“Banks help lift stocks - MSN Money” plus 4 more

Banks help lift stocks - MSN Money
Community Corner: Bloomer community garden feeding hungry - Chippewa Herald
Ledford follows Madison notables in rise to new post - Asheville Citizen-Times
URDANG Hires Real Estate Debt Team From Capmark Investments LP and Is ... - Biloxi Sun Herald
Oil Falls Below $69 on Recovery - CNBC

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 06:44 AM PDT

Elizabeth Strott Updated at 10:10 a.m. ET

The service sector had its best month in September since May 2008, according to the Institute for Supply Management.

The ISM's index of nonmanufacturing businesses came in at a reading of 50.9 this morning, higher than the expected reading of 50 and up from 48. in August. It was the first rise after 11 straight declines.

Fifty is the dividing line between expansion and contraction. The service sector makes up about 90% of the economy.

Stocks were modestly higher this morning. At 10:10 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) was up 32 points to 9,520. The Nasdaq Composite Index ($COMPX) had added 10 points to 2,058, and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ($INX) had gained 6 points to 1,031.

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Community Corner: Bloomer community garden feeding hungry - Chippewa Herald

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 06:23 AM PDT

Community Corner: Bloomer community garden feeding hungry

No comments posted.

By CANDICE WHITE
candice.white@lee.net
Monday, October 5, 2009 8:24 AM CDT

Efforts from members of the Bloomer community are now providing fresh produce to those in need.

This spring, Luther Midelfort Chippewa Valley provided the land to plant a 10-by-40 garden plot on the hospital property along Duncan Road by Lakeview Apartments. The Bloomer High School FFA helped till and plant the garden with squash, cucumbers and tomatoes.

The gardens bring gardeners and non-gardeners together to share ideas and the fun of gardening. Over the summer, Bloomer Women's Club representatives, Lakeview Apartment residents and community members John and Deanna Caterer all helped keep the garden watered and weeded.

The garden is now being harvested and produce given to the Bloomer Food Pantry for distribution.

"We are excited to be able to provide land for the community garden and are fortunate to have a partnership with the Bloomer Food Pantry and community members in order to help promote eating healthier," said Ed Wittrock, Vice President of Luther Midelfort Chippewa Valley.

Plans for 2010 include working with the UW-Extension Office and expanding the garden area on the Luther Midelfort Chippewa Valley lawn along Duncan Road to offer individual community garden plots to the Bloomer community. Ten 10-by-20 garden plots will be available for the 2010 growing season.

Current plans include offering the garden plots for a $20 fee which will be donated to the Bloomer Food Pantry. Plots will be designated to individuals or families residing in the Bloomer area and Luther Midelfort Chippewa Valley employees on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This past summer, community gardens were also started in Chippewa Falls and New Auburn. UW-Extension, the city of Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Valley Master Gardeners, St. Jude's Church and local residents in each community helped start the community garden projects.

The Chippewa Falls and New Auburn projects rented 12-by-24 plots to those interested for $25 and $10 per plot, respectively. A total of 59 garden plots were available in these two gardens.

If interested in getting involved with the Bloomer Community Garden project or registering for a plot for 2010, applications can be found at the Bloomer Public Library, Bloomer Chamber of Commerce, People's State Bank, M&I Bank and Bank Mutual in Bloomer, or contact the Chippewa County UW-Extension Office at (715) 726-7950.

UW-EC workshops for kids

Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) offers two-hour, interactive workshops led by dynamic UW-Eau Claire faculty on the second Saturday of the month October through December and February thrugh May.

Workshops will bring science and math to life for fourth through eighth grade students through experiments, demonstrations and hands-on activities. Different topics are offered each month. Students can see firsthand how scientists help us understand and shape the world around us.

All workshops will be held in Phillips Hall on the UW-Eau Claire campus. Parents are welcome to stay and learn along with their children.

For more information contact Libby Thurston at (715) 836-3365.

Yarn donations will bring comfort

Inmates at the Chippewa Valley Correctional Treatment Facility could use your spare yarn to continue crocheting items which comfort those in need. They recently donated some homemade items to the Harmony House as part of their Hobby Project Program.

They made clowns, stuffed animals, blankets, scarves, hats, pot holders, slippers and baby slippers.

