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Day in American History

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Headlines---

Classified Ads---Attorneys
    Pictures from the Past---Collier, Greene, Two Williams
        Archives May 19, 2000----UAEL Conference in S.F.
            Leasing Association Conferences---Spring
Cartoon----
    Classified Ads---Help Wanted
        Balboa Capital John Bunce New Dir. Cap. Markets
            News Briefs---
California Nuts Brief----
    "Gimme that Wine"
        Today's Two Top Events in History
            This Day in American History
                Baseball Poem—Robert L. Harrison

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”

World Leasing Yearbook 2005 ISBN:184374 142 3 Pages: 524 Edition: 26th Directory Contacts: 4,400 Companies Price: $250.00 The only annually-updated international reference book for the asset financing and leasing industry available. The new 26th edition includes the latest market trends, over 100 authoritative articles and reports on the leasing software and IT market, an exclusive ranking of the top 50 leasing markets by size worldwide with feature profiles from Africa to Venezuela PLUS a directory of over 4,400 companies. To order call +44 (0) 20 7779 8999 or toll free in the US +1 800 437 9997 to receive your 10% discount. You can also order on line at http://www.euromoney-yearbooks.com

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Pictures from the Past—May 19, 2000—Collier, Greene, Two Williams

“Tallest person, Ken Greene, Esq-Ken Green and Associations, 2000 United Association of Equipment Leasing (UAEL) Spring Conference Chairman---In front of him, left to right: Alan Collier, TotalFunding.com, Trish Williams and UAEL Executive Vice-President Dr. Ray Williams.”

United Association of Equipment Leasing Newsline

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Archives May 19, 2000----UAEL Conference in San Francisco

254 attended the United Association of Equipment Leasing Conference held this last weekend in San Francisco, hosted by Ken Greene, Esq., Conference Chair, along with UAEL President Bob Rodi, CLP, and Dr. Ray Williams, Executive Vice-President.

The goal was 250, and Dr. Williams says this is the second highest attendance of a Spring Conference when it is not a joint-conference, as many have been in the past. I did not hear a disparaging word; nothing but compliments. It was like old friends getting together and enjoying seeing each other in good health, surviving, laughing, and maybe even having a good time.

As past president of UAEL, vice-president at Textron Financial Service, Jim Merrilees, CLP, wrote in the " 'Spring Conference Edition': Without sharing our collective experiences, where would we be? How would we share if UAEL were not there? Are we really so independent as our industry and popularized cultural gurus subscribe? One more. No matter how successful or confident we become, don't you think there will be a time we just might need a reliable resource? In your personal life you may go to a friend, family member or church. In your business life, our old friend is UAEL."

The San Francisco conference chaired by Ken Greene, Esq., was a success because many first timers and "veterans" got together. It was not only a renewal of friendship, but a sharing of knowledge from all the sectors of the industry: brokers, lessors, captive lessors, fundors, Internet leasing, and service, including attorneys.

While I mean no disrespect to the key note speakers or workshop panel participants panels (I sat on four separate panels), I thought the most meaningful talk came from Oren Hall, former president, leasing leader with IFG, Heritage and First Sierra, retired almost a year-and-a-half.

He did a workshop conference wrap-up at 4:15pm, Saturday, "From the Outside Looking In." Oren Hall hasn't lost it, believe me... While a small attendance due to the last of the day, perhaps many playing golf, or seeing the sights of San Francisco, he still has a pulse on the industry he has been a part of since 1967.

Hall believes there are "great opportunities, but you have to make some corporate thinking changes, look at the leasing industry different, and do more than just 'value added' relationship selling." "I am on the outside looking in and I see a lot of fear," he began. "First thing you need to do, which you should have learned from this conference---You need to start managing change."

He also was concerned with the number of consolidations and companies getting out of the leasing business.

"Fundors are not getting their return,” he stated. "This alone will create more change and perhaps you may view this as chaos in the fall of this year. You must recognize and manage change."

