UPDATE MONDAY JUNE 14, 2010: ON MONDAY JUNE 14, 2010, BPRF DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING TO CRIS, CU AND SL.

June 14, 2010

To all:

BPRF withdraws the proposed Amendment No. 1 of even date herewith whereby BPRF would broadcast during the 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. time slot and SL would broadcast during the 3:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. time slot.

BPRF accepts the SL offer made in an email of June 13, 2010 for BPRF to have the 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight time slot and SL would have the 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon time slot.
POSTED BY WCRX-LP EDITORIAL COLLECTIVE AT 7:59 AM 0 COMMENTS
LABELS: 102.1 FM, BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO, BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO. WCRX-LP, SIMPLY LIVING, TIMESHARE




AMENDMENT NO. 1
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
(UNIVERSAL TIMESHARE AGREEMENT)
IN RESPONSE TO SL EMAIL DATED JUNE 13, 2010

In response to the SL Email dated June 13, 2010, this Amendment No. 1 to the Settlement Agreement (Universal Timeshare Agreement) is made as of the 20th day of June, 2010 by and among Bexley Public Radio Foundation, Community Refugee and Immigration Services, Capital University, Groveport Madison Local School District and Simply Living (hereinafter, singularly, “Signatory,” collectively, the “Signatories”).

WHEREAs, Each of the Signatories to this Amendment No. 1 is also a party to the Settlement Agreement dated October 29, 2003 and each of the Signatories agreed to the certain and definite allocation of broadcast time on FM Channel 271 that was made in the Settlement Agreement;

WHEREAS, The allocation of time in the Settlement Agreement was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (hereinafter “Commission”);

WHEREAS, Signatory Bexley Public Radio and Signatory Simply Living have been granted licenses to cover by the Commission and are presently broadcasting respectively as WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM and WCRS-LP, 102.1 FM.
WHEREAS, Bexley Public Radio is broadcasting during the time period granted to it in the Settlement Agreement.
WHEREAS, Signatory Simply Living is broadcasting in the time periods granted to it in the Settlement Agreement. Simply Living has stopped broadcasting during time periods allocated to Signatory Groveport Madison Local School District and Signatory Community Refugee and Immigration Services in the Settlement Agreement.
WHEREAS, Signatory Bexley Public Radio Foundation has not agreed to any broadcasts by Signatory Simply Living during the time periods allocated to Signatory Groveport Madison Local School District and Signatory Community Refugee and Immigration Services.
WHEREAS, Construction permits awarded by the Commission to Groveport Madison Local School District and Community Refugee and Immigration Services have expired and are non-renewable;

WHEREAS, The application for a construction permit of Capital University has expired and is nonrenewable;

WHEREAS, The public interest will best and most fully be served by grant of this Amendment No. 1 because such grant will conserve the resources of the Commission and of the Signatories and bring about radio broadcast during additional time periods;

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the terms and conditions set forth herein, and with the intent of being legally bound hereby, the Signatories agree to the following Amendment No. 1:

The existing text of numbered section 6 and numbered section 7 of Article II are deleted and replaced with the following text:

6. Hours of Operation. The Applicants hereby request that the Commission grant each Application subject to the following hours of operation:

Weekdays (M-F)

12:00 p.m. noon to 12:00 a.m. midnight Bexley Public Radio Foundation

12:00 a.m. midnight to 12:00 p.m. noon Simply Living

Weekends (Sa & Su)

12:00 p.m. noon to 12:00 a.m. midnight Bexley Public Radio Foundation

12:00 a.m. midnight to 12:00 p.m. noon Simply Living

7. Minimal Operating Schedule. The hours of operation proposed in this Agreement comply with Section 73.872(b) and Section 73.872(c) of the Commission’s Rules by allowing each Applicant the following number of operating hours per week:

In accordance with Section 73.872(b)(2) of the Commission Rules, Bexley Public Radio and Simply Living pledge that their total operating hours each day as a minimum operating schedule will be a combined total of 12 hours.

In accordance with Section 73.872(c) (1) (ii) and (iii) of the Commission Rules, Bexley Public Radio Foundation and Simply Living acknowledge that they will not permit simultaneous operation and that they will each operate at a minimum of 10 hours each week during the periods listed herein:


Bexley Public Radio Foundation: 10 hours /week at a minimum
Simply Living: 10 hours/week at a minimum


Except as stated herein, no other changes are made to the existing text of the Settlement Agreement (Universal Timeshare Agreement).


In Witness Whereof, this Amendment No. 1 to the Settlement Agreement is hereby executed as of the date first above written:


BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO FOUNDATION

By:__________________________________
Name:_______________________________
Title:________________________________

CAPITAL UNIVERSITY

By:_________________________________
Name:_______________________________
Title:________________________________

COMMUNITY REFUGEE AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES

By:_________________________________
Name:______________________________
Title:_______________________________


GROVEPORT MADISON LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

By:__________________________________
Name:________________________________
Title:_________________________________


SIMPLY LIVING

By:_________________________________
Name:_______________________________
Title:________________________________

Laura Franks Dividend Note No. 26 for Bexley Public Radio.

This is my Dividend Note No. 26 as of June 25, 2010.

These are twenty-nine companies that increased their dividends during the first three weeks of June. Most are American companies. Three of the companies are involved in interesting lines of business: VSE Corporation is a governmental contractor and American Wind and Solar, Inc. is a green energy company. DuPont Fabros Technology is an real estate investment trust that operates secure data centers for web operations of businesses.

ACE Limited
American Eagle Outfitters Inc.
American Wind and Solar
Annaly Capital Management Inc.
Canadian Energy Services & Technology Corp.
Casey’s General Stores, Inc.
Caterpillar
Colony Financial Corp.
Cousins Properties Incorporated
C R Bard, Inc.
Del Monte Foods
DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc.
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
FedEx Corp.
Greif, Inc.
HEICO Corporation
HRPT Properties Trust
MKS Inc.
National Fuel Gas Company
Oil-Dri Corporation of America
Quanex Buildings Products Corporation
RLI Corp.
Rockwell Automation
Ryanair Holdings, PLC
Target Corporation
Triangle Capital Corporation
Universal Health Realty Income Trust
Viacom Inc.
VSE Corporation


ACE Limited (NYSE: ACE) May 24, 2010, Hamilton, Bermuda

The board of directors of ACE Limited (ACE) announced a 6.5% increase in the quarterly dividend as a part of the company’s consistent effort to enhance shareholder value.

ACE will now pay a quarterly dividend of 33 cents ($1.32 on an annualized basis), up from 31 cents ($1.24 on an annualized basis) paid on April 12, 2010. The increased dividend will be paid on August 17, 2010, to shareholders of record as of July 27, 2010.

The company intends to distribute the dollar-denominated dividend via par value reduction in four installments, thereby adjusting the amount of each quarterly dividend in Swiss francs (CHF) up or down to equal $0.33 at the time of payment, subject to an aggregate cap for the four installments of CHF 2.16.

The par value of the company is currently CHF 31.55 per share. The par value of a share will be reduced concurrent to dividend installment by the CHF equivalent of $0.33 based on the USD/CHF rate published on July 22, 2010.

The board of directors of ACE decided that the first installment of the increased dividend will be made by the company’s transfer agent in U.S. dollars (USD) subject to a required filing with the Swiss Commercial Register.

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) June 9, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA raised its quarterly dividend 10%, to 11 cents a share, saying the increase reflects its strong cash generation and commitment to enhancing shareholder value.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. offers on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products. It operates under the American Eagle (AE), aerie by American Eagle, 77kids by american eagle and MARTIN+OSA (M+O) brands. As of January 30, 2010, it operated 938 American Eagle Outfitters stores in the United States and Canada, 137 aerie stand-alone stores and 28 MARTIN+OSA stores. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, the Company operated in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. During fiscal 2009, it opened 29 stores, consisting of eight United States AE stores and 21 aerie stores, including two Canadian aerie stores.

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE: NLY) June 17, 2010, New York, NY, declared the second quarter 2010 common stock cash dividend of $0.68 per common share, or $2.72 annualized. The dividend is a 4.6% increase over the previous rate of $0.65.

This dividend is payable July 29, 2010 to common shareholders of record on June 29, 2010. The ex-dividend date is June 25, 2010.

Yield on the dividend is 15.2%.

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. owns, manages and finances a portfolio of real estate related investment securities, including mortgage pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), agency callable debentures, and other securities representing interests in the obligations backed by pools of mortgage loans. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries offer real estate, asset management and other financial services. Fixed Income Discount Advisory Company (FIDAC) and Merganser Capital Management, Inc. (Merganser) manage a number of investment vehicles and separate accounts for which they earn fee income. The Company’s subsidiary, RCap Securities Inc. (RCap) operates as a broker-dealer.

Atlantic Wind & Solar Inc. (PINKSHEETS: AWSL) June 1, 2010 Toronto, Canada announced that its board has approved a Non-Transferable, Restricted stock dividend.

AWSL shareholders of record on July 6th, 2010 will receive 1 (One) Restricted Non-Transferable Common share for every 4 (Four) shares held.

Canadian Energy Services & Technology Corp. (TSE: CEU) June 16, 2010, Calgary, Alberta, Canada announced today that it will pay a cash dividend of $0.08 per common share on July 15, 2010 to the shareholders of record at the close of business on June 30, 2010, representing an increased dividend of $0.02 per common share to the monthly dividend.

The company designs and implements drilling fluid systems for the oil and natural gas industry in western Canada and in the United States through its subsidiary AES Drilling Fluids, LLC.

Casey's General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: CASY) June 15, 2010 Ankeny, IA reported $0.43 in basic earnings per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 ended April 30, 2010, compared to $0.31 from the same quarter a year ago. The results include approximately $6.9 million in legal and advisory fees pertaining to the evaluation of the unsolicited offer and related actions by Alimentation Couche-Tard. Without the effect of those fees, basic earnings per share would have been approximately $0.51 for the quarter compared to the Reuters consensus estimate of $0.40. For the year, basic earnings per share finished at $2.30, an increase of over 36% compared to the prior year's $1.69.

"Fiscal 2010 was a monumental year for Casey's General Stores," said President and CEO Robert J. Myers. "Not only did we surpass 1,500 stores, but we also beat our previous best year by $0.61 per share. We are very pleased with our overall performance, as we turned in record results in the midst of the challenging economic environment during the 12 month period. Furthermore, we expect our strong performance to continue in fiscal 2011."

At its June meeting, the Board of Directors increased the quarterly dividend to $0.10 per share. The dividend is payable August 16, 2010 to shareholders of record on August 2, 2010.

Caterpillar Inc (NYSE: CAT) June 9, 2010, Peoria, IL authorized a 2-cent, or 4.8%, increase to its quarterly dividend payment. Caterpillar Inc. said that its board of directors has voted to raise the company's quarterly dividend by 5 percent, as the world's largest maker of construction and mining equipment continues to benefit from the global economic recovery.

Caterpillar said the dividend hike reflects improvement in the company's balance sheet and cash flow in 2009, as the U.S. and other nations pulled out of the economic recession.

The increase lifts Caterpillar's quarterly payout by 2 cents to 44 cents. It will be payable Aug. 20 to shareholders of record at the close of business July 20.

Caterpillar Inc. (Caterpillar) provides construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. The Company operates primarily through three lines of business: Machinery, Engines and Financial Products. Machinery includes the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of construction, mining and forestry machinery. Engines line of business includes the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, locomotives, marine, petroleum, construction, industrial, agricultural and other applications and related parts. Financial Products line of business consists primarily of Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (Cat Financial), Caterpillar Insurance Holdings, Inc. (Cat Insurance) and their respective subsidiaries.

Colony Financial, Inc. (NYSE: CLNY) June 16, 2010, Los Angeles, CA, announced a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per common share for the second quarter of 2010. The dividend will be paid on July 15, 2010, to stockholders of record on June 30, 2010.

