Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Six Flags, former Elitch Gardens owner, files for Chapter 11 - Houston Business Journal:

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The board of Six Flags (OTCBB: voted last week to begin reorganization proceedingsin U.S. Bankruptcyt Court for the Districtof Delaware. The company listed assetd of $3.03 billion and debts of $2.3t billion in its filing. Cascade the investment firm for Microsoft founder Bill owns 11.1 percent of the votingh securities in New York-based Six Flags, the largest bankruptcy documents show. Six Flagas has 97.7 million shares of common stockand 1.1 millionj shares of preferred "The current management team inherited a $2.
4 billio n debt load that cannot be sustained, particularly in these challenging financial markets," said Mark Shapiro, president and CEO of Six Flags, in a "As a result, we are cleaning up the past and positionin g the company for future growth ... Following a recor year of performancein 2008, whichg completed the three-year turnaround of our system-wided park operation, this action to clean up the balance sheeft paves the way for a full revival of the company," Shapirio said. Elitch Gardens had operated for more than a century at a northwestDenver site. The old Elitchb Gardens shut down in and a new version of the amusement park opened a year laterf indowntown Denver.
The local Gurtletr family and its financial partnersx sold the new park to PremiefParks Inc. in 1996 for $65 million. It becamew Six Flags Elitch Gardens twoyears later, when Premier acquired Six Flagss Inc. and changed its corporatd name toSix Flags. Six Flags sold off Elitch' and other properties in 2007 in a series of transactions that left the Denve r attraction in the hands of CNL IncomeProperties Inc., a real estatr investment trust based in Fla. CNL reportedly paid $312 millioh for the properties. CNL arranged for Parc Management LLC of Florida tomanagwe Elitch's. Six Flags now operates abouft 20 North Americanamusement parks.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Chamber recognizes corporate citizenship award recipients - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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The awards honor companies that illustratscommunity involvement, positive economic impact and economic The Chamber also added a nonprofi category to the awards this year. In the smal business category, the winner was EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing The company's employees volunteer at the , host small business networking groups and provide information on networkinhg with amonthly newsletter. Finalists for the award were theand . In the mediumm business category, was the winner. The architecture/design company was laudedr for designing its new building as an environmentally friendly certified underthe U.S.
Green Buildin Council's Leadership in Energy and EnvironmentaoDesign (LEED) standards. The firm'xs principals and associates engage in community partnering and staff dedicates its time to manyworthyy causes, according to the Chamber. It also offers many internshipo opportunities and its principals teachcollege students. Finalists in this category were PHM) and the . The large business winnere was (Nasdaq: INTC), which the Chamber praised for its commitment to education as the of its philanthropic effortx aroundthe world.
Intel donates thousandsx of computers and other classroom equipmen and its employees are activwe in schools throughthe company's volunteer matching grant program. They also participate in science fair judging andclassroom volunteerism. and were finalist in this category. In the nonprofit was the winner. Chamber officiales said the organization demonstrates its social impacgtthrough leadership, education, mentorship and fundraising integrity, and connectes people with their passion for improvingy the community. The programs include the , the initiativew against family violence and staffingthe 2-1-1 information and referrapl service. and the were finalistw in this category.
The Kinney Award went to Don Chalmers, owner of Don Chalmers dealershipsd in Rio Rancho andSanta Fe. Chalmerz is outgoing chairman of the board for the Unites Way of Central New Mexico and serve on numerous boards inthe state, includintg the University of New Mexico board of regentzs and the . The award honors the late Mayor Kinney by recognizing someone who embodieshis traits, accordinv to Chamber officials. These include leadership, acting as a nurturing and servingthe community.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Monsanto weeds out $400 million - Kansas City Business Journal:

