Harold Camping, Under-Informed Prophet Discover Magazine (blog) The Christian Post has been listening to Camping's radio show, so the rest of us don't have to. Check this outâ€"italics are mine: Camping offered one excuse, though he didn't refer to himself. “Some preachers are really trying hard to be ... |
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Harold Camping, Under-Informed Prophet - Discover Magazine (blog)
lkinibim.blogspot.com
Saturday, May 28, 2011
William Boyd Printing site sold for $1.3M - Business First of Buffalo:
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Ltd., an affiliate of Cos. in Clifton closed on the $1.3 million purchase on June 3. Cass Hill intendss to convert theformer 1.3-acre industrial site at 39-49 Sheridan Ave. into an office/retail/residential The property is located behinsthe & Suites on Chapel Street, near the heart of the city’s entertainment district. Tony Sabatino of represented the seller. Cass Hill was representedd by Eileen Lindbergof /Albany. Marc H. president of Cass Hill Development couldn’t be reached for comment.
Cass Hill owns several propertiesa downtown, including a 30,000-square-foot office building on Monro Street across from the former printing Boyd Printing filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectioh inSeptember 2005. A federal bankruptcy judge in Marcu 2008 approved the sale of the buildingas to help satisfythe company’s Some of the company’z assets were purchased by Carl an officer at Boyd Printing, who openedf a separate corporation, Inc., in Previous deals for the Sheridan Avenure property fizzled before Cass Hill signed a purchasw contract last year.
Ltd., an affiliate of Cos. in Clifton closed on the $1.3 million purchase on June 3. Cass Hill intendss to convert theformer 1.3-acre industrial site at 39-49 Sheridan Ave. into an office/retail/residential The property is located behinsthe & Suites on Chapel Street, near the heart of the city’s entertainment district. Tony Sabatino of represented the seller. Cass Hill was representedd by Eileen Lindbergof /Albany. Marc H. president of Cass Hill Development couldn’t be reached for comment.
Cass Hill owns several propertiesa downtown, including a 30,000-square-foot office building on Monro Street across from the former printing Boyd Printing filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectioh inSeptember 2005. A federal bankruptcy judge in Marcu 2008 approved the sale of the buildingas to help satisfythe company’s Some of the company’z assets were purchased by Carl an officer at Boyd Printing, who openedf a separate corporation, Inc., in Previous deals for the Sheridan Avenure property fizzled before Cass Hill signed a purchasw contract last year.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Conference sobered by economic projection - Jacksonville Business Journal:
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There is a less than 10 percent chance that the economty would be as troubled as the one marking the Greay Depression because regulators have already helped by cuttingg interest ratesand taxes. The chancess of the economy entering such as dismal periocd are lessened by automatixeconomic stabilizers, such as unemployment insurance. Therre is also a 10 percent chancee that dismal predictions were wrongv and the economy and stock market willimprovre "smartly" by mid-2009. "Thiw market is driven purely by psychology and he said.
Loan demand has slowed and unsecuritizeed financingis gone, but there are stilol ways for companies to receive financingt in the weak market, said a group of financiapl experts Thurday at the Association for Corporatee Growth, a two-day meeting in Pontee Vedra of private equity firms. Righr now there are two primary source of financintgfor capital: senior bank debt and privatse equity, said Stephen Goldman, senior vice president of commerciapl lending at in who spoke to about 600 people that were expected to atten d the event. Goldman, who said he could not speak for all lender s athis bank, said many lender are simply looking for a strong balanc e sheet and credit-worthy companies.
On Wednesday, many conference attendees participated in toursof Jaxport, Cecilp Field and . On the seconcd day, conference goers gathereed for speakers and presentations at the outside of From a privateequityu standpoint, acquisitions have slowed this year and a lot of consumet businesses and retailers have been said Patrick Boroian, partner at basecd in Boca Raton, another of the speakers in attendanced on Thursday.
“In the last 30 days we’ve seen more businessess that have toget financing” and the lenders who are not as healthyt are not renewing these business’ linesd of credit for the next quarter, he However, “we’re seeing better qualitty companies than what we’ve seen in last four or five In terms of what equities will look like in Carl Roston, a partner at , said “we can’t look into the future” but there will be greaf opportunities to buy companies, though not at the multipless levels and pricing in previous years.
“Diversification is important,” especially when businessx slows inone sector, he Goldman said the finance deals are gettingt back to the basics where lenders are looking at theie leverage of funding for three years or which means the companies will have to seek more fundinbg from private equity groups. Lenders will also look at the relationshil between the private equity groups and thebusinesses they’re investing in to make sure they are standingf by their clients through the “From a commercial banking perspective, it’s critical for the companies and privatwe equity firms to really get to know your Goldman said.
“If they know you and [the historical relationship] they are more comfortable to do businessxwith you.” As part of a Randolph Smith, a partner, said drayage and intermodal is playingb a bigger role in the truckiny industry, which has been spurred by high fuels driver shortage and growth of international Revenues through intermodal operations increased in last quarter by 23 percen t to $513.2 million, he said. The industry’s totapl revenues are expected to shrinkby 4.2 percent in 2008. reduction in manufacturing production and declining retail spending are causing a reduction inthe industry’sx revenues and margins.
Jonathan PCE Investment Bankers distributionteam leader, said logisticd and operations technology is increasingly used by the more savvuy providers. To get the most out of purchasec software you need to understand its potential and have employeedsunderstand it, not just a hired consultant. John ’s managing director, said private equityy firms play a variety of rolesin warehousing, including beingf an owner, merging a third-party logistics operationd into the warehouse, have its companiesa using the warehouse and could be warehouse avoidef by using more efficient transfer of goods from ships to truckw or rail.
There is a less than 10 percent chance that the economty would be as troubled as the one marking the Greay Depression because regulators have already helped by cuttingg interest ratesand taxes. The chancess of the economy entering such as dismal periocd are lessened by automatixeconomic stabilizers, such as unemployment insurance. Therre is also a 10 percent chancee that dismal predictions were wrongv and the economy and stock market willimprovre "smartly" by mid-2009. "Thiw market is driven purely by psychology and he said.
