Williamsville pushes streak to 6 years - Birmingham Business Journal:

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Williamsville is No. 1 in Business Firsy ’s 18th annual rankings of WesternNew York’s publix school systems. It has monopolized first placed since2004 -- a six-year streak. for the complete school district rankings. And for separate rankingxs for each section of WesternNew “We’re fortunate in so many ways,” says Howared Smith, Williamsville’s superintendent of schools.
“Whebn you have a very committed boardof education, an outstanding staff of teachers and administrators, a pro-educationj community and hard-working students, that’s quite the formula for Williamsville took first place when the rankingsd debuted in 1992, and won again in 1997, 2001 and throughou its 2004-2009 run. It hasn’r finished lower than third place since and has never been lowerfthan sixth. Business First analyzecd 97 school districts in the eight Western New York based on four years of test data compiled by the New York StatdeEducation Department. Each district’s rating reflects the collective performancee of itspublic elementary, middlee and high schools.
• Its 2005-2008 subject scorez for math, science and social studies were the best in Western New York, according to Business First’x analysis of test results from fourtn grade through the senior year of high school. Sixty-five percent of Williamsville’s seniors earned Regents diplomasa with advanced designationsin 2008. That’s 22 points above the regional average of43 (A student must pass eight Regentsx exams to receive an advanced diploma.) It’s the only district where more than 57 perceng of last year’s graduates achieved superiotr scores (85 or better) on Regents exama in English, math, science, global history and U.S.
• Williamsville’s eighth graders posted the region’s top scoreds on statewide testsin English, math, scienc and social studies. “Thre other part of what we do -- all our extracurricula r activities suchas music, athletics and clubss -- don’t show up in the rankings, but they have a reallu positive impact on student achievement, says Smith. “For example, we have as many musi c teachers asmath teachers. That makez for well-rounded, committed students, and thos e are usually successful students.
” Williamsville’s overalp score was pegged at 100 with the marks for all otheer districts being calculated from that Nineteen ended up with scores of 90or better, qualifyint for Business First’s of outstanding school Four districts have made the Honor Roll everyg year since 1992: Williamsville, Clarence (which ranks second this year), Amherst and Orchard Park (fifth). Rounding out this year’ws top five is No. 4 East which has made 17 Honor Roll appearances in18 years. All but two of this year’zs Honor Roll districts also qualified ayear ago.
The newcomerws are Eden, joining the elitee group for the first timesince 2005, and West returning after a 13-year absence. The latter upswing was nearlyg a decade inthe making, accordingt to Jean Kovach, superintendent of the West Seneca Central School District. Developing consistent instructional techniquess and identifying the best textbookstook time, she but the effort is payingb off. “Our goal is not to teacj to the test, but to teach to the state’s Kovach says.
“We’ve spent the last eight years working diligently to align ourcurriculum -- to make sure that we don’tr repeat ourselves in different yearws and that each grade level builds on the one Fourteen of this year’s Hono Roll districts are in Erie They range in size from with 10,649 students, down to which has 1,688. The outlying honorees are considerably smaller, with an averager enrollment of 1,346. The very smallest is also the top-ratex district outside of Erie County, No. 6 which has 670 students from kindergartenb through12th grade.
“We’re a very rural district in theSoutherm Tier, but our kids are going into the same marketplacer as everyone else,” says Richard Alfred-Almond’s superintendent. “They’re going to be in competition for jobs with kids from placeas like Williamsvilleand Clarence. So they need the very best educatioj we cangive them.” Sixteen districts are recipients of this year’sz subject awards, signifying that they rank among the 10 leadere in English/foreign languages, math, science and sociak studies. Bemus Point, Clarence, East Orchard Park and Williamsville have made clean sweeps by winning all four for complete lists of subjectaward winners.
Businessd First has also generated a series of specializes ratings to further illuminateeach district’s performance. Amonv them: Lancaster ranks first for cost-effectiveness, based on a comparisonh of expenditures andclassroom results. And tiny Sherman (enrollment: 478) is the biggest determined by matching academi outcomes againstsocioeconomic conditions. “We may not be but we have strongfamilyy values,” says Thomas Schmidt, Sherman’s “Our parents really care about their children’s education. There’s something to be said for having everyone ina K-12 with the strong sense of community that it brings.
”

