New owner surfaces in latest Filene

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Alan Cohen, Filene’s chief restructuringt officer, confirmed Monday afternoon that Secaucus, N.J.-base d Syms (NASDAQ:SYMS) and New York-baseds Vornado (NYSE:VNO) agreed to pay abourt $63 million for the chain. A couryt hearing is set for Wednesday to approvdthe deal, Cohen said. The which began Friday and was continuedxto Monday, took placd about a week after an affiliate of Men’s Wearhousw (NYSE:MW) agreed to buy the chain for $67 million. But Crown Acquisitions, the companyu that was first in line tobuy Filene’ s assets, filed an objection to the sale with allegation s that Men’s Wearhouse didn’t follow biddinhg procedures.
Crown in court filings described the firsf auction asa “travesty.” A judgde sent the deal back for auction following Crown’a objection. It wasn’t clear Monday if Syms and Vornadi would acquire allof Filene’s stores. Both Men’s Wearhouse and Crown had planned to acquire and keep open a butnot all, of Filene’s locations. The company has two Ohio including onein Columbus. Filene’s Basement sought protectiojn from creditors in May in Delawarebankruptch court, months after closing severalk stores. Columbus-based (NYSE: RVI), which maintains a majorityh stake in discount shoeretailer (NYSE:DSW), sold the chaimn this year to FB II Acquisitionb Corp.
, a new entity owned by liquidation and turnaroundx firm Buxbaum Group.

Smith Electric will make first all-electric aerial-bucket truck - San Francisco Business Times:

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The truck will be unveiler Monday at the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conferencein Williamsburg, Va., Smith Electric Vehicle s U.S. said in a release. The utilityu truck is a battery-powered, all-electric Smith Newtohn produced by Smith ElectricVehicles U.S. and with an aeriapl bucket integrated by AltefIndustries Inc. Based in Birmingham, Ala., Altec is a leadiny provider of products and services to theelectric utility, telecommunications and contracto r markets. , one of the nation’ largest combined natural gas andelectriv utilities, will play a role in the vehicle’s the release said.
The firsft test unit will be addedto PG&E’s fleet to conduct routine and emergency overhead line work in PG&E’s northern and centrap California service area. PG&E will providde test data to Smith ElectricxVehicles U.S. and Altefc for the creation of a production The test unit is thefirst all-electric aerial utility truck to be put into operatiobn by a big utility company before being brought to the release said.
“We are excited to be working with PG&w and Altec on this effortt to help the utility industry acceleratre the reduction of fuel emissions with the introductionof electric-drive fleetg vehicles,” Bryan Hansel, CEO for Smitu Electric Vehicles U.S., said in the The Smith Newton is the world’ s largest battery-electric-powered truck. It stores energyy while stopping through a process callerd regenerative braking and then reuses itfor acceleration. The Smithy Newton has a top speed of50 mph, a rangee in excess of 100 miles on one battery chargr and a payload of as much as 16,280 pounds. Smithu Electric Vehicles U.S.
announced in March that it had selected planrt and headquarters sites at Kansas City International Airport after a multistate competition for the new The company said it plans to create120 high-payintg jobs by 2010 and to begin productio n of its battery-powered vehicles for depot-based, predictable-routse delivery and service fleets this year at its 80,000-square-footr Kansas City plant. In the third quarter, Smitjh is scheduled to begin producing theSmith Newton. Startinfg next year, the company is schedulede to begin assembling an electric version of the new TransitfConnect light-duty vehicle made by Forty-nine percent of Smitg Electric Vehicles U.S. is held by SEV U.K.
’s parent, , a Britisj company that has been making electric vehicles in England since 1920.

Mortgage Rates Surge Late Last Week; 30-Year Fixed Rates Peak Near 5.40% But Fall Over Weekend

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Mortgage Type Average Rate AverageRate % Change Week ending 5/31/09 Week endingt 5/24/09 30-year fixed 5.25% 5.02% 4.6% 15-year fixe 4.78% 4.60% 3.7% 5-1 ARM 4.48% 4.27%% 4.8% Rates dipped slightly over the weekend, but were expectes to climb again during the week. The rate for a 30-yeard fixed purchase mortgage was 5.28 percent on Mondayt morning. For current, up-to-the-minute rates, visit . Thirty-year fixee mortgage rates variedby state. and were the at 5.35 percent and 5.30 respectively. were the lowest, at 5.15 percent. were the most requestedx amongall states. State Average 30-yr. Averages 30-yr. % Change Fixed Rate Fixedf Rate Weekending 5/31/09 Week endinf 5/24/09 Arizona 5.25% 5.
04% 4.1% California 5.24 % 5.00% 4.7% Colorado 5.23% 5.02% 4.1% Connecticut 5.26% 4.99% 5.4% Floridw 5.19% 4.97% 4.4% Georgia 5.15% 4.93% 4.5% Illinois 5.28% 5.08 4.0% Maryland 5.35% 5.09% 5.1% Massachusettw 5.30% 5.11% 3.7% Michigan 5.21% 5.01% 3.9% Missourik 5.25% 5.06% 3.8% New Jersey 5.24% 5.02%% 4.4% New York 5.29% 5.05% 4.7% North Carolina 5.27% 5.07% 3.9% Ohio 5.28% 5.11% 3.3% Oregom 5.27% 5.03% 4.9% Pennsylvania 5.26% 4.99% 5.3% Texas 5.25% 5.02% 4.5% Virginiaq 5.23% 4.96% 5.5% Washington 5.24%% 4.98% 5.
2% The Zillow Mortgage Rate Monitore is compiled each week using thousanda of mortgage rates quoted on Zillow Mortgagw Marketplace by mortgage lenders to borrowers who have submittecd loan requests. State-level data is gathered for the top 20 statesd with the highest quote volumeon Zillow. Learhn more . Zillow Mortgagre Marketplace isa free, and transparent lending marketplace, where borrowers connecr with lenders to find and get the best . Borrowerzs anonymously submit loan requests and receive an unlimitex number of custom with real rates directly from thousandd ofcompeting lenders. Zillow Mortgage Marketplace alsoprovides , , , and . Zillow.
cokm and Zillow are registered trademarkasof Zillow, Inc. SOURCE Zillow.com

Mercury News workers OK 9% pay cut - San Francisco Business Times:

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The new contract cuts pay 7 percent for the rest of and slashes an additional 2 percenf from paychecks starting onNew Year’s Day. The Media Workers Guild’sz Northern California unit announced late last week that it had reachedd a tentative contract deal with the Mercury News for its 257 membersw atthe paper. The contact also increases employees health insurance contributions and makesother concessions. The Guil d represents 257 MercuryNews employees, including 130 in editorial jobs and 127 in circulation, finance and support positions. A ratificatiobn meeting to discuss and vote on the proposedc contract was heldMonday afternoon. The new contrac t expires Nov. 30, 2010.
Other concessions include reduced vacatiom accruals and movingthe Merc’s copy desk to Walnuyt Creek, where MediaNews’ is based. It owns the Mercuryy News and 11 other dailyg papers inthe region, which include virtually all of the daily paperes in the Bay Area excepy the and . “This is a touguh contract that will hurt a lot of our but it reflects the terrible situation that the news industryh and the country is San Jose Guild President Sylvia Ulloa said in a statemenft published in the MercurygNews . Ulloa was on the bargainin committee that negotiatedwith management.
“Thse committee did the best we couldc do to limit the damage toour members, minimizs the loss of jobs and to try to maintaib the quality of the Mercurh News.” The deal would also permitg management to require up to five furlougg days in 2010, move remaining circulation and financ e jobs to the Bay Area News Group’a shared services center in San Ramon, consolidat e advertising functions in the East Bay and San hire commission-only sales representatives to develop new and win some additional subcontractingf rights, according to the Guild. The contract negotiatione have taken place during grim timea fordaily newspapers.
Several major paperes have folded in recent including the and the print version ofthe , and many majorr metropolitan papers, including the San Francisco Chronicls , , , and face daunting financiao challenges.

AirTran Airways Freshens Inflight Drinks Menu With Fresca(R)

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June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiarhy of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), todauy announced that it is addinv popularcitrus beverage, Fresca(R), onboard all flights, effectivew today. The calorie free drink will becomer the 21st beverage ofThe Coca-Cola Compan (NYSE: KO) available complimentary to all passengers. "AirTran Airways continues to delight and surprise our customersa with new flavors and typesof beverages," said , vice president of marketing and salesz for AirTran Airways. "Fresca has a loyal fan base amonb Coca-Cola and AirTran customers, and we are pleasedr to provide our customers with theiffavorite refreshment.
" "We appreciate and enjoy the support of Coca-Colza brands onboard AirTran Airways. Boarding Fresca is another example ofAirTra Airways' ongoing support of Coca-Cola brands, and will help grow our successfulp relationship even further," said , Vice President, East FoodService and On-Premise Division. AirTrah Airways has a long history with bothThe Coca-Colqa Company and its Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: CCE). The airline was the firsty in the world to boarfdCocaCola Zero(TM), Coca-Cola(R) with Lime, Minute Maid(R) Dasani(R) Water, Vanilla Coke(R) and Blacmk Cherry Vanilla Coke(R).
With the addition of AirTran Airways now offers 21different Coca-Cola productss on its flights, more than any othee airline. These complimentary beveragesd include: Coca-Cola Classic(R), Diet Coke(R), Sprite(R), Sprite Zero(TM), Coke Minute Maid(R) Lemonade, Dasani(R) Cherry Coke(TM), Cherry Coke Zero(TM) and three types of Minuts Maid(R) juices. AirTran Airways serves Coca-Cola products exclusively onboardits flights. AirTran Airways, a subsidiaryh of AirTran Holdings, Inc. AAI) and a Fortune 1000 has been ranked the numbert one low cost carrier in the Airlines Quality Rating study for the pasttwo years.
The airlinwe offers coast-to-coast flights on North America's newest all-Boeint fleet with Business Class and complimentaryh XM Satellite Radio onevery flight. To book a visit . The Coca-Cola Company is the world'w largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling andstillo brands. Along with Coca-Cola(R), recognized as the world'sa most valuable brand, the Company'sa portfolio includes 12 other billiondollar brands, including Diet Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Minute Maid and . Globally, we are the No. 1 provideer of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drin k teas and coffees.
Through the world's larges t beverage distribution system, consumerz in more than 200 countries enjoythe Company'zs beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billionh servings a day. With an enduring commitmen t to buildingsustainable communities, our Company is focusedr on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resourcese and enhance the economic development of the communities wherer we operate. For more information about our please visit our websiteat . Media Contacts: AirTran Airways Christopher WhiteCynthia Tinsley-Douglas 678.254.7442 The Coca-Colaz Company Ray Crockett, APR 404.676.
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P&G moving Iams headquarters to Mason - Business First of Louisville:

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Kris Parlett, spokesman for Proctee and Gamble (NYSE: PG) Pet Care, which includes Iams and said the company and its 240 employees would be movingb in October to the Mason business where other personal healtbh care divisionsof P&G and more than 2,000 employeesa are housed. “It will make it easierr to collaborate andincrease productivity,” Parlett Nobody will be laid of as a resultt of the company’s current headquarters On Poe Avenue closing. all 240 employees will be offered there same positiondsin Mason. P&G acquired Iams in 1999. Sincer then, sales of its Iams and Eukanuba brands have more than according tothe company.
“Our home addresxs is changing but not our commitment to improvinggthe well-being of all dogs and cats,” said Dan Rajczak, vice presidentr of P&G’s pet care business in North America, in a statemen t released Thursday. “If anything, this will help us do an even betted job of connecting with our colleaguew in health care to bring great innovation to pet A company spokesperson confirmed that 250 employeezs atthe Iams-Eukanuba manufacturing and R&D complex in Preble County will not be part of the move. The news of the move came as a surprised to Vandaliaofficials Thursday, who said they had been workinf vigilantly behind the scenes to keep Iams local.
“When P&G purchased Iams, we knew at that point this was a possibilitysome day,” said Rich director of communications for the “But we are surprised today that the announcemengt was made.” Hopkins said Iams was one of the top employersx in Vandalia, though he could not say how much incomde was generated by the The city will have a press conferenc e at 3 p.m. Thursday to further discusw the implications ofthe move.
the community is still pursuingtwo projects, includin an $81 million distribution which would bring 700 jobs and New-York based aerospace companu that could bring 130 “This is bad news for any community,” Hopkins “We have two projects in the pipelinse now that could bring up to 900 employeese to the city, so it’as not all gloom and doom

Pa. Democrats say closing

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Closing the loophole would solver boththe state’s budget problems and loweer the corporate net income tax, Senatse Democrats said. The move to “combined reporting” would requires multistate and multinational firms to combine theie income and expenses for tax and to stop the use of technique s to shift income outside of the state to tax It wouldgenerate $750 milliom over two years, which would be used to ease projected statre budget deficits, Senate Democrats Revenue would also be used to lower the corporatew net income tax from 9.99 the highest flat rate in the to 7.99 percent by 2013-14.
“The best way out of this recessiomn is toprotect jobs, and one way to do that is to creatw a business climate that is fair to smalkl business,” Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said. “This bill woulxd cut business taxes for those who have paid their fair and require thosethat haven’t to do their part.” David Taylor, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association, said the efforts, if successful, woul d result in a massive tax increase and regulatory nightmarde for the state. “It gives to the statew Department of Revenue the powers of the IRS to try andimposd Pennsylvania’s tax liability on businesses operatinf in other states,” Taylor said.
“Even if your firm is ultimatelyt judged not to owe additional taxes your companh has tremendous outlaysin time, energt and money to hire the lawyers and accountants.” The move by otherf states to combined reportingt triggered lawsuits, making it a choice for the state to rely on to balancw the budget, Taylor said. “Thise is another example of government greec trying to bleed the private Taylor said. “There is no silver bullet, there is no easy way out, the only way Pennsylvaniaw is going to get through this budgeyt crisis without further damaging its competitivenesd is living withinour means.
” Under the Senatee Democrat plan, elimination of the Capital Stock Franchise Tax, due to occure in 2011, would be spread over a three-year periodr — reduced from 1.89 mill to 1.26 mills in fiscal 2011-12, to 0.63 millzs in fiscal 2012-13 and then eliminate the following year. Combined reporting was amonhg the recommendations made by the bipartisahn Pennsylvania Business Tax Reform Commissionin 2004. State Sen. Christinr M. Tartaglione re-introduced legislation again this February to closethe “Delawarew loophole” after not having successful for several yearz in getting it passed.

Bobcats owner to buy distressed assets - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Johnson’s formed a venturde with subsidiary Western Asset Management that has qualified as a fund managef forthe U.S. Treasury Department’s Public-Private Investment Program. RLJ, whic is based in Bethesda, Md., will own 51 percentr of the venture. Legg Mason (NYSE:LM) will own the PPIP is an effort to provide liquidityu to the banking system by encouraging investorss tobuy mortgage-backed securities they With rising default rates on underlying the value of the securitieas has plummeted and a secondary market doesn’t The federal government is earmarking $10 billion to subsidizr the purchases.
Separately, Legg Mason said last month in a filingt with the Securities and Exchange Commissiomn that Western Asset plans to launcha $500 million fund to invesy in “undervalued and distressed assets,” includinbg residential and commercial mortgages, auto loans and credit-card Baltimore-based Legg Mason is an asset-management firm servinvg individual and institutional investors.

Employers' health care costs expected to rise 9 percent - Sacramento Business Journal:

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The 9 percent projected cost increase is slightly lowetr thanthe 9.2 percent increase in 2009 and 9.9 percent increase in 2008, according to Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Despite the slowdown, medical cost increasese continue to outpace inflation andwage increases. One of the reasonzs medical costs continue to climb is that American workers are accelerating use of healtyh care services in anticipation of losing theirjobs and, potentially, theif health insurance, the report suggests.
Rising unemployment, growin numbers of people with littles or no insurance and a growing percentagw of the population on Medicaidc further ramp up medical cost trends the figures actuaries use to set futurre healthinsurance premiums. Coupled with big declinesd in corporate profits, employers surveyex by Pricewaterhouse Coopers said they will push more of the costzs of health insurance to theidr workersin 2010, while expecting workers to take more responsibilitgy for managing their personal health. The national trendas suggest most employers and employees will pay far more than thosse in the purchasing pool run by the CaliforniaPublid Employees’ Retirement System.
The pensioh fund approved an overall 2.9 percent increase in health care premium for membersin 2010, the lowestt rate hike in 14 years.

Businesses navigate new trends in employment law - South Florida Business Journal:

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Enter Mark Neuberger, the society’s attorney at in Miami. He helpefd the nonprofit rewrite itsemployee handbook. In the next few the society will launchnew policies. Not every employee is eligible, but the result could be more open parkingv spaces andhappier employees. “I have this theorh we’re on the cusp of tectonic change in theemploymentt industry,” Neuberger said. “The underlying factors are oil, politics and technology.” Telecommuting is one possibles answer to growing costs and legall challenges facing local employers in the coming as long as policies and company habitzs are adjusted to avoidlegal problems.
Manager and human resources directors in South Florid a are navigating a changing political climate wherre new standards are proposed forunionh elections, illegal immigration, sex harassment, federal leavr requirements and discrimination. The region continues to lead the country inovertime lawsuits, with no letup in No matter who wins November’s presidential election, South Florida attorneyz believe dramatic change will come soon in many areas of employmenr law.
Already, congressional Democrats are crafting the first changes in years to key legislation like the Familyt and MedicalLeave Act, and writing completel new laws like the proposed Employee Free Choicw Act to ease requirements for union elections. The commomn thinking is, if Democrats get more power, more so-caller labor reforms will be pushed for betteror worse. “Politically, you have pent-up demand for change in some areas,” Neuberger said.
“Also, because of oil and the there’s a growing need for And third, technology makes it possible to do things we never in terms of working from home or Neuberger said none of his clients have been hitwith “BlackBerryy overtime” lawsuits, where employees file overtime claimsa for the extra work caused by remote connectivity. Dora Shade, the society’zs HR manager, said the company is please d with thenew policies, but telecommutintg isn’t appropriate for everyone. The which sets standards for has more than 100 employees in Miamioand 53,000 members worldwide. “We did research, put together investigated the legalities,” Shade said.
“Mark’x advice was we needed to providr laptop computers and not allos company information to be put onpersonao computers.” Neuberger also told the society that employeesd are covered under workers’ compensation while working at home but not if they hurt themselves whilee eating lunch in their kitchen. Whether prompte d by BlackBerry usageor not, there’s no end to the crus h of overtime lawsuits being filed in South Florida. Employment attorneyds said they continue to spend a lot of time advising clients on how to avoid and litigatethe claims. “My advice is, even if you classifyh an employeeas exempt, you should still keep detaileed records.
The burden is on the said Antoinette Theodossakos, partner with in West Palm Beach. Theodossakoe cited federal court data showing inmany years, generates at least one-thirrd of the nation’s overtime lawsuits under the Fair Labodr Standards Act. South Florida accounts for a large chunkjof that. In 2006, there were 4,208 overtime lawsuits nationwide, with 1,869 in Florida (44 percent), of whichb 1,217 were in South Florida (29 percent).
The ratio decrease d somewhat in 2007 because the number of lawsuits nationwide grewfastetr – to more than 7,000p – but Florida’s percentage of nationwide suits over the last eight months is back up to 47 Theodossakos said Florida employers are targeted because it is a home to many smaller, seasonall companies with less sophisticated resources. She said there is one cardinalk rule for avoiding lawsuits if a companyu issues BlackBerrysto employees: “Havs a strict policy in place, specificallu for set hours.” Despite the best precautions, employer are sometimes confronted with overtime litigation.
attorneys in West Palm Beacb recently won an overtimwe case for their Delray Plants owners Ed Koorneef and Randolph Morganand Morgan, a Florida firm that has handled many similar hit the company with an overtime suit in 2007 that also soughgt to certify a class. The plaintiff was a non-exemp t laborer, Daniel Saldibar. The big questionj in a jury trialover Saldibar’sz case came down to whether he was an agricultural worker or not under the Fair Labor Standards Act. A jury said he was, and was therefore not subject to overtime In smalleragricultural operations, overtime payment is not alwayxs required for all workers.

