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The company, which two yearas ago seemed poised to ship 20 percentof California’s direct-to-consumer wine market, laid off much of its staff on Frida and brusquely told customers over the weekend that it was no longer receiving or processing The move left many Wine Country provideras scrambling to gather information and to figurw out how to get back inventory at New Vine’s American Canyon warehouse so they coulde ship it to customeras another way. Published accounts said two ofthe company’ds venture capital investors effectively pulled the plug last by declining to invest additional capitap in New Vine.
“Some people changed their minds at the last saidBarbara Insel, a wine industryh analyst who served on New Vine’s advisory Kathleen Hoertkorn, New Vine Logistics’ founder and former CEO, and Chairmab of the Board Homer Dunn issuedf a statement Tuesday in response “to media report s about the suspension of its business operations.” Hoertkornh and Dunn said New Vine is working with customerz “to transfer all services to anothedr means of legal direct shipping, and in the is finalizing all work, including compilinyg of reports, reconciling inventory and invoices, and performingv all of the necessary business operationw for the month of May and June.
” Hoertkorn added, in response to reports that the companuy knew or must have known it was in financial that officials “truly believed that they would have been fundesd and were not expecting to have to cease The wine industry heardc rumblings about New Vine’s implosion over the weekene and was greeted Monday by published reports saying it had ceasec most business operations. The company’s voicse mail on June 1 said “New Vine is no longere receiving or shipping orders for shipmeny fromour facility,” and noted that it had “limites staff” to handle a transition.
Hoertkorj sent an email to clientws over the weekend indicating that NewVine “has abruptlyy gone into a state of financial crisis and is currently working on the plan forward.” The companyt -- which as recently as March 2007 had 63 staffers and plannedx to acquire a similar firm and nab up to 20 percen of the direct-to-consumer wine shipping market in the Goldej State -- had more than 200 customer s and roughly 110 employees as of last sources say.
It now has a skeletoj crew of about 30 staffers at its Napa headquartersd and American Canyonshipping facility, including a handfulk of executives who are working to wind down A host of questions remain about its situation, including whether workers laid off on Friday receivex final paychecks, the role investords and played in the company’s recengt collapse, how its partnership with (NASDAQ: AMZN) to help the online retaip giant develop a wine sales site affected the and how customers will retrieve theirt inventories and make other arrangements to ship their winea to consumers.
Insel told the San Francisco Businesse Times that a reviewq ofthe company’s operation s by state regulators delayed dealingsw with Amazon, and that Amazon “got skittish, very after a lengthy compliance review of New Vine by the Californias Department of Alcoholic Beverage New Vine was startex in 2001 on the notion that it couldd help expedite shipments to consumers in various states with confusinhg and complicated legal restrictions on wine shipments, a lingering legacy of the Prohibitioh years in America.
Charlotte Milan, apparently brought in as a companty spokeswoman sometime Monday orearlyt Tuesday, told the San Francisco Businessx Times that New Vine is workingb with its lawyers “to handle this (payingv laid-off employees) and all issues. “Alol I can say is the employees are thetop priority, and New Vine is workinbg on any employee related issues rightf now,” Milan added. In March Hoertkorn told the Business Times that New Vine woulf shipabout 4.2 million bottles that year for about 260 and expected to ship wines worth about $200 the vast majority of them for California along with small amounts for Oregonh and Washington state wineries.
At the time, New Vine’s annuak revenue was about $10 million, officialsx said, and was expected to doubl in 2007. Customers at the time included , , , , and . Financialk backers include Menlo Park’s , and New Vine has approximately 200 according to a report Monday onWine Business.com, abouft half of them wineries and the other half marketintg agents and others. It also had plans to partner with Amazon.com to launchy a wine buying andshipping site, whicu now appear to be kaput.
Hoertkorn said Tuesday that the companu will keepwinery customers, employees and shareholders advised of its next adding “We deeply apologize for the and we pledge to work with our customers to make as smooty and expedient shipping transition as
Friday 30 December 2011
Wednesday 28 December 2011
Gates Foundation, MDC give $1M grant - The Business Review (Albany):
rmerujopi.blogspot.com
Valencia will get $743,000 over threr years to create a centralizedremedial program, used acrossd four campuses. It plans to align high school, remedial and college-levekl standards, expand its remedia l learning communities, and embed reading skills into remedialkmath courses. The grants, announced June 22, will suppory remedial programs developed by Valencia through Achievinbthe Dream: Community Colleges Count, a multiyea r national initiative aimed at increasing college graduation rates among disadvantaged students. The state will get also get $300,000 over threee years to collaboratewith K-12 to reduce the need for remedial education.
Ohio, Texas and Virginia also got the which will be used to develolp new policies accelerating the remedialeducation programs. The Florida grants are part ofa $16.6 million effort to improve remedial educatiojn at community colleges in five reaching about 45,000 students nationwide. Four states and 14 othetr colleges received similar Gates grants for their Achieving theDreamm program. Each community college will receiver $743,000 over three years to expandits programs. Luminq Foundation for Education has alsocommittedx $1.
5 million to this initiative for evaluation and About 375,000 Florida degree-seeking students annuallg attend a local cmmunity with nearly 40 percent of them takingf remedial classes to build basidc academic skills. National studies have shown nearly two-thirdw of those taking remedialk classesnever graduate, but successful programs at several colleges demonstrate these numbers can be
Valencia will get $743,000 over threr years to create a centralizedremedial program, used acrossd four campuses. It plans to align high school, remedial and college-levekl standards, expand its remedia l learning communities, and embed reading skills into remedialkmath courses. The grants, announced June 22, will suppory remedial programs developed by Valencia through Achievinbthe Dream: Community Colleges Count, a multiyea r national initiative aimed at increasing college graduation rates among disadvantaged students. The state will get also get $300,000 over threee years to collaboratewith K-12 to reduce the need for remedial education.
Ohio, Texas and Virginia also got the which will be used to develolp new policies accelerating the remedialeducation programs. The Florida grants are part ofa $16.6 million effort to improve remedial educatiojn at community colleges in five reaching about 45,000 students nationwide. Four states and 14 othetr colleges received similar Gates grants for their Achieving theDreamm program. Each community college will receiver $743,000 over three years to expandits programs. Luminq Foundation for Education has alsocommittedx $1.
5 million to this initiative for evaluation and About 375,000 Florida degree-seeking students annuallg attend a local cmmunity with nearly 40 percent of them takingf remedial classes to build basidc academic skills. National studies have shown nearly two-thirdw of those taking remedialk classesnever graduate, but successful programs at several colleges demonstrate these numbers can be
Monday 26 December 2011
K&L Gates opens Dubai office - Birmingham Business Journal:
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Dubai is the firm’s 33rd office and its firstt in theMiddle East. K&L Gates Chairman and Globa Managing Partner Peter Kalis said the officewas “in the workas for about a year” and that the firm’e entry was “well-timed compared with a year ago becauses the costs are reduced and there is much more legapl talent at more reasonable compensationb levels available on the market.” K&L Gate s expects to grow the Dubai office principally through hires in that region. “I could see additional office in theMiddle East,” said Kalis, who first visited Dubai six months ago in preparing the firm’s entryt there.
“Because of the concentration of financia and professional services in theDuba area, it’s a very attractives and efficient point of entryy into the Gulf region. But certainlg it’s not the only market for legall servicesthat matters. A logical next step woulrd be Abu Dhabi, but there is nothing scheduled for thatto K&L Gates is also open to continued expansion opportunities internationally and in the continentap United States, Kalis said, but did not identify specific cities or countries.
Neal one of the firm’s senior dispute resolution partners, is relocatinv from the Pittsburgh office to serveas co-founder of the Dubai Joining Brendel is Paul de Cordova, who most recently worker with Ashurst, establishing and managing that firm’s Dubai office and helpinv to open a second office in the United Arab He is a corporate and projects lawyer with more than 20 yeards experience. Associate Richard Dollimors also is joining the Dubai He most recently worked inthe K&Lp Gates office in London.
Dubai is the firm’s 33rd office and its firstt in theMiddle East. K&L Gates Chairman and Globa Managing Partner Peter Kalis said the officewas “in the workas for about a year” and that the firm’e entry was “well-timed compared with a year ago becauses the costs are reduced and there is much more legapl talent at more reasonable compensationb levels available on the market.” K&L Gate s expects to grow the Dubai office principally through hires in that region. “I could see additional office in theMiddle East,” said Kalis, who first visited Dubai six months ago in preparing the firm’s entryt there.
“Because of the concentration of financia and professional services in theDuba area, it’s a very attractives and efficient point of entryy into the Gulf region. But certainlg it’s not the only market for legall servicesthat matters. A logical next step woulrd be Abu Dhabi, but there is nothing scheduled for thatto K&L Gates is also open to continued expansion opportunities internationally and in the continentap United States, Kalis said, but did not identify specific cities or countries.
Neal one of the firm’s senior dispute resolution partners, is relocatinv from the Pittsburgh office to serveas co-founder of the Dubai Joining Brendel is Paul de Cordova, who most recently worker with Ashurst, establishing and managing that firm’s Dubai office and helpinv to open a second office in the United Arab He is a corporate and projects lawyer with more than 20 yeards experience. Associate Richard Dollimors also is joining the Dubai He most recently worked inthe K&Lp Gates office in London.
Saturday 24 December 2011
Lehman Pays Marsal Firm Almost $500 Million to Manage Bankruptcy - Bloomberg
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Lehman Pays Marsal Firm Almost $500 Million to Manage Bankruptcy Bloomberg Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEHMQ) has paid almost half a billion dollars in fees to restructuring firm Alvarez & Marsal LLC during its bankruptcy, according to a court filing. The firm, whose co-founder Bryan Marsal runs the defunct investment bank ... |
Dan Snyder stays at Six Flags under reorganization - Washington Business Journal:
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Six Flags is also seekinh a $600 million loan, secure d by its assets, and $150 million in a new revolvinhcredit line. The company’s executive retentiobn plan would keep Snyder as boarf memberand chairman. Mark Shapiro, currently chief as well as chief financial officer Jeffrehy Speed and several other top management would also stay on inexecutiv roles. Six Flags, which announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filingy overthe weekend, listed $2.4 billion in debt and $3 billioj in assets. It hopes to cut debt by $1.8 billion and wipe out more than $300 millio in preferred stock.
Snyder and his managemeny team, who took control of the theme park operatoer three and a halfyears ago, have not been able to returmn the company to despite increasing attendance and selling several parkxs to raise capital last year. The company reported a $146 million firsgt quarter loss. Six Flags has said its reorganization will not affect park operations and its vendorsx and employees will continue tobe paid. Six Flags 20 theme parks includein Largo.
Six Flags is also seekinh a $600 million loan, secure d by its assets, and $150 million in a new revolvinhcredit line. The company’s executive retentiobn plan would keep Snyder as boarf memberand chairman. Mark Shapiro, currently chief as well as chief financial officer Jeffrehy Speed and several other top management would also stay on inexecutiv roles. Six Flags, which announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filingy overthe weekend, listed $2.4 billion in debt and $3 billioj in assets. It hopes to cut debt by $1.8 billion and wipe out more than $300 millio in preferred stock.
Snyder and his managemeny team, who took control of the theme park operatoer three and a halfyears ago, have not been able to returmn the company to despite increasing attendance and selling several parkxs to raise capital last year. The company reported a $146 million firsgt quarter loss. Six Flags has said its reorganization will not affect park operations and its vendorsx and employees will continue tobe paid. Six Flags 20 theme parks includein Largo.
Wednesday 21 December 2011
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, University of Memphis nab $1.1M in federal research funds - Memphis Business Journal:
nadezhdaqedyxos.blogspot.com
million collectively in federal research funds from the Americamn Recovery andReinvestment Act. UTHSC was awarded two grantsw from the totaling One study will focuson tularemia, a disease foundd in contaminated water, carried by infected rodents or used in biologicalo warfare. The other study will focus on developinb anew anti-tuberculosis agent. The has given $495,452 to the University of Memphids math department to study graph a new branch of mathematicxs that has been used by the intelligenced community to create bettertraffix patterns. “These research dollars will help create jobs in the Nintn District and help to attract the best and brightest scientifi c minds toShelby U.S.
Rep. Steve D-Memphis, said in a statement. “I was proud to suppor t the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and am grateful that these funds are moving quickly to our distric to help spureconomic
million collectively in federal research funds from the Americamn Recovery andReinvestment Act. UTHSC was awarded two grantsw from the totaling One study will focuson tularemia, a disease foundd in contaminated water, carried by infected rodents or used in biologicalo warfare. The other study will focus on developinb anew anti-tuberculosis agent. The has given $495,452 to the University of Memphids math department to study graph a new branch of mathematicxs that has been used by the intelligenced community to create bettertraffix patterns. “These research dollars will help create jobs in the Nintn District and help to attract the best and brightest scientifi c minds toShelby U.S.
Rep. Steve D-Memphis, said in a statement. “I was proud to suppor t the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and am grateful that these funds are moving quickly to our distric to help spureconomic
Monday 19 December 2011
Penn National Gaming taking
ucenyt.wordpress.com
The Wyomissing, Pa.-based owner of Charles Town Racezs and Slots said it would consider working on a proposal at the Anne Arundekl County racetrack should an application for a facilith at Arundel MillsMall fail. But it’se not actively pursuing the spokesman EricSchipper said. And that wouldn't fit withinn the slots licensing anyway, said Donald C. Fry, chairman of the state commissiomn overseeingslots development. “We’re taking a wait-and-sewe approach,” Schipper said.
The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday that Penn which has a pending license applicationb for a slots parlor inCecipl County, was chomping at the bit for an opportunityt at Laurel Park because it appeards possible that the Arundel Mills site could fail to get zoning approval. State law allows only one slots parlore inthe county. A snag in the zoningy process wouldn’t be enough to kill the ArundeolMills proposal, put forth by Baltimore developer the The stat e slots commission’s review of Cordish’s application is ongoing untilp the fall, Fry said. Only then will therr be a final decision to accept or rejecrtthe application, he said.
From there, the commissiobn would have to put out a requestg for new bids on the slots license in Anne Arundel Fry said. And Penn National couldn’ft make such a bid on its own because applicants are limitedx toone license. “There is only one validx [Anne Arundel County] proposal before us at this and that is theCordishn proposal,” Fry said. The county councikl has delayed voting on a slots zoning designatiom for the Arundel Mills sitefour times, most recentlyh Monday. It’s slated to come up again next month, but it’xs not clear if that will happen because Council Chairman Edward Reilly is expected to take an open stats Senate seat beforethat meeting.
, the Canada-baseds owner of Laurel Park andPimlico racetracks, had applied for a slots license at Laurel but its application was rejectedd outright because it lacked a required $25 million in up-fronrt construction financing for each 500 slot Since then, the company filed for bankruptcyt and could end up selling one or both , a Magna subsidiary, also filed a lawsuir that is pending in the Maryland Court of Specialk Appeals. The group argued that it wasn’t clear whether the financintg would have been refunded if thebid wasn’g accepted. Anne Arundel County Circuit Court uphele theslots commission’s decision to disqualify the bid, but Magna appealecd the decision.
Horse racing industry advocatews were disappointed that LaurelPark didn’t make it to the finalo list of potential slots While a share of slots revenue will go to the horsew racing industry regardless of whether the slot machinese are at a it would have been better if the machine s could have made tracks more of a destinatiob to drum up business, said Alan Foreman, lawyer for the But the horsre industry is still hopefully eyeing the situation, Foremanj added. “This thing has been fraught with surprises, so I wouldn’ty think we wouldn’t see any more surprises before this thing is all he said.
The Wyomissing, Pa.-based owner of Charles Town Racezs and Slots said it would consider working on a proposal at the Anne Arundekl County racetrack should an application for a facilith at Arundel MillsMall fail. But it’se not actively pursuing the spokesman EricSchipper said. And that wouldn't fit withinn the slots licensing anyway, said Donald C. Fry, chairman of the state commissiomn overseeingslots development. “We’re taking a wait-and-sewe approach,” Schipper said.
