Friday, September 16, 2005

Headlines---

Pictures from the Past, 1990
    ---Fromm/Salge/Pryor/Geller/Wilbourne/Eidelkind
Classified Ads---Attorneys
    NorVergence 1450 member Class Action Certified
        Hurricane Katrina little effect on RMBS performance
Classified Ads—Help Wanted
    Alexa Report Equipment Leasing Publications
        Leasing Schools/Franchisors Up-Date
35 Employees—Balboa Capital,1993--Giffin-Byrne
    136 Employees --Balboa Capital/the Funders List
        Mayer's "Business Leasing News" September,2005
UAEL Lake Tahoe Conference Up-Date
    Meetings Open to Non-Members Up-Date
        eLeasing- aggregate funding sources
            LeaseCompare.com Wins 2005 WebAward
CIT Names Krajewski Office/Tech Fin.
    News Briefs---
        Story You May Have Missed---
Sports Briefs---
    "Gimme that Wine"
        Top Event in History
            This Day in American History
                Baseball Poem

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”

Pictures from the Past, 1990

---Fromm/Salge/Pryor/Geller/Wilbourne/Eidelkind

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Classified Ads---Attorneys who specialize in equipment leasing

Newport Beach, California

For a full listing of all “job wanted” ads, please go to:

http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm

To place a free “job wanted” ad, please go to:

http://64.125.68.91/AL/LeasingNews/PostingForm.asp

(The photograph comes from “California for Visitors”
http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/photos1/l/bl_calanbch_aer.htm)

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NorVergence 1450 member Class Action Certified in New Jersey

This from the attorney representing the class action against leasing companies in the NorVergence lease matter in New Jersey, Michael Scoot Green:

"Today, September 14, 2005, in the New Jersey Superior Court, Monmouth County, in Exquisite Caterers et al. v. Popular Leasing et al., Docket No.: MON - L- 3686-04, the Honorable Robert A. Coogan, J.S.C. certified a New Jersey statewide class of consumers who signed contracts with Norvergence, Inc. for telecommunications equipment.

Norvergence filed for bankruptcy in July of 2004 in a federal court in Newark, New Jersey. The defendants in the class action are leasing companies that are seeking to enforce Norvergence contracts assigned to them by Norvergence. There were approximately 11,000 former Norvergence customers nationwide and roughly 1450 of them were in New Jersey.

" On the original hearing of Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification on June 16, 2005, Judge Coogan denied Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification for a nationwide class based on issues of predominance as to issues of choice of law, and denied a New Jersey statewide class based on numerosity.

"Today, Judge Coogan heard arguments from Counsel on Plaintiffs'

Motion for Reconsideration of their Motion for Class Certification as to a New Jersey class only. After approximately two hours of argument, Judge Coogan certified a New Jersey class as to the twenty- two defendants in the case. Plaintiffs' Counsel Gary Graifman of Kantrowitz, Goldhamer and Graifman with offices in Montvale, New

Jersey and Chestnut Ridge, New York, and Michael S. Green of Green & Pagano, LLP with offices in Milltown and Florham Park, New Jersey represented plaintiffs.

"Included among the twenty-two defendants are some of the largest leasing companies in the world, they include: CIT Technology Financing Services, Inc., Lyon Financial Services, Inc. d/b/a U.S.

Bancorp Business Equipment Finance Group, Popular Leasing USA, Inc., De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc., and Irwin Business Finance.

Other defendants include IFC Credit Corporation, Dolphin Capital Corporation, BB&T Leasing, and Commerce Commercial Leasing.

Others include, Preferred Capital, and Information Leasing Corp., Court Square Leasing, Sterling National Bank, Alfa Financial Capital d/b/a/ OFC Capital, Studebaker Worthington Leasing, LLC, Inc., Celtic

Bank Corporation, Interchange Financial Services Corp., TCF Express Leasing, Inc., Susquehanna Patriot Commerical Leasing Company, Inc. a/k/a Patriot Commercial Leasing, FirstLease, Inc., and Crown Bank Leasing."

