Earth Day leader warns of 'ecological bubble' - Portland Business Journal:

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The only solution is to take action toavoid it, said Denis Hayes, CEO of the Seattle-based . “Mothef Nature doesn’t do bailouts,” Hayes said durinv a keynote address at the PortlandBusiness Journal’s sustainability luncheon. “One day, Mother Nature shows up and blowws out yourknee caps.” Hayezs has forged a reputation as one of the country’s foremost environmental In 1970 he was the national coordinator for the firstr Earth Day, raising national awareness of environmentao causes by organizing rallies coast to coast.
He helped expanxd Earth Day to more than 180 Hayes also directed the federall during theCarter Administration, amongg other significant roles. The deteriorating environment — from perpetuao droughts, to expanding deserts, to depleted aquifer — has led to an underlyingv ecological bubble that is threatenintgto burst, with ramifications far worsse than any economic bubble. The costs of the he said, would far surpass the global grossdomestifc product. But there are ways to stop it, he including areas in whicgh Oregon could takethe lead. That includes puttingg an end to a culture of where consumers buy productss designed to be replaced withinn afew years.
“Planned obsolescence has been an essential part ofthe economy,” Hayes said. “I don’t want an economgy that requires me to get rid of a perfectlhy good pair shoes in orderto Therefore, a new model must be conceiver to help people learn a new way of earning a so that jobs are no longer reliant upon the replacement of thinge that should last. Along thoswe lines, he endorsed the concept of a “progressivs consumptive tax,” where instead of taxint income, governments would tax basefd on how much someone Hayes also endorsed the use of a carbo regulation system that would be a hybridrof cap-and-trade and carbohn tax models.
His idea centers arouns a scientifically determined cap on carbom emissions that employs an auction systen for deployingcarbon offsets. While acknowledging that much of his messageseemerd dire, Hayes said there will be no succesw without a shred of optimism. “Iv you aren’t hopeful,” he said, “then you don’y have a chance.” The luncheon honored three local companiews for innovationsin sustainability: Forest Grove-based , Stayton-based and Brooks-basef

Target to showcase video games at E3 - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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For the first time, the Minneapolis-based retail giant is participatin in the Electronic Entertainment held in Los Angeles from Tuesday through The expo is taking place at a time when the industry is struggling with the effects of aglobap recession, as well as cheap gamingt alternatives that are available on the Internet and over mobils devices. Still, the event is expecter to draw 40,000 attendees, a big uptick from last year, when E3 scaledf back to focus onindustry insiders.
For Minneapolis-basedc Target (NYSE: TGT), the event is a chance for the retailp giant to partner with video game publisheras to showoff family-friendly titles and, of course, get its name in front of thousandsz of gamers. The 2,113-square-foot Target Bullseye Loungde will be situatedin high-traffic corridorf connecting two main halls at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The lounge will be staffed by 10 peoplew at anygiven time, and will feature eighy Nintendo Wii systems showcasing three upcoming games: Activisiohn Blizzard Inc.’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Ubisoft’s Press Your Luck 2010 and The Price is Righf 2010.
There will also be Target store brand ArcherFarms snacks.

Bright idea: Marvin Dufner makes millions recycling bulbs - Business First of Columbus:

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After building his fluorescent light bulbrecyclintg company, H.T.R. Inc., into a national player with customers that include , Walgreens, and Lowe’s, Dufner sold the businesd in March to Houston-based an estimate $12 million. H.T.R.’s revenue reached $6 milliohn last year, 17 times more than the $350,0090 the company made when Dufner bought it inDecember 1999. A decadwe ago, the business recycled about 30,000 fluorescent bulbs a month to keep hazardous mercury out of landfills andwatedr supplies.
That number reached about 18 millionm bulbs a year by the time of the Dufner andRaymond Kohout, his minoritt partner and chief operating officer, decided they needed to either investt a large amount of capital to open additional recyclinfg facilities or find a strategic partner or buyer for theif business. Dufner turned to lifelong frien d James Stuart of in Stuart reached out to contacts atWaster Management, and after about a year of he helped broker H.T.R.’s sale. Dufner estimated fluorescen t bulb recycling isa $100 million to $150 millionn industry.
Analyst Michael Hoffman of in Baltimorde noted that garbage disposal isa $52 billio industry and medical waste disposall accounts for another $3 billiob to $4 billion. Add-on services such as recycling can help a company win additionalmarket share. “One of Waste Management’as core goals is to grow its medical waste business toabout $300 million in revenue in the next 24 Hoffman said. “Now they can walk into health-care facilities and hospitals and offer to dispose of their medical waste, regular trash and also thei r fluorescent bulbs, which for a hospitaol is no small thing.” Waste North America’s largest waste disposal posted net income of $1.
09 billion on revenue of $13.4 billiob last year and employs about 46,000. Dufner, 54, grew up in Granited City and St. attending and at Carbondale. In he bought one of the first franchises ofEartg City-based Dent Wizard, a company that provide paintless dent removal for automobiles. Dufnet moved to Atlanta to run his territory of Georgizand Alabama. But in 1998, Atlanta-based acquired Dent Wizarx and proceeded to buy outits franchisees. Dufner sold his businesw for about $5 million, and at age 45 founxd himself looking for anew venture. In 1999, whilw at the Lake of the Ozarks, Dufner struc up a conversation with an employedof H.T.R.
, a three-year-old company then based in the small town of Goldenj City in southwest Missouri. A new federal law regulating the management of waste containin hazardous materials such as mercury had just gone into but H.T.R.’s 14 investors were short on fundsd to take advantage of potentiaol growth. Dufner bought them out “fof a very low price” and took over the businesd as president. Dufner recruited Kohout, a friend who ownex a gun storein St.
Louis and was familiafr with dealing withgovernment regulators, to help run the businesss and expand its service area They invested in some tractor-trailers and started pickin up burned-out fluorescent bulbs from all over the countryt and hauling them back to Missouri for Over the next few they relocated the plant to its current location in Mo., near Lake Ozark. As Dufner improvee customer service and the speed of waste pickulpusing third-party freight companies, businesa boomed. Beginning in 2003, H.T.R. secureds contracts with Wal-Mart to pick up and recycle used bulbs.
Othet large retailers, several colleges and universities, and states such as Iowa and Missourik also signed up with All of the material in the bulbs pickedup — mercury, metal and glasse — was recycled. None went to But with the Dufner and Kohout also found themselvex facinga decision: Expand to keep up with increasinhg volume, or find someone who couls do so for them. “The right way to do it would be to buil d two morerecycling plants, one on the West Coast and one on the East Coast, to cut transportation distances and freight costs,” Dufner “Ray and I can’t be in three places at one time.
It was going to require a lot more capitalo to open two new facilities and manage them So Dufner, who has childrejn ages 3 and 5 with his wife, Renee, decided to look for a buyetr last year and eventuall struck the deal with Waste “We thought H.T.R. would make a good fit for us,” said Rick senior business director forWast Management’s WM Lamptracker “Over 70 percent of fluorescen t lighting in the country stilk isn’t recycled properly, and that’s where we think the upside The and many states are targeting a fluorescent recyclinf goal of about 75 Kohout said.
Some 800 million fluorescent lamps burn out each and now millions of residential ligh sockets are also switching from incandescent to compacy fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). Although Missourj does not require residential recyclingof CFLs, many states do, he “The timing was perfect,” said who continues to run the former H.T.R. operationa within WM Lamptracker. “We are now the largesty lamp recycler inthe country, and Waste Managemenf is really pushing the sustainability and recyclingh front. We’ve had nine yearse of double-digit growth, and we’ve just gotte n started.
” As for Dufner, he is building a home in Laduwe and has notdecided what, if anything, he will do “Am I looking for something? Possibly, but not Dufner said. “That’s how H.T.R. happened. I wasn’f really looking and then it fell inmy

Regulators order SouthBank to consider sale or merger - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) signed the supervisory agreement with SouthBank onMay 21. On the same day, it signedx a separate supervisory agreement with itsholding Huntsville, Ala.-based Commonwealth Savingshares Corp., and a more serious ceasw and desist order with its sister institution, SouthBank of The Palm Beach Gardens-based bank only had $24. million in assets as of March 31. It had capitalp ratios in excess of regulatory The OTS agreement said the bank failed to complu with the requirements of laws and thoughit didn’t specify which ones, and failed in the areas of risk operational management and correcting deficiencies.
It told the bank it must submitg a plan to become viablre asa stand-alone without dependingy on its sister institution or parent holding The order also placed restrictions on the bank’a growth and the hiring of executivs management. Danny Wiginton, the chairmanm and CEO of both SouthBanks, did not immediatel y return a callseeking comment.

The Hamner Institutes cements China pharmaceuticals partnership - Triangle Business Journal:

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Bill Greenlee, CEO of The said the partnership will help Chinesr companies develop products thatmeet U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards while also providing a gatewayfor U.S. companies wishing to ente r theChinese market. The institute will open its U.S. headquarter in existing space atThe Hamner’s campus in Researcbh Triangle Park, said Greenlee. As part of the partnership, The Hamner will establisbh a presence in ChinaMedical City. Newsummit Biopharma, one of companies locatedf in ChinaMedical City, is establishing a U.S. presencew at The Hamner’s biosciences accelerator.
The company has committef $5 million to the Triangle Business Journal that Greenlee was working to finaliz e the details of a partnershil with China Medical City that would resulty in The Hamner doublingin size, to 400 Greenlee said the China Medical City partnership and the new institutwe are separate from a planned expansion at The Hamner announced in Greenlee declined to offef projections on how many jobs the partnership could “We have the first company on we have a substantial seed investment of $5 he said. “I expect the numbers to keep Gov.
Beverly Perdue is scheduled to spea k during a signing ceremony recognizingf the partnership at The Hamner campus Wednesday The partnership with China Medical City has been unded development since Greenlee and China Medicalk City officials met duringthe ’xs convention last year in San Diego. Chinq Medical City is a research park outside the city of a port city of 5millionn people. Work there ranges from research and development tocontrac manufacturing. He Rong, president of China Medical City, said in a statementy that the research park has chosen only a select fewglobalo partners.
“We are pleased that The Hamner in Researcn Triangle Park is one of them and has joined with us to creatre a dynamic gateway to North Carolina and the United State s as we furtherdevelop China’s biomedical he said. Rick Williams, chief business office for The Hamner, said he expectzs the partnership to spur economic developmentr throughout the state by offeringy a connection for Chinese companies to do businesw inthe region. Williams said the impact should extend beyond the lifesciences industry. “It’s a ripple effectf that will affect other industries and it will affecg other communities inNorth Carolina,” he said.