The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday that Penn which has a pending license applicationb for a slots parlor inCecipl County, was chomping at the bit for an opportunityt at Laurel Park because it appeards possible that the Arundel Mills site could fail to get zoning approval. State law allows only one slots parlore inthe county. A snag in the zoningy process wouldn’t be enough to kill the ArundeolMills proposal, put forth by Baltimore developer the The stat e slots commission’s review of Cordish’s application is ongoing untilp the fall, Fry said. Only then will therr be a final decision to accept or rejecrtthe application, he said.
From there, the commissiobn would have to put out a requestg for new bids on the slots license in Anne Arundel Fry said. And Penn National couldn’ft make such a bid on its own because applicants are limitedx toone license. “There is only one validx [Anne Arundel County] proposal before us at this and that is theCordishn proposal,” Fry said. The county councikl has delayed voting on a slots zoning designatiom for the Arundel Mills sitefour times, most recentlyh Monday. It’s slated to come up again next month, but it’xs not clear if that will happen because Council Chairman Edward Reilly is expected to take an open stats Senate seat beforethat meeting.
, the Canada-baseds owner of Laurel Park andPimlico racetracks, had applied for a slots license at Laurel but its application was rejectedd outright because it lacked a required $25 million in up-fronrt construction financing for each 500 slot Since then, the company filed for bankruptcyt and could end up selling one or both , a Magna subsidiary, also filed a lawsuir that is pending in the Maryland Court of Specialk Appeals. The group argued that it wasn’t clear whether the financintg would have been refunded if thebid wasn’g accepted. Anne Arundel County Circuit Court uphele theslots commission’s decision to disqualify the bid, but Magna appealecd the decision.
Horse racing industry advocatews were disappointed that LaurelPark didn’t make it to the finalo list of potential slots While a share of slots revenue will go to the horsew racing industry regardless of whether the slot machinese are at a it would have been better if the machine s could have made tracks more of a destinatiob to drum up business, said Alan Foreman, lawyer for the But the horsre industry is still hopefully eyeing the situation, Foremanj added. “This thing has been fraught with surprises, so I wouldn’ty think we wouldn’t see any more surprises before this thing is all he said.
Saturday 17 December 2011
Cushman & Wakefield loses third Miami exec - Business First of Louisville:
ugefuk.wordpress.com
Caplin’s exit is the latest of severalrecentt high-profile departures at C&W in Miami. The firm is one of Southn Florida's largest real estate brokeragesx and, like other brokerages, has seen few investmenr deals in thelast year. Formert branch manager Tere Blanca left in the springv tolaunch , a firm focused on office leasinb and sales. Hank Klein, executive director of C&Ws in Florida, was notified last montg that his position wasbeing eliminated. Steelbridgde owns and manages propertythroughoutf Florida. It sold , on Miami’s Brickell Key, for $150 million in 2007 aftere an eight-year hold.
Steelbridge founder Gavin Campbell will continue asmanagingt principal, sharing the helm with Caplin is one of a handfukl of commercial brokers involvedx in South Florida’s largest commercialp transactions. Caplin said his exit is in responss to a paradigm shift in local investment that come at the tail end of a where leasing and management for institutional investors becamr secondary tomarket momentum. Duringv the boom years leading upto 2006, the expectation was that assetx with strong track records coulsd be purchased and flippedf quickly for big returns. For a shortt period of time, some owners made the strategy but then the economic meltdown put the brake onthe market.
Some, who bought in the last few were holding assets that cost too much compared tomarket fundamentals. The market has now shiftede back to fundamental principlesof investment, with institutional investors and private capital “seeking to co-investr with strong, nimble, local operatiny partners,” Caplin said. “The markeg and investors mostlybelieve it’s about operationd on the ground and knowin g how to position a building in a particularf submarket,” he said.
Caplin oversaw more than $7 billiomn in transactions at C&W, including ’ $307 milliomn purchase of a half-stake in downtown Miami’zs landmark and full ownership of the 1221 Brickell buildingin 2006. He was involver in the sale of 355 Alhambra in Coral Gablezsfor $87.3 million in 2008 and is currently workinyg with Hines to refinance its debt at . Capli n is a graduate of sout Miami-Dade County’s Palmetto High School. He graduatex from in 1985 witha bachelor’es degree in finance and real estate. Two yeard later, he left C&W’s appraisap group to launch the company’s local investment sales operation.
Caplin was part of a team in the late 1980x that first specialized in investmengt salesin Miami. During the mid-1990s, Steelbridgew Capital had 2 million square feet of commercial real estate in its portfoliok in seven Florida marketssincluding Jacksonville, Naples and Miami. They sold much of it from 2005to 2007. Caplin’xs arrival marks another periodof opportunity-investment for the company, Steelbridge’s Campbell said. "We thinkm valuations are finally starting to lookattractivre again,” Campbell said in a statement.
“The opportunity to buy Floridz assets at significant discounts to replacement cost is whilethe long-term job and demographic prospectsz for Florida and the Caribbean basin are as strongf as ever. Jay’s leadership will be the linchpinm ofour strategy."
Caplin’s exit is the latest of severalrecentt high-profile departures at C&W in Miami. The firm is one of Southn Florida's largest real estate brokeragesx and, like other brokerages, has seen few investmenr deals in thelast year. Formert branch manager Tere Blanca left in the springv tolaunch , a firm focused on office leasinb and sales. Hank Klein, executive director of C&Ws in Florida, was notified last montg that his position wasbeing eliminated. Steelbridgde owns and manages propertythroughoutf Florida. It sold , on Miami’s Brickell Key, for $150 million in 2007 aftere an eight-year hold.
Steelbridge founder Gavin Campbell will continue asmanagingt principal, sharing the helm with Caplin is one of a handfukl of commercial brokers involvedx in South Florida’s largest commercialp transactions. Caplin said his exit is in responss to a paradigm shift in local investment that come at the tail end of a where leasing and management for institutional investors becamr secondary tomarket momentum. Duringv the boom years leading upto 2006, the expectation was that assetx with strong track records coulsd be purchased and flippedf quickly for big returns. For a shortt period of time, some owners made the strategy but then the economic meltdown put the brake onthe market.
Some, who bought in the last few were holding assets that cost too much compared tomarket fundamentals. The market has now shiftede back to fundamental principlesof investment, with institutional investors and private capital “seeking to co-investr with strong, nimble, local operatiny partners,” Caplin said. “The markeg and investors mostlybelieve it’s about operationd on the ground and knowin g how to position a building in a particularf submarket,” he said.
Caplin oversaw more than $7 billiomn in transactions at C&W, including ’ $307 milliomn purchase of a half-stake in downtown Miami’zs landmark and full ownership of the 1221 Brickell buildingin 2006. He was involver in the sale of 355 Alhambra in Coral Gablezsfor $87.3 million in 2008 and is currently workinyg with Hines to refinance its debt at . Capli n is a graduate of sout Miami-Dade County’s Palmetto High School. He graduatex from in 1985 witha bachelor’es degree in finance and real estate. Two yeard later, he left C&W’s appraisap group to launch the company’s local investment sales operation.
Caplin was part of a team in the late 1980x that first specialized in investmengt salesin Miami. During the mid-1990s, Steelbridgew Capital had 2 million square feet of commercial real estate in its portfoliok in seven Florida marketssincluding Jacksonville, Naples and Miami. They sold much of it from 2005to 2007. Caplin’xs arrival marks another periodof opportunity-investment for the company, Steelbridge’s Campbell said. "We thinkm valuations are finally starting to lookattractivre again,” Campbell said in a statement.
“The opportunity to buy Floridz assets at significant discounts to replacement cost is whilethe long-term job and demographic prospectsz for Florida and the Caribbean basin are as strongf as ever. Jay’s leadership will be the linchpinm ofour strategy."
Thursday 15 December 2011
Weekly Indicators: 'Tis The Seasonality Edition - Seeking Alpha
ejoxot.wordpress.com
Weekly Indicators: 'Tis The Seasonality Edition Seeking Alpha The high frequency weekly indicators are at the point where holiday seasonality strongly affects their week over week performance. YoY comparisons are more important, but whether those comparisons are improving or deteriorating is most important. ... |
Tuesday 13 December 2011
Swiss Post Solutions Opens Document Processing Center in New York - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
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Swiss Post Solutions Opens Document Processing Center in New York San Francisco Chronicle (press release) Swiss Post Solutions' DPC utilizes the latest document processing technology to help clients remove outdated, manual processing tasks related to items such as mail, payroll, applications, claims, customer correspondence, personnel records, and invoices ... |
AFP | Bali boy set to arrive back in Australia Sydney Morning Herald Indonesia has released a 14-year-old Australian boy convicted of drug possession on the resort island of Bali after he spent two months in detention. A high school student from Morisset Park, near Newcastle in northern NSW, the teen has been the focus ... Austral ian boy arrested in Bali for drugs urges other teenagers to heed the ... Australian teenager arrested in Bali freed and ready to fly home Indonesia releases Australian teen |
Friday 2 December 2011
Jim Sherriff Executive Profile
amesit.wordpress.com
Jim Sherriff is Chairman and CEO of Cisco Chins and has responsibilities for developing andexecuting Cisco
Jim Sherriff is Chairman and CEO of Cisco Chins and has responsibilities for developing andexecuting Cisco
Wednesday 30 November 2011
Aurora opening Summit clinic early - Pittsburgh Business Times:
http://intranetmaven.com/
The Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic will open Octobere 26 and will replace the current Auroras Wilkinson Medical Clinic at 915Summit Ave. in Oconomowoc, although urgent care services will continue to beofferedf there. The new clinic also will replac e the AuroraWilkinson Women’s Center and the Aurora Visionb Center, both currently in The other Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic locations – in Hartland, Delafield, Wales and Waukesha – will continues to serve patients. “October 26 will represen t the start of a new era in healthj care inthis area,” said Dr. David president of Aurora WilkinsonMedical Clinic.
“The opening of our new clinivc and cancer center will move us closer to a fullty integrated system of care for the people of westernWaukesha County.” Meanwhile, the hospital part of the project remains on schedule to open in early Aurora officials said. The Wilkinson clinic will open at the same time as the new Vincew Lombardi Cancer Clinic on the Summit The new Aurora Medical Center campus in the Town of Summitf is at the southeast corner of Interstate 94 andHighwat 67. The new Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic will be on the west side of the and the new Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinivc is on thesouth side.
The Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic will open Octobere 26 and will replace the current Auroras Wilkinson Medical Clinic at 915Summit Ave. in Oconomowoc, although urgent care services will continue to beofferedf there. The new clinic also will replac e the AuroraWilkinson Women’s Center and the Aurora Visionb Center, both currently in The other Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic locations – in Hartland, Delafield, Wales and Waukesha – will continues to serve patients. “October 26 will represen t the start of a new era in healthj care inthis area,” said Dr. David president of Aurora WilkinsonMedical Clinic.
“The opening of our new clinivc and cancer center will move us closer to a fullty integrated system of care for the people of westernWaukesha County.” Meanwhile, the hospital part of the project remains on schedule to open in early Aurora officials said. The Wilkinson clinic will open at the same time as the new Vincew Lombardi Cancer Clinic on the Summit The new Aurora Medical Center campus in the Town of Summitf is at the southeast corner of Interstate 94 andHighwat 67. The new Aurora Wilkinson Medical Clinic will be on the west side of the and the new Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinivc is on thesouth side.
Sunday 27 November 2011
Strands of similarity in Azad, Kishenji killings - Hindustan Times
geqopimozaqyxyh.blogspot.com
Strands of similarity in Azad, Kishenji killings Hindustan Times There is a time gap of almost 17 months between the violent deaths of top Maoist leaders Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad and M Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji. Yet there are distinct similarities between the two incidents. the outlawed Communist Party of ... |
Friday 25 November 2011
Travel: Christmas prepping in Prague - Del Mar Times
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Travel: Christmas prepping in Prague Del Mar Times Christmas markets, beautiful cobblestone streets, luscious architecture, hot mulled wine, and rolling views â€" what more can one ask for when Christmas shopping! Prague is a city of rainbow-colored buildings, charming art deco cafes, ... |
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Adams
ejoxot.wordpress.com
RealtyTrac records indicate that a notice ofa trustee’sx sale has been filedd on homes matching the description of Adams’ Northg Portland Kenton neighborhood homes. The notice indicatesz that the homes will be put upfor auction. , whicn broke the story, noted that Adams’ lender has filed a “notice of default,” meaning he’s defaulted on his loan agreementr withhis lender. Adams told the paper he’s catchinbg up on his mortgage afterpaying “significant” legal The houses that face foreclosure are at 2131 N. McClellanb and 2121 N. McClellan. Adams lives in the 2121 home. He also owns a triples at 2031 N. McClellan.
Adams, who makes $118,14 yearly, is facing an impending scheduled to kick off inearly July, aftee admitting he had a sexual relationship with Beau Breedlove. The pair met beforw Breedlove turned 18. Adams said the sexual relationship beganafter Breedlove’ss 18th birthday. Oregon’s attorneyh general is investigating whether Adams didanything improper. The mayor concedes that he lied aboutwhether he’d had sex with Breedlov e when a political opponent first made the charger during the 2008 primary campaig n season.
RealtyTrac records indicate that a notice ofa trustee’sx sale has been filedd on homes matching the description of Adams’ Northg Portland Kenton neighborhood homes. The notice indicatesz that the homes will be put upfor auction. , whicn broke the story, noted that Adams’ lender has filed a “notice of default,” meaning he’s defaulted on his loan agreementr withhis lender. Adams told the paper he’s catchinbg up on his mortgage afterpaying “significant” legal The houses that face foreclosure are at 2131 N. McClellanb and 2121 N. McClellan. Adams lives in the 2121 home. He also owns a triples at 2031 N. McClellan.
Adams, who makes $118,14 yearly, is facing an impending scheduled to kick off inearly July, aftee admitting he had a sexual relationship with Beau Breedlove. The pair met beforw Breedlove turned 18. Adams said the sexual relationship beganafter Breedlove’ss 18th birthday. Oregon’s attorneyh general is investigating whether Adams didanything improper. The mayor concedes that he lied aboutwhether he’d had sex with Breedlov e when a political opponent first made the charger during the 2008 primary campaig n season.
Monday 21 November 2011
Cushman & Wakefield loses third Miami exec - Triangle Business Journal:
wanuso.wordpress.com
Caplin’s exit is the latest of severalrecent high-profiler departures at C&W in The firm is one of Southh Florida's largest real estate brokerages and, like othere brokerages, has seen few investment deald in the last year. Former branch manager Tere Blanca left in the sprinb tolaunch , a firm focused on officwe leasing and sales. Hank Klein, executive director of C&W in Florida, was notifief last month that his position wasbeingh eliminated. Steelbridge owns and manages propertythroughout Florida. It sold , on Miami’se Brickell Key, for $150 million in 2007 aftet an eight-year hold.
Steelbridge founder Gavinb Campbell will continue asmanaging principal, sharing the helm with Caplin is one of a handful of commercialo brokers involved in South Florida’s largest commercial transactions. Caplin said his exit is in response to a paradigm shift in local investment that comes at the tail end of a where leasing and management for institutionalp investors became secondary tomarket momentum. During the boom yearsz leading upto 2006, the expectationm was that assets with strong track records could be purchased and flippec quickly for big returns.
For a shorgt period of time, some ownersd made the strategy work, but then the economixc meltdown put the brakes onthe Some, who bought in the last few years, were holdinfg assets that cost too much compared to markeyt fundamentals. The market has now shifted back to fundamenta l principlesof investment, with institutionak investors and private capital “seeking to co-investg with strong, nimble, local operatinhg partners,” Caplin said. “The market and investors mostlybeliever it’s about operations on the grounx and knowing how to positio n a building in a particular he said.
Caplin oversaw more than $7 billiob in transactions at C&W, including ’ $307 millionb purchase of a half-stake in downtown Miami’d landmark and full ownership of the 1221 Brickell buildingin 2006. He was involvecd in the sale of 355 Alhambra in Coral Gablewsfor $87.3 million in 2008 and is currentlu working with Hines to refinanced its debt at . Caplin is a graduate of south Miami-Dade County’s Palmetto High School. He graduated from in 1985 witha bachelor’s degreew in finance and real estate. Two years later, he left C&W’ds appraisal group to launch the company’sz local investment sales operation.
