monitoring current geopolitical events, future Fed rate hikes, growing inflationary pressures on the broader economy, yield curve inversion and record high costs for many asset classes.” 
Receivables over 30 days were 1.7 percent, down from 1.8 percent the previous month and down from 2.1 percent in the same period in 2021. Charge-offs were 0.09 percent, down from 0.17 percent the previous month and down from 0.55 percent in the year-earlier period.

Credit approvals totaled 78.2 percent, down from 78.4 percent in January. Total headcount for equipment finance companies was down 12.2 percent year-over-year, a decrease due to significant downsizing at an MLFI repoting company.

Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) in March is 58.2, a decrease from 61.8 in February.

 

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(Chart: ELFA)

35 Participants from the Survey, as noted by ELFA

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

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

Here is the list from November, 2006
(since Leasing News has been collecting them):
ELFA MLFI-25 Participants
ADP Credit Corporation
Amsouth Leasing Corporation
Bank of America Leasing
Bank of the West
Canon Financial Services
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
CIT
De Lage Landen Financial Services
First American Equipment Finance
GreatAmerica Leasing Corporation
Hitachi Credit America
HP Financial Services
Irwin Financial
John Deere Credit Corporation
Key Equipment Finance
LaSalle National Leasing Corporation
Marlin Leasing Corporation
National City Commercial Corp.
RBS Asset Finance
Siemens Financial Services
US Bancorp Leasing & Financial
US Express Leasing
Verizon Capital Corp/Verizon Credit
Volvo Financial Services
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
(Source: ELFA)

https://leasingnews.org/archives/November%202006/11-06-06.htm#grow

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

 

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43% of Law Departments Expect to Increase
Total Legal Spending by Jerome Doraisamy, Lawyersweekly.com

New findings from Thomson Reuters unveil the “strongest indication” of greater uptick in legal expenditure tracked in the last decade.

Thomson Reuters has released its 2022 State of Corporate Law Departments Report, detailing departmental priorities for the coming year. The report incorporated responses from over 2,000 telephone interviews with senior in-house counsel across the globe.

As corporations’ responses continue to evolve moving forward in 2022, the report reflected, there is “appetite and readiness for even greater transformation” across the board.

“Where 2020 and 2021 saw the emergence of new ways of working rapidly imposed because of the pandemic, 2022 looks to offer the law departments the opportunity to drive positive change for their people and work,” the authors noted.

“The most successful law departments will be those that leverage the momentum of the past two years to actively embrace transformative change, in how they integrate and operate both within their organization and in utilizing outside legal expertise.”

The priorities of law departments for the coming 12 months remain largely unchanged from previous years, the authors noted – 50 per cent are concerned with conducting operations efficiently, 46 per cent want to safeguard the business, 39 per cent want to deliver work more effectively amidst external challenges and 14 per cent want to maintain and develop talent. With but with more legal needs emerging and escalating demand for internal and external legal services, there is elevated anticipation for increased spending.

Increases in legal spending expected

The report found that more than two in five (43 per cent) of corporate law departments globally are expecting their total legal spend to increase in the next 12 months. Just one in five (21 per cent) are anticipating a reduction in total spending.

This is the “strongest indication”, Thomson Reuters deduced, of a significant upturn in legal expenditure that has been tracked by the company in the last decade.

“As spend rises, so will the importance of ensuring that it is deployed in the most efficient and effective ways possible. Measurement, monitoring, and benchmarking will become even more critical tools for those managing legal budgets,” the authors advised.

Thomson Reuters suggested three areas where law departments should look to benchmark spending relative to competitors: spend relative to revenue, future spending, and team size.

“Measuring an organization’s legal spend as a percentage of its revenue enables law departments to monitor movements in legal costs relative to corporate growth. Focusing on legal spend in isolation risks giving the appearance of ever-increasing costs without taking into account the greater volume of work being done,” the authors outlined.

“To be efficient, law departments need to be able to plan ahead and assess the optimal way to resource the anticipated work. That means determining whether it can be handled by the existing in-house team, if additional headcount or different expertise should be hired, the volume of work by type, and whether it is best to outsource the work to external law firms or alternative legal service providers.”

Other findings

The report also found that four in five (82 per cent) of law departments believe that they are as proactive or better on spend management than they used to be.

Alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) and fixed fees now only account for about 20-25 per cent of billings, which marks a slight decline over the past decade.

Elsewhere, almost all (90 per cent) of law departments now use metrics to track their work, but respondents did indicate that metrics can and should be more sophisticated. Spend was identified as the main area for metrics, followed by efficiency and quality.

Ten Tips for Building Your Company's LinkedIn Presence
FinTech #102 by Alex Vasilakos

Part 1
(1 through 5)

For all Leasing and Finance businesses, few marketing channels are as important or effective as social media platforms. Since LinkedIn is where many businesses and professionals go to communicate within their industries, it is an effective tool to help you reach the business customers that you are looking for. LinkedIn's networking focus and tools for thought leadership make it a great site for sharing insights within your B2B industry from your LinkedIn company page.

eMarketer has reported that 72 percent of business professionals in the United States consider LinkedIn to be the best platform for exchanging ideas. An impressive 77 percent of professionals expect to see professional content on the social network when compared to other, similar sites.

Now that you understand how important a LinkedIn page can be for your company and its future success, you may be wondering what you can do to achieve organic page growth on your company LinkedIn profile. The following ten tips can help you easily boost your LinkedIn presence and improve the value of the content you share on your page, even if you only have a little time to spare each week.

1. Post Industry-Relevant Content
When choosing the right type of B2B content to share with your audience, you want to focus on value above all else and avoid getting too promotional. LinkedIn's design allows you to reach audience members that are tailored to your industry. You do not want to risk losing their attention with content that doesn't focus on their interests and needs. Finding news articles and other important updates from within your industry or network allows you to build credibility as a thought leader that keeps readers coming back for more. Useful content also helps to convince them to work with your business, now or in the future. Avoid making your LinkedIn page a clone of your website, which is where most of your promotional content should be housed. As LinkedIn continues to evolve, you should expect even more opportunities to reach your target audience. Don't waste them with stale advertisements.