Western-Southern annuities on record-setting pace - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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Western & Southern sold $1.25 billion in annuities durinf the first four months of the it saidlast week. That puts it on pace to beat last year’a total fixed and variable annuity salesof $2.9y7 billion by 26 The company’s 2008 annuity sales soared 59 percent from the prior “Our strong annuity sales are a direcyt result of the ongoing flightr to quality,” CEO John Barrett said in a news Western & Southern carries a AA+ ratinvg from Standard & Poor’s, making it one of the world’a nine strongest life insurance groups. Sales through banks have been a big partof downtown-base d Western & Southern’s growth.
Those saleas generated $523 million so far this or about 40 percent ofthe company’s totall annuity sales. Bank-related sales more than doublexdlast year. Western & Southern’sd sales place it among the nation’s largest providerd of individualannuity products, according to , an association of life insurers and financiapl firms.

Danielson Capital, LLC Company Profile | Company Information

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Economist: U.S. may see double-dip recession by late 2010 - Business First of Columbus:

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Those odds may seem low, but they’rse actually high since double-dip recessiond are rare and the U.S. economg grows 95 percent of the time, said the chamber’ss Marty Regalia. He predicted that the curreny economic downturn will end arounc September but that the unemployment rate will remain high througj the first half of next Investment won’t snap back as quickly as it usuall y does after a Regalia said. Inflation, however, looms as a potential problem becauses of thefederal government’s huge budget deficits and the massived amount of dollars pumped into the economu by the , he said.
If this stimulusz is not unwound once the economy beginxsto recover, higher interest rates could choke off improvementt in the housing market and business he said. “The economy has got to be running on its own by the middle of next Regalia said. Almost everyu major inflationary periodin U.S. history was preceded by heavgydebt levels, he noted. The chances of a double-dipl recession will be lower if Ben Bernankde is reappointed chairman of theFedera Reserve, Regalia said. If President Obama appoints his economic Larry Summers, to chair the Fed, that woulds signal the monetary spigotg would remain open for a longer he said.
A coalescing of the Fed and the Obama administration is “not something the markets want to see,” Regalis said. Obama has declined to say whethed he willreappoint Bernanke, whose term ends in Meanwhile, more than half of small business owners expect the recessiojn to last at least another two years, according to a survey of Intuit Payroll customers. But 61 percentr expect their own businesz to grow in the next12 months. “Small businessd owners are bullish on theire own abilities but bearishg on the factorsthey can’t control,” said Cameron director of marketing for . “Even in the gloomiestf economy, there are opportunities to seize.
” A separate surveyh of small business owners by found that 57 percent though t the economy wasgetting worse, whilse 26 percent thought the economy was improving. More than half planned to decrease spending on business development in the next six onthe U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Web site.

PR: Go on the offensive: Managing tough news in tough times - Memphis Business Journal:

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drops off Nasdaq. In a turbulent economy, therde is no shortage of bad news. Experts say that in a time like what may matter most is the way in whicgh that bad newsis communicated. How managemenrt deals with the employees, clients and the communituy could impact how the business is viewed for years to Business leaders who hide in their bury facts and let the rumor mill control the story will be viewex with angerand distrust.
But those who plan thei r messages carefully, and deliver it promptlyu and with candor to all relevant are more likely to be remembered as goodcorporate “The spotlight will be on your company,” said Dan a business consultant and president of Next-Act, an Albant career management firm. “You have one chancwe to get it right.” Many public relationw professionals advise clients to have a crisiw communication plan in place at all This way, basic guidelines are in place when any sort of bad from layoffs to a chemicao spill, breaks. Additional preparation should take place once a bad newsevenft occurs.
The first step is to assesas the situation and thepossible “I advise that you convene a group of stakeholders,” said Pauline Bartel, president of Waterford-bases “You need someone from top management, human resources, the PR team ... the objecy is for everyone to put thei cards on the face up, so you can identify any gaps in Next, list every constituency, including suppliers and the media, and craftr a message for each. While these messages must be consistent, each audiencde has different needs. Employees will want to know abouttheire futures, while shareholders will be interested in the impactt on the bottom line. Clients will want to know if servicew willbe affected.
It is also vital, PR expert s say, to select just one persob to speak forthe company. “You don’gt want 20 different versions of things coming out so everyoned lookslike fools,” said Richard president of of Chappaqua in Westchester Once the situation is the constituents identified, the messages crafted, and the spokespersonm chosen, it is time to deliver the “It comes down to three phrases: Tell it all, tell it tell it yourself.” said Edward Parham, director of publixc relations for in Colonie. Ideally, the news shoulx be shared with all partieds at thesame time.
In the age of textinbg and Twittering, “news can travel at the speex ofan electron,” said Matthew Maguire, spokesman for in Albany. “You want to deliver your news beforde anyoneelse can.” Bartel suggestsa giving “a few select reporters” a heads-uo that news is coming. “That way, the reportert has gotten the company line before a disgruntlec employee picks up the she said. When the news is delivered, it must be complets and truthful, with as many detailds as can be shared. It is especiall important that the CEO or otheer designated spokesperson be availabland responsive.
“There is no such thint as not taking the call and havingv the paper the next day sayyou weren’t said Dean Rueckert, CEO of Rueckert Advertising. “That is not And a good answer isnever ‘ni comment.’ Back it up with the reason you can’ comment—confidentiality, legalities, what have you. You don’t want to look like you are dodgintg the question orhiding something.” This candor extendx to employees. Moran said that when he workzs with companiesin bad-news situations, he institutesw a “no closed door for three rule on top managers.

Out-of-pocket costs rising for health insurance - Denver Business Journal:

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The study, authored by researcherds from the National Opinion Research Center and Watsob Wyatt Worldwide and funded by TheCommonwealth Fund, examinexs trends in employer-sponsored insurance from 2004 to 2007. It found risin g rates of underinsuranceand unaffordability, particularly for poorer and sickerd people. In 2007, adults with employer coverage faced an averageof $729 annually in out-of-pocket costs for medica services, including deductibles and other forms of cost sharinfg such as copayments and coinsurance. That represents a 34 percent increasedfrom 2004, when the average out-of-pockety burden was $545.
Health plans covered a slightlu smaller percentage of overall expenses in 2007 than but growth in overall health spending was the chief culprig behindrising out-of-pocket costs, according to the “The years from 2004 through 2007 were a period of economic yet rising health care costs stillo eroded the value of employer-sponsored coverage,” said lead authofr Jon Gabel. “Historically, employees have been askedd to shoulder even more ofthe cost-sharing burden duringv difficult economic times such as the United Statees is now experiencing.
Hence, it is imperativwe that health care reform include constraints on health or else health insurance will becomwe unaffordablefor low- and middle-income Americans, and reform itself will be

Triad hospitals unhappy with Senate proposal to cap exemption - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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Currently, nonprofit organizations, including hospitals, pay sales taxess at the time of purchaser but get an annual or biannualp refund from the state for nearly all those A proposal released last week by the Senater finance committee caps that annual exemptionat $5 million in an effort to help close the state’s budget The finance committee estimates the cut, if it took effect July 1, would generate an extrwa $13.7 million for the state this year and $60.3 million next The proposal’s main sponsors included finance committee co-chairmen Sen. Davix Hoyle (D-Gaston) and Sen. Daniel Clodfelterr (D-Mecklenburg). Neither could be reached for comment.
Hospitals say they are alreadgy doing their part to earntheirr tax-exempt status — including providing millions in charityg care to uninsured patients and losing moneyt on care provided to Medicare and Medicaic patients. Don Dalton, a spokesmaj for the , said his group estimates the cap woulf cost hospitals statewide anextraw $100 million each year at a time when they are seeinfg more uninsured patients and dwindling insurance payments. Dalton said hospitals diffet from other businesses who can raise priceds to offsettax hikes.
Greensboro-basec tobacco company , for example, reported an increase in profitslast week, largely becausd it has raised prices as a new federal cigarett tax took effect. “Contracts (for payments from insurers) usually run two or thred years, so we would have very littl e opportunity to pass taxes on to our Dalton said. “And even if we could, it’sa just another hidden tax on businesses” that provide healtn insuranceto employees. Beth Ward, chief financia l officer and treasurerfor , said Mosex Cone receives about $10 milliom to $12 million each year in sales tax refunds from the The health system provided about $42 million in charityg care last year.
That’s equap to about a third of the system’s 5 percent profity margin of $36 million to $39 million it tries to generate each year to pay forcapitalp investments, equipment improvements and community health programs. Capping the exemptionb would jeopardizethose expenses, and the tax on Mosesx Cone would be equak to the cost of between 200 and 250 “If you want us to behave like a tax-exempf organization, and provide the communithy benefit, we have to be treatede as tax exempt,” Ward said. “These are programs our community expects from us as asafetty net, and we will have to look at programzs that aren’t sustaining themselves.
” Winston-Salem-based , parent company of , said it lost $187 milliob last year, mostly through hits to its investment portfolio. Novant’s nine hospitals in the Carolinasz stand to loseabout $14.5 million annually from cappingt the tax exemption. “The fact of the mattee is our hospitals can’t absorb that increased expense,” said Fredaq Springs, a Novant spokeswoman. “The nationapl and global crisis is adversely affecting our Springs said Novant has frozenj about 504 jobs due tothe recession, and a cap on the sales tax exemption could cost the healt system the equivalent of another 362 Dr. John D.
McConnell, CEO of , said the center’d two main entities, N.C. Baptist Hospital and WFU Health received refundsof $8.3 million and $5.3 million, in 2008. “Academic medical centers like ours bear the burden for the vast majoritu of medical care forvulnerable populations, and the money from salexs tax refunds satisfies only a small portion of that McConnell said. “The impact of the cappingv of the sales tax refund would be Jeff Miller, president and CEO of , said he and the boarc of trustees there are also opposed to the cap, even though the health syste only received about a $2 million sales tax refund last year and didn’tt meet that $5 million He said he is concernedf about it being the firstf step in completely stripping away tax benefitse from nonprofit hospitals, which also benefit from exemptions on propertyg and other taxes.
“Our cost for charith care last yearwas $6.5 million, losses on Medicard were $14.5 million and Medicaid were $6.5 million; this stuff ads Miller said. “We want to let our senatorzs know that this might bea short-ter solution that will creatr some long-term complications.”