MICHAEL SCOTT GREEN, ESQ.

Law Offices of Michael Scott Green
86 Washington Avenue
Milltown, New Jersey 08850
Tel: (732) 390-0480

The original list of all leasing companies who had purchased NorVergence leases as of June, 2004:

1ABB Equipment Leasing CT
2 Bank One IL
3 BB&T NC
4 CCL – Commerce Commercial Leasing PA
5 Celtic Bank UT
6 Cincinnati Financial Corp. OH
7 CIT Technology Financing NJ
8 CitiCapital NY
9 Court Square Leasing PA
10 Credential Leasing PA
11 Crown Bank Leasing FL
12 De Lage Landen PA
13 Dolphin Capital FL
14 Financial Pacific WA
15 First Corporation
16 First Lease
17 Firstcorp OR
18 GE Capital CT
19 IFC Credit Corp. IL
20 ILC – Information Leasing Corp. OH
21 Insight Financial Corp IL
22 Interchange Capital NJ
23 Irwin Business IN
24 Lakeland Bank NJ
25 Liberty Bank CT
26 Madison Capital IL
27 National Penn Bank PA
28 Norvergence PA
29 OFC Capital/ALFA Financial GA
30 Patriot Leasing PA
31 Penn Bank Leasing
32 PFG Commerical Finance
33 Popular Leasing MO
34 Preferred Capital, Inc. OH
35 Primary Financial Corp. PA
36 Source One Capital
37 Sterling National Bank NY
38 Studebaker – Worthington NY
39 TFC Express Leasing RI
40 Toshiba America Info Systems CA
41 US Express Leasing NJ
42 USbancorp MN
43 Wells Fargo Financial Leasing

Many of these lessors have settled the dispute, and in 23 states plus the District of Columbia, the state's attorneys general have offered settlements with those who made complaints against several of the major leasing companies. The dates for those settlements has passed, and at this point, there is no count how many have been accepted, with the stipulation that the settlement ends all disputes.

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Hurricane Katrina to have little effect on RMBS performance

ABSnet

As the breadth of damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina remains largely unknown to both those on scene and those within the financial sector, ABS industry analysts are thus far projecting a relatively modest impact on mortgage and home equity loan markets. A more substantial affect is however anticipated throughout the economy as rising gas prices and the likelihood of another federal interest rate hike later this month threaten to stifle economic expansion expectations and the rate of consumer spending.

In particular, low-to-moderate income earners — largely those that patronize the subprime lending arena — are expected to feel the sting of rising interest rates and gas prices.

“The consumer will be hit,” said John Silva, chief economist at Wachovia Corp. in a Sept. 6 conference call. Silva said the low-end retail sector and automotive sector could take a slight blow as well.

Speculation that the Federal Open Market Committee may choose to cease tightening in its Sept. 20 meeting is winding down following comments by several voting members last week that point to the contrary. Chicago Federal Reserve President Michael Moskow suggested as much in a Sept. 7 speech, saying that inflation still must be contained through “appropriate monetary policy.” Some in the industry had hoped that a temporary pause in rising short-term interest rates could prolong the existence of a housing bubble.

Mortgage and insurance companies, not to mention the federal government, are expected to absorb the cost of damage to homes in the affected areas. Investors in securities backed by those residential mortgages should be little affected.

Analysts point to federal and private dollars as key to eliminating substantial incidence of default. And mortgages in the states affected — Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama — constitute a miniscule portion of the market in both size and number. In fact, the total dollar amount of all mortgage originated in those three states last year amounts to less than $900 million, equal to the amount one would expect on a single deal, according to UBS. The total number of subprime loans outstanding in the region amounts to $6.9 million, about 1.9% of all currently outstanding subprime collateral. Prime and Alt-A loans amount to about $4 million, about 1.37% of outstanding, according to UBS.