Hall mentioned one of the speakers at the conference who likened leasing to golf, where you "play it where it lies," and you take the "gimmes."

"Don't be afraid of the water trap or getting in the rough", he continued. "There are great deals of opportunities. Look at the opportunities and play your ball the best you can no matter where it lands." Hall predicted prime rate would go up twice this year (I think he said a half point each time). He was not happy that home prices, employee prices, gasoline, the cost of doing business was so high for a year and adjustments were not done. He sees the fall of this year "industry shakeout" and "portfolio problems." He sees more consolidations, more leasing companies failing, and brokers having less access to better rates.

"If you can't get your yield, something has to give", he said. "Where is this going to happen? It is going to happen with commissions, first."

Hall believes there will be more "Program Sales" versus "Transactional Sales." The definition of "Program Sales" would be an "account executive" who takes the vendor account to the funding source and does not get paid per transaction. In fact, he is not involved in each transaction. He gave numerous examples of this, stating this is a salaried person, perhaps with a yield or "volume bonus." Many vendors, and perhaps even fundors, will put "operating personnel" into special program vendor sales.

The "Transactional Sale" is where the sales person gets a commission on each transaction, often handles each sale, handles each application by itself, and is very much a "personal relationship." He predicts "niche sales" will continue to increase, but with fewer players. The "relationship sale" will continue, but it will be different for those who cannot manage change.

Many of the leasing services displaying at the conference were aware of the "consolidation" and changes in the industry. Randy Haug, CPL, Vice-President of LeaseTeam said it has been very good for his company.

"In the last six months, we have added 50 new users", he said. "We now have a total of 270 users as the industry is propelling the survivors into understanding and controlling their business at top speed."

A highly attended panel workshop that I had the pleasure to be the moderator (available on video tape as many of the workshops were professionally taped) found little to fear from the Internet. The consensus of the internet leasing experts such as alphabetically David Collier, TotalFunding, John Kruse, CapitalStream (formerly System 1), Aaron Ross, LeaseExchange, the internet "will not" kill the small ticket "application only" business. While the very highly respected educator of the leasing industry Sudhir Amembal held a different opinion at the NAELB Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, the overwhelming consensus was that the internet tool would be utilized by brokers and funders alike, with more defining of "niche" markets and all parties becoming more "internet" savvy. The entire conference called "Lease Trek, the Next Frontier" echoed this theme (" Beam me, up! Scotty!").

Funders such as Bob Fisher of Fisher-Anderson spoke about how Capital Stream was enabling his company to speed communications with both brokers and funders. Alan Collier spoke about how brokers would be paid fees to funnel business on the Internet. Aaron Ross of LeaseExchange participated in two panel workshops, talking about how the World Wide Web financial investors saw the leasing industry, and in the second stated the Venture Market had changed and if the leasing companies on line did not have their money raised from the VC Market, it was too late.

There were several Internet leasing companies in the audience, such as AccessLease, Cyberlease, (AJ Batt says he received $12 to $15 million a month via the internet, but only 35% qualify and less than this fund, something that he is trying to get a handle on).

Past President George Davis, CLP spoke at "Quasi-Vendor," about how he "partnered" with vendors formally creating separate corporations and delivered captive business for both vendor and broker benefit. By the way, this is on videotape, and worth the price to hear George "let his hair down" and tell you the secrets he has learned and found very successful.

There were several panels regarding pricing, risk rewards, and unfortunately I was unable to attend them as I was participating in other panels, or choose another workshop (I could not plan very well what I would be able to attend). One on "Pricing Dynamics" the moderator Bob Rodi said would be repeated in Orlando, Florida, at the September UAEL Fall Conference. Participants included Randy Ernst, Textron Financial, Curt Lysne, GE Capital/Colonial Pacific, and Troy Molitor, The Manifest Group. The pricing and viewpoint of fundors was fascinating as late charges are considered profit (“We like lessees who pay within 11 to 29 days.”)