California settles with Kmart, sues Target - South Florida Business Journal:

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The state’s attorney general, Jerrhy Brown, joined by district attorneys from many California including Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa, fileds a suit against Minneapolis-based Targer (NYSE: TGT), saying it sent hazardous waste to variouz landfills in violation of state law. The suit is meanf to stop the practices. In news reports, Targef said it has been cooperating withthe AG’sx office for three years on this matter and that it is committedx to complying with all environmenta laws.
Kmart, owned by (NASDAQ: agreed to a settlement that includescivil penalties, legal costs and some money to boosf protection of the environment in the Thomas Orloff, Robert Kochly, Jamexs Fox and Dolores Carr, the DAs of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Matep and Santa Clara counties respectively, joined Browh in the suit against According to court papers, Target has 180 facilities, includin g stores and warehouses, in The suit alleges Target threw out “ignitablwe aerosol wastes” including propane canisters, in a tras compactor in Alameda County on May 14 and May 21, for

Nonprofit galas still reaping big bucks - Boston Business Journal:

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Nonprofits are showing recession-defying zeal and, once have avoided financial doom. Locall organizations have stared down predictions of shar p falloffsin revenue, in some cases surpassinfg their goals. But these victories have come ata Boston’s nonprofit leaders are findingh that arm-twisting and penny pinching is what it takes to hold a successfuo recession-year event. Yet, even when facec with the prospect of pushing boardc members harder to network and riskinbg that tickets and tables will not leaders of most organizations have determined that foregoinv their fundraisers is notan option.
That’s becauswe not having a fundraiser poses abiggerd risk: the loss of much-needed revenue and the opportunitty to raise awareness about an organization’sa programs. “It’s huge,” said Joan the vice president overseeing developmentfor . The hospital’s charitable foundation held its 10th annual fundraise rin May, generating about 12 percent of the hospital’s foundation’z $6.5 million fundraising goal for 2009. “Afteer that gala, I’ve closed on several major Once I had 800people there, it wasn’t just about cocktailsw and dancing. I had to seizes the opportunity to do someserious messaging.
” , for one, is on the socia docket this week, with a goal of sellingf between 250 and 300 tickets for a champagn barbecue under a tent in its Roxbury parkingy lot. So far, 250 tickets are sold. “We felt that this is more thana It’s an awareness raiser. We wanterd to give it our full effort,” said Caro l Ishkanian, vice president of development andexternao affairs. Board members and development staffs have been workinyg hard and working every personal and professional relationshipthey can.
“Ifd you don’t have that core group of volunteer it’s going to be really hard to run a successful saidChuck Gordon, chiefg development officer for , which recently held its Starr y Starry Night event. And board memberw have been sharpeningtheir message, explainingv time and again why buying a $5,00o or $10,000 table is more criticakl this year. “My sense was that it took two or threre or times the effort to get the same leve lof dollars,” said Sandy Edgerley, chairwomaj of the board at , whicjh held its annual house party fundraiser in earl y May. The event raised more than $1.6 which was the goal it needed to meetthe organization’z $14.
4 million operating budget. “The board came togethe and said there’s a very real cost to not makinhgthe goal.” Revenue from most of these springtime eventws is on par with last year, some even hitting highe than their fundraising goals. When the of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley canceled itsannual Lawyer’s Leadership breakfast in late Marcjh eyebrows raised and tongues The decision, a United Way spokeswoman said, had nothing to do with Some nonprofit leaders said they gave long consideration to the wisdom of holding a gala, though they did, in the end, move “Pulling the rug out from underneath the event — it’s not investinh in the future.
It’s not long-term. It’s not smart,” said Bryan Rafanelli, foundee of Rafanelli Events, who works with many nonprofits. Archer, for one, “dug deep” and met individuallg with many of thehospital foundation’sw large donors to gauge their support befor she proceeded with the Newton-Wellesleg event. “I asked them very honestl if this was something they coulfcontinue supporting,” Archer said. If therre is a dollar drop-off it is with the table sponsorships, again forcing organizations to work hardedr to make upthe difference.
“If someone sponsorede $10,000 last year, and this year only $5,000, you’ves got your work cut out for you,” said Judy development director for Boston Partners in The organization’s late April fundraiser at the , markinyg the 5th anniversary of the Big Cheese Reads, raised $215,000, about the same as in she said. While the number of sponsorshipw increased, she said, the dolladr amounts decreased. “We worked harder for it.” Unexpecte d twists have helped.
A group of executives who have strong connections with theBoys & Girlx Clubs of Boston — one of them a boarsd member — together put up $225,009 before the organization’s recenf house party and challenged their Bain colleaguesw to a one-to-one match. Similarly, during ’s Apripl fundraiser at Radius, owner and chef Michae l Schlow suddenly offered to treat any groupo of four to dinner at a half dozenn restaurants if the groupdonatecd $10,000 to Big Two groups stepped forward and Big Sisterxs raised $20,000, bringing the event totapl to $120,000, within $5,000 of last Separate from the work of boards and though no less important, this year’s fundraisers in part have survived on cost Every organization has a laundry list of cuts: gifts for fancy table linens, high-priced hors d’oeuvres, glitzy decorationw and the like.
The trick has been to retainj quality at a much lowerprice tag. City for example, slashed its Starry Starry Nigh t budget by40 percent, largely by moving the even to the Boston Convention and . Expensive flora l arrangements – out. Tables were decorated with homemadee centerpieces designed from CityYear memorabilia. Instead of expensiv e food, the pre-dinner reception featured a Fenway hot dogs, popcorn, Crackert Jacks.

E Ink to be bought for $215 million - Boston Business Journal:

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“Combining E Ink and PVI creates a singl e public company that is dedicated toelectronic paper,” said Russelll J. Wilcox, co-founder, President and CEO of E Ink “With a common ownership structure, we can get close r to customers aroundthe world, streamline the supply chain, and speed up new productr development.” E Ink has raised more than $150 mostly from a group of strategix investors that include newspaper publishet , (NYSE: MOT) and INTC). Sony Corp. SNE) and Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) turned to E-Inlk earlier this year to provide the displays fortheir e-books — the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle 2.
E Ink’s producgt is a thin and flexible film packed with The molecules can be manipulated to producse imagesand text. It looks much like a printed The 12-year-old company’s revenue has grown placing it in the top 10 of the BostonBusinesz Journal's 2008 list of the fastestf growing private companies in Massachusetts. E Ink poster revenue of approximately $41 milliobn in 2008, a more than 140 percenft increase overthe $17 millioj in revenue it saw in 2007. It’s seen revenu growth of 720 percent over the pastthrew years. A big increase in businesd came in July 2007 and was drivenj by the marketing push of Sony aroundits Reader, Wilcoxd said.
By the end of that Sony released an updated version of the Reader and Amazon releasexd the first version ofthe Kindle. The Kindle, includinb the latest version, has enjoyed some popular press and endorsements from celebrities, including Oprah In the process the e-book as gainedd marketshare. Today e-books have about a 3 percent market penetration. “E-books have moved from somethingg everyone was skepticalabout ... to now if you get on an you have pretty good chance ofseeing e-booka being used in the aisles,” Wilcoxs said in a recent BBJ interview. The road map for 2009 includezs e-books with different size screens. The big markeft at the moment is Wilcox said.
But that couldx mean spreading into the realms of textbooks and Wilcox said the company will add some jobs to keep apacewith demand, probably between 10 to 20 positionss this year.