Deals with the largest subprime MBS concentrations of outstanding balances — exceeding 15% — in the three states, according to RBS Greenwich Capital's Peter DiMartino, include Emergent 1997-4, with a 15.4% concentration and $16.4 million balance as of July; Provident 2000-01, with a $97.3 million balance as of July and a 15.2% concentration; FASCO 1999-A at $9.6 million and a 15.1% concentration. Those pools with the largest outstanding balances showing concentrations to the affected region top out at Wells Fargo's series 2004-2 deal, with a 2.40% concentration; the deal has an outstanding balance of roughly $4 billion. Park Place 2004-2, at $3.6 billion, has a 1.50% concentration, and the $3.6 billion Park Place 2004-WWF1 rounds out the top three with a 1.50% concentration.

Loan performance in this relatively small group of affected securities may not be too bad, if one were to forecast performance based on past incidents. “The few sad precedents we have are encouraging,” said Michael Youngblood, head of ABS research at Friedman Billings Ramsey.

Youngblood added that the performance of area economies in the wake of such disasters as the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, as well as previous hurricanes, indicate a similar rebound will take place in this scenario. Faced with an onslaught of four hurricanes and a tropical storm last year, Florida's infrastructure surrounding mortgage finance “worked,” Youngblood said, indicating that the same resiliency inherent in the market will show itself in the aftermath of Katrina.

The portion of non-agency mortgage loans considered seriously delinquent did not rise in the 20 metropolitan statistical areas in Florida last year, despite the rash of hurricanes. Subsequently, credit performance in the sector should not decline throughout the remainder of 2005, Youngblood added.

In the 10 MSAs declared by President George W. Bush as major disaster areas, loan performance was generally in line with the national average. As of June, the weighted-average serious delinquency rate of prime loans was 0.2%, about 0.05% higher than the national average. Alt-A loans were 0.93% seriously delinquent, a 0.12% margin over the national average, and the portion of subprime loans seriously delinquent in the area, at 4.2%, was lower than the national average by 1.29%, according to FBR. Certain areas, however, came in significantly higher than the national average.

Lafayette, La. borrowers, for example, show a 3.81% delinquency rate in the Alt-A arena, and 11.2% in the subprime space. Of the 10 MSAs, Hattiesburg, Miss., is considered a particular problem area for persistently high serious delinquency rates. Miami, touched over briefly when Katrina was still a category-one storm, is the only area hit considered to be experiencing a housing bubble as of the first quarter, according to FBR.

Servicers have been urged by the federal government to allow borrowers to skip mortgage payments in order to avoid instances of default, late fees and other repercussions. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have announced plans to keep the mortgages in the most affected areas out of default. Freddie announced that servicers of Freddie owned mortgages may allow borrowers to skip as much as one year's worth of mortgage payments, if they reside in a major disaster area. The GSE is also promoting that servicers waive fees and not report incidence of default to the rating agencies, in order to secure customer credit scores.

Art Frank, head of MBS research at Nomura Securities, estimates that outstanding mortgage balances in the Gulf coast region constitute about 1.2% of FNMAs, 0.7% of FHLMCs, and 1.5% of GNNAs. Principal and interest payments will be forwarded to investors throughout the skipped payment periods.

Likely the biggest concern to mortgage investors in this region is the likelihood that borrowers will prepay. The brunt of prepayments as a result of insurance payoffs will likely hit investors in November and December, according to Nomura's Frank. If the area's mortgages prepay at 75 CPR for those two months, overall FNMA speeds would increase to roughly 1 CPR, FHLMCs to 0.6 CPR, and GNMAs to about 1.2 CPR during the time period, he said.

“It doesn't really have a great impact on the mortgage market as a whole,” Frank said.

While homeowners insurance does not typically cover flood damage, homes in federally tagged flood zones are generally required by mortgage lenders to acquire the insurance.