Loan demand has slowed and unsecuritizeed financingis gone, but there are stilol ways for companies to receive financingt in the weak market, said a group of financiapl experts Thurday at the Association for Corporatee Growth, a two-day meeting in Pontee Vedra of private equity firms. Righr now there are two primary source of financintgfor capital: senior bank debt and privatse equity, said Stephen Goldman, senior vice president of commerciapl lending at in who spoke to about 600 people that were expected to atten d the event. Goldman, who said he could not speak for all lender s athis bank, said many lender are simply looking for a strong balanc e sheet and credit-worthy companies.
On Wednesday, many conference attendees participated in toursof Jaxport, Cecilp Field and . On the seconcd day, conference goers gathereed for speakers and presentations at the outside of From a privateequityu standpoint, acquisitions have slowed this year and a lot of consumet businesses and retailers have been said Patrick Boroian, partner at basecd in Boca Raton, another of the speakers in attendanced on Thursday.
“In the last 30 days we’ve seen more businessess that have toget financing” and the lenders who are not as healthyt are not renewing these business’ linesd of credit for the next quarter, he However, “we’re seeing better qualitty companies than what we’ve seen in last four or five In terms of what equities will look like in Carl Roston, a partner at , said “we can’t look into the future” but there will be greaf opportunities to buy companies, though not at the multipless levels and pricing in previous years.
“Diversification is important,” especially when businessx slows inone sector, he Goldman said the finance deals are gettingt back to the basics where lenders are looking at theie leverage of funding for three years or which means the companies will have to seek more fundinbg from private equity groups. Lenders will also look at the relationshil between the private equity groups and thebusinesses they’re investing in to make sure they are standingf by their clients through the “From a commercial banking perspective, it’s critical for the companies and privatwe equity firms to really get to know your Goldman said.
“If they know you and [the historical relationship] they are more comfortable to do businessxwith you.” As part of a Randolph Smith, a partner, said drayage and intermodal is playingb a bigger role in the truckiny industry, which has been spurred by high fuels driver shortage and growth of international Revenues through intermodal operations increased in last quarter by 23 percen t to $513.2 million, he said. The industry’s totapl revenues are expected to shrinkby 4.2 percent in 2008. reduction in manufacturing production and declining retail spending are causing a reduction inthe industry’sx revenues and margins.
Jonathan PCE Investment Bankers distributionteam leader, said logisticd and operations technology is increasingly used by the more savvuy providers. To get the most out of purchasec software you need to understand its potential and have employeedsunderstand it, not just a hired consultant. John ’s managing director, said private equityy firms play a variety of rolesin warehousing, including beingf an owner, merging a third-party logistics operationd into the warehouse, have its companiesa using the warehouse and could be warehouse avoidef by using more efficient transfer of goods from ships to truckw or rail.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Peachtree Equity raises $60M for lending fund - Triangle Business Journal:
fiber cement siding
The fund, called Peachtrese II L.P., is the second createe by the private equity firm since opening its doorsain 2002, and one of the largesgt fund closings in Atlanta since the recession beganh in January 2008. Peachtree Equity’z new fund, licensed as a small-business investmengt company bythe , will provid capital to companies that can’gt fully finance expansion or growth projects through a bank, also knowj as mezzanine lending.
Given the continuerd instability of bank credit available to Peachtree Equity partner David Christophe r said the fund will have no shortageof “We think this is a good time from a marker perspective,” said Christopher, one of the thres partners at Peachtree “This market is creating attractived opportunities.” The fund will lend at leastg $3 million to $10 million to small businesses, typically those with less than $100 millionj in annual revenue and with $2 million in The fund will focus on working with the existingh management of companies, looking to grow through organixc processes or outside acquisitions.
The firm’sd investments will continue to be in thenichew manufacturing, health-care, business and financialo services, and government contractor sectors. But with the opportunityh comesincreased competition. Mezzanine funds are one of the growinb sectors ofprivate equity, with several scattere throughout the city and the Christopher said despite the newfound popularity of mezzaninre investment by local privatw equity firms, the firm isn’t afraid of widesprea local competition. “We’ll co-invest with otherf firms and the other mezz playersout there,” he “We don’t see them as necessarily direct competition.
” The $60 milliojn raised is the first closing of the Christopher said the fund is ultimately projecteds to raise $75 million to $100 millio n by year’s end with additional investor commitments. The new fund is smallet than Peachtree Equity’s first fund, which raised $110 million and ultimately invested in 17 companies base d primarily inthe Southeast. The compan does not discuss publicly the investmenty performance ofits funds. Peachtree Equity was created in when the executives whobeganb ’s private equity investment business in 1997 left to form theifr own local firm.
Since then, two of the founder s have left for other localp privateequity firms, which Christopher said was a challengd fundraising for the second time. Despitre the departures, the firm is expanding with the second Peachtree Equity also hired private equity veteran Wendelll Reilly as a general Reilly previously founded andoversaw LLC, a venture capital-backed grou of television stations, and now serves as the managinhg partner of , a private equity firm focusesd on media industry investment. Christopher said the firm is also lookingb to hire two more junior and one analyst to work with the new fund and managw the current stable ofportfolio investments.
Christopher said he expects the secondx fund to ultimately closre 12 to 15 investment deals overthe four-yea r life of the with a preference for Southeasterj or local deals.
The fund, called Peachtrese II L.P., is the second createe by the private equity firm since opening its doorsain 2002, and one of the largesgt fund closings in Atlanta since the recession beganh in January 2008. Peachtree Equity’z new fund, licensed as a small-business investmengt company bythe , will provid capital to companies that can’gt fully finance expansion or growth projects through a bank, also knowj as mezzanine lending.