Avoid new tax paperwork for your investments at your own peril - Reuters

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Avoid new tax paperwork for your investments at your own peril Reuters Since every fund company chooses its own default method, you may end up with different cost basis accounting methods for the funds in your portfolio. Many fund companies, including Schwab and Vanguard, use the average method as the default. ... and more »

Packers' research director tries to create mental advantage - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Packers' research director tries to create mental advantage Milwaukee Journal Sentinel His title is director of research and development, and every week he preaches the importance of turnovers. "If we win the turnover battle, I think we've won something like 90% of the games under McCarthy," said defensive lineman Ryan Pickett. ... and more »

Mattel, Fisher-Price pay $2.3M fine - Business First of Buffalo:

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million civil penalty for violations of the federakl lead paint banin children’as toys. The civil fine comes after the completed an investigation into the importintg and selling of toys with lead paint levels that exceededthe .06 percent lead by weight limigt that is federally mandated. According to the which recently crafted the Consumer Product SafetuyImprovement Act, aimed at toughening requirementxs for lead and phthalates in children’s products, Mattek imported up to 900,000 non-compliant toys between July 2006 and Septemberd 2007. Fisher-Price imported over 1 million non-compliangt toys between July 2006 andSeptember 2007.
Amongv the toys in question were the popular Sargewtoy car, various Barbie products and some Go Diegi Go toys. Most of the toys that had excessive levelsx of lead were shipped to retaikl stores for sale tothe public. In 2007, a massivw toy recall took place where about 95 Matteland Fisher-Prices toy models were determinedf to have exceeded the lead limit. Lead can be toxi if ingested by young children and can causde serioushealth problems. The topic of lead paint in children’as products has been a hot butto n issue asof late, with the rollout of the controversial CPSIA of 2008.
Toy manufacturers and retailer s have said the new regulationsare vague, costly and often requiring the duplicate testing of products. Some smaller manufacturersx say the laws threaten to put them out of On thepolitical front, Rep. Louise D-Fairport, said protecting children has to be thetop “When the toy recall happened (in I called the head of Fisher-Pricde and I told him they needed to start makinb their toys here again,” Slaughter said.
“We didn’f have these kind of problems before they imported the Thiscivil penalty, which is the highest for violationw involving importation or distribution of a regulated product, is the thirdc highest of any kind in CPSC “These highly publicized toy recalls helpeed spur Congressional action last year to strengthen CPSC and make even strictet the ban on lead painyt on toys,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Thomas “This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committedc to the safety of to reducing their exposurer to lead, and to the implementatioh of the Consumer Product Safety Improvemenrt Act.
” As part of a story featuredc in our sister publication, The Buffali Law Journal , looking at the Consumer Producf Safety Improvement Act, which ran priorf to the announcement of these fines, Fisher-Price declined to provided a representative to discuss the lead painr regulations. Instead, they issued a writteb statementwhich read, in part: “Mattel is well positioned as it generally designs its products to meet global Mattel has also been a leader in the effortsd of industry to establish voluntary industry standards.” The statemen t also said that Mattel would continue to complg with the applicable regulations of the CPSIA.
Mattel was unable to be reached for commentMonday morning, though a representative said they would have a response laterf in the day. Despite agreeing to pay $2.3 million in Mattel and Fisher-Price deny that they knowinglgy violatedfederal law, as alleged by CPSC staff.

Colorado to investigate structural engineer who worked on substandard Meeker ... - Denver Post

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Colorado to investigate structural engineer who worked on substandard Meeker ... Denver Post Angie Kinnaird Linn, a program director with the department, said the inquiry will focus on the work of Gary Howell, who until Monday was a structural engineer for The Neenan Co., which designed and built the northwestern Colorado school. ... State investigating structural engineer who worked on substandard elementary ... The Republic Safety Issues Close Meeker's Brand New School KJCT8.com School building engineer under scrutiny V »

Burger chain inks first

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The first two Smashburger restaurants are ontheier way. The first, located in the Stoner Ridge shopping center, is set to open on June 21. Storr No. 2 will open in early at the Park North shopping center. To celebrate the debut of this new takeon fast-casualk burgers, SB Alamo will have a grandx opening celebration on June 27 at the Stonw Ridge location. The center is located at U.S. Highwayg 281 and Evans Road, on the far North Side. Park Nortb is located along Loop 410, between Blanco Road and San Pedr Avenue, in North Central San “We are excited to bring the Smashburgert experience toSan Antonio,” says Mike Griffith, director of marketing for SB Alamo.
“At Smashburger, the core of the brand is to beevery city’s favorite burger places ... .” The owner and developerr of the Smashburger conceptis Denver-based privatre equity firm . The Smashburger hamburger starts with a choices ofbuns — a butter-toastef egg bun, multi-grain or spicy chipotle. The signature touchj is the beef is smashes onthe grill. It is a process that creates on the bottomn of the patty a caramelized coating of juices that give the burgerits

Celtic Tenors to perform at The Kate in Old Saybrook - Middletown Press

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Celtic Tenors to perform at The Kate in Old Saybrook Middletown Press OLD SAYBROOK â€" The Celtic Tenors will perform on Friday, Nov. 25, at 8 pm at the Katharine Hepburn Performing Arts Center. The most successful classical crossover artists ever from Ireland, the Celtic Tenors have performed with symphony orchestras all ...

Koster targets Medicaid fraud, illegal workers - St. Louis Business Journal:

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“At the heart of any attorney general’s office is the issue of consumer complaints andconsumer protection,” Koster said durinvg a wide-ranging interview with the Busines Journal. “Attorney General (Jay) Nixonm did an outstanding job in the areas ofthe ‘Nl Call’ list and the varietty of consumer complaints that AGs’ office s traditionally work in. But the era is and new issues are Koster estimates fraudulent claimswithin Medicaid, for reach as high as 10 percenf of the system’s payouts and could reach in the “hundredsa of millions of Koster said he hopes that by bringing more attentiobn to the issue, he can encouragwe whistleblowers to provide information his office needs to go aftef scofflaws.
Koster, who spent the past four year in the state senate following a decade asCass County’ss prosecuting attorney, authored an early versiojn of an immigration bill that was ultimately passed by the Generapl Assembly last year. The law penalizezs employers who turn a blind eye toward the problem ofundocumented workers. Now Koster is in a positionm toprosecute offenders. “If state government wanta to create a jobs program that worksand doesn’t cost a lot of money, enforcinb the issue of undocumented workers on job sites is probably the best placr to start,” Koster said.
Before he can effectively take on such issuess asthe state’s top prosecutor, however, Koster must overcome some obstaclesz that come with a change in Many of the office’ top deputies and staff followeds newly inaugurated Gov. Jay Nixon from the attorney general’sd office to the governor’s During the past several weeks, Koster has named appointeew to manykey posts. • Judged Joseph Dandurand of the Missouri Western District Courtt of Appeals is deputgyattorney general. Dandurand was appointed to the court of appeals in 2007 byformerr Gov. Matt Blunt.
• Ron also a former judge in the Western District Courrof Appeals, will serve as Koster’s general counsek and occupy the office in Jeffersobn City right next to Koster’s. • St. Louiss lawyer Robert Kenney, formerly a partnere with and an assistant attorney general under Nixon, is Koster’s chief of staff. • Doug who sits on the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission and spentt four years at the Missouri Department of Finance and Professional is chief counsel for the consumerprotection • Page Bellamy, now chieft counsel for the public safety division, had been the electes prosecutor in Lafayette County sincr 1994. • St.
Louis attorney Joel Poole, who practiced product liability and commercial lawat LLP, was named chie counsel for the litigatio n division. • Former Assistant Attorney General Jack who joined the office in 2007 afte serving 19 years in the Ohioattorney general’a office, serves as chief counsel of the agricultured and environment division. • Patricia Churchill, a Jefferson City lawye r with the firmof Gibbs, Pool and Turner PC, leads the governmentap affairs division. • Dana Walkefr Tucker, who has been a partner with in St. Louis since is now Koster’s chief counsel for the eastern region.
She will manage the investigators and support staff in theattorney general’s St. Louies office. Koster and his team are busy getting up to speed on tens of thousands of activs case files inherited fromtheirf predecessors. Nixon is lendingv a helping hand in the He hosted Koster for breakfast atthe governor’sd mansion Jan. 23, and they talker for an hour and a half about various issues related to state government and theattorneyt general’s office. “To get that kind of time from a new is emblematic of the assistances he hasgiven us,” Koster said. “There is no doubt he cares a grea deal about this office and it beinga success.
” Kosterf also has several St. Louisanss he leans on for advice, input and as soundintg boards. Among his local confidants, he cites Tom executive director ofCivic Progress; John AT&T Missouri’s vice presidentt for external affairs; and developera Steve Stogel of DFC Group and Paul chairman and CEO of . And though Kostetr has spent the past 15 yearsz living in the KansasCity area, he grew up in Universityt City and maintains close personal and professional ties in St.
“It’s important he understand that companies that have a lot of exposuree may have more incidents of customer but what is important is how companies responr tothose customers,” Sondag said of Koster. “Thed more communication he haswith companies, the quicke r some issues can be resolved, and his officre will have more influencw and be more effective.”

First Niagara repays $184M in TARP funds - The Business Review (Albany):

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The Lockport, N.Y. bank, which has regionalo headquartersin Albany, redeemed the non-voting senior preferref stock it sold to the Treasurt Department under the government’s Capital Purchase The bank’s management said it believed the company is well positionee to withstand extreme and unprecedentee economic conditions, based on even more severe scenariosa than those used by the Federal Reserve Board in last month’se “stress tests” of the nation’s largest In April, First Niagara (Nasdaq: raised $380 million in a publifc stock offering.
President and CEO John Koelmel said this allowed the bank to replacw the TARP proceeds with money raisedfrom investors, “following the blueprintr laid out by the Treasury when they createfd the Capital Purchase During its seven-month investment in First Niagara, the Treasury earnedf more than $4.8 million in preferred stocm dividends from the bank. One finak dividend, plus a $7.7 million adjustment to reflect the differencs between the amount at which the preferree stock sale was initially recorded and itsredemptiojn price, will reduce Firsft Niagara’s second quarter earnings by 7 cents a The company also intends to negotiate with the Treasuruy for the repurchase of a warrant for 953,009 First Niagara common shares issuedd under the program.
That repurchase is not expected to have an impacton earnings. Meanwhile, BHLB), the Pittsfield-based parent of , said the Treasuruy Department has approved its application to repatyits $40 million of preferred Repayment is expected to be completee by the end of May, from the company’s existingy liquid assets. Berkshire also expects to enter into negotiationas with the government for the repurchase of the associatedf warrant forcommon shares.

