ResiliEnt Business Solutions, LLC(TM) (ResiliEnt) is a customer centric,
quality-focused consulting and professional services firm specializing
in the delivery of enterprise-wide business strategies and solutions
through operational process and technology. ResiliEnt’s experienced team
provides these services and solutions to a wide range of industries,
including: Financial Services, Retail, Higher Education, Healthcare,
Insurance, Technology, Manufacturing, Restaurant Management, Government,
and others.

WBENC’s national standard of certification, implemented by the Greater
Woman’s Business Council (GWBC), is a meticulous process including an
in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification
process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned,
operated and controlled by a woman or women.

By including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporations,
and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering
diversity and the continued development of their supplier/vendor
diversity programs.

About ResiliEnt Business Solutions

ResiliEnt Business Solutions, LLC(TM) (ResiliEnt) is a customer centric,
quality-focused consulting firm specializing in the delivery of
enterprise-wide business strategies and solutions through operational
process and technology. The company provides unique client specific
solutions that solve critical issues and gain essential business
advantage. Our innovative process driven methodology, expert context
specific knowledge and product agnostic approach ensure strategic
success and adaptable solutions. ResiliEnt Solutions create sustainable,
strategy and solution based organizations, with C-suite agility,
improved business performance and tangible return on investment (ROI).
ResiliEnt has centers of excellence in Enterprise Strategy, Operational
Efficiency, Asset Evaluation and Reallocation, Change Management,
Technology Solutions, BI, DW, Data Strategy, Integration. Our services
include Management Consulting, Enterprise Wide Solutions and Resource
Management. To learn more about ResiliEnt Business Solutions, please
visit www.resilientbiz.com.

About WBENC

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council is the nation’s largest
third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the
United States. WBENC is a resource for the more than 700 US companies
and government agencies that rely on WBENC’s certification as an
integral part of their supplier diversity programs.

A zoo in Lebanon is a prison, claims Mona Khoury, co-founder of Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (BETA) and a lover of animals since she was a little girl. All the animals are depressed.

Animal protection agencies have set international standards for the treatment and living conditions of animals in zoological gardens. But animal rights groups and veterinarians maintain that these standards are not adhered to in Lebanese zoos.

According to the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Detailed provisions on minimum requirements … regarding furnishing, care of animals, operation [and] education of the person employed in keeping animals, shall be determined by … competent authority taking into account … scientific findings and the needs of the animal species kept.

Dr. Gaby Hilan, one of the few Lebanese veterinarians with experience treating wild animals, told The Daily Star about the needs of wild animals kept in zoos. According to Hilan, zoos require live-in veterinarians called zookeepers, who build relationships of trust with the animals. The zookeepers know the individual personality of an animal and the intricacies of dealing with it better than vets, points out Hilan. However, the scarcity of such specialists in Lebanon has led Lebanese zoos to adopt a different approach when hiring employees.

In Lebanon, they hire [unskilled] foreign laborers for low wages to take care of the animals, explains Hilan, adding that the workers lack the proper education to deal with wild animals. The result is often neglect, mistreatment and abuse of the animals.

]]> http://www.channelpipe.com/2012/05/animals-in-lebanese-zoos-neglected-mistreated/feed/ 0 http://www.channelpipe.com/2012/05/sciclone-reports-financial-results-for-the-first-quarter-2012/ http://www.channelpipe.com/2012/05/sciclone-reports-financial-results-for-the-first-quarter-2012/#comments Sat, 19 May 2012 09:47:03 +0000 Admin http://www.channelpipe.com/?p=2240

FOSTER CITY, CA, May 09, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

/quotes/zigman/77751/quotes/nls/scln SCLN
+0.52%

today reported
financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.
Revenues increased by 81% for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, to
$39.2 million, compared to revenues for the same period in the prior
year of $21.7 million. The increases in revenues in the first quarter
were due to the continued growth of the ZADAXIN business in China and
the inclusion of the NovaMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NovaMed) revenues
since the date of the acquisition on April 18, 2011. For the first
quarter ending March 31, 2012, ZADAXIN revenues increased 37% to
$29.8 million compared to revenues for the same period in the prior
year of $21.7 million, and revenues attributable to the primary care
and oncology product lines were $9.4 million.