In addition to the various crocheted items, CVCTF held a food drive to benefit Agnes Table (Chippewa community table) and Harmony House, the first emergency shelter house in Chippewa County.

Barrels were place at the Chippewa area grocers July 22 through Aug. 4. CVCTF Inmates assisted with collecting the food and barrels at the end of the food drive. The food was taken to Starting Points to be stored until Harmony House opens.

Bring old yarn to the CVCTF lobby at 2909 East Park Ave., Chippewa Falls.

Become a Red Cross team member

Learn how to become an American Red Cross Disaster Action Team member at an informational meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 at the Ladysmith Senior Center, 825 E. 3rd Street N., Ladysmith.

Anyone interested in the Red Cross and all of its volunteer opportunities are encouraged to attend. For more information contact the Western Wisconsin Chapter Headquarters in Altoona at chapter@redcrossww.org or (800) 261-4182.

Wonderland on the River planned

The Partners of St. Joseph's Hospital will present "Wonderland on the River," a fundraising luncheon, raffle and fashion show to support the hospital's Emergency Service Area renovation and expansion project. The event is set for Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Lake Wissota Golf Course in Chippewa Falls.

Wonderland on the River will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with a tour of 30 theme tables uniquely decorated by local designers. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m., with a fashion show to follow.

Partners members will model apparel from area businesses. A raffle for prizes, including jewelry, quilts, centerpieces and dishes, will also take place at the event.

Tickets cost $40 and go on sale on Wednesday, Oct. 28 in the hospital gift shop.

Approximately five table design opportunities are still available. Anyone interested in decorating a five-foot round table with seating for eight can contact Dawn Bye or Laura Baalrud in Volunteer Services at (715) 726-3439.

There is no cost to decorate a table, and designers will be offered a chance to purchase their tickets in advance of the Oct. 28 sale date.

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Ledford follows Madison notables in rise to new post - Asheville Citizen-Times

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 06:08 AM PDT

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John is someone who I trust, once we get over this court process, will be able to enforce the state laws with vigor, he said. He is passionate about the need to ban these machines and he has seen the tragedy that has come to families from addiction.

Madison Co. power

Ledford said it was too early to discuss any changes at ALE, where he will be making $109,355 a year.

In Madison County, he increased the size of the sheriff's office from six full-time deputies to 20 today. His pay also increased to $60,400 a year.

Ledford is the latest in a long line of Madison County Democrats to rise to power in North Carolina government.

And he has supported other powerful Democrats over the years, including donations to former Gov. Mike Easley and Gov. Bev Perdue.

Since 1998, he has donated $7,450 to statewide candidates, according to campaign finance reports maintained by the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, a group that tracks the role of money in state politics, said Ledford's donations aren't large enough to raise flags.

I don't think that is what qualified him for the job, he said. From what I understand of him, he is a person of integrity with a background in law enforcement.

Ledford, in taking his new post, will join the ranks of people like Madison County native Wayne McDevitt, who was Gov. Jim Hunt's chief-of-staff and before that served as secretary of the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Madison attorney Larry Leake is the chairman of the state Board of Elections.

Rapp is quickly making a name for himself in the General Assembly. He was key to getting flood relief for WNC after the storms of 2004 and has taken on powerful gambling operators and land developers with steep-slope legislation.

The late Liston Ramsey, with 19 terms in the House and four as speaker, was one of the most powerful men in the state.

Ledford said moving up is not something he has had time to consider.

I tend to try to live one day at a time, he said. I am honored to be in this position. I appreciate Gov. Perdue giving me this opportunity. I know a lot of people are going to be looking and watching.

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URDANG Hires Real Estate Debt Team From Capmark Investments LP and Is ... - Biloxi Sun Herald

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 06:08 AM PDT

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PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- URDANG, the real estate investment subsidiary for BNY Mellon Asset Management, has created a new real estate debt strategy group by hiring eight team members from Capmark Investments LP, and has been named as a nondiscretionary sub-advisor to Capmark Investments LP for Capmark Structured Real Estate Partners, LP and Capmark VII-CRE, Ltd. Capmark Structured Real Estate Partners, LP and Capmark VII-CRE, Ltd. were both formed in 2006 and originally capitalized with $1.1 billion and $1.0 billion of institutional investor commitments, respectively.