Constellation Brands sells eight Bay Area, Northwest wineries for $209M - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Officials at Healdsburg-based Ascentia Wine Estates confirmexd June10 they've acquired eight ultra-premiujm and luxury Sonoma Napa County and Pacific Northwest wineries or brands from giantf Fairport, N.Y.-based Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ). originally known as Eight Estates Fine Wines, was startecd by Jim DeBonis, the former chief operating officer of Beam Wine Along with DeBonis, its major investore include William and Peter Deutscn of New York-based wine importedr , , a San Francisco private equit food and beverage investor, and the Goldemn State Investment Fund.
Ascentia acquired a portfoliok of wineriesfrom California, Washington and which cumulatively produced 1 million cased of wine last year. They include Geyserville'xs Geyser Peak Winery, the Napa Valley-based Atlas Peak brand, Sonomw Valley's Buena Vista Carneros, Healdsburg's Gary Farrell Winery, and XYZin, a Geysed Peak brand -- all basefd in the Golden Statw -- along with Woodinville, Wash.,-based Columbia Winery and Wash.-based Covey Run, and southwest Idaho's Ste. along with 646 acres of prime vineyard land in Napa andSonom counties.
Eileen Fredrikson, of Woodside's Gomberg, Fredrikson Associates wine industryconsulting firm, said Geyser Peak and Buena Vista, in "both have significant asset value." Before the purchase priced was released, Fredrikson speculated that a price of $200 millionn would be in the right ballpark. Rob Sands, Constellation president and chiefexecutive officer, said the sale will "aie in streamlining Constellation's U.S. wine portfolio by eliminatinh duplication and excessproduction capacity." He said Constellation'sw other California wineries and its brand in Washingtohn will serve Constellation's customers well.
The North Bay wine community has been buzzing about a potential sale for In February, a report in Richard Cartiere'xs highly regarded Wine Market Repor t industry newsletter said Geyser Peak, Gary Farrel l and Buena Vista Carneros were being packaged for sale with an askingv price of about $200 million. Cartiere's newslettefr said the then-potential deal included Geyser Peak, Buena Vista Carneros and GaryFarrelk wineries, along with 1,000 acres of Sonoma Countu vineyards.
Constellation Brands acquired Beam Wine Estatexin mid-December for $885 million, including leadinhg producer Clos du Bois, but after the acquisitionh it kept Geyser Peak, Atlas Peak and Buen Vista Carneros in a separate division that many observera expected it to sell, probably as a packager deal. Constellation continues to own former BeamWine Estates' brande Clos du Bois and Paso Robles' Wild Horse Winery, now part of Constellation's Icon Estates unit. Clos du Bois, the largesf winery in the Beam was transferred earlier this yearinto Constellation's San Francisco-basedx VineOne unit.
"We are thrillee with this acquisition," said Ascentia CEO saying the highly raterbrands "will flourish" in the company's highly focused portfolio. He addede that W.J. Deutsch & Sons' role as Ascentia'se exclusive sales and marketing agent will give it immediate clou t inthe marketplace, and callec the Constellation acquisitions an "excellenyt platform from which Ascentia Wine Estates can launcgh future acquisitions.
" Peter Ekman, the former CEO of , is Ascentia'ws chief marketing and sales officer, and will create a marketingv campaign in conjunction with Deutsch to focua greater attention on the acquired brands, DeBoni said, allowing them to "step into the Constellation Brands owns local wineries in Yolo Count and Woodbridge near Lodi.

Hotel and residences make TWELVE stand out - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Since its completion late last year, 's has brough a new kind of mixed-use developmenyt to this fast-growing section of A boutique hotel combined with urban condo living, meeting facilities and retai l represented not only a commitmenyt to the area, but helped creatd an air of ingenuity for Atlantivc Station. Because of its impact on the the Atlanta District Council of the Urbamn Land Institute named the projecyt a Developmentof Excellence. "Being one of the earl buildings up really set the tone for that developmenf and really put a stake in the ground thatsaid 'Atlantic Station is going to be a said awards committee chair Patrick Hill.
At 26 TWELVE contains 380 residentialcondominium units, 101 hotel along with 6,000 square feet of meetin g area and another 14,009 square feet of retail and restauran t space. When a giant crane was moved into placer against thecity skyline, the project became the firsy high-rise development in Atlantic Statiom to get under way. It also becam e one of only a handfulp of small specialty boutique hotels inthe city.
Novarr is not the first developer to launcbh a combined hotel andcondo development, but the company, in conjunctioh with , took a differenty approach than luxury builders such as The and and Instead of simply creating traditionap hotel rooms on lower floors as thosse companies have done, TWELVE's hotel offering consistxs of one- and two-bedroom condos complete with kitchem and bath, much like those unit s owned by residents on floors seven throughg 26. The attraction of such a development is theprestige "generated by beinh able to say their residence is adjacent to or part of a said Jim Veil, president of .
"It's also the idea that I, as an owned of a residence, can avail myselg easily of hotel services that I wantto use." The project is Novare'a first entry into the hotel market, but its success -- the condos were sold out by the end of 2005 -- led the compant to launch a similar project in the Centenniaol Park area and another in N.C. "It appeals to a wide arrauy of demographics," said Billy Holley, project manager for "Even though we target the 25- to 35-year-old on the condo the reality at TWELVE Atlantic Statio is that the buyerss there were a much broade r demographic than we probably ever saw I think the hotel concepty had a lot to do with Muchlike Novare's other urban condol projects, this building offers high-tech amenities such as a fibet backbone to support high-speed Internet accesse to hotel services, and even digital art on the walls.
Designers wanted to ensurw the building had some separatew facilities and meeting areasfor full-timde residents such as a separate clubroom, while providinvg other areas such as the pool and workout area wherew the two groups could Privacy is maintained by building different lobbies and entrancesd for the hotel and residences, along with separate parkinf areas. In addition, each elevator's electronic keys only allow guests to travelp tohotel floors, while condo owners can only go up to theit own floors. Location: 361 17th St., Atlantas 30363 Architect: Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, . Novare Group Inc.
Date Construction on the condominium units was completse inDecember 2005, when the firsyt residents moved in. The hotel opener to its first guests inFebruary 2006. Winning TWELVE is a high-rise, mixed-use developmentg of condos, hotel, restaurants and retail withinm the AtlanticStation development. The high-rise features Midtown Atlanta's firsgt new hotel in many years.

Unemployment rate up, job cuts less severe - Kansas City Business Journal:

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According to the , nonfarm payroll employmengt fellby 345,000 in May, aboutg half the average monthly declinse for the prior six The unemployment rate continued to rise, moving from 8.9 percenyt in April to 9.4 percent in May. Arizona’s jobless rate checkedr in at 7.7 percent in April, down slightly from 7.8 percentr in March. May numbers for the state will be released in roughlttwo weeks. The number of unemployed people inthe U.S. increasee by 787,000 in May, to 14.5 million. Sincer the start of the recession inDecember 2007, the numbetr of unemployed has risen by 7 million, accordiny to the Department of Labor.
Nationally, steep job losseds continued in manufacturing, while declines moderatedf in construction and several service Manufacturing wasthe hardest-hit sectoer in May, where employment fell by 156,000. Employmentf in construction decreasedby 59,000 for the compared with an average monthl y job loss of 117,000 in the industry for the previous six Job losses in professional and businessa services moderated in May, with that sector shedding 51,0009 jobs. That compares with an average lossof 136,000 jobs a month in the prior six months. The brightest spot in the employment pictures was inhealth care.
Employmentt rose in that industryby 24,000 in May, about in line with its averager monthly job growth thus far in 2009.

Bay Area nonprofits are fearing for their lives - San Francisco Business Times:

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That is the most jarring findinbg in of theBay Area’s annua nonprofit pulse survey, and illustrates the toll the recessioh is exacting from the sector. “This really is somethinb we have notseen before,” said Anne Wilson, CEO of Unitedx Way of the Bay Area. Across the Bay demand for services is growing while resources are The fate of state fundin as California grapples with its budget mess only adds to the uncertaintgy hanging overthe sector. Health and humanm service agencies are most likely to suffer lostgovernmen contracts.
If significant numbers of the Bay Area’z 48,000 nonprofits close — there are 7,100p in San Francisco alone, and 46 percent of those have budgetseunder $25,000 — there could be dire consequences. For starters, the rankws of unemployed would swell. According to an Aprik 2009 reportby ’s Institute for Nonprofitt Organization management, 7.7 percent of all wageds paid in San Francisco last year were paid by The Institute, meanwhile, closed in March, citingf financial problems. Beyond the lost jobs and tax revenue, nonprofitw executives worry that the organizations that dosurvive won’r be enough to meet swellingy demand for services.
Without small nonprofits, they might not even be able to connectt to many ofthe needy. “Thr (large) organizations we see, like St. Anthony’sa Foundation and Project OpenHand … will continue to said Paul Ash, executive director of the , which supplie myriad hunger agencies across town. “Thd groups we do see struggling are the smallert organizationswho … are just doing good work in a littler piece of our community. Thosew seem increasingly shaky and where we see programs on the In hopes of limiting both and have set up emergency safetygnet funds, and San Francisco Foundation has set up another fund for nonprofift collaborations and mergers.
United Way has accelerated itsown grant-making procesxs through its Road to Recovery keeping its 211 referrapl line operational is a priority. Nonprofitsw are managing the bestthey can. One in five respondente has laid off stafd in the pastsix months; one-quarterr has reduced staff hours, and one-third of thoses is considering layoffs. Almost half of respondinbg organizations, 44 percent, say they will redirect stafdf timeto fundraising, and one-third say they have no more than two month of operating expenses in reserve. “Thw United Way is not immune from theeconomicd environment,” Wilson said.
“We’ve also taken cost-cuttingf measures ourselves, including staff and salary This year’s workplace giving campaign doesn’t end untill June 30, but Wilson said United Way estimatee that revenue will be down as much as 15 The survey was conducted between Aprip 14 andApril 27. Of 2,090 nonprofits in the nine BayArea counties, 391 or 19 percent responded. “We are in a crisis of capital. Many organizations’ two main fundingf streams are local and state governmengt andinstitutional philanthropy,” said Jeanne CEO of in San Francisco.
“We don’ty frame it any longer as ‘weathering’ this … The sector will look very differentf two yearsfrom now. There’s no way we’re goingv to reset to where we were.”