On a pro forma basis, assuming NovaMed had been acquired on January
1, 2011, revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 would have
been $39.2 million compared to $28.2 million for the same period in
the prior year, an increase of $11.0 million.

“We are pleased to report that SciClone delivered a strong first
quarter 2012 performance with 37% ZADAXIN revenue growth year over
year, clearly growing ahead of the market. All our key products,
ZADAXIN, Depakine(R) and Aggrastat(R), contributed to this excellent
start for 2012,” said Friedhelm Blobel, Ph.D., SciClone President and
Chief Executive Officer. “We recently marked the one-year anniversary
of the SciClone-NovaMed acquisition, which was an occasion to
celebrate the significant accomplishments we’ve made integrating our
two companies. Our sales and marketing focused China team, which now
includes approximately 850 professionals, has greatly enhanced our
ability to expand commercial efforts more deeply and widely
throughout the China market, resulting in the increasing market
uptake of our expanded product portfolio. We believe we have created
a broad foundation for continuing to deliver strong financial results
in 2012 and further solidifying our position within the top tier of
specialty pharmaceutical companies in China.”

On a GAAP basis, SciClone’s net income for the first quarter of 2012
was $8.7 million, compared with $3.8 million for the same period in
the prior year, or $0.15 per share on both a basic and diluted basis
for the three months ended March 31, 2012, compared with $0.08 per
share on both a basic and diluted basis for the same period in the
prior year.

SciClone’s non-GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2012 was $9.6
million, compared with non-GAAP income of $4.9 million for the same
period in the prior year, or $0.17 and $0.16 per share on a basic and
diluted basis, respectively, for the three months ended March 31,
2012, compared with $0.10 per share on both a basic and diluted basis
for the same period in the prior year. Basic and diluted earnings per
share for the 2012 period reflect the issuance of 8.3 million shares
of common stock as part of the acquisition of NovaMed in April 2011.

SciClone believes this non-GAAP information is useful for investors,
taken in conjunction with SciClone’s GAAP financial statements,
because management uses such information internally for its
operating, budgeting and financial planning purposes. Non-GAAP
information is not prepared under a comprehensive set of accounting
rules and should only be used to supplement an understanding of
SciClone’s operating results as reported under GAAP. The non-GAAP
calculations and reconciliation to comparable GAAP measures were
derived principally as a result of the NovaMed acquisition and are
provided in the accompanying table titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to
Non-GAAP Net Income.”

Research and development (R&D) expenses for the first quarter of 2012
totaled $3.4 million, compared with $3.1 million for the same period
in the prior year. Following the Company’s announcement on March 2,
2012 regarding the futility of our SCV-07 clinical development
program in oral mucositis, the Company has taken certain steps to
reduce its future US-based clinical development expenses this year
and expects further substantial decreases in R&D expenses in 2013.
The increase in R&D for the quarter was primarily related to
severance costs associated with the discontinuation of the Company’s
SCV-07 program, and to a lesser extent to the addition of NovaMed’s
research and development expenses since its acquisition in April
2011, offset partially by a decrease in third-party expenses related
to the discontinuance of our US-based clinical development programs.

Sales and marketing expenses for the first quarter of 2012 were $17.6
million, compared with $5.2 million for the same period in the prior
year. The increase of $12.4 million was primarily a result of the
addition of approximately 450 sales and marketing employees through
the acquisition of NovaMed in April 2011, as well as the additional
expansion of the Company’s sales team by approximately 100 sales
representatives in the fourth quarter of last year, which
significantly expanded SciClone’s sales and marketing capabilities.
The Company now has a combined sales organization comprised of
approximately 850 sales and marketing focused professionals in China.

General and administrative expenses for the first quarter of 2012
were $4.0 million, compared with $6.0 million for the same period in
the prior year. The decrease in 2012 was primarily due to lower
professional services fees related to the Company’s FCPA
investigation, class action and derivative lawsuits, and professional
expenses in connection with the NovaMed acquisition, partially offset
by increases in general and administrative expenses attributable to
NovaMed operations.

At March 31, 2012, cash and investments totaled $74.9 million,
compared with $67.0 million at December 31, 2011. The increase in
SciClone’s cash balance was primarily due to the cash generated by
the Company’s commercial operations, partially offset by $1.1 million
used in the first quarter for the repurchase of SciClone stock.