"The Wired World" moderated by Rochelle Batt was with Aaron Ross of LeaseExchange. and myself. Aaron went over current and future aspects of the new internet leasing companies approach to the marketplace. Basically I spoke about the same theme I gave at the NAELB Conference: the importance of educating yourself, your employees, where to get this for free, other advice; increase the speed of your computer, why, how, where to go, plus internet connections, where, how ( I do recommend you visit: http://www.americanleasing.com/recommendations/internet.html ).

There were many keynote speakers, such as Dr. James Canton, whose book "Technofutures" was given to all participates compliments of Fisher-Anderson; Professor Haim Mendelson from Stanford University; Mark Oman, and Rich Masterson, former lessor, broker, master of the internet, co-founder of US Interactive, and now a major investor in the industry from his financial success and strategic internet consultant to many blue chip clients. Their remarks and speeches would fill up several books. You should have been there.

Membership Chairs Rudy Trebels, CLP and Theresa Kabot, CLP, bestowed the 1999 membership contest award to past president Jim Lahti, CLP, for bringing in twelve new members. Runner up with ten new members was Bob Baker, CLP, with ten new members, and past president George J. Davis, II, CLP for eight new members.

The Fisher-Memorial Award, in honor of the late Jim Fisher, was presented to Alan Jenson, CLP, 1999 Arizona Regional Chair.

Chris Canavati, CLP, Education Committee Chair, and Jim McCommon, CLP, the Board Liaison noted that less than five years ago there were less than 50 CLP's across the nation. Today there are over 200 Certified Lease Professionals. At the conference, eight new CLP's were honored, plus received their Plaques:
J. Craig Bradfield, CLP - BB&T Leasing Corporation
Jill Brothers, CLP - Financial Pacific, Co.
Irv Ellis, CLP - LeaseCor, Inc.
Renee Fox, CLP - Alliance Funding Inc.
Brent M. Hall, CLP - Pinnacle Capital, LLC
Tino Hernandez, CLP - Fisher-Anderson, LC
Robert Al Herndon, CLP - Equipment Leasing Specialists, Inc.
Tim Hill, CLP - Leasource Financial Services
Kristina A. Jupka, CLP - FMC Leasing Corp.
John Kirby, CLP - BB&T Leasing Corporation
Tom Persia, CLP - Worcester Financial Group, Inc.
Ronald Schutz, CLP - Source Capital Leasing Co.
Tony J. Sedlacek, CLP - Financial Pacific Leasing
Pauniece Shuck, CLP - Ivanjack, Lamberth & Aranoff
Steve Tidland, CLP - Golden West Financial Services
Carl Villella, CLP - Onyx Capital Corporation
Scott Wheeler, CLP - Priority Funding Corporation
Steve Whitney, CLP - Fisher-Anderson, LC

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Leasing Association Conferences—Spring

National Vehicle Leasing Association

Annual Conference & Exposition

May 18th - 21st, 2005
Orlando, Florida

Regional meetings are generally open to non-members.

Conferences are open to all.

Details:
http://www.nvla.org/docs/ace2005.pdf

Reservation:
http://www.nvla.org/docs/sponsorshipreservation05.pdf

Current Registrants:
http://www.nvla.org/content.php?PageID=21&NavID=17

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Classified Ads----Help Wanted

Equipment Leasing Marketing Specialist

Sales / Sales Representative

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

Balboa Capital Names John Bunce New Director of Capital Markets

(Irvine, CA) Balboa Capital announces that John Bunce has joined the company as the Director of Capital Markets. John will be responsible for identifying new broker opportunities, managing existing relationships, and assisting with new product development.

Mr. Bunce has an extensive background in leasing with over 10 years of Account Management experience. He comes to Balboa from Key Equipment Finance where he was Regional Sales Manager, Northwest.

His leasing career began as a Program Manager with CIT where he developed small ticket vendor relationships. He then moved to GE Capital / Colonial Pacific Leasing to manage key broker relationships before being promoted to Sales Manager of the Commercial / Middle Market group.