This dividend is an increase from the $0.16 dividend paid in the first quarter.

Colony Financial is a real estate finance and investment company that is focused primarily on acquiring and originating commercial real estate loans and real estate-related debt at attractive risk-adjusted returns. Secondary debt purchases may include performing, sub-performing or non-performing loans (including loan-to-own strategies). Colony Financial intends to elect and qualify to be taxed as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) June 15, 2010, Atlanta, GA announced the results of the shareholders' elections relating to Cousins' second quarter common stock dividend of $0.09 per share declared by its Board of Directors on April 15, 2010.

The dividend will consist of approximately $3.0 million in cash and 866,000 shares of common stock. The amount of cash elected to be received was greater than the cash limit of 33.34% of the total value of the dividend, or approximately $3.0 million, and therefore shareholders who elected to receive all cash will receive a combination of cash and stock. The number of shares included in the dividend is calculated based on the $6.98 average closing price per share of Cousins' common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 7, 8 and 9, 2010. The dividend of $0.09 per share will be paid as follows:

to shareholders electing to receive the dividend in all stock, Cousins will pay the entire dividend in common stock;
to shareholders either electing to receive the dividend in all cash or failing to make an election, Cousins will pay the dividend in the form of $0.0389 per share in cash and $0.0511 per share in common stock; and
Cousins will pay fractional shares in cash.

Cousins Properties Incorporated is a diversified real estate company with extensive experience in development, acquisition, financing, management and leasing. Based in Atlanta, the Company invests in office, multi-family, retail and land development projects. Since its founding in 1958, Cousins has developed 20 million square feet of office space, 20 million square feet of retail space, more than 3,500 multi-family units and more than 60 single-family neighborhoods.

C.R. Bard Inc. (NYSE: BCR) June 9, 2010, San Francisco announced that its board raised the quarterly dividend and authorized a new stock buyback program. The medical device maker raised the dividend 6% to 18 cents a share. The dividend is payable Aug. 6 to shareholders of record as of July 26. Bard's also authorized a $500 million share buyback program.

C. R. Bard, Inc. (Bard) is engaged in the design, manufacture, packaging, distribution and sale of medical, surgical, diagnostic and patient care devices. The Company sells a range of products worldwide to hospitals, individual healthcare professionals, extended care facilities and alternate site facilities. Bard has four product group categories: vascular, urology, oncology and surgical specialties. On November 18, 2009, the Company acquired Y-Med, Inc. (Y-Med), a company focused on the development and manufacture of specialty percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) catheters. On June 15, 2009, the Company acquired worldwide rights and related assets of the hernia products business of Brennen Medical, LLC.

Del Monte Foods (NYSE: DLM), June 10, 2010, San Francisco, CA announced today an 80% increase in its quarterly dividend and the authorization of a $350 million stock repurchase program.

"Based on Del Monte's higher level of performance and confidence in our future, we have substantially increased our quarterly dividend and authorized a significant stock repurchase program," said Richard G. Wolford, Chairman and CEO of Del Monte Foods Company. "Importantly, we are able to do this while achieving our leverage targets and continuing to invest in our business, consistent with our growth strategy. We are returning cash and incremental value to shareholders based on our strong results, the cash flow we consistently generate, and the overall strength of the Company."

Increases Quarterly Dividend 80%

Del Monte's Board of Directors has approved an 80% increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.05 to $0.09 per common share. The dividend is payable on August 5, 2010 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on July 22, 2010.

The Company expects quarterly dividends to continue to be paid during the first week of February, May, August and November and anticipates a total annual dividend of $0.36 per common share. The aggregate quarterly dividend is expected to be approximately $18 million based on the number of outstanding common shares as of fiscal 2010 year-end. However, the actual declaration of future cash dividends, and the establishment of record and payment dates, will be subject to final determination by the Board of Directors each quarter, after its review of the Company's then-current strategy, applicable debt covenants and financial performance and position, among other things.

This increase in the dividend follows Del Monte's 25% increase in the quarterly dividend announced in June 2009.

Del Monte Foods Company is a producer, distributor and marketer of branded food and pet products for the United States retail market. The Company operates in two segments: Consumer Products and Pet Products. The Consumer Products segment includes the Consumer Products operating segment, which manufactures, markets and sells branded and private label shelf-stable products, including fruit, vegetable, tomato and broth products. The Pet Products segment includes the Pet Products operating segment, which manufactures, markets and sells branded and private label dry and wet pet food and pet snacks. On October 6, 2008, Del Monte Corporation (DMC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, sold Galapesca S.A., Panapesca Fishing, Inc. and Marine Trading Pacific, Inc. to Starkist Co.

DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc. (NYSE: DFT) Washinngton, D.C. announced that the company's Board of Directors has authorized and declared a cash dividend of $0.12 per share on the Company's common stock for the second quarter 2010. This represents an increase of $0.04 per share, or 50 percent, over the Company’s previous quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share. The dividend will be paid on July 9, 2010 to shareholders of record as of June 29, 2010.

“As a result of our continuing strong leasing and financial performance, we are increasing the quarterly common stock dividend in anticipation of increased REIT taxable income and distribution requirements for 2010,” commented Mark L. Wetzel, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

As previously announced, the Company issued 13.8 million shares of common stock on May 18, 2010; raising $304.6 million of net proceeds to develop datacenters in Santa Clara, California and Ashburn, Virginia. As a result, the Company is revising its Funds from Operations (“FFO”) per share guidance range to $0.29 to $0.32 and $1.25 to $1.35 for the second quarter and full year, respectively. This supersedes the company’s previously issued FFO per share guidance of $0.30 to $0.34 and $1.25 to $1.45 for the second quarter and full year, respectively. See page 3 for details.

DuPont Fabros Technology is a real estate investment trust (REIT) and an owner, developer, operator and manager of wholesale data centers. The Company’s data centers are highly specialized, secure facilities used primarily by national and international Internet and enterprise companies to house, power and cool the computer servers that support many of their most critical business processes. DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc. is headquartered in Washington, DC.


Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (OTC: FMCB) June 1, 2010, Lodi, CA, declared a midyear cash dividend of $5.35 per share, a 5 percent increase over the July 2009 dividend, the Lodi-based bank announced last week.

The dividend will be paid July 1 to shareholders of record on June 11.

Farmers & Merchants reported a $6.1 million profit, or $7.75 a share, for the quarter ending March 31.
The locally owned bank has 24 branches from Sacramento to Merced California.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) June 7, 2010, Memphis, TN, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share on its common stock, an increase of $0.01 per share over the previous dividend payment. The dividend is payable July 1, 2010 to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 17, 2010.

FedEx Corp. provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $33 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 280,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities.

Greif, Inc. (NYSE: GEF) June 1, 2010, Delaware, OH, declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.42 per share of Class A Common Stock and $0.63 per share of Class B Common Stock.

Mike Gasser, Greif chairman and CEO, said, "Today's dividend announcement signifies the seventh increase in the last 10 years, and we are particularly pleased that the Board approved the 10.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year for both classes of stock. The increase is consistent with our targeted dividend payout ratio of 30 to 35 percent over a complete business cycle."

The dividends are payable on July 1, 2010, to shareholders of record at close of business on June 18, 2010.

The company manufactures steel, plastic, fibre, flexible and corrugated containers, packaging accessories and containerboard, and provides blending and packaging services for a wide range of industries. Greif also manages timber properties in North America. The company has operations in more than 45 countries to serve global as well as regional customers.

Heico Corporation (NYSE: HEI) June 15, 2010, Hollywood, FL announced that its Board of Directors declared a regular semi-annual cash dividend of $.06 per share payable on both classes of common stock. The cash dividend is payable on July 21, 2010 to shareholders of record as of July 7, 2010.

The cash dividend represents a 25% increase over the prior semi-annual per share amount of $.048 (as adjusted for the Company's 5 for 4 stock split distributed April 2010) and is HEICO's 64th consecutive semi-annual cash dividend since 1979.
Laurans A. Mendelson, HEICO's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commenting on the cash dividend remarked, "By raising the cash dividend, our Board of Directors' goal is to reflect its continuing confidence in HEICO's growth strategies and to continue to reward our shareholders, while retaining sufficient capital to fund our internal growth objectives and acquisition strategies."

Note: HEICO has two classes of common stock traded on the NYSE. Both classes, the Class A Common Stock (HEI.A) and the Common Stock (HEI), are virtually identical in all economic respects. The only difference between the share classes is the voting rights. The Class A Common Stock (HEI.A) receives 1/10 vote per share and the Common Stock (HEI) receives one vote per share. There are currently approximately 19.8 million shares of HEICO's Class A Common Stock (HEI.A) outstanding and 13.1 million shares of HEICO's Common Stock (HEI) outstanding. The stock symbols for HEICO's two classes of common stock on most web sites are HEI.A and HEI. However, some web sites change HEICO's Class A Common Stock stock symbol (HEI.A) to HEI/A or HEIa.

HEICO Corporation is engaged primarily in certain segments of the aviation, defense, space, medical, telecommunication and electronic industries through its Flight Support Group and its Electronic Technologies Group. HEICO's customers include a majority of the world's airlines and airmotives as well as numerous defense and space contractors and military agencies worldwide in addition to medical, telecommunication and electronic equipment manufacturers.

HRPT Propoerties Trust (NYSE: HRPT) June 15, 2010, Newton, MA announced the following corporate actions:

Name Change:

Effective July 1, 2010, HRP will change its name to "CommonWealth REIT". On and after that date, the common shares of HRP will be traded on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, under a new symbol "CWH".

When it completed its initial public offering in 1986, HRP was known as "Health and Rehabilitation Properties Trust" and it primarily owned healthcare rehabilitation facilities. In 1994, HRP expanded its investment focus to include various senior housing facilities, and its name was changed to "Health and Retirement Properties Trust". In 1998, HRP changed its investment focus to include commercial office properties, and the present name of "HRPT Properties Trust" was adopted. Today, HRP is primarily invested in office and industrial properties and no longer makes investments in healthcare properties. The Board of Trustees determined that adopting the new name "CommonWealth REIT" may be an appropriate way to avoid any lingering confusion that the company may be a healthcare focused real estate investment trust, or REIT.

As of March 31, 2010, HRP owned 518 properties with approximately 66.8 million square feet in over 60 markets in 34 states and Washington, DC, representing total investments of $6.6 billion. For the three months ended March 31, 2010, 41.0% of the company's property net operating income ("NOI") came from suburban office properties, 37.3% of NOI came from central business district, or CBD, office properties and 21.7% of NOI came from industrial and other property investments.

Reverse Share Split:

HRP also announced that its Board has determined to implement a common share combination by which the number of its common shares outstanding will be reduced by three quarters: for every four existing common shares owned, shareholders will receive one new common share. Fractional shares will be issued where appropriate.

At the company's shareholders' 2009 annual meeting, shareholders voted to amend HRP's declaration of trust to permit the Board to implement a share combination in the discretion of the Board. After studying this matter, the Board has concluded that a one for four share combination is desirable because it may reduce the transaction costs for shareholders who pay brokerage commissions on the basis of the number of shares traded.

The share combination will be effective on July 1, 2010. On and after that date, shares traded on the NYSE will be the new combined shares and will trade under the new symbol "CWH".

Dividend Increase:

HRP currently pays a regular quarterly dividend of $0.12/share ($0.48/share per year). After the reverse share split, HRP currently expects to pay a regular quarterly dividend of $0.50/share ($2.00/share per year).

The next regular quarterly dividend of $0.50/share with respect to HRP's performance during the quarter ended June 30, 2010 is expected to be declared during July 2010. That dividend will be paid to shareholders of record on a later date to be announced when the dividend is declared.