Caplin was part of a team in the late 1980x that first specialized in investmentt salesin Miami. During the mid-1990s, Steelbridge Capital had 2 milliohn square feet of commercial real estatee in its portfolio in seven Florida markets including Naplesand Miami. They sold much of it from 2005to 2007. Caplin’w arrival marks another periodof opportunity-investment for the company, Steelbridge’ss Campbell said. "We think valuations are finally starting to lookattractive again,” Campbelo said in a statement.
“The opportunity to buy Floridz assets at significant discounts to replacement cost is whilethe long-term job and demographic prospects for Florida and the Caribbea basin are as strong as ever. Jay’s leadership will be the linchpihn ofour strategy."
Caplin’s exit is the latest of severalrecent high-profiler departures at C&W in The firm is one of Southh Florida's largest real estate brokerages and, like othere brokerages, has seen few investment deald in the last year. Former branch manager Tere Blanca left in the sprinb tolaunch , a firm focused on officwe leasing and sales. Hank Klein, executive director of C&W in Florida, was notifief last month that his position wasbeingh eliminated. Steelbridge owns and manages propertythroughout Florida. It sold , on Miami’se Brickell Key, for $150 million in 2007 aftet an eight-year hold.
Steelbridge founder Gavinb Campbell will continue asmanaging principal, sharing the helm with Caplin is one of a handful of commercialo brokers involved in South Florida’s largest commercial transactions. Caplin said his exit is in response to a paradigm shift in local investment that comes at the tail end of a where leasing and management for institutionalp investors became secondary tomarket momentum. During the boom yearsz leading upto 2006, the expectationm was that assets with strong track records could be purchased and flippec quickly for big returns.
For a shorgt period of time, some ownersd made the strategy work, but then the economixc meltdown put the brakes onthe Some, who bought in the last few years, were holdinfg assets that cost too much compared to markeyt fundamentals. The market has now shifted back to fundamenta l principlesof investment, with institutionak investors and private capital “seeking to co-investg with strong, nimble, local operatinhg partners,” Caplin said. “The market and investors mostlybeliever it’s about operations on the grounx and knowing how to positio n a building in a particular he said.
Caplin oversaw more than $7 billiob in transactions at C&W, including ’ $307 millionb purchase of a half-stake in downtown Miami’d landmark and full ownership of the 1221 Brickell buildingin 2006. He was involvecd in the sale of 355 Alhambra in Coral Gablewsfor $87.3 million in 2008 and is currentlu working with Hines to refinanced its debt at . Caplin is a graduate of south Miami-Dade County’s Palmetto High School. He graduated from in 1985 witha bachelor’s degreew in finance and real estate. Two years later, he left C&W’ds appraisal group to launch the company’sz local investment sales operation.
Caplin was part of a team in the late 1980x that first specialized in investmentt salesin Miami. During the mid-1990s, Steelbridge Capital had 2 milliohn square feet of commercial real estatee in its portfolio in seven Florida markets including Naplesand Miami. They sold much of it from 2005to 2007. Caplin’w arrival marks another periodof opportunity-investment for the company, Steelbridge’ss Campbell said. "We think valuations are finally starting to lookattractive again,” Campbelo said in a statement.
“The opportunity to buy Floridz assets at significant discounts to replacement cost is whilethe long-term job and demographic prospects for Florida and the Caribbea basin are as strong as ever. Jay’s leadership will be the linchpihn ofour strategy."
Saturday 19 November 2011
Inner Harbor's long-neglected side slated for redo - Washington Business Journal:
inofiquxi.wordpress.com
The redevelopment of Key Highway has been discusseefor years, but a Baltimore City Councikl committee is considering legislatiomn that would change the zoningt for some of waterfront corridor’s buildingas to allow for new retailk stores and other commercial projects. The city coulds hold a hearing as early as August on the which would do away with much ofthe area’sw industrially zoned properties. No date has been scheduled for thosse hearings because the city wants to make sure residents and communityu groups weigh in onthe proposals, said Douglas McCoacgh III, the city’s planning director. The sites in flux includer Main SteelPolishing Co.
’s former Boylw Street plant, the South Harbor Business Centere at 1414 Key Highway and the Little Havana restaurant at 1325 Key Highway. Also in play is General Ship Repai Corp.’s 2-acre site in the 1400 blockk ofKey Highway, which is slated for a zoning change. The companyu needs to expand its operations to accommodats larger ships for its repair and Vice President Cary Lynch said the companyy has been looking for othetr properties alongthe harbor. Lynch said the 45-persobn General Ship Repair, which has been on Key Highway since 1927, has no specificf plans to move in the immediate future.
The road, whic stretches from Light Street toInterstate 95, is alreadyu changing with the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Residencea and the conversion of the former Chesapeake Paperboarx site into McHenry Row shoppingh center. HarborView Properties Development Co. hopex to build a 26-story tower and a 17-storyy building further down Key Highway. Some of the area’z older industrial properties could befacing changes, including developed Martin Azola’s South Baltimore Business Centefr at 1414 Key Highway.
Azola said he wantzs to createabout 15,000 square feet of retaikl space facing Key The project could help establish a more pedestrian-friendlyh feel to the roadway, he Marks, Thomas Architects moved out of the space withibn the past month to take larger officexs elsewhere in the building. Azola has hired Lutherville, Md., brokerage MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services LLC to market thespace — as offices for now — with the hope the city will rezonde the property to allow for retailo use. Nearby, developer Shapiro Co. is working to converty the former Main SteelPolishing Co.
site at Boylre Street and Key Highwauy into a newcommercial development, also pendin g the city’s rezoning. Mark principal of Shapiro Co., said he had plannerd to convert the space into about 90 condominium but with a slowdown in the condo marke t he is now consideringotherd options. Also, Obrecht Corp. has hired Shapiro to help markeytits 1-acre lot at 1321-1325 Key Highwat for potential development. Little Havana leasess part of the property, which Shapiro is marketinyg for potential redevelopment as a commercial orhotel project.
The redevelopment of Key Highway has been discusseefor years, but a Baltimore City Councikl committee is considering legislatiomn that would change the zoningt for some of waterfront corridor’s buildingas to allow for new retailk stores and other commercial projects. The city coulds hold a hearing as early as August on the which would do away with much ofthe area’sw industrially zoned properties. No date has been scheduled for thosse hearings because the city wants to make sure residents and communityu groups weigh in onthe proposals, said Douglas McCoacgh III, the city’s planning director. The sites in flux includer Main SteelPolishing Co.
’s former Boylw Street plant, the South Harbor Business Centere at 1414 Key Highway and the Little Havana restaurant at 1325 Key Highway. Also in play is General Ship Repai Corp.’s 2-acre site in the 1400 blockk ofKey Highway, which is slated for a zoning change. The companyu needs to expand its operations to accommodats larger ships for its repair and Vice President Cary Lynch said the companyy has been looking for othetr properties alongthe harbor. Lynch said the 45-persobn General Ship Repair, which has been on Key Highway since 1927, has no specificf plans to move in the immediate future.
The road, whic stretches from Light Street toInterstate 95, is alreadyu changing with the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Residencea and the conversion of the former Chesapeake Paperboarx site into McHenry Row shoppingh center. HarborView Properties Development Co. hopex to build a 26-story tower and a 17-storyy building further down Key Highway. Some of the area’z older industrial properties could befacing changes, including developed Martin Azola’s South Baltimore Business Centefr at 1414 Key Highway.
Azola said he wantzs to createabout 15,000 square feet of retaikl space facing Key The project could help establish a more pedestrian-friendlyh feel to the roadway, he Marks, Thomas Architects moved out of the space withibn the past month to take larger officexs elsewhere in the building. Azola has hired Lutherville, Md., brokerage MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services LLC to market thespace — as offices for now — with the hope the city will rezonde the property to allow for retailo use. Nearby, developer Shapiro Co. is working to converty the former Main SteelPolishing Co.
site at Boylre Street and Key Highwauy into a newcommercial development, also pendin g the city’s rezoning. Mark principal of Shapiro Co., said he had plannerd to convert the space into about 90 condominium but with a slowdown in the condo marke t he is now consideringotherd options. Also, Obrecht Corp. has hired Shapiro to help markeytits 1-acre lot at 1321-1325 Key Highwat for potential development. Little Havana leasess part of the property, which Shapiro is marketinyg for potential redevelopment as a commercial orhotel project.
Thursday 17 November 2011
New Vine Logistics situation gets murkier - Phoenix Business Journal:
esivyjifag.wordpress.com
“For us to disclose any information about the New Vine’s board would have to accept or rejecft an offer,” New Vine spokeswoman Charlotte Mila told the San Francisco Business Timesz , adding that no further information about New Vine’sz negotiations with two or three potential buyers is likely to be availabl e June 4. Late Wednesday and very earlytThursday morning, informed sources told the Businesse Times that 1-800-Flowers.com appeared set to win the sweepstakes to buy the brokenb pieces of New Vine, which startled the wine industrg late last week by abruptly suspendinb operations.
As of early Thursdayg morning, an announcement of a deal with which owns the Wine Tasting Network Services shipping appeared tobe imminent. But that deal broke down sometime in the wee leavingNew Vine’s future uncertain. Wine Tastingh Network, according to its LinkedIn profile, provides wineryg and wine club directmarketing services, as well as fulfillmentt and e-commerce services to wineries and wine retailers. Officials at WTN did not immediatelgy respond to requests for but many in the industry see WTN as the most logical playetr to pick up some ofNew Vine’s pieces.
New which two years ago seemerd poised to ship 20 percentof California’zs direct-to-consumer wine market, laid off much of its stafft on Friday and brusquely told customers over the weekend that it was no longere receiving or processing orders. The move left many Wine Country providers scrambling to gatherf information and to figure out how to get back inventoryy atNew Vine’s American Canyon warehouser so they could ship it to customersa another way. Published accounts said some ofthe company’z venture capital investors effectively pulled the plug last by declining to invest additionalp capital in New Vine.
“Some peoplre changed their minds at thelast minute,” said Barbara Insel, a wine industry analyst who has served on New Vine’s advisoryy board. Kathleen Hoertkorn, New Vine founder and former CEO, and Chairman of the Board Homer Dunn said Tuesday that New Vine is workinvg withcustomers “to transfer all servicee to another means of legal direct shipping, and in the is finalizing all work, including compiling of reports, reconcilinfg inventory and invoices, and performing all of the necessary business operatione for the month (sic) of May and June.
” Hoertkorhn added, in response to reports that the company knew or must have know it was in financial that officials “truly believed that they would have been fundedr and were not expecting to have to cease The company had more than 200 customers and roughlu 110 employees as of last Friday, sources say. It now has a skeletonj crew of about 30 staffers at its Napa headquarter s and American Canyon shipping including a handful of executives who are workinf to winddown operations.
New Vine was started in 2001 on the notiohn that it could help expedite shipments to consumerws in various states with confusing and complicatedr legal restrictions onwine shipments, a lingeringg legacy of the Prohibition years in Financial backers include Menlo Park’s , Altos Ventures, and San Francisco’sa LLC, which reportedly pulled its people out of New Vine’x offices late last Thursday.
“For us to disclose any information about the New Vine’s board would have to accept or rejecft an offer,” New Vine spokeswoman Charlotte Mila told the San Francisco Business Timesz , adding that no further information about New Vine’sz negotiations with two or three potential buyers is likely to be availabl e June 4. Late Wednesday and very earlytThursday morning, informed sources told the Businesse Times that 1-800-Flowers.com appeared set to win the sweepstakes to buy the brokenb pieces of New Vine, which startled the wine industrg late last week by abruptly suspendinb operations.
As of early Thursdayg morning, an announcement of a deal with which owns the Wine Tasting Network Services shipping appeared tobe imminent. But that deal broke down sometime in the wee leavingNew Vine’s future uncertain. Wine Tastingh Network, according to its LinkedIn profile, provides wineryg and wine club directmarketing services, as well as fulfillmentt and e-commerce services to wineries and wine retailers. Officials at WTN did not immediatelgy respond to requests for but many in the industry see WTN as the most logical playetr to pick up some ofNew Vine’s pieces.
New which two years ago seemerd poised to ship 20 percentof California’zs direct-to-consumer wine market, laid off much of its stafft on Friday and brusquely told customers over the weekend that it was no longere receiving or processing orders. The move left many Wine Country providers scrambling to gatherf information and to figure out how to get back inventoryy atNew Vine’s American Canyon warehouser so they could ship it to customersa another way. Published accounts said some ofthe company’z venture capital investors effectively pulled the plug last by declining to invest additionalp capital in New Vine.
“Some peoplre changed their minds at thelast minute,” said Barbara Insel, a wine industry analyst who has served on New Vine’s advisoryy board. Kathleen Hoertkorn, New Vine founder and former CEO, and Chairman of the Board Homer Dunn said Tuesday that New Vine is workinvg withcustomers “to transfer all servicee to another means of legal direct shipping, and in the is finalizing all work, including compiling of reports, reconcilinfg inventory and invoices, and performing all of the necessary business operatione for the month (sic) of May and June.
” Hoertkorhn added, in response to reports that the company knew or must have know it was in financial that officials “truly believed that they would have been fundedr and were not expecting to have to cease The company had more than 200 customers and roughlu 110 employees as of last Friday, sources say. It now has a skeletonj crew of about 30 staffers at its Napa headquarter s and American Canyon shipping including a handful of executives who are workinf to winddown operations.
New Vine was started in 2001 on the notiohn that it could help expedite shipments to consumerws in various states with confusing and complicatedr legal restrictions onwine shipments, a lingeringg legacy of the Prohibition years in Financial backers include Menlo Park’s , Altos Ventures, and San Francisco’sa LLC, which reportedly pulled its people out of New Vine’x offices late last Thursday.
Monday 14 November 2011
Finance Committee backs UWM funding - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
vypybiza.wordpress.com
The plan submitted by the university includee funding for the School of Freshwated Sciences and the School of Public Health in downtown and the UWM College of Engineerinb campusin Wauwatosa. The full budget is expected to be considered by the state Assembly and Senate over the next several Accordingto legislators, UWM must raiswe $60 million in private funds to qualif for the state The funding package includes $123.4 million in state-issued $55.6 million in a bond issue to be paid back using university-generated revenue; and $1 million from the state’s building trusyt fund.
“This investment in the future will make the region and the stats financially stronger for yearsto come,” said Statr Sen. Jim Sullivan “Our children and our grandchildren will benefit from what we are doinhg to improve education and bolsterthe
The plan submitted by the university includee funding for the School of Freshwated Sciences and the School of Public Health in downtown and the UWM College of Engineerinb campusin Wauwatosa. The full budget is expected to be considered by the state Assembly and Senate over the next several Accordingto legislators, UWM must raiswe $60 million in private funds to qualif for the state The funding package includes $123.4 million in state-issued $55.6 million in a bond issue to be paid back using university-generated revenue; and $1 million from the state’s building trusyt fund.
“This investment in the future will make the region and the stats financially stronger for yearsto come,” said Statr Sen. Jim Sullivan “Our children and our grandchildren will benefit from what we are doinhg to improve education and bolsterthe
Saturday 12 November 2011
Report: Property values fall 23.4% - Business First of Louisville:
qalymeled.wordpress.com
Home prices in the Orlando-Kissimmee slipped 23.4 perceng in April when compared with the same month a year the seventh highest percentager of decline among some ofthe nation’s largest metrl areas. The Orlando-Kissimmee market posted a 20.9 percent decrease in home values in March when compared withMarcbh 2008. Florida passed California to postthe second-highesty rate of home price depreciationn at 23.2 percent. Nevadw topped the nation with a 26.1 percent drop, whil e California — the leading state for 20 consecutivemonths — landerd third at 22.7 percent. Nationwide housinf prices fell 10.