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Classified Ads—Help Wanted

National Account Manager

National Program Skills

Salesperson

"Tired of working for a broker or discounter at inflated buy rates?" We are a direct nationwide funder. Decisions are made here on "application only" up to $125,000. We are fast, too, and we will keep your vendors and customers happy with our efficient staff. Contact Jim Doster sales@abanklease.com "We want you to make as much money as you can."

www.abanklease.com

Vendor Relationship

Director, Vendor Relationship Development: Office Equipment Group. Accountable for originating/ maintaining volume from large Office Equipment dealers. Preferred locations - SW and Mid-Atlantic. Full descrip/to Apply, Click here GreatAmerica is a highly successful entrepreneurial company providing equipment financing to businesses across the United States.

www.greatamerica.com

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Alexa Ranks Leasing Association Web Sites Rank 9/15/2005 8/15/2005   WEBSITE NAME 1. 101,967 99,750 www.aba.com American Bankers Association 2. 144,166 160,330 www.leasingnews.org  Leasing News 3. 161,453 176,246   www.monitordaily.com Monitor Daily 4. 202,985 227,071   www.elaonline.com Equipment Leasing Association 5. 349,758 345,361   www.cfa.com  Commercial Finance Association 6. 505,535 550,452   www.ibaa.org Ind Community Bankers of America 7. 514,420 570,169   www.lessors.com  eLessors Networking Association 8. 601,368 619,900   www.naelb.org* National Assoc. of Equip Leasing Brokers 9. 1,000,750 1,001,959 www.leasefoundation.org Equip. Leasing & Fin Fndn 10. 1,489,751 1,943,756   www.us-banker.com  U.S.Banker 11. 1,807,214 1,307,399   www.iicl.org  Institute of International Container Lessors 12. 2,077,528 1,721,633   www.uael.org  United Association of Equipment Leasing 13. 2,136,631 2,135,581   www.clpfoundation.org   CLP Foundation 14. 2,318,416 2,315,981   www.executivecaliber.ws  Exec Caliber-Jeffrey Taylor 15. 3,944,771 2,750,668   www.aglf.org  Assoc of Government Leasing  Financing 16. 4,055,754 4,026,586   www.leasecollect.org Lean -Lease Enforcement Att Net 17. 4,435,163 4,393,112   www.eael.org*Eastern Association of Equipment Leasing 18. 5,229,599 5,299,957   www.nationalfunding.org The National Funding Assoc 19. No Data No Data   www.efj.com Equipment Financial Journal 20. No Data No Data   www.mael.org Mid-America Association of  Equip Lessors 21. No Data No Data   www.leaseassistant.org Lease Assistant 22. No Data No Data   www.Leasingpress.com Leasing Press David G. Mayer's Business Leasing News is not included in the Alexa report list as it does not have its own individual site and Alexa finds Patton Boggs, LLP Attorneys at Law.  The rating is not valid as it includes all those who visit and communicate with the law firm.  When Business Leasing News has its own individual web site, it will be included in the Alexa survey. *It should also be noted that two web sites have their "list serve" posted via their site, meaning their e-mails are counted as a visit to the site, whereas they are "list serve" communication.  These are technically visits to the web site, but primarily to use "list serve." These comparisons are compiled by Leasing News using Alexa and should be viewed as a "sampling," rather than an actual count from the website itself.  Other than as noted above, we believe the ratings are reflective as most have stayed in the same position, basically, for over a year. The Alexa tool bar works on most browsers. They are partnered with Google. You may download their free tool bar A graph and analysis of the last three months are available. ( Note: the lower the number, the higher you are on the list. It is based on all web sites. Leasing is only a very small part of the various sites such as Yahoo, MSN, Google, etc. )

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Leasing Schools/Franchisors Up-Date

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35 Employees—Balboa Capital, 1993--Giffin-Byrne

Pictures from the Past

— 1993 —

Giffin-Byrne 

Balboa Capital Corporation ,VP Finance Shawn Giffin, CLP (left) congratulates President Patrick E. Byrne, CLP. The Western Association of Equipment Leasing member firm was recently ranked #67 overall on the Inc. 500 list.