MKS Inc. (TSE: MKS) June 8, 2010, Waterloon, Ontario, Canada, the global application lifecycle management (ALM) technology leader, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2010 and a 17% increase to its quarterly cash dividend.

MKS Inc. (MKS) is a provider of software products and services in the application development and deployment (software application lifecycle management (ALM)) and cross-platform development and systems administration (Interoperability or IO) markets. The Company operates in two segments: ALM and IO. The ALM segment develops and markets software solutions that assist programmers in the creation of traditional and Web-based software, and in the management of the software development process. The IO segment encompasses products that address the issues surrounding cross-platform development, application migration, systems administration and network management.

National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG) June 10, 2010, Williamsville, NY approved a 3 percent increase in the dividend on the Company's common stock, raising the quarterly rate from 33.5 cents per share as approved in June 2009 to 34.5 cents per share, for an annual rate of $1.38 per share. This action marks the 108th year of uninterrupted dividend payments and the 40th consecutive year that National Fuel has increased its dividend.

David F. Smith, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Fuel, said, "We are pleased to announce another increase in our dividend. We take significant pride in our dividend history and are pleased that our balanced and integrated business model continues to generate value for our shareholders. The value of our dividend is enhanced by the favorable federal tax treatment that dividends currently receive."

The dividend is payable July 15, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 30, 2010. The Company has approximately 81.9 million shares of common stock outstanding. It has no preferred stock outstanding.

National Fuel supports the efforts of the national grassroots advocacy campaign "Defend My Dividend," which is seeking to extend the preferred federal tax rate on dividends. The preferred rate is currently scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010. Additional information regarding the initiative is available at the Investor Relations page of the Company's website.

National Fuel is an integrated energy company with $5.0 billion in assets comprised of the following four operating segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Utility, and Energy Marketing. Additional information about National Fuel is available at www.nationalfuelgas.com or through its investor information

Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC) June 15, 2010, Chicago, IL declared quarterly cash dividends of $0.16 per share of its common Stock and $0.12 per share of the Class B Stock, a 7% increase for both classes of stock.

The dividends will be payable on September 3, 2010, to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 20, 2010. The Company has paid cash dividends continuously since 1974.

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a leading supplier of specialty sorbent products for industrial, automotive, agricultural, horticultural and specialty markets and the world's largest manufacturer of cat litter.

Quanex Building Products Corporation (NYSE:NX) May 27, 2010 Houston, TX announced that its Board of Directors authorized an annual dividend increase of $0.04 per common share outstanding. The company stated the annual dividend is now $0.16 per share, a 33% increase over the previous annual dividend. The second quarter dividend of $0.04 per share is payable June 30, 2010 to shareholders of record on June 16, 2010. The Board also authorized a stock repurchase program for up to 1 million shares that will be used to purchase shares from time to time.

"With the continued implementation of our long-term strategy, coupled with a slow recovery in our end markets, we expect to generate healthy cash flows through the next business cycle," said David D. Petratis, chairman and chief executive officer. "While making acquisitions in the fenestration market remain a priority for the company, raising the dividend and purchasing shares demonstrates our confidence in the future and directly benefits our long-term shareholders."

Quanex Building Products Corporation is an industry-leading manufacturer of engineered materials, components and systems serving the U.S. residential window and door markets. It is an ROIC-driven company that grows shareholder returns through a combination of organic growth via new products and new programs like Project Nexus, and strategic acquisitions.

The RLI Corp. (NYSE: RLI) June 2, 2010 board of directors declared a second quarter cash dividend of $0.29 per share, a 4% increase over the prior quarter. The dividend is payable on July 15, 2010, to shareholders of record as of June 30, 2010. RLI has paid dividends for 136 consecutive quarters and increased dividends in each of the last 35 years.

RLI is a specialty insurance company serving “niche” or underserved markets. With a diverse portfolio of property and casualty coverages and surety bonds, it has achieved an underwriting profit in 29 of the last 33 years, including the last 14. RLI and subsidiaries – RLI Insurance Company, Mt. Hawley Insurance Company and RLI Indemnity Company – are rated A+ "Superior" by A.M. Best Company and A+ "Strong" by Standard & Poor's. RLI operates in all 50 states from office locations across the country. For additional information, visit www.rlicorp.com.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) June 3, 2010, Milwaukee, WI, declared a 21 percent increase in the quarterly dividend on its common stock to 35 cents per share, payable on Sept. 10, 2010 to shareowners of record at the close of business on Aug. 16, 2010.

"The 21 percent dividend increase reflects our solid financial position and our confidence in Rockwell Automation's strong, sustainable cash generation throughout business cycles. We remain committed to delivering shareowner value by prudently investing in high-return growth opportunities and appropriately returning cash to shareowners," said Keith D. Nosbusch, chairman and chief executive officer.

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs about 19,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

Ryanair Holdings PLC June 1, 2010, Dublin, Ireland said that it will pay its first dividend in more than 10 years, as Europe's largest budget airline swung to a fiscal-year net profit on substantially lower fuel prices and an improved route mix.

In the first dividend payment since the company went public in 1997, Ryanair will pay out €500 million ($615.2 million), or 34 European cents per share, in October, and said it may return another €500 million to shareholders through either a one-time dividend or share buyback by the end of 2013.

If the first dividend is approved by shareholders at the company's annual

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) June 9, 2010. Minneapolis, MN, raised its quarterly dividend to 25 cents from 17 cents, payable September 10 to shareholders of record as of August 20.

“Because we expect to continue to return excess cash to our shareholders through a combination of regular dividends and opportunistic share repurchase, we believe it is appropriate to increase the amount returned through the quarterly dividend,” said Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel.

Target Corporation (Target) operates Target general merchandise stores with an assortment of general merchandise and food items. During the fiscal year ended January 30, 2010 (fiscal 2009), the Target stores also included a deeper food assortment, including perishables and an offering of dry, dairy and frozen items. In addition, the Company operates SuperTarget stores with a line of food and general merchandise items. Target.com offers an assortment of general merchandise, including various items found in its stores and a complementary assortment, such as extended sizes and colors, sold only online. It operates in two segments: Retail and Credit Card. The Retail segment includes all of its merchandising operations, including its general merchandise and food discount stores in the United States and its integrated online business. The Credit Card segment offers credit to qualified guests through its branded credit cards, the Target Visa and the Target Card (collectively, REDcards).

Triangle Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: TCAP) June 1, 2010, Raleigh, NC a specialty finance company that provides customized financing solutions to lower middle market companies located throughout the United States, today announced that its board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.41 per share. This is the Company's fourteenth consecutive quarterly dividend since its initial public offering in February, 2007, and reflects a 2.5% increase over the second quarter of 2009.

The Company's dividend will be payable as follows:
Record Date: June 15, 2010
Payment Date: June 29, 2010

Triangle Capital Corporation is a specialty finance company organized to provide customized financing solutions to lower middle market companies located throughout the United States. Triangle's investment objective is to seek attractive returns by generating current income from debt investments and capital appreciation from equity related investments. Triangle's investment philosophy is to partner with business owners, management teams and financial sponsors to provide flexible financing solutions to fund growth, changes of control, or other corporate events. Triangle typically invests $5.0 - $15.0 million per transaction in companies with annual revenues between $20.0 and $100.0 million and EBITDA between $3.0 and $20.0 million.

Universal Health Realty Income Trust (NYSE: UHT) June 4, 2010 
King of Prussia, PA announced that its Board of Trustees voted to increase the quarterly dividend by $.005 and pay a dividend of $.605 per share on June 30, 2010 to shareholders of record as of June 16, 2010.

Universal Health Realty Income Trust is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Trust invests in healthcare and human service-related facilities, including acute care hospitals, behavioral healthcare facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, sub-acute facilities, surgery centers, childcare centers and medical office buildings (MOBs). As of December 31, 2009, the Trust had 51 real estate investments or commitments located in 15 states in the United States consisting of seven hospital facilities, including three acute care, one behavioral healthcare, one rehabilitation and two sub-acute; 40 MOBs (including 31 owned by various limited liability companies (LLCs), including two under construction), and four preschool and childcare centers.

Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) June 9, 2010, New York, New York announced its first-ever quarterly dividend and resumed its stock buyback plan a year after the media giant pledged future gains for shareholders in the midst of a global financial crisis and economic downturn that rattled the company.

The news, announced Wednesday at Viacom's annual shareholder meeting in New York City, comes after the company's stock more than doubled over the past 18 months, as the operator of Paramount films and channels like MTV and Comedy Central has benefited from successful movies and cable's dual revenue stream of advertising ...

VSE Corporation (NASDAQ: VSEC) June 9, 2010, Alexandria, VA, reported today that on June 1, 2010, the company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.06 per share, increasing the cash dividend by 20% to an annual payout rate of $0.24 per share.

The $0.06 per share dividend declared on June 1, 2010 will be paid on August 11, 2010, to stockholders of record as of July 28, 2010.

VSE has paid cash dividends since 1973 and has increased its dividend each year since 2004. The payment and amount of future dividends will depend on existing conditions, including the company's earnings, financial condition, working capital requirements, and other factors.

VSE CEO Maurice "Mo" Gauthier said, "Increasing our quarterly dividend to $0.06 demonstrates the strength of our business model and reflects our confidence in our ability to generate cash and drive shareholder returns."
VSE is a diversified Federal Services company of choice with over 50 years of experience in solving issues of global significance with integrity, agility, and value. VSE is dedicated to making our clients successful by delivering talented people and innovative solutions for logistics, engineering, IT services, construction management and consulting.

HELP BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO UPGRADE ITS ANTENNA. SEND YOUR MONEY PROMPTLY. BE GENEROUS.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Laura Franks.

Police Chief Rinehart: Summer Safety. Letter to the Editor

Summer is finally in full swing. Graduation parties are winding down, the kids are out of school, the pool is in full swing, and we are all looking forward to another great July 4 (July 5 in this case) celebration here in Bexley.

As I was out on my bike this morning patrolling the city, it occurred to me that this is the right time to provide a few key tips for a safe, happy, and citation free summer in our great city:

1. Slow down and obey the speed limit signs. Speeding citations cost money and put points on your driving record.
2. Come to a complete stop at stop signs. Hard to believe, but a few of our drivers struggle with this.
3. Lock your car and put your valuables out of sight. Car break-ins are already increasing and the vast majority of the time the car was unlocked and valuables were laying out in plain sight.
4. Resist the urge to drive to your local fireworks store in preparation of Independence Day celebrations. Fireworks are dangerous and illegal.
5. Protect your identity. Only purchase online items via secure sites and do not allow financial and personnel information to linger in your mailbox. Identity theft is on the rise.
5. Become a member of or start a blockwatch in your neighborhood. Neighborhood watch groups work and strengthen our community.
6. Be vigilant. If someone behaves suspiciously, call the police department: 559-4444. Error on the side of caution and let the police sort it out. We have a lot of traffic through our city. A small percentage of that traffic is up to no good.

That's it. if we all work together our community will be a harder target for criminals, our streets will be safer, and you are much more likely to have a great, enjoyable, peaceful Summer. Thanks and I look forward to seeing you at the parade. Larry Rinehart

Update: Bexley Public Radio time share negotiations

UPDATE SATURDAY JUNE 12, 2010: AN UNSIGNED LETTER ON SIMPLY LIVING LETTERHEAD WAS RECEIVED AT BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO'S OFFICE ON SATURDAY JUNE 12, 2010. THE TEXT OF THE LETTER IN PART READS:

Simply Living rejects your proposed timeshare assignment of hours for the following primary reason: Your proposed split of 3am/3pm would give BPRF 65% of the listenership hours, per Arbitron ratings for non-commercial stations. We will file our Request to Transfer WCRS with the FCC in early July, as I had previously informed you. You will receive a copy.