"The formation of a new real estate debt strategy group within URDANG complements our focus on private-market and publicly-listed equity investments in real estate," said E. Todd Briddell, chief investment officer and managing director of Urdang Capital Management, Inc. "In addition to the opportunity to service Capmark Investments, we believe that the persistence of tough credit conditions within real estate capital markets makes now the ideal time to strengthen and grow our real estate investment business. We see attractive opportunities for Urdang's clients to purchase and originate commercial mortgages and structured credit instruments."

Notes to Editors:

Founded in 1987 with an exclusive focus on institutional investment grade real estate, URDANG offers a variety of strategies and products, managing approximately $1.5 billion in public real estate securities through URDANG Securities Management, Inc. and $2.5 billion in gross private real estate investments through URDANG Capital Management, Inc. for institutional investors and high net worth individuals throughout global markets and across public and private capital sectors. URDANG's research-driven process combines top down economic analysis and market/country selection with bottom up underwriting of properties, companies and management teams to seek high, risk-adjusted returns. It is one of the investment boutiques of BNY Mellon Asset Management.

BNY Mellon Asset Management is the umbrella organization for BNY Mellon's affiliated investment management firms and global distribution companies.

BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. BNY Mellon is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 34 countries and serving more than 100 markets. The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has $20.7 trillion in assets under custody and administration, $926 billion in assets under management, services $11.8 trillion in outstanding debt, and processes global payments averaging $1.8 trillion per day. Additional information is available at bnymellon.com.

All information source BNY Mellon Asset Management as of June 30, 2009, except where noted. This press release is issued by BNY Mellon Asset Management to members of the financial press and media and the information contained herein should not be construed as investment advice. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

SOURCE BNY Mellon

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Oil Falls Below $69 on Recovery - CNBC

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 06:08 AM PDT

Oil fell to below $69 a barrel on Monday, extending the previous session's drop, pressured by jitters over the pace of U.S. economic recovery and easing concerns about Iran and Nigeria.

The fall added to Friday's drop of more than 1 percent, which took place as doubts over a recovery resurfaced after data showed U.S. employers cut 263,000 jobs in September and the employment rate had soared.

"With U.S. macro numbers taking a turn for the worst, the path of least resistance in a variety of energy complexes will be lower over the coming weeks," said Edward Meir, analyst at MF Global.

"Along with energy's uninspiring fundamentals, the complex has to also keep a wary eye on a faltering U.S. equity market and the fact that two key geopolitical "props" -- Iran and Nigeria -- seem to be fading in terms of importance."

U.S. crude for November slipped [US@CL.1 Loading... () ]. The contract settled down 87 cents at $69.95 a barrel on Friday. London Brent fell [GB@IB.1 Loading... () ].

The dollar was steady against a basket of currencies and European equities edged higher. A weaker dollar can boost investor demand for oil and other commodities.

"For now, the support on oil is coming more from the continued pressure applied on the dollar index than from the global economic data or from recent oil fundamental data points," Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix said.

"We started last week with the need to price some geopolitical premium for Iran and Nigeria. We start this week with the need to take that geopolitical premium off."

Rebel Disarms

Oil gained nearly 6 percent last week, bolstered by a surprise drop in U.S. gasoline inventories as well as tensions between major oil exporter Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear work.

Still, prices are likely to lose some support after Iran and the U.S. described recent talks as productive and with Iran allowing United Nations inspectors into a uranium enrichment plant.

In a further easing of tension, the last prominent Nigerian militant leader agreed to halt fighting in the oil-producing Niger Delta and surrendered his weapons on Sunday.

Attention will focus later on the U.S. Institute for Supply Management services index due at 9:00 am New York time. The service sector is thought to have been on the verge of growth in September after 11 months of contraction.

For Investors:

Oil hit a 2009 high of $75.00 in August and has rallied 55 percent so far this year.

It hit a record high above $147 in July 2008, only to collapse in the following months as the economic crisis eroded demand.

Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said in a report oil may rise above $100 next year without policy action to curb demand or an unexpected supply boost, supported by continued "loose" monetary policy in developed economies.