2. Take Social Signals Seriously
If you want to increase your company website's engagement, consider using LinkedIn's helpful widget. It can be embedded on your company website to allow visitors to follow your company page from the site and see who in their network is currently following your page. All you have to do is type in your company name on the widget, choose one of three display options for your site and use the code generator to install the widget. An interesting, living link to your LinkedIn such as this widget can be a great tool to help you boost website engagement for your company.

3. Give Your Brand a Boost
LinkedIn is a great platform for promoting your brand, but you have to take the right approach. Your brand should be cohesive, meaning it should stay the same across all of your social media profiles and your website. LinkedIn is no exception. In fact, you need to take your LinkedIn branding more seriously than with any other social site. Optimizing your profile to consistently display your brand identity is important, as it is essentially an extension of your company website. Try to engage with a variety of followers - from customers to the media - in order to encourage return traffic on your company page. You can also use your other profiles to promote your LinkedIn page, driving engagement. If you experience rapid change in branding or other shifts at your company, make sure that your LinkedIn profile illustrates this.

4. Create a Plan for Sharing Articles
There are different programs you can use to encourage your employees to share research and articles from your company in a simple, standardized way. Google URL Shortener and ShareLinkGenerator.com are two examples of link shorteners that you can utilize to send articles to employees as they are released. Your employees can click the links that they are sent to automatically share optimized posts to their LinkedIn and Twitter networks. Google URL Shortener also includes an analytics portal where you can track your links and article shares. Screenshots of this data can help you gauge how engaged your employees are with your content. Gamifying your update shares across your company can serve to improve the process for spreading information about your business.

5. Combine LinkedIn Marketing With Email Marketing
Linking to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature is a great way to increase your profile visits that takes very little time or effort on your part. Linking to other social profiles in your signature by using Outlook or other email software can also help you gain new followers and improve other key metrics. A signature link is highly visible to individuals who are likely to be interested in what you have to say before they even go to visit your company profile.

     
Alex Vasilakos
Director of Marketing
The Finance Marketing Group
Alex@financemarketing.com
Office: 518-591-4645x102 / Fax: 518-677-1071
90 State Street, Suite 1500, Albany, NY 12207
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexvasilakos

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

National Funding Announces Strategic Growth
Investment in Finova Capital

SAN DIEGO----National Funding, Inc., one of the largest U.S. specialty finance companies serving small- and medium-sized businesses, announced it has made a strategic growth investment in Finova Capital, a business lender focused on merchant finance and the payments industry. National Funding’s significant investment in Finova comes on the heels of market momentum for both financial services companies. Finova Capital will continue to operate as an independent business unit with its current leadership and platform.

National Funding CEO Dave Gilbert, said, “Our significant investment in Finova Capital supports our vision of providing whatever products it takes to help small businesses to succeed.  Finova’s leaders mirror National Funding’s commitment to modern technology and trusted relationships, and we are pleased to provide access to banking and liquidity opportunities to support its growth.”

Finova CEO Bob Neagle, commented, “The Finova team greatly appreciates Dave Gilbert’s vote of confidence in our business model, business philosophy, and leadership team. The National Funding investment will allow us to focus on continuous product and platform enhancements that we believe will result in significant value for our merchant clients and referral partners.”

Finova Capital’s suite of products complements and expands National Funding’s small business loan and working capital funding offerings. With its combined 50+ years of experience in financing and merchant acquiring and one million merchants served, Finova Capital primarily supports ISOs, processors, and POS equipment manufacturers. In addition, it works with partners to build leasing programs that allow merchants to conserve capital while accessing the latest technology. Finova Capital’s suite of services includes point of sale (POS) equipment financing solutions, working capital loans, term loans, and merchant cash advances.

For more information about National Funding, go to www.nationalfunding.com.

To learn more about Finova Capital, visit www.FinovaCapital.com

About Finova Capital

Finova Capital is a new kind of merchant finance partner. The company is backed by decades of experience and is dedicated to transparency and acquirer growth. Founded in New Jersey by best-in-industry merchant finance experts and powered by retention-focused products and acquirer-enabling technology, Finova is quickly building relationships where acquirers and merchants all win. To learn more, visithttps://www.FinovaCapital.com.

About National Funding, Inc.

Founded in 1999, National Funding is a leading U.S. specialty finance company serving small- and medium-sized businesses. The Company’s foundation serves American small business owners by providing funding solutions to meet their needs to reinvest in their day-to-day operations and help them grow. National Funding has provided more than $4.5 billion in working capital and equipment leasing for more than 80,000 small- to medium-sized businesses nationwide. In addition, National Funding’s digital funding process has elevated its digital capabilities by delivering a fast and simple online application. For more information about National Funding, visit https://www.nationalfunding.com.

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

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

John Donohue, Leader at Direct Capital,
 Now Leads Customers Bank
Commercial Finance’s New Small Ticket Business

 

Portsmouth, New Hampshire  Customers Bank, a digital and FinTech-forward top 100 national bank with nearly $20 billion in assets, announced the institution hired industry veteran John Donohue to serve as Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Customers Commercial Finance’s (CCF) new Small Ticket Business.

(Note: See John Donahue bio in Leasing News New Hires/Promotions above)

Donohue brings more than 30 years of financial expertise in organizational development, executive management and senior leadership. His deep knowledge in FinTech, business and sales development, risk and credit management, operations, human resources and corporate development will be assets to CCF as he leads the build-out and management of the new Small Ticket business platform.

Samuel H. Smith III, Founder and President of Customers Commercial Finance, said, “John’s leadership track record and significant experience in the Small Ticket marketplace will be instrumental as we launch and grow our new product offering,” stated.

Donohue joins CCF from Direct Capital (a division of CIT) after serving 24 years with the financial institution, most recently as managing director and group leader, and previously held senior positions in operations and credit.

CFF is the nationally recognized equipment financing and leasing subsidiary of Customers Bank. CCF delivers the best of both worlds: the responsiveness and deep-domain expertise of a specialty finance company coupled with the stability and low cost of an established and rapidly growing national bank.