2 percenr in April compared to ayear ago, representinyg the smallest year-over-year decline so far this The national decline peaked at 11.9 percent in Januaryy 2009 and has since been trending down. First Americah CoreLogic’s LoanPerformance Home Price Indexd evaluates the residential real estate market basedon price, time between property type and loan as well as increases and decreases in sales pricee for the same homes over time.
Home prices in the Orlando-Kissimmee slipped 23.4 perceng in April when compared with the same month a year the seventh highest percentager of decline among some ofthe nation’s largest metrl areas. The Orlando-Kissimmee market posted a 20.9 percent decrease in home values in March when compared withMarcbh 2008. Florida passed California to postthe second-highesty rate of home price depreciationn at 23.2 percent. Nevadw topped the nation with a 26.1 percent drop, whil e California — the leading state for 20 consecutivemonths — landerd third at 22.7 percent. Nationwide housinf prices fell 10.
2 percenr in April compared to ayear ago, representinyg the smallest year-over-year decline so far this The national decline peaked at 11.9 percent in Januaryy 2009 and has since been trending down. First Americah CoreLogic’s LoanPerformance Home Price Indexd evaluates the residential real estate market basedon price, time between property type and loan as well as increases and decreases in sales pricee for the same homes over time.
Thursday 10 November 2011
Nutrition and Advanced Diagnostics Can Combat Parasite Plagues, Other GI ... - VetPracticeNews.com
zlatkopaisley1275.blogspot.com
Nutrition and Advanced Diagnostics Can Combat Parasite Plagues, Other GI ... VetPracticeNews.com ACVIM, Dipl. ECVIM, associate professor of small animal medicine at Cornell University, says SNAP tests such as the giardia and pancreatitis tests have brought testing in-house, minimizing missed disorders/diagnosis and expediting treatment. ... |
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Obama campaign encourages Virginians to vote - Washington Post (blog)
onesawava.wordpress.com
Obama campaign encourages Virginians to vote Washington Post (blog) “Have you made a plan to vote in tomorrow's VA state Senate elections? Find your polling place by calling 1-800-322-1144, and bring a friend with you.†By Anita Kumar | 05:31 PM ET, 11/07/2011 SuperFan badge holders consistently post ... |
Sunday 6 November 2011
North Carolina cops shoot ex- Elizabeth City State University student caught ... - New York Daily News
belyaevostapuki.blogspot.com
New York Daily News | North Carolina cops shoot ex- Elizabeth City State University student caught ... New York Daily News Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina was locked down early Saturday after an ex-student was spotted on campus with an AK-47. A North Carolina university was locked down for several hours on Saturday during a tense ...< /p> Campus Police Shoot Gunman at North Carolina University Gunman at NC University Shot Suspected Gunman Shot On NC College Campus |
Friday 4 November 2011
Google may offer cable TV service in KC, newspaper says - Kansas City Star
a-ee85aqa.blogspot.com
Independent Online | Google may offer cable TV service in KC, newspaper says Kansas City Star The W » |
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Former Onyx boss Renton joins Affymax board - Dayton Business Journal:
kittredgeihuhyla1951.blogspot.com
Hematide is in a Phase III trial. Renton led Onyx for nearlg 15 years, stepping down in February 2008as CEO, chairman and a member of Onyx’ s board. At the company, he helped negotiate a research, development and commercialization partnership with that resulted inthe anti-cancer drug Nexavar. Nexavar tablets, which cost aboutf $5,000 a month in the Uniteed States and areapproaching $1 billionb in annual sales, are approved in more than 80 countrieds to treat kidney cancer and 70-plus countries for liver Prior to joining Onyx, Rentonn was president and COO of Chiron, which acquirerd Cetus in 1991.
Renton had been presidenrt of Cetussince 1990, COO since 1987 and CFO from 1983 to 1987. Rentoh also serves on the boardsof , Cepheid and the Speciaol Olympics of Northern California.
Hematide is in a Phase III trial. Renton led Onyx for nearlg 15 years, stepping down in February 2008as CEO, chairman and a member of Onyx’ s board. At the company, he helped negotiate a research, development and commercialization partnership with that resulted inthe anti-cancer drug Nexavar. Nexavar tablets, which cost aboutf $5,000 a month in the Uniteed States and areapproaching $1 billionb in annual sales, are approved in more than 80 countrieds to treat kidney cancer and 70-plus countries for liver Prior to joining Onyx, Rentonn was president and COO of Chiron, which acquirerd Cetus in 1991.
Renton had been presidenrt of Cetussince 1990, COO since 1987 and CFO from 1983 to 1987. Rentoh also serves on the boardsof , Cepheid and the Speciaol Olympics of Northern California.
Sunday 30 October 2011
Plymouth Pipeline - Hometownlife.com
yfimuna.wordpress.com
Plymouth Pipeline Hometownlife.com As part of his Eagle Scout project, Boy Scout Jacob Croop, along with Troop 781, is collecting adult-sized clothing and shoes to give to the PBJ outreach charity at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Plymouth Township. PBJ outreach distributes clothing ... |
Friday 28 October 2011
City council gives Austin Energy the go-ahead for major solar project - Austin Business Journal:
http://www.jvc-abc.com/jvc-abc99/html/seeds-set-for-the-1999-jvc-asian-championships.html
Several U.S. companies, such as Massachusetts-based and Maryland-based Sun Edison LLC, are capable of producing enough panels to supplythe project, said Crai g Overmiller, one of the founders of “Thew city of Austin and the City Council reallyh need to rethink” the Webberville project, said who is not a part of the coalition urgintg the city to modify the Gemini “I think they rushed into it.” Austin Energy wouldc pay $250 million, $10 million a year for 25 years, for the electricit the solar array woulsd generate.
Once it’s operating, Gemini Solar woule be eligible for anestimated $60 million about one-third the project’s estimated cost — through the federal investment tax credit program. Earlierr this week, Austin Energy general manager Roger Duncan issued a memorandumn indicating that Gemini Solar hasagreed “that the valuer of the [investment tax credit] benefitw will be shared with Austib Energy.
”
Several U.S. companies, such as Massachusetts-based and Maryland-based Sun Edison LLC, are capable of producing enough panels to supplythe project, said Crai g Overmiller, one of the founders of “Thew city of Austin and the City Council reallyh need to rethink” the Webberville project, said who is not a part of the coalition urgintg the city to modify the Gemini “I think they rushed into it.” Austin Energy wouldc pay $250 million, $10 million a year for 25 years, for the electricit the solar array woulsd generate.
Once it’s operating, Gemini Solar woule be eligible for anestimated $60 million about one-third the project’s estimated cost — through the federal investment tax credit program. Earlierr this week, Austin Energy general manager Roger Duncan issued a memorandumn indicating that Gemini Solar hasagreed “that the valuer of the [investment tax credit] benefitw will be shared with Austib Energy.
”
Wednesday 26 October 2011
StrandVision Debuts Employee Communication Digital Signage Screen Saver - DigitalJournal.com (press release)
xeconatyxex.blogspot.com
StrandVision Debuts Employee Communication Digital Signage Screen Saver DigitalJournal.com (press release) StrandVision Digital Signage today unveiled a new screen saver capability for StrandVision Digital Signage networks that extends companies' signage networks to employees' desktops to further reinforce employee communication messaging. ... |
Monday 24 October 2011
Locals to big oil: We want our town back! - CNNMoney
disqualify-sida.blogspot.com
Locals to big oil: We want our town back! CNNMoney WATFORD CITY, ND (CNNMoney) -- For those who have spent their entire lives in the previously quiet farm towns that dot the northwestern corner of North Dakota, the discovery of oil in the Bakken formation ... |
Saturday 22 October 2011
Richards Gets His 'Own' Goal, and More - New York Times (blog)
utyziluz.wordpress.com
New York Times (blog) | Richards Gets His 'Own' Goal, and More New York Times (blog) Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesDane Richards flanked by Luke Rodgers, left, and Teemu Tainio on Thursday night. On Friday, MLS changed the scoring on the Red Bulls' goal from an own goal by Philadelphia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon and gave Richards ... Richards the man of the moment for New York Fire out of MLS playoff contention MLS: New York 1, Philadelphia 0 |
Thursday 20 October 2011
Hawaii has 5th-lowest obesity rate in U.S. - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
tenamup.wordpress.com
In the study, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Policiex Are Failing in America compiled by the Trustfor America’s Healtb and the , 21.8 percenr of Hawaii’s adult population fell into the obese Southern states reported the highest obesity ratea in the study. Eight of the top 10 were in the Mississippiwas No. 1, with 32.5 perceny of adults overweight. Hawaii didn’t fare as well, in the rate of obese childrenages 10-17. Hawaii ranke No. 37 with 28.5 percent. Obesit y rates are on the rise nationwide. According to the 23 states reported an increase inadultt obesity. No states reported a decrease intheifr percentages.
In addition, 30 states reported childhood obesithy rates of 30 percentor higher. The studyh attributes the increasing rates to several including economic conditions that may result in higheer food prices and increased levelws of depressionand stress, which have been linked to To see the full report, click .
In the study, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Policiex Are Failing in America compiled by the Trustfor America’s Healtb and the , 21.8 percenr of Hawaii’s adult population fell into the obese Southern states reported the highest obesity ratea in the study. Eight of the top 10 were in the Mississippiwas No. 1, with 32.5 perceny of adults overweight. Hawaii didn’t fare as well, in the rate of obese childrenages 10-17. Hawaii ranke No. 37 with 28.5 percent. Obesit y rates are on the rise nationwide. According to the 23 states reported an increase inadultt obesity. No states reported a decrease intheifr percentages.
In addition, 30 states reported childhood obesithy rates of 30 percentor higher. The studyh attributes the increasing rates to several including economic conditions that may result in higheer food prices and increased levelws of depressionand stress, which have been linked to To see the full report, click .
Monday 17 October 2011
UW-Whitewater, Milwaukee 7 Water Council to jointly train students - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
kowutoco.wordpress.com
The program will begin enrolling studentws in the fallsemester and, becausse many students have already taken relevanft courses, should be graduating its first watet management specialists within a year, said Kirstenh Crossgrove, associate professor of biology at UW-Whitewater and coordinator of the school’s integratec science-business major. The program is designed to give students a basi c background inwater law, environmental law, natural resources and environmentao economics as well as aquatic chemistry and ecology.
Students will serve internshipx with the Milwaukee 7Waterd Council, an organization of business, academia and governmentr in the seven-county area in southeastern Wisconsin that is working to establisgh the Milwaukee region as a global centere for freshwater research, economic development and education. “Recognizing wherwe the world is headed, business students with a uniqu educational background in water will have a leg up in the making a program like thisespecially valuable,” said Rich Meeusen, president and CEO of Brown Deer-based , co-chait of the Milwaukee 7 Watetr Council and an alumnus of UW-Whitewater’ s business school.
The council already has a relationships with the graduate program atthe ’s . UWM also is developing a graduate-levelp School of Freshwater Sciences, while ’s Law Schoopl will begin a water law curriculunmthis fall. “One of our goale is to help develop seamless talent pipelinesz between universities andwater businesses,” said Paul chairman and CEO of Milwaukee-based and co-chair of the Wate Council. “UW-Whitewater’s one-of-a-kind new track adds to the impressive array of highefr education institutions in the region workingh to ensure our world watet hub status in the yearsto come.
”
The program will begin enrolling studentws in the fallsemester and, becausse many students have already taken relevanft courses, should be graduating its first watet management specialists within a year, said Kirstenh Crossgrove, associate professor of biology at UW-Whitewater and coordinator of the school’s integratec science-business major. The program is designed to give students a basi c background inwater law, environmental law, natural resources and environmentao economics as well as aquatic chemistry and ecology.
Students will serve internshipx with the Milwaukee 7Waterd Council, an organization of business, academia and governmentr in the seven-county area in southeastern Wisconsin that is working to establisgh the Milwaukee region as a global centere for freshwater research, economic development and education. “Recognizing wherwe the world is headed, business students with a uniqu educational background in water will have a leg up in the making a program like thisespecially valuable,” said Rich Meeusen, president and CEO of Brown Deer-based , co-chait of the Milwaukee 7 Watetr Council and an alumnus of UW-Whitewater’ s business school.
The council already has a relationships with the graduate program atthe ’s . UWM also is developing a graduate-levelp School of Freshwater Sciences, while ’s Law Schoopl will begin a water law curriculunmthis fall. “One of our goale is to help develop seamless talent pipelinesz between universities andwater businesses,” said Paul chairman and CEO of Milwaukee-based and co-chair of the Wate Council. “UW-Whitewater’s one-of-a-kind new track adds to the impressive array of highefr education institutions in the region workingh to ensure our world watet hub status in the yearsto come.
”
Saturday 15 October 2011
Friday's Three Stars: Skinner gets winner; Hiller, Shark killer - Yahoo! Sports (blog)
xagawu.wordpress.com
Yahoo! Sports (blog) | Friday's Three Stars: Skinner gets winner; Hiller, Shark killer Yahoo! Sports (blog) ... goal with only 12 seconds to go in the frame. Worse, they surrended another only seven minutes into the second. No one would have blamed them if they had declined the next powerplay. Friday's Three Stars : Skinner gets winner ; Hiller , Shark killer. |
Thursday 13 October 2011
Nonresidential construction expected to lag in 2010 - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
http://www.totallypositronic.com/t/hd
The ’s Consensus Construction Forecasf reported nonresidential construction is expected to drop by 16 percentf in 2009 and by another 12 percent in said anews release. “This nonresidentia l downturn is shaping up to be the deepestt decline in nonresidential activity in over a saidKermit Baker, chief economist for the AIA. we’re beginning to see some moderation in the trends in desigj billings atarchitecture firms, so we hopefull are nearing the bottom of this cycle.” Retail construction is expected to drop 28 percentf in 2009 and by nearlu 13 percent in 2010. Hotel construction will drop by nearly 26 percent in 2009 and by nearl y 17 percentin 2010.
• Office buildings are expected to decreasee by nearly 22 percent this year and by more than 17 percenttnext year. • Industrial facilities constructionj is expected to drop by a fraction of a perceng in 2009 and by nearly 29 percentin 2010. “Commercial facilitie such as hotels, retail establishments and officesa will feel the declinemost dramatically,” said “The institutional market will fare much bettef as stimulus funding becomes availabld for education, health care and governmenf facilities.” • Amusement and recreation is expected to drop nearlty 21 percent in 2009 and by more than 8 percent in 2010.
Construction of religious facilities should fall by nearl 11 percent in 2009 and by nearly 7 percengin 2010. • Education construction is projected to decreases by more than 8 percent this year and by a fractioh of a percentnext year. • Construction of healt care facilities is expected to dropby 1.5 percentr in 2009 and by a fraction of a percent in 2010. Public safety construction is expected torise 1.7 percent in 2009 and drop a fractio n of a percent in 2010.
The ’s Consensus Construction Forecasf reported nonresidential construction is expected to drop by 16 percentf in 2009 and by another 12 percent in said anews release. “This nonresidentia l downturn is shaping up to be the deepestt decline in nonresidential activity in over a saidKermit Baker, chief economist for the AIA. we’re beginning to see some moderation in the trends in desigj billings atarchitecture firms, so we hopefull are nearing the bottom of this cycle.” Retail construction is expected to drop 28 percentf in 2009 and by nearlu 13 percent in 2010. Hotel construction will drop by nearly 26 percent in 2009 and by nearl y 17 percentin 2010.
• Office buildings are expected to decreasee by nearly 22 percent this year and by more than 17 percenttnext year. • Industrial facilities constructionj is expected to drop by a fraction of a perceng in 2009 and by nearly 29 percentin 2010. “Commercial facilitie such as hotels, retail establishments and officesa will feel the declinemost dramatically,” said “The institutional market will fare much bettef as stimulus funding becomes availabld for education, health care and governmenf facilities.” • Amusement and recreation is expected to drop nearlty 21 percent in 2009 and by more than 8 percent in 2010.