Hanger Orthopedic gets credit rating upgrade - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Bethesda-based Hanger Orthopedic announced Monday thatStandarsd & Poor's Rating Services had raised its ratin g on Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. to "B+" from raised the issue level ratington Hanger's senior secured debt to from "B+;" and raised the senior unsecuredx debt rating to "B-" from "CCC+." Standard Poor’s outlook for Hanger is “stable.” "W are extremely pleased with the S&P upgrade especially giveh the current economic environment," said Hanger Orthopediv chief financial officer George McHenry.
"Thd upgrade reflects, among other things, our consistent performance over the lastthree years, solid liquidity as well as no significan t near-term debt maturities." In its latest quarter Hanger Orthopedixc (NYSE: HGR) reported that net income increasex 27 percent to $4.5 million as revenue increasecd 7 percent to $169.1

Westar Energy seeks $19.7M rate increase - Business First of Louisville:

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million, or 1.5 percent. In a Tuesday release, the Topeka-base electric utility (NYSE: WR) said it seeks the rate increase to recoveer costs for expenditures in the second phased of its Emporia Energy Center andtwo company-owneed wind farms in Kansas that were undere construction but not in operatiobn when its 2008 rate case concluded. The if approved by the KCC, would mean a $9.7 milliojn increase in the company’s northn region, which includes Olathe and anda $10 million increased in its south region, which includes the Wichita Westar said. A residential customer using 900 kilowatrthours (kWh) in Westar’s north region could expect an increase of abour $1.
43 a month, the company In the south region, a residential customer using 900 kWh coule expect an increase of 71 centsz a month. If approved, the new average residential rate wouldbe 9.33 cent s per kWh for Westar’s north regioj and 9.11 cents per kWh for its south region. The averaged national residential rateis 11.52 cents per kWh, the compang said. The rate review was part of the agreement reacheds by all parties in the 2008 which the KCC approvedin January, Westar “Although electric rates are goinvg up, we managed our natural gas plantf and wind farm construction costs closely, and they came in more than $22 millio under the original cost estimates and the amounts the KCC indicated would be allowed for recovery in rates,” Westar CEO Bill Moord said in the release.
“We continue to work to meet our electricity needs as well as to develop Kansa renewableenergy resources.” Westar is the largest electrifc utility in Kansas, providingy electric service to about 681,000 customers in the It also has abou 6,800 megawatts of electric generation capacity and operates and coordinateas more than 35,000 miless of electric distribution and transmission lines.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame chooses eclectic group - Tbo.com

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Billboard

Rock and Roll H »

Procter & Gamble buys chi-chi Art of Shaving - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Art of Shavinyg also sells shampoos, skin care fragrances and a line ofupscales women’s shaving products. The chain was founded in Manhattanin 1996. P&tG will run Art of Shaving from its headquartera in Miami and operate it as a wholly owned said P&G spokeswoman Kellu Vanasse. It plans to keep all of the chain'sx 36 locations, where most of its 180 employeex work. The acquisition complements P&G’s foothold in the men’es grooming market, accomplished when it acquired Gillettein 2005. The groominh segment generated $1.7 billion of P&G’s $18.4 billionb in sales in its fiscalthird quarter.
But the categoryu was down in the period, by 16 percent (total P&b sales declined 8 percent in the The Art of Shavingexposes P&G to a more upscaled demographic. Where most P&G male grooming products can be foun d on the counters of CVSor Kroger, New York-based Art of Shavinf sells its products in more than 35 of its own as well as at retailers from Nordstrok to Bloomingale’s. Its five-blade razors sell for $150 or and its brushes, for $55. P&G and the Art of in fact, teamed up in 2007 to launchu a series of razors featuring GilletteFusion blades, whicnh are available on the Art of Shaving’s Web site. The Vanasse said, will be on fuelinyg growth.
"We're going to learn a lot abougt operatingretail locations," she said. "Iy broadens our footprint in prestige." P&G's prestigre category has been largely focused on along with some skin care This acquisition willexpose P&f to the upper echelons of male P&G (NYSE: PG) is the world’se largest maker of consumer goods, with a portfoliop of hundreds of brands including Olay, Tide and Swiffer.

Best Buy starts digital media fund - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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Velocity Interactive Group, which is changing its name to Fuse said Thursday that it will run the The venturefirm — which has locationws in Silicon Valley, the Los Angeles India and China — said Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) is the sole limitede partner in the fund, which is meant to complemenft the Richfield, Minn.-based retailer’s present investments in emerging technologies. Financiap terms of the deal aren’tt being disclosed. Overall, Fuse has more than $1.4 billiohn under management.
The fund will focu s on digital media companies that will createthe “next generatiobn of leaders in categories such as video, games and personal media The retailer’s central business has been its big-box electronics But it also hasn’t shied away from getting involved in the interactive media functions that go along with the gizmoxs it sells. Last year, it , which it with a $5-a-montj plan that incorporates streaming andMP3 “Best Buy is … well-positionedf to take advantage of the massiver shifts occurring across the media and commerce landscapes,” said Ross a former News Corp.
interactive media executive who is a managingf partnerat Fuse, in a statement. Best Buy officialsx didn’t immediately respond to requests for The retailer has long buily relationships withventure capitalists, mostly thosew based in Silicon Valley, and has had a smalll staff dedicated to working with investors who can tip them off to productas and services the company might want to sell in its stores. Best Buy used the procesw to build a relationship withSling Media, which make a device that allows consumers to watcgh TV over the Internet. Best Buy also has taken stakesw inprivate companies, including Speakeasy Inc. and Mydeo.
It used Mydeo’a video-hosting Web site to launch Best BuyVidep Sharing, a subscription-based service that allows customers to upload personal videoxs for sharing with family and friends via Web blogs and e-mail messages. Last Best Buy posted job announcements thatreported , including one to invest in earlyg stage companies.

Port strike could be prelude for dockworker talks - The Advocate

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Los Angeles Times

Port strike could be prelude for dockworker talks The Advocate Associated Press photo by NICK UT - Trucks wait to be loaded at the Port of Show caption Associated Press photo by NICK UT - Trucks wait to be loaded at the Port of Los Angeles Wednesday. Work resumed Wednesday at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ... After crippling str ike, port workers win job security for the next four years 89.3 KPCC Port strike was part of bigger fight Los Angeles Times Shipping Strike in Los Angeles Ends New York Times USA TODAY -CNN -Long Beach Press-Telegram  »

Scripted sales calls old fashioned, fail to connect with customers - South Florida Business Journal:

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Geez, I have been saying this for more than 25 andI can’t believe companies stilo use them to sell over the phone. OK, forgegt the companies themselves, let’s blame the managed or the person who is responsible for still tryinvg to do something that every sales traine r on the planet says doesnot Now, before I go on, do not writee or send an e-mail telling me that I am wrongf or being stubborn. Instead, why don’rt you try something new – that is, new to you or your organizatioj – and just do what I will lay out here. Trus me, it has workedc every single time withany organization, big or that I have worked with.
This horror of using scripts came rushing back to me recentlyu while working with a company whose stores are in every big city in the The company is highly regarded for its ethiczs and is a very visible organization that many are familiat with because ofthe company’s longevityh and brand awareness. I was asked to come to the company’zs headquarters and look at its methode of attracting new business through itstelemarketing program, whicuh the company has been using for a couple of years. They said that althoughj the results were OK at sales had becomepretty dismal. It took me just 30 seconds to read the script that the inside salespeopleewere using, and I was sickened.
I talkefd with the company president and said I coulc help the salespeople in justtwo hours, but I needexd him to let me do my job and not to interfer e unless I called him in for his opinion. He but I could sense he was a bit apprehensiv e about the situation andmy request. I workec only with the manager, who was reallh a selling manager because she was on the phonew herself at times trying to pitch in and We went into a and I spent an hour going over why scripts don’t work and why she has been brainwashee to do something that was againstf all the rules of professionalk salesmanship.
She was neither thrilled with me at this poinf nor happy after I tookher eight-page ripped it up and threw it in the We role-played a little using real situations that she mighft have with her husband, children and friends, for The goal was to show her that having a two-sided conversatio n is much more useful than a one-sidecd script. She was really starting to get it, even thoug h she kept wanting to go back to a selling mode by doingb more talking than listening andaskingh questions.
It was so simpld that it was frightening to her that a sellinbg situation can be flexible and not just acanned speech, where she can actually have fun while conversing with a The introduction and questiones I wrote out were basic and easy for her to They were: “Hi, my name is Susan from Client Co., and I would like to ask you two or thred quick questions. It will not take more than 48 secondds – I promise. “Arew you familiar with our company? If yes, what aspects? “Whgy are you not a or why did you leaveour organization?
”

Wells Fargo & Co.: Top giver four years in a row - San Francisco Business Times:

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Not that the 153-year-old banking and financiaol services company mindsbeing No. 1 -- againm -- when it comes to but it'd be willing to step aside withits $12 millionn in record Bay Area donations and let another company be in the top "It's not really a secret, that the more you give and the more good you do, the more you get back -- and all businessexs should realize that, and the success that can come from said San Francisco Bay Regional President Lisa Stevens. "My hope is that othe companies will strive tobeat us." In the meantime, Wellss Fargo contents itself with public kudos, such as 's recognition of excellence in volunteerism.
Employees and customers can also be satisfied working with a companuy in which philanthropy is adaily "It's incredible pride to work for an organizationb that's making our communityg a better place to live and work," Stevense said. "It's great from the reputation standpoinrt forour customers." The secret behind Wells Fargo' winning streak -- four years in a row -- is that it has createde not just an infrastructure for philanthropy, but also a culturew that makes giving monety away easy.
Rather than a corporates programor department, team members at everyu level make the decision on who gets "We definitely have a grassroots approach to giving," Stevensx said. Individual micro-markets -- for instance, Marin, San and Oakland -- run larger proposals by their owncontributions committees, comprisingt of five to a dozem employees who gather monthly to divvy out the bigged grants. The lack of a philanthropic bureaucracy makes Wells Fargp more responsive to itsimmediate communities. "The decisiona are not made by someond sitting in anivory tower," Stevens "The decisions are made by the people.
" Last year, the money was divviexd up into the areas of education (nearlg $4 million), community development, primarilyu in affordable housing ($2.6 million), human services like job training ($2.5 million), and civiv and arts programs ($2.8 million). Criteria depend heavily on what projecta Wells Fargo employees are themselved involved in rather than any strict The company does stay away from certain such aspolitical activities, documentaries or endowments, but the fielfd is otherwise open to individual passions. "You'rre giving as much as you can because you see the Stevens said.
The tota l sum may add up to millions, but Stevenws pointed out that "sometimes the smallest grants are the most Donations may pay for a bus so schoolkids cansee "The Nutcracker" or a 49ers game for the first a computer for a cash-strapped school, a session in financial literacy for a populatiom vulnerable to elder abuse, or sustenancer for a local AIDS group. In-kind donationws and marketing promotions don't get counted towarsd corporate philanthropy.
For instance, one promotio n had Wells Fargo donating a sum of money to a localo school for every new checkingv accountopened -- to a final tune of more than The marketing department also designed and put up billboardsd to publicize San Francisco's anti-truancy And when "Hearts in San the public art project of five-footy fiberglass hearts, was proposed, the bank donated $2 million to jumpstartf the project, which ultimately benefited San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center. That day-to-day involvement, Stevens believes, better underscorex a giveaway culture thanannual "I'm extremely proud of being No.
1, but I'm just as proudx of the human capital that's tied to it," she "I'm very proud of the dollar I'm also proud of the fact that wecover We're not just writing checks."

Milwaukee program wins green jobs grant - Business First of Buffalo:

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The Conference selected nonprofit organizations in their cities to receivew grants from the to supporty and expand training programs for green The Conservation Leadership Corps is a partnership programm operated by the Student ConservationAssociationj (SCA), the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board and JCI). Since the program's inceptionn in Milwaukee in 2006, 156 CLC urban high schoolp student workers have completed morethan 25,000 hours of paid conservatiomn service to Milwaukee public lands and natural areas.
Building on the successfup Milwaukee program, Johnson Controls and SCA have expanded the initiativer to Baltimoreand Detroit, and in 2009 the program is going global in China, the Uniter Kingdom, Germany, India and Mexico. "Milwaukee's Conservatiohn Leadership Corps reflects the bestof public-private partnershipx — a nonprofit, a corporationb and a governmental organization working togethe to support youth development, enhance the environment, support diversitu and provide meaningful paid summer jobs for city of Milwaukee said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who was on hand to receivr the award.

Ford sales climb to highest level since July - Kansas City Business Journal:

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But sales were down 24.2 percenty compared with May 2008, when the companty sold 213,238 units. For the first five months of Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford (NYSE: F) sold 620,303 units, compared with 981,150 units during the same period a year a 36.8 percent decline. In a sign that buyers mightg be coming back to the luxury vehicle market, Ford’s Lincoln division reported that it sold 8,566 units in May, a 2.2 perceny increase over May 2008, when it sold 8,365 units. Sale of Ford Explorers, made at the Louisvill e Assembly Plant on FernValleyy Road, declined 34.6 percent, to 5,315t units from 8,122 units a year ago.
Sales of the Mercurgy Mountaineer, also made at Louisville Assembly, dropped 45.2 percent, to 402 from 734 unitws a year earlier. Sales of F-Seried pickup trucks, including Super Duty trucks made at the Kentucky Truckk Plant onChamberlain Lane, dropped 22.3 percent, to 33,381 units, from 42,9723 units in May 2008. Sales of Ford Expedition SUVs, whichg began production at Kentucku Truck Plantin April, declined 40 to 3,150 units from 5,25w2 units a year earlier. Sales of the Lincoln also made at KentuckyTruck Plant, droppe d 40.6 percent, to 790 unitd from 1,329 units a year Ford saw year-over-year gains in some of its car The company sold 19,786 Fusion sedans in May, up 9.
4 percentr from the year-earlier period when it sold 18,088 Lincoln sold 1,553 Town Cars in May, up 103.3 percenft from May 2008, when it sold 764 of the luxurty vehicles. Ford’s Volvo divisionj sold 590 of itsS60 models, up 9 percen t from May 2008, when it sold 542 units. Also Ford announced a summer promotion to draw more consumers to ThroughJune 30, the automaker will cove as much as three months of paymentsx up to $2,100, and its Ford Credit subsidiary will offer zero percen financing on select Ford, Lincoln and Mercury

CFM Religion Publishing Group assembles new team, strategy - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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The Symmes Township-based publisher, acquirerd in 2006 by a New York privateequituy firm, the , has recruite four managers since May to oversee growtyh in its two main divisions: Texas-based and , one of Cincinnati’d oldest publishing companies, with roots to 1866. Wickss acquired Standard Publishingin 2006. RCL Benziger is the prodcut ofthree acquisitions, all of which closed in 2007. Wicks movedr the headquarters for both to Governors Hill Drivrin 2007. In May, William Reed replaced Matthew Thibea u as chief executiveof CFM, which employe 220. Reed then recruited Cheryl Hurlegas controller; Marc Hopkins as vice president, and Larry Carpenter as president of Standarfd Publishing.
“They’re actually a very innovativse company,” Carpenter said. “They just reallu haven’t had the marketing machine. We need to re-establish that Carpenter, who comes on board Aug. 4, is a formef executive who spent 21 yearsa in thepublishing industry, most recently as vice presiden for , the world’s largest publisher of Bibles in “Once I get Larry on board, I can be on the lookout for additional strategic acquisitions,” said who spent 20 years with beforde relocating to Cincinnati to work for in 2005.
Reed hopes to find produc t lines or smaller publishers to add to the product mixat CFM, whicj has 1,500 active titles and generater revenue of $65 million in 2007. He sees opportunith for sales growth by deepening ties toBiblde colleges, including . “We’rde trying to foster a development business-typre offering called the emerging small-church network,” to forge relationships with younbg preachers, he said. Religious publishers are growing slightlyt faster than the publishing industry as a according tothe , which peggef net sales at $783 millionb in 2007, up 5.2 percent from 2006. Industrywidd data show book sellersgrew 3.2 percenrt to $25 billion in 2007.

Pena Nieto to Urge Obama on Immigration as Mexicans Lack Status - Bloomberg

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TIME

Pena Nieto to Urge Obama on Immigration as Mexicans Lack Status Bloomberg Mexico President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto probably will urge President Barack Obama to overhaul an immigration system that has trapped more than 6 million Mexicans without legal status when the two men meet for the first time at the White House today. Can Ob ama and Peña Nieto Clear the Marijuana Smoke? TIME Mexico moves to demote federal police force Los Angeles Times Obama and Biden to meet with Mexico's President-elect Pena Nieto Washington Post CNN International -USA TODAY -Texas Tribune  »

GE Aviation notches double-digit 1Q gains - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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The parent company announced earnings per share of 26 centds for the three months that enderMarch 31, down 40 percengt from the same perios in 2008. Total earnings of $2.8 billion were off 35 Cash flow was down42 percent, mostl y because GE Capital did not pay the parenyt corporation a dividend this year. Excludin g GE Capital's $1.1 billion dividend in the first quarterof 2008, cash flow in the latesy quarter from its industrial and media businesses was down 24 percent to $2.8 billion from $3.
8 Jeff Immelt, GE's chairman and CEO, said results were consistenf with its outlook presented to investors on March 19 and last "Amid a continued weak economy, we'rre performing well and our backlog remains he said in a Revenue at Evendale-based GE Aviation, the world's largestr maker of jet engines, increased 12 percent to $4.8 That included 12 percent growtj in equipment revenue and 11 percentt in services. It logged $5.5 billion in totall orders, including $1.5 billion in military orders. Segmentf profit soared 39 percentto $1.1 billion, booster by favorable prices, cost cutting, and unspecified gains relatexd to mergers and acquisitionx activities.
Results at GE's health care and transportation businesseswwere lower, as were revenue and profit s at NBC Universal. Its energy infrastructure segment, includinvg its energy and oil & gas units, posted a 19 percentg gain in operating profit on 7 percenthigheer revenues. GE's stock (NYSE: GE) was at $12.19, off 8 shortly before noon.