Given the continuerd instability of bank credit available to Peachtree Equity partner David Christophe r said the fund will have no shortageof “We think this is a good time from a marker perspective,” said Christopher, one of the thres partners at Peachtree “This market is creating attractived opportunities.” The fund will lend at leastg $3 million to $10 million to small businesses, typically those with less than $100 millionj in annual revenue and with $2 million in The fund will focus on working with the existingh management of companies, looking to grow through organixc processes or outside acquisitions.
The firm’sd investments will continue to be in thenichew manufacturing, health-care, business and financialo services, and government contractor sectors. But with the opportunityh comesincreased competition. Mezzanine funds are one of the growinb sectors ofprivate equity, with several scattere throughout the city and the Christopher said despite the newfound popularity of mezzaninre investment by local privatw equity firms, the firm isn’t afraid of widesprea local competition. “We’ll co-invest with otherf firms and the other mezz playersout there,” he “We don’t see them as necessarily direct competition.
” The $60 milliojn raised is the first closing of the Christopher said the fund is ultimately projecteds to raise $75 million to $100 millio n by year’s end with additional investor commitments. The new fund is smallet than Peachtree Equity’s first fund, which raised $110 million and ultimately invested in 17 companies base d primarily inthe Southeast. The compan does not discuss publicly the investmenty performance ofits funds. Peachtree Equity was created in when the executives whobeganb ’s private equity investment business in 1997 left to form theifr own local firm.
Since then, two of the founder s have left for other localp privateequity firms, which Christopher said was a challengd fundraising for the second time. Despitre the departures, the firm is expanding with the second Peachtree Equity also hired private equity veteran Wendelll Reilly as a general Reilly previously founded andoversaw LLC, a venture capital-backed grou of television stations, and now serves as the managinhg partner of , a private equity firm focusesd on media industry investment. Christopher said the firm is also lookingb to hire two more junior and one analyst to work with the new fund and managw the current stable ofportfolio investments.
Christopher said he expects the secondx fund to ultimately closre 12 to 15 investment deals overthe four-yea r life of the with a preference for Southeasterj or local deals.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Port of Miami tunnel deal stalled by recent FDOT announcement - Jacksonville Business Journal:
Insulated vinyl siding
on April 2 announced a recommendation to kill the existingt arrangement to buildthe “It’s a delay tactic more than anything,” said statew Rep. Juan Zapata, R-Miami, who chairs Miami-Dade County’es state legislative delegation. In order to kick-start the Zapata said Miami-Dade’s state legislators may need to consideer using their control of the budget to direct FDOT toget moving. Or, they couldf put the money directly in the handss ofthe county. But, sending the money right to the countyh may betricky – especially during the he acknowledged. “We’re left with some not-so-greaty options.
” In an April 7 letter to state Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez called the rebiddingidea “criticallyh flawed,” saying quicker action was needed to generat e jobs. Alvarez’s letter follows FDOT’s April 2 announcement that it wanted to rebicd the project in order to find a newprivated partner. The state first signaled the tunnek project was in trouble in when it became clear thatthe state’e private partner, the (MAT), had serious financing problems. MAT’s 90 percentt equity holder, Australian consortiuk , was hovering near MAT has since been attempting to getanother partner, Meridiam Infrastructure, to take Babcocik & Brown’s stake.
“The financial vetting of Meridia m was all but completein December, when the stater suspended the project,” Alvares wrote. “The financial vetting of Meridiam can be refreshefd bythe state’s consultants and presented to [FDOT Secretarg Stephanie Kopelousos’] staff in less than a week.” In the lettere recommending the rebid, Kopelousos also said FDOT may hand over its role as the lead publicd agency in the deal to the An earlier selling point to the publivc on the tunnel was the count y would not take the lead role aftet experiencing hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overrunx at the and projects at .
County leaders have repeatedly said that the tunnelp is critical forthe built-oug port to accommodate the spike in cargo that’sw expected in about 2015, when the Panama Canal is renovater and super-size ships from Asia are Currently, trucks back up near the and Baysidee Marketplace as they try to get in and out of the After Kopelousos’ letter, Bruce Jay chairman-elect of the , said Tallahassee political circles have been saying the statd is looking for a way to reroutw the cash it wouldc have spent on the tunnell to other projects. “This [letter from Kopelousos] is a big Colan wrote in an e-mail.
“I fear that all it does is let the time rununti [the project] dies.” Kopelousos is now calling for the state, the counthy and the city to keep presenting funding strategies and a new procuremenr schedule, with all presentations to be made by July 1.
on April 2 announced a recommendation to kill the existingt arrangement to buildthe “It’s a delay tactic more than anything,” said statew Rep. Juan Zapata, R-Miami, who chairs Miami-Dade County’es state legislative delegation. In order to kick-start the Zapata said Miami-Dade’s state legislators may need to consideer using their control of the budget to direct FDOT toget moving. Or, they couldf put the money directly in the handss ofthe county. But, sending the money right to the countyh may betricky – especially during the he acknowledged. “We’re left with some not-so-greaty options.
” In an April 7 letter to state Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez called the rebiddingidea “criticallyh flawed,” saying quicker action was needed to generat e jobs. Alvarez’s letter follows FDOT’s April 2 announcement that it wanted to rebicd the project in order to find a newprivated partner. The state first signaled the tunnek project was in trouble in when it became clear thatthe state’e private partner, the (MAT), had serious financing problems. MAT’s 90 percentt equity holder, Australian consortiuk , was hovering near MAT has since been attempting to getanother partner, Meridiam Infrastructure, to take Babcocik & Brown’s stake.
“The financial vetting of Meridia m was all but completein December, when the stater suspended the project,” Alvares wrote. “The financial vetting of Meridiam can be refreshefd bythe state’s consultants and presented to [FDOT Secretarg Stephanie Kopelousos’] staff in less than a week.” In the lettere recommending the rebid, Kopelousos also said FDOT may hand over its role as the lead publicd agency in the deal to the An earlier selling point to the publivc on the tunnel was the count y would not take the lead role aftet experiencing hundreds of millions of dollars in cost overrunx at the and projects at .
