Retailers bank on idea of low-price guarantees - Washington Business Journal:

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But the plan will work only if largs numbers ofcustomers don’t pursue the companies’ offers, which wouldc force them to drop prices they’cd rather keep at current levels, several industryu watchers said. announced May 12 it wouldd become the latest retail chain to offer to sell products belowlistef costs, if shoppers bring in printed ads from competitors showin that the same product is sellin for a lower price there. The Minneapolis-based chain is testinb the policy in twomarkets — Denvef and Orlando — and will use thosw results to help it decide whether to take the offer nationally, spokeswoman Delia McLinden said.
Thus Target joinsd both locally managed and national chains specializingin electronics, general goodws or even fitness equipment that offer similar promises. The price-matchingb policies first began to sprintg up roughly 20years ago, but really have gained steam in the past 10 according to Ken a marketing professor at . Some might thinok it’s a bad time for the marketing approach, givem that retailers are enduringslower sales: March 2009 retai l sales were down 10.6 percent from Marchh 2008, according to the . But severalk company owners said they see this as a more appropriatr time to offersuch deals.
McLindenn said Target decided to try out the policy as part of a new marketinhg push to emphasize its low prices duringg a timeof recession. Jim Pearse, owner of Thornton-basexd chain , said maintaining such a policuy makes it easier to build custometr trust at a time when peopld tend to shoparound more. “In this economy, it’s a great servicee to the customer,” Pearse said. “Whe the competition is having a then we’re having a sale on the same … From the customer’s point of it gives them more confidence to make a But while some customers will scan ads and compar e prices of specific items, most don’t do that levelp of homework — and that’s what stores hope for, said Donalx Lichtenstein, professor and chairman of the marketing divisionn of the ’s Leede School of Business.
Instead, many shopperzs will hear that a store offerea price-matching guarantee and just assume that any businessx that would do that also would have low Lichtenstein said. And they’ll buy from that stores without noticing thatwhat they’re purchasingg might be more expensive than the same item somewherwe else. The careful shoppetr may find that some stores sell a unique producgthat can’t be compared to othere stores, Manning and Lichtenstein said. Take the home-fitnesa machines at , a 10-store Coloradoi chain based inGlenwood Springs.
HealthStyles is the only licensex Colorado dealer for several lines of meaning that no other store in the state couled advertise acomparable price, co-owner Dave Sheriftf said. Of course, some potential customers still will bring in online ads or ads from other in which case Sheriff has to make sure the listec priceincludes freight, warrantyh and delivery. But if it does, he he won’t hesitate to offer the lower price in exchange for increased loyalty fromthat buyer. “Our marginj goes down, but we know we’ve got a customer who knows us and wantd to buyfrom us,” said the exercise who founded the chain 16 years ago.
“It’s more say, the Internet group or the group out of statde canprovide them.” Other stores are alleged to have becomed too particular in their price-matching policies and begun denyin g legitimate claims. A New York for example, has filed a lawsuit against electronicschaib , arguing the company taughtg its employees how to deny validx claims, according to multiplre media reports. Best Buy officials didn’t returh messages seeking response tothe suit. Yet, in penny-pinchinvg times, shoppers actually will become more energized to compars prices and spend time to find thebest deal, Manning said.
And that coul d backfire on the stores hoping the policies alone will get customers into stores withoutresearchingh costs, he said.

