| 100 years ago: Fire destroys Barbreck mansion
In 1833, a certain Dr. Campbell dismantled his home along the Cape Fear River in North Carolina and shipped it to New Orleans. It was then placed on barges and moved in a plodding journey up winding bayous and rivers to about five miles north of Washington. Campbell reconstructed the home on a tract of land he called Barbreck Plantation, which straddled both sides of Bayou Boeuf and eventually encompassed about 2,000 acres. .
(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-25 00:16 GMT: UK small businesses weathering credit crunch, but worried by tax changes - CBI
LONDON (Thomson Financial) - UK small businesses are weathering the storm caused by this summer's credit crunch, but have heaped more pressure on Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling by saying they believe the government's commitment to enterprise is in doubt, a survey by a leading business lobby found. The Confederation of British Industry said just 12 pct of small firms they questioned reported a deterioration in the availability of capital since the summer, although more expect to face problems in the coming months. Overall 35 pct of firms said they are experiencing or expect to experience some deterioration. The figures will help ease some of the concerns policymakers have about the potential impact the recent liquidity shortage will have on the wider economy. However the CBI said that with credit conditions remaining tight and GDP growth expected to slow, next year is likely to be a tough one for businesses.
Broadway Returns for Bargaining
Striking stagehands and theater producers will return to the bargaining table Sunday. The agreement comes one week after negotiations collapsed and kept most of Broadway dark during the lucrative Thanksgiving holiday week, the second full week of no performances. More than two dozen plays and musicals have been closed since November 10 when the stagehands walked off the job. The contract dispute surrounds how many stagehands are required to open a Broadway show and keep it running. cc/cdo Broadway
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Voted #1 Florida Press 2004 FIRST PLACE Best Web Site Florida Keys Keynoter
Businesses in Key West may soon get to choose which company collects and disposes of their recyclable goods - corporate giant Waste Management Inc. or hometown small-business owners Gregory and Barry Barroso Jr.The Barrosos - fourth-generation Conchs and partners in the family business, Lower Keys Plumbing, 1014 White St. - say frustration with low commercial recycling participation in Key West is driving them to start a new company to try to get more of their fellow business owners to recycle.Barry Barroso Jr. said he and his brother were spurred to action when they saw plastic bottles and other recyclable items littering the city's storm gutters and streets after a recent event. They began talking to members of the local nonprofit Green Living and Energy Education (GLEE) and Key West's Clean and Green Team, and asked what they could do to help.
Racing birds unsportingly caught in the taxman’s net
Pigeon fanciers have reacted with outrage after being told that they must pay business rates because the pastime has been deemed not to be a sport. A revolt is now brewing in one racing club, which was told that it will have to start paying for a small shed that is used for storing race baskets. Sports clubs can formally apply for dispensation from Revenue & Customs for 80 per cent relief and then to their local authority for a 20 per cent reduction. However, Belford Racing Pigeon Club in Northumberland has been told by Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council that because the pursuit is not listed as one of the sports eligible for the dispensation it will have to start paying rates from April. Members say that the decision could affect nearly 50,000 competitors across the country, landing them with extra costs of several million pounds.
Metro One signs up US Interconnection Service
Metro One Telecommunications Inc. has signed a three-year agreement with US Interconnection Service Inc. to provide directory assistance and enhanced services. Portland-based Metro One (NASDAQ: INFO), a developer and provider of enhanced directory assistance, did not disclose the terms of the agreement with Bowling Green, Ky.-based US Interconnection Service, a telecommunications provider. Adding a new customer is good news for Metro One, which earlier this year announced that its accounting firm questioned the company's ability to stay in business. Deloitte & Touche LLP said, "The company's recurring losses from operations and loss of significant customers raise substantial doubt as to its ability to continue as a going concern." Metro One's last profitable year was 2002, when it earned $26 million.
Sears makes offer for Restoration Hardware
Sears Holdings Corp. is offering to buy out Restoration Hardware Inc., a home furnishings and catalog company with locations in Wauwatosa and Pleasant Prairie, at a price higher than a previously accepted offer from a private equity firm. In a regulatory filing Monday, the operator of Sears and Kmart stores said it is prepared to offer $6.75 per share for Restoration Hardware (NASDAQ: RSTO), a Corte Madera, Calif.-based chain with more than 100 retail and outlet store locations in the United States and Canada. The bid tops an accepted $6.70 per share offer from private equity firm Catterton Partners. However, as of Nov. 23, a special committee of Restoration Hardware's board has rejected the advances from Sears, declining to provide confidential information about Restoration to the Hoffman Estates, Ill., retailer for due diligence, according to a letter included in Monday's U.S.
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