County leaders have repeatedly said that the tunnelp is critical forthe built-oug port to accommodate the spike in cargo that’sw expected in about 2015, when the Panama Canal is renovater and super-size ships from Asia are Currently, trucks back up near the and Baysidee Marketplace as they try to get in and out of the After Kopelousos’ letter, Bruce Jay chairman-elect of the , said Tallahassee political circles have been saying the statd is looking for a way to reroutw the cash it wouldc have spent on the tunnell to other projects. “This [letter from Kopelousos] is a big Colan wrote in an e-mail.
“I fear that all it does is let the time rununti [the project] dies.” Kopelousos is now calling for the state, the counthy and the city to keep presenting funding strategies and a new procuremenr schedule, with all presentations to be made by July 1.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Chamber chief Blake confirmed as CSU chancellor; budget and tuition set - Denver Business Journal:
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Blake, who had been a CSU boars member, was named the sole finalist for the position onMay 5, but stat e rules required a second vote on the matterf Wednesday. Blake will be responsible for dealingsd with state officials and representin g the CSU system tothe public, donorsd and alumni, among others. Meeting in Pingree Park, the site of a CSU mountaimn campus west ofFort Collins, the boarx also confirmed Tony Frank as presidenty of the university's main Fort Collins Frank had been interim president since last fall and was sole finalisyt for the permanent job. Blake and Frank assumwe their new postsJuly 1.
The board approved a five-year employment agreementr for Blake that includes an annual salaryhof $275,000 and a monthly car allowance of $750. Frank also gets a five-yeare employment agreement. He'll receive an annual salary of $350,00p0 and an annual car and housing allowancsof $42,000. The Denver chambetr is searching for a successorto Blake. ( .) The chamber plans to have a going-away party for Blake Thursday from 5 to7 p.m. at the Denvedr Botanic Gardens. For details, . The two men will servee in jobs that formerly were combined under Larry Penley, who served as president and chancellor until his unexplained departure in November.
The CSU board also approvedx an $872 million budget for the CSU system, which includesd campuses in Fort Collinsand Pueblo, for fiscall year 2010, which beginsw July 1. The total includes $800 million for the Fort Collinws campus. The budget makes up for a $33 millio cut in state supportwith $33 million in temporargy funds from the federal stimulus program. "The federal stimulus funds provide valuable time for state leaders to explor allfuture [funding] options," Richard CSU's chief financial officer, said in a "...Once the stimulus funding is up in we are looking at a cliff where fundin g levels could drop dramatically.
We need to take this time to finda long-term solution to the budget deficit facing the Resident undergraduate tuition — $2,411 (up $199). Residenrt graduate tuition — $3,232 (up $421.50). Non-resident undergraduate tuitiobn — $10,372 (up Non-resident graduate tuition — $9,058 (up $431). Mandatoryu fees, based on 12 credit hours $718 (up $23). Residencse hall fees — $2,119 (up $62).
Blake, who had been a CSU boars member, was named the sole finalist for the position onMay 5, but stat e rules required a second vote on the matterf Wednesday. Blake will be responsible for dealingsd with state officials and representin g the CSU system tothe public, donorsd and alumni, among others. Meeting in Pingree Park, the site of a CSU mountaimn campus west ofFort Collins, the boarx also confirmed Tony Frank as presidenty of the university's main Fort Collins Frank had been interim president since last fall and was sole finalisyt for the permanent job. Blake and Frank assumwe their new postsJuly 1.
The board approved a five-year employment agreementr for Blake that includes an annual salaryhof $275,000 and a monthly car allowance of $750. Frank also gets a five-yeare employment agreement. He'll receive an annual salary of $350,00p0 and an annual car and housing allowancsof $42,000. The Denver chambetr is searching for a successorto Blake. ( .) The chamber plans to have a going-away party for Blake Thursday from 5 to7 p.m. at the Denvedr Botanic Gardens. For details, . The two men will servee in jobs that formerly were combined under Larry Penley, who served as president and chancellor until his unexplained departure in November.
The CSU board also approvedx an $872 million budget for the CSU system, which includesd campuses in Fort Collinsand Pueblo, for fiscall year 2010, which beginsw July 1. The total includes $800 million for the Fort Collinws campus. The budget makes up for a $33 millio cut in state supportwith $33 million in temporargy funds from the federal stimulus program. "The federal stimulus funds provide valuable time for state leaders to explor allfuture [funding] options," Richard CSU's chief financial officer, said in a "...Once the stimulus funding is up in we are looking at a cliff where fundin g levels could drop dramatically.
We need to take this time to finda long-term solution to the budget deficit facing the Resident undergraduate tuition — $2,411 (up $199). Residenrt graduate tuition — $3,232 (up $421.50). Non-resident undergraduate tuitiobn — $10,372 (up Non-resident graduate tuition — $9,058 (up $431). Mandatoryu fees, based on 12 credit hours $718 (up $23). Residencse hall fees — $2,119 (up $62).
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Worst pitching performances in MLB since World War II - Yahoo! Sports
avaohev.blogspot.com
Kansas City Star | Worst pitching performances in MLB since World War II Yahoo! Sports Here is a look at some other worst pitching performances since World War II. McCrabb is the only other relief pitcher since World War II to » |
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Saranya Mohan is pleased - Sify
obofym.wordpress.com
Saranya Mohan is pleased Sify Her Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai has been getting a lot of critical acclaim. The actress is happy that she did the film. Says Saranya: "Many people advised me not to do the film. But I had immense faith in Suseendran's script and his team. ... |
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Williams, Smith draw biggest paychecks - Business First of Buffalo:
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Western New York’s biggest school districts tend to pay the highesyt salaries to administratorsand teachers, according to a Businese First analysis of budgets throughou t the eight-county region: • Buffalo’s Jamesa Williams and Williamsville’s Howard Smith are the only schoopl superintendents to earn more than $200,0090 per year. They also oversee the only districts with enrollments in excessof 10,000 students. • Ten Westernj New York school systems have morethan 5,000 studentse each. Their superintendents are paid $173,680 on average, whicn is 32 percent above the comparabler figure for superintendents of the 88smaller $131,170.
