Argos' new pivot Ray expects boos in return to Edmonton - Globe and Mail

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Globe and Mail

Argos' new pivot Ray expects boos in return to Edmonton Globe and Mail “I'm expecting boos,” Ray said after arriving at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday, prior to his team's CFL season-opening matchup. “I've just travelled enough around the CFL, going to Regina, Hamilton and some of those places, [like] Winnipeg, and you ... Photos: Ricky Ray returns to Edmonton Edmonton Sun The Ray-turn of Ricky Toronto Sun Jyles always seemed like a perfect fit for CFL Calgary Herald Edmonton Journal -Canada.com  »

Texas awarded economic recovery funds for water infrastructure projects - Orlando Business Journal:

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EPA officials say this new infusion of moneh from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help state and local governments invest in a number of overduw water projects that officials say are essential to protecting public health andthe environment. The funds shoulds also help boost the economy andcreate jobs, two of the qualificationss for receiving stimulus funding. “Investing in the economy and the environment is a EPA Acting Regional AdministratorLawrence E. Starfielsd says. “These funds will not only help oureconomicd recovery, but they will help providw safe, clean drinking water for communities throughout Texas.
” The funds will be used towarc the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program, whicgh provides low-interest loans for drinking water systems to finance infrastructurw improvements. The program places an emphasis on smal l and disadvantaged communities and to programs that encouragepollutio prevention. Nationwide, the EPA is furnishing $2 billion to fund drinkinf water infrastructure projects across the countryh in the formof low-interesy loans, principal forgiveness and At least 20 percent of the stimulus funds have been earmarkedx for “green” infrastructure, water and energy efficiency improvements and othee environmentally innovative projects.

Lack of support will make Arizona lag further in tech - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The state’s tech employment base is shrinkinh faster thannational averages, the number of patentsd issued has declined, and university researcy is stagnating — all cautionargy signs, said Mitch Horowitz, vice presidentt and managing director of Battelle’s Technology Partnershiop Practice, which produced the report. The situation must be he said. “You can’t just assume things are just goinf to grow from yearto year.
” The report a look at one year of information from the Arizonqa technology sector — is evidences the state needs to continue pushing for ways to secure the industry’s place among businesses, said Bill Harris, president and CEO of Science Foundation Arizona. “In the 21st for a state or countrty tobe successful, it’s going to be about brainws and the speed at which you need to get thingws done,” he said. The study found the state’sx tech firms had 162,000 jobs and a university research baseof $783 millionj through 2007.
It also found all of those numbers are slippinf compared withNorth Carolina, Georgia and which are in the same tech tier as Horowitz said. The report comesa after legislatorspulled $22.5 million of SFAz’s statde funding, making the group rely on funding from privat partners. They could do the same next year as they look to closesa $3 billion gap in the state but the group is considering its Continued funding for technologyg endeavors is essential to the state for bolsteringt its economic base. Through a four-yeare legislative commitment, SFAz has been able to start industry groups that were impossibled when it was undera one-year Harris said.
“If we are not able to be a reliablse partner, it will be hard to bringg those companies tothe table,” he In addition to decreasing patent growth and the state’s education system lags in producing the kindd of employees technology firms want to hire. The issued is linked to science, technologt and math education in elementary andsecondarh schools, as well as graduate studentz coming out of the state’s universities. Arizonwa ranks the lowest among the statese inthose fields, Horowitz said. Harris said education is key to bolsterinbgthe state’s technology standing.
The report, which identifies Colorado as a competitor, says universities there graduate abou 20 percent of their students intechnologu fields. In Arizona, it is about 10 percent, Harriss said. “I think we need to look at the factand say, ‘Whar do we want to be and how do we get he said. SFAz is faring well in trying to draw more out of thetechnology industries, but ultimately the grou will be judged on the numbef of jobs it Given that the organization is a little more than 2 yearss old, it will be awhilse before those results are in. A copy of the reporty is availablethrough SFAz’s Web .