Firms: Balboa Capital Corp.

Specialization: High-tech

Lease Range: $10K-$2 million

Number of Employees: 35

Irvine-based Balboa Capital Corporation is the 67^th fastest-growing private company in the U.S. according to Inc. Magazine.  In its annual “Inc.550 Survey, “ published in the October, 1993 edition, Balboa ranked 67 overall and second in southern California, based on their five year grown patter.

The secret to their success? According to President Patrick E. Byrne, CLP, “ We pride ourselves on creative thinking and promoting from within. Being a member of WAEL has helped us grow with its many opportunities to interact and network. Through WAEL, we've developed important partnerships and relationships with funders and suppliers.”

Byrne founded the fledging company six years ago---and joined WAEL a year later. The company, which started in a small office with only three employees, has increased now to three offices with thirty employees. Byrne said he predicts a 50 percent growth next year.

Vice President of Finance Shawn Giffin, CLP, adds, “Our sales force doesn't have the frame of reference of the ‘easy years' of the 80s.  They simply don't acknowledge the existence of a recession. They think that this is the way it's supposed to be and just go out and write lots of business.”

Byrne and Griffin can be reached at (310) 575-9900., 11150 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 670, Los Angeles, CA. 90025.

Fall, 1993, WAEL Newsline

(Please send us pictures or old industry magazines. We will return them, if requested. editor)

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136 Employees --Balboa Capital now on the Funders List

Funders Only - Update

A -Accepts Broker Business | B -Requires Broker be Licensed | C -Sub-Broker Program
| D -"Private label Program" | E - Also "in house" salesmen

(F) Balboa Capital:
A - Accepts broker business
B - request appropriate state licenses be obtained.
C - No sub broker allowed without written consent.
D - Broker can be listed as Lessor, receive advance payments, and assign to Balboa. Balboa pays the vendor.
E - Balboa has a large internal sales force that solicits directly to the end user. Broker customers are excluded from any calling list and our Broker Agreement specifically states your accounts will not be solicited while a customer of Balboa.

To view the complete list, please click here.

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David G. Mayer's "Business Leasing News" September,2005

In this issue:

1. Texas Legislature Takes Step Toward Business-Friendly Usury Law

2. Vehicle Lessors Get Back to Business Under New Vicarious Liability law

3. State and Local Governments Rely on Tax-Exempt Leasing to Manage Budgets

4. Leasing 101: What is "Software” in the Real Deal?

5. Case & Comment: The Fed Rules in Preemption Cases: Wells Fargo Bank v. Boutris

6. About Patton Boggs LLP and Our Law Practice; Publications; October 21st Aviation Briefing

•  “One Country to Go to Cape Town” - A Message From the Founder, David G. Mayer

http://www.pattonboggs.com/newsletters/bln/Release/bln_2005_09.htm

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UAEL Lake Tahoe Conference Up-Date