• Niagara Falls and Williamsville, both amonhg the region’s five biggest school systems, offer the highest starting salaries forclassroon teachers. Pay scales begin around $42,000 in those two districts. • Williamsville also leads Western New York in a broader measure ofteacher pay, posting a median salary of $63,918i for all classroom teachers. (A median is a with half of all teacherxs beingpaid more, and half being paid Business First based its study on salary data compiled by the New York State Education Department, whicjh annually collects payroll statistics for administrators and teachers.
Figurezs come from the 2008-2009 academic year for the former group, 2007-2008 for the latter. Both databasee were the latest availableat presstime. for a list of all public school salariesof $100,000 or And for salary scales at all 98 schooll districts in the eight countie s of Western New York. Districts are requirefd to provide the Education Department with salary breakdownxs for superintendents and all other administrators who are paid atleastg $100,000 per year. But there’s a catch: The department asks only for the titld of each position and itspay level, not the name of the person who holds the job.
It’s not difficult, to link names and salariee at the top of the since the biggest paychecks go to superintendentsz whorun high-profile districts or have extensive seniority -- or • Williams, who is paid $220,000 per year, has run Buffalo’sx public schools since 2005. • Smith, with a salaryg of $206,500, has been in charges of Williamsville’s system since 2004. • Thomas Coseo, thircd on the salary list at $197,100, has been superintendenrt in Clarence for18 years.
A total of 247 Western New York schooo administrators arepaid $100,000 or Ninety-five of the region’s 98 superintendents belongt to this six-figure club, as do 152 other officiale with titles ranging from associate superintendent to and from chief academic officer to directorf of personnel. Size is once again a key The Buffalo City School District employsx 47 administrators who earn atleasyt $100,000 a year -- nearlty one-fifth of the regionaol total of 247. The runners-up are Niagara Fall (with 20 salaries in six figures), Williamsville (12), Frontieer (eight) and Kenmore-Tonawanda (seven).
All five of thesed districts have atleast 5,300 Their collective enrollment is 65,200, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all students attending publix schools in Western New York. Wyoming West Valley ($93,964) and Belfast are the only districts whosre superintendents fall short ofthe $100,000 The largest of these schoop systems is Belfast, with 395 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The collectiver enrollment in the thre districts is944 pupils. Business Firsyt analyzed salaries at three key pointss ineach teacher’s career -- midpoint and peak of earning power -- as reflected by percentiled data collected by the Education Department.
Percentilees indicate where a given teacher’s paycheck rankws within a single district. A salary in the fifthh percentile, for example, is bigger than 5 percent -- and smallefr than 95 percent -- of all teachers’ salaries in that specific
Western New York’s biggest school districts tend to pay the highesyt salaries to administratorsand teachers, according to a Businese First analysis of budgets throughou t the eight-county region: • Buffalo’s Jamesa Williams and Williamsville’s Howard Smith are the only schoopl superintendents to earn more than $200,0090 per year. They also oversee the only districts with enrollments in excessof 10,000 students. • Ten Westernj New York school systems have morethan 5,000 studentse each. Their superintendents are paid $173,680 on average, whicn is 32 percent above the comparabler figure for superintendents of the 88smaller $131,170.
• Niagara Falls and Williamsville, both amonhg the region’s five biggest school systems, offer the highest starting salaries forclassroon teachers. Pay scales begin around $42,000 in those two districts. • Williamsville also leads Western New York in a broader measure ofteacher pay, posting a median salary of $63,918i for all classroom teachers. (A median is a with half of all teacherxs beingpaid more, and half being paid Business First based its study on salary data compiled by the New York State Education Department, whicjh annually collects payroll statistics for administrators and teachers.
Figurezs come from the 2008-2009 academic year for the former group, 2007-2008 for the latter. Both databasee were the latest availableat presstime. for a list of all public school salariesof $100,000 or And for salary scales at all 98 schooll districts in the eight countie s of Western New York. Districts are requirefd to provide the Education Department with salary breakdownxs for superintendents and all other administrators who are paid atleastg $100,000 per year. But there’s a catch: The department asks only for the titld of each position and itspay level, not the name of the person who holds the job.
It’s not difficult, to link names and salariee at the top of the since the biggest paychecks go to superintendentsz whorun high-profile districts or have extensive seniority -- or • Williams, who is paid $220,000 per year, has run Buffalo’sx public schools since 2005. • Smith, with a salaryg of $206,500, has been in charges of Williamsville’s system since 2004. • Thomas Coseo, thircd on the salary list at $197,100, has been superintendenrt in Clarence for18 years.
A total of 247 Western New York schooo administrators arepaid $100,000 or Ninety-five of the region’s 98 superintendents belongt to this six-figure club, as do 152 other officiale with titles ranging from associate superintendent to and from chief academic officer to directorf of personnel. Size is once again a key The Buffalo City School District employsx 47 administrators who earn atleasyt $100,000 a year -- nearlty one-fifth of the regionaol total of 247. The runners-up are Niagara Fall (with 20 salaries in six figures), Williamsville (12), Frontieer (eight) and Kenmore-Tonawanda (seven).
All five of thesed districts have atleast 5,300 Their collective enrollment is 65,200, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all students attending publix schools in Western New York. Wyoming West Valley ($93,964) and Belfast are the only districts whosre superintendents fall short ofthe $100,000 The largest of these schoop systems is Belfast, with 395 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The collectiver enrollment in the thre districts is944 pupils. Business Firsyt analyzed salaries at three key pointss ineach teacher’s career -- midpoint and peak of earning power -- as reflected by percentiled data collected by the Education Department.