UPDATE MONDAY JUNE 14, 2010: BPRF MAILED THE FOLLOWING PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO SL, CRIS, CU AND GMMLSD. THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 1 OFFERS A 3:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M. TIME SLOT FOR SL AND REMOVES THE ‘PRIMARY’ BASIS FOR THE REJECTION STATED IN THE UNSIGNED LETTER OF JUNE 12, 2010.

AMENDMENT NO. 1 SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT (UNIVERSAL TIMESHARE AGREEMENT) IN RESPONSE TO SL LETTER DATED JUNE 11, 2010

In response to the SL letter dated June 11, 2010, this Amendment No. 1 to the Settlement Agreement (Universal Timeshare Agreement) is made as of the 20th day of June, 2010 by and among Bexley Public Radio Foundation, Community Refugee and Immigration Services, Capital University, Groveport Madison Local School District and Simply Living (hereinafter, singularly, “Signatory,” collectively, the “Signatories”).

WHEREAs, Each of the Signatories to this Amendment No. 1 is also a party to the Settlement Agreement dated October 29, 2003 and each of the Signatories agreed to the certain and definite allocation of broadcast time on FM Channel 271 that was made in the Settlement Agreement;

WHEREAS, The allocation of time in the Settlement Agreement was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (hereinafter “Commission”);

WHEREAS, Signatory Bexley Public Radio and Signatory Simply Living have been granted licenses to cover by the Commission and are presently broadcasting respectively as WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM and WCRS-LP, 102.1 FM.

WHEREAS, Bexley Public Radio is broadcasting during the time period granted to it in the Settlement Agreement.

WHEREAS, Signatory Simply Living is broadcasting in the time periods granted to it in the Settlement Agreement. Simply Living has stopped broadcasting during time periods allocated to Signatory Groveport Madison Local School District and Signatory Community Refugee and Immigration Services in the Settlement Agreement.

WHEREAS, Signatory Bexley Public Radio Foundation has not agreed to any broadcasts by Signatory Simply Living during the time periods allocated to Signatory Groveport Madison Local School District and Signatory Community Refugee and Immigration Services.

WHEREAS, Construction permits awarded by the Commission to Groveport Madison Local School District and Community Refugee and Immigration Services have expired and are non-renewable;

WHEREAS, The application for a construction permit of Capital University has expired and is nonrenewable;

WHEREAS, The public interest will best and most fully be served by grant of this Amendment No. 1 because such grant will conserve the resources of the Commission and of the Signatories and bring about radio broadcast during additional time periods;

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the terms and conditions set forth herein, and with the intent of being legally bound hereby, the Signatories agree to the following Amendment No. 1:

The existing text of numbered section 6 and numbered section 7 of Article II are deleted and replaced with the following text:

6. Hours of Operation. The Applicants hereby request that the Commission grant each Application subject to the following hours of operation:

Weekdays (M-F)

3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Bexley Public Radio Foundation

3:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Simply Living

Weekends (Sa & Su)

3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Bexley Public Radio Foundation

3:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Simply Living

7. Minimal Operating Schedule. The hours of operation proposed in this Agreement comply with Section 73.872(b) and Section 73.872(c) of the Commission’s Rules by allowing each Applicant the following number of operating hours per week:

In accordance with Section 73.872(b)(2) of the Commission Rules, Bexley Public Radio and Simply Living pledge that their total operating hours each day as a minimum operating schedule will be a combined total of 12 hours.

In accordance with Section 73.872(c) (1) (ii) and (iii) of the Commission Rules, Bexley Public Radio Foundation and Simply Living acknowledge that they will not permit simultaneous operation and that they will each operate at a minimum of 10 hours each week during the periods listed herein:


Bexley Public Radio Foundation: 10 hours /week at a minimum
Simply Living: 10 hours/week at a minimum

Except as stated herein, no other changes are made to the existing text of the Settlement Agreement (Universal Timeshare Agreement).

In Witness Whereof, this Amendment No. 1 to the Settlement Agreement is hereby executed as of the date first above written:


BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO FOUNDATION

By:__________________________________
Name:_______________________________
Title:________________________________

CAPITAL UNIVERSITY

By:_________________________________
Name:_______________________________
Title:________________________________

COMMUNITY REFUGEE AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES

By:_________________________________
Name:______________________________
Title:_______________________________


GROVEPORT MADISON LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

By:__________________________________
Name:________________________________
Title:_________________________________


SIMPLY LIVING

By:_________________________________
Name:_______________________________
Title:________________________________


UPDATE SUNDAY JUNE 13, 2010: MARILYN WELKER, DIRECTOR OF SL SENT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL TO JOHN ANDERSON OF ANDERSON DEVOSS AND JOHNSON BROADCAST CONSULTING GROUP. THE EMAIL WAS FORWARDED TO BPRF BY JOHN ANDERSON. ADJ HAS BEEN ENGAGED BY BPRF TO PROVIDE CONSULTING SERVICES ON THE TIMESHARE AGREEMENT AND OTHER MATTERS.

On Sun, 6/13/10, Marilyn Welker wrote:

From: Marilyn Welker
Subject: Re: Arbitron statistics
To: "John Anderson"
Date: Sunday, June 13, 2010, 6:34 PM

I just got off the phone with Bob, John.

What are the possibilities of

Bexley agreeing to a noon/midnight split, BPRF taking either time?
Bexley agreeing to a 3am/3pm split w/ SL taking morning time?

Marilyn

UPDATE MONDAY JUNE 14, 2010: ON MONDAY JUNE 14, 2010, BPRF DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING TO CRIS, CU AND SL.

June 14, 2010

To all:

BPRF withdraws the proposed Amendment No. 1 of even date herewith whereby BPRF would broadcast during the 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. time slot and SL would broadcast during the 3:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. time slot.

BPRF accepts the SL offer made in an email of June 13, 2010 for BPRF to have the 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight time slot and SL would have the 12:00 midnight to 12:00 noon time slot.

Laura Franks Bexley CPI, Second Quarter, 2010. Reported Tuesday June 8.

This is Laura Franks reporting the Bexley Consumer Price Index for the second quarter, 2010.

The Bexley CPI reports on the aggregate prices paid for a uniform basket of merchandise purchased at retail in Bexley and nearby retail stores.

The Bexley CPI measures the change of prices for typical retail purchases made by Bexley residents.

The Bexley Consumer Price Index can be compared to the price changes reported by the Bureau of Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. The comparison can provide useful information for Bexley consumers about local price changes compared to price changes in other parts of the United States.

As of the second quarter, 2010 compared to the first quarter, 2010, Bexley prices showed a 3% decrease. One item was discounted by 41%, but this was not quite as significant as it sounds because the non-sale price on this item was actually $.40 higher than last quarter. Also effecting the calculations were two (2) food items: one (1) of which was returned to it’s pre-sale cost and the other had it’s price raised by 6% from last quarter.

Still, no matter how you look at it a 3% decrease in prices is good and makes it even nicer to live in Bexley.

And just remember, as the country song says "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy….."

This is Laura Franks for the WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM Bexley Consumer Price Index Report.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Design is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation. Text is copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Laura Franks.

Jeni Fleming. Vocalist. Appearance at Trinity Lutheran Seminary.

A misty, cool Tuesday evening in Bexley. Our boarder, Alex Hettinga, and I walk to an evening of music at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. The seminary is located at the corner of College and East Main in Bexley. An audience is gathering for the first of this summer’s Tuesdays at Trinity musical events.

The performance space is the Trinity’s Gloria Dei worship center. The featured performer is Jeni Fleming. She and her ensemble live in Montana.

Many in the audience are wearing sweaters because of the cool evening. Inside the worship center, the air conditioning is on and people don’t take off their sweaters.

Trinity’s president, Mark Ramseth welcomes the musicians and the audience. He reminds the audience of the family connection that brings this musical performance to Trinity and Bexley. The singer, Jeni Fleming, is his daughter and Jake Fleming, the saxophonist, is his son-in-law. Mark reminds the audience that the musicians have traveled from Montana for the performance. And, they arrived in Bexley at 2:00 a.m.

Jeni Fleming. wears a black strapless cocktail dress with red and white oval prints. She also wears a long white scarf. The performance space is too chilly for Jeni, so she puts a coat on as the performance begins.

Jeni performed at Trinity for the first time in 2002. Since then, it has almost been an annual performance with different constellations of back-up musicians. This year’s line up of musicians are Craig Hall, electric and acoustic guitars; Adam Greenberg, an Ohio native on drums and percussion; Chris Cundy, piano and Hammond B3 organ; Sean Lehmann, bass and Jake Fleming, acoustic guitars and saxophone.

From Jeni’s prior performances, my expectation is for an evening of sophisticated jazz arrangements from the American Songbook and also some jazz arrangements of a few pop hits thrown into the mix.

Surprises are in store this evening. Jeni warns the audience that in the last two years their performance repertory has moved into a galaxy known in the music business as pop-rock , and that they are more specifically categorized as jazz-pop artists.
Jeni opens the evening’s performance with their own arrangement of a Beatles tune “Can’t Buy Me Love.” The lyric seems incongruous in the chapel setting but that doesn’t matter. The arrangement moves the familiar Beatles ballad into a Western Swing rhythm, clearly reminding me that this is an ensemble from Montana.

Jeni’s second song is written by Jake Fleming. The acoustics of the room make it difficult to catch all of the lyrics. The title is “Scarecrow” and some of the lyrics sound like it is an introspective, moody song but I’m not certain. Phrases that I decipher are “There’s a shadow hanging over me…you must call tonight…There’s a cold deep down inside of me….You must call to lie…Can’t erase the things that are part of me…” The acoustics aren’t working for me tonight so I’m not certain if these are the actual lyrics, particularly when I ask myself what these lyrics have to do with the song title “Scarecrow.” Perhaps for new songs, the lyric might be printed in the program?

The third number is a fresh arrangement of “Never My Love,” a song made popular by the Association in the late 1960s. Jeni confesses that she wrote the arrangement without reference to the original performance of the Association. When she listened to the original, Jeni describes her reaction as “I didn’t realize how much I had destroyed.”

As “Never My Love” concludes, Jeni has warmed up and takes off her jacket .

Appropriately, the next song is a Brazilian samba. I miss the songs name, but the tropical heat of the tune is unmistakable. There is a dragging major cord in the arrangement that, within the samba rhythm, recreates the measured pace of a walk on the beach.

The arrangements of the songs are much more complex than in previous performances. The ensemble is larger than the trio that I associate with Jeni, so the complexity shouldn’t surprise. The effect of the complexity is to make it more difficult to the focus on the vocalist. There is also some need to balance the several instruments. Percussion and piano were too loud and sometimes over-powered Jeni’s voice. The larger ensemble makes the performance less intimate, less personal.

The fifth song, “God Bless’ The Child,” is the Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Blues standard. A song and arrangement perfect for Jeni and, with Jake on the saxophone, a reminder of what these musicians do best. This is also where I begin to notice the bass playing of Sean Lehmann. What a musician. What an addition to the group’s sound and rhythm.

“God Bless’ The Child” is also where I first wonder if there is a Jazz Pop and Jazz Mom in this ensemble.

Next is another Jake Fleming song where I have difficulty deciphering the lyric. Maybe it is not the acoustics of the location; maybe it is my hearing that is deficient. I think the title is “The Other Side” with lyrics like “I fear my affliction…awesome innocence…Need a friend…to sneak into the other-side…I spend my time…painful song in a rock-fall…freedom I’ve been crying for is finally here…” Print the lyrics in the program. Please.

This is followed by a song that featured Chris Cundy on the piano. The piano filled the room with sound and lyrics seemed secondary. “Hallelujah” and “I’ve seen your flag and marble arch…” and “love is not a march” are all I caught.

The next song arrangement was written by Jake on a February trip to Hawaii. Jeni and Jake had a two hour professional engagement on one of the islands. The two hour engagement included a week-long hotel accommodation. During the week, Jake arranged “Day After Day.”