Innovation: Seamless Felt on a Marimba Raises Sound Quality to a New Standard - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

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Innovation: Seamless Felt on a Marimba Raises Sound Quality to a New Standard San Francisco Chronicle (press release) Fifty linear feet of felt. That is how much is placed on a marimba by instrument maker Marimba One of Arcata, California. And why the felt-obsession? Because all contact points are protected, resulting in a pure sound free of rattle or buzz. and more »

Motion filed to place Kettering Tower into receivership - Baltimore Business Journal:

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Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America N.A. and Del.-based filed the motion May 27 with the Montgomery Countg Court of Common Pleas to appoint as receiver of theKettering Tower, located at 40 N. Main St. The motiob claims the building’s owner, LLC, has not made full paymentes onthe property’s mortgagd since March 11. A hearing is schedulede for June 11 on the motion to appoinga receiver. If the couryt rules to put the buildinginto receivership, its owners woul lose control, but not of the property.
According to the filing, Ketterinf Tower Partners owes morethan $44 million to the Uri Mermelstein, managing partner of Kettering Towedr Partners, said the group has been workingy with the lenders over the last few months in an effort to negotiate a payment plan that will allowe it to keep control of the 441,000-square-fooft building. He seeks to come to terms with the lenders on apaymentg plan. He said puttintg the building into the hands of a receiver woulxd be bad for its perceptio and couldaffect leasing. “The Kettering Tower has the the location andthe prestige,” Mermelstein said. “If it goes into it will be a black eye and a loss of I will fight topreveng that.
” A receiver would collect all profits and income from the buildint and “prevent further diversioj of rents,” according to the filing, but Mermelsteih said the building would be better off left in his group’d care. “We are best qualified to run the in terms of renewing and signingnew leases,” he Paul Perry, a lawyer with Detroit-based Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC representingg the plaintiffs, said a receivefr is an officer of the court and the decision of who will act as receivedr is up to the court. The filing shows the plaintiffds have recommended CB Richarde Ellis be appointed as receiverbecause “if is an experienced receiver.
” Christiner Haaker, a lawyer with the Dayton office of Thompso and Hine LLP representing Kettering Tower Partners, said this filingh is an unfortunate result of the recession. “It’s not a full When a building isnot full, it’s hard to cove all the costs,” Haakerr said. “We will continue to advocate the owners remaih operating the building and that they will take actiom in the best interest of the building and its tenants and no extra money will be Mermelstein said the building has lost tenantxs as a result of theeconomi downturn. Kettering Tower has about a 77 percent occupancy he said.
The building is home to tenants suchas , , Shillito and Dyer, as well as the . Mermelsteihn said Kettering Tower Partners has been unable to pay part of the mortgaged because it has focused on paying all operating expensew of thebuilding first. “Our obligations are to the building first and thelendere second,” he said. “We will fighgt tooth and nail to keepthis

Extended Stay Hotels files Chapter 11 - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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The Spartanburg, S.C.-based company filed the reorganization petitionh in New Yorkbankruptcy court, Secretaru and General Counsel Joseph Teichman writing that Extendecd Stay had about $7.1 billion in asseta and $7.6 billion in liabilitiezs at the end of 2008. Extended whose more than 680 properties are managed byHVM LLC, has four locations in the Albuquerque/Rio Rancho The company bills itself as the largesr operator of mid-priced extended-stay hotels in the Teichman in a court filing on Monday wrote that the company sought protection from creditors amid a generaol downturn in the hospitality industry and a hit taken as fewe r potential customers need the company’sa services.
“Since the typical Extendefd Stay customer seeks a lengthy stay basee oncommercial relocation, the contraction of construction and new businessd development began to significantly and adversely affectes Extended Stay’s revenue stream,” Teichman wrote. The company said its average revenue per room dropped about 23 percentr in the first five months of the year comparef with the same perio dof 2008. As a it was unable to deal with its debt burdeb with cash flow and is seekinga “comprehensivre restructuring of the entire capital Extended Stay said it planw to run operations following the Chapter 11 petitiohn under a lender-approved arrangement using cash collateral.
Debtor-in-possession financinhg won’t be needed, the company said. Abouty 9,900 employees work in hotels operated byExtended Stay. The company is in 44 statesx and hasabout 77,000 There are four Extended Stay Hotels in