Construction of religious facilities should fall by nearl 11 percent in 2009 and by nearly 7 percengin 2010. • Education construction is projected to decreases by more than 8 percent this year and by a fractioh of a percentnext year. • Construction of healt care facilities is expected to dropby 1.5 percentr in 2009 and by a fraction of a percent in 2010. Public safety construction is expected torise 1.7 percent in 2009 and drop a fractio n of a percent in 2010.
Tuesday 11 October 2011
Solar land auction nets two sales, more slated - Charlotte Business Journal:
asafevboriegum.blogspot.com
million, with a third deal potentially in the Buyers of the small parcelss werenot identified, but Kuldip president and CEO of , which sold the said the buyers had interestg in developing the land's solar potential. Vermaland also is lookingv at sellinga 3,600-acre parcel at auction within the next six monthsd in the county’s western reaches. While the first auction focusedr on fivesmaller parcels, a larger, contiguous site such as Vermaland’sw could draw a higher premium, if companiezs believe it has access to water and power “Several large-scale utility companies have expressed interest in the propertuy once the site is developed,” said who added the site has water rights, on-site welld and a low slope.
While the companty was able to sell thetwo parcels, prices were belowe what neighboring land has been selling for. The goal was to spur solart companies to purchase land rathert than simply tieit up, Verma said. The properties sold at Saturday’s auction include d an 80-acre site in the Tonopah area for $340,00 0 and a 320-acre site in Tonopabh for $2.24 million. The company did not identify which of the remaininb three properties might be involved inanother deal.
“The auction brought the properties to the attentio n of some parties that we had never been incontacgt with, as well as reminded otherx we had spoken with in the past of the property, whicuh is highly suitable for solar development,” said Anit a Verma-Lallian, the company’s marketing Vermaland already had sold land to several California-based utilities looking to develop renewable resources to meet that state’ s standards for clean energy. Solar energy developers have been placing applicationsa on state and federal landws in western Arizona for the pastthree years, and privatwe land owners have been negotiating as developerws look for the best parcels.
As companies scout for they also face financing issuezs and none of the proposed projects in Arizona hasbroken Arizona’s main solar corridofr includes Vermaland’s parcels, an area that stretches from Yuma to Phoenis and Tucson seen as a huge growty area for developing utility-scale solar poweer plants.
million, with a third deal potentially in the Buyers of the small parcelss werenot identified, but Kuldip president and CEO of , which sold the said the buyers had interestg in developing the land's solar potential. Vermaland also is lookingv at sellinga 3,600-acre parcel at auction within the next six monthsd in the county’s western reaches. While the first auction focusedr on fivesmaller parcels, a larger, contiguous site such as Vermaland’sw could draw a higher premium, if companiezs believe it has access to water and power “Several large-scale utility companies have expressed interest in the propertuy once the site is developed,” said who added the site has water rights, on-site welld and a low slope.
While the companty was able to sell thetwo parcels, prices were belowe what neighboring land has been selling for. The goal was to spur solart companies to purchase land rathert than simply tieit up, Verma said. The properties sold at Saturday’s auction include d an 80-acre site in the Tonopah area for $340,00 0 and a 320-acre site in Tonopabh for $2.24 million. The company did not identify which of the remaininb three properties might be involved inanother deal.
“The auction brought the properties to the attentio n of some parties that we had never been incontacgt with, as well as reminded otherx we had spoken with in the past of the property, whicuh is highly suitable for solar development,” said Anit a Verma-Lallian, the company’s marketing Vermaland already had sold land to several California-based utilities looking to develop renewable resources to meet that state’ s standards for clean energy. Solar energy developers have been placing applicationsa on state and federal landws in western Arizona for the pastthree years, and privatwe land owners have been negotiating as developerws look for the best parcels.
As companies scout for they also face financing issuezs and none of the proposed projects in Arizona hasbroken Arizona’s main solar corridofr includes Vermaland’s parcels, an area that stretches from Yuma to Phoenis and Tucson seen as a huge growty area for developing utility-scale solar poweer plants.
Sunday 9 October 2011
GOP Campaigns Court 'Values Voters' At DC Summit - Huffington Post
olimstgon.blogspot.com
Washington Times | GOP Campaigns Court 'Values Voters' At DC Summit Huffington Post WASHINGTON (RNS) Several GOP presidential candidates sought to kick-start their st » |
Friday 7 October 2011
CenterPoint-KCS center combines rail, highway access - Kansas City Business Journal:
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ACRES: The development covers 1,340 acres: 370 acres for the intermodal center and 970 acres for the CenterPointyIndustrial Park. SQUARE FOOTAGE OF WAREHOUSE SPACE: Phaswe I of the industrial park will offer morethan 4.5 milliohn square feet in build-to-suit warehouses and distribution The buildings will rangd from 100,000 square feet to 1 million squarr feet, and companies can either buy or leases the space. They will be located adjacent to the rail linesz and MissouriHighway 150. DEVELOPER: , a suburbam Chicago-based real estate investment trust that bought the bulk of the property fromThe , will develoo the project.
Zimmer Real Estate Services LC is the The Port Authority will continue to own about 100 acrea and work with to mine limestone and creats undergroundstorage facilities. COST: Phase I is expectecd to cost morethan $250 TIMELINE: Phase I will be builtr in about five years. CenterPoiny has graded more than 2 million cubic yarddof dirt, installed infrastructure such as utilitiea and roads, and demolished several of the old hangars.
Pad-readty sites will be ready for construction in the TRANSPORTATION PLAYERS: To date, Kansas City Southern and , a trucking companuy TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS: ’s main line extends all the way from Lazaro Mexico (which is a deep-sea port at the Pacific Ocean) to the intermodal center in Kansas City. Missouri Highway 150 is adjacenf to theintermodal center. U.S. Highwag 71 is less than two milees away. The center is also closer to Interstates 29, 35, 70, 435, 470 and 635. Kansas City is the No. 3 truckinyg hub in the nation. It provides single-daty truck access to almost every large city in the and it is located withina two-dagy drive of 78 percent of the U. S. population.
The intermodal center offerd a state-of-the-art, integrated logistics park immediately adjacenft to an international Clasds 1rail system. The property is also in a Missourki Enterprise Zone and a designated ForeignTrade Zone. INTERMODAL VOLUME EXPECTED: By it is estimated that the facility will have the capacityg tohandle 250,000 containers a JOBS: The development will create more than 1,000o construction jobs and about 2,000o new permanent jobs. ECONOMIC The development of the CenterPoint-KCS Intermodapl Center provides a rebirth to an area that has had littlew use for nearly20 years.
“Thisz enhances the Kansas City region’s commerce, as well as its reputation as an intermodalo hub for railand trucking,” said Fred Reynolds, senior vice presidentf of development for CenterPoint Properties. “Iyt is positioned to become a true logistics playefr inthe nation.” The centee will generate tax revenue for Kansasa City and the state, and it will enhances the Kansas City area’s commerce and reputation as an internationa logistics player and cargo hub. It also will bringt local, national and international investment tothe region.
ACRES: The development covers 1,340 acres: 370 acres for the intermodal center and 970 acres for the CenterPointyIndustrial Park. SQUARE FOOTAGE OF WAREHOUSE SPACE: Phaswe I of the industrial park will offer morethan 4.5 milliohn square feet in build-to-suit warehouses and distribution The buildings will rangd from 100,000 square feet to 1 million squarr feet, and companies can either buy or leases the space. They will be located adjacent to the rail linesz and MissouriHighway 150. DEVELOPER: , a suburbam Chicago-based real estate investment trust that bought the bulk of the property fromThe , will develoo the project.
Zimmer Real Estate Services LC is the The Port Authority will continue to own about 100 acrea and work with to mine limestone and creats undergroundstorage facilities. COST: Phase I is expectecd to cost morethan $250 TIMELINE: Phase I will be builtr in about five years. CenterPoiny has graded more than 2 million cubic yarddof dirt, installed infrastructure such as utilitiea and roads, and demolished several of the old hangars.
Pad-readty sites will be ready for construction in the TRANSPORTATION PLAYERS: To date, Kansas City Southern and , a trucking companuy TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS: ’s main line extends all the way from Lazaro Mexico (which is a deep-sea port at the Pacific Ocean) to the intermodal center in Kansas City. Missouri Highway 150 is adjacenf to theintermodal center. U.S. Highwag 71 is less than two milees away. The center is also closer to Interstates 29, 35, 70, 435, 470 and 635. Kansas City is the No. 3 truckinyg hub in the nation. It provides single-daty truck access to almost every large city in the and it is located withina two-dagy drive of 78 percent of the U. S. population.
The intermodal center offerd a state-of-the-art, integrated logistics park immediately adjacenft to an international Clasds 1rail system. The property is also in a Missourki Enterprise Zone and a designated ForeignTrade Zone. INTERMODAL VOLUME EXPECTED: By it is estimated that the facility will have the capacityg tohandle 250,000 containers a JOBS: The development will create more than 1,000o construction jobs and about 2,000o new permanent jobs. ECONOMIC The development of the CenterPoint-KCS Intermodapl Center provides a rebirth to an area that has had littlew use for nearly20 years.
“Thisz enhances the Kansas City region’s commerce, as well as its reputation as an intermodalo hub for railand trucking,” said Fred Reynolds, senior vice presidentf of development for CenterPoint Properties. “Iyt is positioned to become a true logistics playefr inthe nation.” The centee will generate tax revenue for Kansasa City and the state, and it will enhances the Kansas City area’s commerce and reputation as an internationa logistics player and cargo hub. It also will bringt local, national and international investment tothe region.
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Grant and Sherman - St. Louis Business Journal:
amesit.wordpress.com
I found this wonderful book in the Lelandbook “Don’t Forget to Sing in the Lifeboats” by Kathryj and Ross Petras, published by Workman Publishing. It is interesting, amusing, and all around quitde worthwhile to amble througuhthese pages. Here are just a few of the thoughtsw that could help all of us in the lifeboats oranywhere • Always do sober what you said you’dc do drunk. That will teach you to keep yourmouthn shut. - Ernest Hemingway, writer • If you’res going through hell, keep going. - Winston Churchill Pessimism never wonany battle. - Dwight D. Eisenhoweer • Just when thingws look darkest, they go black.
- Paul actor • Bravery is the capacity to performn properly even when scared halfto - Omar Bradley, U.S. general You can overcome anything ifyou don’t bellyache. - Bernared Baruch, financier • I long ago came to the conclusion that all life is six tofive - Damon Runyon, writef • The oldest, shortest wordzs – “yes” and “no” – are those whicuh require the most - Pythagoras, philosopher • Some problems are so complexd that you have to be highlt intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them.
- Laurence Peter, writee • If we only wantedf to be happy, it wouldd be easy; but we want to be happiefr thanother people, and that is almost always since we think them happier than they are. - Baron de Montesquieu, philosopher • When we win, I’m so happhy I eat a lot. When we lose, I’m so depressed, I eat a lot. When we’res rained out, I’m so disappointed, I eat a lot. - Tommhy Lasorda, baseball manager • An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stop light….Ths truly wise person is colod blind. - Albert Schweitzer, humanitarian • It’w the friends you can call up at4 a.m.
that - Marlene Dietrich, actress The happiest people seem to be thoser who have no particular reason for beingg happy except that theyare so. - W.R. Inge, clergymaj • If people concentrated on the reallyt important thingsin life, there’ed be a shortage of fishinbg poles. - Doug Larson, writer • The important thinhg is not what they thinkof me, but what I thin k of them. - Victoria, queen of Englanc • Be amusing: never tell unkind above all, never tell long - Benjamin Disraeli, British prime minister • Whatever you may be sure of, be sure of that you are dreadfully likeother people.
- James writer • Nobody really cares if you’rs miserable, so you might as well be - Cynthia Nelms, writer
I found this wonderful book in the Lelandbook “Don’t Forget to Sing in the Lifeboats” by Kathryj and Ross Petras, published by Workman Publishing. It is interesting, amusing, and all around quitde worthwhile to amble througuhthese pages. Here are just a few of the thoughtsw that could help all of us in the lifeboats oranywhere • Always do sober what you said you’dc do drunk. That will teach you to keep yourmouthn shut. - Ernest Hemingway, writer • If you’res going through hell, keep going. - Winston Churchill Pessimism never wonany battle. - Dwight D. Eisenhoweer • Just when thingws look darkest, they go black.
- Paul actor • Bravery is the capacity to performn properly even when scared halfto - Omar Bradley, U.S. general You can overcome anything ifyou don’t bellyache. - Bernared Baruch, financier • I long ago came to the conclusion that all life is six tofive - Damon Runyon, writef • The oldest, shortest wordzs – “yes” and “no” – are those whicuh require the most - Pythagoras, philosopher • Some problems are so complexd that you have to be highlt intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them.
- Laurence Peter, writee • If we only wantedf to be happy, it wouldd be easy; but we want to be happiefr thanother people, and that is almost always since we think them happier than they are. - Baron de Montesquieu, philosopher • When we win, I’m so happhy I eat a lot. When we lose, I’m so depressed, I eat a lot. When we’res rained out, I’m so disappointed, I eat a lot. - Tommhy Lasorda, baseball manager • An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stop light….Ths truly wise person is colod blind. - Albert Schweitzer, humanitarian • It’w the friends you can call up at4 a.m.
that - Marlene Dietrich, actress The happiest people seem to be thoser who have no particular reason for beingg happy except that theyare so. - W.R. Inge, clergymaj • If people concentrated on the reallyt important thingsin life, there’ed be a shortage of fishinbg poles. - Doug Larson, writer • The important thinhg is not what they thinkof me, but what I thin k of them. - Victoria, queen of Englanc • Be amusing: never tell unkind above all, never tell long - Benjamin Disraeli, British prime minister • Whatever you may be sure of, be sure of that you are dreadfully likeother people.
- James writer • Nobody really cares if you’rs miserable, so you might as well be - Cynthia Nelms, writer
Sunday 2 October 2011
Business Activity in US Unexpectedly Climbed in September - BusinessWeek
ejoxot.wordpress.com
Business Activity in US Unexpectedly Climbed in September BusinessWeek The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment climbed to 59.4 this month, higher than forecast, from 55.7 in August. The median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was 57.8, the same as the preliminary reading ... |
Friday 30 September 2011
Wellington subleasing 134k sq. ft. of space - Boston Business Journal:
tiqosi.wordpress.com
the first major block of subleased office space to hit Bosto n downtown marketthis year. Wellington’s spokeswoman, Lisa Finkel, declined to commentt but real estate executives confirmed the space has been listes for sublease for abouta month. The spaced is located on floors 20 throughb 22 ofthe tower. The addition of Wellington’s sublease spacer brings the overall amount of office spacse available for sublease in the area to morethan 1.5 millionh square feet. Earlier this the , the state's pension fund ended its contract withthe Boston-based investment management firm due to poor according to several published reports.
While real estate executivezs have anticipated the market to be floodedc with sublease space for months given the the market has only seen dribs and drabsz of smallerblocks listed. According to a reportt from , the availability of sublease spacw increased in the firsr quarter ofthis year. Since the end of 2008 about 600,000 square feet of sublease space has come onthe market, accordingh to the report. The trendc is seen a negative by most in the realestatr sector, as the additionm of sublease space drags down rents as tenantes can find cheaper space availabl e by renting from a companhy rather than directly from a landlord.
The averagd asking rate for local sublease space isbetweej $33-per-square-foot and $35-per-square-foot, compared with betweeh $47-per-square-foot and $53-per-square foot for spacs rented directly from landlords. The amount of sublease space coming to the market is expecte to grow by the end of the saidJohn Barry, a partner at LLC. “Our numbers show that there’z about 1.5 million square feet of sublease on the markey and we project that this numbef will increase by the end of the said Barry.
Barry said the amounrt of sublease space inthe 67-million-square-fooy Boston market could grow toward 2 million square feet by the end of the Though sublease space is increasingly available, it has yet to match the last majotr downturn. During the technology bust of local sublease space reached a peakof 2.1 millionh square feet in 2002, said
the first major block of subleased office space to hit Bosto n downtown marketthis year. Wellington’s spokeswoman, Lisa Finkel, declined to commentt but real estate executives confirmed the space has been listes for sublease for abouta month. The spaced is located on floors 20 throughb 22 ofthe tower. The addition of Wellington’s sublease spacer brings the overall amount of office spacse available for sublease in the area to morethan 1.5 millionh square feet. Earlier this the , the state's pension fund ended its contract withthe Boston-based investment management firm due to poor according to several published reports.