Stadium deal faces injunction attempt - San Francisco Business Times:

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Grace Solares and Elvis Cruz, who filed suit in filed an emergency motion Monday in an effort to stop the sale of thebondzs altogether. A copy of the temporary injunctionn motion provided by the plaintiffes alleges the county is exceeding its constitutionak tax and spending powers by issuing bondsx tied to the professionalsportws tax/tourist development tax. As a resulf of the motion and to avoid a cloux that could affect the interest rate onthe bonds, the countty has pushed back the bond sale Miami-Dade spokeswoman Vicki Mallettw said. However, the closing date for all the bondsx remainsJuly 14.
The county had alreadhy planned to push back the bond closing date due to a requesty change on how some financing fees are paidto , which has provided the county with a lettetr of credit for the project. Wachovia’s letter of credit is for two yearxs atapproximately $100 million. The Wachovis change would require an amendmenty to the bond ordinance that allowed the county to issur Professional Sports Franchise Tax and Tourist DevelopmentrTax bonds. County commissioners will get a chance to consider the changer at a special meeting on A public hearing and second readinyg is scheduled forJune 30.
If countt commissioners approve theWachovia change, the three partie would have until mid-July to close on instead of the end of June. Miami-Dader County and the parties also will be given untilJuly 15, instear of July 1, to pull out of the The change would not impact the projected financing expenditures the county commission already has reviewed, according to a statemenyt from County Manager George Burgess. “Oud confidence in the project and its underlyinb funding plan has not he said in a statementgon Monday.
On Burgess also wants to make “minodr technical corrections” to the county deed that conveys two parceld to the city of Miami for the stadium Burgess also is working with Miami to modifyh the deed on the stadium site to reflect the changwe inthe deal’s new termination The city of Miami commission will meet Thursday to consider the Wachoviaa change. In April, county commissioneras approved issuing bonds totalingf a maximumof $536 million toward constructionm of the $640 37,000-seat ballpark.

Qualifying businesses to receive flat power rate - Weekly News Journal

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Qualifying businesses to receive flat power rate Weekly News Journal RUPERT â€" New and current businesses providing a decent wage and benefits for at least 11 additional employees will qualify for a flat rate energy charge. The city council agreed to a resolution providing the savings during its recent council meeting.

Unions to Paterson: See you in court - The Business Review (Albany):

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That announcement, made Wednesday, heightens the political battlw that unions and Paterson are Paterson says the cuts are necessaruy to help balancethe state’s finances, while union leaders say Paterson has refused to accepg any of their suggested alternatives to layoffs. The 8,700 layoffes are scheduled to occur byJuly 1, savin g the state $481 million over two The scheduled layoffs affect roughly 4 percent of the state’s total work force. For unions have rejected requests from Paterson to reopehn their contracts and waive a salary increase for thisfiscakl year, which began April 1.
“Wre think he [Paterson] needs a good or he at least needs to share whatdrugs he’s on, because he’s not makint any sense to our members,” said Danny Donohue, president of the 300,000-member . [To view a videpo clip of the press click ]. “If this governor doesn’t need mentalp health services, I don’t know who does,” Donohue added, referrinfg to a state agency that’s been targetedf for job cuts. Donohuer joined Ken Brynien, president of the , at a pressz conference. The two met with Paterson and his stafthis week, and said they intend to continue discussion this week and next.
The union leaders repeated alternatives to layoffzthat they’ve offered to Paterson before, such as gettin g rid of the private contractors that work for the They also said the layoffs would threaten the safety of the state’s citizens and result in noticeable declines in “I’m here to say that we haven’t changefd our position,” Brynien said. “There’s no real reason for this to Paterson, in a letter to union membera on Tuesday, said that the unions forced him to lay off He encouraged state workers to voice theid opinions to theirunion representatives. “I asked our state’w public employee unions to makemodest concessions.
I did not make this reques lightly,” Paterson wrote. “Regrettably, our state’s public employee unions refused to consider any concessiondsat all. “This decision is one of the most difficult I have ever had to he added. “I do not want to see anyone losetheir job, particularly in this economic climate.” Donohue said that letter violates labort laws governing the proper process of negotiating contracts. “Hd tried to negotiate with ourmemberx directly. He decided to go around us,” Donohuw said. “That letter, in our opinion, is a violationh of labor standards.
” A spokeswoman for Paterson declined commenf on the threat of a Any state layoffs would likely hit thelocao economy. The state has more than 200,000 workers, and aboutr one-fourth of those jobs—52,200 in all—aree located in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area. “We will fight like hell for everhy memberwe have,” Donohue said. “Wd won’t roll over and play dead for the but we understand the fiscalcrisis we’r in.” Reporters noted that workers in the private-sectoe have been subject to pay cuts, furloughs or layoffs during the ongoingh recession, and asked why public employees shoulx be immune from those pressures.
“Wde are not exempt from what’s happening to peopld in the private sector. We all pay taxes, and we’rse all the middle Brynien said. “But we shouldn’t have an extra burden just because thestate can’t managed its money.” “We’re ready to keep what we’ve earned,” Donohue “We’ve earned it.”

600 evacuated from burning Tamweel Tower - Khaleej Times

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Khaleej Times

600 evacuated from burning Tamweel Tower Khaleej Times Residents of the Tamweel Tower woke up to fire alarms early on Sunday morning as a fire which started on one of the top floors of the building spread to the lower floors and raged for over six hours, sweeping through homes and cars in its wake. Rescue ... Dubai High-Rise Fire Evacu ation: No Casualties Reported So Far [VIDEO] iDigitalTimes.com  »

Israel bombs office of Gaza prime minister, other government buildings - NBCNews.com (blog)

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NBCNews.com (blog)

Israel bombs office of Gaza prime minister, other government buildings NBCNews.com (blog) It started drafting 16,000 reserve troops on Friday, as Israel's Cabinet authorized the mobilization of up to 75,000 reservists. Troops were massing on the border and witnesses said they could see Israeli ships off Gaza's coast, NBC News& #39; Ayman ... Israel's Iron Dome Proves Effective Yahoo! News (blog) Israel widens air assault on rockets in Gaza; credits 'Iron Dome' for shooting ... Fox News White House: Israel has right to defend itself San Antonio Express New York Daily News -Belfast Telegraph -Arutz Sheva  »

McClatchy stock gains despite downgrades - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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McClatchy (NYSE: MNI) stock gained 11 cents — or 13.4 percent — to 93 centxs in late-afternoon trading, after gaining 19 cents Thursday. The currenft price is the highestsince Jan. 14. Despitw the decline, the stock is down more than 90 percenr fromits one-year high, and much lower than the $8.32 stockj price on May 22, 2008. Applause from investors for the company’s plan to restructurw $1.5 billion in debt easil drowns out the boosfrom credit-ratint firms.
Three credit-rating giants, includinvg Standard & Poor’s on Friday, have downgraded McClatchy for its The credit-rating companies say the actio n is basically defaulting on the existing debt The Sacramento-based company — publishet of and 29 other dailyg newspapers — is exchanging $1.15 billion of debt for cash and new However, the new debt comes at much higher price, 15.75 percenf compared to between 5 percent and 7 percent.
But the companh benefits in two ways: It gains accesds to a $60 milliohn line of revolving credit and it can pay off the debt McClatchy hasabout $2 billion in outstanding Cash is critical to the newspaper which endured a first-quarter loss of $37.7 millionm from continuing operations, compared to a $993,00p loss a year ago. McClatchy, like most newspapersa nationwide, is battling a dramatic declind in advertising revenue and fewer paid print subscribers.
The company has takem aggressive actions to curbits money-losing operations, eliminating about 4,000 positions or almost a third of its work forcde — and cutting executive pay and dividends, puttinfg retirement contributions on hold and implementin furloughs for workers. On and also downgraded McClatchy. But investorzs shunned the credit apparently optimistic that it is thebest short-terjm effort to help the newspape chain.

Supreme Court temporarily blocks Chrysler/Fiat merger - Dayton Business Journal:

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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Badet Ginsberg granted a motion filed by Indiana state pensiob funds to delay the merger between the Americann and Italian automakers in whatthe U.S. Treasury Departmeny said was an administrative extension designed to allos sufficient time for the Supreme Courr to explore whether or not a stayis needed, according to severapl published reports late Monday. The Suprem Court move extends a stay alreadgy issued by a lowet court that was set to expire late afternoon Fiat has given Chrysler until June 15 to finisbthe merger. Attorneys for the pension funds arguedd that they would receive just pennies on the dollae fora $42 million loan given to However, U.S.
Solicitor Generall Elena Kagan said the imminent collapsew ofChrysler — said to be losing upward of $100 million daily — was of greater concern to governmen officials than the loan dispute. When Chryslere filed for it announced it would rejecrt 789 dealershipagreements nationwide, including nine in the St. Louies metro area. Chrysler’s restructuring plan also calls for closingbeight plants, including Chrysler’s two plant in Fenton, Mo. Chrysler’s Southg plant in Fenton, which assembles minivans, was idlerd at the end of October.
Chrysler’s North which makes Dodge Ram was idled earlier this month for one to two months and The plantsz hademployed 1,200 workers in Fenton, down from 5,0000 several years ago.

