Mark A. Sperry Executive Profile

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About Mark A. Sperry Mark Sperry joinesd Plug Power as Chief Marketinfg Officer in May 2000 and was appointed to the positio n of Vice President of Marketing and Strateghin 2006. As Vice President and General Manager ofPlug Powerd

Jacksonville stocks fare well as Dow jumps - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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percent) • (NYSE: FNF), $11.82, up $1.27 (12 • (NASDAQ: WINN), up $1.47 (11.9 percent) • (NYSE: $16.74, up $1.60 (10.6 percent) • LSTR), $40.02, up $2.06 cents (5.4 • (NYSE: LPS), $28.17, up $2.71 (10.6 • (NYSE: MPS), $8.77, up 63 centws (7.7 percent) • (NASDAQ: PSSI), $17.02, down 11 cents (0.6 • (NASDAQ: SMRT), $2.55, up 21 cents (8.9 • (NYSE: RYN), $40.37, up $1.67 (4.3 • (NYSE: IBI), $13.44, up 70 centsx (5.5 percent) • The JOE), $34.74, up $3.06 (9.7 percent) • (NYSE: $52.07, up $1.54 (3.1 percent) • (NASDAQ: FPIC) $50.63, up $4.74 (10.3 percent) • Patriot Transportation (NASDAQ: PATR), $80.90, up $1.52 (1.
9 • (NASDAQSC: TRBR), $4.95, down 5 cents (1 percent) • (NASDAQ: $4.05, up 36 cents (9.8 percent) (NASDAQ: JAXB), $11.52, unchangesd • (OTCBB: GAXC) $0.18, up 2 cents (12.5 • (NASDAQSC: ATBC), down 5 cents (0.6 percent) • WTEK), $1.21, up 11 cents (10 percent)

New Hawaii tourism group changes its name - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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Effective Wednesday, the Hawaii Tourism Associationj will use theacronym “I never thought of the two entities in termws of their acronyms,” said HiTA founder Thomasx Steinmetz. “I was simply looking for a name that met our HiTA is a private initiativer that was formed in December to help shape perceptionsof Hawaii. Steinmetz said the association’s originall acronym “caused some confusion” with the state’x official tourism agency, the HTA, which was created in 1998.
HiTA executive committee members includeFrank Haas, a former vice presidenyt of marketing for the HTA who is currently a marketing consultant and assistant dean of the at Manoa Schoolo of Travel Industry Management. Steinmetz is publishetr of Oahu-based eTurboNews, which provides international travelo industry news to industry professionalzsand journalists.

Boomers poised to change pace of retirement - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Now, the 70-year-old spends almost as much time teaching the younb workers who will replacs him aboutthe profession. “Iu probably should have been a McDowell said. McDowell — like many oldere Americans — is critical to the economy, as 78 milliomn baby boomers hitretirement age. The future shortage of workersd is about more than there is a serious lack of the skilled workers required to keep thestate — and nationm — competitive. California will need 1 millionb more college graduates to meet the demandsw of the changing economyby 2025, according to a recent report.
Only 35 percent of the state’s working-agse adults will have a bachelor’s degree by shy of the 41 percent A more diverse labor force with different skillws is expected to replace theoften well-educated baby boomers. “Americw can’t compete without us. We are the bridge to the saidCarleen MacKay, 70, an authoe and former career management executive. She now works 60 hourd a week as a work force polic adviser forin Sacramento. “Retirement is a word for another time. Now, it’s all about reskilling and With experience, you can expect a miracle.” The bridg e to the future will have to be aflexible one.
Nobody knows when the massive wave of retireezwill hit. The first baby boomers reached 62 in but the generation that rewrotd the rules abouthuman rights, embracesd entrepreneurship and touted a work ethicd of long hours is poised to change the pace of too. Boomers think “old” meanes somebody else. Many like working and have no intention to quit in theforeseeabls future. Others will continue working because theidr retirement assets tanked inthe recession, leaving no choice. Two-thirde of the oldest boomers are financially unprepared for andmany aren’t even aware of theier predicament, according to a McKinsey Global Institut study.
“I’m really concerned we’ll have some kind of crisisz in eight to10 years, when people figur out they are not making it said financial adviser Roger Smith, president of in Sacramento. The percentagwe of Californians working at or near retirement age has increaseds significantly sincethe mid-1990s. In 2008, 63 percent of residentw age 55 to 64were working, an 8.2 percent increase from 1995, according to the California Budgeg Project.
The prospect of a multigenerational work force raises a host of issues for employere who must comply with laws that protect olderf workers and keep the peace betweem skilled seniors who like to talk througb problems and a generation of youngsters who grew up with text the Internet andcell “We are not a cookie-cutter society,” said Jessica Hawthorne, employment law counselo for , a workplace compliance prograjm run by CalChamber, the state chamber of “The best thing employers can do for employeesz is to recognize their skills and use them to theirr advantage.
” If baby boomers continue to retirse at their current rate, there will be a scramble to find well-trained younger workers. Nowhere is the problemn more apparent than with the stateof California, where 51 perceny of its more than 233,0090 employees will be eligible to retire by 2019 (see this page). The figure includes 1,774 executives and 22,273 By contrast, 37 percent of the Sacramento-area laborr force will be eligibles to retire in thenext decade. But questionsz abound.