Burgess: Property tax losses

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The Miami-Dade County property appraiser releasede its preliminary tax rollinformation Monday, with all four taxing jurisdictions – fire rescue, library, the unincorporated area and Miami-Dadse overall – seeing a The countywide decrease comparing preliminary tax numbers from year to year showes a 9 percent or a total of $22.55 billion.” “These lossews would have been worse if not for new constructioh that was added to the propertyh tax roll as of Jan. County Manager George Burgess said in a memo sent to county North Bay Village took thebiggest hit, down 20.2 percenyt from 2008 levels. Homestead saw an 18.2 percenty decline, followed by Normand Shores, down 17.
5 percent, and Aventur a which was down 17.3 Golden Beach and the tiny city of Islandia saw no Medley sawa 1.5 perceng drop while Biscayne Park saw a 4 percent Click for the full Staffers reviewed property tax rolls going back to 1985 and founc that 1993 saw taxable value shrink by 2.9 percent, or $1.9 billion. “Evebn in 2008, when we absorbed the impacty of doubling the homestead exemptionfrom $25,0009 to $50,000, the property tax roll was relatively Burgess explained in the “These losses in property tax roll value are unprecedented.” Burgess warned of a lot more pain on the using the last two years as a barometee of what is coming.
For the secondf consecutive year, Miami-Dade faced a $200 millio n budget gap in the lastfiscaol year. Core services were kept intact by tightening belts, but assuming the same tax rate adopted for the estimated ad valorem revenues for fiscal year 2009-10 woulds shrink by $174.1 million, accordin g to the memo. Taking into account the impac of normal inflationary growth and theeconomic slowdown, combinedc with the non ad valorem revenue sources, resultd in property tax subsidized operations facing a budgeft gap of $350 million to $400 Burgess said.
“We are working diligently to prepar e a proposed budget forFY [fiscal year] 2009-10 that to the extenrt possible, preserves essential services and minimizez service impacts to our residents,” he wrote in the memo. closing a budgetary gap of this size will requirwe some verydifficult decisions.”

NHL commissioner: Coyotes move could damage Westgate, arena construction - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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He also said it could have a chillinbg impact on other cities considering helping teams build new The Coyotes have 41 regular season home gamewseach year. Bettman and the NHL opposew theproposed $213 million sale of the team to Canadiabn businessman Jim Balsillie, who woulrd move it to Hamilton, Ontario, saying the leaguw should make the decision. A June 9 hearinbg is set in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to decides whether Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes can sell to Balsillie or if it must be sold to a buyetr who would keep the NHL franchise in The Coyotes are in Chapter 11bankruptcy reorganization.
Balsillid argues in court filings thathis $213 million will be the best deal and the court’w main charge is to get the most money to pay off debt and positiobn the team to be financially viablre going forward. The Coyotes have lost $316 milliomn since moving to the Phoenix market from Winnipetgin 1996, according to court Balsillie says NHL hockey is not financially viable in the Phoenix sports but the league points to four potential bidders for the Coyotes that woulde keep the team in Glendale. Jobing.Com Arena was built by the city of which says it will pursuea $500 million to $750 millio claim if the Coyotes breamk their 30-year lease.
Balsillie’s court filing contends the bankruptcyu court has the leeway to discharge such a The NationalFootball League, National Basketball Association and Major Leagude Baseball back the NHL’s bid to keep the Coyotes in Arizona fearinfg the move could set a precedent.

Gaming industry not immune to economic woes - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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At the of Ojibwe’s two casinos, Grandr Casino Hinkley and Grand CasinoMillde Lacs, the number of visitors is running about 4 percenft below average, and casino revenue is down roughlyt 6 percent. “The gaming as it turns out, is not recession-proof, and it’s feelingy the effects of the economic downturn just likeothed businesses,” said Tad Johnson, special counsep to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Mystic Lake Casinko Hotel could not be reached for commenrtand & Casino declined to discuss its gamingh performance. , which operates the Canterbury Park racetrackj and card room in also has been hit hard bythe recession.
Revenur at the publicly held company declinedd 20 percent in the first quarterof 2009. “Risingb unemployment, the credit crisix and financial-market volatility all contributed to reduced consumer confidence and a declinew in discretionary spending on gaming and horse racing at Canterbury as well as throughout the rest of the CEO Randy Sampson said in a Gaming revenuedeclined 4.7 percen t nationwide in 2008, according to the . That’s the firs t decline since the Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group startede releasing the figuresin 1999. Las Vegas-basecd Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., the world’ds largest casino operator, reported that its revenue declinexd 13.
3 percent in the first quarterof 2009. Revenue fell 20.5 percentg at the company’s Vegas properties, which include Caesars Paris, Rio, Bally’s, Harrah’s and Imperial Palace. Casinoe in Atlantic City, N.J. — the nation’ds second-largest casino market — also have strugglex mightily inrecent months, as they battle the recession and the growth of gaming in Revenue at Atlantic City’s 11 casinos fell 14.2 perceny in April, following a 19.4 percen t drop in March — the largestg monthly decline since gambling was legalizef there 31 years ago.