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“We recently implemented a numberof cost-saving actions acrossx the company,” spokesman Lee Quarles said June 3, includiny a hiring freeze, no overtime, less contractofr work, and limitations on travekl and off-site meetings. “Onlyh ‘business critical’ travel will be permitted.” Quarles said no payrolll reductions, such as layoffs or pay have been implemented other than thehirintg freeze, overtime ban and contracto reductions. Monsanto said May 27 that fiscal 2009 earnings would be at the low end of its previouslty announced guidanceof $4.40 to $4.5o0 a share. The problemk is lower sales of Roundup becauseof cold, wet weathef in the U.S.
, which led to oversupply and price cuttinyg by generic competitors, particularly Chinesre makers. The Roundup decline is a rare step backat Monsanto, whichg has posted consistently strong financial including record sales of $4 billion in its most recenty second quarter, ended Feb. 28. Net income declined 3 percentr inthe quarter, to $1.1 billion, but increaserd 19 percent, to $1.6 billion, for the firsf six months of the fiscal year that began 1. Roundup had provided about 30 percent ofcompanyu profits, and that is expected to drop below 15 percent, the companyu has said. That business is expected to generat $2 billion in gross profits in fiscal 2009, down from the previousz forecastof $2.
4 billion. Hugh Grant, Monsanto president and chief executive, has long said that Roundu is not Monsanto’s future. It came off patenyt nine years ago, and competition has The bigger driver of profitsw at Monsanto is its seedx and traitsbusiness — the biotechnology and products that enabled farmers to increase yields at a lower cost per “This is the future of our business — it isn’f Roundup,” Grant told analysts at a Sanford Bernstein conferencde the day of the earnings revision. “Theres was an inevitability to The company had predicted Roundup sales would peak this year anddeclins thereafter.
The only Grant said, was that it fell sooner because of the vagariesa of weatherand demand, and the amount of Chinese generidc herbicide on the market and its about $20 a gallon, compared with Monsanto’s $30 a gallon. The company’z earnings caution led to lowerstockl prices. Monsanto shares closed May 27 at $79.88i and have inched up a bit closingat $81.50 June 3. In the weeksw before the revision, the stock trader comfortably inthe mid-$80 range, closinyg as high as $91.83 May 20. Barron’s reportedr this week that theinitial sell-offr “looks like an overreaction to bad news, creatinfg a buying opportunity.
” Furthermore, “when fields dry, Roundup sales and prices are likely to returnm to normal.” Don Carson, a noted that Monsanto is growing at a 20 percent rate even with the earninges revision. He predicted the stockk will beat $115 a sharew within 12 months. Its 52-week high was $145.80 June 18 last its low was $63.47 Nov. 21. Not everyone is as Jeffrey Zekauskas, an analyst with , has a $75 pricer estimate for the sharezsthrough Dec. 31. “Monsanto, like many agriculturao stocks, tends to perform listlessly duringbthe summer, when the cropx are in the ground and investof interest turns to other sectors,” he said in a note to investorsa May 28.
Grant doesn’t sound worried. “I’n very optimistic. By 2012 we thin k we can expandprofitxs 2.25 times our 2007 base by doublinvg crop yields and the continued increasse in demand,” he said in an interview with SmartMone published this week. “Plus, we’re in good financial shapw with a spotlessbalance sheet. The cash we generate means we don’ft have to compromise our pipeline.
And the pipelinee is at the heart of whatwe

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Effort launched to aid struggling arts groups - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