Peru economy prepared for Greek fallout - minister - Reuters

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Peru economy prepared for Greek fallout - minister Reuters * Peru economy to grow 6 pct in 2012 * "Room to react" on monetary and fiscal fronts LIMA May 24 (Reuters) - Peru, one of Latin America's fastest-growing economies, has room to mitigate fallout from a potential global crisis if Greece leaves the ... and more »

Report: D.C.-area home prices to keep falling - Nashville Business Journal:

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California-based PMI (NYSE: PMI) reachesd that conclusion in its Secondf Quarter 2009 Economic and Real EstateTrends Report, and its U.S. Marketr Risk Index. The report says approximatelu 85 percent ofthe nation'sw 381 metropolitan statistical areas are now facing increased risk of lower home pricesz in 2011. Florida, California, Nevada and Arizonz continue to have the highest risk scorexs but an increased risk of lower future prices is now spreading across all regionsw of the nation because of the significan t increases in unemployment and foreclosure The Washingtonarea — which includes the Northern Virginia, Maryland and parts of West Virginiqa — showed a 92 percent chanc of lower prices.
Baltimore has a 90 percentr chance of homeprices dropping, accordingh to the report. "Rapidlyu rising foreclosure andunemploymentg rates, continuing declines in hous prices, and weakening consumer demand all worked to increase risk in the generalo economy, and the housing markety specifically," said David Berson, PMI's chief economist and strategist. "As a result of the continuefd weaknessin prices, and the relatively low levelk of interest rates, improvements in affordability across the nation'sd MSAs will continue to incentivize repeat and first-time homebuyersx back into the market.
" The areas with the least chance of lowerd prices, each with less than a 6 percent include Cleveland; Pittsburgh; Columbus, San Antonio; Houston; Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, accordingh to PMI. The risk of prices dropping runsat 99.9 percent in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampaa and Jacksonville in Florida; Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Sacramentko and San Diego in California; Las Phoenix; Providence, R.I.; and Detroit.

Centene closes on financing for HQ project - Washington Business Journal:

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A U.S. Bank-led consortium committed on June 5 to a constructionb loan forthe 17-story office tower, which will housed the corporate headquarters for Centene, one of St. largest public companies, and , one of the area’ largest law firms. Construction began in October to demolisnh the former building on the site and starg work on the first two The project willhave 460,000 squard feet of office space and 28,126 square feet of retail The , led by chief executive Bill Koman, signed on as an equit y partner in the projec t earlier this year.
of which had led development effortsafor Centene’s new dropped out as an equity partner but will still serve as a The equity partners in the project are and . Centene Center will be Clayton’s firsgt new office building in nearly a decad when it is completed inJuly 2010. Centenee Center, to be built at the heart of Clayton’s centraol business district at Hanleyand Forsyth, is one of a few new, large-scale developments to proceed in recent Retaining Centene, St. Louis’ 11th-largest public company, is also a boos t for the region as a in light of job losses at and other top Centene Corp.’s 2008 revenue was $3.
4 billion and the companty has more than 500 locao employees. Centene is led by President and CEO Michael Centene Center’s other main tenant, Armstrong the city’s third-largest law firm, is movingy its 200 local attorneys therwe from the Metropolitan Squares building downtown. Centene Corp., one of the nation’s largestf providers of managed care programsw and related services to individualsunder Medicaid, first sough t in 2004 to build a replacement building a block away from its existing headquarters at 7711 Carondelet Ave. That it bought a former bookstore, Librarhy Ltd., at Forsyth and Hanley from Summit Developmentf Group forabout $10 million.
Centene then facedc a two-year court battle with three commerciaproperty owners, the late Dan David Danforth and Debbie Pyzyk, who resisted the city of Clayton’z efforts to take their buildingw on Forsyth through eminent domain to make way for the new , a development firm with projects around the conducted a nationwide searcj for possible sites for Centene’s headquarters, with proposales from Illinois and Colorado in the runninvg for a potential relocationb of the company. Centene abruptly changed course in Septembet 2007 and announced its plans to be an anchor tenanf in the proposed Ballpark Villagerdevelopment downtown.
By March 2008, Centene reversed coursre again and dropped its plans to move After the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in the Claytonpropertuy owners’ favor on the eminent domain Centene ultimately bought the thres Forsyth properties in early 2008 for $19 In February, the Clayton Board of Aldermenb approved a scaled-down versiob of the project from the original cost of $215 The planned office tower was reducedr in size by several floors as Centene opte to initially lease just 200,000 squar feet of space instead of 300,000 squard feet, and the retail portion was minimizerd to 28,125 square feet from 34,000p square feet.
Armstrong Teasdalr has signed a leasefor 125,000 square feet of space, making it one of the largest local office lease deals announced in 2009.

S.F. publishing startup stacks up in Europe - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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People download Blurb's free software to create their own GreagtAmerican Novels, as well as cookbooks, wedding albuma and portfolios. Drawn by the professional quality and advanceddesign tools, companiexs like and San Francisco consulting firm have beguh to use Blurb to produce marketing Blurb takes a cut of the printing fees, whichh start at around $15 a "Blurb is unusual in this market because it can compets both in the consumee space against brands such as Kodak Gallery and and in the higher-end self-publishing market where Blurb appeals to professionals," said InfoTrends analyst Mette Eriksen who estimatesd the photo book market at $79 million last "Blurb's software is easy to use, making it attractive to consumersa and professionals who want to make photol books.
" Due to its broad appeal and the explosioh of digital photography -- InfoTrends estimates that in 2008, householcd penetration of digital cameras will reach 77 percentr in the United Statew -- the San Francisco-based book-making startup broughy in $10 million in revenure in 2007. Gittins wouldn't providwe any projections for 2008, except to say the companuy has exceeded its expectations for thefirst quarter. The 44-employees firm is adding three new vice presidentr positions and growing its workforced by nearly 20 percentthis year.
The companu just started BlurbNation, a marketplace section of its web site wher e timeor creativity-challenged users can find a professional designert to assemble their snapshots, stories and othed images into a memorable book. In April, Blurb will also add programas and tools for its businesas customers who needa higher-level of professional support to guarantee their output. It will also expand shipping and support to itsEuropea customers. Within three months after launching in Europlast year, sales from the region climbe d to 17 percent of overall revenuw from 2.5 percent.
"We watch wherse the heat is from geographicallyu or in terms of marketg segment andgo there," Gittins Blurb's plans aim to grow its business beyond the 90,000 books it printed in 2007. "By Gittins noted, "midsize commercial book publishers put outaround 12,0009 titles. They serve a small number of books to millionaof people. We do the Founded in 2004, Blurb started its servicr in May 2006 afterraising $14 million in two rounds of venture funding led by and , and an additionapl $2.5 million in debt financing in the beginninb of 2007.
Gittins, an amateur photographer, createxd the company out of her frustratiob at findingno high-quality means to publish her pictureds into books. But she's no touchy-feely creative Gittins, a former executive at Wall Data and CEO of Personifytand Verb, says she is all about numbers. "We're very metrics driven," she said.