Bauer takes stars from 17 banks - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The company uses federal regulatorg data to rate banks based oncapital ratio, profit/loss trend, delinquent loans and other Bauer's rating ranks from a high of 5 starsz to a low of 0 stars. in Coral Gablee lost a star going tofour (excellent) from five (superior) Four others maintained their five-star ranking: Americanb National Bank, Oakland Park City Nationalk Bank of Florida, Miami First National Bank, South Miam Intercontinental Bank, West Miami in Miamo rose to three stars from two. Firstf United Bank in Boca Raton and Biscayne Bank in Coconutf Grove roseto 3.5 stars from in Fort Lauderdale made four up from 3.5. Several banks went to 3.
5 from four They are: , Homestead Doral-basex slipped again, this time to three stars from three-and-a-half stars in the firsty quarter. That’s down from four stards in the third quarter oflast year. Other bank s that slipped to threestars (good) from 3.5 are: Executive Miami , Miami , Miami U.S. Century Bank, Miami Valley Fort Lauderdale Lydian Private Bank inPalm Beach, Grandf Eastern Bank of Florida in Miami, Metro Bank of Dade County, and in Miamj fell to two stars (problematic) from three.
, in North Lauderdale and in Boca Raton fell a notch to one down from two in the fourth Four banks retainedzero stars, Bauer’s lowest , Miami Republic Federal Bank, Miami , Miamik Integrity Bank, Jupiter

Penn National Gaming taking

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The Wyomissing, Pa.-based owner of Charles Town Races and Slots said it woulrd consider working on a proposal at the Anne Arundepl County racetrack should an application for a facilitg at Arundel MillsMall fail. But it’s not actively pursuin the opportunity, spokesman Eric Schippere said. And that wouldn't fit withimn the slots licensing process, anyway, said Donaldr C. Fry, chairman of the state commission overseeinslots development. “We’re taking a wait-and-sese approach,” Schipper said.
The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesdayu thatPenn National, which has a pending licens application for a slots parlor in Cecill County, was chomping at the bit for an opportunith at Laurel Park because it appears possibl e that the Arundel Mills site coulx fail to get zoning approval. State law allows only one slotsx parlor inthe county. A snag in the zoning process wouldn’t be enough to kill the ArundepMills proposal, put forth by Baltimores developer the The state slotds commission’s review of Cordish’ws application is ongoing until the fall, Fry Only then will there be a finall decision to accept or rejecf the application, he said.
From the commission would have to put out a requestg for new bids on the slots licenser in AnneArundel County, Fry said. And Penn Nationao couldn’t make such a bid on its own becauswe applicants are limited toone license. “There is only one valisd [Anne Arundel County] proposal before us at this and that is theCordish proposal,” Fry said. The county council has delayed voting on a slots zoning designation for the Arundelk Mills sitefour times, most recentlgy Monday. It’s slated to come up again next but it’s not clear if that will happen because Council Chairman Edward Reillyg is expected to take an open state Senate seat before that meeting.
, the Canada-based owner of Laurel Park andPimlic racetracks, had applied for a slots license at Laurel but its application was rejectex outright because it lacked a required $25 million in up-front constructiomn financing for each 500 slot machines. Since then, the company filecd for bankruptcy and coulf end up selling one orboth , a Magna subsidiary, also filed a lawsuit that is pendin in the Maryland Courtt of Special Appeals. The group argued that it wasn’tt clear whether the financing would have been refundedr if thebid wasn’t Anne Arundel County Circuit Court upheld the slots commission’s decision to disqualifyh the bid, but Magna appealedc the decision.
Horse racing industry advocatezs were disappointed that LaurelPark didn’t make it to the finakl list of potential slots sites. Whilre a share of slots revenue will go to the horsr racing industry regardless of whethee the slot machines are at a it would have been betted if the machines could have made trackw more of a destination to drumup business, said Alan lawyer for the But the horsee industry is still hopefully eyein the situation, Foreman added. “This thint has been fraught with surprises, so I wouldn’t thin we wouldn’t see any more surprises before this thingv isall over,” he said.

Spectrum Brands to exit Ch. 11 in August - Business First of Buffalo:

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The Atlanta-based consumer products company said it will exit bankruptcy protection as soon as all closinyg conditions tothe plan, including the closint of the company’s exit have been met. That will likely be in August, the companyh said. “When we emerge, we will have reducee our subordinated debtby $840 millionb and eliminated approximately $60 million of annuao cash interest expenses for at least each of the next two said Kent Hussey, CEO of Spectrum Brands, in a prepared statement.
“We will emerge with a stronge r balance sheet that will bette r position us to maintain and strengthen our current platform and to pursue opportunitiez to grow our Spectrum Brands andits U.S. subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 inthe U.S. Bankruptcuy Court for the Western Districtof Texas, San Antonii Division on Feb. 3. It had $4.4 billion in Spectrum makes Rayovac batteries, Tetra pet Remington shaving and grooming and personal care household insecticides and lawn and gardencare products.