Based in Portsmouth, NH, CCF services a nationwide client base, focused on several industry silos including Plastics, Packaging, Transportation, Crane/Construction, Marine, Food Processing, Franchise and Aircraft among others. CCF was recently named to the Monitor 100, showcasing the leading equipment finance and leasing firms in the U.S.

To learn more about Customers Commercial Finance and the other products and services offered by Customers Bank, visit www.customersbank.com.

About Customers Bank

Customers Bank is a full-service bank with $19.6 billion in assets at December 31, 2021, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Customers Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:CUBI). A member of the Federal Reserve System with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Customers Bank is an equal opportunity lender that provides a range of banking and lending services to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, individuals, and families. Services and products are available wherever permitted by law through mobile-first apps, online portals, and a network of offices and branches. Customers Bank provides blockchain-based digital payments via the Customers Bank Instant Token (CBIT TM) which allows clients to make real-time payments in US dollars, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. More at www.customersbank.com. 

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Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy Class Action Lawsuit Filed
   Against Chrysler for Defect Causing Unexplained Explosion
and Fire in Chrysler Pacifica Hybrids

San Diego—Cotchett, Pitre, and McCarthy, LLP has filed a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California on behalf of Plaintiff Scott A. Olsen and other owners of 2017 to 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (“PHEVs”).

The lawsuit alleges that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (“Chrysler”) sold defective minivans that are at risk of exploding or catching fire, resulting in immediate danger to the vehicles’ occupants and the property surrounding the vehicles.

As detailed in the complaint, Chrysler issued a “safety recall report” on February 11, 2022, for the 16,741 PHEV minivans it manufactured between August 12, 2016 (when production started) and August 7, 2018, that were sold in the United States – the “safety recall report” did not physically recall the vehicles. Instead, it stated that “the Company is advising owners of these hybrid vehicles to refrain from recharging them, and to park them away from structures and other vehicles.”

Plaintiff Scott A. Olsen of Chula Vista states: “I purchased a Pacifica in 2018 in order to safely transport my disabled son Steven. Now I basically have a ticking car bomb that Chrysler is not taking back, and which Chrysler tells me not to charge and not to park near other cars and not to park near my home or any other structure. This is a crazy situation. I filed suit because Chrysler needs to take responsibility for the unsafe minivans today – not next week – not a month from now – today. It is a matter of public safety.”

• Niall McCarthy of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, the law firm representing Mr. Olsen, said: “The vehicles have been rendered largely unusable, with no automatic fix. Consumers should not be ones to pay for Chrysler’s mistake.”

• Anne Marie Murphy of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, added: “This is Chrysler’s second time recalling its Pacifica Hybrids—the first recall was a response to another fire-related problem back in 2020; these vehicles can catch fire any second, making them anything but a safe family minivan.”

• Veena Bhatia, also of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, noted that: “The danger these fires pose to consumers is extremely negligent and unacceptable, consumers are essentially left with a ticking time bomb that they can’t park in their driveway and which they are advised can’t be parked next to other cars.”

A copy of the complaint can be found here:
https://www.cpmlegal.com/news-Former-Deputy-Athletics-Director-Stephen-OBrien-Sues-San-Jose-State-University.

 
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy engages exclusively in litigation and trials and has earned a national reputation for its dedication to prosecuting or defending socially just and economic fraud actions. To learn more about the firm, visit www.cpmlegal.com

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

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Special Oscar Column:
by Fernando Croce

As the big day approaches, the question remains: Who will take home Oscar gold this Sunday night? For the benefit of movie-lovers and audiences, we’ve put together this list of predictions for the main categories of American cinema’s top award.

Best Actor Nominees: Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”), Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”), Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick… Boom!”), Will Smith (“King Richard”), Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”).

As has become the standard for Oscars, real-life figures dominate acting nominations. There’s Bardem’s charismatic incarnation of “I Love Lucy” actor Desi Arnaz, Garfield’s energetic embodiment of “Rent” playwright Jonathan Larson, and Smith’s poignant turn as driven coach Richard Williams. Two-time winner Washington is excellent in the reliable Shakespeare slot, though the surest choice may turn out to be Cumberbatch’s implosive portrayal of a conflicted cowboy.

Overlooked: Nicolas Cage (“Pig”), Peter Dinklage (“Cyrano”), Adam Driver (“Annette”), Hidetoshi Nishijima (“Drive My Car”).

Best Actress Nominees: Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”), Penelope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”), Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”), Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”).

Likewise, the Actress field abounds in celebrity impersonation: Chastain as controversial televangelist Tammy Faye, Kidman as pioneering comedienne Lucille Ball, and Stewart as Princess Diana. (Relying less on mimicry than on capturing the character’s essence and presence, Stewart’s is the most intriguing performance.) Colman could pull an upset like last year’s Anthony Hopkins win, and Cruz’s soulful turn would be an unlikely but deserving choice.

Overlooked: Renate Reinsve (“The Worst Person in the World”), Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”), Tilda Swinton (“Memoria”), Tessa Thompson (“Passing”).

Best Supporting Actor Nominees: Ciaran Hinds (“Belfast”), Troy Kotsur (“CODA”), Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”), J.K. Simmons (“Being the Ricardos”), Kodi Smit-Mcphee (“The Power of the Dog”).

Previous winner Simmons’ portrayal of “I Love Lucy” co-star William Frawley was a highlight in “Being the Ricardos,” and Hinds’ nomination as the “Belfast” paterfamilias shows long-overdue appreciation for this fine actor. Being nominated for the first film may split the vote for Smit-McPhee and Plemons, both for “The Power of the Dog.” That might clear the way for Kotsur, whose warm and peppery turn in “CODA” has been picking up plenty of accolades this season.

Overlooked: Bradley Cooper (“Licorice Pizza”), Elkin Diaz (“Memoria”), Mike Faust (“West Side Story”), Brendan Fraser (“No Sudden Move”).

Best Support Actress Nominees: Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”), Ariana Debose (“West Side Story”), Judi Dench (“Belfast”), Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”), Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”).

Veterans and newcomers mingle in this category, with previous winner Dench’s touching work in “Belfast” standing alongside four first-timers. The careers of Ellis, Buckley and DeBose will surely receive a boost from their nods, with DeBose in particular earning much critical love for her “West Side Story” virtuosity. It’s Dunst, however, who seems overdue for Oscar gold, with her performance striking many critics as the most complex and subtle one in “The Power of the Dog.”