Here are 10 tips for surviving the recession - Baltimore Business Journal:

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Conversely, Vicki Hess, a local career says a negative attitude canbe damaging, creating stress. “Whenb under stress, little things start to build up and createhigh anxiety, negative interactions and overall frustration,” she “Events that you used to be able to handle with gracde become more challenging due to the worrhy and fear.” 2. Heavy-Liftingh Now’s not the time for whining. Master your own job and tacklre somenew projects. If you reallyy want to get the boss’ attention, help generate some business — even if you are not in a revenue-creatinvg position. “Now is your time to shine and excekl inyour position.
Focus your time on taskws relevant tobusiness growth, customer retention and said Leslie Shreve, a local productivityt expert. If you are not directly in a positiohn to grow the business insome way, then look for ways to improvew your interactions with those individuals or departmentw who are.” 3. Self Promotion No one is going to toot your particularly in a recession when colleagues and bossexs are worried about theirown So, many career experts say carefully communicate your successed to higher-ups. “To build on your existingv foundation, stay visible and maintain an upbeat saidJoni Daniels, principal of in Baltimore.
“Promote all the things you are doinfg that increase profits andreduce costs. Focus on how recenrt changes will work to strengthenyour firm’s competitivee edge.” 4. Evaluation Most companies are feelin the pain of the Whetherlost revenue, layoffs or furloughs are the career coaches say you need to decide if you can overcomde the heartburn. Is this the time for a caree r change? What about going back to school? Do a self-evaluatiom and decide what might be best for you andyour 5. Résumé If the pink slips continue to bepassefd out, perhaps you should updatwe your résumé with your current responsibilities, experienced and skills.
“Create a résumé that is applicable to your present industry as well as one that can positio you for other industries with which youhave interest,” said 6. Networking Once you have that résumé refreshed, star networking. Taguding suggests testing the job market with yourindustryy colleagues, family and friends. But others say take it a step “Opportunities for networking occur everywhere, not just at a seated luncheon meeting or specificnetworking event,” said Mary Ann Masur, a Baltimorew career consultant and author.
“If you are clear on what you are up to in life and what you want or wherew you cangive support, you can find chances to connecf in any situation.” Masur says she has made contactw at golfing events, airport securityu lines, hotel lobbies, the dry shopping parties and in volunteer “So go live your life and be open to talkinyg about your goals and what you she said. 7. Tools Networkas can be beneficial, but they might not be enougbh in the downturn when new jobsare scarce. Check onlinse job sites such as , CareerBuilder.com, and A résumé service, coach or recruiter may be in order to reposition yourself for a differenrt kind of jobor industry.
Consider contacting your alma mater; colleges and universities have career centers that may open some Another source of help may be a trusted colleagu who has recently made ajob change, recommends Mitcgh Halbrich, a managing director at the in Baltimore. 8. Good Healty Let’s face it. This economy is dishing out more streszs than most are usedto handling. Eatinfg right, sleeping and relaxing are key ingredientsz for ahealthy lifestyle. Whether you are working twice as hard at yournormak job, searching for a new situatiob or both, make sure to take time out for 9.
Exercise There’s no better medicine for a healthy heart and mind than Whether it’s running, walking or swimming, exercises can provide an outlet for stres during the downturn, career coaches say. 10. Time Be patient. Whethert you are waiting for your companty to rebound or looking for a new know this process willtake time. Also, expertsz warn against jumping at the firstgjob offer. “Leaving a sinking ship can appear to others as if you are simply lookingy for any port inthe storm, and few employers want to play that Start looking for your next career step rather than a more reliablde pay check,” Daniels said.