Range Resources: Production up 14% in 2Q - Dallas Business Journal:

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The Fort Worth-based oil and gas companu (NYSE: RRC) said second-quarter production exceeded the company’s guidancse of 420-425 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalenfper day, due to better than expected drilling results in the Barnett and Marcelluse Shale plays. Range said its production averaged 434 Mmcfeper day. The Barnety Shale is located across several countiez inNorth Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Marcellus Shale is locaterd insouthwestern Pennsylvania. For the Barnett production averaged 120 Mmcfe perday net. The divisiojn recently tested seven wells in Dentonb County for a combined rate of 17 Mmcfreper day.
The wells are expected to be onlinde by the endof July. Range also completedd two wells in northeastParker County, one of which recentlgy came online at 7.6 Mmcfd per day and may be the best well to date in that the company said. Range also said in a presd statement that it has now posted 26 consecutive quarters of sequentialproduction growth. It anticipates that it will achieve double-digit production growth agai nin 2009. The company said $110 million fundex the drilling of 145 wells and six recompletions during the It said it will recognize exploration expensw ofapproximately $11 including $6 million of seismic expenditures.
Givejn low natural gas prices, the company is not goinv to renew certain of its noncord BarnettShale leases, however. As a result, Rangs will recognize a one-time, noncashj expense of $22 million in the secons quarter, the company said. “Our second quarter productionj and drilling resultswere superb. Given the current low naturakl gasprice environment, Range is only spendinf capital on drilling and leasehold projects whers we are confident we are generatint attractive rates of return,” John Pinkerton, Range’s chairmaj and CEO, said in a prepared

Most Eddie Bauer stores to stay open - San Antonio Business Journal:

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The company announced that it struck an agreemenrt withNew York–based private equity firm LLC to buy Eddis Bauer’s assets, subject to an auction and bankruptcy cour approval. CCMP Capital intends to operat the business as a going concern with littlwe orno long-term debt. According to Eddi e Bauer, CCMP Capital has agreex to keep a majority of the 371 storese open and retain a majority of the CCMP Capital specializes in buyouts and lookds for investment opportunities in retail and other and have made investments in the outdoors specialty retailer Cabela’s, which sells fishing and camping gear.
Eddie Bauetr said it hopes to operate business as usualo during bankruptcy court proceedings and has asked for courf approval to continue paying vendors and workers. The company also said it intendz to honor customergift cards, returns and loyalt program points. The company also announce d that it has secured a commitment from its existingt revolvingcredit lenders, Bank of America, and /Business Credit, Inc. for so-called debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing of $90 millioj on an interim basisand $100 million based on the finalp court order. The move, the companu said, should provide it with ample cash flow to continue payingits bills.
“Eddie Bauer is a good companyy with a great brand and a badbalance sheet. This processe will allow the business to emerge with far less positioned for growth as the economy recovers and as our new productszgain traction,” said Neil Fiske, Eddie Bauer president and chier executive officer, in a statement. “We expect this proceszs to be completedvery quickly, protecting our employeexs and critical vendor partners every step of the way.
“We have made good progresa on our turnaround strategy of returning Eddies Bauer to its heritage as an active outdoor bran and have exciting new product launchesw on the wayto market, including Firsg Ascent, our return to expedition-gradr outerwear and gear. a crushing debt burden placed on the companyh from the Spiegel reorganization in 2005, combined with the prolonged recession, have left us with no choice but to use this procesd to reduce the debt load on the business.
”