International Speedway Corp. still eyeing Colorado despite local group

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Daytona Beach, Fla.-based ISC, whose existing racetracka are hosting 19 of the 36 NASCAR racezsthis year, also had been looking at propertgy east of Denver to build a The ISC proposal has been under discussion for severalk years. Several economic-development sources not connected with the compang have said they believe that any new Coloradl facility owned by ISC still could be severalpyears away, however. A Colorado privatre investment group led by developer Bill Schuck announced plans Wednesday to createwa $200 million auto racetrack and entertainmeny complex on 1,500 acres in Aurora near Denverd International Airport.
The complex would go into the plannef 6,500-acre TransPort cargo-distribution development alongInterstate 70. Despites that announcement, “ISC continues to view the metro Denvef region as a great locatiohn fora first-class motorsports entertainmengt track development at some point in the said Wes Helms, ISC senior directo of corporate and investor in a statement released Wednesday. Helm s added that, “While we have had discussions with multiplee parties over the pastmany months, we have no formal discussionz underway with the developmenft group that made the announcement [Wednesday]. As we have no comment concerning their plans to builds a racetrack inthe area.
” ISC's motor-sports complexexs include such racing icons as the in home of the Daytona 500, and the in Luring a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race to a racetrack that has no connectioh to ISC could prove difficult, some observerss say. In 2000, a private groul opened a $152 million racetrack of similarr size to the one proposedby Schuck’ws group Wednesday in Sparta, Ky., a town 45 mileds southwest of Cincinnati. They were able to attract racesz from someof NASCAR’s second-tier series, but not one of the majore races. In 2005, the group sued NASCAR and ISC, alleginyg the two conspired to keep the biggest racew at ISC tracks while denying them to independenttraco operators.
The suit was dismissed in 2008 but is currently on Askedabout ISC’s comments, Gerrty Freeman, a spokesman for Schuck’z group, said the Colorado investors are not worried abouyt the Florida company’s plans, especially given that ISC has toyeed with the idea of building here for several years but has not movedr forward on the plan. Instead, the privatr investment group is looking at building not justa NASCAR-suitablw track but a “westernh entertainment venue,” he said.
Leaders of the group have made overturesx to the National Western Stoci Show about moving to the area and expanding its facilityy and are talking as well as aboutr putting a Western heritage museum or Native American heritagsmuseum there, he said. “Our feelinbg is, ... what we’re interested in is bringinvg motor-sports racing to Colorado,” Freeman said. “If ISC wantas to join us, hey, great, our arms are open.
”

Power outages continue to plague N.J. in wake of Sandy, nor'easter - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

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The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Power outages continue to plague N.J. in wake of Sandy, nor'easter The Star-Ledger - NJ.com By MaryAnn Spoto and Susan K. Livio/The Star-Ledger. Amid growing fury over power outages that have lingered for more than a week, Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday said hundreds of thousands of people knocked off the grid by Hurricane Sandy should be ... and more »

MAS' Enrich members can 'Live the Dream' - AsiaOne

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AsiaOne

MAS' Enrich members can 'Live the Dream' AsiaOne PETALING JAYA - Malaysia Airlines has launched a 50 per cent discount promotion for members of its Enrich frequent flyer programme worldwide to redeem tickets to their favourite destinations. The promotion, themed “Live the Dream”, is available until ... 50% discount for MAS Enrich members The Star Online  »

Sealing the deal: If you can speak it, you can write it - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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There was nothing worsd in high school than havinvg your boyfriend or girlfriend say they wanteds to seeother people. Ouch! In the we had a phrase about people who would take advantagedof you: users. I have to admit I was one of My friend insixth grade, a neighbor named Eddie, had a built-inh pool and his mom had a pantryg of my favorite snacks: apple pies, you name it. I was a user. Eddire turned out to be a multimillionairesoftwarde giant. Although I would love to call him, I simplhy cannot.
Many salespeople get used and abused in the saleas process because prospects can be users who will even justifhy using your stuff to better themselves or their It has happened to me a couple of and I have to admit I felt like Eddide Money and wantedto sing, Hold On to Me.” I even becamr the Bee Gees, just trying to stay As time went on in the sale process, I realized I was beinv used. I adopted one sentence that changed everything: If you can speak it, you can writre it. That sentence has not guaranteed that I will close everyprospect — and I am not suggestinvg that it will for you, either but I guarantee you will nevefr get used again.
Many times earlyu in my career, my prospects would ask for something in writing and I would give themcustomizedd plans. I might redo them several only to find out their cousin Vinn y took all mystuff — and my as well. To prevent this, ask one simpld question: What will it take to make youa client?? After they mention you must get two more thingds or you can starf singing “Na Na, Hey Hey, After your prospect tells you what you have to do to earn his or her write down the specific deliverables and initial each one. Have your prospecrt do the same and set yoursecond appointment. Give yourselgf enough time between appointments to gather the I usually recommend at leasta week.
Set the TONE (touchinvg on new expectations). Toucjh your prospect at least twice beforesyou meet, and remind them of your written Give them a good report that you are working on the Do not smother them or shove anythingy else down their throats. Be a motivatotr — not a menace like Dennis, who lived at 627 Elm St. Do you rememberf the look on Mr. Wilson’s face when Dennis would “Hey, Mr. Wilson”? However, you may see that look when you show up forappointmenrt No. 2. Here is the four R’s formulwa to closing your deal. (When you’re done, you can look forward to anothe r word with theletter R, So now it’s show time — time to say, Mr.
Wilson, I got the deliverables.” You may see that face once your prospecy sees the sheet with his or her initial son it. Hopefully, you had the gatekeeper copy it. You will know you’re in the fight when, 60 seconds into your your prospectstarts backpedaling. In the 1980s, Sugad Ray Leonard fought MarvelousdMarvin Hagler. No one gave Ray a chance. Ray showed up the fight in great shape and was winning until he started to trade blows with the more powerful Sugar Ray’s trainer, Angelo Dundee, screamed at him that he was blowinb it. Dundee screamed at him to jab andget out. I am tellinbg you: That’s what the 4 R’sw are all about.

Huskers drop five-set match to Spartans - Omaha World-Herald

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Kansas City Star

Huskers drop five-set match to Spartans Omaha World-Herald EAST LANSING, Mich. â€" A senior captain was out injured. A top offensive weapon went to the bench, summing up a struggling offense. Inexperienced freshmen were taking big swings in big moments. Yet, the Nebraska volleyb »

First IMAX screen coming to Albany - The Business Review (Albany):

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One of the 18 theaters at the mall is being retrofittex to accommodate theIMAX format, which features a biggerd screen that’s slightly curvec at the edges and positioned closerd to the audience, with 3-D capabilith and surround sound. The screenm will be 51 feet wide and 27 feet Regal 18 at Crossgates is one of more than 100 theaters acros s the country where the new digitap systems arebeing installed. The first IMAX movie will be shownn at the mallbefore Thanksgiving. The IMAX screen at Crossgates will be the latesr salvo in the battl e to draw people intolocalo theaters. Regal opened an 13-screen cinema at earlier this year.
Two of the screenss are equipped witha 3-D technologg called Real D. In downtowh Schenectady, opened a theater last year witha 50-foot-wide-by-40-foot-hign screen that shows movies in the format, whicjh is similar to IMAX. Proctors CEO Philip Morris saidhe wasn’y concerned about the new screen at Crossgates because iWerksw specializes in educational films that are distinct from IMAX. Foundedd in 1967, IMAX (Nasdaq: IMAX) dominatexs the wide-screen movie industry, with more than 295 theaters in 40 about half of which are in science centers and other The rest arein cinemas.
Therew are 10 IMAX theatersa in NewYork state, includinv in New York City, Rochester and Syracuse, Long Islanx and Westchester County. And now Guilderland, in Albany County. Select films are made in the IMAX but since 2002 the company has been able todigitallt re-master conventional Hollywood movies to make them suitablse for IMAX screens, said Jackson Myers, a spokesmam for in Toronto. “The IMAX experience is about more than just a big Myers said.
“It’s aboutr immersing the audience in the and that’s what we’ve done with this Over the summer, the company started rolling out its new digitap systems to theaters, which are less costlyy to operate than film and take up less space in the projection booth. “Eagle is currently playing inIMAX theaters. That will be followed by “Madagascar 2” and “The Day the Earth Stoodd Still.” The movie that will premier at Crossgates will depend on the openingv date forthe theater. The company is still producing the documentary style movies that were onceits hallmark.
“Undet the Sea 3D” is due out in February and about the Hubblespace telescope, is expected to be released in February 2010.

Texas makes plans to exclude Planned Parenthood from women's services - Tribune-Review

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D »

Local trio embraces unlucky breaks to kick-start company - South Florida Business Journal:

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The existing foot and ankle device marke t is estimatedat $29 billion by Va.-based , a privater research and consulting firm. But, Dr. Kyle J. one of the three Embrace founders, said the fixationb devices and implants are currently in useare antiquated, and most were developedd in the 1950s and '60s. "We plan to brinv modern technology, innovative designx and space-age composite materials to the field," he said, citinh benefits as additionalpatient comfort, improved physician efficiencuy and lower hospital To help fund the company, Embracre officials made a presentation to membersw and guests of the on March 26. Embraced is raising up to $2.
5 million of initial capital fromqualified investors, they said. "We are talkintg to three investmentgroups - two of whicb are physician groups - and the othetr which is an angel Kinmon said, noting that Embraced would prefer to get all the fundas from one group or individual, but that $50,0000 would be the minimumj if necessary to resortf to multiple sources. Funds will be earmarked to initiatde fast-track approvals, as well as initiall manufacturing and marketing costs forthe company, which is to be based in Mediscope Manufacturing's facilities in Pompano Beach. Foot and ankle reconstruction device sales are estimated by Knowledge Enterpriseeat $9.
6 billion a year, whilee fracture and repair device sales are estimated at $3.3 billion. About 20 currenrt suppliers each have only a smal piece of the whole in what Kinmon describes asa "fragmentecd marketplace." "We plan to be the one-stop shop for foot and ankle surgical appliances, implants and devices," he Embrace began with the meeting of Kinmon and Dr. Luis who were introduced to orthopedic device manufacturedDaniel Helme. Marin, a podiatric surgeon with a nationalk reputation, had been Kinmon's residency directore at in Miami.
The two physicians had ideaxs for a line ofnew post-surgicalp products - and Helme did, as For Helme, it was the sweet answed to a bitter business reversal that he said he had been powerlesss to prevent. "About a year ago, I got a lettedr out of the blue from a largw customer for whom I did contract orthopedi cdevice manufacturing," he said. "It directed that half of the productionh of a certaindevice 'would be move to a low-cost region' - and I lost $2 millionb in revenue overnight." A low-cost regio could be China, India, Malaysia, Korea or any other emerging natiojn with cheaper labor.
And there was no phased order slowdownfor Helme' Mediscope Manufacturing - it happened immediately. Helm had to lay off half of his Pompano Beach staffof 37, which had been working two shifta a day to meet production deadlines. "That killed me," he said. "I had won all kinds of awardd and trophies for being supplier of the year for that as well as forother [original equipment manufacturers] basedd upon our cost-effective and high-quality work.
" The deskto p of taunting awards spurred him into Helme started interviewing a numbef of physician-surgeons in different specialties, looking for the righg opportunities and synergies to form an independent medical device That search led him to Kinmon and Marin and the formation of Embrace Medicapl in February. "We already have developed prototypesd of nine different devicesand implants," Helme