Colorado Hispanic business leaders to lobby Bennet, others on union bill - San Antonio Business Journal:

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The delegation includes members of the Hispanic Contractorse ofColorado (HCC) and the Denver Hispanic Chambee of Commerce. The group will be in Washington on Tuesday and joining small-business leaders from other states. The Colorado business leadersa want totell Bennet, D-Colo., and other lawmakers “why this bill would really hurt them as they try to emergd from a tough said HCC spokesman Sean Duffy said the group arranged to meet with Bennety because he has not yet declaref how he will vote on the laboe bill.
“In these very difficult economic companies are struggling to retain the jobsthey have,” Helga HCC executive director, said in a “We want to send a message that we want to help jump starrt economic recovery but [the labor would make that challenge far, far greater.” The Employese Free Choice Act, also knownj as the “card check” bill, would allow workera to organize a union without a secret as now required. Instead, a local could be launched at a workplace if at leas t half its workers sign anauthorization card.
Unione say the bill is neededc to protect worker rights in the But ina statement, HCC said that enactment of the law “would unfairly tip the delicatd business-labor climate in Colorado sharply away from and would result in furthert economic damage and job loss.” As part of a largerr nationwide contingent organized by the , the Colorado group will meet with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and otherf legislators “to be determined,” Duffy The business leaders also want to discuszsother issues, including health care reform and the allocatioh of federal stimulus funds.

Gay Rights As Told by Obama and Romney - Huffington Post

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New York Times

Gay Rights As Told by Obama and Romney Huffington Post This country trumpets diversity as one of its primary characteristics, even devoting a nickname to it. A melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society moving towards homogeneity. It is pretty evident that we are a cluster of different people, ... Romney and Bain Capital: t he Obama campaign's newest ad Washington Post (blog) An Iowa Endorsement for Romney…5 Months After Caucus ABC News (blog) Obama team's attack on Romney mirrors 1994 race CBS News Bloomberg -CNN (blog)  »

Private Bank adds visibility with Overland Park branch - Washington Business Journal:

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The bank, owned by Chicago-based , entered the Kansase City market inJanuargy 2007, opening an office on the . It shares a chartedr with the company’s St. Louisx branch, and the pair are growinf rapidly. Together, they reached $571.2 milliojn in assets as of March 31. grew to $35 millionm in assets at the end of and by the endof 2008, it had abouf $100 million in assets. Cal Kleinmann, chairman and CEO of The Privatw Bank-Kansas City, said he hopes the new Kansas brancuh will help continue thatgrowth trend. “Onew reason we did this is convenience,” Kleinman said.
“It’s easier to server the needs of our business ownerzs and clients if we are physically closerto them. The other aspect of this is just our need to be in With a branchin Missouri, we could not accep deposits from a municipality, school district or other public entity that requires a branch presence in Kleinmann said the state line essentiallyu divides the market in half, and being able gather publiv money in Kansas was a key driver for the Jerry Swords, president of Kansas City-based bank consulting firm , said that gatheringt government deposits is a competitive market and not exceptionall lucrative.
He said governments are cliente that sell bonds instead of takingbank loans, and bond servicez go to investment houseas and banks that have a sales organizationj to sell them. However, government depositsw can provide a very stabledeposit base, he said. Swords said banks such as The Privatde Bank like Overland Park because it has a relativelystablee economy, despite the recession. “The Privatee Bank is a trust bank, looking for new trust relationships and thingse they canbuild on,” Swords said. “If you’re going to do that, you need businesses with the moststeady income. But so does everyone That’s why Commerce and UMB have a lot of branchezout there.
So it’s a hotlg contested market.” Kleinmann said that he’s awarre of how competitive the Johnson County banking market is but that most of the bank s there are competing forresidential “There are only a handful of bankzs in the Kansas City area that have our our products and and the skill sets of our people,” Kleinmann said. “Withg our holding company, we have a $200 million legakl lending limit. We’ve got foreign exchange and capitalomarket services, and full Treasury services.
” Amy Yuhn, marketing directot for Private Bancorp, said that Kansads City is seen by the holdintg company as an area of opportunitu and that expanding into Kansas created even more opportunities for “The Kansas City market is attractive to us because it has stronv commercial, middle-market businesses that we feel are primeed for our relationship approacb to banking,” Yuhn said. “Ww grow with the companies thatwe serve. In Octobed 2007, we were a $4.5 billion bank At the end of the firstf quarterthis year, we were at $10.4e billion.” Kleinmann said the strength of the holding companty is a benefit to the growth of the bank in the Kansas City area.
“We’re fortunate that we don’g have capital constraints,” Kleinmann said. “W don’t have a largd number of problem loans. So where a lot of banksd are contracting or withdrawing fromthe we’re going full bore to book all the businessd we can find.”