About Balboa Capital

Balboa Capital provides equipment leasing and financing to small and mid-sized business in the United States. The company markets its products through its direct sales force, vendor channel, and broker partnerships. The company offers leases in the range of $ 5,000 to $ 5,000,000. Balboa Capital is privately held and based in Irvine, CA. For more information, please see www.balboacapital.com .

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News Briefs---

NBA, Players Reach Impasse

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2005/05/18/AR2005051801715.html

Vonzell Solomon Exits 'American Idol'

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/TV/TV_Idol.html

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California Nuts Briefs----

Schwarzenegger formally bars tribal casinos in urban areas

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/
2005/05/18/state/n195302D32.DTL

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“Gimme that Wine”

24 States to Revise Wine Shipping Laws

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3352996

While the Supreme Court ordered that states had to have equal laws regarding the shipping of wine in and out of state, the changes evidently are yet to be “officially” made. It does appear wine can be shipped now to New York and Michigan. Here is a popular site with their shipping information:

http://www.klwines.com/state_legality.asp

http://wine.com/customercare/ShippingReturns.asp#states

Current Information:
http://www.wineinstitute.org/

Wine and Grape Industry's Top Research Priorities Receive Funding
http://www.winebusiness.com/news/DailyNewsArticle.cfm?dataid=37882

Carneros winemakers speak up on ripeness issues
http://www.sthelenastar.com/templates/index.cfm?template=
story_full&id=94AAEF39-46BC-4E83-B805-AEFD0BC62211

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Today's Two Top Event in History

    1790-The famous "dark day" of New England lore occurred. Heavy smoke from forest fires west of New England dimmed the sunlight, so that the noon sky was nearly as dark as night. Chickens went to roost and many persons were fearful of divine wrath. Candles were lit and many fearful persons believed that doomsday had arrived. At New Haven, CT, Colonel Abraham Davenport opposed adjournment of the town council in these words: “I am against adjournment. The day of judgment is either approaching or it is not. IF it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought.”
    1960 – Disc jockey Alan Freed was charged with accepting payola - money for playing records. Freed, the deejay who did the most to spread rock 'n' roll, who is alleged to have also coined the description of this music, was a broken man by the time he came to trial in December 1962. He pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and received a suspended sentence and a $300 fine. Freed, facing new charges of tax evasion, died in January 1965 at the age of 42.