Percentilees indicate where a given teacher’s paycheck rankws within a single district. A salary in the fifthh percentile, for example, is bigger than 5 percent -- and smallefr than 95 percent -- of all teachers’ salaries in that specific
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Woodland Corporate Center building gets LEED gold certification - San Antonio Business Journal:
http://igen.eetimes.com/m/community?__mode=view&blog_id=7&id=165#_login
The building, which opened early last year, was designed and buil to meet the second highest ranking ofthe Council’a Leadership in Energy and Environmental was the general contractor. Libertu Property Trust Vice President Jody Johnston estimates the cost of buildint to green standards added an additiona 5 percent to the overal ldevelopment costs, but that will be more than offset by lower energy costs. Special features include showers and lockers for workerzs who need to wash or change clothes after they bike or jog to A deck made of recycled plastic borders the back of the overlooking a wetlands area thatprovidex shade.
Landscaping incorporates drought-resistant plants native to A white reflective roof deflectsthe sun. Bins for recyclingg are placed near trash binsfor accessibility. Restroojm urinals conserve water by relying on gravity and a filter insteadxof water. That feature is expected to save 360,000 gallons annually since each urinal uses anestimatef 40,000 gallons annually, Johnsto said. Grass surrounding the parking lot soakssup rainwater. And Flexi-pave, a recycled rubber, was used insteacd of asphalt around the large oak tree s that linethe lots. The porous rubbet allows water to soak into the The building, located at 4631 Woodland Blvd.
, received the “Officse Building of the Year” Award from the Tampza Bay Chapter of the and the “Greeh Building Design Award” from the Hillsboroughy City-County Planning Commission in Liberty (NYSE: LRY) has developed and leased 19 buildingse with nearly 1 millionn square feet of space in the park since 1996. Key park tenantw include , Travelers, Trave l and .
The building, which opened early last year, was designed and buil to meet the second highest ranking ofthe Council’a Leadership in Energy and Environmental was the general contractor. Libertu Property Trust Vice President Jody Johnston estimates the cost of buildint to green standards added an additiona 5 percent to the overal ldevelopment costs, but that will be more than offset by lower energy costs. Special features include showers and lockers for workerzs who need to wash or change clothes after they bike or jog to A deck made of recycled plastic borders the back of the overlooking a wetlands area thatprovidex shade.
Landscaping incorporates drought-resistant plants native to A white reflective roof deflectsthe sun. Bins for recyclingg are placed near trash binsfor accessibility. Restroojm urinals conserve water by relying on gravity and a filter insteadxof water. That feature is expected to save 360,000 gallons annually since each urinal uses anestimatef 40,000 gallons annually, Johnsto said. Grass surrounding the parking lot soakssup rainwater. And Flexi-pave, a recycled rubber, was used insteacd of asphalt around the large oak tree s that linethe lots. The porous rubbet allows water to soak into the The building, located at 4631 Woodland Blvd.
, received the “Officse Building of the Year” Award from the Tampza Bay Chapter of the and the “Greeh Building Design Award” from the Hillsboroughy City-County Planning Commission in Liberty (NYSE: LRY) has developed and leased 19 buildingse with nearly 1 millionn square feet of space in the park since 1996. Key park tenantw include , Travelers, Trave l and .
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Researchers demonstrate flexible epaper phone - Telegraph.co.uk
edibin.wordpress.com
ABC News | Researchers demonstrate flexible epaper phone Telegraph.co.uk The PaperPhone is flexible and can be controlled by being bent, written on or used as a touchscreen. The PaperPhone, built to determine how people use a flexible device, ... World's First Flexible Smartphone Invented in Canada After iPhone, Here's The PaperPhone Is your iPhone obsolete? Meet PaperPhone |
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Albany Law and UAlbany offer combined law, MBA degree - The Business Review (Albany):
http://homemaster.blogetery.com/2011/05/04/bamboo-floor/
The schools began collaborating onthe four-year prograj this month after seeing a demand from businesses interestef in entering international markets, said Connie Mayer, interim dean at Albanty Law. “This is a very attractiv e combinationof degrees. It will put students in a grea t position in thejob market,” she said. It also is expecterd to become a newrecruitinh tool. The law school, already offerx joint MBA degrees through previouas partnerships with in Schenectady and Thein Albany. UAlbany’es focus on commercialization of new technology will add a new Mayer said.
Linda Krzykowski, vice dean of the UAlban y Schoolof Business, said the school is hoping to attractg a handful of students for the dual MBA/law progra this year. A total of 75 students have enrolle inthe law/MBA program through Union Graduat e College since 2000, said Joanner Fitzgerald, vice president for enrollment at the graduate “We’ve had success,” Fitzgeraled said. “But I’d be naive to say that the new progranm with UAlbany will not bea threat.
” Tuition for the Union Graduate College MBA program is $2,440 per and most students end up taking 12 to 15 classes, Fitzgerald The cost of the one-year MBA program at UAlbany is Albany Law’s annual tuition is $38,900. Deanndra a third-year student at Albany Law, expects to graduate in the sprinvg with an MBA and law degrere through thelaw school’s partnership with Union Graduate She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from the UAlbanyh in 2006. During her first year in law she decided to apply for the dual degree to help prepar e for a careeras in-house counsel at a larger corporation.
Albany Law has created numerous joint program degreea in recent years including a law degree witha master’s in bioethic s through , and a master’s in public affairse or public administration through
The schools began collaborating onthe four-year prograj this month after seeing a demand from businesses interestef in entering international markets, said Connie Mayer, interim dean at Albanty Law. “This is a very attractiv e combinationof degrees. It will put students in a grea t position in thejob market,” she said. It also is expecterd to become a newrecruitinh tool. The law school, already offerx joint MBA degrees through previouas partnerships with in Schenectady and Thein Albany. UAlbany’es focus on commercialization of new technology will add a new Mayer said.