Gannett may make more staff cuts at newspapers, salary cuts at television stations - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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A report by the Gannett Blog on Fridahy references a memo from Gannett CFO Gracia Martored thatprojects 4,500 newspaper layoffs throughout the Gannetgt chain in July as well as a 10 percent pay cut for its broadcasg employees. The Gannett Blog report also says Gannety workers will not face any more furloughsthis year. The Arizonaw Republic is the largest metropolitan daily inthe Va.-based Gannett chain. The Republidc has already suffered through layoffs and furloughsa as the newspaper industry struggles with poor advertisingb numbers andonline competition.
Gannett (NYSE: GCI) announces Monday that chairman, president and CEO Craig Dubow will be on a temporarg medical leave of absence following back Martore is taking over as interimchie executive. Gannett has 41,000 employees company wide includin g at daily newspapersin Phoenix; Palm Springs, Calif.; Mansfield, Ohio; and Des Moines, Iowa. The mediaz conglomerate also owns TV stationsin Phoenix, Flagstaff, Washington Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., and Minneapolis. Gannett officials did not respond late Friday for a request for commeng on the Gannett Blog which said the cuts would comeJuly 8.

Aberdeen, Howard County designated BRAC Zones - Memphis Business Journal:

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Aberdeen’s BRAC zone includes nearly 1.2 million squared feet of development space, includintg the 756,000-square-foot North Gate Business Park, a projectt by Columbia’s (NYSE: OFC). The town of Aberdeem will be one of the most significantlyy impacted by the federapl Base Realignment andClosure plan, slatede to bring an estimated 25,000 new jobs to Greater Baltimore by fall 2011. An estimatee 8,200 military jobs will be moving to Aberdeen Provintg Ground under theBRAC plan, bringin with them a network of about 150 defens e contracting firms that do business with the incominh government agencies.
In Howard the 600,000-square-foot Savage Towne Center project was picked to be a BRAC The mixed-use, 13-acre development includesx office, residential, retail and hotel space. There are now seven BRAC Zoneas inthe state. Other BRAC Zonesd include Westportin Baltimore, Odenton, Frederick and land near Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s To help communities prepare for the Gov. Martin O’Malley signed legislation in May 2008 creating BRAC Revitalizatio and CommunityEnhancement Zones. Among othed things, the BRAC zones enable local governments to seek stat funding for improvement projects in specificgeographic areas.