Many employers lack health emergency policy - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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Mercer’s survey attempts to provide an understanding of how organizations are reacting to the sprear ofthe H1N1, or “swind flu”, virus and what plans and procedure s are being implemented. More than half of the employers surveyed were considering whether tocreate back-up and contingency plans in response to the outbreak, the surve found. Others said they planned to restrict or cancel businesz travel or allow employees to workat “With the continued increasr of reported cases of it is important for employers to develop a plan for dealing with the myriad HR issues that can arisew in the event of a pandemic or otheer health care emergency,” Danielle Dorling, a consultant in Mercer’zs HR effectiveness consulting business said in a “In particular, organizations with a globak work force and decentralized HR units need to have a coherenyt procedure in place for e mployee care in the evenft of a health emergency.
” Mercer’s survey, whicb includes more than 400 mid-size and large organization worldwide, was conducted from April 30 to May 11 and includea responses from employers located in the US, Australia/Nea Zealand, Canada, Mexico, the Hong Kong, Brazil, Vietnam, Switzerland, Argentina, South Korea, Singapore, the Russian Federation, the Philippineds and Belgium.

McCarthy growing, moving to new office - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The St. Louis-based general contractodr will expand its Dallas regional office space by 50 percent when it moveeinto 16,000 square feet in Coit Centrakl Tower later this month. The companyu will exit 10,000 square feet in moving 41 employees to thenew location, whicbh will serve as the company’as Texas headquarters. The firm is probably best knowm in North Texas as the general contractoer for thenew $185 million Blue Crose and Blue Shield of Texas headquarters campus undere construction in Richardson.
That project is scheduledr for completion by Butfour big-ticket Texas jobs scheduled to start late this summer will boost the company’s workload for the next coupl of years, said McCarthy’s Texas Division Presidentg Mike McWay. The projects are a $40 million replacemen building for the DallasCountrgy Club, a $31 million ground-up construction of the Dallas City Performances Hall, a $46 million water treatment plant for the City of Fort Wortu and a $100 million expansion of Midlanc Memorial Hospital in West Texas, McWayh said.
“It’s hard to be bullish in this McWay said, “but we’re trying to stay true to our We very much understand the challengexs in themarketplace — there’s increased competitiobn and fewer projects. Most firms are backing up, but our goalz are set around continuinv togrow (revenue) at about 10 perceny this year and, so far, we’re on The company’s Texas division had revenu e of about $350 million in 2008, an increasw of at least 10 percent. St.
Louis-based McCarthy, an employee-owned company, is the nation’d 10th largest domestic general contractor, according to trad publicationEngineering News-Record, and one of the nation’ oldest privately held construction McCarthy offers general contracting, construction management and design/build services for the following project types: health educational, office buildings, bridges and highways, laboratory, entertainment, retail, microelectronic, industrial facilities, tenant interiors, parkinv structures, mixed-use and multifamily residential.

ESPN Zone closes doors in Denver - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The ESPN Zone, part of a nationwided chain of what used to be nine ofthe sports-themed bar and interactive game centers across the laid off roughly 100 employees, givingv each a 60-day administrative leave package, according to a companh statement. Rick Allesandri, an ESPN vice presidentt who overseesZone operations, said in the statement that the restaurangt could not survive the recession. This economicf downturn has been marked nationally by reduceds consumer spending on eatingy out and onentertainment activities. “A decision like this is neverf easy. We recognize and appreciate the commitment and yearas of service of all ofthese employees,” Allesandrij said.
“Unfortunately, the current economic environmentr offered us noother choice.” The ESPN Zone was a 23,000-square-foot meetinb place for sports fanatics, with one room featurinfg more than a dozen large televisions tuned into contests of all kind and anotherd full of video and sportes games ranging from basketball to None of the eight other ESPN Zone locationds will be closed, as all “ars meeting our expectations,” said Matt a spokesmen for the chain. , whicu owns the Tabor Center, issued a statement saying itwas “sorry to hear of theie decision to discontinue their Denver operations.
” But the closinhg of ESPN Zone “has created a new opportunity for us to brintg new concepts to 16th Street,” it said. One of thos new concepts is TheTilted Kilt, a Celtic-themed restaurantg and sports bar with 20 locations operating nationwide and another 10 planned. The which is expected to open its Denver location this fall and to offee outdoorpatio seating, has signed an 8,300-square-foot lease at Tabor Center, according to a news The Tilted Kilt began in Las Vegas in 2003 and is notedf for its servers dressesd in knee-high socks, short plaid kilts and midriff-bariny plaid halter tops.
It will be one of a number of new tenants opening in the Tabor Centerthis “These new additions to Tabor Center’sa retail offering reflect our continuing effortxs to enhance the services and amenities for the tenants, customers and visitors to the Tabotr Center,” said Steve Budorick, executive vice president and partner at Callahan Capital Partners.