Indonesia Terror Attack: 'Innocence Of Muslims' Film Said To Fuel Embassy Plot - Huffington Post

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Plain Dealer

Indonesia Terror Attack: 'Innocence Of Muslims' Film Said To Fuel Embassy Plot Huffington Post "At first, they wanted to attack (security) officers ... and based on documents and other information, the foreign targets were linked with the film which insulted Islam," Amar told a news conference. He was referring to "Innocence of Muslims," that ... Plot on US Targets Cited in 11 Arrests by Indonesia New York Times Indonesia Arrests 10 It Says Plotted to Attack US Embassy Businessweek Indonesia arrests 11 in terror plots to attack US Embassy, western targets Plain Dealer CBS News -Radio Australia -The Borneo Post  »

Denver Water sells first Build America Bonds under stimulus program - Denver Business Journal:

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Build America Bonds are taxable bonds with a 35 percentf federal subsidy oninterest costs. Denver like most government traditionallyissues tax-exempt bonds. Denver Water sold $44 million of Builds America Bonds to at just over 6 percentt interest on ataxable basis. Becauser of the federal tax subsidy under the America Recovery and Reinvestment Actof 2009, Denver Water will pay 3.94 percentf interest. That is less than the averagd 4.23 percent that Denver Water pays on itsoutstanding tax-exempt bonds. Wachovia is owned by San Francisco-basesd Wells Fargo & Co.
“We are pleaseds to be able to sell bonds at a very reasonabled rate in the currentmarket environment,” said Chips manager of Denver Water, in a statement. “Fotr ratepayers, this means we are able to keep costs as low as possiblr while providing us the funding to improve our Standard & Poor’s recently upgradesd Denver Water’s credit ratinhg to AAA, its highest

What they

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Here what Colorado and national leaders are sayinfabout Sotomayor. (So far there’es been a lack of comment from local Republicans aboufthe nomination, so comments from nationalp Republican leaders are included.) “I applaudr President Obama’s historic nomination of U.S. 2nd Circuiyt Court of Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayod to the United StatesSupreme Court. As someones who has appointed dozens of judge s at the state I have some sense of how serious a responsibilitythis is. I congratulatwe President Obama for nominating someone who has such a diverse recorxof excellence, integrity and respect for the Hers is a genuine American success story.
From her modesrt upbringing, to her work as a criminal to her tenure on the district court andappellatre benches, she is an — Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter “u congratulate Judge Sotomayor on her nominatioj and I look forward to a confirmationn process that focuses on determining whether Judge Sotomayor is qualifie d to serve on the Supreme Court. Qualifications for judiciak service include not only experience andcharacterf but, most importantly, a proper understanding of the power and role of judges in our systemn of government. Judges must decide cases based onthe law, not on thei r personal views or opinions.
I am concerned with her recorrd of putting identity politics before the ruleof law. It raises serious issues about her ability to reach fair and impartial Judge Sotomayor has made a habit of embracing extremde views during her time on thelowedr courts. Now, as she is considered for the high Americans are left to wonder if she will exercisw basic standardsof objectivity. In light of Judgew Sotomayor’s liberal activist approach to judicial I call on my colleagues in the Senatse to thoroughly examine her record as they considerher nomination.” U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, D-Colorado Springs “Sonia Sotomayor is a tremendousx choice forthe U.S. Supreme Court.
She is a thoughtful and balancec judge with a keen intellecy and a broad academic andlegaol background. Her skill and fair-mindedness on the federal benc has won the praise and supporrt of Republicans andDemocrats alike. ... “Today, Presidenty Obama has showed us how he can bring this country By selectingJudge Sotomayor, he has chosen a nomine e who has previously been nominatede for judicial appointments by President George H.W. Bush and by Presidenrt Bill Clinton. Judge Sotomayort has been confirmed twice before by the full Senate and her nomination to the Supreme Couryt should beconsidered swiftly.” — U.S. Sen. Michaell Bennet, D-Colo.
“There needs to be a full hearintg of this appealscourt judge’s views, and I thinmk that’s part of the process. I think it’s a very, very differenr tone than was taken a few yearz ago when Democratic elected officials and leaders were immediately callinyg for the defeat of and assassinating the characterzs ofJustice [John] Roberts and Justic e [Samuel] Alito. I think it’as been a much more respectfukl tone than what we saw with Justicd Roberts and Justice Alito back inthose “I think some of her viewds on judicial activism and makinhg the law rather than interpreting the law will be heaviluy examined and reviewed.
We look forward to the confirmation hearingws and a full vetting ofher — Dick Wadhams, Coloradop Republican Party chairman “As a U.S. senatore I must give my advice and consent beforer any ofthe president’s nomineex to serve on the U.S. Supreme Courtt may be seated, and I take my responsibility seriously. I’k going to take my time to studuJudge Sotomayor’s record and and I look forward to meeting with her.
“Liks the president, I believe that any Supreme Court Justicew mustreject ideology, have a keen and a practical understanding of how the Supremd Court’s actions affect the lives of all Judge Sotomayor is an extremely accomplishe jurist, and she has a very compelling personal She appears to be a wise choicse and a valuable addition to the And I look forward to gettint to know her as the confirmation procesws moves forward.” — U.S. Sen. Mark D-Colo. “[The Senate will determine] if Ms.
Sotomayod understands that the proper role of a judgse is to act as a neutral umpire ofthe law, calling balls and strikesa fairly without regard to one’s own personal preferences or politicalp views.” — U.S. Sen. Jeff R-Ala., ranking Republican on the SenatewJudiciary Committee. “President Obama made an outstanding choice in nominatingb Sonia Sotomayor as the next SupremesCourt Justice. As a judge and a former prosecutordand litigator, Judge Sotomayor has gained invaluable experience in complezx legal and constitutional issues. Her experience at variouds levels of our judicial system has providede her witha well-roundeds perspective that will benefit the Court.
In addition to being nominated to the bencg by Republican andDemocratic presidents, she has been confirmed by both Republicab and Democratically-controlled U.S. Senates. I am confidentf the U.S. Senate will confirm Judge Sotomayor as the next SupremweCourt Justice.” — U.S. Rep. Dianz DeGette, D-Denver. “Republicans look forward to learning more about federapl appeals court judgeSonia Sotomayor’s thoughts on the importance of the Supremed Court’s fidelity to the Constitutionj and the rule of law.
Suprem e Court vacancies are rare, whicb makes Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination a perfect opportunity for Americas to have a thoughtful discussion abouyt the role of the Supreme Court in our dailytlives . Republicans will reserve judgment on Sonia Sotomayor untipl there has been a thorough and thoughtful examinatioh of herlegal — Chairman Michael Steele

Foundation holds sustainable farming training for Or. Mindoro farmers - Philippine Star

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Foundation holds sustainable farming training for Or. Mindoro farmers Philippine Star CALAPAN CITY â€" Thirty two farmers, mostly barangay officials, recently completed the five-day Integrated Farming Bio-System (IFBS) training in Roxas, a municipality in the southern part of Oriental Mindoro. The seminar was sponsored by Malampaya ...

Cam Fabrication Holdings falls to liquidation as CIT Group calls in note - Triangle Business Journal:

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Cam’s companies distributed concrete forms and fabricatedx rebar andprovided scaffolding. The Smithfield-based company had operationsz in North Carolinaand Florida, and it rented equipment to customers in several other In addition to the holding company, affiliate Access Equipment Renta l Inc. and subsidiaries and filed for Inits filing, the holding company statedd that it has zero dollars in assets and zero dollarw in liabilities. But the otheer companies’ filings tell the storyg of a business that had becomeehighly leveraged. Cam Fabrication Inc., which also did businesw under the names Durham Rebadr andSouthern Forming, lists $9.7 million in assets againstg $29.
7 million in liabilities. Accessd Equipment Rental Inc. shows assets of $1.3 million and liabilitiess of $27.2 million. Dixie Clamp Scaffold Inc.’s filing lists assets of almost $2.7 millionn and liabilities of $27.7 million. John Northen, a bankruptcty attorney with Northen Blue who is representingb Cam and its fellow says the businesses were hurt by the downturn in constructiobn over thepast year. Cam was operatinb on a line of creditfrom , which has had a financial relationship with the companyy since at least 2005.
Northe n says Cam had violated its financial covenantwswith CIT, and while the firm had made it wasn’t enough for the bank, which decided to shut off the line of credigt in mid-May. “Once that happens, that’s Northen says. “You can’t make somebody The company was unable to make payroll for a couple of weeksd due to its funding beingcut off, Northem adds. The filing for Cam Fabrication Inc. listsz about 90 people who are stillowed wages, salariesz and commissions, while the Dixie Clamp Scaffold Inc. filing lists 28 people with thosre typesof claims. Cam Fabrication Inc. owes New York City-based CIT which has the firsftlien position, nearly $14.
7 bankruptcy court documents show. The company also owes $9.5 milliobn to New York City-based mezzanine debt investor Praesidian Capital. Waltham, Mass.-based private equity firm has a $3.0 5 million claim with Cam Fabrication Inc. Cam Fabricatiojn Inc. was formed in Septembeer 1996, according to a filing with the North Carolinaq Department of the Secretaryof State. JMH, on its Web states that it provided a recapitalization to Cam Fabricationbin 2005. At one according to the Web Cam had nine distribution locations inthe Southeast, including Clayton, Greensboroo and Charlotte. The company acquired Dixie Clamp and which had operations inSouth Florida, in 2005 and Durhamm Rebar in 2006.
Durham Rebar was founded in the Bull City in 1988 by Jim Farrelll andReggie Venable. They move d it to Creedmoor in 2000 before sellingf to Camin 2006. Asked what he thought when he hearxd aboutthe bankruptcy, Farrell says that he was “ just concerned for all the customers that we had. ...” Accesxs Equipment Rental was founded inNovember 2003, according to state documents. Douglas who was listed as the firm’s registered agen t on that filing, declined to comment on the Buck Burwell, who ran Cam Fabrication for about a year as itschied executive, says in a voicde mail greeting left at his extension at the company’d Smithfield headquarters that he transitioned to a non-executive managemeng role with Cam Fabrication in The bankruptcy documents for the companies were signexd by Chief Financial Officer John Manning, who did not return calls seekingv comment.
A Praesidian spokesman said the private equityfirm didn’ have a comment on the bankruptcy. Representatives for CIT Groul and JMH Capital could not be reacherdfor comment.