Florida insurance regulators grapple with hurricane coverage - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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Among many property insurance proposals filed by legislatorzsso far, the biggest concern is backstopping any potential deficitsz in the $17 billion Floridas Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. “The Legislature took a gamble” and lowererd rates “and fortunately that gamblw haspaid off,” said David Daniel, vice presideng of government affairs for the . “The problejm is, we’re one hurricane away from financial ruin in the statdeof Florida.
” The state’s mandatory reinsurance program, called the Hurricane Catastroph Fund, or the Cat was expanded during the special sessiohn in 2007 to include an optional upper layet of coverage for insurers called Temporary Increase in Coverager Limit, or TICL. But after the credit market frozelast year, concerns grew about the fund’s ability to reimburse insurersd after a storm because some of the fundes depend on the state’s ability to issue bondsz and the program is short of The maximum actual capacity of the Cat Fund is aboug $10.5 billion, of whicnh $3 billion would need financing, according to the , an industry advocate.
The program will total about $17 billion for this year’s hurricane season, leaving a $6.5 billion hole for the basifc program and up toan $18.5 billion deficit dependinh on the storm, the council said. If the fund goes into a the state will increase an alreadt existing assessment on every Floridian with a property including coverage fora home, car or business. It could also mean that insurerzs will not be reimburse by the fund or at leasy within a certaintime frame, affecting not only insurancse companies financially, but also limiting the insurer’s ability to pay claims to Rep.
Kevin Rader, D-Boynton Beach, has proposeds cutting the optional TICL portionj ofthe fund, which represents about $13 billion of the total “TICL is a double-edged sword. It allowsz insurance companies to purchase reinsurancd at a lower than the private market to pass onto consumers, Radert said. “The other edge is that the CatFund doesn’tf have the money to pay for that layer,” which could lead some insurance companies to become One of the insurance ratings agencies, , notifiedr Florida insurers that if the Cat Fund is not fixed by May 15, its ratings will go down said the Florida Insurance Council’se president, Guy Marvin, at the Floridwa chamber’s insurance summit Feb.
24. Another propert insurance issue the Legislature will face is the proposed freezinof Citizens’ rates for the third year in a bill by Sen. Mike R-New Port Richey. “Our economy is going to sufferr more right now if we hit homeowners with a rate increase ofany kind,” Fasano Insurance advocates want the statre to raise Citizens’ rates because of the defici t it could face after a which would result in another roun d of charges to all Florida propertgy insurance customers to make up the deficit.
Fasanop has also proposed a bill that woulf force insurance companies offering other lines but excluding propertyu coverage in Florida to write propertyinsurance here, if offeref in other states. Thomas president of the Florida Justice Association and a supporteof Fasano’s proposal, said insurance companies historically announce they’rr leaving between January through March, right before the legislativre session. “I think thesre companies have been in a planned terrorist attack mode toget [the to do whatever they want.
” But industry leaderss are concerned about what the proposal would do to long-time auto insurers such as and , which sell auto insurancre but not property insurance in homeowners insurance in the firsty place, said Bob Lotane, director of communications and politicalo affairs for the .

Credit Union of Colorado expanding to Parker - Denver Business Journal:

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The Denver-based credit union said it has purchase d a building at19311 E. Plaza Drive and plans to open a brancy inlate September. The Parkeer branch will be its first new location since it openesd branches in Thornton and Fort Collins last Parker will be thecredit union’xs ninth Denver metro area location. “Parkefr is an area we’ve been looking at for a long Terry Leis, the creditt union’s president and CEO, said in a “It will make life a lot easier for our members who live in Douglas County.” Founded in 1934 as the Colorado State Employeesa Credit Union, the agenchy now has 87,000 members and $900 milliobn in assets.
Its members include state employees, retirees and their family memberz as well as employeex ofColorado counties, cities and towns, schookl districts and special districts, and students, faculty and alumni of Colorado communith colleges and several state colleges.

Appearance by Matt Goss gives Nevada Ballet Theatre a lift - Las Vegas Sun (blog)

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Las Vegas Sun (blog)

Appearance by Matt Goss gives Nevada B »

Lee seeks 23% pay cut from Post-Dispatch union - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The newspaper publishing company proposed pay cuts of 15 percentt in thefirst year, and 5 percent each in the second and third years of the contract, accordinb to information posted on the St. Louis Newspape r Guild’s Web site. Lee declined to comment about the propose d concessions andcontract negotiations. “We have always refrainec from making any comment or discussingt the substance ofthe negotiations,” said Dan Hayes, a spokesman for Lee.
On Guild members voted 100-27 to agrees to a second week of furloughws but only if Lee agreed to no layoffs durintgcontract negotiations, according to the Guild Web Lee also proposed the following contract according to the Guild Web site: Cutting unpaid maternity leave in half, to 12 weeks maximum • The righrt to fire employees on sick leave after three monthsx of absence. The contract now allows 18 months.
The Guilf proposed longer funeral leave for the deatu of spousesand children, a larger cell-phone reimbursement, a mileagse increase, enhanced severance packages after layoffs, additional a 401(k) match of up to 5 perceng and overtime eligibility for columnist s and outside ad reps. Last month, the Post-Dispatch in its circulatiob andclassified departments, which are

Real estate roundup - Portland Business Journal:

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The bank leased 4,850 square feet at 1001 N.W. 14th Ave. from Lovejoty Corner LLC. Jeff Olson of Commercial Realtyh Advisors NW representedthe bank; Thom Brockmillee of Gray & Associatews represented the property. KeyBank will remodel the existiny building and plans to open its new branch this The bank has 70 branches in Oregon andSouthwesyt Washington. • Venne & Company LLC, a public accountintg firm, leased 3,565 square feet at 6915 S.W. Macadam Portland, from RF Macadam LLC. John Van Zonnevelds of MacadamForbes Inc. represented the tenant; Greg Gonzale z of Doug Bean & Associatesa represented the property.
• Maclaren & Whearty LLP, an estates planning and tax firm, renewed its lease for 2,63 square feet at Fairway Center, 9115 S.W. Olesojn Road, Portland. Matt Adams of Grubb Ellis Co. represented Maclaren Whearty; Shawn Adams and Charlir Digregorio of CB Richard Ellis represented the Fairway Center OfficeAssociates LLC. • Carlson & Swanlund LLC leasedx 2,495 square feet at Fairway 9115 S.W. Olseon Road, Portland. Jeff Borlaugg of NAI Norris Beggs & Simpson represented the Shawn Adams and Charlie Digregoril of CB Richard Ellis represented Fairway Centedr OfficeAssociates LLC.
• Dealer Services which provides services to the auto dealer signed an expansion leasefor 1,8232 square feet at Airport Plazz Building, 5933 N.E. Win Siversa Drive, Portland. Dealer Services representexd itself; Rich Sabel of CB Richarr Ellis representedlandlord D.W. Siversz Company. • Dr. Greg Baker of Manuap Medicine and RehabCenter P.C. leased 1,70w2 square feet at Sunnyside Marketplace, 12304 S.E. Sunnyside Road, Clackamas. Matt Sichelk of Elliott Associates Inc. representeed the property. • Advantage Management Softwareleased 1,337 squars feet at 8600 S.W. Salish Lane, from David A. and Sue Ellen L.
Jake Lancaster of Grubb Ellis representedthe tenant; Caset Pileggi, Kevin VandenBrink and Joe Kapplerr of Macadam Forbes represented the property. Linea Recta International Inc., a branding firm, leasec 13,000 square feet at 6040 N. Cutted Circle. Peter Stalick of GVA Kidder Mathewsrepresenteds Linea; Todd Collins of Macadam Forbes Inc. represented the Rosan Inc. • Jim Bean Brands Co. renewed its lease for 3,685 square feet at Minthorn Business Center, 4099 S.E. International Way, Milwaukie. Preston Greense of CB Richard Ellis representedeJim Bean; the landlord represented itself. • Reliant Dry Ice Pacifif LLC leased 3,630 square feet at Commerc e Park Clackamas, 16065 S.E.
98th Ave., from CP Clackamas LLC. Steven Kleinh and Peter Stalick of GVA Kiddetr Mathews brokeredthe transaction. Columbia Scooters leased 2,450 square feet at Cornelius PassPlazaq LLC, 7530 N.E. Shaleemn St., Hillsboro. Dean Wier of Norri s & Stevens Inc. represented Columbia Scooters; Pet Pros leased 2,125 squaree feet at Sunnyside Marketplace, 12040 S.E. Sunnyside Road, from Sunnyside Marketplace LLC. Doug Magnusen of HSM Pacififc Realty representedPet Pros; Matt Sichel of Elliott Associates Inc. representer the property. • Freddie’s Deli and Pub leaser 1,500 square feet at Baker Streetg Square, 1250 N.E. Baker St., from Baker Square Investorw LLC.
Todd Amacher of Elliottf Associates Inc. represented Freddie’s; Tien Pham of Argonauf Investments representedthe property. Cha! Cha! Cha! Mexican Taqueria leased 1,350 square feet at 3808 N. Williams Ave., from 3030 Williams LLC. Todd Amacher of Elliott Associate Inc. represented the restaurant; Jon Kellogg of Commercia Realty Advisors representedthe • Charles Padot purchasecd Typres Gardens, a 20-unit apartment complec at 2400 Haworth Ave., from the estate of Carol Hilterbrand, for $850,000 or $42,5090 per unit. Brian Tracy of Norriz & Stevens Inc. represented the buyer; Tom Demonbrumn represented the seller.