Overlooked: Toni Collette (“Nightmare Alley”), Kathryn Hunter (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”), Toko Miura (“Drive My Car”), Fusako Urabe (“Wheel of Fantasy and Fortune”).

Best Director Nominees: Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”), Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”), Ryusuke Hamagachi (“Drive My Car”), Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”), Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”).

An art-house staple finally receiving wider recognition, Hamagachi joins a redoubtable group of veteran nominees. Two-time winner Spielberg deserves another trophy for his bravura direction, and Branagh and Anderson have both earned much critical love for their respective love letters to their youth. Campion seems to be the favorite, however, with “The Power of the Dog” leading many of this year’s critical lists. (Coincidentally, the last time she came to the ceremony, for “The Piano” in 1994, she lost Best Director to Spielberg for “Schindler’s List.”)

Overlooked: Leos Carax (“Annette”), Ridley Scott (“The Last Duel”), Steven Soderbergh (“No Sudden Move”), Denis Villaneuve (“Dune”).

Best Picture Nominees: “Belfast,” “CODA,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Drive My Car,” “Dune,” “King Richard,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Nightmare Alley,” “The Power of the Dog,” “West Side Story.”

From the large-scale spectacle of “Dune” and “West Side Story” to the modest canvases of “CODA” and “Drive My Car,” this year’s crop of nominees encompass cosmic epics, sardonic comedies, unsettling thrillers, exhilarating musicals, coming-of-age stories, touching dramas, and subversive Westerns. Though consensus is far from unanimous on who the winner will be, odds suggest that the night’s favorite will be “The Power of the Dog,” which would certainly further cement Netflix’s presence at the prestigious event.

Overlooked: “Annette,” “Benedetta,” “Cry Macho,” “The Last Duel.”

Terrier/Mix
St. Louis, Missouri  Adopt-a-Dog

Rolex

SRSL-A-1025
Male
Six Years Old
80 lbs.
Location: Pine Street Shelter, Marquis

High Energy
Single dog Home
No Kids
No Cats
$100 Adoption Fee
Every adoption includes neuter, microchip, and up-to-date on vaccines.

For animals in the shelter: After you fill out your application please head on down to our shelter between 10am-6pm, we are open 7 days a week! Our address is 2320 Pine Street, St. Louis MO 63103.

Name's Rolex, and I'm interviewing to be your head of security. I have my own formal wear; classic black and white never goes out of style, and it fits like I grew it myself. I firmly believe that the world is a hectic place full of potential worries, and I'm here to sound the alarm. You will never be safer on a walk than when you're walking with me. I don't miss *anything*.

Now, that said, once I know what's supposed to be happening, I'm a great hang out buddy, and quite an athlete if I do say so myself. Having a set schedule I can count on makes it easier for me to kick back and unwind a little. If you've got a fenced yard where I can play some soccer or practice my hurdles, I'll probably be content with my benefits package for this gig. If that sounds good, we should meet up at my place in the yard and have a chat, kind of feel each other out, see how it goes.

Application Process:
https://www.shelterluv.com/matchme/adopt/SRSL/Dog

STRAY RESCUE OF ST. LOUIS
2320 Pine Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
314.771.6121

Hours:
Open Tuesday - Friday 10AM-7PM
Open Saturday & Sunday 10AM-5PM

[headlines]
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Eberle 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard  - Paso Robles
By Kevan R. Wilkinson, Leasing News Wine Reviewer

This One was Great!

My wife and I first visited Eberle Estate over two decades ago and I recall us buying a case of their cabernet sauvignon. Whenever I see Eberle wines at my local wine store or the supermarket, I usually grab a bottle for nostalgic reasons and because it's always good.

Last week, and bought a bottle of Eberle 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon - Vineyard Selection, and it is one of my favorite wines of 2022. It is a dark, fruit-forward, and medium-bodied cabernet with all of the hallmark characteristics of an eastside Paso Robles cabernet - black cherries, ripe plums, chocolate bar, dried sage, pleasant minerals, cola, and a slight hint of pepper.

In addition, the Eberle 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon - Vineyard Selection has well-balanced oak and produces a long and lingering finish.

I liked this wine so much that I went back to buy six more bottles.

Available for $23 at most wine stores, supermarkets, and online.
Kevan R. Wilkinson | Digital Content Manager | BALBOA CAPITAL | kevanrw@balboacapital.com| www.balboacapital.com

Wine Reviews
https://leasingnews.org/Pages/wine_reviews.html

News Briefs---

High-stakes trial could complicate BMO’s deal
      for Bank of the West
https://www.crypto-press.today/high-stakes-trial-could-complicate-bmos-deal-for-bank-of-the-west/

Subaru of America Facilitates More than 36,000
Shelter Pet Adoptions during Subaru Loves Pets Month
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/subaru-of-america-facilitates-more-than-36-000-shelter-pet-adoptions-during-subaru-loves-pets-month-in-2021--301509022.html

Canadian Pacific rail work stoppage could hit U.S. agriculture
lengthy interruption of fertilizer shipments could hurt U.S. farmers
https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/canadian-pacific-rail-work-stoppage-could-hit-u-s-agriculture/article_0bd61d48-a4ba-5df0-a58b-4da22b650d44.html

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You May Have Missed---

How Europe Got Hooked on Russian Gas
Despite Reagan’s Warnings

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/climate/europe-russia-gas-reagan.html

[headlines]
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Sports Briefs---

Tyreek Hill trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to the
     Miami Dolphins sends shock waves through social media
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33578655/tyreek-hill-trade-kansas-city-chiefs-miami-dolphins-sends-shock-waves-social-media

49ers can win with Lance…and Garoppolo
https://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/49ers-can-win-with-lance-and-garoppolo/

Report: Several NFL teams inquire about Colin Kaepernick
https://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/21897/Report--Several-NFL-teams-inquire-about-Colin-Kaepernick

[headlines]
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California Nuts Briefs---