This Day in American History

    1643-The United Colonies of England was formed. Development of the coastal towns of Boston, Salem, Dorchester, and Charleston in Massachusetts Bay Colony along dwarfed the Plymouth settlement. There were an estimated 20,000 inhabitants in the London Company's Bay Colony alone. The chance to be “free” of government control, escape religious persecution, the chance to own your own land, the adventure and opportunities began to bring thousands to what was called in those days, “The New World.”
    1749--- George II grants charter to Ohio Company to settle Ohio Valley
(see second part: http://www.answers.com/topic/ohio-company )
    1790-The famous "dark day" of New England lore occurred. Heavy smoke from forest fires west of New England dimmed the sunlight, so that the noon sky was nearly as dark as night. Chickens went to roost and many persons were fearful of divine wrath. Candles were lit and many fearful persons believed that doomsday had arrived. At New Haven, CT, Colonel Abraham Davenport opposed adjournment of the town council in these words: “I am against adjournment. The day of judgment is either approaching or it is not. IF it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought.”
    1848- Milly Francis (B. 1802?) Creek Indian woman voted a U.S. congressional medal and a pension of $96 - neither of which she received because she had died of chronic starvation and tuberculosis. The award was made 31 years after she saved a white soldier's life. The American Indian wars changed her life from a prosperous farmer's daughter in Alabama to a half-starved refugee in Florida and then a victim of the Trail of Tears when Native Americans from Florida were moved under the most deplorable conditions to Oklahoma.
    1858 -- Charles Hamilton, leader of a paramilitary proslavery band from Georgia, shoots 11 prisoners he had captured during a raid in Kansas.
    1862-The Homestead Act was enacted by Congress, “an act to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain,” passed by both houses of Congress on May 19, 1862 and approved on May 20, 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. Under this law, any man or woman of 21 years of public land by living on it for five years, making certain improvements, and paying fees of approximately $18. The first homestead granted under the act was taken by Daniel freeman, a Union soldier, on January 1, 1863, near Beatrice, NE.
    1863--- Siege of Vicksburg, investment of city complete. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's armies converged on Vicksburg, entrapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations. This was the culmination of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. With the loss of Pemberton's army and this vital stronghold on the Mississippi, the Confederacy was effectively split in half. Grant's successes in the West boosted his reputation, leading ultimately to his appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union armies. Pemberton blamed Jefferson Davis and other generals for not sending reinforcements or back-ups or even supplies, but the real truth was not poor judgment, but there were no supplies or reinforcements and various states were having difficulty sending troops elsewhere as they were both short ammunition, food, and soldiers. Many were not uniformed, and in several Southern states the troops were farmers or woodsman with their own rifle and only one pair of shoes that they did not wear all the time to make them last longer. It was Grant's decision to further cut off supplies as he learned the Southern cities could not withstand the siege approach, plus he could cut them off from shipping supplies that they had received from Europe or their own local lands and manufacturing facilities.
    1864 –One of the fiercest battles of the Civil War that engaged both General Grant and General Lee against each other occurred in series of battles known as Spotsylvania Campaign. On May 19, a Confederate attempt to turn the Union right flank at Harris Farm was beaten back with severe casualties. Union generals Sedgwick (VI Corps commander) and Rice were killed. Confederate generals Johnson and Steuart were captured, Daniel and Perrin mortally wounded. The Union troops were strong with 100,000 compared to the 52,000 Confederates. In the war, 18,000 Union troops would be killed to 12,000 Confederates, and while General Grant withdrew, the series of battles were considered “inconclusive as General Grant continued his offense.” The facts are the South was losing men and supplies in these battles, many wounded, and the North was well supplied with reinforcements, many immigrants anxious for the pay, food, and acceptance to their new land.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va048.htm
    1866-- "When You and I Were Young, Maggie," which became one of the most popular ballads in North America, was published in Indianapolis, Indiana by James A. Butterfield. The song was based on a poem written by G.W. Johnson in Hamilton, Ontario about 1864 as a tribute to his wife. Johnson was a schoolteacher who later taught at the University of Toronto. The most popular recorded version of the song was made in 1905 by Frank Stanley and Corrine Morgan for the Victor label.