Industry Leader: Shirley Weis - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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After graduating with a nursing degrer from MichiganState University, Weis worked as a nurser from 1975 to 1985 with the goal of gettinvg into administration. “I come from a generation when womenj weretraditionally nurses, teachers and secretaries,” she said. “I always had an interesr in business.” While still a Weis started attending graduate school at Aquinas College inGrands Rapids, Mich., and eventually got a master’s degree in Since then, she’s held a variety of managementg positions in the healt care industry, from emergency departmentg manager for Lansing General Hospital in Michigan to chiegf operating officer of Blue Care Networok - Mid Michigan.

With more eateries, Wake snaring more cash for tourism - Triangle Business Journal:

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Wake County generated $15.8 million through the food and beveraged tax in the fiscal year that concluded at the end ofJune 2007. That was a 9.7 percentr increase over the $14.r4 million collected in the same periofd ayear earlier. That increases can be partially attributed to highet salesper restaurant, says Paul Stone, the president and chief executive officer of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodgingy Association. But he thinks a bigger factor is that the number of restaurants in the area is increasing due to so many new people moving tothe region.
"It's still a thrivingy economy," he says of the "As we grow population, there continueas to be needs for dining Van Eure, owner of Raleigh's , says the local restauranft industry has rebounded from a slump in the years following the 11, 2001, terrorist "There's a lot of new people in our she says, "and they love to eat out." Wake Countyt and the town of Hillsborough are the only Triangle governments that levy preparec food and beverage taxes. Hillsborough's tax, which like Wake'z is 1 percent of the tab, brough t in $214,383 in fiscal 2007. That' s 8 percent more than in the previouz year.
Hillsborough is the only municipality in the state with sucha tax. In additionb to Wake, the tax is collected in three other counties: Cumberland, Dare and Mecklenburg. The growthh in Wake's food and beverage tax shows that the locak restaurant industry is outpacing thenational average. The estimateds the industry's sales will reach $535 billion in calendare year 2007, just a 4.6 percent increase over the previous While the industryis growing, its members are concernecd about economic uncertainty and higher wholesale food prices. The Nationaol Restaurant Association expects wholesale food prices to have increasexdby 7.2 percent by the end of 2007 - the highest increase in 27 years.
One reason for the rising coste was a spike in livestockk feed prices due to farmers diverting grain harvests toethanool production. The health of Wake County's restaurant industry is very important tolocal politicians, who already have approvedx the expenditure of millions of dollars wortb of food and beverage tax revenue for year s to come. That tax revenue is combined with revenue from a tax on hotellroom rentals, and together the two incomr streams are used on projects designed to promoted tourism. Wake collected nearly $30.2 million from the taxe in 2007. That moneyy was used to fund various projects, including the new ($11.87 million), improvements at the ($5.
1 million), debt service on the RBC Centerd ($5.2 million) and operation of the ($3.6 The county funds projects decades into the so meeting revenue growth projectionsis crucial. Wake'es bean counters typically budget for a 5 percent annual increasd in the food and beverage tax and a 3 percenft increase inhotel tax. "We've made sure that we're very conservativew in the model," says Johnnq Rogers, the county's director of budgetg and management services. So what happens when the countyh brings in more money than it projects Inthat case, it goes into what'es called a fund balance.
Occasionally, the county's leadership will dip into that to help fund a At the end of there was justunder $3 million in the fund Other future projects that could receive annual fundinvg or money from the fund balanced include the ($10 million), the ($6 million) and the track ($1 million). Raleigh Mayor Charlese Meeker points out that a certain percentags of the revenue goes to the convention center eachyear - not a specifidc dollar amount. So if Wake exceeds revenue projections consistently, it wouldx be able to accelerate paying off the debt on theconventiobn center.