Conference Call Today

SciClone is hosting a conference call today at 4:30 pm ET to provide
a financial update. The call will be hosted by Friedhelm Blobel,
Ph.D., President and CEO, Gary Titus, Senior Vice President and CFO.

LIVE CALL:
866 730.5768 (U.S./Canada)
857 350.1592 (International)

Passcode: 27284305

REPLAY:
888 286.8010 (U.S./Canada)
617 801.6888
(International)
Passcode: 13769826
(Replay available from Wednesday,
May 9, 2012, at 6:30 pm ET until 11:59 pm ET on Wednesday, May 16,
2012)

The conference call will contain forward-looking statements.
Interested parties who wish to listen to the webcast should visit the
Investor Relations section of SciClone’s website at
www.sciclone.com .
The information provided on the teleconference is accurate only at
the time of the conference call, and SciClone will take no
responsibility for providing updated information except as required
by law.

About SciClone

SciClone Pharmaceuticals is a revenue-generating, profitable,
specialty pharmaceutical company with a substantial commercial
business in China and a product portfolio of therapies for oncology,
infectious diseases and cardiovascular, urological, respiratory, and
central nervous system disorders. SciClone’s ZADAXIN(R) (thymalfasin)
is approved in over 30 countries and may be used for the treatment of
hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and certain cancers, and as a
vaccine adjuvant, according to the local regulatory approvals.
Besides ZADAXIN, SciClone markets about 15 mostly partnered products
in China, including Depakine(R), the most widely prescribed
broad-spectrum anti-convulsant in China; Tritace(R), an ACE inhibitor
for the treatment of hypertension; Stilnox(R), a fast-acting hypnotic
for the short-term treatment of insomnia (marketed as Ambien(R) in
the US); and Aggrastat(R), a recently-launched interventional
cardiology product. SciClone is also pursuing the registration of
several other therapeutic products in China. SciClone is
headquartered in Foster City, California. For additional information,
please visit
www.sciclone.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding
expected financial results and expectations. Readers are urged to
consider statements that include the words “may,” “will,” “would,”
“could,” “should,” “might,” “believes,” “estimates,” “projects,”
“potential,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “intends,”
“continues,” “forecast,” “designed,” “goal,” “unaudited,”
“approximately” or the negative of those words or other comparable
words to be uncertain and forward-looking. These statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and
actual outcomes may differ materially. These include risk and
uncertainties relating to: the course, cost and outcome of regulatory
matters, including pricing decisions by authorities in China; the
on-going regulatory investigations; the Company’s ability to execute
on its goals in China and on its objectives for revenue in fiscal
2012; the challenges presented by integrating an acquired business
into existing operations; the variability in earnings on a GAAP basis
that may result from non-cash charges related to the NovaMed
acquisition; the dependence on third party license, promotion or
distribution agreements including the need to renew such agreements;
operating an international business; the clinical trial process,
including the regulatory approval and the process of initiating
trials at, and enrolling patients at, clinical sites; the effect of
changes in its practices and policies related to the Company’s
compliance programs. SciClone cannot predict the timing or outcome of
the SEC and DOJ investigations, or of the level of its efforts
required to cooperate with those investigations, however the Company
has incurred substantial expenses in connection with the
investigations and related litigation and expects to incur additional
expense and the investigations could result in fines and further
changes in its internal control or other remediation measures that
could adversely affect its business. Please also refer to other risks
and uncertainties described in SciClone’s filings with the SEC. All
forward-looking statements are based on information currently
available to SciClone and SciClone assumes no obligation to update
any such forward-looking statements.

Ambien, Depakine, Stilnox and Tritace are registered trademarks of
Sanofi and/or its affiliates.

Aggrastat is a registered trademark of Medicure International Inc. in
the United States, and Iroko Cardio LLC in numerous other countries.

SciClone, SciClone Pharmaceuticals, the SciClone Pharmaceuticals
design, the SciClone logo and ZADAXIN are registered trademarks of
SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in the United States and numerous
other countries.