    1891-- Rice Institute, which became Rice University, is chartered
    1892 --Charles Brady King invents pneumatic hammer, founder of the King Motor Company; his car driven on Detroit's streets four months before Ford
http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/kingmotorcar/king.html
http://www.detroithistorical.org/collections/vewebsite/
exhibit1/e10018a.htm
    1892-Birthday of bassist Pops Foster born McCall, La.
    1898--The first postcard privately printed and mailed was authorized. The regulation allowed the use of private mailing cards of the same form, quality, and weight as postal cards printed by the government. It cost one cent to mail a postcard, which became a very popular means of communication, especially as a souvenir of where you had traveled..
    1915-Connecticut passed a law, making the first licensed dental hygienists. The first examination for dental hygienists was given by the State Board in June, 1918, since no hygienist applied for a license prior to that date.
    1919-Birthday of the great tenor saxophone player Georgie Auld, born Toronto Canada. Played with Berigan, Shaw, Goodman, and lead his own band, too.
Died January 8, 1990 Palm Springs, CA
http://www.swingmusic.net/Auld_Georgie.html
http://www.317x.com/albums/a/georgieauld/card.html
http://www.parabrisas.com/d_auldg.html
    1921—The first Immigration quota was enacted by Congress, which limited immigration to 3 percent of the number of foreign-born persons of any given nationality in the United Sates as shown in the 1910 census. Not more than 20 percent of any country's quota was permitted to arrive in one month, in addition to this national law.
    1930-Lorraine Hansberry birthday, the first black playwright to have a play on Broadway. Her parents had fought against restricted housing in Chicago and won a Supreme Court victory ( Hansberry v. Lee - 1940; the NAACP's most celebrated housing suit) but they moved to Mexico before the judgment.
The family had integrated a white neighborhood and while the father went to Washington (and incidentally out of harm's way), her mother kept the family in the Chicago home that was attacked by angry whites. She studied painting in Chicago and Mexico before moving to New York City in 1950. She participated in, and wrote for a number of progressive movements. In 1959, the landmark A Raisin in the Sun - produced, directed, and performed by blacks - became the first Broadway play ever mounted by a black woman on Broadway.  She tragically died of cancer at age 34. Her mother worked as a hairdresser, cashier, and schoolteacher. Her husband wrote a book and a play based on her unpublished writings and drawings. It is entitled To Be Young, Gifted, and Black .
    1925-Birthday of Malcolm Little, black nationalist and civil rights activist, born Malcolm Little at Omaha, NE; better known as Malcolm X. While serving a prison term he resolved to transform his life. On his release in 1952, he changed his name to Malcolm X and worked for the Nation of Islam, until he was suspended by Black Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad, Dec. 4, 1963. Malcolm X later made the pilgrimage to Mecca and became an orthodox Muslim. He was assassinated as he spoke to a meeting at the Audubon Ballroom at New York, NY, Feb 21, 1965. As a young newsman, I interviewed Malcolm X on several occasions, twice "one-to-one." He reminded me very much of John F. Kennedy, except he could scare you. When Malcolm X came into the room, you knew he was there. As part of the press corps, you would wait and you knew when he entered the room as his "presence" was that strong.
http://www.who2.com/malcolmx.html (autobiography is excellent reading)
http://www.cmgww.com/historic/malcolm/
    1928-The first Frog-Jumping jubilee was held at Angles Camp, Calaveras County, CA. in commemoration of Mark Twain's famous story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Fifty-one frogs were entered in the contest. “The Prize of San Joaquin,” a frog owned by Louis R. Fisher of Stockton, CA, was the winner with a jump of 3 feet, 4 inches.
    1933 --For the first time in major league history, brothers on opposite teams homer in the same game. Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell takes his brother Wes deep, but the Indians' rightly returns the favor as he homers in the third on a pitch called by his sibling.
    1936- Margaret Mitchell's epic novel of the Civil War South was published on this date. It would be awarded the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award as best novel of 1936. It has been a bestseller since publication, and 40 countries have published translations.
    1939-Birthday of Astronaut Francis Scobee. He was the commander of the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger. The 46-year old pilot Francis R. Scobee had been in the astronaut program since 1978 and had been pilot of the Challenger in 1984. Born at Cle Elum, WA, Scobee perished with all other on board when the Challenger explored on Jan 28, 1986.