http://www.gamingevolved.com/two-colours/
Now the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, part of , has launched a $2.5 million initiative to help the region’ws small and midsized arts groups weather thedifficult Already, the fund has raised $1.8 millionh of the $2.5 million with the providing the largest contribution of $1.5 million. The othedr donors include the Kendeda the Zeist Foundation and Bankof America. The remaininh $700,000 is expected to be raised in the next six The Atlanta Arts Recovery initiative is allowinvg the Metro Arts Fund to double its annual grants to culturalo organizations from itsnormalk $500,000 to $1 million. The fund is announcing grantxs to 11 arts groups in six counties for a total of $500,000.
In the fall, the fund will make another round of $500,000 grants, the first time the fund has give n two rounds of funds in one year. It plans to do two roundd in 2010as well. The fund also is able to providew more loans and financial assistanced toarts groups. “Our aim now is to support thes organizations through a tough economic time becausethey don’t have any said Lisa Cremin, director of the Arts Since 1993, the Arts Fund has givemn more than $7 million in grants to 84 arts The current grant recipients are Actor’s Express, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, $20,000; Atlanta Chamber $10,000; the Cultural Arts Center of Douglasville/Douglas County, Dad’s Garage Theatre Company, $45,000; Georgia Shakespeare, $50,000; the , the Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Theatre in the $75,000; , $75,000; and the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, $30,000.
“Wee were screaming and dancing,” said Raye Varney, managing director of Theatre inthe Square, when she hearc about the $75,000 grant. “It was a happyy day.” The grant is enabling the theater, now in its 28th to balance its 2009fiscalp year, which ends in June. But Varney said she stillk has “a giant gap in my 2010 — a $400,000 gap. “I can’t take that to my Varney said. She said she is lookingb at ways to cut costs andincrease “We are already operating with a third less staff.
” Kennuy Leon, founding artistic director of True Colors Theatrde Company, said the grant also helps fill a gap for his “We have been able to make payroll everg week, but we are two or threre weeks away from being able to do Leon said. “I feel grateful for the trust that the fund hasgivemn us. It’s pretty amazing we’ve been here eight yearxs now.” The Arts Fund has changed several of its guidelines in this cycleas well. Now arts organizationsz with a budget of upto $2 millionm qualify for grants, compared with $1.5 millioj last year. Also, the grants can be applied to the general operating budget rather than for specifidc programsor initiatives.
“What they saw in this econom was that what organizations really needed was money that went to thebottomm line, money to pay the light bill, monet to pay the rent and money to pay salaries,” Varnehy said. Robert W. Woodruff Foundation President Russ Hardin said smaller arts organizationw needed an infusionof funds. All nonprofits, including arts organizations, have to reckohn with this difficult economic Hardin said. “Our notion is that over the next coupldof years, arts organizations have to adjust to a new What a way to say goodbye. Stuarf Gulley, outgoing president of , is announcing that the colleger has surpassedits $65 million “Defining fundraising goal.
The major project funded by the campaign was the building ofthe college’s new 45,000-square-foot Frank and Laura Lewis Among the top donationz were $6 million from the ; $2.5 millionm from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Found­ation; and $3 million from an anonymous Atlanta foundation. Gulley is leavinfg LaGrange College to become the new president of theWoodwarxd Academy. Dan McAlexander, ’s provost, will begi n his job as the 25th president of LaGrangse Collegein July. The Atlanta Union Mission, enterinhg its 70th year in has added new members toits board, according to James H. its president and CEO since Augustf 2008.
The new chairman is Ed Wile of ; and the chair-elecf is Tom Wilkes of Post Propertiesw Inc. The other new members to its boardd include Randy Hain of Bell Oaks Executive Search; Erwin “Doc” Eldridge III of the Athensz Chamber of Commerce; Shan Gastineauu of ; Patrick McNulty of Classic Party Mark Newton of Asbury Newton; and Ann Marie Campbell of The Inc. The Webeer School also has had a successful fundraising raising morethan $11 million.
A year ago, Felicia and Joe Webet pledged to makea $6 millionj challenge gift of $6 million if the schoool could raise at leasgt $3 million in new campaign gifts and Harold Kirtz, president of the Weber Schoop board, announced May 21 that it had met that challengd by raising $5 million. When the Webers made a significant gift in the school’s name was changefd from the New Atlants Jewish Community High School to the Webefr School, named in honor of Joe Weber’sa parents. has made a $100,00 grant to the Destiny Academy, a chartedr school in DeKalb County that focuses ondropout prevention.
Ben Jakes, Destiny’s executive director, said AT&T funds will go towars buying computers and otherinstructionalo supplies.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Miami Hurricanes, Possible Vacated Wins And The Big Finish - BC Interruption

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CBC.ca


The Miami Hurricanes, Possible Vacated Wins And The Big Finish

BC Interruption


Jeff: Unfortunately, for most fans an opponent vacating wins doesn't make much of a difference. The memories are what fans care about. Fans will remember who won on those Saturdays in the past, not which ones the NCAA later took away from the winner ...


Mo Money, NO Problems

Nation of Blue


Meeting of the Minds: What's Next For Miami?

Bloguin (blog)


Miami misdeeds could be trouble for Kansas State

CBSSports.com (blog)


NOLA.com -Sun-Sentinel (blog) -Bleacher Report


 »

Friday, August 19, 2011

Imperium sells small biodiesel plant - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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General Biodiesel, a startup biofueol company in Seattle, announced Wednesday that it bought the former Seattlre Biodiesel facility for anundisclosed amount. The facilituy is capable of producing 5 million gallons of biodiesel a The refinery served as a pilot plant for Imperiuj Renewables for two years before the companuy opened a larger refinery inGrays Wash., which is capable of producing 100 milliojn gallons annually. Seattle-based Imperium is contracte d to ship between 5 millionh and 12 million gallons of biodiesel annually to Kalaeloa Harbor for use at HawaiiaElectric Co.’s new power plant at Campbell Industrialo Park.
HECO spokesman, Peter Rosegg, said the utility had not been informed ofthe refinery’ sale but that it doesn’t affect the contract. “Imn short, this has no impact on us Roseggtold PBN. “The Grays Harbor planyt ... would be supplying the biodiesel for our new Campbelk Industrial Parkgenerating station.”

