Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Quincy man sentenced in charity fraud - Boston Business Journal:

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George Borden, 53, pled guilty to three counts of larcenyover $250, attemptexd larceny, two counts of conspiracy to commirt larceny over $250, conspiracy to commit gross fraud and deceptive professional solicitatio n practices. Immediately after Borden enteredhis plea, Judge Sandraq Hamlin sentenced him to serve 30 months in a states house of correction on one count of conspiracty to commit larceny over $250. On the remaininvg count of conspiracy to commit Larceny over $250, Hamlin sentenced Bordenb to serve 30 months in prison, with the sentences suspended for five years.
On all of the remainingt charges, Borden was sentencedf to serve five yearsof probation, upon completiom of his prison sentence. As a conditiojn of his probation, Judgwe Hamlin prohibited Borden from participating in any charitable fundraising organizationz and also ordered him to perform 200 hoursd ofcommunity service. Four other co-defendants, two of them from have also been charged in connectio withthis case. Their cases are stillk pending. The AG’s office began its investigation in August 2006 after the matter was referrerd bya veterans’ charitable organization. The AG’s Nonprofit/Publivc Charities Division also had receivedmultiples complaints.
Investigators discovered that between Augusft 2006 andJanuary 2008, telemarketers from a professionak fundraising organization operated by one of the defendants — CMR based in Medford allegedly engaged in fraudulengt telemarketing schemes to raisd money for two , based in Boynton Beach, and a retired police officers organization. Much of the moneyt given by donors never made it to Authoritiesallege that, in more than 1,000 donors were defraudefd and more than $100,000 in donationx were misappropriated. During the course of the investigation, authoritiesw discovered that CMR Marketing, based in Mass.
, had a contract to raise funds for the Retirexd BostonPolice Officers’ Association beginning in Decemberf 2006. Under its contract with the police officer’e association, CMR would solicit donations frompotential donors, pick up the donationsx and deposit them directly into the police association’s bank Two of the defendants allegedly worked together to steal a larges portion of the donations they solicitedd and lied to the police associationm about the donations they received.
The two defendantsa fraudulentlyreceived “donations” such as hotel roomse from donors, and used those donations for theirt own purposes without the authorizationb of the police association. Borden pled guilty to all charges in Middlese Superior Court and was The other defendants are due back in courr atlater dates.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Roberts backs KU Cancer Center's push for NCI designation - Business First of Buffalo:

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Roberts, R-Kan., spoke at The ’s Westwoods medical building. He said that it now takees 10 years to 17 yearsand $1 billionj to bring a new drug to which Roberts called a “national disgrace.” The Nationalo Cancer Institute said in November that the KU Cancert Center has a Sept. 25, application date for its efforts to get aninitial five-yeaer designation as an NCI cancer center. The months-lonf application process for institutions seekintg new designations begins with submission of documentation that sometimeaexceeds 1,000 pages and includezs a site visit and other steps. The earliestf that KU Cancer Center’s application could be approved is the springyof 2012.
Nationwide, 64 cancer centers receivre Cancer Center Support Grants to support research to reducerthe incidence, morbidity and mortality rates of cancer. There are 23 cancer centers and 41 comprehensivecancer centers. The KU Canceer Center is part of , whicj is the medical research and education arm of the University of NCIdesignation — KU’s No. 1 priorityt — typically is granted to academicmedical centers. Therefore, KU Medicalp Center is the entitgy that will apply forNCI • Increased regional patient access to cutting-edge clinical trials. • More than $1.3 billiob in annual economic benefits inthe region.
• An increase in KU Cancet Center’s annual NCI financing from thecurrengt $7.5 million to about $40 million. NCI-affiliated institution also attract world-class researchers who brinb NCI grantswith them, and part of the estimatedc increase is based on that. Many of thesee researchers doubleas clinicians, adding expertises and depth in various cancer-care sub-specialties.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Professional recruiter shares C-level executives

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How would you like to pick the brainas of top executives to find out how they manageddtheir careers? That’s exactly what Umesgh Ramkrishnan, a noted executivde recruiter, did. Executives from , , , , , and othed firms share what worked and didn’t — for One thing binds their stories: Building a career resembles rock climbing — moving up by going diagonally and sometimes even down to gain the toeholds and handholdsw of learning experiences. • Listeninyg goes well beyond feedback. It’sw an opportunity to show those aroundf you that you acknowledge and appreciatrtheir expertise, experience and concerns.
Listening builds the highway leading to trustand respect, and adds alliexs you’ll need on your • The best time to advocatr for change is when the company is doin well. It’s not a case of discarding what’s working; rather it’ds an opportunity to leverage the momentum of a strong positionj to get toanother level. Changre emanating from strength yields morepositive outcomes. When changed is forced (i.e. when the firm is it’s driven out of fear and lack of It’s rare that positive results comewhen • People only play their A-game when surroundef by A-players. You need the best people to extrac the bestfrom you.
They fill in your gaps and help eliminatyour blindspots. Written in an engaging, almost-conversationap style, this book almost feels like you’re having a discussion over lunch.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Four more Phoenix-area resorts hit by foreclosure crisis - bizjournals Business Travel Guide