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended
March 31,
————————
2012 2011
———– ———–

Net revenues:
Product sales $ 31,258 $ 21,662
Promotion services 7,905 –
———– ———–
Total revenues, net 39,163 21,662

Operating expenses:
Cost of product sales 4,941 3,103
Sales and marketing 17,640 5,228
Amortization of acquired intangible assets,
related to sales and marketing 884 –
Research and development 3,393 3,109
General and administrative 3,961 5,958
Contingent consideration* (916) –
———– ———–
Total operating expenses 29,903 17,398
———– ———–

Income from operations 9,260 4,264

Non-operating income (expense):
Interest income 30 20
Interest expense (55) (57)
Other (expense) income, net (1) 15
———– ———–
Income before provision for income tax 9,234 4,242
Provision for income tax 554 393
———– ———–
Net income $ 8,680 $ 3,849
=========== ===========

Basic net income per share $ 0.15 $ 0.08
Diluted net income per share $ 0.15 $ 0.08

Weighted average shares used in computing:
Basic net income per share 57,701 48,020
Diluted net income per share 59,691 50,402

UNAUDITED SELECTED BALANCE SHEET DATA
(in thousands)

March 31, December 31,
2012 2011
————- ————-

Cash and investments $ 74,855 $ 67,018
Accounts receivable 42,056 42,226
Inventories 8,518 8,813
Intangible assets, net 44,428 45,185
Goodwill 32,074 31,973
Total assets 206,997 200,326
Total current liabilities 24,114 25,284
Contingent consideration 14,484 15,400
Deferred tax liabilities 8,351 8,715
Borrowing on line of credit 2,500 2,500
Total shareholders’ equity 159,649 150,458

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP NET INCOME
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
(unaudited)

Three Months Ended
March 31,
—————————-
2012 2011
————- ————-

GAAP net income $ 8,680 $ 3,849
Non-GAAP adjustments:
Employee stock-based compensation 922 525
Contingent consideration (916) –
Amortization of acquired intangible assets 884 –
Acquisition related costs — 562
————- ————-
Non-GAAP net income $ 9,570 $ 4,936
============= =============

Non-GAAP basic net income per share $ 0.17 $ 0.10
Non-GAAP diluted net income per share $ 0.16 $ 0.10

Weighted average shares used in computing:
GAAP and Non-GAAP basic net income per share 57,701 48,020
GAAP and Non-GAAP diluted net income per share 59,691 50,402

SciClone management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to monitor
and evaluate the Company's operating results and trends on an
on-going basis and internally for operations, budgeting and financial
planning purposes. SciClone believes the non-GAAP information is
useful for investors by offering them the ability to better
understand how management evaluates the business. These non-GAAP
measures have limitations, however, because they do not include all
items of income and expenses that affect SciClone. These non-GAAP
financial measures that management uses are not prepared in
accordance with, and should not be considered in isolation of, or as
an alternative to, measurements required by GAAP.

SciClone's non-GAAP financial measures exclude the following items
from GAAP net income and net income per share:

-- Employee stock-based compensation. The effects of non-cash employee
stock-based compensation.
-- *Contingentconsideration. The contingent consideration related to the
acquisition of NovaMed is re-measured each reporting period and the
change in fair value is recorded as an adjustment to operating
expense. SciClone's non-GAAP financial measure excludes the change in
fair value of the liability for contingent consideration in connection
with the acquisition of NovaMed.
-- Amortization of acquired intangible assets. We recorded intangible
assets in connection with the acquisition of NovaMed. The amortization
of these intangible assets is excluded from SciClone's non-GAAP
financial measure.
-- Acquisition related costs. We incurred certain one-time acquisition
costs related to the acquisition of NovaMed. The effects of these
acquisition related costs are excluded from SciClone's non-GAAP
financial measure.

Corporate Contacts

Gary Titus
Chief Financial Officer
650.358.3456
gtitus@sciclone.com

Jane Green
Investors/Media
650.358.1447
jgreen@sciclone.com

SOURCE: SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

mailto:gtitus@sciclone.com
mailto:jgreen@sciclone.com

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

/quotes/zigman/77751/quotes/nls/scln

Add to portfolio

SCLN

SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc.

US

: U.S.: Nasdaq

$
5.80

+0.03
+0.52%

Volume: 507,314
May 18, 2012 4:00p

P/E Ratio10.40
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$327.71 million
Rev. per Employee$172,734

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

SALISBURY After learning that California is billions of dollars in debt and pays some of its bills in IOUs, Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo recently sent a letter off to Facebook mogul and Harvard University alumnus Mark Zuckerberg.

I wrote him a note and told him he should come back and run his business back here, and bring all those jobs back to the commonwealth, DeLeo told members of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce last night. Thats what its all about for us; its jobs.