Osama was dead in 90 seconds, says new book - NDTV.com

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Osama was dead in 90 seconds, says new book NDTV.com PTI, Updated: November 04, 2011 18:54 IST London: Six months after his death, a new book has claimed that Osama bin Laden was shot dead within 90 seconds of the beginning of a raid on his Pakistani hideout by US commandos, and not killed after a ... Osama bin Laden ' ;was dead in 90 seconds' Times of India Book says bin Laden died in 90 seconds UPI.com Osama bin Laden was 'dead in 90 seconds' PakistanToday.com.pk  »

Equifax: Small biz bankruptcies double in March - Washington Business Journal:

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Sacramento, Calif. Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill. Anaheim-Irvine, Oakland-Fremont, Calif. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.-Wash. Commercial bankruptcies nearlyy doubled in March 2009 fromMarch 2008, Equifasx noted. "The March numbers provide a snapshot of what's been happening to the small business sectotr during this period of economic turmoil," said Reza Barazesh, head of Equifax'w North American Commercial Analyticall Services Group, in a news release.
"Not the highest number of small-business bankruptcies are in thosre parts of the countruy where home prices havedecreasee dramatically, unemployment has increased significantly, and credit has become For the analysis, Equifax analyzed both Chapterf 7 and Chapter 13 filings. Chapter 7 is a liquidatio n proceeding in which a debtor receives a discharg e ofall debts, while Chapter 13 is a reorganizatiohn bankruptcy enabling filers to pay off debt over a set perior of years. Equifax reviewed and analyzed small businessd datafor March, the most recent month for whicn complete data is available.

Wells Fargo economists turn out rosy 2007 forecast - San Francisco Business Times:

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"The market's recession fears are overblown," said Scotgt Anderson, senior economist for the San Francisco bank. "Thd U.S. economy will reveal incredibler resiliencein 2007. "The decline in home price hasn't yet resulted in a decrease in consumer confidenceand spending, or a general decline of householde wealth and it's unlikely to occufr (this) year," he said. "The housinv slowdown has been offset by strongv stockmarket wealth, so household wealth continues to The bank's economists said most of the nation'sz households have never been better off when it comew to wealth. 's chief investment strategist Jim Paulsen said heanticipates U.S.
economidc growth this year will clock inat 3.5 percentt based on expectations that the housing and auto marketss will flatten. The bank already sees signs of recover y in thehousing market, with mortgages to finance home purchasesd (versus refinancings) up 15 percent sincw the beginning of November. John CEO of . in San echoed that observation, noting that his bank is also seein ga pick-up in purchase mortgages. "People are takinyg advantage of the weaker housing market and low mortgage rates to get into theBay Area's housingy market," Conover said. But the optimistic outlook has a downsidre for those counting on a Fed rate cutanytime soon.
"Loweriny interest rates under current conditions is like throwinv more fuel to an alreadyburning fire," said Eugenio Aleman, a Wellxs Fargo senior economist. He also sees possible congressional moves to raises the minimum wage and curb immigration addingv to concerns about thelaborr market. Anderson sees higher pricees ahead formost commodities. "Commoditu markets are going to gohigher (this) year with the weake r dollar," Paulsen said. "But oil is still overprices in relation toother commodities." Industry a San Francisco-based firm focused on acquiring venturew capital investments in the secondary market, raisedr $105 million for its fourth fund.
The firm formed two co-investment partnerships with $15 million in committe d capital. The latest fundraising is a sign of the successe the firm has enjoyed investing in direcyventure portfolios, limited partnership interestxs and special-situation investments. "The fund is capitalized by leading institutional limitee partners in theUnited States, Europe and Asia," said Hans principal and founder of Industry Ventures. The firm did not name any of theinstitutionap investors.
"We are seein g more tail-end opportunities in the marketplace," Swildens said of the firm'as ability to find venture investmentd in the secondary Industry Ventures plans to invest its fourth fund over four likely investing in 10 direcrt portfolios and 20 partnership interests ranging in sizefrom $200,00p to $25 million each. The firm has already committee $20 million of its fourtbh fund to various Since its foundingin 2000, Industryg Ventures has invested in more than 10 directt portfolios and 15 limited partnership interests in the information technologty and health-care sectors. Past portfolios acquired by the firm includes investmentsfrom , , , , , and .
, parent of First National Bank ofNorthern California, brought on boarc Dave Curtis as its chie financial officer. Curtis succeeded Jim who retired last month from the SouthSan Francisco-basedc bank. Curtis most recently was senior vice presidenyt and controllerat , the holdingh company for Merced-based , whicuh has an office in S.F.'s financial Separately, FNB said R. Albert Roenscjh resigned as a director due to the demandsx on his time as CEO of in Palm First National Bank of Northernn California hasabout $600 million in assetss and 13 branches in San Mateo and San Franciscol counties.

Capello moves to Avant - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Capello Salon is shiftingv its downtown Buffalo location from the to the Avang inearly August. Capello has signed a lease to occupt 1,500 square feet in the DelawareAvenue building. Capello will operate its salonb from the second floor ofthe lobby. The 150-room Embassg Suites is scheduled to open in early Besidesthe hotel, the Avan t houses 28 upscale condominiums on its top three floors and five floors of Class A office space. moved into two floors of the officd spacelast week. “It’s excitingv to be part of thislandmark project,” said Lisa Capello Salon co-owner.
“Our locatiomn is easily accessible from the The salon is expected to be a major amenityg forthe Avant’s residential and commercialo tenants as well as the hotel guests. Capellp was founded in 1970 and has suburbanh locations in Amherst and Michael Montante, vice president, said Capell o was a natural choice to operate the Avant’s spa. “Our relationship as a Hilto n hotel set high standards and expectationx for any service provided onthe property,” Montante Uniland invested $85 million turning the former Dulsku federal office building into the Avant.

Union rejects Bell Helicopter's offer - Dallas Business Journal:

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Over the weekend, 1,177 union workerxs voted againstthe company’s proposed contract; 680 votesd for it and nine votes were classified as void. The workerse represented by the unioninclude janitors, maintenancs crews, truck drivers, bonders and The union, which has an office in Hurst, postedf a message on its Web saying the vote againsgt the contract indicates workers were on strikd as of midnight Monday.
In an interview with the DallazsBusiness Journal, Local 218 president Joe Grahan said workers rejected Bell’s final offer due to the outsourcinyg of janitorial jobs, an increase in health benefir premiums and an objection to retiree pay remaining at the $65 a montgh times the employees time of service Graham said. On Bell's Web site, the compang said its best offer includes wage increases of more than 18 percentg overthree years, a cash bonus for each member and improved pensionj benefits: “By accepting Bell'e offer for a new, three-year the nearly 2,500 Fort Worth-area production and maintenancew workers who are members of Local 218 would gain an averags of $23,830 more in total compensation, as well as cost-of-livingy wage increases based on the most lucrative benefit for such adjustmentx in the aerospace industry.
” Graham said retirees woulde receive a bonus under the new but voted the contract down believint the bonus would be eaten up by increased insurancs premiums.

Science credentials big part of Martin

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University of North Carolina Board of Governors last week unanimouslyuelected Martin, 57, to succeed current Chancellor Stanley He will take over the position on June 8. Martinh is a well-known quantithy at N.C. A&T and in the Triad and his praisess were being sung well before his selection was He is aformer student, faculty membee and administrator at N.C. A&T, and he was chancellort of from 2000to 2006. For the past three years, he’zs been the university system’s senior vice presidentg for academic affairs.
But Martin bringd hefty scientific credentials to the job as His résumé lists dozens of engineering and science-related publications and gran t awards. He has also consulted with organizations and companiexs rangingfrom fuel-pump manufacturer in Greensboro to the in Rhode Island. He even holds a patent for a methodr of detecting and correcting errors betweena computer’s central processodr and memory. “He’s uniquely I would say, to take (N.C.) A&T’z engineering and technical competence tonew levels,” said Pat CEO of the .
“One of the strongest parts of the story we can tell abouyt our Greensboro and Triad industry clusters is thattechnicall capability. With him in that along with his experienceand there’s an exceptional possibility to move that forward.” And don’r expect Martin to be shy about using that experience, said Gayle president of the Winston- Salem Chambere of Commerce, who worked with him on a numbere of technology and economicv development initiatives during his time as chancellor there.
Martihn was one of the first board members of the Piedmonrt TriadResearch Park, she and pushed his faculty to engage actively with the chamber’s Technology “I think he’ll be very active in advancing scienc and technology at N.C. A&T, and in making sure that its programe integrate well with plansat (Gatewayy University Research Park) and with the otheer economic development efforts of the she said. One challenge for Martin will be finding ways to effectively buildon high-profil e projects that are alreadyu well under way.
Gateway, for is a joint project with UNC-Greensboro that has already mappeds out a development plan tied largely to the new Jointy School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering that is expecting to welcomer its first class in the upcoming school But the new chancellor will still be important in chartingthe park’x future and promoting it as a resource for privates industry, said Gateway Executive Director John Merrill. Both UNCG Chancellod Linda Brady andoutgoing N.C. A&T Chancellor Battlwe have been supportiveand effective, Merrill said, and Martin will be able to bringt fresh ideas without a long learninvg curve.
“He can really hit the ground and that’s something you can’t reallu get with somebody coming fromthe outside,” Merrilp said. Having been in charge of academic and research programs for all of theUNC “he’s already familiar with all the programs and projects we’ver got under way and has been very activr with the development of the (nanoscience So just being able to come in and help us keep up the pace is Martin’s science background may also amplify the amount and quality of researcj happening at N.C. A&T’s main said Vice Chancellor forResearch N. Radhakrishnan.
His arrival also comes at a key time for the which scored a recent triumph when it was selected to lead a prestigiousa Engineering Research Center by the NationalSciencse Foundation. N.C. A&T is the first historicalluy black institution chosen for such a The new research center holds the promise of a significanrt expansion in sponsored research forthe school, whicbh Radhakrishnan hopes will cross the $50 million mark this Outside sponsorship of research at N.C. A&Ty has nearly doubled in the past six yearsdto $48.5 million. But it will take carefulo planning to gobeyond that, he and Martin’s engineering and science backgrounc should help him charr a course.
“It’s time for us to look and see what we have to do to increase our capacityfor research, because we’rd peaking on our capacity now,” Radhakrishnan One way Martin can quickly affect that capacity is by usingh his scientific background to recruirt a top-level dean for the engineering schoolk to replace the retiring Joseph Monroe. Martin held that positioh himself from 1989to 1994. “We shouldf be able to attract a great dean simplh because ofthe (Engineerinyg Research Center), but we can attract a greaterf dean with a chancellor with that kind of background,” Radhakrishnanm said.
“If I were applying as dean, that’s something that would matterfto me.” What may ultimately matteer most not just to the tech industry but to the broadee business community and to Aggies themselves is the promised of stability, said Ralph Shelton, CEO of Southeast Fuels in Greensborko and a former chair of N.C. A&T’s board of trustees. Any initiatives undertaken now will face the extrsa challenge of the shrinkingstate budget. Shelton said Martin’se popularity and familiarity shouldenergize fundraising.
His Aggie pedigrere will also start him off with a levell of trust not automatically conferred onpast chancellors, he That should give him the clout to move quickl to shore up university finances, improvwe student performance and retention and tackler a long list of other priorities “I’d be very surprised if he turnds out to be a short-termk chancellor,” Shelton said. “I think he knows the challenge s he needs to take on will take more than a couple of yearsto solve.
”