    1942-Mrs. W. Driver became the first golfer of either sex to get two holes-in-one in the same round. She aced the third hole and the eight hole at Balgowlah Golf Club, Australia.
    1943- Canadian composer and synthesizer musician John Mills-Cockell was born in Toronto. He was one of the first musicians in Canada to use the Arp and Moog synthesizers in concert. Mills-Cockell performed from 1969 to 1972 with the Toronto rock bands Kensington Market and Syrinx, and with the Vancouver group Hydro-Electric Streetcar. After 1972, he concentrated on composing and recording, making only occasional live appearances.
    1945-Birthday of musician Pete Townshend, “The Who,” London, England.
The Who were one of the most widely respected rock groups of the 1960's and '70s, apparently winding up their career with a farewell tour in 1982. But there were to be a couple of reunions, including a world tour in 1989. Formed in 1963, they had only one personnel change in their entire career. Kenny Jones replaced original drummer Keith Moon, who died of a sedative overdose in 1978. The other two members of the Who were vocalist Roger Daltry and guitarist John Entwistle. Pete Townshend was the group's main songwriter, responsible for such early hits as "My Generation" and "I Can See For Miles." The Who later expanded their songs into the rock operas "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia."
    1948-Birthday of saxophonist and bandleader Tom Scott.
    1952- disco singer Grace Jones was born in Spanishtown, Jamaica. At first mainly a cult artist popular in homosexual dance clubs, she gained wider popularity beginning with her 1980 album "Warm Leatherette."
http://www.imdb.com/Bio?Jones,%20Grace
http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=grace_jones
http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/GraceJones.html
    1952- Joey Ramone, leader of the punk rock group the Ramones, was born in New York City. The Ramones had a great influence on the punk movement, beginning with their 1976 album, "Ramones." It contained such songs as "Beat on the Brat" and "Now I Want to Sniff Some Glue."
    1955 - Lake Mayola, Minnesota received 11.28 inches of rain over a 24 hour period, to establish the state record for 24 hour rainfall.
    1955---Top Hits
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
Unchained Melody - Les Baxter
A Blossom Fell - Nat King Cole
In the Jailhouse Now - Webb Pierce
    1958 - Bobby Darin's single, "Splish Splash", was released as the first eight-track master recording pressed to a plastic 45 RPM disc at Atlantic Records. Darin is said to have written the song in 12 minutes.
    1958 - The United States and Canada formally established the North American Air Defense Command.
    1960 – Disc jockey Alan Freed was charged with accepting payola - money for playing records. Freed, the deejay who did the most to spread rock 'n' roll, who is alleged to have also coined the description of this music, was a broken man by the time he came to trial in December 1962. He pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and received a suspended sentence and a $300 fine. Freed, facing new charges of tax evasion, died in January 1965 at the age of 42.
    1962 - Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals got his 3,431st hit, setting a new National League record.
    1962 - An all-time May record was set when the temperature climbed to 99 degrees at Central Park in New York City.
    1963---Top Hits
If You Wanna Be Happy - Jimmy Soul
Surfin' USA - The Beatles
Foolish Little Girl - The Shirelles
Lonesome 7-7203 - Hawkshaw Hawkins
    1964 - The State Department disclosed that 40 hidden microphones had been found in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
    1965 - Roger Miller received a gold record for the hit, "King of the Road". The song was Miller's biggest hit record. It got to number four (3/20/65) on the pop charts and stayed on for 12 weeks. It was a number one country music hit (3/27/65) as well. Miller, a country singer, humorist, guitarist and composer from Forth Worth, TX and raised in Oklahoma, went to Nashville, TN in the mid-'50s to begin a songwriting career. He wrote songs and played drums for Faron Young in 1962, then won what was an unprecedented, six Grammy Awards in 1965, had his own TV show in 1966; wrote "Little Green Apples", a huge hit for O.C. Smith and had five tunes in the top ten in 1968. To top it off, he composed the music for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, "Big River" in 1985. He died October 10, 1992.
http://www.rogermiller.com/
http://www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/fame/millerr.html
    1968 ---20th Emmy Awards: Get Smart, Mission Impossible & Barbara Bain
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0151536.html
    1968 - Piano stylist and vocalist Bobby Short gained national attention as he presented a concert with Mabel Mercer at New York's Town Hall. He had been the featured artist at the intimate Hotel Carlisle for years. He died April, 2005.