DeLeo said that after spending time traveling across the state speaking to chambers of commerce, whats struck him the hardest are the problems blue-collar workers have had over the past few years getting jobs after losing them when the economy faltered.

Massachusetts has been in a recession for the past few years, but for blue-collar workers, its been a depression, said the Winthrop Democrat and 21-year veteran of the House.

DeLeo said his successful push to legalize gambling in the state was all about jobs, as well as keeping billions of dollars in gambling revenue in Massachusetts instead of losing it to out-of-state venues. In the not-too-distant future, three casinos and one slot machine parlor will be built in the state, bringing thousands of construction and hospitality industry jobs with them, he said.

According to the gambling legislation, some of the revenue realized will be put aside so that educational institutions like community colleges can apply for funding to create programs that will help students learn the skills needed for the industry, he said.

Another piece of legislation announced recently is an economic development bill titled talent pipeline that will stop the states brain drain, DeLeo said.

Were trying to take talented kids from our colleges and put them together with creative state corporations to keep (the students) in Massachusetts, he said. If you cant tell, I really hate that Mark Zuckerberg left the state.

DeLeo also praised the Houses unanimous passage yesterday of a foreclosure bill championed by state Rep. Michael Costello, D-Newburyport.

Intended to prevent unlawful and unnecessary foreclosures, the bill establishes a procedure requiring banks to offer a loan modification option to borrowers prior to foreclosure in cases where the lender knew, or should have known, that the borrower would not be able to repay. In addition, it prohibits lenders from foreclosing without proper documentation, including written proof that the foreclosing party currently holds the mortgage.

This bill takes an important step to protecting homeowners from the dangers of predatory mortgages by forcing banks to converse with borrowers and evaluate the best possible solution for the family, the bank and the community, DeLeo said upon the bills passage earlier in the day.

Costello said that even banks have acknowledged it often makes more financial sense to create an affordable payment plan rather than foreclosing and selling a home at a substantial loss.

This bill gives us a fair and reasonable approach to do just that for more than 100,000 Massachusetts borrowers who hold these type of mortgages, he said in a press release. We can keep people in their homes without sacrificing the banks bottom lines and save families and communities.

Last night, DeLeo credited Costello for his efforts creating and shepherding the bill through the House. Costello is chairman of the House Committee on Financial Assistance, which DeLeo called one of the most powerful on Beacon Hill, overseeing banking, insurance and business issues.

That should show you the high regard I have for Costello, since I appointed him to chair that committee, DeLeo said.

Before stepping down from the podium, DeLeo took a moment to praise Salisbury as a place where he spent some wonderful summers growing up, visiting with his uncle, who worked as a maitre d at the former Frolics nightclub.

Salisbury Beach is not a foreign territory to me, DeLeo said. I consider it to be one of the most beautiful parts of our commonwealth.

Savannah-Chatham police animal control officers were called to Stars and Stripes Self Storage at 5503 Montgomery St. after the manager found dead animals in one of the storage units Thursday afternoon.

Police spokeswoman Gena Sullivan said the unit had been rented in January by a woman named Stephanie Bennett. No payments had been made in 90 days, she said, giving the manager permission to enter the unit to inventory and auction off the contents.

In the process of doing so, he found four dead cats and one dead dog — all in crates — inside the 10-foot-by-20-foot unit.

The state of the animals’ decomposition led the officers who removed their corpses from the unit to believe they had been dead for months.

In addition to the five animals, there were also household items in the unit.

Bennett, formerly of Waters Avenue, has not made payment on the unit since January, and police believe she has left Georgia and could be living in South Carolina.

The investigation by animal control officers is just beginning, and Sullivan said Bennett could face multiple charges.

Dash Coleman

NEW YORK, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
MessageBank, LLC, a leading provider of customized integrated multimedia event solutions to the investor relations and corporate/financial communications marketplace, announced today that Sarah Smith has joined the company as Vice President, Business Development.

Coming to the firm from Verizon’s Business/Enterprise Solutions Group, Ms. Smith has supported the Fortune 1000 business community with the implementation and deployment of multimedia solutions on a global basis. During her 15 year career, she has provided clients across many industry sectors with a range of unified communications and collaboration services.