Inspector General Identifies 41 L.A. Sheriff’s Deputies
    Who Allegedly Belong to Gang-like Groups
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-03-22/sheriff-deputies-executioners-banditos?utm_id=50979&sfmc_id=1646692\

Gavin Newsom plan would give California drivers
up to $800 to deal with high gas prices
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article259703000.html?ac_cid=DM624157&ac_bid=-665588699

Santa Clara County Supervisors Cut Ties With Russia
https://patch.com/california/losgatos/s/i6l2b/santa-clara-county-supervisors-cut-ties-with-russia?utm_source=local-update&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert

Santa Clara County buys land for more affordable housing
https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-could-buy-more-affordable-housing-sites-locations/

[headlines]
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"Gimme that wine"

Best Sonoma Wineries for First-Time Visitors, 2022 Edition
https://www.sonomamag.com/best-sonoma-wineries-for-first-time-visitors-2/

Napa County OK’s new ‘microwinery’ category,
intended to streamline permitting
https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/industrynews/napa-county-oks-new-microwinery-category-intended-to-streamline-permitt/

'Malbec Mon Amour' Dives Deep into
Argentina's Signature Grape
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/malbec-mon-amour-dives-deep-into-argentina-s-signature-grape

“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

      1663 - Charles II of England awarded lands that became the Carolinas in America to eight members of the nobility who assisted in his restoration.
    1664 - Roger Williams was granted a charter to colonize Rhode Island.
    1765 - Britain enacted the Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to provide temporary housing to 10,000 British soldiers in public and private buildings.
    1776 - One week after the British troops under General William Howe evacuated Boston, General George Washington wrote a letter to the Continental Congress. General Washington expressed his "surprize and disappointment" that the British fleet had not departed the harbor and described its various exploits while still in the region.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar24.html
    1788 - In a popular referendum, Rhode Island rejected the new Constitution by a vote of 2,708 to 237. The state later (May 29, 1790) ratified the Constitution and ratified the Bill of Rights June 7, 1790.
    1825 - American colonization of a new state was authorized by a law passed by the new Mexican state of Texas-Coahuila. In 1823, Stephen Austin had been given authorization by law and decree to bring settlers into the region but, in 1824, a new republic was established in Mexico and a new constitution enacted. The new law gave the states conditions for colonization. This was the start of “Texas.”
    1837 - Canada legally recognizes Black suffrage, thus begins one of the Underground Railroads final destination toward freedom.
http://www.duke.edu/~mahealey/black_canada.htm
http://www.dal.ca/~acswww/dalbh.html
http://www.npca.org/walk.html
http://www.germantown.k12.il.us/html/RAILROAD.html
    1852 - The Susquehanna River ice bridge at Havre de Grace, Maryland began to break up after 40 days of use. A total of 1738 loaded freight cars were hauled along the rails laid on the ice.
    1855 - Andrew W. Mellon (d. 1927), American financier, industrialist, government official (Secretary of the Treasury), art and book collector, was born at Pittsburgh, PA.
    1874 - Harry Houdini (d. 1926), Magician and escape artist, born at Budapest, Hungary. Lecturer, athlete, author, expert on history of magic, exposer of fraudulent mediums, and motion picture actor. Was best known for his ability to escape from locked restraints (handcuffs, straitjackets, coffins, boxes and milk cans). Anniversary of his death (Halloween) has been the occasion for meetings of magicians and attempts at communication by mediums.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/vshtml/vshdini.html
    1883 - Long distance telephone service began between Chicago and New York.
    1898 - The first United States automobile was sold. Mining engineer Robert Allison paid $1,000 for a Winton.
    1898 - Dorothy Constance Stratton (d. 2006), born at Brookfield, MO, was instrumental during World War II in organizing the SPARS, the women's branch of the US Coast Guard (authorized Nov 23, 1942). Under Lieutenant Commander Stratton's command, some 10,000 women were trained for supportive noncombatant roles in the Coast Guard. SPARS was dissolved in 1946 after the war had ended. Stratton worked with many women's organizations, including the Girl Scouts, as national executive director in the 1950s.
    1900 - Birthday of trumpet player June Clark (d. 1963), Long Branch, NJ.  Later in the 1940’s, he became manager for boxer Sura Ray Robinson.
    1912 – Women’s and civil rights advocate Dorothy Height (d. 2016), was born in Richmond, VA.  She was an active member of the National Council on Negro Women, serving as its president for 40 years, and was a consultant to several government offices and presidential administrations on education and civil rights.
    1912 - Residents of Kansas City began to dig out from a storm that produced 25 inches of snow in 24 hours. The snowfall total was nearly twice that of any other storm of modern record in Kansas City before or since that time. A record 40 inches of snow fell during the month of March that year, and the total for the winter season of 67 inches was also a record. By late February of that year, Kansas City had received just six inches of snow. Olathe, KS received 37 inches of snow in the snowstorm, establishing a single storm record for the state of Kansas.
    1919 - Lawrence Ferlinghetti (d. 2021), poet, author (“Coney Island of the Mind”), founder of City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, was born Yonkers, NY. Perhaps best known for opening the bookshop, he described City Lights "as a place you could go in, sit down, & read books without being pestered to buy something." The store became a home for the Beat Generation of poets and writers, and Ferlinghetti also turned it into a publishing house. It was the first to publish Allen Ginsberg's poem “Howl.” City Lights published it in 1957 and Ferlinghetti was immediately arrested on obscenity charges. He won the trial and went on to publish the writings of William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, and Paul Bowles. He wrote a pair of novels, two volumes of plays, and over 10 books of poetry. Some say it was the birth of “Beatniks,” a term coin by the late columnist Herb Caen. Located at 261 Columbus Avenue, while formally located in Chinatown, it self-identifies as part of immediately adjacent North Beach.
http://www.charm.net/~brooklyn/People/LawrenceFerlinghetti.html
http://recollectionbooks.com/siml/library/FerlinghettiWhite.htm
http://www.citylights.com/    
    1905 - The temperature at Valley Head, Alabama fell to 18 degrees below zero. This was the coldest temperature ever recorded in Alabama until January 1966.