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Four more large properties have been serveed with notices oftrustee sale, and the venerable Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort Spa, has been notified of a $2.7 millionh mechanics lien, according to informatio n provided by , a Mesa-based real estate researcj firm. • Xona Resort Suites in Scottsdale. • Carefree Resorgt & Villas. • Embassy Suites • Crowne Plaza Phoenix in north Phoenix. All four hoteles remain open and are accepting but it’s unknown how foreclosure proceedinges will affect their operations. Since the firsr of the year, the Valley’s hospitalityh industry has been rocked withbad news.
The developerds of the W Scottsdale hote l and the InterContinental MonteluciaResorgt & Spa in Paradise Valleyy were notified of trustee sales when they were unablr to pay back construction loans. Both opened with much fanfare last year and continuwe to operate despite thefinancial cloud. Both auctions have been delayed repeatedly, but trustee Scotgt Klundt, a partner at LLP, said the sales are stil on. The foreclosure sale for the Montelucia is schedulesd forJune 29, and the sale for the W is schedulexd for July 2.
Also on tap is the auction of the historic WigwamResort & Spa in Litchfielc Park, which dates back to 1929, when it was builr as a getaway for employees of the Goodyearf Tire & Rubber Co. That foreclosure sale is set forJuly 9. The latesty batch of foreclosures includes the Carefre eResort & Villas. Formerly the Carefree Inn, it was built in the For Carefree MayorDick Schwan, the resort’x financial situation reaches far beyonx nostalgia. “We’ve got about 10 providerd that give us our sales tax and most ofour (operating) so we’re very familiar with what’x going on,” he said.
He and other town official have been aware of the problem forseveral months. The owner, Carefree Mule Train Ventures LLC, is in bankruptcy, he “Within the last several days, we’ve learned that the Chaptedr 11 has been converted toChapted 7. We understand the resort is now operating underfa receivership,” Schwan said. Chapter 11 allows a compangy to reorganize, while Chapter 7 involvees liquidationof assets. The LLC, which is identifie d in the trustee notice as a South Dakotaa entity in care of a SanFranciscop address, owns three propertiesw including the Carefree Resort, Schwan said. “Our understandinfg is that the Carefree property has a positive cashflow ...
and that the receivetr is looking for a he said.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Spirit slammed for campaign against new transparency rule - USA TODAY (blog)

pabigy.wordpress.com


USA TODAY (blog)


Spirit slammed for campaign against new transparency rule

USA TODAY (blog)


"As the transparency leader and most consumer-friendly airline, Spirit DOES NOT support this new USDOT mandate. We believe the better form of transparency is to break out costs so customers know exactly what they're buying.


USDOT Dumping Tax Blame On Busi ness

Charlotte Conservative News


Spirit Airlines Warns Consumers of USDOT's New Mandate to HIDE Taxes in Airfares

MarketWatch (press release)



 »

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Two Dayton students have Swine Flu - Portland Business Journal:

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Two students from Dayton schools were added to the list of thos with confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus on A 13-year-old from and a nine-year-old from Wogaman elementaryy have caught the This latest confirmation brings local casea to 10 within the Dayton region, as well as one probabld case in Butler County, accordingv to the . The Swine Flu — or H1N1 virux — is now in 16 Ohio countiews as it continuesto spread. There are 38 cased across the state, as well as four probablse cases and 29suspected cases. Of the four probable a 13-year-old female in Butler County is likelg to havethe virus, the departmeng said.
The 10 local confirmefd cases include three inMontgomery County, one in Butlerd County and six in Clark County. Of the six casez reported in Clark County, students accounted for five of the And in Montgomery a Vandalia-Butler student became a confirmec case last week. Both schools are now out of Thereare 25,288 confirmed cases worldwide, according to the ’s latesgt briefing Monday, with 73 countries havinyg at least one case. There have been 139 deathsd confirmed caused by Swine Flu according tothe WHO. Mexico, wherew the illness is believed tohave originated, has 5,717 casezs and 106 deaths, according to the WHO. The U.S.
has the most with 13,217 confirmed and probable — up from just more than 10,009 last week. There are cases now in all 50 statewplus Washington, D.C., as of 11 a.m. according to the . There have been 27 confirmed deaths in the with threein Texas, five in Illinois, four in two in Utah, eight in New York and one in Missouri, Michigan, Virginia and Ohio Department of Health officials said that as of 12 p.m.
Monday the official number of confirmed cases of Swinw Flu inOhio were: • Clark County – 6 (15-year-old 25-year-old male, 12-year-old male, 15-year-old 13-year-old male, 14-year-old male) Cuyahoga County – 4 (41-year-ol female, 9-year-old male, 14-year-old female, 14-year-old • Franklin County – 14 (31-year-old 33-year-old male, 18-year-old male, 20-year-old 19-year-old female, 21-year-old male, 20-year old male, 22-year-oldd female, 23-year-old female, 19-year-old male, 11-year-old female, 13-year-olx female, 35-year-old female, 44-year old male) Lawrence County – 2 (2-year-oldf male, 8-month-old male)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

New Mexico upsets No. 15 San Diego State - USA TODAY

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USA TODAY


New Mexico upsets No. 15 San Diego State

USA TODAY


13 San Diego State's loud, crazy arena and made a bold statement of their own. By Christopher Hanewinckel, US Presswire New Mexico Lobos guard Hugh Greenwood (3) reacts after making a three-pointer against San Diego State at Viejas Arena.


Williams, Gordon lead N ew Mexico to 77-67 stunner over No. 13 SDSU to take ...

Washington Post


No. 13 SDSU stunned by New Mexico, 77-67

Fox News



 »

Monday, February 13, 2012

GE Healthcare opens $165M N. G

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The new 230,000-square-foot facility includes a 60,000-square-fooft cleanroom. The digital X-ray detectors that will be made at the plantt are used inmammogram screening, a growing $1 billionj market for breast cancer testing. Much like the transitiob from paper medical records to streamlined electronicrecorde keeping, digital X-rays are slowlgy replacing traditional film X-ray machines. In additiob to the 100 new jobs scheduled for the 50 people will transfer to the tech parkfrom GE’sw research center in Niskayuna. Positions at the new site will includ e15 engineers, 15 administrators and 120 technicians and support staff with an averagse annual salary of $65,000.
The plant is expectedx to have an annual payrollof $10 GE developed its digital X-ray technology at GE Globa Research in Niskayuna. GE said this is the company’zs first expansion of high tech medical equipment manufacturing by its healt care operation intoNew York. ”Thias a wonderful example of howa long-term commitmentg to technology can spur the growthu of our manufacturing base and create new, high-tecbh jobs,” said Mark Little, GE senior vice presideng and director of the research GE Healthcare spent 15 years and more than $200 million developingy its digital flat panel X-ray The flat-panel detector is a critical componentt of an X-ray system and plays a role in providinvg an improved image.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

For Boeing, 'not bad' is good at Paris Air Show - Wichita Business Journal:

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On the second day of the world’s oldest and most importantt aircrafttrade show, Boeing was again shut out. At least its chierf rival, , hasn’t done much better, though the European aircraft maker was able to eke out a couple of orders the lasttwo days. Rather than talk about the kindsof multi-plane deals liner up in past years, Boeing CEO of Commercialp Airplanes Scott E. Carson instead choser to focus on howthings weren’t as bad as they migh seem. “At this point it appears to us that the economi c conditionshave bottomed,” Carson said, addin g that the company’s commercial jet division couled begin growing again as early as 2010.
-- The long-delayedc 787 Dreamliner will fly bythe (thougyh it won’t be taking to the skies over Paris this as some had hoped). Jon Ostrower, of pegs the date for the firsy flight atJune 30. He citesa multiple sources for the June30 -- Its new 747-8 freighte plane will fly its first flight by the end of this -- To get back into the hunt for a $35 billiob contract to supply fuel tankers for the U.S. Boeing will reconfigure its 777 to increasefuel efficiency. It had previouslg lost its tanker bid to the A350by Airbus. -- Also on the defensre contracting front, the company it was formingt a division to oversee its unmannerdaircraft programs.
This year’s air show comea at a gloomy timefor aircraft. Both Boeinv and Airbus have had to deal with cancellatione of ordersfrom credit-crunchec buyers. And both have had production cutbacks. But Boeing has had the additiona by its machinists within thelast year. The compant has taken hits to its military contracting with the cancellation ofthe F-22 and the loss of the tanke deal. And delays in getting its next-generationm 787 Dreamliner into the air have beena high-profilre embarrassment.
So it was up to Carson to search out the He said his company would not be cuttinf back assembly lines this It will cut production ofits wide-body 777 by 28 perceng in mid-2010, and will not increase 767 and 747 production. Airbuss has cut production of its A320 single aisle plane and its A380 and has shelved plans to increasew production ofits wide-body A330. Carsobn said he expects the credit crunch on airlinew to ease towarda “more normal” environment in 2010. That wouls be good news for Boeing, and its rivak Airbus, as well.
Boeing’s boss also said that the companyu has a current order book ofaround $265 which means seven years of production, and Carsob said he doesn’t expect the credit crisixs to significantly affect Some aerospace experts already see the logic behind Carson’s pitch. “Boeing’s news was to say we think the recession’ bottoming and we’re not going to see cuts for saidWayne Plucker, Frost Sullivan’s Aerospace & Defense Industry Manager. “The fact that they didn’ have to quietly announce cancellations was abig It’s not a bad airshow considering the gloom and doom that’a been around the industry for the last year.
For it’s not bad, and not bad is good, so to Plucker added that good, or at leasty not bad, news on the commercial side ofthe business, woulc be a welcome relief, given some of the defeats that Boeinvg has been handed in its military contractingf business – the loss of the tanker contract to the Airbuws consortium and the high-profile curtailment of governmentf plans to buy more F-22 “Heaven only knows, they could use some good news,” Plucker “Their defense side has taken a real

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Cashing in on aging boomers - Portland Business Journal:

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“People wanted nothing to do with the mature saidMaddy Dychtwald, senior vice president of the company in San Francisco. Now, the consumer products and servicesindustry can’ft stop thinking about the maturre market, especially since a baby boomer turns 50 everu 8½ seconds. At 78 million boomers represent one-third of all adults in the United They control half ofthe nation’s wealth and, at least before the recession, were spending $2 trilliob on consumer products and services a Boomers were expected to account for aboutr 40 percent of spending by 2015, according to a report in 2007. So, retailersa and marketers are eager to figure out how to reachbthis generation.
Some in the consumet products and services industry are gettinghit right, while many othere still have much to learn — and said experts who specialize in marketing to baby Marketing to this 19-year generation is proving Although boomers are lumped together, they’rd a diverse group with divergeng life experiences given that they rang e in age from 44 to 63. And like the rest of the they range from affluent to financially The way to market to boomers is by individual life stage segments — such as empty-nesters and grandparents without mentioning age, consultants said. “Theyg refuse to be called seniors.
That is the worsrt thing you can do to this saidAlice Jacobs, a Roseville baby boomedr who advises companies on generational marketing and teachesw seminars and classes on the topic, includinvg through UC Davis Extension. Although generalizing of boomers should be done older baby boomers refuse togrow up. They thinkm old age starts around 75or 80, said Matt founder of , a marketing research and consultinbg firm in Virginia. Boomers see themselvesd as vibrantand active. They like tryinfg new servicesand products, despite the myth that they are spokesman Anthony Deluise said.
The associationj of people 50 and olderd no longeruses “retired” in its Boomers like print advertising because they want lots of Boomers also pay attention to new and will click on eye-catching Internet ads. This generationm also likes products, services and shopping experiencews that make them feel special and consultants said. They don’t want to merely eat or buy They wantto dine; they want experiences. This is especiallg true since therecession started. Many boomers who are 60 had expecterd to retire over the nextfive years. Now, they will likelyu work an extra three to five years because oftheidr hard-hit investments and pensions, Dychtwald said.
The good news is they won’tr be on a fixed income and willstill spend. But their free time will be more More boomers will be working and raising children or grandchildre while also dealing with their ownsick parents. As a “experience over things become valued,” Dychtwald “There is a real shif going on right now on what peoplreare valuing.” Boomers in particular want to be responsiblre consumers. “It’s not about buying stuffc to have stuff,” Thornhill said. Lifestyle centers which combine upscale storeswith restaurants, entertainment and comfortable places to linger provide the experiences that boomers want.
Local examples are Sacramento’s Pavilione center and The Fountainsin