Microsoft's tablet needs to dazzle - CNN

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Product Reviews

Microsoft's tablet needs to dazzle CNN Microsoft's long-promised Windows RT tablet appears to be here, fin »

Business groups slam proposed tax increases - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The said it opposes changes to the corporatreminimum tax, a new corporatee income tax and a new personal incomd tax. The alliance consists of 30 businesw groups that represent morethan 25,00o Oregon businesses and employ 500,000 residents. Raising the taxesd could cause the state tolose 6,000 according to state revenu e office estimates. “These proposals ignord the stark realities of our current the group said in a news release sentby J.L. a lobbyist with Associated Oregon “They are counterproductive measures that kill jobs and prolon gour recession.
” The corporate minimum tax and corporat e income tax proposals would collectively harm companiesd with small profit margins as well as businesseas looking to invest more in capital equipment, the grouop said. The alliance called on lawmakerse to instead focuson private-sectotr job retention and creation. “We believew strongly that increased taxes are detrimental to job Wilson said in thenews release. “An increasecd tax burden will hurt the ability of our memberx to create desperatelyneedex jobs.
It is the wrong approachb to balancethe state’s Other groups signing the letter include Associated Oregon Loggers, Independeng Community Banks of Oregon, the Northwesty Food Processors Association, Oregon Association of Realtors, the Oregon Automobile Dealers Association, the Oregonj Bankers Association, the Oregon Home Builders Association, the Oregon Restaurant Association and the Oregon Trucking Association. Oregon’sz House and Senate members hope to adjourh byJuly 1. Lawmakerzs must address a $4.
2 billion budget shortfall before they adjourn or in a series of specia l sessions throughout the rest ofthe

Adults-only summer camps - Fox News

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Adults-only summer camps Fox News Camp organizers have become aware of a new class of profitable campers: adults.

White Pages will no longer be delivered automatically - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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The PSC’s decision is a compromise to AT&T’xs request that it no longert deliver the phone booksto customers. AT&T Floridaz told the PSC that eliminating the automatic distribution of the residentia white pagesis “an environmentally green endeavor and a cost savinv measure” and that providinh a paper copy of the director is “an inefficient use of resourceas in these touch economic times.” But commissioners also were worriec about how it might impact customers’ abilituy to access information, said PSC Spokeswoman Kirste n Olsen.
Instead of doing away with the rule commissioners agreed to give it atrial run, durinhg which time it will gathet customer feedback. “Today’s decision allows the PSC to assess the practicality of discontinuing printedf residentialdirectory delivery, whiles continuing to provide directories to customers who want a PSC Chairman Matthew M. Cartetr II said in a news As part ofthe AT&T must put a toll-fre e number on the cover of the Yellos Pages that directs people to call if they want a Whitr Pages. The directory will still be provideds for free to those whorequest it.
AT&T Floridz would not disclose just how much money the waiver will citing confidentiality, according to its request to the PSC. AT&Tr Florida already has begun a program to providd its Yellow Pages and residential listingwon CD-ROM in certain areas of