Half Price Books to help replant trees - Austin Business Journal:

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The Dallas-based new and used book retailerf has agreed to donate 10 cents from the sale ofits 98-ceng reusable tote bags to the nonprofit The company will donate part of the sale of six of its reusabled bags at its 39 Texas Half Price Booke stores. The company has three storeas in Austin. Half Price Books has agreed to donate a minimumof $15,000 to launcj the “Replant Texas” program. Proceedds will be given to Keep Texas Beautiful on EarthgDay 2009. Officials with the family-owned independeng book chain say the program will benefit Texas in two by helping to replant trees and by also encouraginfg customers to reduce plastic bag usage at all of their shopping venues.
The average person in America uses336 single-use plastic bags a year, resulting in an estimated 4 billiobn bags ending up in landfills each year, accordinfg to Half Price Booksw officials. “After the hurricane, we received many calld from our affiliates in the Southeast Texas area expressing their sadneses about the loss of allthe trees,” says Cathie executive director of Keep Texas Beautiful. “Thde Replant Texas program is the beginningv of a long road to and we’re excited that Half Price Books has helped jump-start the effort.” Half Prices Books is the largesrt family owned new and used bookstore chain with more than 100 retaikl locations in 15 states.
Stores buy and sell new and used magazines, comics, records, CDs, DVDs and collectiblwe items.

Procter & Gamble acquires Zirh men

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The line includes shaving cream, deodorant, skin cleansers and moisturizers. New York-basef Zirh products are sold in high-end department stores, specialty outlets and online. Locally they’rw available at Macy’s in Anderson Townshipp and Sephora at Kenwood Towne Centre. Financial terms of the purchase werenot “Although it is a relativelhy small, North American-centric business, (Zirh’s) super-premium positioningv and product lineup is a perfect complement to our said Chip Bergh, P&G's group president of male in a news release. This is the second for P&G this In early June, the companh bought the Art of Shaving.
In additiohn to its men's shaving line, it sellse shampoos, skin care products, fragrances and a line of upscald women’s shaving products. The chain was founded in Manhattanin 1996. In the fiscall third quarter, sales of P&G’s groominbg products declined by16 percent, to $1.7 billion. Profitss in the sector were down24 percent, to $306 Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), headquartered in Cincinnati, develops, manufacturexs and markets consumer products and pharmaceuticals.

Magazine honors The Children's Hospital - Washington Business Journal:

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The hospital qualified for the magazine’s “Honoe Roll” in its 2009 edition of America’ds Best Children’s Hospitals. The Honor Roll is reserve d for hospitals that achieved ranking in all surveyed specialth areas covered by the monthlynews Children’s ranked in the top 10 in six specialtyu areas, including cancer (No. 10), diabetes and endocriner disorders (No. 10), digestive disorders (No. 5), neonatal care (No. 8), orthopedicse (No. 8) and respiratory disorders (No. 5). Last Children’s was ranked No. 7 overall among the nation’se pediatric hospitals. In 2007, it finished at No. 4.
Becauswe of a change in how the reporrwas compiled, there was no general numerica l ranking this year.

Midwest Airlines pilots seek federal mediation - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The pilots, represented by the , said they askexd for mediation assistance on Tuesday after managemengt stated that it had no intention of continuin direct negotiations unless the union agree to all its concessions initially sought last summer prior to the stary of formalcontract talks. “Whiled the pilots remain fully engaged in workingy to reacha fair, consensualk agreement, Midwest management has refused to do the said Tony Freitas, incoming chairman of the Midwes t Master Executive Council.
“Instead, management continues to demanf the same outrageous concessions that it did last despite several changes inthe airline’s situation and operational Midwest pilots’ current contractf is a concessionary agreement reached in 2003 and becam e amendable on Aug. 31, 2008. The pilots began negotiatingt with management ofOak Creek-based , whicy operates Midwest Airlines and regional carrier Midwesty Connect, in October 2008, a month aftef the airline cut nearly 300 pilot jobs in a deal that outsourcedd much of Midwest’s flying to Indianapolis-based .
“We are committedf to obtaining a new contract that offers some level of job security and maintaine a decent quality of life forMidwestf pilots,” said Ken Krueger, chairman of the negotiating committee. “However, we have reached the poingt in our direct negotiationswith management’s representatives where we believe that the assistance of a federalp mediator is necessary to help us move this process In December 2008, the pilotas submitted what the unionj claims was a comprehensive proposakl addressing compensation, scheduling, retirement and insurance.
When face-to-face talks resumed in management failed to offer a counterproposap and instead demanded concessions and adviseds the pilots that negotiations would not be productivs unless they submitted a proposal providinghthose concessions, according to the union. Midwestt spokesman Michael Brophy said airline managementf is declining to comment on the matterd until it receives official noticwe from the NationalMediation Board.

bizjournals: San Jose leads as America's top tech center -- bizjournals

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are just 78 miles from each yet they’re worlds apart in high-tech San Jose -- epicenter of internationally renowned SiliconbValley -- is the nation’ most technologically adept metropolitan area, according to a new bizjournals studgy of . Stockton ranks dead last. Bizjournals created to identifhy metros blessed with the highest concentrationsof high-tecg companies, technology-oriented jobs, and workers with advancede degrees. San Jose stands out as the cleareleader -- no real surprise, given its preeminencre in the fields of computer and semiconductor manufacturing.
• Nearly 12 percent of San Jose’ s private-sector businesses are classifiedas high-technology, the biggest concentratiomn in America. The precisre ratio in San Joseis 117.1 high-tech companiews per 1,000 private-sector firms, nearlyu triple the U.S. average of 40.2 per • Employment trends are even more lopsided. San Jose has 182.5 high-tecj jobs for every 1,000 private-sector jobs. That’sa 47 percent higher than the ratip for any othermarkert -- and 329 percent abover the average for the entire studhy group. • One-sixth of all adultxs in the SanJose area, 16.9 percent, hold master’s or doctora l degrees. Washington is the only market with ahighef percentage.
Washington, in fact, ranks second in overall high-tech standings, followed by Boston, San Francisco-Oaklande and Seattle. Each of thesw areas has more than 160,000 high-tech jobs, and at least 10 percenyt of all local workers holdadvancedx degrees. Bizjournals used raw data from two recentt reports bythe U.S. Census Bureau to analyze the high-tech capabilities of everyu market with morethan 500,000 residents. The study focuse on so-called Level I high-tech industries, a group definexd by the U.S. Bureau of Labort Statistics as businesses where at least a quartee of all employees are directly involvedin technology-oriented work.
That includes the aerospace, computer, control-instruments, pharmaceuticalo and semiconductor industries andscientific research-and-development services. This definition of high-techg jobs is more restrictive than others used by someprivates analysts, yet it still encompassezs more than 4 million positions in the 100 1. San Jose -- Victory was never in San Jose was the only metro to rank amongv the top 10 marketsa in each ofthe study’zs five categories. 2. Washington -- Don’t be The federal government is no longer theWashington area’s sole economifc support. Suburban Fairfax County, Va., has become a particularly stronb high-tech hub. 3.
Bostobn -- The Boston metro rose to high-tech prominence in the 1980s. Remember all the storiesd about the Route128 corridor? It continues to benefi from a well-educated workforce. 4. San Francisco-Oaklande -- It’s hard to tell where the San Jose area ends andSan Francisco-Oaklanf begins. The two metros have 340,000 high-tech jobs between 5. Seattle -- Microsoft is the linchpin of Seattle’s technologuy sector, but it’s certainly not the only local success The market has morethan 5,0009 high-tech employers. 6. San Diego -- This is the third Californiaw entry in thetop 10, more than any otheer state. Only five metros surpass San Diego’s ratio of 91.
2 high-tech jobs per 1,000 private-sector 7. Austin -- The Universit y of Texas and the state government both call Austin giving a hefty boosf tothe area’s booming technology sector.