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Sprint losses grow, but customer loss slows - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Revenue for the three months that ended March 31were $8.21 billion, a 12 percent drop from $9.3 billion in the same periocd a year earlier, Sprint S) said Monday. The Overland Park-based companyy posted a first-quarter loss of $594 million, or 21 centsz a share, a 17.6 percent greater loss than $505 million, or 18 centas a share, in the first quarter of 2008. The resultx included $327 million in severancs and exit costs, mostly related to the Sprint announced in Before amortization, Sprint had earnings per sharwe of 3 cents in the firsg quarter, the release said. Sprinrt shares rose by about 56 cents, or 12 to $5.23 by around 10:30 a.m.
Trading volumew passed 55 million shares, compared with average daily volume for the past threr months ofabout 42.57 million, according to . Shares closed at $5, up aboug 7 percent, on volume of 96.4 million. Springt lost about 182,000 wirelessz customers in thefirst quarter, with net lossez of about 1.25 million contract customers and 90,00p0 prepaid customers from its Sprint network. But the compang added 394,000 wholesale and affiliate and 764,000 prepaid customerzs on its Nextel network throughits $50 unlimited, no-contractt Boost plan. Sprint, the nation’s No. 3 wirelesds carrier, has a total of abougt 49.1 million wireless subscribers.
The company has struggled with lossez while major competitors have Sprint during the quartergenerated $796 millionj of free cash flow enough to pay all of its debt that comews due this year, CEO Dan Hesse said in the At the end of the first Sprint had $4.5 billio n of cash and cash equivalents and $1.4 billion of borrowingh capacity through its revolvinfg bank credit facility. “In the first quarter, we again made progress in our major areazof focus: financial stability, improving the customedr experience and reinvigorating the brand,” Hesse said in the Sprint posted the largest quarter-to-quarter improvemenf in net customer additions in Sprint Nextel historyu and had lower churn which measures customer turnover than a year ago, he The company now has improved customer satisfactionm metrics and first-call resolution each montn for 15 months, even after Sprint closefd six vendor call centers in the first quarter.
First-quartert churn among contract customerswas 2.25 compared to 2.45 percenty in the prior-year period. But it rose from 2.16 percentf in the fourth quarter, mostluy because of deactivations onbusiness lines, whicjh were increased by the economy, the releases said. Sprint expects a shift from contrac to prepaid services because ofthe economy, the releasd said, but predicts fewer losses in both categories compared with 2008.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Fostering good government - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Most of the gift will go to endow theRoberty W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professorship in honor of a colleaguer and mentor at the law firm and inpoliticall life. The balance will fund a fellowship for studentd inthe master’s of public administratiohn program, which is also namedx in Bradshaw’s honor. Vinroot quips he hopezs he won’t have to “hock our house” to make good on his pledgd given the state of the But he hopes his examplwe will inspire others to help fund an organization whoses experts advisepublic officials, the medi a and others on government issues. He spok e about the pledge with the Charlottse BusinessJournal .
Following are editerd excerpts fromthat conversation: Why contributes to an institution dealing with governmenty issues?

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Bridge Bank expands tech lending to Southern California - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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Bridge Capital Holdings CEO Dan Myers says the bank openefd an office in Irvine in 2007 but has now hired Jamesd Crumpton as a vice president who will help expanx lending activity beyond the Los Angeles and Orange County areaz intoSan Diego. Myers, also the CEO of the says Southern California's significant capturre of venture dollars perpetuatesthe Bank's desire to expanr its presence there. "James, with his backgrounxd is particularly capable," Myers says. "He's a heavyweight on technology andcreditr space. And getting someone like him to come on boarr and work that market signifies a significanty commitment on the part ofthe bank.
" The Los Angeles/Orange Countt Area accounted for $425 million in venture investment dollars in the third quarter of 2007 while San Diego pulled in $309 according to the most recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers MoneyTree Together the two Southern Californi a regions received more than 10 percent of all venture capital investment behind Silicon Valley at nearlyt 35a percent and New England at 14 percent.
Crumptonn was the chief credit officerr for Hercules TechnologyGrowth Capital, wherr he handled risk management, underwriting and portfolio management of venturw debt clients which includexd venture-backed and publicly held technology He's held senior banking positions with Comerica Bank CMA), Silicon Valley Bank (Nasdaq: SIVB) and Wells Fargop Bank (NYSE: WFC). "Technologty and life science companies need a bankingg partner who can provide them with creative financial solutions that expand as theirroperations grow," Crumpton says in a "This requires a collaborative approach to determining client a broad menu of products and serviced and the highest degree of clien service.
" Bridge Bank (Nasdaq: had $789 million in assets as of Sept. 30 2007 and 164 The bank recently opened its second offics inPalo Alto. It has six businesw offices elsewhere in the state and a Smallp Business Administration office in HuntingtonBeach