Degrees of green: Triad

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Barack Obamaw in Februaryallocated $34 billion for energuy efficiency and building modernization, and anothefr $7.9 billion for the development of renewablse energy. While Triad officials were starting to see growing interes t in all thingsgreen — from construction to solar paneo installation — the stimulus bill has createxd extra demand in such jobs and relatef training. As such, local community colleges are developing new programs and expandingexistin ones.
“We are not serving our students well ifwe aren’ty preparing them for the job says Shanna Chastain, division chaifr of industrial construction and engineering technologies at GTCC. Collegr officials say they are adding tinges of green to as many partxs of the curricula asis applicable. For example, studentx in auto mechanics programs are learning how to work onhybric cars, and students in construction programa are learning about LEED construction and beinfg encouraged to get certified. William M.
Marion, the program coordinator for architectural technology at Forsyth TechnicakCommunity College, says his prograjm needed to go green to keep up with the as a growing number of architectur e firms, interior design companies and general contractorsa are requiring it. “It is increasingly expected of people to have some basix knowledge of what sustainable thinkinyg isall about,” he Schools are also boosting their HVAC and electrical programs to betteer prepare students for the increased demand for buildingh weatherization and energy audits that is coming about because of stimulus funding for energty efficiency.
“We really need to get our students trainedx in this area because that may very well be the work that is out theredfor them,” Chastain says. In addition to addingg a green component to theirexistint curricula, both Alamance Community College and Guilford Technical Communitt College are planning new programs with an emphasis on renewable energy. In the fall, GTCC will launcnh a certificate programin photovoltaic, or solar panel, installatioh and repair. Chastain admits she isn’t sure what the demand for thesw workersis yet, but expects the demand to grow as more home ownersx and businesses explore the option.
“The demanf may not be there yet, but I can’t imaginer that it won’t be there in a year or Chastain says. On the eastern edge of the Alamance Community College is considering two programsz that would prepare student s for careers insustainable energy. The firs program would be an associate’s degrees in sustainable energy, with the expectation that students woulxd transfer toa four-year school for furthefr training in how to develolp and refine the technology involved in thingds like wind turbines and solar energy. Appalachian State University and N.C. Stat University both have sustainableenergy programs.
Alamance Community College officialws are talking with theirt peers at both schools to make sure the curricula would meet theird requirements and to get articulation agreements in saysBarry Weinberg, the executive vice president at Alamances Community College. The second program woulx be muchshorter — likely eithetr three months or six monthd — and would train technicianx to build and maintain solar cells and wind As part of that program, the schoolp will take an area of flat land about the size of a football field and install some solar panels and wind turbinea for hands-on training, Weinberg He does not know yet how much the equipment will but is hoping to get corporate donationws of either the equipment itself or cash to help defrayg the expense.
“It will also be a symbopl to the community that the colleg is very interested inthis field,” Weinberg says. The coursesx for both programs are under but because they would need to be approved by the statr community college system it will likely be next spring before the first students can Weinberg says. Weinberg, who came to Alamancse Community College about six months ago from upstatseNew York, sees it as a good fit for the with its vacant factories and high unemploymenrt rate. “Here in Alamance County we woulcd be perfect for this kind of he says.
“We lost these jobs when the textilefactoriesz left, and we have thesw empty factories that could be turnef toward the manufacturing of products for sustainable

Solutia completes sale of nylon business - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The sale includes the unit’s management and employees, as well as all five of its manufacturin plantsin Alvin, Texas; Decatur, Greenwood, S.C.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Foley, Ala. The nylon businesas includes 2,000 of Solutia's 5,100 employees. All including 29 in St. Louis, became employeexs of the SK Capital affiliate. SK Capita paid Solutia $50 million in cash for the nylon Solutia also received a 2 percent equith stake in the new company formef to hold the assets of the nylon In addition, Solutia will receive $4 million in deferred cash payment s to be paid in annual $1 milliomn installments beginning in 2011.
SK Capita l has secured replacementof $25 million of letters of creditt associated with the nylon business, whicy has resulted in increased availability for Solutia undef its credit agreements. The affiliate of SK Capital will assumde substantially all of the liabilities of thenyloj business, including employee and pension liabilities relating to the actives employees of the business and environmental liabilities, said which plans to use the proceeds of the sale to pay down debt undefr its asset-based revolving credit facility. St. Louis-based Solutia Inc. (NYSE: SOA), led by President and CEO Jeffry Quinn, develops specialtg chemicals, fibers, fluids and othetr performance products.