Then in quick succession, two familiar numbers “Gimme the beat boys and free my soul,” and the lyrics of “Amazing Grace” to the tune of “Danny Boy.”

Closing the first half, , a Hebrew folk tune started slow and gathered speed.. This folk tune is a new genre and energized the audience. The interior chill had been broken.

During the interval, Alex and I discuss how the performance is different than anticipated. No standards in the play list. Little jazz except the Billie Holliday number.

The second half begins with another Brazilian song. Antonio Carlos Jobin’s “The Girl From Ipanema.” This song is performed as a samba and gives a fresh perspective on the standard.

Next is an R & B song made classic by Ray Charles: “One Mint Julip”. Jeni says the lyric is a description of how she met her husband Jake. In truth, she corrects the story to say she and Jake actually met at a campus ministry happy hour.

Then follows a Willie Nelson song, “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” and Lizz Wright’s “Trouble In The Air, I Don’t Want It.” Willie Nelson. How far the evening is from my expectation.

Before singing her final number, Jeni invites May Schwarz professor of church music to the microphone. Professor Schwarz organizes the Tuesday at Trinity musical events and she reminds the audience that next two Tuesdays at Trinity events are the Brass Band of Columbus on June 15 and the Columbus Symphony Brass Quintet on June 22.

Jeni’s final number is “I Need Your Inspiration” arranged as a dance number. With Jeni slapping a red tambourine, and Jake’s saxophone playing, this gospel classic energizes the musicians and the audience.

On the walk home, I discuss the performance with our boarder and explain that the concert was a surprise, and not what I expected at all. In a light rain, I comment that the music was louder, more energetic, more pop, less cerebral than her last performance. Our boarder is a sophomore music major at Carnegie Mellon and his comments are about acoustics,
arrangements and individual performances. “They covered a lot of genres,” he said, “She has a very versatile voice.” He was most impressed with Jeni’s “very pleasant voice” within the group and commented that the group could’ve let her shine a bit more. The lyrics to her songs were frequently indistinguishable over the band. However, even as someone who attends the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra every week, comparing and criticizing performers of the highest levels, Alex found the evening of music making quite enjoyable. He agreed that some of the songs worked considerably well with the ensemble, and it was very interesting to see their interpretations of different styles.

Next morning, when I look at my concert notes, I’m surprised. Rather than being a completely different Jeni Fleming, the notes are much like notes from her last concert. She takes familiar songs and rearranges the material into her own. The brainy content, both lyric and melody are gently led into the shelter of Jeni’s brilliance. She makes a song her child and nurtures it to become something new, something distinct from its origins. Jazz Pop and Jazz Mom indeed.

The sequence of songs, none from the American Songbook, also makes sense next day as I read my notes. Blues, Gospel, Bossa Nova, Beatles, Country and Western, Western Swing. The breadth of her repertory is amazing. What an enjoyable performance.
So next year, should we expect German Techno?

What I want is Jeni doing the Beach Boys. Please Jeni, next year do “In My Room,” “Rhonda.,” “California Girls.”

Jeni can pull it off an evening of the Beach Boys.

Maybe an entire CD of Jeni Fleming singing the Beach Boys.

HELP BEXLEY PUBLIC RADIO UPGRADE ITS ANTENNA. SEND YOUR MONEY PROMPTLY. BE GENEROUS.

Bexley Public Radio Foundation broadcasting as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation or WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Bexley Editorial Collective.

Folk music in Newport News. Take 2.

Friday of Memorial Day, long weekend. Concert performance by folk singer and songwriter Marion Elsass. The concert is organized by the Tidewater Friends of Folk Music and is part of its Coffeehouse Series. Website: www.tffm.org


Marion is a retired Nationwide insurance agent and businessman who participates in The Tidewater Songwriters’ Association. The association is a local songwriters' group founded in 1987 as a way to help members marshal their resources and enjoy their craft. During his career with Nationwide at its home office in Columbus, Ohio, Marion, his wife and children were residents of Upper Arlington.

Past performers at association concerts include Robert Matter, Greg Anderson, Adrian Whitcomb, Clayton Hill and Jack Staghill


Marion’s concert is at the ground floor auditorium of the First United Methodist Church on Warwick Avenue near Main St. in Newport News, Virginia.

Before the concert begins I talk to a man who turns out to be Iyricist Adrian Whitcomb. Adrian is wearing high-top Converse basketball shoes and has a small paper pad and pen in hand. Later, during Marion’s performance, Adrian takes notes. I wonder if his notes are for a review of Marion’s performance or for lyrics of a new song. I note to myself that Adrian did not take notes during or after his conversation with me, but then, no one has ever accused me of saying anything inspiring or poetic. Talking to Adrian before the performance, he is laconic but friendly. Adrian tells me that he has been a member of the songwriting group for three years and has written six hundred songs in that period. Adrian is a lyricist and relies on others for the music to his lyrics.

The audience count is forty-two. Most are couples and most are probably retired or near retirement. They are members of the sixties generation that revived folk music and popularized made groups like the New Christy Minstrels, Peter Paul and Mary, Limelighters, Janis and Ian, and Kingston Trio. The hair color of this audience is mostly the range of white, gray and silver. The room and audience are mostly blue in color. The window curtains in the auditorium are blue, the stage curtains and seat upholstery are blue. The clothing colors of this audience are almost all blue. Is the audience made up of retired U.S. Navy? Only two women have red blouses and one man has red Bermuda shorts. There is the occasional khaki trousers or white slacks, but blue is everywhere else.

The evening’s MC is Greg Anderson who manages the practical arrangements for concerts of the Tidewater Friends of Folk Music and the Tidewater Songwriters’ Association. Usually, Greg is assisted by Jerry Sauers, a lyricist and guitarist who is active in the organization. After a brief promotion announcement for the organization’s concert series, Greg introduces Marion and the performance begins.

After the performance, Marion confesses to me that he isn’t a paid member of the Tidewater group and comments that maybe the time is ripe for him to pay the annual membership fee.

The song list for the evening’s performance is a mixture of Marion’s own composition and familiar pieces from other songwriters and performers. Marion sits throughout his performance. His chair is not on the stage, rather his chair is on the auditorium floor. For those of us sitting near the last row, this makes it difficult to see Marion during the performance. After the concert I peek behind the stage curtain. The stage appears to be used for storage and unavailable as an elevated space for the performer.

At some point in the concert, I conclude that Marion needs a bass player to accompany his guitar playing.

As part of his introduction to his songs, Marion discusses the sources for ideas for songs: personal life, emotions and feelings. And then he offers one of his “When they lay my body down…” The message is to slow down and enjoy your life. He offers another song that begins “The kids don’t visit much anymore….” For a grey-haired audience, this lyric is probably a slice of real life.

Marion identifies the second source for his lyrics is observations about the people around him. As an example, he offers a song about the Vietnam war experience of young men shortly out of high school going off to a dangerous fight. “In April we were dancing on the floor of a gym, by August we were kids on a half-track when the first mortar fell, and old men when our world went to hell...”

Another source for Marion’s songs are books and his imagination.

Marion doesn’t announce the titles of his songs and those of other composers, so I offer only first lines or fragments of his lyrics.

Marion’s songs also reminded me that folk music is a source protest in America. From the left-wing stereotype protest of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, to the gentle satire of the Smothers Brothers, folk music criticizes American society, and picks apart its dominant culture. Without identifying it as a protest song, Marion offers the audience “She woke up Tuesday morning, a day like all the rest…” The lyric is an edgy critique of the 9/11 trope of identifying the victims of that outrage as heroes. The point of Marion’s lyric is that 9/11 has its heroes, but just being a victim is not by itself heroic. There were no dry eyes in the audience as this simple truth is expressed. By coincidence, this same point is relevant on the drive home from Newport News. A stretch of highway is named “Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial Highway.” Survivors? What about the victims of the surprise attack, those who lost their lives from that act of infamy.

At the intermission, there are refreshments, cookies, popcorn and soda pop. Three volunteers keep the snacks in order. Five people leave.

For the second half, Marion discusses more on how he composes. He offers a metaphor of recipes, taking a bit from here and a bit from there and stirs it all up.

Marion’s strongest compositions are satires of social manners. A perceptive commentary on modern American marriage ceremonies begins “Started out simple and plain,”… (but then it grew without control) “…there are more at the alter than in the pew…(then the bride’s parents offer the intended couple tickets to elope in Las Vegas) “…if its good enough for Elvis, its good enough for us.”

Another influence on Marion’s compositions begins with his youthful memories of listening to distant radio stations on a little AM radio at night. He learned Hank Williams songs and recognized them as special song-writing, better, more memorable than many of the others broadcast on the radio stations he listened to. “You’re my every dream,” Good bye Joe, I gotta go” and “Fun on the Bayou.” This last is a song I forgot was Hank Williams.

Marion reminds us all that folk music is also about singing along with the performer. His first sing along of the evening is Hank Williams “I saw the Light.”

Then Marion recalls for us the Chad Mitchell Trio and John Denver “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” Then Marion performs his composition of the same sentiment, “Well, I drove all night to see her; six hundred miles in the rain.”

Marion’s lyrics are evocative of strong images. Battle scenes, funerals, rainstorms, wedding imagery. Lyrics are simple and direct and the word pictures he builds in his lyrics are vivid. His choice of songs from other composers also conjure strong imagery.

The songs he has chosen for the performance, his own and others, remind me of a program that singer country and western singer Stephanie Davis might put together.

Marion continues with two pieces that he enjoys from Kris Kristofferson “Take the ribbon from your hair…” and “Me and Bobby McGee.” Then Marion continues with
two more of his own compositions: “Lingering dream, wash over me…” and “Always lonesome bound….” These are followed by a Tom Paxton number: “Bottle of wine, fruit of the vine…”

Marion closes his performance with “There were times in my life… and ends with “Mary had a baby…think what Mary has done for me…” This last is almost a Christmas carol but it expresses a thought that is not seasonal.

During the concert, Marion used a device attached to his microphone called a harmonizer. This is an electronic device that picks up the voice and guitar and make instant harmony calculations, adding one or two voices of harmony above or below the live voice. I learned this after the concert by talking to Marion. He should have mentioned the device in his introduction, because it was a surprise to me and in the first song he used it on caused a brief distraction for me and some other members of the audience.

I’m glad I came to this performance. An easy evening to enjoy and a reminder that there are lyrics being written that are better than many of the songs promoted in the commercial marketplace.

Marion’s concert is part of The Coffeehouse Series, which is an extension of the concert series presented by the Tidewater Friends of Folk Music. It is presented in the style of the acoustic coffeehouses of the 1960's. Currently the series is scheduled on Friday nights in select months and starts at 7:30 pm. The Coffeehouse is held at the First United Methodist Church of Newport News, which is located on the corner of Warwick Ave and Main Street in Hilton Village section of Newport News.

Admission is by donation, suggested donation is $5.

Refreshments are served at the intermission. For more information regarding the performing artists, click on their icon in the Friends section. If you would like more information about the coffeehouse series, please E-Mail chouse@tffm.org

Previous artists performing in the Coffeehouse Series include Jinmaku, The Moats Dogs, Tina Mica with Mary Beth Carreiro, and Ronnie Jones.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
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Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

[where: 43209]

Folk music in Newport News. Take 1.

I spent an evening in Newport News, Virginia attending a performance by songwriter and folk/country singer Marion Elsass. Marion attended Capital University here in our wonderful Bexley back in the sixties. Some of our listeners may remember a rather grubby young man struggling to learn the necessary three chords to most folk songs. Most of those performances were limited to one or two songs as that was the limits of both his repertoire and ability to remain sober enough to be understandable. It was refreshing and inspiring to witness the addition of two additional chords now that forty years has passed. He has also added several new songs but still is attempting to master those first two songs from 1963. It would appear he has made some progress, albeit limited.