    1922 - Singer King Pleasure (d. 1982) born Oakdale, Tenn. Best known for his 1953 hit, “Moody's Mood for Love.”
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000000YC6/ref%3Dnosim/
lksmsubsite sub-mu-asin-20/104-0082188-8675910
http://win-ss1.radiomoi.com:8080/rm/info/?showkey=artists&artist_id=17991
    1922 - Birthday of Dave Appell (d. 2014), Philadelphia.  Arranger for big bands: Benny Carter, Earl ‘Fatha´ Hines; TV music director, record producer, singer, songwriter, musician with Dave Appell and the Applejacks.    1930 - The recently discovered ninth planet was given the name Pluto.
    1932 - Birthday of piano player Dave Mackay (d. 2020), Syracuse, NY
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=517498001/
ut=43a1166ef26dea3a
    1934 – President Roosevelt signed a bill granting independence to The Philippines, closing nearly a half century of American jurisdiction. The bill took effect on July 4, 1946.
    1936 - The longest NHL Game. Mud Bruneleau of the Detroit Wings scored at 16:30 of the sixth overtime period to end the longest game in National Hockey League history. The goal gave the Red Wings a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Maroons in a Stanley Cup semifinal game. Detroit won the series, three games to none, and went on to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the finals.
    1941 - Glenn Miller started work on his first film for 20th Century Fox, "Sun Valley Serenade."
    1942 - Birthday of Jesus Maria Alou, former baseball player, born Haina, Dominican Republic.
    1944 - The first Civilian Exclusion Order issued by the Army is issued for the Bainbridge Island area near Seattle. The forty-five families there are given one week to prepare. The island's oldest, continuously operating farm, established in 1928, is owned by 75-year-old Akio Suyematsu, who grows strawberries, pumpkins and Christmas trees. World War II brought one of the saddest chapters of island history: the nation's first forced evacuation of residents of Japanese ancestry, most of them American citizens. On President Roosevelt's authority the army forced some 240 people, including Suyematsu's family, to leave -- mainly for California internment camps. They received a week's notice to dispose of their property. By the end of October, 108 exclusion orders would be issued, and all Japanese Americans in Military Area No. 1 and the California portion of No. 2 were incarcerated.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/neighbors/bainbridge/hist26.html
http://www.historylink.org/output.CFM?file_ID=3111
http://www.janm.org/clasc/chronology.htm
http://www.janet.org/janet_history/niiya_chron.html    
    1945 - Billboard magazine, the music trade publication, began the pop music record chart this day. The No. 1 hit in the pop chart was Nat King Cole's “King Cole Trio.”
    1949 - The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences gave Oscars to a father and son, the only time this has happened. Walter Houston won the Best Supporting Actor Award, and his son, John Huston, won the award for the Best Director, both for “The Treasure of Sierra Madre.” The film also received the award for the Best Screenplay. Coincidentally, this was also the first time a husband and wife won Oscars: Sir Laurence Olivier for his performance in “Hamlet,” beating out Humphrey Bogart, and his wife, Vivien Leigh, who received hers on February 29, 1940, for her performance in “Gone with the Wind.” On March 20, 1952, she received a second Oscar for her part as Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0148405.html
    1949 - Steve Lang (d. 2017), bass guitarist with the Canadian rock group April Wine, was born. Lang joined the band in 1975, replacing Jim Clench. Lang was with April Wine when they shared the stage with the Rolling Stones at the El Mocambo nightclub in Toronto in 1977. April Wine was Canada's leading touring band of the 1970's, but the band failed to have much of an impact in the U.S.
    1954 - Birthday of cello player Hank Roberts, Terre Haute, IN.
http://avalon-management.freeyellow.com/HankBio.html
http://www.scaruffi.com/avant/roberts.html
    1955 - Top Hits
The Ballad of Davy Crockett - Bill Hayes
Sincerely - McGuire Sisters
Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup - Nat ‘King' Cole
In the Jailhouse Now - Webb Pierce
    1955 - On Broadway, Tennessee Williams's Southern drama, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” staged by Elia Kazan, debuted to mixed reviews. It went on to 694 performances.
    1958 - In Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis Presley reported to local draft board 86, where he became US 53310761. Since Elvis was now ‘government property' as he served his time in the Army, Uncle Sam stood to lose approximately $500,000 in taxes each year Private Presley was in the Army. After receiving the standard GI haircut, he was quoted as saying "Hair today, gone tomorrow." Presley had received his draft notice the previous December but was granted a 60- day deferment to complete the movie "King Creole." Some say rock 'n' roll died when Presley entered the service. Certainly, after he was discharged in March 1960, Presley himself was no longer a rock 'n' roll performer. He became primarily a movie star and middle-of-the-road singer, not touring, but performing mostly in Las Vegas, Nevada.
    1959 - The re-formed Drifters' "There Goes My Baby" is released on Atlantic Records. Not only is it the group's first disc with new lead singer Ben E. King replacing the departed Clyde McPhatter but joining the production team are Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller.
    1960 - A United States appeals court ruled the novel, "Lady Chatterley’s Lover," was not obscene and as such, could be sent via the mail. "Lady Chatterley’s Lover," was banned for obscenity in the United States in 1929. In 1930, Senator Bronson Cutting proposed an amendment to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which was being debated, to end the practice of having US Customs censor allegedly-obscene imported books. The ban on "Lady Chatterley’s Lover," among others, was fought and overturned in court.  It was then published by Rosset's Grove Press, with the complete opinion by United States Court of Appeals Judge Frederick van Pelt Bryan, which first established the standard of "redeeming social or literary value" as a defense against obscenity charges. Fred Kaplan of The New York Times stated the overturning of the obscenity laws "set off an explosion of free speech.”
    1962 - Birthday of pianist Renee Rosnes in Saskatchewan, Canada.
http://reneerosnes.com/
http://jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Rosnes
    1963 - Top Hits
Our Day Will Come - Ruby & The Romantics
The End of the World - Skeeter Davis
He's So Fine - The Chiffons
Still - Bill Anderson