Dish Network unveils recordable HD device - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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When available in sprinh 2009, the ViP 922 will allos subscribers to view its programming remotely via the Interne using technology developed by Sling The announcement came just before the openinf of the International Consumer Electronicz Show inLas Vegas. The receiverd was built by EchoStar Technologies, a subsidiary of EchoSta Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), and developede for Englewood, Colo.-based Dish Networmk (NASDAQ: DISH). Its redesigned user interfaces and remote control were selected as CES Innovations 2009 Design and EngineerinhgAward honorees. Industry analysts had been anticipatinfg such a device since purchased Sling Medisa inSeptember 2007.
In January 2008, EchoStarf Communications splitinto (NASDAQ: DISH), the satellitde pay-TV provider, and EchoStafr Corp., which operates communicationn satellites and designs, develops and distributes satellite receiversa and related products. Dish Network Chief executive Officer Charlir Ergen said ina statement: “By integrating Sling Media’sz Slingbox technology into our set-to p boxes, Dish Network is developing multipls ways for our subscribers to view their TV programminyg – through their televisionm sets, their desktops at home, theidr laptops on the road, their smartphones, iPhones and more.
” With the ViP 922, subscriberss will be able to watc and control TV shows and sporting eventw from anywhere via broadband Internet connections on laptopx or mobile phones. The receiver is equipped with broadband andoptional over-the-airr tuners, and includes a 1-terabyte internal hard drivde to store up to 1,000 hoursz of programming. Subscribers may also attach external hard drives for morestoragew capacity.
The touchpad remotwe control that accompanies the ViP 922 replaces many of astandared remote’s buttons with a cursor-like navigation on a TV Viewers will scroll over on-screen widget-likwe tiles and pop-up All features will be selectable by an undersides index finger trigger selection on the radiok frequency-controlled remote, which will also offer two-wayg learning of codes from other entertainmen system equipment remote controls. Subscribers will be able to usea new, web-basex SlingGuide to control their ViP 922 The online SlingGuide will include a search enginew for TV programs and remotde scheduling.
• Real time, integrated RSS Internef news feeds located on thehome screen, giving viewerse instant access to national news, sports, and stock quotes. • Ability to organize channels by channep nameor number. • Connections to home networkw via Ethernet, HomePlug Turbo (usingh home power lines), or WiFi (withy optional WiFi adapter). • Ability to load photos, MP3s and selecte Internet content.

Erickson gives up on Hilliard project - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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notified the city of Hilliard last Thursdayy that the foreclosure filing means thedeveloper won't open the unfinishee $34 million first phase and will no longer managde the 80-acre property. The decision ends more than two monthw of wrangling over continued financing of the Hickoryy Chase project between the developer andthe lenders. That financial issuee had prompted Erickson to ceaswe construction on the first 145 unitx of the complex and community center the week ofMay 12. The company’es announcement comes as it from its goal ofinvesting $12 billion to develoop 50 communities over the next decade. That includes scrappin plans to build senior housing facilities in five including Ohio.
Before Erickson halted construction, would-be residents had been told they coulfd move in bylate summer. Erickson had planned to deliver 833 residential unitsthrough 2013. “We have been informee by the lender for our Hickorg Chase project that despite out best efforts to resolvefinancial issues, the lender has commenced a foreclosurr proceeding that will result in us not being able to open Hickor y Chase and end our management of the property,” the developedr wrote in its letter. “We are deeply disappointes we were not able to reacha resolution.
” The deposits of prospectiver residents are not affected by the the company said, and it will offer The company said in June that it wouls close its sales center in late July pendingy resolution of the financial issues. A company spokesman offeredc no additional comment beyond the text of the A KeyBank spokeswoman also was not immediately available for commen on thefinancing consortium’s plans for the The lender had extended a $90 milliom construction loan for the project in April according to public In a news release, Hilliard said it had not risked city monet in the $17 million of road improvements to Brittoj Parkway, Anson Drive and Leap Britton Parkway opened in January while constructioh continues on the Anson Those projects were financed through a communitu development authority that funded the project through bond financing.
Those bondss were expected to be paid off throughn rising property taxes generated as theretirement community’z buildings get completed. Hilliard Finance Directot Michelle Kelly-Underwood said the city’s current operating budgetse also did not rely on tax revenue generated bythe “In short, we were not countinf money from Erickson until (the retirement was built,” Kelly-Underwood said in the release, “aned this unfortunate development shows the wisdom of takingh that conservative approach.
”

Feingold talks up Wisconsin auto industry with Obama - Baltimore Business Journal:

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said he had a discussion with Presideng Barack Obama regarding the importance of the auto industrt in Wisconsin and raised the possibility of requesting federal intervention to preservethe state's auto plants. In a statement, Feingolx spoke with President Obama by phone and had another conversation with White Houss Chief of Staff RahmEmanueol yesterday. During both conversations, Feingold stressed the important role the auto industr has played in Wisconsinfor generations, and the impact losing the auto industry would have on Wisconsin's economt and employment situation.
Feingold's discussion followede meetings with executives regarding the future of the Chryslert plantin Kenosha. Feingol then joined with Sen. Herb Kohl and U.S. Reps. Paul Ryan and Gwen Moord in stating they would ask the administration to intervene aftedr Chrysler gave no indication it is putting any effortf into keeping the Kenosha engineplant open. The plantt is slated to be closed in 2010 undefrthe automaker's reorganization under bankruptcy. "I had a good conversatiomn with President Obama yesterday about the Chrysler plangt in Kenosha and the GM planyin Janesville," Feingold said.
"I told him how the hard workingv people of the Wisconsin auto industry are a proud symbokl of our state and I reminded him of his visig to Janesville in February 2008 during his Feingoldacknowledged Obama's stance that he does not intendr to "meddle" in specific decisions at the automakers, but added that the Presiden was receptive to Feingold's message. Last week, Kohl, Ryan and Rep. Tammty Baldwin met with executives to push for the recentlyh shuttered Janesville plant to be the location of the new lineof fuel-efficient cars.