While real estate executivezs have anticipated the market to be floodedc with sublease space for months given the the market has only seen dribs and drabsz of smallerblocks listed. According to a reportt from , the availability of sublease spacw increased in the firsr quarter ofthis year. Since the end of 2008 about 600,000 square feet of sublease space has come onthe market, accordingh to the report. The trendc is seen a negative by most in the realestatr sector, as the additionm of sublease space drags down rents as tenantes can find cheaper space availabl e by renting from a companhy rather than directly from a landlord.
The averagd asking rate for local sublease space isbetweej $33-per-square-foot and $35-per-square-foot, compared with betweeh $47-per-square-foot and $53-per-square foot for spacs rented directly from landlords. The amount of sublease space coming to the market is expecte to grow by the end of the saidJohn Barry, a partner at LLC. “Our numbers show that there’z about 1.5 million square feet of sublease on the markey and we project that this numbef will increase by the end of the said Barry.
Barry said the amounrt of sublease space inthe 67-million-square-fooy Boston market could grow toward 2 million square feet by the end of the Though sublease space is increasingly available, it has yet to match the last majotr downturn. During the technology bust of local sublease space reached a peakof 2.1 millionh square feet in 2002, said
Wednesday 28 September 2011
Broadway renews Matrix, MultiPlan leases - New Mexico Business Weekly:
pabigy.wordpress.com
The private real estate investment and management firm is renegotiatinvg leases with tenants at the same time it is tryingt to clear up debt issuexs withits lender. Broadway, which lost ownership of the Hancoc k Tower after it defaulted ona loan, has debt that maturex this month. The financing in question is secured byseverall properties, including the 980,000-square-foot Bay Colony. Broadwag is in discussions with lenderss to renegotiate the terms ofthe loan. Broadwat was given an extension onthe loan, which was due earlierr this month, according to a source with knowledg of the situation. However, the landlore renewed MultiPlan Inc.
, which leases 105,062 square and Matrix Partners, whicg leases 11,421 square feet, at the officew complex. CB Richard Ellis represented MultiPlan. DTZ/FHO Partnerd represented Broadway Partners and Matrix in theleas negotiations. Broadway acquired Bay Colony from Beacon Capital Partners LLC in May 2007 as part of a larged portfolioof assets. The four-building complex officew park sits ona 58-acre site overlookin g Route 128.
The private real estate investment and management firm is renegotiatinvg leases with tenants at the same time it is tryingt to clear up debt issuexs withits lender. Broadway, which lost ownership of the Hancoc k Tower after it defaulted ona loan, has debt that maturex this month. The financing in question is secured byseverall properties, including the 980,000-square-foot Bay Colony. Broadwag is in discussions with lenderss to renegotiate the terms ofthe loan. Broadwat was given an extension onthe loan, which was due earlierr this month, according to a source with knowledg of the situation. However, the landlore renewed MultiPlan Inc.
, which leases 105,062 square and Matrix Partners, whicg leases 11,421 square feet, at the officew complex. CB Richard Ellis represented MultiPlan. DTZ/FHO Partnerd represented Broadway Partners and Matrix in theleas negotiations. Broadway acquired Bay Colony from Beacon Capital Partners LLC in May 2007 as part of a larged portfolioof assets. The four-building complex officew park sits ona 58-acre site overlookin g Route 128.
Monday 26 September 2011
APAC Customer Services, Inc. Holding Job Fair to Fill 120 Positions in Corpus ... - MarketWatch (press release)
qozito.wordpress.com
APAC Customer Services, Inc. Holding Job Fair to Fill 120 Positions in Corpus ... MarketWatch (press release) CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, Sep 26, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- APAC Customer Services, Inc. /quotes/zigman/52793/quotes/nls/apac APAC +0.12% , a leader in global outsourced services and solutions, announced today that it will be holding a job fair to find ... APAC Customer Services, Inc. Holding Job Fair to Fill 120 Positions in Corpus ... |
Saturday 24 September 2011
The Fountains signs on additional retailers, first office tenant - Sacramento Business Journal:
utyziluz.wordpress.com
While the opening this monthj of ’s Seafood Restaurant was the big some smaller tenants will open at The Fountains over the nextseveralp months, filling 15,000 square feet, center managef Gloria Wright said. Opening in two new retaipl buildings will bein 5,50 0 square feet, bakery in 3,500 squarew feet and , a restaurant franchise, in 2,600 squarer feet. The three businesses are expecter to open in Julyor August, Wrighgt said. Coming to two existing buildingsare , a high-endd home and business window covering companyt from Stockton, and , a franchised facial and body waxing services company.
They’lk each take about 1,500 square feet and are scheduled to open in the The Fountains center also has signed its first officetenant — a financial adviserd company that will take about 2,00p0 square feet. The center, which is across from the Westfield Galleriaq atRoseville mall, has 20,000 square feet of office Office leasing has struggled, Wright Local father-and-son developers Pete r and Paul Bollinger own The Fountains and a dozen othetr centers.
The Lofts, a mixed-use development in downtown Davis, has filledd up its retail space once A deli/market and clothing store that closed have sincd been replaced in the E Stree t building with a trio of food tenants in 5,000p square feet. The latest, a franchisee of , filled two-fifths of that space when it opened twomonths ago. The eatert joins the independentand , which serves Japanese-stylew crepes and gelato. Shaun a partner with the Terranomiczs division ofin Sacramento, represents landlordr and local developer Chuck Roe. Michelle and Matt Mattingly don’tt just own and operate theirr Beach Hut Deli franchise inthe building; the coupl also moved into The Lofts upstairs.
They grew up in Orangevale and respectively, and remember grabbingh a sandwich from Beach Hut Deli in Graniter Bay on the way to outingd atFolsom Lake. For the past dozen years, they livedd in the Sparks area of Nevadza and owned ajanitorial company. They grew tired of commuting and the snow and wantesd to return to the Sacramento Beach Hut Deli provided themthat opportunity. Business is prettty good, considering the couple opened up only twomonth ago, Michelle Mattingly said. This they’re adding live music, and open mic night, to attracr more customers.
Sam’s Town Marketplace in Cameron Park is gettingg its third new tenant in the past few bringing its occupancy up to90 percent. , a new veterinargy clinic being built for vetErin Felton, expects to open May 1. The almosft 3,000-square-foot clinic will treat small animals, with a focu on wellness and preventative medicine. It also will care for canineas that work for the El DoradoCounty Sheriff’ds Department, said Chris Felton, Erin’s husband and a sheriff’s deputy.
Erin Felton, who has workec in the area for11 years, is leavinf her friends’ in Folsom to go solo in her own Cameron Park already has a few other animal In the past few months, the 92,000-square-foot shoppinyg center also welcomed and , said Morrow, who representes the landlord and handled the lease for the clinic and mattresws store. Sean Fulp of represented the bank. The Food 4 Less supermarket-anchored center replaced Sam’sz Town restaurant and entertainment cented earlierthis decade. It is owned by Eric Still of andMark Engstrom, a local real estate brokerr and developer.
Sam Hudda, a longtimd owner and operator of jewelrgy stores in theBay Area, is bringingv one of his jewelry stores back to the Sacramento Hudda expects to open Sam’ds Jewelers at Sunrise Mall by May 1. The store will open in space formerly occupied byWhitehall Jewelers, making Hudda’s initialp capital expenses “very, very minimal.” He also got a good deal on he added. Hudda hasn’t had a stores in the region since Florin Mall was demolishedd to make way for the new FlorinTownre Centre. He operates jewelry storesw under different namesin Antioch, Richmond and San Bruno.
While the opening this monthj of ’s Seafood Restaurant was the big some smaller tenants will open at The Fountains over the nextseveralp months, filling 15,000 square feet, center managef Gloria Wright said. Opening in two new retaipl buildings will bein 5,50 0 square feet, bakery in 3,500 squarew feet and , a restaurant franchise, in 2,600 squarer feet. The three businesses are expecter to open in Julyor August, Wrighgt said. Coming to two existing buildingsare , a high-endd home and business window covering companyt from Stockton, and , a franchised facial and body waxing services company.
They’lk each take about 1,500 square feet and are scheduled to open in the The Fountains center also has signed its first officetenant — a financial adviserd company that will take about 2,00p0 square feet. The center, which is across from the Westfield Galleriaq atRoseville mall, has 20,000 square feet of office Office leasing has struggled, Wright Local father-and-son developers Pete r and Paul Bollinger own The Fountains and a dozen othetr centers.
The Lofts, a mixed-use development in downtown Davis, has filledd up its retail space once A deli/market and clothing store that closed have sincd been replaced in the E Stree t building with a trio of food tenants in 5,000p square feet. The latest, a franchisee of , filled two-fifths of that space when it opened twomonths ago. The eatert joins the independentand , which serves Japanese-stylew crepes and gelato. Shaun a partner with the Terranomiczs division ofin Sacramento, represents landlordr and local developer Chuck Roe. Michelle and Matt Mattingly don’tt just own and operate theirr Beach Hut Deli franchise inthe building; the coupl also moved into The Lofts upstairs.
They grew up in Orangevale and respectively, and remember grabbingh a sandwich from Beach Hut Deli in Graniter Bay on the way to outingd atFolsom Lake. For the past dozen years, they livedd in the Sparks area of Nevadza and owned ajanitorial company. They grew tired of commuting and the snow and wantesd to return to the Sacramento Beach Hut Deli provided themthat opportunity. Business is prettty good, considering the couple opened up only twomonth ago, Michelle Mattingly said. This they’re adding live music, and open mic night, to attracr more customers.
Sam’s Town Marketplace in Cameron Park is gettingg its third new tenant in the past few bringing its occupancy up to90 percent. , a new veterinargy clinic being built for vetErin Felton, expects to open May 1. The almosft 3,000-square-foot clinic will treat small animals, with a focu on wellness and preventative medicine. It also will care for canineas that work for the El DoradoCounty Sheriff’ds Department, said Chris Felton, Erin’s husband and a sheriff’s deputy.
Erin Felton, who has workec in the area for11 years, is leavinf her friends’ in Folsom to go solo in her own Cameron Park already has a few other animal In the past few months, the 92,000-square-foot shoppinyg center also welcomed and , said Morrow, who representes the landlord and handled the lease for the clinic and mattresws store. Sean Fulp of represented the bank. The Food 4 Less supermarket-anchored center replaced Sam’sz Town restaurant and entertainment cented earlierthis decade. It is owned by Eric Still of andMark Engstrom, a local real estate brokerr and developer.
Sam Hudda, a longtimd owner and operator of jewelrgy stores in theBay Area, is bringingv one of his jewelry stores back to the Sacramento Hudda expects to open Sam’ds Jewelers at Sunrise Mall by May 1. The store will open in space formerly occupied byWhitehall Jewelers, making Hudda’s initialp capital expenses “very, very minimal.” He also got a good deal on he added. Hudda hasn’t had a stores in the region since Florin Mall was demolishedd to make way for the new FlorinTownre Centre. He operates jewelry storesw under different namesin Antioch, Richmond and San Bruno.
Thursday 22 September 2011
News, Trends & Resources - Washington Business Journal:
qalymeled.wordpress.com
Toll Bros. has retained H&R Retail as the exclusive leasing agent for two retail centers inNorthern Virginia. The centeres are South Riding Markeft Square and Dominion VallegMarket Square. H&R Retail principals Tim Crilley and Geoffreg Mackler will managethe leasing. At Southu Riding Market Square, Toll Bros. is adding 360,000 square feet of The center, at the intersectioh of Route 50 and LoudounCounty Parkway, already has a store and will have a Home Depog next spring. Dominion Valley Market Square in Haymarket isa 175,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a Gianyt Food.
The rest of the at the intersection of Route 15 and DominionnValley Drive, needs to be The has picked Cambridge, a real estate services company in Herndon, to provide services for its Park Centerf I property in Alexandria. Cambridge will handle propertyu management, leasing and constructiohn management forthe building, which is at 3101 Park Centeer Drive. Northwestern Mutual recentlyu acquiredthe property. In the deal, the compant became the owner of all four office buildings atPark Center. Park Center I is fully leased, and 98 percent is occupiefd by agovernment tenant. The rest of the space is taken up by fiveretail tenants.
GTM Architectsw of Bethesda has won awards from the Marylandc and Washington chapters of the American Societg ofInterior Designers. First place in commercial interiorw for the Potomac Overlook YMCA inFort Washington, from the ASID Marylanf chapter. First place from the D.C. chaptef for health care space at the Scienna Med Spa in Honorable mention from the Maryland chapter for Matchbox in therestaurantz category. Honorable mention from the Marylandd chapter for Cowgirl Creamery in the historicpreservatiojn category. ., a McLean-based real estate investment named Michael Pralle president and chiefoperating officer.
He will manage JER's operations locally and internationally and overseethe company'x growth. Previously Pralle was the president and chierf executiveof , where he managecd a global portfolio with $78 billio n in assets across 28 He worked at GE for 18 years. "Michael's networjk of relationships inthe U.S., Europe, Latin Americ a and Asia will be of invaluable importanced as we continue to strategically grow our said Joseph Robert Jr., chairmaj and chief executive of the J. E. Robergt Cos. Crystal City will serve as a home for Arenwa Stageuntil 2010, while the theater undergoeds major renovations at its 1101 Sixty St. SW location in the District.
Arena Stage will be housedr at the Crystal anold 12,000-square-foot movie theater at the corne of South Bell and 20th streets. The which seats 460, will also accommodate Arena Stagreadministrative offices. The deal resulted from a collaboratio involvingArena Stage, the Crystal City Businessd Improvement District, /Charles E. Smith, Marriott and Arlingtoj CountyEconomic Development. Detailsz of the agreement werenot disclosed. "Arena is a world-classw theater," said Angela Fox, executive director of the BID. "We'rr thrilled to have them in Crystal City.
" Construction to transforkm the Forum into a performing arts space has already The Arena Stage will make its debuyton Dec. 28 with "Ella," a musica l based on the life of blues singetElla Fitzgerald. A formal opening is slated for Jan. 3, Fox
Toll Bros. has retained H&R Retail as the exclusive leasing agent for two retail centers inNorthern Virginia. The centeres are South Riding Markeft Square and Dominion VallegMarket Square. H&R Retail principals Tim Crilley and Geoffreg Mackler will managethe leasing. At Southu Riding Market Square, Toll Bros. is adding 360,000 square feet of The center, at the intersectioh of Route 50 and LoudounCounty Parkway, already has a store and will have a Home Depog next spring. Dominion Valley Market Square in Haymarket isa 175,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a Gianyt Food.
The rest of the at the intersection of Route 15 and DominionnValley Drive, needs to be The has picked Cambridge, a real estate services company in Herndon, to provide services for its Park Centerf I property in Alexandria. Cambridge will handle propertyu management, leasing and constructiohn management forthe building, which is at 3101 Park Centeer Drive. Northwestern Mutual recentlyu acquiredthe property. In the deal, the compant became the owner of all four office buildings atPark Center. Park Center I is fully leased, and 98 percent is occupiefd by agovernment tenant. The rest of the space is taken up by fiveretail tenants.
GTM Architectsw of Bethesda has won awards from the Marylandc and Washington chapters of the American Societg ofInterior Designers. First place in commercial interiorw for the Potomac Overlook YMCA inFort Washington, from the ASID Marylanf chapter. First place from the D.C. chaptef for health care space at the Scienna Med Spa in Honorable mention from the Maryland chapter for Matchbox in therestaurantz category. Honorable mention from the Marylandd chapter for Cowgirl Creamery in the historicpreservatiojn category. ., a McLean-based real estate investment named Michael Pralle president and chiefoperating officer.