    1967 - SINGLETON, WALTER K.,  Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Gio Linh District, Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 24 March 1967. Entered service at: Memphis, Tenn. Born: 7 December 1944, Memphis, Tenn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Singleton's company was conducting combat operations when the lead platoon received intense small arms, automatic weapons, rocket, and mortar fire from a well-entrenched enemy force. As the company fought its way forward, the extremely heavy enemy fire caused numerous friendly casualties. Sensing the need for early treatment of the wounded, Sgt. Singleton quickly moved from his relatively safe position in the rear of the foremost point of the advance and made numerous trips through the enemy killing zone to move the injured men out of the danger area. Noting that a large part of the enemy fire was coming from a hedgerow, he seized a machinegun and assaulted the key enemy location, delivering devastating fire as he advanced. He forced his way through the hedgerow directly into the enemy strong point. Although he was mortally wounded, his fearless attack killed 8 of the enemy and drove the remainder from the hedgerow. Sgt. Singleton's bold actions completely disorganized the enemy defense and saved the lives of many of his comrades. His daring initiative selfless devotion to duty and indomitable fighting spirit reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and his performance upheld the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
    1969 - BRYANT, WILLIAM MAUD, Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Place and date: Long Khanh Province, Republic of Vietnam, 24 March 1969. Entered service at: Detroit, Mich. Born: 16 February 1933, Cochran, Ga. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sfc. Bryant, assigned to Company A, distinguished himself while serving as commanding officer of Civilian Irregular Defense Group Company 321, 2d Battalion, 3d Mobile Strike Force Command, during combat operations. The battalion came under heavy fire and became surrounded by the elements of 3 enemy regiments. Sfc. Bryant displayed extraordinary heroism throughout the succeeding 34 hours of incessant attack as he moved throughout the company position heedless of the intense hostile fire while establishing and improving the defensive perimeter, directing fire during critical phases of the battle, distributing ammunition, assisting the wounded, and providing the leadership and inspirational example of courage to his men. When a helicopter drop of ammunition was made to re-supply the beleaguered force, Sfc. Bryant with complete disregard for his safety ran through the heavy enemy fire to retrieve the scattered ammunition boxes and distributed needed ammunition to his men. During a lull in the intense fighting, Sfc. Bryant led a patrol outside the perimeter to obtain information of the enemy. The patrol came under intense automatic weapons fire and was pinned down. Sfc. Bryant single-handedly repulsed 1 enemy attack on his small force and by his heroic action inspired his men to fight off other assaults. Seeing a wounded enemy soldier some distance from the patrol location, Sfc. Bryant crawled forward alone under heavy fire to retrieve the soldier for intelligence purposes. Finding that the enemy soldier had expired, Sfc. Bryant crawled back to his patrol and led his men back to the company position where he again took command of the defense. As the siege continued, Sfc. Bryant organized and led a patrol in a daring attempt to break through the enemy encirclement. The patrol had advanced some 200 meters by heavy fighting when it was pinned down by the intense automatic weapons fire from heavily fortified bunkers and Sfc. Bryant was severely wounded. Despite his wounds he rallied his men, called for helicopter gunship support, and directed heavy suppressive fire upon the enemy positions. Following the last gunship attack, Sfc. Bryant fearlessly charged an enemy automatic weapons position, overrunning it, and single-handedly destroying its 3 defenders. Inspired by his heroic example, his men renewed their attack on the entrenched enemy. While regrouping his small force for the final assault against the enemy, Sfc. Bryant fell mortally wounded by an enemy rocket. Sfc. Bryant's selfless concern for his comrades, at the cost of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
    1971 - Top Hits
Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
She's a Lady - Tom Jones
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) - The Temptations
I'd Rather Love You - Charley Pride
    1972 - Twelve years after it was first a #2 hit for Paul Anka, "Puppy Love" by Donny Osmond climbs to #3 and goes gold. The tune also inspires lots of wisecracks about Osmond. Anka wrote the song for his former girlfriend, Annette Funicello, who at Walt Disney’s request, terminated the relationship.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/04/09/annette-funicello-paul-anka-puppy-love/2066375/
    1973 - Professional track debuted as Kip Keino beat Jim Ryun in the mile run at the International Track Association meet in Los Angeles, California.
    1973 - The O'Jays followed their Billboard #3 hit, "Back Stabbers" by topping the chart with "Love Train."
    1974 - North Carolina State beat Marquette to win the NCAA basketball championship.
    1976 - Birthday of Peyton Manning, quarterback, born New Orleans, LA.  Considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four seasons with the Denver Broncos.  He is the second son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and older brother of former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, both of whom were also first round draft picks. Manning holds many NFL records, including 5 MVP Awards, 14 Pro Bowl appearances, 14 4,000-yard passing seasons, single-season passing yards (5,477 in 2013), and single-season passing touchdowns (55 in 2013).   He is also tied with Sammy Baugh for the most first-team All-Pro selections for a quarterback (7) and is third in career passing yards (71,940) and passing TDs (539). Having helped lead both the Colts and Broncos to two Super Bowls, winning one with each, Manning became the first starting quarterback to have multiple appearances and win the Super Bowl with more than one franchise. On February 6, 2021, Manning was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection in his first year of eligibility.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton_Manning
    1979 - Top Hits
Tragedy - Bee Gees
What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers
Heaven Knows - Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams
I Just Fall in Love Again - Anne Murray
    1982 - Five congregations in the eastern San Francisco Bay area became the first to declare themselves publicly as sanctuary churches, in an effort to help refugees from Central America establish themselves in the U.S. during political and military unrest in their native countries.
    1985 - The Golden Raspberry Awards, a parody of the Oscar Awards were presented. The movie, "Bolero" took home the top honors, for John and Bo Derek, who won for worst director and worst actress, respectively.