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Magazine shifts editorial focus, adds

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Fashion reporters and photographers will scout for peoplr at events and on the streetsw and beachesof Oahu, and photos of six selected people will appeat daily on the Web site, togetherf with details of what they are The concept is part of the new editorial focuds and redesign of , an online lifestyls publication that first launched in Aprikl 2008. “Our new goal is to definde a distinct Hawaii styl e and develop acommunity that’ds passionate about that style,” said Malies Moran, founder and editorial director, and one of a half-doze n staff members. The magazine’s eventual goal is to tap into thevisitotr market.
“When people come to Hawaii, they want to see what peoplseare wearing,” Moran said. Hawaii RED’s new street-fashion focus was inspired by a numbee of internationalWeb sites. “Style Arena” by the featuree snapshots and interviewswith style-conscioua pedestrians in the Shibuya, Harajuku and Ginza neighborhoods of Tokyo. “Hel finds people in the streets and clubsof Finland. Street fashion is just one component ofHawaiio RED’s launch, however. The magazine’s new editorial focues increases the frequency of stories from monthluy to weekly andincludes blogs, videos and linkws to social-networking sites.
A storty in the June 1 issue, “Homeless In follows two fashion models who give up their careerx to live togetheron Oahu, even if it meanse being homeless. Another story profiles Hawaii’s nightlife bloggers and The new format is expecter to surpassthe magazine’s existing 200,000 hits and 6,000 uniqu e visitors a month. In addition, the new Web site itself will be on an open-source platform favored by some in the onliner publishing industry. “The old approach was to creatre one site and do everything on saidAaron Yoshino, Hawaii RED’s site “Successful sites are successful because they take existingg information and blast it out over a bunch of platforms.
” Siteas that don’t use multiple platforms run the risk of losint their audience, said Yoshino, who has worked on urbajn lifestyle e-zines such as Giant Robot and Complex. Hawaii RED’ss new format comes as Hawaii’s fashionn and lifestyle magazinesjuggle — and sometimes struggle — with online and pringt identities amid the economic downturn. SMARTT Magazine, a women’s lifestyle and beauty print publication, circulation folded in January due to lack of four years afterits launch.
Hawaii RED’s founders are fullyh aware of theeconomic downturn’s impact on business and have positioneds themselves to grow modestly this year throughu events, advertising and partnerships. Banner ads on the new site’sz home page are $550. Feature-story banner ads are Advertising also will be integratethroughout videos, Moran said. The magazins also is a co-organizer of NightMarket @Aloha Tower monthly events featuring fashion, cuisine, arts and crafts.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Charlie Sheen Cheered, Booed, Pelted at Gathering of the Juggalos (Video) - Hollywood Reporter

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Hollywood Reporter


Charlie Sheen Cheered, Booed, Pelted at Gathering of the Juggalos (Video)

Hollywood Reporter


At Detroit's three-day music festival Gathering of the Juggalos, the actor -- who hosted Saturday night's show -- was alternately cheered and booed, according to two videos posted online Sunday; he also had to contend with objects thrown at him by the ...



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Friday, August 12, 2011

Concordia readies environmental stewardship center - San Antonio Business Journal:

http://www.dsp-world.com/2000/totejan.html
Construction of the 13,000 square-foot, two-story buildinh is set to beginJuly 14. The structurw will be built in Mequon on a bluffv overlooking Lake Michigan and work is expected to be completedc in time for the start of the 2010 academic The total cost of the buildinb is expected to bebetweem $3.5 million and $3.75 milliojn and is being funded exclusively througyh charitable gifts already secured for the Concordia officials said the building demonstratexs the university’s commitment to environmental education, freshwater conservation and emphasis on sustainable energy resources.
Plans for the center included laboratories, classrooms and a large seminar room that can accommodatee 200 peoplefor presentations. With its lakefront Concordia officials say the buildin will be a centerr for the study of the Greaf Lakes and otherenvironmental issues. The buildinb will be designed to be a Leadershipp in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED) gold-level building. “When the center will offer many educational programs and researcy in water stewardship and other sustainability educatio n topics for Concordia students as well as visitinb area schools and thegreaterf community,” said Bruce Bessert, director of the Concordiqa Center for Environmental Stewardship program.
Concordis has added new degrees because of the new and now offersa bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and educationh with a minor in environmental studies, and a master’se degree in education with an emphasizs on environmental education. “This new centef is in line with Concordia’s increased and continued interesty ingreen initiatives,” said William Cario, vice presidenrt of academics at Concordia. “Each of our recent building projects has been built to increasingenvironmentalp standards, especially to save energt and other resources.” Construction is expected to be completed in time for the starty of the 2010 academicd year.
The total cost of the building is expected to bebetween $3.5 million and $3.75 million and is being funde exclusively through charitable gifts already secured for the “This new center reinforcezs Concordia’s efforts to create programs that are both importangt to the student body and the community as a whole,” Concordiw president Patrick Ferry said.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Niagara fruit crops holding up - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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But many more orchards and other including residential areas in the Lake Ontario Fruit Belt, remain to be tested for plum pox viruse before September. Teams working for the and the statde Department of Agriculture and Markets began takingy leaf samplesin May. Subsequengt laboratory tests did not disclose any new outbreakse of the virus inNiagarza County, Jackie Klahn, director of the USDA’ss Lockport field office, said. In early May, as orchards optimism was growing that the spread of the which made its Niagaraq County debut 2006 mightbe waning.
Between 2006 and plum pox was discovered in several NiagaraCountyh orchards, in Orleans County and Wayne County, east of Though harmless to humans and animals, the viruzs poses an economic risk for commercial fruit growerws because they must destroy all susceptible treex within 1.5 miles to 2 miles of an identifie hot spot. Plum pox destroys the commercial valuw of the fruit that it attacks becausde it discolors anddisfiguresx peaches, plums, prunes and nectarines. In New York statde counties lying alongLake Ontario’s southy shore, fruit growing is a multi-million-dolla industry.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Black & Veatch completes purchase of world HQ building - Baltimore Business Journal:

http://www.clickbanner-ex.com/html/cat10.html
After considering about 40 alternate area sites duringa two-year real estated analysis, Black & Veatch said March 23 that it woul keep its growing headquarters operation at 11401 Lamat Ave., which it has occupied sincwe its original construction in 1976. Blacjk & Veatch bought the which was expandedto 600,009 square feet in 1996 and is the largest office buildingf in Kansas, from Chicago-based . A consortium of local bankd led by financedthe transaction, which eventuall y is expected to result in more than 1,000 new jobs for Overlanx Park.
The area’s 12th-largest private-sector Black & Veatch employs 3,800 at five area offices, includingb more than 2,300 at the Lamar Avenue headquarters. Aftert the building is expanded, by roughly it will accommodate a work force of morethan “Black & Veatch’s decision to expan d in Kansas is a testamenty to our state’s strong business Gov. Mark Parkinson said in a Thursday release. “Kansas is known for its safe communities, greay schools and highly educatedwork force. We’rwe so glad to have a global leader likeBlacj & Veatch make Kansas the home of its world headquarters.
” To retain Black & Veatch, Kansas offered an impact grangt worth $25 million for traininy and capital investment. The money will come from withholdiny taxes paid by employees atthe headquarters. Overlandf Park committed to a 10-year, 75 percenf property tax abatement — the largest percentagde abated incity history. “The combined support of the state of Kansase and the city of Overland Park were instrumentall in reachingthis milestone,” Len Rodman, Black Veatch CEO, said in the “With the completion of this purchase, we can now begij to implement at our world headquarters the same typees of innovative and sustainable solutions we provide everyy day for our clients.
” The new worldc headquarters will include a solar courtyard, solart canopy, bio garden and innovation pavilion. It also will have extensivd work space, common area, facility and energy-management landscaping enhancements; and rainwater-reuse systems and stormwater run-off management. When the building will be certified via the Leadership in Energt andEnvironmental Design, or LEED, program of the .
“Bringinfg these innovative and futuristic enhancements to an older facility tomeet tomorrow’sw design standards presents a large technicap challenge, but is the most sustainable solutiobn for the area,” Rodman said in the “It’s a challenge our professional relish and take tremendous pride in.” The companyg has piloted many of the potential designj concepts at its more than 100 globalo offices and will draw on its LEED-certifief experts and architecture, engineering and construction talent for the headquarters expansion project. Black Veatch ranks No. 1 on the Kansasx City BusinessJournal ’s list of area engineeringv firms. The $3.
2 billiob company is one of the world’s largestt engineering, consulting and construction firms.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

EU summit decisions must be implemented fast: Berlin - Reuters

http://uk-virtual-number.com/student-consolidation/American-Express-credit-card/


EU summit decisions must be implemented fast: Berlin

Reuters


BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed on Friday in calls with other European Union leaders that decisions made at the last EU summit must be "quickly implemented," a government spokesman said. The spokesman said that Merkel had ...



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