I asked Marion when and why he began to write his own songs. He allowed he started back in the sixties for the obvious reason on not being able to remember the words to any songs. “I discovered one day, while sitting outside of the Berwick, that when I sang Amazing Grace no one recognized it. When asked what song that was it was less humiliating to say it was a new song I had just written rather than admit it was something they had heard many times. It also seemed to impress the women.” Later in my interview, Marion said he expanded his performance philosophy by actually inserting other words for the original ones. In 1982, during a brief moment of relative sobriety, he actually performed a song the same way twice in one month. Inspired by this dramatic success he began to gain confidence and set a personal goal to perform at least two songs not just twice the same way but three. With many years of practice he came painfully close to reaching that goal. By 2000, with much hard and dedicated effort the goal was finally achieved and as they say in the business, the rest is history. Now, he has almost doubled his catalogue of unrecognizable songs.

As Marion’s limited talent gradually increased so did technology. He now uses a Harmonizer which adds an additional voice or two over or under the singing voice. While it does seems to hide many of the performance errors, unfortunately, it can’t hide them all, particularly when Marion attempts to sing in one key and play in another. The resulting chaos makes me long for the old days when one would only have to endure one of Marion’s voices messing up a good song. Two voices made the evening tedious at best.

As I look over the audience I am struck by the average age, approaching 70. Mercifully, most have lost a goodly portion of their hearing, a fact I discover as I attempt engage several in conversation at the much needed break. This knowledge helps me understand why so few left at the intermission. I did note that someone was at the door manning a basket. I originally assumed this was a donation box to help with the cost of the performance, perhaps to purchase a one way bus ticket out of town for the performer. Upon examination I discovered it was actually a system for attendees to check their hearing aids devices upon arrival, a nice and needed touch. Obviously, some had heard Marion perform at some other time.
As the evening dragged on, finally Marion announced the performance would close with one last song. I noticed a number of attendees attempting to wake up their spouses. Some of the luckier ones were able to fall back asleep quickly. The rest of us had to suffer through one last attempt at music. As the song ended, the audience arose as one, clapping with a vigor that surprised me. Never in my life had I witnessed so many so happy to see a performance end that it they applauded the end with so much enthusiasm. I glanced down at my watch and was surprised to see only two hours had passed. Surly, something must be wrong with my watch. It could not have been only two hours! I hurried opened my phone to confirm the time and was shocked to see the time was accurate. Even more shocked to discover it was still Friday night. I was certain at least three days had passed. This must be what purgatory is like. As my wife and I make our way to our car, she remarks that the 10 hour trip back to Bexley will seem like mere moments after what we had just endured. I’m afraid that for the first time in a long time, I have to agree with my wife.


Song list - Elsass Concert May 28, 2010

First Set

Mosey by Elsass
We Were Kids by Elsass
That's A Hero by Elsass
The Wedding by Elsass
Cold, Cold Heart by Williams
Jambalaya by Williams
I Saw the Light by Williams
Leaving on a Jet Plane by Denver
The Promised Land by Elsass
Amanda by McDill

Second Set

Four Strong Winds byTyson
I Reckon I'm Destined by Elsass
Wonder if Daddy Felt This Way by Elsass
Help Me Make It Through The Nigh by Kristofferson
Me and Bobby McGee by Kristofferson
Lingering Dream by Elsass
Lonesome Bound by Elsass
Bottle of Wine by Paxton
Ride the Wind by Elsass
Mary Had a Baby by Elsass

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved by Marion Elsass

CPAC meeting scheduled for 4:30 p.m. July 5, 2010.

Community Programming Advisory Committee meeting for Bexley Public Radio.

4:30 p.m. Monday July 5, 2010.

Community residents are welcome.

Admission is $10.00 per person.


Chairwoman Laura Franks
Community Programming Advisory Committee
Bexley Public Radio Foundation
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209

Laura Franks Dividend Note No. 25, June 2, 2010 for Bexley Public Radio.

This is a report on thirty-four companies that have increased dividends during the second half of May. It is an occasional note by Laura Franks.

This informal collection marks dividend increases for mostly U.S. stocks. This report includes some equities based outside the United States that do business in the United States.

Laura’s commentary and analysis is sometimes offered in this informal journal. The companies that Laura notes in this report as interesting businesses are Bunge Limited,an agribusiness company founded in 1818 and Cognex, a manufacturer of machine vision sensors.

Once each quarter, you can listen to Laura Franks Bexley Consumer Price Index ("Laura Franks Bexley CPI"). Laura shops a uniform basket of goods in Bexley and near-Bexley retail shops. Laura then computes the price changes, up and down, of the items in the market basket. She has been reporting the Bexley Consumer Price Index since the first quarter 2008.

Laura Franks. Only on Bexley Public Radio, WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

BPRF Dividend Note No. 25, June 2, 2010.


ACE Limited (NYSE: ACE) May 19, 2010, Zurich, Switzerland, announced that its shareholders have approved all matters submitted to the ACE Limited 2010 Annual General Meeting, held at the company's offices in Zurich, Switzerland, including a 6.5% increase to the company's quarterly dividend to $1.32 annually ($0.33 per quarter) from $1.24.
The dividend distribution will be in the form of a par value reduction payable in four installments. The amount of each installment in Swiss francs (CHF) will be adjusted up or down to equal $0.33 near the time of payment, subject to an aggregate cap for the four installments of CHF 2.16, similar to the par value reduction installments approved by ACE shareholders in 2009.

In addition, the Board of Directors declared that shareholders of record at the close of business on July 27, 2010, will be entitled to payment of the first of such installments, subject to a required filing with the Swiss Commercial Register. Dividend payments will be made in U.S. dollars (USD) on August 17, 2010, by the company's transfer agent. The company's par value is currently CHF 31.55 per share, and in connection with the dividend installment, the par value per share will be reduced by the CHF equivalent of $0.33 based on the USD/CHF rate published on July 22, 2010.
Celebrating 25 years of insuring progress, the ACE Group is a global insurer and reinsurer serving a diverse group of clients. Headed by ACE Limited, the ACE Group conducts its business on a worldwide basis with operating subsidiaries in more than 50 countries.

Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI)
May 18, 2010, Norwood, MA declared a ten percent Dividend increase. The dividend will be paid on June 16 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 28. Analog Devices has paid dividends since 2003 and has a current dividend yield of 3.1%. Analog Devices current dividend information is: Dividend Declaration Date: May-18-2010
Dividend Ex Date: May-26-2010 
Dividend Record Date: May-28-2010
Dividend Payment Date: Jun-16-2010 
Dividend Amount: 0.22

Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) May 20, 2010, White Plains, NY announced that its board of directors has approved a 9.5% increase in the company's regular quarterly cash dividend, from $0.21 to $0.23 per common share. The new dividend is payable on September 2, 2010, to shareholders of record on August 19, 2010.

Bunge Limited is a global agribusiness and food company with approximately 37,000 employees in more than 30 countries. Bunge buys, sells, stores and transports oilseeds and grains to serve customers worldwide; processes oilseeds to make protein meal for animal feed and edible oil products for commercial customers and consumers; produces sugar and ethanol from sugarcane; mills wheat and corn to make ingredients used by food companies; and sells fertilizer in North and South America. Founded in 1818, the company is headquartered in White Plains, New York.

Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (NYSE: CP) May 20, 2010 Calgary, British Columbia, Canadasaid that its board increased its quarterly dividend to 27 cents from 24.75 cents.

The dividend is payable on July 26 to shareholders on June 25.

The railroad's board also approved a $70 million increase in capital spending this year. Canadian Pacific now plans to spend in the range of $750 million to $800 million on capital programs in 2010.

"The improving economy, our strong balance sheet and solid earnings and free cash flows have enabled us to expand our capital programs to take advantage of growth and productivity opportunities" said Kathryn McQuade, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "CP's strong franchise showed resilience through the recession and this dividend increase continues our trend of dividend growth aligned with earnings growth."

Canadian Pacific, through the ingenuity of its employees located across Canada and in the United States, remains committed to being the safest, most fluid railway in North America. Its trains operate through the more than 1,100 communities.

The Cato Corporation (NYSE: CATO) May 27, 2010 Charlotte, NC approved a 12% increase in the Company's dividend to an annualized rate of $.74 per Class A Common and Class B Common share. The dividend is payable quarterly at the rate of $.185 per share with the first payable date of June 28, 2010 to shareholders of record on June 14, 2010. At the closing market price on May 26, 2010, the dividend represents an annualized yield of 3.1%.

"One of Cato's goals is to return a portion of profits to our shareholders through dividends and to increase that dividend as our earnings increase," stated John Cato, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The Board approved this increase based on our strong performance in 2009. Cato's dividend yield remains one of the highest in the retail industry."

The Cato Corporation is a specialty retailer of value-priced women's fashion apparel and accessories operating two divisions, "Cato" and "It's Fashion". The company's Cato division offers exclusive merchandise with fashion and quality comparable to mall specialty stores at low prices every day. The It's Fashion division offers fashion with a focus on the latest trendy styles and nationally recognized urban brands for the entire family at low prices every day. As of May 1, 2010, the Company operated 1,272 stores in 31 states.

The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) May 19, 2010 Oakland, CA announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 55 cents per share on the company's common stock, payable Aug. 13, 2010, to stockholders of record on July 28, 2010. The amount represents an increase of 5 cents per share, or 10 percent, in the company's quarterly dividend.

Total annual dividends paid to Clorox shareholders have increased each year since 1977.

Clorox Company is a manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,300 employees and fiscal year 2009 revenues of $5.5 billion. Clorox markets some of consumers' most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Green Works(R) natural cleaning and laundry products; Armor All(R) and STP(R) auto-care products; Fresh Step(R) and Scoop Away(R) cat litter; Kingsford(R) charcoal; Hidden Valley(R) and K C Masterpiece(R) dressings and sauces; Brita(R) water-filtration systems; Glad(R) bags, wraps and containers; and Burt's Bees(R) natural personal care products. The company's products are manufactured in more than two dozen countries and sold in more than 100 countries. Clorox is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees work and live. Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded cash grants totaling more than $77 million to nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges. In fiscal 2009 alone, the foundation awarded $3.6 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $7.8 million.

Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX) May 5, 2010, Natick, MA announced that the board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share; this represents an increase of $0.01 per share, or 20%, over the $0.05 per share dividend paid in the prior quarter. 

“The dividend increase announced demonstrates the confidence that the board of directors has in Cognex’s financial strength and in our ability to continue to generate profitable growth for the remainder of the year,” said Dr. Robert J. Shillman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cognex. “We decreased our dividend in Q2 of 2009 when times were tough, and we are happy to increase it in good times like these so that we can share our success in a tangible way with our shareholders.”

The dividend announced today is payable on June 18, 2010, to all shareholders of record at the close of business on June 4, 2010. Cognex declared its first dividend in the third quarter of 2003, and to date it has paid $96 million in dividends to its shareholders.

Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets machine vision sensors and systems, or devices that can "see." Cognex vision sensors and systems are used in factories around the world where they guide, inspect, gauge, identify and assure the quality of a wide range of items during the manufacturing process. Cognex is the world's leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped more than 500,000 machine vision systems, representing over $2.5 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company's founding in 1981. Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts USA, Cognex has regional offices and distributors located throughout North America, Japan, Europe, Asia and Latin America.


DDi Corp. (NASDAQ:DDIC), May 13, 2010 Anaheim, CA a provider of time-critical, technologically advanced electronic interconnect design, engineering and manufacturing services, announced that its board of directors has approved the initiation of a cash dividend to its shareholders. The quarterly dividend of $0.06 per share will be paid on July 6, 2010, to shareholders of record on the close of business on June 21, 2010. While it is the board of directors' intention that a dividend in this amount will continue to be paid on a quarterly basis, future declaration of quarterly dividends are subject to board approval.