    1986 - The 58th Academy Awards show was held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. It took three hosts (Alan Alda, Jane Fonda and Robin Williams) to handle the MC duties this time. The Best Picture was "Out of Africa" (Sydney Pollack, producer). It also won Best Director (Sydney Pollack); Best Writing/Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Kurt Luedtke); Best Cinematography (David Watkin); Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Stephen B. Grimes, Josie MacAvin); Best Sound (Chris Jenkins, Gary Alexander, Larry Stensvold, Peter Handford); and Best Music/Original Score (John Barry). But "Out of Africa" didn't win everything. Other Oscars went to "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (Best Actor: William Hurt); "The Trip to Bountiful" (Best Actress: Geraldine Page); "Cocoon" (Best Supporting Actor: Don Ameche - his first Oscar) and "Prizzi's Honor" (Best Supporting Actress: Anjelica Huston). The award for Best Music/Song was given to Lionel Richie for "Say You, Say Me" from "White Nights." Other memorable movies in 1985 (some Oscar winners, some not): "The Color Purple" (11 nominations - no Oscars), "Back to the Future", "Ladyhawke", "Rambo: First Blood Part II", "Agnes of God", "Silverado" and "Witness.”
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0149645.html
    1987 - A winter-like storm in the central U.S. produced blizzard conditions from South Dakota to western Kansas. Snowfall totals ranged up to 24 inches at Neligh, NE, with 19 inches at Winner, SD. Winds gusting to 60 mph created twelve-foot snow drifts in Nebraska, stranding thousands on the highways
    1987 - Top Hits
Lean on Me - Club Nouveau
Let's Wait Awhile - Janet Jackson
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship
I'd Still Be Loving You - Restless Heart
    1988 - Thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced severe weather from Minnesota to northeastern Texas. The thunderstorms spawned ten tornadoes, including one which injured five persons near Raymondville, MO
    1989 - The tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground at Prince William Sound, leaking 11 million gallons of oil into one of nature's richest habitats.  The mishap resulted in one of the most devastating environmental disasters in history, killing up to 250,000 seabirds and other wildlife.
    1989 - Low pressure off the coast of Virginia brought heavy rain to the Middle Atlantic Coast States, and heavy snow to the Northern Appalachians. Cape Hatteras, NC was soaked with 5.20 inches of rain in 24 hours, and snowfall totals in Vermont ranged up to 12 inches. Winds gusted to 52 mph at New York City.
    1990 - The storm system which produced heavy snow in the Lower Missouri Valley the previous day, spread heavy snow across parts of the Upper Ohio Valley and the Middle Atlantic Coast Region. Snowfall totals of 2.2 inches at Philadelphia and 2.4 inches at Atlantic City were records for the date. Up to six inches of snow blanketed southern Ohio. In the Middle Atlantic Coast Region, snow coated the blossoms of cherry trees which had bloomed in 80-degree weather the previous week.
    1992 - Democrat Jerry Brown upset front-runner Bill Clinton in the Connecticut presidential primary.
    1992 - As of 2:45 am CST, International Falls, Minnesota had recorded 29.5 inches of snow for the month with snow still falling. This set a new monthly snowfall record for February. The old record was 29.0 inches set back in 1911. A new record was also set for winter season snowfall (Dec-Feb) with 68.5 inches. The old record was 67.9 inches set in 1990-91.
    1992 - A Chicago county circuit judge approved a settlement that meant refunds for thousands of fans of Milli Vanilli. Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, the dred-locked German pop duo, had admitted earlier that they had not sung on their Grammy Award-winning album, “My Girl.” They also confessed to lip-synching during their concerts. The two "singers" moved their lips and bodies in music videos and live concerts, while the recorded voices of unknown singers did the actual vocals. Under the settlement, buyers of Milli Vanilli compact discs would be entitled to $3 refunds, and cassette buyers could collect $2 refunds. It was estimated that the settlement could affect as many as 10 million people.
    1994 - The Crystal Mountain ski resort in Washington State recorded 65 inches of snow in a 24-hour period, the state record for 24-hour snowfall.
    1996 - The first astronaut who was a woman to live in a space station was biochemist Dr. Shannon W. Lucid, 53, of Bethany, OK. This day she transferred from Space Shuttle Atlantis to the Russian space station Mir for a planned five-month stay. It was the first time the shuttle returned to earth with one less person aboard than had been present at the launch. Lucid remained on the station for 188 days, the longest space sojourn by any American and any woman until that time. Her return was delayed more than six weeks by emergency repairs to the booster rockets of the Atlantis and by hurricane. She came home in the Atlantis, which touched down at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, on September 26, 1996. 
http://www.spacefame.org/lucid.html
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/lucid.html
    1997 – At the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) awarded prizes for the best of the movie biz in 1996. Comedian/actor Billy Crystal hosted this 69th awards show. Let's rip into the envelopes and get on with it. Best Picture: "The English Patient" (Saul Zaentz, producer); Best Director: Anthony Minghella for "The English Patient"; Best Actor: Geoffrey Rush for "Shine"; Best Actress: Frances McDormand for "Fargo"; Best Supporting Actor: Cuba Gooding, Jr. for "Jerry Maguire"; Best Supporting Actress: Juliette Binoche for "The English Patient"; Best Music, Song: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Tim Rice (lyrics) for "You Must Love Me" from "Evita". And the Oscar goes to ... "The English Patient", "The English Patient", "The English Patient" ... for a total of 9 Oscars.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0147717.html
    2001 - During an exhibition game against the Giants, Diamondback hurler Randy Johnson's fastball hits and instantly kills a dove flying in front of home plate. The bird appears to explode as the National League Cy Young winning pitch sends it over catcher Rod Barajas' head.
    2002 - Academy Awards. Best Picture: "A Beautiful Mind": Brian Grazer, Ron Howard; Best Actor in a Leading Role: Denzel Washington, "Training Day”; Best Actress in a Leading Role: Halle Berry, "Monster's Ball"; Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jim Broadbrent, "Iris"; Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Jennifer Connelly, "A Beautiful Mind"; Best Director: Ron Howard, "A Beautiful Mind.”
http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000003/2002?ref_=rto_nom_evh_2002
    2002 - After a record fifteen nominations, Randy Newman wins his first Oscar award for Best Song: the Monsters Inc. composition "If I Didn't Have You."
    2019 - 2-time American League MVP Mike Trout signs the biggest contract in North American sports history, a $426.5 million, 12-year extension with the Los Angeles Angels.
    2019 - Investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller finds no evidence that President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election.
   
NCAA Basketball Champions:
    1956 - San Francisco
    1962 - Cincinnati
    1980 - Louisville