“Sarah brings a unique combination of sales, marketing and account management to our management team,” says Steven Fink, Managing Partner of MessageBank, LLC. “We’re excited to enhance our reach by adding Sarah to the firm. She has significant experience managing the sales process and service implementations of audio, web and video communications throughout the largest of corporate enterprises.”

Prior to her tenure with Verizon, Sarah spent 10 years in Corporate Communications and Information Technology with Cendant Corporation where she managed the technical services group responsible for overseeing the company’s use of audio and web-conferencing applications for internal and external communications requirements.

About MessageBank, LLC.

MessageBank is a leading provider of customized integrated multimedia event solutions to the Investor Relations and Corporate/Financial Communications marketplace. The company coordinates hundreds of earnings, guidance and other analyst conference calls and webcasts for large, mid and small cap publicly held companies. The company’s roster of clientele includes such companies as Morgan Stanley, Altria Group, Inc., Kraft Foods, ITT Corporation, Philip Morris International, Motorola, Liz Claiborne, Inc., Loews Corporation, PepsiCo, Inc., E*TRADE. More information available at
www.messagebank.com

Contact:
MessageBank, LLC. KCSA Strategic Communications
Steven Fink/ Sarah Smith Jeff Corbin
(212) 333-9302 / (973) 830-7763 (212) 682-6300
sfink@messagebank.com/ ssmith@messagebank.com jcorbin@kcsa.com

SOURCE MessageBank, LLC.

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

You can accept Wayne Rooney needs to console himself after Manchester United conceded the Barclays Premier League crown to rivals City… but is this the best preparation for the forthcoming European Championships?

While the Germans, Dutch, French and Spanish all meet up for pre-tournament training, Englands best player has been spotted hitting the gambling tables and sinking beers in Las Vegas.

Granted, Rooney will sit out the opening two matches in Poland and Ukraine through suspension, but these pictures do little to suggest the United striker is focused on the job this summer.

It can be disastrous for humans and animals, Contractor Doug Veerkamp said.

Veerkamps company, Doug Veerkamp General Engineering, Inc, is completing work ahead of schedule on a tunnel under Highway 50, near the El Dorado Road exit, that officials hope wildlife will begin using to get to the other side of the highway.

An eight foot tall fence will help funnel the animals to the tunnel entrance.

From Red Hawk Casino up through Missouri Flat Road, a lot of deer are killed along here, Veerkamp said.

And the problem isnt just deer.

It could be a deer; it could be a bear; it could be a mountain lion;it could be a raccoon, CalTrans employee Deanna Shoopman said.

For CalTrans, the issue is traffic safety.Theyve already had success with similar tunnels on Highway 89 and onInterstate 80, near the Donner Rest Area.

We want to be proactive in preventing collisions,Shoopman said.

This tunnel is the first to be built under Highway 50 and,at 203 feet in length and 12 feet high by 12 feet wide, is also the largestin the area.The size of the tunnel caused nearby resident Vernon Thiessen to joke that a giraffe could fit through it.

However, Thiessenis skeptical about the $1.6 million pricetag in the current economic climate.

I cant say its a bad idea, Thiessen said, Its just a wasteful idea at this time when the state is so far in debt that we cant get out and we just keep spending money.

But the money was in the CalTrans budget in order improve traffic safety. The project comes at a good time for the company that won the bid.

Its a shot in the arm for the local employees, said Veerkamp. You know, were local contractors, born and raised in the area, been in business 29 years and we need more local work.

Veerkamps workers have been tackling the job only on weekends to keep traffic disruptions on Highway 50 to a minimum.They are ahead of schedule and expected to finish the job by late June.

Another wildlife crossing at another sectionof Highway 50 is in the planning stages.

By Jonathan Mumm, jmumm@news10.net

Silver Spring, MD (PRWEB) May 09, 2012

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) today hosts its Annual Capitol Hill Advocacy Day and Reception. Leaders from the zoo and aquarium profession will educate Members of Congress about the importance of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to their communities.

“AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums support tourism and local businesses,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. “In addition to being leaders in conservation and education, zoos and aquariums are an economic engine in the communities they serve.”

AZA accredits 224 zoos and aquariums in the United States and overseas. These institutions collectively generate more than $16 billion in annual economic activity and support more than 142,000 US jobs.

In the last 10 years, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums formally trained more than 400,000 teachers, supporting science curricula with effective teaching materials and hands-on opportunities. 12 million students (pre-K through Grade 12) visit AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums each year as part of school field trips.