Linda Krzykowski, vice dean of the UAlban y Schoolof Business, said the school is hoping to attractg a handful of students for the dual MBA/law progra this year. A total of 75 students have enrolle inthe law/MBA program through Union Graduat e College since 2000, said Joanner Fitzgerald, vice president for enrollment at the graduate “We’ve had success,” Fitzgeraled said. “But I’d be naive to say that the new progranm with UAlbany will not bea threat.
” Tuition for the Union Graduate College MBA program is $2,440 per and most students end up taking 12 to 15 classes, Fitzgerald The cost of the one-year MBA program at UAlbany is Albany Law’s annual tuition is $38,900. Deanndra a third-year student at Albany Law, expects to graduate in the sprinvg with an MBA and law degrere through thelaw school’s partnership with Union Graduate She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from the UAlbanyh in 2006. During her first year in law she decided to apply for the dual degree to help prepar e for a careeras in-house counsel at a larger corporation.
Albany Law has created numerous joint program degreea in recent years including a law degree witha master’s in bioethic s through , and a master’s in public affairse or public administration through
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Oakland bars tap into demand - Washington Business Journal:
http://cooltheglobe.com/article?article=12
The city’s growing culinary chops have been documented; now city denizense have equally destination-worthy spots to sip or swill. New spot to open in the Uptownb district in recent monthsinclud Somar, Den at the Fox and 2022 Restaurant and Lounge. Era, Mimosa, The Town Hall of and others are onthe way. The 10,000 new Oaklancd residents that former Mayor Jerry Brownm hoped to attract with new condos all need somethinhto do, said Michael who works in real estats in Oakland and also does nightlife marketing and promotionsa as Top Ten Social Club. “San Francisco alreadt has a lot of restaurantsand Here, we need them to Entrepreneurs are rushing to satisfy that need.
Alfonsko Dominguez, Kevin Best and Gairt Jacques willopen Era, a 4,500-square-foot art bar and at Broadway and Grand Avenue in two months. They hope to appeapl to the art crowd that attendFirst Fridays, when art galleries stay open “To have an opportunituy to keep these people here and have a bit of nightlifde after, that’s where the art bar idea came said Dominguez. The trio also knows Oakland. Best owns two San Francisck restaurants and Bin Oakland.
Jacquea has Air, another Oakland and Dominguez owns a hostof retail, designb and hospitality offerings, including FIVEteb Studio and Tamarindo Despite these newcomers, many see Oakland as a land of relatives opportunity with lower barriers to entry than San Francisco and lower rentds and labor costs. “There’s so much potential here,” said Nichellde Blackwell, who will open Mimosa, a 2,200-square-foot raw and dessert bar, at 24th Streety and Broadway. In some the bad economy is makingv these newbars possible. Last year, Armando Ramos and his dad lost their jobs. Now they and Ramos’ mom and cousin own the 2,000-square-foot Somar at 1727 Telegrap h Ave.
“From my point of view, I can go chase after the next job, or I can take a chanc e with these people I know and trust and just do Ramos said. Raising money has been difficult, thesee owners all say, but through friends, family, investors, rent reductionse or generous tenantimprovement allowances, all have made it Developers have long viewed Uptow as ripe for revitalization, and bars and restauranta were always seen as part of the mix. That all this activitty should take place in the midst of a deep andin Oakland, is noteworthy and speaks to the perceivedf opportunity, particularly now that the Fox Theated is open and shows are selling out.
Others believe that densityt is more important tothe area’s ultimate succesas than the large Michael O’Connor, who owns the Independent in San Francisco, will open The Town Hall of a live music venue, by mid-July one block from the Fox “The only way to successfully revitaliz e an area is through a criticak mass of small businesses,” he said.
The city’s growing culinary chops have been documented; now city denizense have equally destination-worthy spots to sip or swill. New spot to open in the Uptownb district in recent monthsinclud Somar, Den at the Fox and 2022 Restaurant and Lounge. Era, Mimosa, The Town Hall of and others are onthe way. The 10,000 new Oaklancd residents that former Mayor Jerry Brownm hoped to attract with new condos all need somethinhto do, said Michael who works in real estats in Oakland and also does nightlife marketing and promotionsa as Top Ten Social Club. “San Francisco alreadt has a lot of restaurantsand Here, we need them to Entrepreneurs are rushing to satisfy that need.
Alfonsko Dominguez, Kevin Best and Gairt Jacques willopen Era, a 4,500-square-foot art bar and at Broadway and Grand Avenue in two months. They hope to appeapl to the art crowd that attendFirst Fridays, when art galleries stay open “To have an opportunituy to keep these people here and have a bit of nightlifde after, that’s where the art bar idea came said Dominguez. The trio also knows Oakland. Best owns two San Francisck restaurants and Bin Oakland.
Jacquea has Air, another Oakland and Dominguez owns a hostof retail, designb and hospitality offerings, including FIVEteb Studio and Tamarindo Despite these newcomers, many see Oakland as a land of relatives opportunity with lower barriers to entry than San Francisco and lower rentds and labor costs. “There’s so much potential here,” said Nichellde Blackwell, who will open Mimosa, a 2,200-square-foot raw and dessert bar, at 24th Streety and Broadway. In some the bad economy is makingv these newbars possible. Last year, Armando Ramos and his dad lost their jobs. Now they and Ramos’ mom and cousin own the 2,000-square-foot Somar at 1727 Telegrap h Ave.
“From my point of view, I can go chase after the next job, or I can take a chanc e with these people I know and trust and just do Ramos said. Raising money has been difficult, thesee owners all say, but through friends, family, investors, rent reductionse or generous tenantimprovement allowances, all have made it Developers have long viewed Uptow as ripe for revitalization, and bars and restauranta were always seen as part of the mix. That all this activitty should take place in the midst of a deep andin Oakland, is noteworthy and speaks to the perceivedf opportunity, particularly now that the Fox Theated is open and shows are selling out.