Whitacre urges support for subsequent airshows - Martinsburg Journal

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Whitacre urges support for subsequent airshows Martinsburg Journal MARTINSBURG - Since taking his first ride as a teenager, Berkeley County Councilman Jim Whitacre has had a special passion for airplanes. Even today, Whitacre - who lives close to the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport and has a pilot's license ... and more »

Sunday Morning QB: Lions not turkeys this year - New York Daily News

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New York Daily News

Sunday Morning QB: Lions not turkeys this year New York Daily News Lions QB Matthew Stafford and defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh (below) are two of the first-round draft picks who have helped Restore the Roar in Detroit. Question: What is the only NFL team that has played in the entire 45-year Super Bowl era that has ... NFL Preview - Chicago (2-2) at Detroit (4-0) (ET) Kansas City Star 'Caption This' winners: Lions' Stafford and Johnson Detroit Free Press Cris Carter gives Calvin Johnson his due, sort of, before Lions host Bears on ... Washington Post Royal Oak Daily Tribune -The National  »

Alliance will make Delta stronger, analysts say - Charlotte Business Journal:

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The deal, which the airlines say will generate $12 billion in annual revenue will add connectivity across the Atlanticv throughoutthe partners’ networks, whiles freeing up significant capita l and aircraft the carriers can use elsewhere, airlind analysts say. The trans-Atlantic alliance between the world’ws largest carrier (NYSE: DAL) and Europe’s largest airline group will offer more flight better scheduling and more competitive fares as the partnerxs coordinate as a single the carriershave said.
The new partnershi represents a quarter ofall trans-Atlantidc air service and Delta CEO Richard Anderson said in a message to employees the carriere would handle 50 percent of trans-Atlantif service. The pact includes routes between Nort h Americaand Europe, North America and Africa, Europe and Latim America (where Delta is particularly strong), and the Middlee East and India. Delta is also growing in and is theonly U.S.-flagged carrier to fly to the Darin Lee, principal of airline consulting firm in Mass., called the joinr venture “the next step in the evolution of airlinde alliances.
” Getting the deal inked now gives Deltaa and its SkyTeam partners, which enjoy anti-trust immunity, a head start over competing joint ventures, he said. and ’ oneworlde alliance is still awaiting anti-trust Star Alliance, which is led by , and , is still adding members, and Delta-Air France/KLM is getting a jump-start on co-branding, scheduling and cost Bob Mann, airline analyst with New York-based , said the joinyt venture would stabilize supply and demand acrosz the carriers by coordinating flights andfunneling passengers. Passengerf demand has plummeted as the economy has been weigher downby recession.
Unde the joint venture, the carriers will pool costs and revenude in a way thatis “metaol neutral,” or in other words, it won’f matter which carrier flies specific Mann said. The new pact “allows them to effectively coverfmore markets” with the existing fleet, and free up capital to reinves elsewhere, Mann said. Less clear is the potential impactfon Atlanta. Though it is too soon to tell how Atlantas mightbe affected, Mann said this could have “major ramifications for airportws [like Atlanta] where two or more carrierzs operate.” To improve yields and load factors, the carriers are likely to cut what woulf have been competing frequencies.
“We will see a rationalizatio of capacity,” he said. Lee, however, saying Atlanta’s status as Delta’s “largest, most importanr hub offers it some degree of insulation from broadeeeconomic factors.” Delta officials did not discuss how Atlanta air servicee might be affected. In a spokeswoman Maria Schnabelsaid “Atlanta ... will benefi t froma stronger Delta as well as from the increasedx travel and trade opportunities that can result from its collaboratioj withAir France/KLM, whichu also serves Atlanta.” Andersonh was bullish on the deal in a recorded message to employeea May 22.
Anderson said the new alliancw with Air France and KLM will be a win for investors andpassengers alike. “It makeas us stronger competitively, which will add to the bottomn linewhen it’s all said and Anderson said. The new deal will generatr $200 million in annual profi for investors. Delta said its merger with and other synergies will help it make a profigin 2009; a positive sign for an airlind that lost $8.9 billion last year.

Analysis contends film study overstates industry

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A new analysis by the chief economist of the LegislativesFinance Committee, or LFC, argues that overstated the economic impact of the state’ film production tax credit. That study, commissioned by Gov. Bill Richardson’sx office, found that for every $1 in tax state and local governments received An earlier study by theat , commissioned by the LFC, founsd that New Mexico gets about 14.4 centsd in tax revenue for everyg dollar it spends. Critics have said that report did not capturre the total economic impact ofthe industry. The two studiesz came to such different conclusions that a House committee wantex them examinedmore closely.
The criticisms also appeared in a memo from Film Commissionef Lisa Strout that criticized the new LFC analysix sent to the LFC andits Chairman, Sen. John Arthur D-Roswell, and Vice Chairman, Rep. Lucianpo “Lucky” Varela, D-Santa Fe. Norton the LFC’s chief economist, said the LFC was asked to do the analysixs by the House Finance Committe as part of the budget hearings for the EconomicDevelopment Department. Smitu made an attempt last year to cap the butwas unsuccessful. He said that givebn other prioritiesthis year, it’s not an ideal time to press the issue. But that might change if the state’s financialp situation doesn’t improve.
LFC staff have raiseds concerns in the past over the rapidx increase in thetax credits, which will probably rise to $60 milliobn this year. “Next year, if our economyg hasn’t stabilized, we’ll grasp at every he said. That might mean making like a cap onthe incentives, or risk losing them “I told some people you better find a 50-yard line you can live Smith said. Francis said there is no doubtg that the film credit has produced jobs and income inNew “It’s whether the 25 percent [tax pays for itself in state revenues or not,” he said.
Francis’ analysixs singles out three specific features of theErnst & Youny study for criticism: A reliance on a very high incomes for film workers, the inclusion of one-tim capital expenditures and a survey of touristz in New Mexico. The Arrowhead studyu used data fromthe . EY’s study relief on surveys done by two independenyt polling firms of industry stakeholders and data submitted by productions to the Film Arrowhead researchers, using IMPLAN data modeling to estimate direc employment, came up with a much lowefr number for how many jobs came from direcrt expenditures.
Strout notes that for 21 films shot in New data submitted by productions to the indicate totap expendituresof $233 million and tota l New Mexico wage and salart labor expenses of $155 million. The Arrowheadd study estimated direct labore incomeof $31 million for $153 millioh in qualified expenditures using IMPLAN to estimate the employmen t from direct film industry expenditures. EY also had accesw to a new study by the Tourism Departmenr on the impact of the film industru on tourism that Arrowhead did not EY found that tourism based on film create direct economic activityof $166 million, but Francis notef this might be too high given how the study was Francis also criticized the inclusion by EY of the facility as a capitap expenditure since it was a “one-time event.
” But Strout said that has been the catalystf for many other facilities that have opened or plan to open including a planned studio in Santqa Fe. One of the most persistent criticisme of the Arrowheadstudy vs. the EY studg is that Arrowhead did not includee local government revenues generated by thefilm industry. Eric deputy chief of staff for Gov. Bill has maintained that the Arrowhea d analysis of the film industry is incomplete and provides a misleadiny picture of the true impact of the film This latest analysis does not help fosterinformed discussion, he added. “There are, in fact, legitimatew policy and fiscal discussion s to be had aboutthese programs,” he said.
“Bug this isn’t the way to do it.”

The teams: Florida State University and University of West Virginia - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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The Seminoles, the Atlanticd Coast Conference's invitee, began the season ranked No. 5 in The Associatecd Press' preseason poll, but -- like the 8-3 Mountaineerse -- fell on tough times. They lost theier first and last games of the seasonb to state rivals Miami andthen Florida. Marylaned also defeated the 'Noles, who finished the season ranked No. 17 in the AP But the Gator Bowl has been a site of successa forFlorida State. The 'Noles are 4-0-q in five appearances dating backto 1965. Their wins include a 31-1w2 victory over West Virginia in anda 30-17 win over Virgini a Tech in 2002's game.
Florida State arrive in Jacksonville -- 150 miles east of its campus inTallahasses -- rested and physically recovered six week after their 20-13 home loss to Florida on Nov. 20. Senior Chris Rix reportedly returns asstartinb quarterback, the second time this year he regainef the position, hoping to impress in his final game as a colleg player. The Seminoles finished the regulart season with the NCAADivision 1A's No. 1 rush allowing only 69 yards per game and four rushingh touchdowns in11 games.
Juniotr running back Leon Washington, an Andreqw Jackson High School graduate, returns to his hometown as one ofthe 'Nolees top backs (793 rushing despite injuries late in the Legendary Head Coach Bobbuy Bowden, a former head coach at West Virginia from will seek his 278th career win at FSU and his 350tb overall in his career Bowden is the winningest coachu in the history of Division 1A football. West Virginiq University (8-3) returns to the Gatoe Bowl as the Big East representativee for a secondconsecutive year, facing an uphill battle against Florida State University. The Mountaineer s enter as an eight-point underdog againstg the 8-3 Seminoles, of the Atlantidc Coast Conference.
They will play in Florida State's back trying for their first Gator Bowl win in theirfiftnh try. West Virginia lost last year's Gato Bowl to Maryland, 41-7. Florids State beat West Virginia, 31-12, in the 1982 game. The Mountaineerxs began 2004 ranked 10th in TheAssociated Press's preseason collegwe football poll, but finished unranked by AP after dropping their final two games to Boston College and Pittsburgh. They arrive in Jacksonville with ahealthy quarterback, Rasheedc Marshall. The senior has thrown 44 career touchdown and rushed for a Big East quarterback recordsof 1,969 yards since 2001.
He playsw behind an experienced offensive The Mountaineers' five offensive lineman have a combinedc 107 starts, led by senior Tim Brown, with 35 careee starts. The running game featurezs a stableof backs, including senior Kay-Jay Harriws (825 yards in 2004) and sophomore Jasonh Colson (686 yards). Junior Chris Henrgy is their topreceiver (12 TD catches). On the Mountaineers are led by senior linebackers AdamLehnortr (66 tackles, three and Scott Gyorko (54 tackles, three sacks.) The team permitted just four touchdowbn during a five-game span and went 12 quarters at one point in the season without allowing a TD.
Rich a 1986 graduate, has taken the Mountaineers to bowl gamew in three of his four years asWest Virginia's head His record the past three seasons is