Hugo Chavez respiratory infection causing 'severe' problems - Telegraph.co.uk

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Globe and Mail

Hugo Chavez respiratory infection causing 'severe' problems Telegraph.co.uk Hugo Chavez respiratory infection causing 'severe' problems. Hugo Chavez is suffering breathing difficulties caused by a severe lung infection, according to the Venezuelan government. 560. 315. TelegraphPlayer_9780883 ... Hugo Chavez 9;s health crisis worsens from lung infection CBS News  »

New company gets a barge out of it - Portland Business Journal:

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Portland-based and Clackamas-based formed the company last year in hopes of capturing a sliver ofthe nation's boomingg barge business. It worked. Thanks to a robust the company has orders for five including a contract to buildd a crane barge for the Oakland BayBridge project. The company declined to share revenue but such barges can cost anywherewfrom $8 million to $15 million Employment has also exceeded expectations. The company expected to hire 100 workers. It's on the verge of hiring its "It's a perfect storm," said Chandrwa Brown, an Oregon Iron Works vice "There's huge demand.
" Record-higbh fuel prices have driven many companies to explorse barge shipping as a cheaper alternative to rail and highway Federal regulations that require the phaseourof single-hulled barges have also beefed up the Same with the fierce 2005 hurricane season, which knockecd barge production off-line in the gulf and shifted business to companiews like U.S. Barge and Portland's otherr barge builders: The Greenbrier Cos.' Gundersonn Marine division andZidell Marine. Busineszs could get even better. Cargo volumes are expected to doubl eat U.S. container ports by 2020, according to the U.S.
Department of As a result, the agency has asked Congresas for additional funding for improvingthe nation's "marine highway" as a reliegf valve. "It's a good market right said Allen Walker, president of . "And Portland is a smalol hotbed ofbarge construction." U.S. Barges has been able to capitalize on severalpunique assets, including the Portland Shipyard, whicyh Vigor, through its subsidiary Cascade General, purchase d from the Port of Portland in 2001 for $30. million. The 57-acre site is in an ideak location for barge construction because of its locatio n on the tip ofSwan Island.
"W had the infrastructure in place," said Alan a Vigor vice president. Both Vigor and Oregoh Iron Works had significany experience inmarine construction. Workersd have been repairing and refurbishinh military vessels and ferries at the shipyardrfor decades. Vigor's subsidiaries include Cascade General, Washingtonm Marine Repair and Vigor Marine and employg morethan 500. The 400-employee Oregon Iron Works is also an experiencedf marine contractor that has designed and built boates forthe military. The new companyu spent roughly $8 million on equipment to get the venturde offthe ground, including a 600-ton gantry crane.
It also spent $1 million on threde World War II-era dry docks that will be used to launcnh thecompleted barges. Some may remembere the controversy around the sale of the It suffered through a string of lossez beforethe sale, making a profit only threew times in the decade before it changedf hands. Shortly after the sale, Vigoe sold Dry Dock 4, the shipyard's largesr dry dock, for more than $25 milliob to a shipyard in the leaving the new owner with 57 prime waterfrongt acres for a little morethan $6 million. Many Portlanderx bemoaned the sale, saying the dry dock createf thousandsof well-paying jobs.
Vigor CEO Franj Foti defended the sale at the saying it would allow the compant to stay afloat by payingoff creditors.

Apache Delivers Cassandra 1.2 NoSQL Database - eWeek

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eWeek

Apache Delivers Cassandra 1.2 NoSQL Database eWeek The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), the steward for nearly 150 key open source projects and initiatives, has announced Apache Cassandra 1.2, the latest version of the scalable, fault-tolerant, big data distributed database. Highlights for the second ... Cassandra 1.2 arrives as foret old The H  »