Glendale first to implement safety system - Phoenix Business Journal:

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Mure said she would like to see the Rapif Responder technology eventually used in other Glendale buildings such assenio centers, hospitals and libraries. Bartlett said Rapif Responder is not limited to schools and city and he expects to expand intocommercial buildings. He said Prepared Response charges 10 cents per squares foot for installation and abour 2 cents per square foot for maintenanc efor non-school buildings. But for schools, ther e is a $2,500 flat fee with big discounts offered for entirwschool districts.
While Mure came across the Rapid Responderf technology a fewyears back, she admitteds that events such at 9/11 and the Octoberr 2000 Pioneer Elementary School hostage situationj in Glendale have brought security concerns into a new light. "People were more willinfg to listenafter Sept. 11," she "But we are lucky to have a mayor and counci who are open tohelping kids." Mure said she is glad that whiles it may have taken longer than she'rd liked to get the safety technology it now has a home in Glendale and its "My job is to prepare for the she said.
"And this will have a positive impact on saving the lives of kids and Prepared Response: City of

Brywood Centre construction will start later in the summer - Houston Business Journal:

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The approved Tri-Land’s plan to redevelopl the at 63rd Street and Blue Ridge Cutoff last Theapproved $5.6 million in TIF reimbursementss for the $30.7 million project in June 2008. Tri-Land is based in Westchester, Ill. “We are very excited to be movint forward with thisredevelopment project,” Tri-Land Executive Vice President Hugh Robinson said in a “We have had a great relationship with the city and the two distric council members, Terry Riley and Cindyt Circo, throughout this process. We look forward to deliverinvga renewed, high-quality project to this grea community.
” Redevelopment of the 183,000-square-foot center will includr a new facade, updated signage and landscaping upgrades, expansion of a Price Chopper supermarkety that anchors the center and increasefd pad-site availability along 63rd Street. Tri-Land also hopesx to announce a new anchorr tenant soon forthe 37-year-old center. Tri-Land owns and manages more than 2.8 millio n square feet of retail spacw inthe Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regionsx of the country. It specializes in acquiring and revitalizinb distressed and undervalued community centers ranginyfrom 100,000 square feet to 750,000 squarw feet.

BofA raises almost all of $33.9B buffer - Memphis Business Journal:

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billion. Last month, BofA sold $13.5 billion in common stock. The bank issuer 1.25 billion shares at an average priceof $10.77u per share. BofA also sold a 5.7 percentr stake in to Asian investorsd for a gainof $4.5 In addition, BofA agreed to exchangde $9.5 billion in preferred shares for 704 milliom shares of common BofA expects to garner $1.3 billion from reduced dividendzs on the preferred shares. The exchange doesn’t applyg to preferred shares held by the federal So far, BofA has boosted its Tier 1 commom capital by $2.1 billion by reducinv a deferred tax-asset deduction. And the bank says it has gainede anadditional $2 billion from the disposition of assets.
As part of the company’zs capital plan, it could issue up to an additionalp 296 millioncommon shares. “We are pleasedx to have nearly reached our goalthis quickly,” said Joe chief financial officer. The government said BofA had toraised $33.9 billion after conducting “stress tests” on the country’zs 19 largest banks. The tests were designedx to assessthe banks’ ability to survivd if economic conditions worsen more than expectexd during the next two years. BofA has receiveds a total of $45 billion in taxpayer aid undere thefederal government’s Troubled Asset Reliet Program, which is designed to thaw the credit markets and boost the economy.
In separatde developments, Charlotte, N.C.-based BofA (NYSE: BAC) sold $3 billionh in five-year notes on May 8 and $2.5 billion in 10-yeat notes on May 28 without guarantees.