For all attendees for the Fall Conference at Caesars Lake Tahoe we wish to inform you that the average temperature is in the mid 60's as the high and the mid 30's as the low. Please plan to dress comfortably and accordingly. For those of you needing transportation from Reno to South Lake Tahoe please contact South Tahoe Express at 775-325-8944. You can also see the arrival and departure times at www.southtahoeexpress.com We Look forward to seeing you at Caesars!! "I know that the UAEL is very happy with the number of attendees that have registered. We are expecting a "Full House" for this event next week In beautiful Lake Tahoe. "I would say that while Ceasers is sold out, there are still limited rooms available at hotels in the near vicinity. Joe Woodley and his staff have been working their tails off trying to accommodate all that want to attend. Even if you have to stay "down the street", this conference is a must attend event for those broker / lessors that are looking to improve their business. The conference theme pretty much sums it up. Peers,Processes, Practices and Profitability. The speakers are excellent (Joe Lane, with the Equipment Lease and Finance Foundation, and Col. Schaefer, Iran hostage ). With everything there is to offer in education and industry roundtables, plus all the great funding sources and providers (over 60 strong) add in all the great networking opportunities and this conference has something that we can all be happy about...great value! "I strongly believe in this business and see sunny days for those that make an effort to want to improve their business by being members of equipment leasing associations like the UAEL." Best regards, Conference Chairman Randy Haug Sr. Vice President LeaseTeam, Inc. (800)531-5086 x 1014 Our theme for this year is Peak Performance: Peers, Processes, Practices and Profitability. We have a great lineup of sessions, roundtables and panel discussions scheduled on interesting and diverse topics. We also have some good opportunities to network; Thursday night, welcome reception will take place on the deck of the Edgewood Country Club and the other of the events will also feature the exclusive buyout of the M.S. Dixie for the Saturday Sunset Dinner/Dance Cruise. We are very excited about about two of the speakers we have line up this year. Colonel Tom Schaefer was an Iranian hostage for 444 days in 1979-1980. We also have Mr. Joseph Lane, Chairman of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Fundation, addressing our industry as our keynote speaker. Col. Tom Schaefer    Joseph C. Lane CEO of GE Technology Finance The view the complete brochure, click here.

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Meetings Open to Non-Members Up-Date

Leasing Association Meetings Open to Non-Members

Oct. 21-22, 2005
Western Regional Meeting

National Association of Equipment Brokers
Hilton Irvine, Irvine

Hilton Irvine
18800 MacArthur Boulevard
Irvine, CA 92612

Join us in sunny Irvine for networking, education, and to
meet new funding sources.

For more information, please go to:
http://www.naelb.org/cde.cfm?event=40117

E-mail: mwilson@hqtrs.com

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November 4-5
Eastern Regional Meeting
National Association of Equipment Brokers Atlanta, Georgia

Sheraton Gateway
1900 Sullivan Road
College Park, GA 30274

Join us in Atlanta for networking, education, and fun.

For more information, please go to:
http://www.naelb.org/cde.cfm?event=73892

E-mail: mwilson@hqtrs.com

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eLeasing- aggregate funding sources

( Soley eLease brokers/online brokers/super brokers )

Top eLeasing companies as ranked by employees and volume

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### Press Release ###########################

LeaseCompare.com Wins 2005 WebAward for Outstanding
Achievement in Website Development

CINCINNATI----Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (ACS), the leader in online direct-to-consumer auto leasing, has been awarded the 2005 Standard of Excellence WebAward by the Web Marketing Association (WMA). ACS won the award for "Outstanding Achievement in Website Development" for its www.LeaseCompare.com website. The WebAward recognizes companies that possess the vision to transform their sites into powerful communication and business tools.

The 2005 WebAwards named the best Web sites in various industry categories. Winners were selected from a pool of nominees spanning 22 countries. Nominations were judged based on seven key criteria: design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use.

"Receiving this award further validates our company's commitment to using web technology for automotive services that help consumers," said Tarry Shebesta, president of ACS. "It's an honor to be recognized at this level especially by a major independent competition like the WebAwards where the competition is international and very tough."

LeaseCompare.com, as the name suggests, provides an interactive tool to instantly evaluate leasing options from a number of sources. Customers can lock in the lease quote they like and apply for credit online. ACS facilitates leases that customers choose from LeaseCompare.com.

The Web Marketing Association is the producer of the WebAward Competitions. Now in its 9th year, the WebAwards is the premier annual award competition that judges website development against an ever increasing Internet standard and against peer sites within their industry. More information about the WMA and the WebAwards can be found at www.webaward.org.

About Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (www.acscorp.com)

Based in Cincinnati, Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (ACS) is a leading provider of direct-to-consumer auto leasing through its popular website LeaseCompare.com. Founded in 1989, ACS's mission is to provide services that enhance the experience of buying or leasing a car. ACS achieves this by leading the industry with innovative proprietary technology, superior customer service, and years of industry experience.