    1971--- "Godspell" first opened at the Cherry Lane Theater in New York City. The musical by Stephen Schwartz is based on the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, and is still produced by secular and religious theater groups today.
    1971---Top Hits
Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
Never Can Say Goodbye - The Jackson 5
Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones
I Won't Mention It Again - Ray Price
    1973 - Secretariat won the second jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown by capturing the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland. The famed horse later went on to win the Belmont Stakes in New York to earn the Triple Crown with jockey Ron Turcotte as the rider.
    1973 - Stevie Wonder moved to the number one position on the "Billboard" pop music chart with "You are the Sunshine of My Life". It was the third number one song for Wonder, following earlier successes with "Fingertips - Pt 2" (8/10/63) and "Superstition" (1/27/73). He would have seven more number one hits between 1973 and 1987: "You Haven't Done Nothin'", "I Wish", "Sir Duke", "Ebony & Ivory" (with Paul McCartney), "I Just Called to Say I Love You", "Part-Time Lover" and "That's What Friends are For".
    1975--- 27th Emmy Awards: Mary Tyler Moore Show, Robert Blake & Jean Marsh
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0151554.html
    1976 -- Poet Gwendolyn Brooks becomes the first black woman inducted into the US National Institute of Arts & Letters.
    1979---Top Hits.
Reunited - Peaches & Herb
Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
In the Navy - Village People
If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me -
Bellamy Brothers
    1979-- After a bitter six-week strike, the major league umpires return to work. During the work stoppage, the men in blue were replaced by amateur arbiters.
    1987 -thunderstorms in Texas produced 13 inches of rain northwest of Lavernia. The heavy rain, along with golf ball-size hail, destroyed 80 percent of the crops in the area. Strong winds also toppled many trees throughout the region.
    1987---Top Hits
With or Without You - U2
The Lady in Red - Chris DeBurgh
Heat of the Night - Bryan Adams
To Know Him is to Love Him - Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
    1992 - Two doctors who performed an autopsy on John F. Kennedy confirmed the U.S. president died from two bullets fired from above and behind.
    1992 --Vice President Dan Quayle sites Murphy Brown as a poor example of family values
http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0406_Quayles_Murphy_Brown.html
    1995-- Emmy's 22nd Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 15th time, Kelsey Grammer, Helen Hunt, Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0764344.html
    1998-The World Golf Village, an ambitious 6,300 acre development supported by every major golf organization in the world and located in St. Augustine, FL, opened to the public. The complex includes three championship golf courses, a luxury hotel, vacation villas, retail stores, a convention center, a Mayo Clinic medical facility and the World Golf Hall of Fame with more than 70 exhibits arranged in on “18-hole” layout.
    1998 ---For the second time this season and fourth time in his career Mark McGwire hits three homers in a game. 'Big Mac' becomes the 12th player to hit two three-homer games in a season as he smacks three two-run round trippers against the Phillies.
    1999 - Following months of media hype, promotional gimmicks, and thousands of ardent fans camping out in front of theaters to buy tickets, George Lucas's much-anticipated Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace opened in theaters across the U.S. The film starred Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, and Natalie Portman.
    2002-- Cubs' first baseman Fred McGriff's two-run homer at Miller Park ties Ellis Burks' record of homering in 40 different major league parks. The 'Crime Dog's' eighth inning blast knots the score 3-3 in an eventual 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Brewers snapping Chicago's nine-game losing streak.
    2004-- Brad Thompson breaks a 97-year-old minor league record set in 1907 by Irvin Wilhelm by hurling 57 consecutive scoreless innings. The 22-year old St. Cardinals farmhand, playing in the Southern League for Tennessee Smokies, falls just two innings short of Orel Hershiser's professional mark of 59 established in 1988.
    2004 --Yankee spokesman Jason Zillo announces Cracker Jacks, which has been baseball's most famous snack for over a 100 years, will not be sold at Yankee Stadium and will be replaced by a product known as Crunch 'n Munch. The change is being made, according to Yankees' officials, because Crunch 'n Munch tastes better, but may have been really prompted by Frito-Lays decision to make only bags and not boxes.
    2004 Atlanta Breaking his own record set two weeks ago, Julio Franco becomes the oldest player to hit a pinch-hit home run. The Braves' first baseman is 45 years, 269 days old when he accomplishes the feat.

Stanley Cup Champions This Date

    1974 Philadelphia Flyers
    1984 Edmonton Oilers

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