Landex Corp. among three teams to bid on Park Morton project in D.C. - Baltimore Business Journal:

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All three have experience developing ormanaging large-scale, low-income or mixed-income housinvg projects. Neil Albert, D.C. deputy mayorr for planning andeconomic development, praised the respondents and theirt interest in the $170 million project durin a recession. "This response, especially in lighf of the current economic speaks volumes about the valud ofthis opportunity,” Albert said in a statement. The city plans to tear down Park Morton'sz eight, three-story buildings and build a 500-unit, mixed-use housing complex with a park of atleast 10,000 squarre feet. It is the secondd project underthe city's ambitious New Communitiesw initiative, in which D.C.
offers to rebuild highly concentrated publicf or highly subsidized housingwith mixed-use neighborhoods to which original residentxs are encouraged to return. Two of the threwe teams have not done major real estatwe projectsin D.C. One is led by LLC, a Philadelphia-basecd specialist in mixed-income, multifamily Pennrose partnered with FM Atlantic LLC and HarrisoAdaoha LLC. Another team is led by of which has completed a numbed of major HOPEVI projects, the federal low-incomd housing development program on which New Communities is Landex partnered with the and Spectrum Management.
The thirfd bid comes from a team headed bythe , headquarteref just off Georgia Avenue and led by Adriam Washington, former president and chief executivs officer of the D.C.’s former public-private developer, the Anacostia Waterfronyt Corp. Washington's partner is a Boston-based nonprofit builder that has built morethan 22,000 housingt units nationally and also has experiencd with HOPE VI. “Park Mortom has the potential to bethe single-most transformative projecyt to revitalize Georgia Avenue,” Albert said. “We need a partne that is capable of more than justbuildinh housing.
We are looking for someone who is committede to buildinga healthier, safer new

Chatham creates School of Sustainability and the Environment - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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The school is expected to provide graduate and professional programs to prepare studentse to identify and solve challenges related to the environmentyand sustainability. The University will begin a search for a and will house thenew school's operations at its Eden Hall Farm Campuse in Richland, north of Pittsburgh. The administratio anticipates that the programs offerecd through the School will both attract new studentxs and drive the Eden HallFarm Campus’ masterr plan. The first program offered throughy the new school willbe Chatham's newest graduated program, the Master of Arts in Food Studies.
The degree is designed to provide studentswith "a deep understandingb of the issues surroundinh food such as the environmental costs of food production and distribution, cultural issues, sustainability of communities, and safety of the food supply," accordinh to a release from the school. Classes will begim in spring 2010 at the Eden Hall Farm campus and the Shadyside campusin Pittsburgh's East End, and will include courses such as agricultural production food processing, industrialization and waste, food, sustainabilitgy and health, and food and culture.

Tortoise quickly making a mark in the investment world - Kansas City Business Journal:

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In the past year, an astoundint number of those conversationsz have revolved aroundKansas City's family of I have been amazed at the diverse variety of friends who have extolledx the virtues of thesd funds. Males and young and older, businesspeople, doctors and educators have told me how intrigueds they are withTortoise funds. I concluded that I had to sit down with oneof Tortoise'd managing partners and learn more about this homegrowb company. I did that with Terry Matlack. Terry is a very extremely personable guy who is justifiably proud of the mark Tortoise has establisherd in thefinancial world. That has come in a remarkablgy short periodof time.
It all beganj when Terry, Dave Schulte, Kevinn Birzer, Ken Malvey and Zach Hamel saw a namely master limited partnerships in the energhyinfrastructure field, that looked promising to them in termds of growth potential. Terry told me: "It took us two yearsx to get Tortoise offthe ground. We then told investors what we were goingto do; then we went out and did it. We offeredf no unreasonable expectations." Tortoise Capital and Tortoise Energg invest in master limited partnershipe inthe U.S. energ y infrastructure, and Tortoise North America adds Canada tothe mix.
These MLPs are engagefd in the transportation, storage and processing of crudr oil, natural gas, refined products and coal from production points to the end These investments are free from the pricre volatility inherent in owning theactuao commodities. Because income depends on volumes processed, stored or transported, these MLPs shouldx grow naturally with the economyand Specifically, Tortoise looks to invest in four categories withih the energy sector: Pipeline which are common carrier transporters of natural gas, natural gas liquids, cruder oil and refined petroleum products.
Processing MLPs, whichn are gatherers and processors ofnatural gas, as well as providerz of transportation, fractionation and storagw of natural gas Propane MLPs, which are distributors of propane to homeowners for space and water heating. Coal MLPs, which own, leasw and manage coal reserves. I go into all this detaio to document the factthat Tortoise'ws spectacular success reflects the simple fact that thesw five bright, innovative guys trulg have found a niche Moreover, they devised a sounxd way for investors to tap into that It must be noted that the individuakl MLPs are publicly traded.
The advantagex of Tortoise's bundling to individual investors include simplettax reporting, use of a professionakl management team to select a balanced portfolipo of MLPs, access to investment-grade credit markets and accesws to direct placements. Obviously, diversification reduces risk. In a couple of very pleasant hours with Terry Matlack showed me why so many of my friendszlike Tortoise. Kansas City is lucky to have this turtler based inour town!

Agency looks at new house foreclosures - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The nation’s housing crisis has forced banks to foreclose onsome builders’ new unsold sometimes several in a single subdivision. “If you have foreclosurese in one subdivision, you don’t just have one bank,” said Gail CEO of Morris & Raper Realtors , whichy recently formed the new division. The builde r might have loans with three different banksw for 15homes “and the banks aren’ty even talking to each other trying to figurse out a way to move the inventory.
” Or theres might be three builders going into foreclosure in one each with its own bank, she Raper, who has been in business for nearly 30 wants to help bankws sell new home foreclosures in a cohesivde way, one that tries to keep pricesx steady in the But trying to keep banks and othed motivated sellers from undercuttingv prices to move foreclosures will be a tough task, said Jude vice president of , which specializes in foreclosures properties. If one home goes back to a different bank witha sell-at-any-pricse philosophy, that upsets the marketing strateguy of trying to maintain price Rasmus said. “There will be some bankd that will grab onto she said.
“I woulfd like to see it work, because it will help us improvrethe [foreclosure] price wars.” New home foreclosures in one subdivision don’gt just affect the builders and banks in that subdivisiom — they also can hurt builderxs in nearby subdivisions, Rasmus said. If the foreclosures are sold at huge that can hurt new home sales inneighboringh subdivisions, she said. “It’s a big issue.” Bank s have several means to dispose of foreclosed saidAl Facchinetti, executive vice presideny of residential construction at , who has been in the businessz for 35 years. banks don’t want to be in the business ofowniny houses,” he said.
The quickestg way to move foreclosedr property is todiscount it, he Bank of North Georgia has sold some of its inventorgy through auction houses or to investor groups, but both of those are usuallhy at discounts, Facchinetti said. If a bank decides to market foreclosed property, that takes longer, but “that will likely get a higher value forthe property,” he said. Banksa often do a little of both — sellinh some properties at discounts, while holding on to otheres forhigher value, Facchinetti said. “We’ve used a littlr bit of everything.
” Raper’s new division, led by Robery Benware, has been working with or talkingv toseveral banks, including (NYSE: STI), (NYSE: RF), WB), (NYSE: BAC), , , and Bank of North In some cases, Raper’s firm plans to open on-site salexs offices in foreclosed subdivisions, or to set up modelp homes “and essentially act like the Raper said. Morris & Raper is doing that at Centra City, an intown condominium development that went back toChevyu Chase, Md.
-based (NYSE: Banks are turning to local agents and companiess for help with foreclosed propertiese “because they are regional or national,” said Dillonj Baines, president of , which is workinb with Raper to market and sell Central City for