Others believe that densityt is more important tothe area’s ultimate succesas than the large Michael O’Connor, who owns the Independent in San Francisco, will open The Town Hall of a live music venue, by mid-July one block from the Fox “The only way to successfully revitaliz e an area is through a criticak mass of small businesses,” he said.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
GM bankruptcy plan approved, dealer disputes up to states - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
ramsburgsyuheo1544.blogspot.com
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert E. Gerbert issued his order green-lighting GM’s plan in a 95-paged opinion filed Sunday evening, explaining that the plan to sell GM to a reorganized collection of shareholders was in the best interest ofthe nation’d car industry. GM filed for bankruptcy June 1. “As nobodhy can seriously dispute, the only alternative to an immediate sale isliquidatiojn — a disastrous result for GM’s its employees, the suppliers who depend on GM for thei own existence, and the communities in which GM operates,” Gerber said in his “In the event of a liquidation, creditors now tryinvg to increase their incremental recoveries would get As of March 31, GM reported global assets of $82 billionb and liabilities of $172 However, because assets appear at book if there was a liquidatiojn the asset value being considered would be 10 percent of $82 Gerber said.
On June 19, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum joined his counterparts in 44 othed states to file an objection to the GM bankruptcy plan sayintg itwould strong-arm dealers in the statew to waive rights they normally woulcd enjoy under Florida law in orded to become a part of the new organization. GM had wanted disputes over the agreements to play out in New York despite laws that give Florida jurisdiction in such matteras involving dealers inthe state.
McCollun asked the court to “affirm that the relationshil between New GM and its Floridz dealers will be governed by Florida law” and order any new agreement that does not followe Florida law to be “invalidd and unenforceable.” Judge Gerber, however, addressee the dealer disputes it said would affect 4,100 of GM’e 6,000 dealerships, saying the auto manufacturer could not take all of the dealersw “on the same basis,” while terminatiob agreements would allow dealers 17 months to transitionj out of GM vehicles.
“Th agreements of both types include waivers of right that dealersd would have in connectiobn withtheir franchises,” Gerber said in his A settlement that was reached with the attorneys general of the 45 statesd will allow disputes of the agreementzs to be handled by each state. GM employss 235,000 worldwide, including 91,000 in the United The , which has 68 percent of GM’s U.S. work force among its members, is the single-largesf unsecured creditor for GM. The U.S. government has loaned the companh $50 billion and the governments of Canadz andOntario $9.1 billion. All three entities will have an ownership stake in thenew company.
Anothee $27 billion was loaned through unsecured bonds fromindenturef trustees. The new company will continuew to operate under the GeneralMotors name, and will focuse more on fuel-efficient cars whilre shedding some of its brands like Pontiac, Hummer and Saab. Government officials said they hope to take the newlyt organized company public by next year whilr the old GMwill “wind down GM will lay off another 21,000 employees and clos e at least a dozen plants. Gerber said making the rulingy just a month after the initial filinf was important to try and save theailingg company. “The U.S.
government’s fear a fear this court shares if GM cannotf be saved as a goingconcer — was of a systemic failure throughoug the domestic automotive industry and the significant harm to the overall U.S. economt that would result from the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and the sequential shutdown of hundreds of thousands of ancillar y business if GM had to cease Gerber said.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert E. Gerbert issued his order green-lighting GM’s plan in a 95-paged opinion filed Sunday evening, explaining that the plan to sell GM to a reorganized collection of shareholders was in the best interest ofthe nation’d car industry. GM filed for bankruptcy June 1. “As nobodhy can seriously dispute, the only alternative to an immediate sale isliquidatiojn — a disastrous result for GM’s its employees, the suppliers who depend on GM for thei own existence, and the communities in which GM operates,” Gerber said in his “In the event of a liquidation, creditors now tryinvg to increase their incremental recoveries would get As of March 31, GM reported global assets of $82 billionb and liabilities of $172 However, because assets appear at book if there was a liquidatiojn the asset value being considered would be 10 percent of $82 Gerber said.
On June 19, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum joined his counterparts in 44 othed states to file an objection to the GM bankruptcy plan sayintg itwould strong-arm dealers in the statew to waive rights they normally woulcd enjoy under Florida law in orded to become a part of the new organization. GM had wanted disputes over the agreements to play out in New York despite laws that give Florida jurisdiction in such matteras involving dealers inthe state.
McCollun asked the court to “affirm that the relationshil between New GM and its Floridz dealers will be governed by Florida law” and order any new agreement that does not followe Florida law to be “invalidd and unenforceable.” Judge Gerber, however, addressee the dealer disputes it said would affect 4,100 of GM’e 6,000 dealerships, saying the auto manufacturer could not take all of the dealersw “on the same basis,” while terminatiob agreements would allow dealers 17 months to transitionj out of GM vehicles.
“Th agreements of both types include waivers of right that dealersd would have in connectiobn withtheir franchises,” Gerber said in his A settlement that was reached with the attorneys general of the 45 statesd will allow disputes of the agreementzs to be handled by each state. GM employss 235,000 worldwide, including 91,000 in the United The , which has 68 percent of GM’s U.S. work force among its members, is the single-largesf unsecured creditor for GM. The U.S. government has loaned the companh $50 billion and the governments of Canadz andOntario $9.1 billion. All three entities will have an ownership stake in thenew company.
Anothee $27 billion was loaned through unsecured bonds fromindenturef trustees. The new company will continuew to operate under the GeneralMotors name, and will focuse more on fuel-efficient cars whilre shedding some of its brands like Pontiac, Hummer and Saab. Government officials said they hope to take the newlyt organized company public by next year whilr the old GMwill “wind down GM will lay off another 21,000 employees and clos e at least a dozen plants. Gerber said making the rulingy just a month after the initial filinf was important to try and save theailingg company. “The U.S.
government’s fear a fear this court shares if GM cannotf be saved as a goingconcer — was of a systemic failure throughoug the domestic automotive industry and the significant harm to the overall U.S. economt that would result from the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and the sequential shutdown of hundreds of thousands of ancillar y business if GM had to cease Gerber said.
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