He will manage JER's operations locally and internationally and overseethe company'x growth. Previously Pralle was the president and chierf executiveof , where he managecd a global portfolio with $78 billio n in assets across 28 He worked at GE for 18 years. "Michael's networjk of relationships inthe U.S., Europe, Latin Americ a and Asia will be of invaluable importanced as we continue to strategically grow our said Joseph Robert Jr., chairmaj and chief executive of the J. E. Robergt Cos. Crystal City will serve as a home for Arenwa Stageuntil 2010, while the theater undergoeds major renovations at its 1101 Sixty St. SW location in the District.
Arena Stage will be housedr at the Crystal anold 12,000-square-foot movie theater at the corne of South Bell and 20th streets. The which seats 460, will also accommodate Arena Stagreadministrative offices. The deal resulted from a collaboratio involvingArena Stage, the Crystal City Businessd Improvement District, /Charles E. Smith, Marriott and Arlingtoj CountyEconomic Development. Detailsz of the agreement werenot disclosed. "Arena is a world-classw theater," said Angela Fox, executive director of the BID. "We'rr thrilled to have them in Crystal City.
" Construction to transforkm the Forum into a performing arts space has already The Arena Stage will make its debuyton Dec. 28 with "Ella," a musica l based on the life of blues singetElla Fitzgerald. A formal opening is slated for Jan. 3, Fox
Tuesday 20 September 2011
Health care reform details begin to emerge - Dallas Business Journal:
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percent of the cost of health insurance premiumsfor full-timer employees under the health care reform bill being consideresd by the House. They also would be requiresd to pick up at least some of the tab forinsuring part-time employees. Businesses that don't providd this minimum level of coverage would be requirecd to pay the federal government a fee basesd on 8 percent of their Small businesses undera yet-to-be-determined thresholfd would be exempted from this "play or requirement. How small businesses would fare under House healtbhcare proposal.
Small businesses and individuals could comparisoj shop among private and public plans in a nationao health insurance exchangeEmployers could either provide health insurance to their employeesw or pay a fee based on 8 percent of their payrolpl to the governmentEmployers that offe r coverage would have to pickup 72.5 percent of the cost of premiums for full-time employees and 65 percent for a family policyEmployers couls contribute a share of the expense of coverag e for part-time employees or contribute to the health insurance exchangeSmal businesses under a size thresholsd yet to be determined would be exemptedc from the employer responsibility requirementSmalo businesses that can't afford coverage woule get a tax credit to help them pay for it House committees on Ways and Means, Energy and and Education and Labor The chairmen of threer House committees with jurisdiction over health care introduced their draft legislation June 19, offering the most detailds yet on how health care refork could affect small businesses.
Under their small businesses and individuals coulf shop for insurance through anationapl exchange, which would include a government-run plan as well as privated insurers. Tax credits would be availabls to help small businessez affordthe coverage. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said the legislatiojn would fixthe "completely dysfunctionall insurance market" for smalll businesses, which face "unaffordable rate increases" every year. Waxmanj chairs the House Energty andCommerce Committee. Health insurance premiums for U.S. businesses increased by 9.2 percentt this year, and are expected to increase another 9 percenytnext year, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Small businesses oftebn face much higher rate While most small businesses agree the currentt health insurance marketis dysfunctional, there's a lot of disagreement over whethedr the House bill would cure the problem or just make it Mike Draper, who owns a retaipl clothing store and desigh business called Smash in Des Moines, Iowa, likes what he sees in the Draper thinks adding a public plan to the insuranced mix would hold down premiums by creating more competitiom in the marketplace.
"I don't have a whole lot of confidenc in the system wehave now," Draper Draper's company currently doesn't offer health insurance to its seveb full-time workers, but instead reimburseas them for the cost of individuakl policies that they buy on their own. That's fine with his who are single, in their 20s and don'yt want their insurance to be tied totheird job. The reimbursements now account for 6 percentof Smash'ws payroll, but that could jump to 22 percent in four when Draper expects everyone on his managemeny team to have children, creating the need for family His business couldn't handl that expense, he said.
If the House bill were he would consider buying insurance through the exchange if it were easyto use. But he mighy decide to pay the 8 percent payrolkl fee instead and then reimburse his employees for some of the cost of the policiesz they purchase throughthe exchange. who was scheduled to testifty before the House Ways and Means CommittereJune 24, thinks employers shouldr be required to help pay for their employees' healt insurance. Like Social Security contributions, this sort of responsibility is "kind of what you signed up when you become abusiness owner, he Other small business owners, however, think the House bill imposeas too tough of a standarc on small businesses.
The requirement to pay 72.5 percent of an employee'sz premium for individual coverage "is much too high for many smalpl businesses," said Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the SmallBusineszs & Entrepreneurship Council. The only way many smalo businesses can afford coverage is by making employeees pick up more of the she said. Arlington, Va.-based Company Flowere & Gifts Too!, for example, pays 50 percenr of the cost of health insurance forseven full-timre employees. Even that may not be affordable next because "our rates are going to skyrocket," co-ownerf John Nicholson told the House Small Business Committee earlier this month.
percent of the cost of health insurance premiumsfor full-timer employees under the health care reform bill being consideresd by the House. They also would be requiresd to pick up at least some of the tab forinsuring part-time employees. Businesses that don't providd this minimum level of coverage would be requirecd to pay the federal government a fee basesd on 8 percent of their Small businesses undera yet-to-be-determined thresholfd would be exempted from this "play or requirement. How small businesses would fare under House healtbhcare proposal.
Small businesses and individuals could comparisoj shop among private and public plans in a nationao health insurance exchangeEmployers could either provide health insurance to their employeesw or pay a fee based on 8 percent of their payrolpl to the governmentEmployers that offe r coverage would have to pickup 72.5 percent of the cost of premiums for full-time employees and 65 percent for a family policyEmployers couls contribute a share of the expense of coverag e for part-time employees or contribute to the health insurance exchangeSmal businesses under a size thresholsd yet to be determined would be exemptedc from the employer responsibility requirementSmalo businesses that can't afford coverage woule get a tax credit to help them pay for it House committees on Ways and Means, Energy and and Education and Labor The chairmen of threer House committees with jurisdiction over health care introduced their draft legislation June 19, offering the most detailds yet on how health care refork could affect small businesses.
Under their small businesses and individuals coulf shop for insurance through anationapl exchange, which would include a government-run plan as well as privated insurers. Tax credits would be availabls to help small businessez affordthe coverage. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said the legislatiojn would fixthe "completely dysfunctionall insurance market" for smalll businesses, which face "unaffordable rate increases" every year. Waxmanj chairs the House Energty andCommerce Committee. Health insurance premiums for U.S. businesses increased by 9.2 percentt this year, and are expected to increase another 9 percenytnext year, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Small businesses oftebn face much higher rate While most small businesses agree the currentt health insurance marketis dysfunctional, there's a lot of disagreement over whethedr the House bill would cure the problem or just make it Mike Draper, who owns a retaipl clothing store and desigh business called Smash in Des Moines, Iowa, likes what he sees in the Draper thinks adding a public plan to the insuranced mix would hold down premiums by creating more competitiom in the marketplace.
"I don't have a whole lot of confidenc in the system wehave now," Draper Draper's company currently doesn't offer health insurance to its seveb full-time workers, but instead reimburseas them for the cost of individuakl policies that they buy on their own. That's fine with his who are single, in their 20s and don'yt want their insurance to be tied totheird job. The reimbursements now account for 6 percentof Smash'ws payroll, but that could jump to 22 percent in four when Draper expects everyone on his managemeny team to have children, creating the need for family His business couldn't handl that expense, he said.
If the House bill were he would consider buying insurance through the exchange if it were easyto use. But he mighy decide to pay the 8 percent payrolkl fee instead and then reimburse his employees for some of the cost of the policiesz they purchase throughthe exchange. who was scheduled to testifty before the House Ways and Means CommittereJune 24, thinks employers shouldr be required to help pay for their employees' healt insurance. Like Social Security contributions, this sort of responsibility is "kind of what you signed up when you become abusiness owner, he Other small business owners, however, think the House bill imposeas too tough of a standarc on small businesses.
The requirement to pay 72.5 percent of an employee'sz premium for individual coverage "is much too high for many smalpl businesses," said Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the SmallBusineszs & Entrepreneurship Council. The only way many smalo businesses can afford coverage is by making employeees pick up more of the she said. Arlington, Va.-based Company Flowere & Gifts Too!, for example, pays 50 percenr of the cost of health insurance forseven full-timre employees. Even that may not be affordable next because "our rates are going to skyrocket," co-ownerf John Nicholson told the House Small Business Committee earlier this month.
Saturday 17 September 2011
Colorado foreclosures down 14 percent this year - Denver Business Journal:
laxykeha.wordpress.com
Completed foreclosures fell 14 percent in the first nine months of the year compared with the same perioedof 2007, according to a report by the . A totao of 16,246 foreclosures were completed. Officials are forecastingb a 13 percent decline in foreclosures for allof 2008. “2006 and 2007 saw big increases in foreclosurs filings of 30 and40 percent, so a 14 percenyt decrease so far this year makes us cautiouslyy optimistic about the future,” said Kathki Williams, director of the Colorado Division of Housing, in a “There are still many reasons for but this is good news.
” During the third quartefr alone, there were 9 percent fewerd completed foreclosures — at 6,454 — than in the same quartef a year earlier. However, foreclosures jumped 66 percent from the secon d quarter to the third The data are skewed by recenft changes inColorado law, including a measurd that took effect on Jan. 1 that had the effecyt of largely suspending foreclosure sales during Marchand April. Anotherf law that took effect in August had the same impac t on statistics duringthat month, officialw said. Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, and Larimer counties all reported increasezin foreclosures.
El Paso had the biggestt increase, at 26 percent year over year. Denver Countyh reported the largest decrease, with foreclosures down 26 percent compared to the third quarterof 2007. Foreclosuresa dropped 19 percent in Adams Countty and 20 percent in Weld The report reaffirmed that high foreclosure rateas are seen mostly along the Front Range and ineasterhn Colorado. The highest rate durinb the third quarter was inAdams County, with one foreclosurew for every 58 households. Denver County had one filing for every73 households, Weld Countyu one for every 74 and Pueblo County one for everu 102. Counties in western Colorado experiencerd much lowerforeclosure rates.
Mesa Count reported one foreclosure filing for every 756 and La Plata County one for evert 992 and Garfield County one forevert 5,079. Almost 4,000 households avoidefd foreclosure during 2008 with the help of the Colorado ForeclosureHotlinwe (1-877-601-HOPE), which has been in place for two and its member agencies, states officials said. “If those 4,000 householdxs had foreclosed, we’d be looking at an increasr instead of a decreasein foreclosures,” Williams said.
Completed foreclosures fell 14 percent in the first nine months of the year compared with the same perioedof 2007, according to a report by the . A totao of 16,246 foreclosures were completed. Officials are forecastingb a 13 percent decline in foreclosures for allof 2008. “2006 and 2007 saw big increases in foreclosurs filings of 30 and40 percent, so a 14 percenyt decrease so far this year makes us cautiouslyy optimistic about the future,” said Kathki Williams, director of the Colorado Division of Housing, in a “There are still many reasons for but this is good news.
” During the third quartefr alone, there were 9 percent fewerd completed foreclosures — at 6,454 — than in the same quartef a year earlier. However, foreclosures jumped 66 percent from the secon d quarter to the third The data are skewed by recenft changes inColorado law, including a measurd that took effect on Jan. 1 that had the effecyt of largely suspending foreclosure sales during Marchand April. Anotherf law that took effect in August had the same impac t on statistics duringthat month, officialw said. Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, and Larimer counties all reported increasezin foreclosures.
El Paso had the biggestt increase, at 26 percent year over year. Denver Countyh reported the largest decrease, with foreclosures down 26 percent compared to the third quarterof 2007. Foreclosuresa dropped 19 percent in Adams Countty and 20 percent in Weld The report reaffirmed that high foreclosure rateas are seen mostly along the Front Range and ineasterhn Colorado. The highest rate durinb the third quarter was inAdams County, with one foreclosurew for every 58 households. Denver County had one filing for every73 households, Weld Countyu one for every 74 and Pueblo County one for everu 102. Counties in western Colorado experiencerd much lowerforeclosure rates.
Mesa Count reported one foreclosure filing for every 756 and La Plata County one for evert 992 and Garfield County one forevert 5,079. Almost 4,000 households avoidefd foreclosure during 2008 with the help of the Colorado ForeclosureHotlinwe (1-877-601-HOPE), which has been in place for two and its member agencies, states officials said. “If those 4,000 householdxs had foreclosed, we’d be looking at an increasr instead of a decreasein foreclosures,” Williams said.
Thursday 15 September 2011
TotalBank to take Q4 charge after six late
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The subsidiary of Spain’s filed the foreclosured actions in South Florida courts on mortgages that were originallgy writtenat $46.4 millio – although at least $8.1 million had been paid back prio to the lawsuits. The bank had $34.4 million in noncurrent loans asof 30, representing 2.6 percent of its portfolio, accordinyg to data. TotalBank President and CEO Bill Heffernanm said some of those loans were noncurrent in thethirs quarter, but others will show up on the books in the fourtj quarter, as slow home sales causedr their deterioration. He said the bank has not finalizes the amount of charges to increase the reservees it would take to account forthosse loans.
Even with the foreclosure suits looming, TotalBankl prefers to work out the situation with borroweras rather than takethe property, Heffernan said. “These are constructionb loans where they were relyingvon sales,” he said. “I t becomes a land loan, but it’ hard to service it without sales.” , whicuh took out a $15 million loan to build 72 single-family homes in Homestead. They were not , which is related to the abovre company and signeda $3.3 milliob mortgage on a 33-acre agricultural-zoned site in , the holder of an $11.8 millionh mortgage for its uncompleted 9-acre townhomse project in Davie. , a developer of a Cora l Gables condo with 35unsoldf units.
It owes $3.6 million on its $5.5 millionm mortgage. It’s the third foreclosure lawsuit pendinfg against an affiliate ofCoconut Grove-basef . at the Falls, which sold one of its 12 single-family homes in Kendall and owes $3.7 milliohn on its $5.5 million , developer of a 5.2-acre site with residentiak approvals in RoyalPalm Beach. It owes $689,4945 on a $5.2 million mortgage. BankAtlanticf seeks to foreclose on 163 unsolrd homes inHome Devco’s Tivoloi Isles community, west of Delrahy Beach. The Fort Lauderdale-based bank’se mortgage with the developer forthe 315-single-familgy home community grew as large as $76.2 milliobn in 2006.
When BankAtlantic modified the mortgageein April, Home Devco Tivoli Isles owed $40.6 million. U.S. Century Bank filef two large foreclosure actions in December againstg projects that never got out ofthe ground. The Doral-basedr bank filed for foreclosure against Millennium BayHarbor – an affiliate of Hallandale Beach-based over its uncompleted 25-unit mid-rise condo in Bay Harboe Islands. The developer held a $7.4 millioj mortgage with U.S. Century Bank and a separate $22 million mortgage with a Spanisuh bank, which is a co-defendant in the foreclosure lawsuit. The other U.S. Centurg Bank foreclosure is against over anuncompletef 36-townhome project in Hialeah.
In March, it stilkl owed $4.6 million on a $7.6 milliobn mortgage. Palm Beach Gardens-based Harbour Walk Preserve has losta $17.6 million foreclosure judgment to Stuart-based , and is set to lose its propertg at public auction. The 53-acre commercial project, at Wright Boulevard and U.S. Highwayh 1 in Stuart, is scheduled for public sale on Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. at the Palm Beacyh County courthouse.
The subsidiary of Spain’s filed the foreclosured actions in South Florida courts on mortgages that were originallgy writtenat $46.4 millio – although at least $8.1 million had been paid back prio to the lawsuits. The bank had $34.4 million in noncurrent loans asof 30, representing 2.6 percent of its portfolio, accordinyg to data. TotalBank President and CEO Bill Heffernanm said some of those loans were noncurrent in thethirs quarter, but others will show up on the books in the fourtj quarter, as slow home sales causedr their deterioration. He said the bank has not finalizes the amount of charges to increase the reservees it would take to account forthosse loans.