WEDU selects 2009 board members with Barry Alpert as chairman - The Business Review (Albany):

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Alpert is the managing director of investment bankingt and business developmentat . He was previously a seniort vice president in investment banking atRobert W. Baird Co. Richard J. Dobkin, Laura Starkey and A. Bronson Thayer were named vice chairman, secretary and treasurer of the respectively. Currently retired, Dobkin was previously Tampa managing partnefat . He also served as a member of theSoutheast . Since Starkey has been the director of conservation land for Starkey Inthis role, she supervisees the land management for the ranch conservation areas and directs the and Community.
Thayert is chairman of and was previously with He receivexda bachelor’s degree at and an MBA in banking and finances from . In addition, WEDU has namec Lisa Carlton of Sarasota Marshall Goodman of Polk andRonald W. Pierce and David B. Weinsteijn of Hillsborough County as members of the2009 board. WEDU is west central Florida’s primary PBS station. It reaches 16 counties, including the St. Petersburg, Pasco, Polk and Sarasota areas.

H.H. Gregg relocating, to fill large gap at center - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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The 30,400-square-foot store is under construction and expectec to openby October, according to the Web site for , the Columbus-basec operator of the center at Interstatse 71 and Fields Ertel Road. At that time it will closs its store at the cornee of Montgomery and Fields Ertel That will fill a considerable hole atthe 187,000-square-foort center, which is marketing an additional five vacantg spaces around the store, for a combined 10,000 square feet. The Kings Mall, which include two structures on eitherd side of Kings Automall had lost key tenants and years ago when they move to thenearby , also in Deerfield Township.
Kingsa Toyota took the former Kroger and several of the remainingsmall tenants, includinfg a store, had been clustered together to make way for H.H. said Dan Corey, presidengt of the board of trustees inDeerfieldf Township.

Regal to run Ballantyne theater - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Financial terms of the agreemeny weren’t disclosed. Tennessee-based Regal says it will continue to program independent films atthe theater, as well as at the Park Terracd Cinema and Manor Twin in Charlotte. “Ballantyne Village Stadiuk 5 is a solid asset that we are prous to add to our theater saysDick Westerling, senior vice president of marketingv and advertising for Regal Entertainment Group “With the addition of this theater, Regal Entertainment Groulp will operate 12 theaters with 130 screens in the Charlotts market.” The five-screen Ballantyne venue opened in Marcbh 2006 and was managed by Charlotte-baseds Consolidated Theatres.
The Landmark Theater chain programmexd itsart films. Regal bought the Consolidated Theatres chainj last yearfor $210 Regal Entertainment Group operates 6,773 screens in 549 locations in 39 statea and the District of Columbia.

Colombia Bets on Shale as Peace Talks Open Oil Frontiers - Bloomberg

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Colombia Bets on Shale as Peace Talks Open Oil Frontiers Bloomberg Colombia, the fastest-growing major oil producer in Latin America in the past five years, is looking to join the global shale boom as it expands exploration in areas once dominated by guerrilla groups. A unit of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and state ... and more »

Paladino wants Rudnick retired from BNP - Phoenix Business Journal:

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Attorney and developer Carl Paladino, an outspoken critic of the , planzs to send a letter this week tothe Partnership’w board of directors asking them to retire Andrew president and CEO of the agency sinced its creation, and provide better advocacty on behalf of the region’sd business community. If the boared doesn’t act within 30 days, Paladinol said he will petitiomn thenearly 2,500 members of the Partnership to stop paying dues and leave the If another 30 days pass and nothin changes, Paladino said he will begin the processw of forming a separate chamber of “It’s time for change,” said who has repeatedly condemned the Partnership and Rudnick specifically — for failing to aggressively advocate on behalgf of downtown Buffalo.
“We will form anothere Buffalo-area chamber of commerce and seek to providw the business services that are expectef of a chamberof commerce, as well as advocates for a community that lacks any sens of leadership. We are sick and tired of waiting for thePartnership ... or anyone else whiles our community continuesto fail.” In response to Paladino’s plans, Rudnickj said there is no indication that Paladinpo would have enough support to start a separatwe organization. “I have not received communication from anyonwe that has reiterated support for those Rudnick said.
“Discussion among our board and the executivee committee has shown absolutely no support for those threat and no one is withdrawing their But Paladino insists therse are other business peoplse who want new leadership under anew chamber-typse entity. “I’ve had people say to me, ‘Why are you screwintg around withthe Partnership? Let’s get together and form a new chamber and we’ll all leavee them,’” he said. See the complete story in Friday’s print issue of Business Firstt .

Israeli Army Radio ban on protest song raises controversy - Los Angeles Times

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Haaretz

Israeli Army Radio ban on protest song raises controversy Los Angeles Times JERUSALEM â€" A leading Israeli radio station's decision to ban for broadcast a protest song is stirring controversy and underscoring the sensitive intersection of art, politics and freedom of speech in the country. "A Matter of Habit," recently ... Army Ra dio asks musician not to perform song that 'debases' IDF soldiers Haaretz Army Radio Bans Song that Denigrates IDF Soldiers Arutz Sheva  »

Mergers: Districts ponder joining forces - Houston Business Journal:

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The Town of Tonawanda residenf headedthe 17-member board for seven years befor stepping down in March. Yet he didn’ retire. He continues to serve as WesternNew York’ss regent, and he remainds as outspoken as ever about educationa issues. One of his pet topics is the shee number of localschool systems. There are too many of he says, and their enrollments are generallutoo small. “Why do you need 28 school district inErie County?” he asks. “I’d like to see something like five districtsz in the county insteadof 28. I’fd even like to start talking abour a countywideschool district, like they have in North Carolinaz and a few other states.
” Bennett’w stand is buttressed by a report releaseed last December by the State Commission on Propertgy Tax Relief. “New York Statr has too many school districts,” the repor t says flatly. It suggests that districts with fewedrthan 1,000 students should be require d to merge with adjacent systems, and districtsz with enrollments between 1,000 and 2,000 should be encouragedc to follow suit.
Such proposals hit home in WesterjnNew York, where 66 of the region’s 98 school districts have enrollmentsd below 2,000, including 38 with fewer than 1,00p0 students from kindergarten through 12th The heart of this issure is a matter of benefitws and costs -- pitting the perceived advantages of combininfg two or more districts against the potential loss of locaol control and self-identity. Advocates maintaij that mergers allow consolidated districts to be more construct better schools and offer a wider range ofchallenging “It’s not only a financialo issue. To me, it’s a matter of says Bennett.
“If you had a regional high maybe serving seven or eight ofthe districts, it would give kids the opportunityh to work with each othee -- and to have the best of the best.” But opponentz contend that mergers bring more bureaucracy, longer bus rides for studenta and diminution of local pride. “In this community, the world revolvesw around this school,” says Thomas Schmidt, superintendentf of the 478-pupil Sherman Central School Districtf inChautauqua County. “If the school went away, N.Y., would lose a greaf deal of its identity.” School consolidation has been a emotional issue fora century.
The state was crosshatched by 10,565 districts in many of them centererdon one-room schoolhouses. A push for greater efficiench reduced that numberto 6,400 by the outbreak of World War II, then swiftly down to 1,300 by 1960. New York now has 698 Statewide enrollment works outto 2,540p pupils per district, whicuh falls 25 percent below the nationa l average of 3,400, according to the State Commission on Property Tax Relief. The gap is even larger in WesterNew York, which had 104 districtds when Business First began rating schoolsx in 1992. Mergers have sincer reduced that number to 98school systems. They educate an average of 2,268u students, 33 percent below the U.S. norm.
A comprehensivr effort to push regional enrollment up to the nationak average would require the elimination of 33 Western New York That process wouldbe messy, rancorous -- and extremely unlikely. There is no shortagwe of candidatesfor consolidation, to be sure. Business Firstf easily came up with 13hypotheticalp mergers, most of them base d on standards proposed in last December’s These unions would involve districts from all eighf counties. for a summary of theses 13 potential consolidations. It should be stressed that this list is not reality. State officials lack the power to force districts to Initiative must be taken at the local whichhappens infrequently.
Only one prospective merger in Wester New York has currently reached an advanced stagwof negotiations. Brocton and Fredoniw began consolidation talkslast year, eventually commissioning a feasibility study at the beginninyg of winter. If they decide latetr this year that a mergermakee sense, voters in both districts would be givem their say in a