“Zoos and aquariums work closely with Federal, State and local education agencies to provide effective science-based education programs,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy.

Zoo and aquariums professionals will inform legislators about programs at their own institutions and encourage them to act on important issues affecting all AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, including:

• Support funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services – AZA supports $35 million in FY2013 for the Office of Museum Services, which awards grants to museums including accredited zoos and aquariums.
• Cosponsor HR 3510, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Reauthorization Act – This legislation benefits essential programs for conserving tigers, rhinos, elephants, great apes, and sea turtles.
• Support HR 2547 and S. 1372, the No Child Left Inside Act – This legislation provides incentives for states to create environmental literacy plans from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 which include environmental education standards and teacher training.
• Support Funding for the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program – AZA supports an appropriation of $3.981 million in FY2013 for this program to rescue stranded marine animals (dolphins, manatees, whales, otters, turtles, seals, walruses, sea lions, porpoises, polar bears, and dugongs).

Following a day of Capitol Hill visits, AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums will introduce Members of Congress and their staff to special animal ambassadors at the Annual Association of Zoos amp; Aquariums Reception.

Note to Photo Editors: You DON’T want to miss this!

“175 million people enjoy the animals at AZA aquariums and zoos every year,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. “We always look forward to bringing that special experience to Capitol Hill.”

About AZA

Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. To learn more, visit http://www.aza.org.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/5/prweb9483604.htm

NEW YORK, May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Penserra Securities LLC, a U.S. based financial services firm that specializes in global institutional trading and related brokerage services, today announced that it is bolstering its fixed income capital markets presence and capabilities with the hire of a corporate bond team led by Donald Chisholm and Robert Wade.

“Penserra has continued to see opportunities for growth in the fixed income capital markets. Over the past year our primary business focus has been to assemble a highly experienced team covering all the major fixed income sectors,” said George Madrigal, Managing Partner of Penserra Securities. “The firm is pleased to welcome this extremely reputable corporate bond team to help our clients with their wide range of tactical and strategic fixed income investment objectives. They truly are leaders in the industry and a valuable intellectual asset to our customers.”

Donald Chisholm joins Penserra as Co-Head of Debt Capital Markets, where he will spearhead the continued expansion of the fixed income business including strategic planning, product development, trading, and investment banking. Robert Wade, also named Co-Head, will lead the trading team responsible for distressed, high yield, and investment grade debt. Joshua Deitch, Managing Director, will lead the fixed income credit sales team. Arnold Palatnek will be a senior bond trader focused on investment grade debt. S. Francisco Ghiglino is a highly seasoned desk analyst providing fundamental and relative value analysis in credit. Fred Schrodt was named Senior Vice President in fixed income sales. The entire team has a long history of working together in senior positions at VCG Securities, Cantor Fitzgerald and Raymond James.

“Strategically, I believe Penserra is a perfect fit. With their global equity presence, strong Pension fund relationships and solid existing MBS platform, we are able to seamlessly integrate Credit Trading to round out all asset classes” said Donald Chisholm.

Penserra will continue to expand its trading and sales platforms for both equity and fixed income. Having established strong global equity trading capabilities over the past few years, Penserra is now aggressively pushing into the many facets of fixed income capital markets. In 2011, the firm hired an experienced mortgaged backed and agency debt team led by Anthony Guaimano, previously with Stone & Youngberg.

“Given the sophistication of our institutional customer base our focus is to help our clients best execute their goals and investment needs as complex as they might be,” Madrigal said. “Penserra will continue to hire experienced professionals who bolster the firm’s intellectual capital needed to serve our growing number of clients.”

About Penserra Securities LLC

Penserra Securities provides institutional investors with global equity and fixed income execution services as well as advice on many other aspects of the investment process. The firm is also a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). Founded in early 2007, Penserra is dedicated to deploying the most advanced trading technology while offering clients complete flexibility. The firm is committed to helping design custom solutions for its customers execution needs across equity and debt capital markets. Penserra also offers corporate buy-back services, desktop analytics, and transition management. Advisory and fiduciary services are offered through Penserra Capital Management LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor and affiliate of Penserra Securities LLC. For more information about Penserra and its services please visit
www.penserra.com .

Contact:George MadrigalPenserra Securities888.925.8008

SOURCE Penserra Securities LLC

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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