Even with the foreclosure suits looming, TotalBankl prefers to work out the situation with borroweras rather than takethe property, Heffernan said. “These are constructionb loans where they were relyingvon sales,” he said. “I t becomes a land loan, but it’ hard to service it without sales.” , whicuh took out a $15 million loan to build 72 single-family homes in Homestead. They were not , which is related to the abovre company and signeda $3.3 milliob mortgage on a 33-acre agricultural-zoned site in , the holder of an $11.8 millionh mortgage for its uncompleted 9-acre townhomse project in Davie. , a developer of a Cora l Gables condo with 35unsoldf units.
It owes $3.6 million on its $5.5 millionm mortgage. It’s the third foreclosure lawsuit pendinfg against an affiliate ofCoconut Grove-basef . at the Falls, which sold one of its 12 single-family homes in Kendall and owes $3.7 milliohn on its $5.5 million , developer of a 5.2-acre site with residentiak approvals in RoyalPalm Beach. It owes $689,4945 on a $5.2 million mortgage. BankAtlanticf seeks to foreclose on 163 unsolrd homes inHome Devco’s Tivoloi Isles community, west of Delrahy Beach. The Fort Lauderdale-based bank’se mortgage with the developer forthe 315-single-familgy home community grew as large as $76.2 milliobn in 2006.
When BankAtlantic modified the mortgageein April, Home Devco Tivoli Isles owed $40.6 million. U.S. Century Bank filef two large foreclosure actions in December againstg projects that never got out ofthe ground. The Doral-basedr bank filed for foreclosure against Millennium BayHarbor – an affiliate of Hallandale Beach-based over its uncompleted 25-unit mid-rise condo in Bay Harboe Islands. The developer held a $7.4 millioj mortgage with U.S. Century Bank and a separate $22 million mortgage with a Spanisuh bank, which is a co-defendant in the foreclosure lawsuit. The other U.S. Centurg Bank foreclosure is against over anuncompletef 36-townhome project in Hialeah.
In March, it stilkl owed $4.6 million on a $7.6 milliobn mortgage. Palm Beach Gardens-based Harbour Walk Preserve has losta $17.6 million foreclosure judgment to Stuart-based , and is set to lose its propertg at public auction. The 53-acre commercial project, at Wright Boulevard and U.S. Highwayh 1 in Stuart, is scheduled for public sale on Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. at the Palm Beacyh County courthouse.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Cocca brothers sign lease-purchase deal for Wolf Road hotel - The Business Review (Albany):
ocybakenos.wordpress.com
The Coccas signed a lease-purchase contract with the for the property and want to renovat e the discount hotel intoa mid-scale brand that woulde be more competitive on the busy shopping Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The franchisse agreement with Econo Lodgd expiresApril 30. The brothers are negotiatintg to switch to a brand or run it as an independenf hotel called Hotel Inthe meantime, they are seeking permissiob from the village of Colonie to expanf the lobby, build a carport and construct a 40-footy tower to boost visibility. Builtg in the mid-1970s, the two-story hotell was formerly a .
It’s set back from Wolf behind , and is difficult to see from the But it’s in the heart of an area with continued commercial growth, including the $110 million renovation of across the “Wolf Road seems to be where hotele fill up first,” Rocky Coccq said. “The occupancy is higher than thestatwe average.” The investment comes at a time when booking are down at many hotelw as business travel has “We looked at it as an opportunitgy in the down he said. “We just have to weather the stornmbecause there’s no financinhg available.” The brothers are partners in , which has five other locations with 370 roomsx in the region.
The Coccas signed a lease-purchase contract with the for the property and want to renovat e the discount hotel intoa mid-scale brand that woulde be more competitive on the busy shopping Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The franchisse agreement with Econo Lodgd expiresApril 30. The brothers are negotiatintg to switch to a brand or run it as an independenf hotel called Hotel Inthe meantime, they are seeking permissiob from the village of Colonie to expanf the lobby, build a carport and construct a 40-footy tower to boost visibility. Builtg in the mid-1970s, the two-story hotell was formerly a .
It’s set back from Wolf behind , and is difficult to see from the But it’s in the heart of an area with continued commercial growth, including the $110 million renovation of across the “Wolf Road seems to be where hotele fill up first,” Rocky Coccq said. “The occupancy is higher than thestatwe average.” The investment comes at a time when booking are down at many hotelw as business travel has “We looked at it as an opportunitgy in the down he said. “We just have to weather the stornmbecause there’s no financinhg available.” The brothers are partners in , which has five other locations with 370 roomsx in the region.
Sunday 11 September 2011
Another BofA board member resigns - Charlotte Business Journal:
bacijaxymu.wordpress.com
Robert Tillman, a former (NYSE:LOW) chief executive, resigned from the BofA boare effectiveMay 29. The bank announcerd the move Thursday evening in a filinh with the Securities and Exchange The filingsays Tillman’s resignation was not relatedc to a disagreement with the bank or its management. A reasobn for his decision has not been provide d bythe bank, and BofA officials couldr not be reached Thursday evening. Tillman has been a directore since 2005. During his tenure, he served on the asser quality committee and executive Latelast week, the bank announced former lead independentr director O. Temple Sloan had left the board.
BofA didn’t disclos e Sloan’s reason for resignation. Sloan was a BofA director for 13 Duringhis tenure, he served as chairmanj of both the executive committee and the compensation and benefits committee. He also was a member of the corporat egovernance committee. BofA’s board has been unde intense scrutiny in recent months as the bank suffered througgh asharp stock-price decline after acquiring Merrilp Lynch & Co. The Charlotte-based bank also has received $45 billion in taxpayer aid. At the bank’se annual meeting in late shareholders voted to strip Chief Executivee Kenneth Lewis of his position asboard chairman.
Walter Masseh was installed as the new chairman and has indicated the boarfd needs to be Lewis remainsthe bank’s CEO and president.
Robert Tillman, a former (NYSE:LOW) chief executive, resigned from the BofA boare effectiveMay 29. The bank announcerd the move Thursday evening in a filinh with the Securities and Exchange The filingsays Tillman’s resignation was not relatedc to a disagreement with the bank or its management. A reasobn for his decision has not been provide d bythe bank, and BofA officials couldr not be reached Thursday evening. Tillman has been a directore since 2005. During his tenure, he served on the asser quality committee and executive Latelast week, the bank announced former lead independentr director O. Temple Sloan had left the board.
BofA didn’t disclos e Sloan’s reason for resignation. Sloan was a BofA director for 13 Duringhis tenure, he served as chairmanj of both the executive committee and the compensation and benefits committee. He also was a member of the corporat egovernance committee. BofA’s board has been unde intense scrutiny in recent months as the bank suffered througgh asharp stock-price decline after acquiring Merrilp Lynch & Co. The Charlotte-based bank also has received $45 billion in taxpayer aid. At the bank’se annual meeting in late shareholders voted to strip Chief Executivee Kenneth Lewis of his position asboard chairman.
Walter Masseh was installed as the new chairman and has indicated the boarfd needs to be Lewis remainsthe bank’s CEO and president.
Friday 9 September 2011
Peer pressure: Review process puts CPAs through the ringer - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
disadvantage-unlimited.blogspot.com
That is, they get what amountsw to an auditof themselves. They sweat it out with a CPA lookinbg overtheir shoulders, asking questions, requestingt files and documents, asking more questions and doin a lot of pondering about why the firm did this or didn’gt do that. The proceszs is called peer review and for more than 30yearxs it’s been the accounting industry’z approach to self-regulation and self-improvement as required by the and administerede by states and state associations. Programn participation is required to be licensecd by the AICPA andsome states, but it’a not about uncovering criminal activity, the industry is quick to point out.
“It gives the firm validatiom and, secondly, suggestions for says Jim Brakens, AICPA vice president of firm practicee management and quality About 30,000 firms nationally are enrolled in AICPA’s Peer Revie w Program and 10,000 peer reviews take place each The results of those reviews are private and can only be made publixc by the firms Many do, Brakens says, but only thosre with good reviews. In Tennessee, the AICPA has contracted with the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants to manage the peerreviewq program, says Wendy Garvin, member services managee for TSCPA.
Two types of peer reviewsw areconducted randomly: a revieew of the firm’s quality controkl procedures called a system review, and an engagement review that looks at a smalpl cross-section of a firm’s accounting work. Effective this year, the grading system changed to a moresimplifieds “pass,” “pass with deficiencies” or Garvin says. Previously four different grades could be In its most recentannual report, AICPAq noted that 4% of engagement reviewss during system reviews between 2005 and 2007 were substandard. Therre were 6,128 follow-up actions required on 4,327 reviews.
There are typically two ramifications for regularly failingpeer reviews, or failin g to sufficiently address comments, Garvin One, a firm can lose membership to the AICPAs and it is publicized the firm was removed for not receivin g pass reports. Secondly, firmzs that continually underperform in acertain area, say employee benefity audits, simply give up the practice. Of the reasonsw cited for report modifications, failure to managr projects, or “engagement,” in the highest professionall manner, was the most cited deficiency for almosr half ofthe modifications. Inconsistencies in monitoring, or tracking the project from startto finish, was the secondf most significant reason.
Typically, the deficienciesa address flaws or lapses that can be easily not outrightillegal activity, Brakens says. just a few months ago, the State of New York implementedd serious accounting standardsupgrades — including requiring peer reviews for stats registered audit firms following Bernie Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Brackens says peer reviews wouldn’t have prevented such a fraud. In fact, Madoff’s accountint firm was enrolledin AICPA’s peer review but then annually signed reports to the state — whichu apparently didn’t have a system to check saying they weren’t.
But sometimes a peer review can be a bitteer pill that even the man partly responsiblw for bringing the process to Tennessee 30 year s ago admitshe doesn’t like “I would have soon not gone through it,” says Davide Curbo, director over audit services for Memphis-based , and the chairmanb of the Tennessee Board of Accountancy when the statd adopted peer review in 1989 and made him the first chairman of the Peer Review Board. He is also 2009 chairman-electg of the Tennessee Societyof CPAs. Curbo oversaa his firm’s three-day peer review in the fall so he’s good for 2 1/2 more The firm passed, but the process was still he says.
“It does take a lot of time and effort to go throughpeer review,” he says. “Mosf CPAs look at it as something they’df rather not do, but most would see the benefit.”
That is, they get what amountsw to an auditof themselves. They sweat it out with a CPA lookinbg overtheir shoulders, asking questions, requestingt files and documents, asking more questions and doin a lot of pondering about why the firm did this or didn’gt do that. The proceszs is called peer review and for more than 30yearxs it’s been the accounting industry’z approach to self-regulation and self-improvement as required by the and administerede by states and state associations. Programn participation is required to be licensecd by the AICPA andsome states, but it’a not about uncovering criminal activity, the industry is quick to point out.
“It gives the firm validatiom and, secondly, suggestions for says Jim Brakens, AICPA vice president of firm practicee management and quality About 30,000 firms nationally are enrolled in AICPA’s Peer Revie w Program and 10,000 peer reviews take place each The results of those reviews are private and can only be made publixc by the firms Many do, Brakens says, but only thosre with good reviews. In Tennessee, the AICPA has contracted with the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants to manage the peerreviewq program, says Wendy Garvin, member services managee for TSCPA.
Two types of peer reviewsw areconducted randomly: a revieew of the firm’s quality controkl procedures called a system review, and an engagement review that looks at a smalpl cross-section of a firm’s accounting work. Effective this year, the grading system changed to a moresimplifieds “pass,” “pass with deficiencies” or Garvin says. Previously four different grades could be In its most recentannual report, AICPAq noted that 4% of engagement reviewss during system reviews between 2005 and 2007 were substandard. Therre were 6,128 follow-up actions required on 4,327 reviews.
There are typically two ramifications for regularly failingpeer reviews, or failin g to sufficiently address comments, Garvin One, a firm can lose membership to the AICPAs and it is publicized the firm was removed for not receivin g pass reports. Secondly, firmzs that continually underperform in acertain area, say employee benefity audits, simply give up the practice. Of the reasonsw cited for report modifications, failure to managr projects, or “engagement,” in the highest professionall manner, was the most cited deficiency for almosr half ofthe modifications. Inconsistencies in monitoring, or tracking the project from startto finish, was the secondf most significant reason.
Typically, the deficienciesa address flaws or lapses that can be easily not outrightillegal activity, Brakens says. just a few months ago, the State of New York implementedd serious accounting standardsupgrades — including requiring peer reviews for stats registered audit firms following Bernie Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Brackens says peer reviews wouldn’t have prevented such a fraud. In fact, Madoff’s accountint firm was enrolledin AICPA’s peer review but then annually signed reports to the state — whichu apparently didn’t have a system to check saying they weren’t.
But sometimes a peer review can be a bitteer pill that even the man partly responsiblw for bringing the process to Tennessee 30 year s ago admitshe doesn’t like “I would have soon not gone through it,” says Davide Curbo, director over audit services for Memphis-based , and the chairmanb of the Tennessee Board of Accountancy when the statd adopted peer review in 1989 and made him the first chairman of the Peer Review Board. He is also 2009 chairman-electg of the Tennessee Societyof CPAs. Curbo oversaa his firm’s three-day peer review in the fall so he’s good for 2 1/2 more The firm passed, but the process was still he says.
“It does take a lot of time and effort to go throughpeer review,” he says. “Mosf CPAs look at it as something they’df rather not do, but most would see the benefit.”
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Siemens plans wind turbine facility in Hutchinson - Wichita Business Journal:
fugowirik.wordpress.com
The company will also build an 80,000-square-footg service and repair facility on 100 acres in Reno Workers at the plants willmanufacturse nacelles, the structures that hous e the gearbox, drive train and control electronics on wind Construction is scheduled to begin in Augustg and the first 90-ton nacelle is slated for shippin g from the factory in December 2010. The plants will represent the first majot turbine equipment factoriesin “To help put Kansas back on the path to economic we must continue to attract renewable energy companiee like Siemens to the state,” Gov. Mark Parkinson said in a writtejn statement.
“Kansas should be a national hub of both the wind farmss and the factories that manufacture turbine This announcement from Siemens is a huge step in that Siemens officials say the site was chosenm because of its central as well asthe area’sz rail access, which will provide for direct loadingh at the facility. “This nacelle facility in Kansaas means we are able to furtherexpansd U.S. dollar-based sourcing from qualified suppliers,” said Rene Umlauft, CEO of the Siemenss Energy Renewables Division. “It is our goal to reacnh greater than 90percenrt U.S.
dollar-based content by 2012 in order to bettedr andmore cost-efficiently meet the demand for our high-qualityh wind turbines in the U.S.” Finalization of the facilitgy requires approval of incentive agreements by stated and local governing bodies, and its affiliatw Siemens Shared Services, LLC Real Estate
The company will also build an 80,000-square-footg service and repair facility on 100 acres in Reno Workers at the plants willmanufacturse nacelles, the structures that hous e the gearbox, drive train and control electronics on wind Construction is scheduled to begin in Augustg and the first 90-ton nacelle is slated for shippin g from the factory in December 2010. The plants will represent the first majot turbine equipment factoriesin “To help put Kansas back on the path to economic we must continue to attract renewable energy companiee like Siemens to the state,” Gov. Mark Parkinson said in a writtejn statement.
“Kansas should be a national hub of both the wind farmss and the factories that manufacture turbine This announcement from Siemens is a huge step in that Siemens officials say the site was chosenm because of its central as well asthe area’sz rail access, which will provide for direct loadingh at the facility. “This nacelle facility in Kansaas means we are able to furtherexpansd U.S. dollar-based sourcing from qualified suppliers,” said Rene Umlauft, CEO of the Siemenss Energy Renewables Division. “It is our goal to reacnh greater than 90percenrt U.S.
dollar-based content by 2012 in order to bettedr andmore cost-efficiently meet the demand for our high-qualityh wind turbines in the U.S.” Finalization of the facilitgy requires approval of incentive agreements by stated and local governing bodies, and its affiliatw Siemens Shared Services, LLC Real Estate
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