-Tarry E. Shebesta, OCLC (Ohio Certified Lease Consultant)

President, Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (www.ACScorp.com)

Vice President, National Vehicle Leasing Association (NVLA)

tes@acscorp.com / 513.527.7700 ext. 11

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CIT Names Krajewski to Head U.S. Office and Technology Finance

CIT announce the appointment of Dan Krajewski as Executive Vice President and General Manager of CIT's U.S. Office and Technology Finance business.

Office and Technology Finance is a key component of Specialty Finance and is strategically important to future growth. Mr. Krajewski will be responsible for strategy and leading the execution of initiatives that will drive continued success in this important business.

He is uniquely qualified to lead this organization with over 25 years of experience with the last eight in the Vendor Financial Services division of GE. In this role, he was responsible for managing two significant captive vendor programs and developing vendor markets throughout the U.S.

Dan has an MBA from the State University of New York and is in the process of moving to Jacksonville, FL.

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News Briefs----

Soaring gas prices stifle retail sales; industrial output hit

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/09/15/economy_jolted_in_august/

Northwest, Delta file for bankruptcy protection

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/09/15/northwest_delta_file
_for_bankruptcy_protection/

CIT Quantifies Exposure to Delta Air Lines

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=683178&TICK=
CIT&STORY=/www/story/09-14-2005/0004107785&EDATE=Sep+14,+2005

CIT Quantifies Exposure to Northwest Airlines

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=683178&TICK=
CIT&STORY=/www/story/09-14-2005/0004107787&EDATE=Sep+14,+2005

GE seen unscathed by possible airline bankruptcies

http://yahoo.reuters.com/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=
quotesCompanyNews&storyID=9655363

Delta's debts to cause widespread pain

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050914/bs_nm/airlines_delta_debt_dc_2

Delta seeks to cut supplemental retirement benefits

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/delta/0905/16deltamain.html

Delta Air Lines: Full statement

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9343676/

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You May Have Missed

Mother of Packers QB tells of fleeing to the attic of the family home in Kiln, Miss. as floodwater 'just kept rising.'

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/packers/2005-09-15-bonita-katrina_x.htm

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Sports Briefs----

Exasperated Lance Armstrong to stay retired

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2005-09-15-armstrong-retirement-update_x.htm

As NHL returns, questions abound

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2005-09-14-hockey-fans-cover_x.htm

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“Gimme that Wine”

California Winemakers Cheer Agreement That Expands Opportunities for U.S. Producers in Europe

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050914/sfw116.html?.v=14

Bordeaux wineries told to cut production by 12 percent
French exports continue to drop while surpluses grow

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/15/
WIGSFEN5NO1.DTL&hw=wine&sn=001&sc=922

Mendocino vintners design signature wine

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/12640510.htm

Key Technology has introduced its new Wine Grape Inspection Shaker.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/kyb/kyb110.html

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Today's Top Event in History

1999 - Hurricane Floyd stormed ashore, pounding North Carolina with 110 mph winds, dumping more than a foot of rain, damaging 12,000 homes and claiming more than 50 lives. Floyd also caused the largest peacetime evacuation in U.S. history, with 2.6 million people ordered away from the shores in the hurricane's path.

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This Day in American History

    1620- the Mayflower departs from Plymouth, England with 102 passengers and a small crew. On board were 48 crew members and 101 colonists (including 35 Separatists from Leiden, Holland, known afterward as the Pilgrims). During the three-month voyage, two passengers died and two babies were born. Vicious storms were encountered en route which caused serious doubt about the wisdom of continuing, but she reached Provincetown, MA, Nov21, and discharged the Pilgrims at Plymouth, MA, Dec 26.1620.
    1672-While her actual birthday is not known, this is the official date proclaimed by the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to honor Anne Bradstreet, America's first poet who is also recognized as the first published woman poet in the English language. Anne Bradstreet was born in 1612 in England and came to America in 1630