Mikel Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer of DDi Corp., stated, “The announcement of our first ever common stock dividend reflects the progress we have made in building a strong company and underscores our confidence in our business prospects and our future cash flow generation capabilities. Over the last three years we have repurchased $16.3 million of our shares in the open market, purchased Coretec Inc., and invested over $22 million in capital to strengthen our capabilities. We remain committed to enhancing shareholder value and are especially pleased we are able to continue to support our business while returning cash to our shareholders.”

The Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) May 26, 2010, Moline, IL announced a dividend payment of $.30 a share on common stock, payable August 2, 2010, to stockholders of record on June 30, 2010. The new quarterly rate represents an increase of two cents per share over the previous level, or seven percent.

Deere & Company, founded in 1837 (collectively called John Deere), has grown from a one-man blacksmith shop into a corporation that today does business around the world and employs more than 50,000 people.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) May 19, 2010, Plano, TX announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share on the company's common stock. This represents a 67% increase in the quarterly dividend rate and follows the company's attainment of its target capital structure.

The dividend is payable in U.S. dollars on July 9, 2010, to shareholders of record on June 21, 2010. The ex-dividend date is June 17.
 The dividend yield on the new payout it 2.6%.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. is a producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. The company has more than 50 brands. Its brands include 6 of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 9 of its 12 "power brands" are No. 1 in their flavor categories. In addition to Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, its products include Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Mott's, Squirt, Hawaiian Punch, Penafiel, Clamato, Schweppes, Venom Energy, Rose's and Mr & Mrs T mixers.

First Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: THFF) May 18, 2010 Terre Haute, IN declared a semi-annual dividend of 46 cents per share payable on July 1, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business June 15, 2010. Today's declaration increases the total dividend paid in 2010 to 91 cents per share, a 1.1% increase from 2009.
Donald E. Smith, Chairman, noted that the corporation's performance has made it possible to increase dividends to shareholders for 22 consecutive years.

"The ability to reward our shareholders with increased dividends is a testament to the Corporation's success at generating solid earnings during what is perhaps the most challenging economic environment in the past 50 years," Smith said, "As always, we remain committed to operating in a safe and sound manner that allows us to provide positive returns without taking excessive risk."

First Financial Corporation is the holding company for First Financial Bank N.A., with 54 banking centers in western Indiana and eastern Illinois; The Morris Plan Company of Terre Haute; and Forrest Sherer, Inc., a full service insurance agency.

The Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust (NYSE: GDV) May 20, 2010, Rye, NY announced the continuation of monthly cash distributions of $0.06 per share for July and August 2010. The Board of Trustees authorized an increase in the cash distribution from $0.06 per share to $0.07 per share for September 2010. The September distribution represents a 17% increase over the previous month's distribution.

The distribution of $0.06 per share for July 2010 will be payable on July 23, 2010 to common shareholders of record on July 16, 2010.

The distribution of $0.06 per share for August 2010 will be payable on August 24, 2010 to common shareholders of record on August 17, 2010.

The distribution of $0.07 per share for September 2010 will be payable on September 23, 2010 to common shareholders of record on September 16, 2010.

Each quarter, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution and the income, capital gain, or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund's distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund's net asset value and the financial market environment. If necessary, the Fund will pay an adjusting distribution in December which includes any additional income and net realized capital gains in excess of the monthly distributions for that year to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund's distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Trustees at any time.

A portion of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain and qualified dividend income for individuals, each subject to the maximum federal income tax rate, which is currently 15% in taxable accounts for individuals. If the Fund does not generate earnings from dividends and interest received and net realized capital gains equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund's investment income and net realized capital gains would be deemed a non-taxable return of capital.

Long-term capital gains, qualified dividend income, ordinary income, and paid-in capital, if any, will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all distributions to common shareholders for the year. Based on the accounting records of the Fund as of May 17, 2010, each of the distributions paid in 2010 would include approximately 23% from net investment income and 77% from paid-in capital. The estimated components of each distribution are provided to shareholders of record in a notice accompanying the distribution and are available on our website (www.gabelli.com). The final determination of the sources of all distributions in 2010 will be made after year end and can vary from the monthly estimates. All shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification regarding the components and tax treatment for all 2010 distributions in early 2011 via Form 1099-DIV.

It should be noted that the Fund's total assets include capital from preferred shares issued in prior years. Gabelli Funds, LLC (the "Investment Adviser") does not receive a management fee on the incremental assets attributable to the Fund's outstanding preferred shares unless the total return of the net asset value of the common shares during the year, including distributions and management fee subject to reduction, exceeds the stated dividend rate or corresponding swap rate of each particular series of preferred shares for the fiscal year.

The Gabelli Dividend & Income Trust is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with $1.7 billion in total net assets whose primary investment objective is to provide a high level of total return with an emphasis on dividends and income. The Investment Adviser is a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (GBL 40.38, -1.76, -4.18%) , which is a publicly traded NYSE listed company.

The H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) May 27, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA announced that its board of directors declared quarterly dividends on both common and preferred stock.

The common stock dividend will be raised from 42.0 cents to 45.0 cents quarterly for all shareholders of record as of June 24, 2010, payable July 10, 2010. The new annualized dividend is $1.80, which represents an increase of $0.12, or 7.1%, versus last year’s dividend. Including today’s announcement, Heinz has increased the dividend almost 67% over the last seven years for a compound annual growth rate of 7.6%.

"This dividend increase reflects our strong cash flow, our commitment to shareholder value, and the confidence of management and the Heinz Board of Directors in the future of the Company,” said William R. Johnson, Heinz Chairman, President and CEO.

The Board also declared a dividend of 42.5 cents per share on the Company's Third Cumulative Preferred Stock, $1.70 First Series, payable July 1, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 24, 2010.

H.J. Heinz Company, is a global marketer and producer of foods such as ketchup, sauces, meals, soups, snacks and infant nutrition. Heinz is a global family of branded products, including Heinz® Ketchup, sauces, soups, beans, pasta and infant foods (representing over one-third of Heinz’s total sales), Ore-Ida® potato products, Weight Watchers® Smart Ones® entrees, T.G.I. Friday’s® snacks and Plasmon® infant nutrition.

Knight Transportation, Inc. (NYSE: KNX) May 20, 2010, Phoenix, AZ announced that its board of directors has declared an increase of the company's quarterly cash dividend to $0.06 per share of common stock. Prior to this 20% increase, the company's quarterly dividend had been $0.05 per share of common stock. This quarterly dividend is pursuant to a cash dividend policy approved by the board of directors. The actual declaration of future cash dividends, and the establishment of record and payment dates, is subject to final determination by the board of directors each quarter after its review of the company's financial performance.

The company's dividend is payable to shareholders of record on June 4, 2010 and is expected to be paid on June 25, 2010.
Knight Transportation, Inc. is a truckload carrier offering dry van, refrigerated, intermodal and brokerage services to customers through a network of service centers located throughout the United States serving North America. The principal types of freight transported include consumer staples, retail, paper products, packaging/plastics, manufacturing, and import/export commodities.

Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) May 28, 2010, Mooresville, NC has declared a 22% increase in its quarterly cash dividend to eleven cents ($0.11) per share, payable August 4, 2010, to shareholders of record as of July 21, 2010. Lowe’s has declared a cash dividend each quarter since going public in 1961.

Fiscal year 2009 sales are $47.2 billion. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,700 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world.

McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK) May 26, 2010, San Francisco, CA announced a change in its dividend policy by increasing the amount of the company's regular quarterly dividend by 50%. The board of directors implemented the increase immediately by declaring a dividend of eighteen cents per share on the Common Stock, payable on July 1, 2010, to shareholders of record on June 10, 2010.

"Based on our confidence in our business and future cash flow generation, the Board of Directors has increased the quarterly dividend from twelve cents to eighteen cents per share," said John H. Hammergren, chairman and chief executive officer. "We remain committed to our portfolio approach to capital deployment, which we believe will create significant value for our shareholders."

McKesson Corporation is a healthcare services and information technology company that works to help its customers reduce costs, streamline processes, and improve the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 177-year history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients.

Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNRO) May 27, 2010, Rochester, NY a provider of automotive undercar repair and tire services, announced financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended March 27, 2010.

Robert G. Gross, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are very pleased with our strong performance for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2010. Throughout the year, we drove traffic and sales in all of our key categories and acquired and integrated 74 stores. Additionally, during the quarter we converted 54 Monro service stores in New England to our Black Gold format, which is expected to provide additional momentum in those markets heading into fiscal 2011 and represents a further benefit of the Tire Warehouse acquisition. Further, Tire Warehouse, along with our two other acquisitions during the year -- Autotire and Midwest Tire -- saw comparable store sales growth of approximately 11% for the fourth quarter, exceeding our expectations and contributing to our top and bottom-line performance. We are delighted with our comparable store sales increase of 7.2% for the year, on top of a 6.7% increase last year. Notably, fiscal 2010 marked our ninth consecutive year of same store sales growth, proving that our company-operated business model is well positioned to deliver solid results in both favorable and challenging economic times. Overall, we remain very pleased with our performance, which is a direct result of the ability of our employees to execute well and consistently provide excellent service to our loyal customers."

As previously announced, the company's board of directors has approved a $.02 increase in the company's cash dividend for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 to $.09 per share, representing an increase of 28.6% from the quarterly dividends paid in fiscal 2010. The cash dividend is payable on the company's outstanding shares of common stock including the shares of common stock to which the holders of the Company's Class C Convertible Preferred Stock are entitled. The increased dividend will be payable on June 18, 2010 to shareholders of record as of June 8, 2010.

Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) May 18, 2010, Seattle, WA announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 20 cents per share, an increase of 4 cents or 25% over the previous quarter's dividend. The dividend is payable on June 15, 2010, to shareholders of record on May 28, 2010.

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 193 stores located in 28 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 114 full-line stores, 76 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and one clearance store.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) May 19, 2010, Los Angeles, CA, declared a quarterly dividend of $0.47 per share on Northrop Grumman common stock, a 9.3 percent increase from $0.43 per share.

This is the seventh consecutive annual increase in Northrop Grumman's quarterly dividend.

The dividend is payable June 12, 2010, to shareholders of record as of the close of business June 1, 2010.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a lglobal security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPNT), May 11, 2010, Bethesda, MD, a provider of solutions for managing networks and applications, announced that revenue for the fourth fiscal quarter, ended March 31, 2010, was $34.4 million, compared to $28.9 million for the same quarter in the prior fiscal year. Diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 were $0.11, compared to negative $0.00 for the same quarter in the prior fiscal year. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share, which represents one quarter of the company's fiscal 2011 annual dividend target of $0.40, payable on June 30, 2010 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 15, 2010. The company paid a total dividend of $0.36 per share during fiscal 2010.

Marc A. Cohen, OPNET’s Chairman and CEO, stated, “We are very pleased to report strong execution during the first calendar quarter of 2010. We achieved several noteworthy financial records, including total revenue of $34.4 million, product revenue of $16.2 million, total cash and cash equivalents of $104.7 million, and deferred revenue of $43.4 million.”

Mr. Cohen continued, “Our application performance management (APM) solutions continue to drive sales growth. APM product sales accounted for 54% of our total product bookings during the quarter, and increased 36% over the same quarter last year. Our APM product sales decreased sequentially from the third quarter of fiscal 2010 by 14%; however, we expected a sequential decline given that December represents a seasonally strong quarter for corporate enterprises. We believe that the year-over-year growth in APM is being driven by both superior analytics, and our end-to-end solutions that span networks, applications, and systems. We further believe that these competitive advantages can generate sustained growth in product revenue and profitability over the long term. More importantly, the quarter’s success demonstrates our increasing ability to penetrate the multi-billion dollar APM market.”

Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) May 10, 2010, Glendale, CA declared a 23% dividend increase from USD 0.65 to USD 0.8, to shareholders of record on June 15th, 2010. Public Storage is a real estate investment trust. The Trust’s principal business activities include the acquisition, development, ownership and operation of self-storage facilities, which offer storage spaces for lease, generally on a month-to-month basis, for personal and business use. The Trust is an owner and operator of self-storage facilities in the United States. It operates in three segments: Domestic Self-Storage, Europe Self-Storage and Commercial.

Quanex Building Products Corporation (NYSE: NX) May 27, 2010, Houston, TX, announced that its board of directors authorized an annual dividend increase of $0.04 per common share outstanding. The company stated the annual dividend is now $0.16 per share, a 33% increase over the previous annual dividend. The second quarter dividend of $0.04 per share is payable June 30, 2010 to shareholders of record on June 16, 2010. The Board also authorized a stock repurchase program for up to 1 million shares that will be used to purchase shares from time to time.

"With the continued implementation of our long-term strategy, coupled with a slow recovery in our end markets, we expect to generate healthy cash flows through the next business cycle," said David D. Petratis, chairman and chief executive officer. "While making acquisitions in the fenestration market remain a priority for the company, raising the dividend and purchasing shares demonstrates our confidence in the future and directly benefits our long-term shareholders."

Quanex Building Products Corporation is a manufacturer of engineered materials, components and systems serving the U.S. residential window and door markets.

Raven Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: RAVN) May 21, 2010 delivered a net income of $12.9 million, or 72 cents per share in its first quarter, ended April 30, 2010, up from $9.2 million or 51 cents per share in the year-ago period.

During the reported quarter, Raven declared a 14% increase in the company’s regular quarterly cash dividend to 16 cents per share. This is the company’s 24th consecutive annual cash dividend increase.

Raven’s current orders at the Applied Technology and Engineered Films segments remain strong, which bodes well for the coming quarters. In the Electronic Systems segment, Raven intends to pursue a low volume/high mix project in its niche markets such as secure communications.

At the Aerostar segment, Raven has over $7 million in tethered aerostat backlog at the end of last month and has received an additional $7 million of new orders in this month. As Raven ramps the $12 million annual delivery level under the T-11 Army Airborne parachute contract, Aerostar’s profitability is expected to be affected in the first half of the fiscal year. Raven continues to make further investments to develop its aerostat product line.

Raven remains cautious on the pace of economic recovery. The company plans to focus on new products and geographic expansion. Raven plans to invest more on research & development in fiscal 2011 to strengthen its lead in precision agriculture and advance its position in tethered aerostats.

Republic Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: RBCAA) May 19, 2010, Louisville, KY, parent company of Republic Bank & Trust Company and Republic Bank, today announced an 8% increase in the company's second quarter cash dividends. The cash dividend of $0.143 per share of Class A Common Stock and $0.13 per share on Class B Common Stock will be payable July 16, 2010 to shareholders of record as of June 18, 2010.

“We are pleased to announce the 9th consecutive annual increase in our quarterly cash dividend. Our strong performance and capital position, combined with our continued positive outlook for the future, will once again allow our shareholders to benefit through an increased cash dividend - an achievement few companies can site in today's difficult economy. We thank our loyal shareholders for their continued support as we, in turn, reciprocate through a higher dividend. As this positive news demonstrates, we were here for you yesterday. We are here for you today. We will be here for you tomorrow," commented Steve Trager, President and CEO for Republic.

Republic Bancorp, Inc. has 44 banking centers and is the parent company of: Republic Bank & Trust Company with 35 banking centers in 13 Kentucky communities - Bowling Green, Covington, Crestwood, Elizabethtown, Florence, Frankfort, Georgetown, Independence, Lexington, Louisville, Owensboro, Shelbyville and Shepherdsville and three banking centers in southern Indiana: Floyds Knobs, Jeffersonville and New Albany. Republic Bank has banking centers in Hudson, Palm Harbor, Port Richey, New Port Richey and Temple Terrace, Florida as well as Cincinnati, Ohio. Republic operates Tax Refund Solutions, a nationwide tax refund loan and check provider. Republic has $3.2 billion in assets and $1 billion in trust assets under custody and management. Republic is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and Republic's Class A Common Stock is listed under the symbol 'RBCAA' on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY) May 19, 2010, Pleasanton, CA, announced that its board of directors met today and declared a regular quarterly cash dividend and approved a 20% increase from $0.10 per share to $0.12 per share on a quarterly basis. The cash dividend of $0.12 will be payable on July 15, 2010, to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 24, 2010.

Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. The company operates 1,712 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $40.9 billion in 2009. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.

Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) May 20, 2010, New York, NY, declared a dividend of $0.25 per share of Common Stock, which reflects a 25% increase in the quarterly rate. This is the second announced increase in the quarterly dividend payment policy since the start of the calendar year and increases the quarterly dividend from $0.20 per share (or $0.80 annually) to a new rate of $0.25 per share (or $1.00 per share annually).

Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and chief executive officer, announced the increase at the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders and said, "Following an 18% increase in the quarterly dividend rate earlier this year, this action again demonstrates the Board's recognition of our strong balance sheet liquidity and their confidence in Tiffany's long-term earnings growth potential."

The dividend declared today will be paid on July 12, 2010 to stockholders of record on June 21, 2010. Future dividends are subject to declaration by the directors.

Tiffany & Co. operates jewelry stores and manufactures products through its subsidiary corporations. Its principal subsidiary is Tiffany and Company. The Company operates TIFFANY & CO. retail stores and boutiques in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and engages in direct selling through Internet, catalog and business gift operations.

Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TRH) May 26, 2010, New York, NY, announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.21 per share on the Company's common stock, payable September 17, 2010, to stockholders of record on September 3, 2010. This represents a five percent increase in the quarterly dividend on TRH common stock. The Board of Directors has raised the quarterly dividend every year since TRH became a public company in 1990.

Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. (TRH) is an international reinsurance organization headquartered in New York, with operations on six continents. Its subsidiaries, Transatlantic Reinsurance Company®, Trans Re Zurich Reinsurance Company Ltd and Putnam Reinsurance Company, offer reinsurance capacity on both a treaty and facultative basis structuring programs for a full range of property and casualty products, with an emphasis on specialty risks.

United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBSI) May 4, 2010, Charleston, WV, board of directors declared a second quarter dividend of $0.30 per share for shareholders of record as of June 11, 2010. This is a 3% increase over the $0.29 per share paid in the second quarter of 2009. The dividend payout of approximately $13.1 million on 43.5 million shares is payable July 1, 2010. United has increased its dividend to shareholders for 36 consecutive years.
United Bankshares, with $7.6 billion in assets, has 113 full-service offices in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) May 26, 2010, Minneapolis, MN, announced that its board of directors, at its regular meeting on May 25, 2010, increased the company's cash dividend to shareholders and moved the company to a quarterly dividend payment cycle. The first quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share will be paid on June 21, 2010 to all shareholders of record of UnitedHealth Group common stock as of the close of business on June 7, 2010.
"Our disciplined capital stewardship enables us to continue to return capital to our shareholders. We are increasing the size and frequency of our dividends, while continuing an effective share repurchase program, making sound investments in growth and maintaining a strong balance sheet and financial flexibility," said Stephen J. Hemsley, president and chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group.

After reviewing the company's business outlook and future capital requirements, the board approved a quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share. At the quarterly rate, a full year of dividends would represent approximately 12 percent to 13 percent of projected 2010 company cash flows from operations. Future quarterly dividend payments are subject to board approval and may be adjusted as business needs or market conditions change. Most recently, the company paid a $0.03 per share annual dividend in April, 2010.

Unum Group (NYSE: UNM) May 20, 2010, Chattanooga, TN, announced that its board of directors authorized an increase of 12.1 percent in the quarterly dividend paid on its common stock. The new quarterly dividend rate of $0.0925 per common share will be effective with the dividend expected to be paid in the third quarter of 2010.

"Our consistent operating performance and strong capital position have positioned us well to again increase our common stock dividend," said Thomas R. Watjen, president and chief executive officer. "This action, along with today's decision by our board to authorize the repurchase of $500 million of our common stock, represents a balanced approach to deploying our excess capital in a way that creates value for our shareholders, yet also allows us to continue to invest in our businesses and capitalize on market opportunities as they arise."

As a result of today's announcements, the company is adjusting its guidance for year-end 2010 holding company cash and marketable securities to be in excess of $500 million, but continues to expect to close 2010 with weighted average risk-based capital levels of approximately 375 percent to 400 percent at its traditional U.S. insurance subsidiaries.

The company had previously raised its quarterly dividend 10 percent with the dividend paid in the third quarter of 2009 and completed a $700 million share repurchase in 2008.

Unum is a provider of employee benefits products and services and the largest provider of group and individual disability insurance in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) May 27, 2010, San Francisco, CA, announced that its board of directors has authorized a $60 million stock repurchase program and a 15% increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend.

Adrian Bellamy, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented, "Today, we are very pleased to announce that our Board has authorized both a $60 million common stock repurchase program and a $0.02, or 15%, increase in our quarterly dividend. The $60 million stock repurchase program reflects the Board's objective to offset dilution from equity compensation programs on an ongoing basis. We anticipate completion of this program before the end of our fiscal year and the approval of a subsequent program at that time. The $0.02, or 15%, increase in our quarterly dividend to $0.15 per share is our second quarterly dividend increase this year. Including the $0.01 per share increase we announced in March, our total quarterly dividend increase for the year is 25%, or $0.03 per share."

Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer, remarked, "Our decision today to increase the amount of cash we are returning to shareholders has been based upon our rapidly improving financial performance, as evidenced by our results over the past several quarters. As we have said before, we are confident in the cash-generating power of our multi-channel, multi-brand business model. Based on this confidence, our strong cash position today, and a projected cash flow that exceeds the funding requirements of our future growth, we believe this is an ideal time to further demonstrate our commitment to returning capital to our shareholders by authorizing this stock repurchase program and increasing our dividend payout."
The stock repurchase program authorizes the purchase of $60 million of the company's common stock through open market and privately negotiated transactions, at times and in such amounts as management deems appropriate. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, capital availability, and other market conditions. The stock repurchase program does not have an expiration date and may be limited or terminated at any time without prior notice. As of May 2, 2010, there were 107,930,873 common shares outstanding.

The quarterly cash dividend will be increased by $0.02 to $0.15 per common share and is payable on August 24, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on July 27, 2010. The aggregate quarterly dividend is estimated at approximately $16 million based on the current number of outstanding common shares. The indicated annual cash dividend, subject to capital availability, is $0.60 per common share, or approximately $65 million, based on the current number of common shares outstanding.

W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) May 18, 2010, Greenwich, CT, announced that its board of directors has voted to increase the cash dividend to an annual rate of 28 cents per share, representing a 17% increase from the present rate. The first quarterly dividend at the new rate of seven cents per share will be paid on July 1, 2010 to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 14, 2010.

Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company that is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States and operates in five segments of the property casualty insurance business: specialty insurance, regional property casualty insurance, alternative markets, reinsurance, and international.

The Xcel Energy Inc.(NYSE: XEL) May 19, 2010, Minneapolis, MN, board of directors declared regular quarterly dividends on all series of outstanding preferred stock, which are payable on July 15, 2010, to shareholders of record on June 24, 2010.

The board also raised the quarterly dividend on the company's common stock from 24.50 cents per share to 25.25 cents per share, which is equivalent to an annual rate of $1.01 per share. The board declared the second quarter common stock dividend payable July 20, 2010, to shareholders of record on June 24, 2010.

"The board recognizes the importance of the dividend to our shareholders. The increase in the dividend is consistent with our goal of growing the dividend 2-4 percent annually," said Richard C. Kelly, chairman and CEO.

Xcel Energy is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company, with operations in 8 Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.4 million electricity customers and 1.9 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis.

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