What's went on in the money markets during the week of July 15,

By Evguenia Funderburk
Financial Advisor for Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
in Richardson who is a McKinney Chamber of Commerce member
Published at 3:45 p.m. on July 25, 2009

A financial planner with Reversal of fortune: The Dow, S&P, Nasdaq, and Russell were up 2 percent across the board to start the week, then beat that performance two days later. Positive reports out of the tech and financial sectors sent indexes up by 3 percent or more on July 15, and the Nasdaq hit its highest level in nine months, while the Dow and S&P 500 reached their highest level in a month.

Last Week's Headlines

• The federal budget deficit in June was $94.3 billion--lower than May's $189.7 billion. However, that brings this year's deficit so far to $1.08 trillion; last year at this time, it was $285.8 billion.
• Wholesale prices rose in June for everything from energy to food to cars. The Producer Price Index was up 1.8 percent from May, though that was still 4.6 percent lower than last year.
• June U.S. retail sales were up 0.6 percent from May, but that money was largely spent on gasoline and automobiles. Subtract those, and all other retail sales dropped for the fourth straight month.
• Gas prices also pushed up the June consumer inflation numbers by 0.7% from May, though the Consumer Price Index is down 1.4% from last year (remember last summer's $4 a gallon gas). However, excluding food and energy, consumer prices were up 1.7 percent since last June.
• Federal Reserve officials projected at last month's meeting that unemployment could top 10 percent this year, drop slightly next year, and by 2011 might still be around 8.4 percent -8.8 percent. However, they also forecast that economic decline would be slower than previously expected for the rest of the year, and growth next year would be slightly higher than anticipated (between 2.1 percent and 3.3 percent).
• CIT Group became the latest financial institution to face severe liquidity problems, raising the specter of a new credit crunch for the small and mid-size businesses to which CIT lends. Trading in the stock was halted before the company's bondholders reportedly rode to the rescue over the weekend with additional financing after the federal government denied assistance.
• Several of the financial companies that received bailout money last fall (and in some cases have repaid those loans) reported robust earnings and profitability.
• Unemployment rather than adjustable-rate mortgages accounted for much of the 11 percent increase in foreclosures during the second quarter, according to RealtyTrac. June foreclosures were over 300,000 for the fourth month in a row.
• As summer finally began to make an appearance in many parts of the country, new home construction rose for the third consecutive month, increasing by 3.6 percent from May. The increase was largely in single-family homes.

More earnings reports, especially from tech and consumer-oriented companies, are on tap. The reported CIT rescue also will be closely watched for any signs that the credit crunch might turn ugly again.

Key data releases: Leading economic indicators (7/20); existing home sales (7/23).

Data source: Includes data provided by Brounes & Associates. All information is based on sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or guarantee is made as to its accuracy or completeness. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed herein constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, and should not be relied on as financial advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a price-weighted index composed of 30 widely traded blue-chip U.S. common stocks. The S&P 500 is a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market-value weighted index of all common stocks listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The Russell 2000 is a market-cap weighted index composed of 2000 U.S. small-cap common stocks. The Global Dow is an equally weighted index of 150 widely traded blue-chip common stocks worldwide. Market indexes listed are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment.

Commissioner for Pct. 3 Joe Jaynes recognizes eateries in Pct. 3 for the Breakfast Tour, 2009

Published at 4:33 p.m. on July 12, 2009

One of the most fun things about representing 15 cities and towns and the rural areas in Collin County is visiting the number of independently owned restaurants and cafes where on any given morning you can find the local folks eating breakfast, drinking coffee and maybe even solving some of the world's problems.  We just wrapped up our Collin County Breakfast Tour for 2009 and below are our results.  So read it over and then break out the GPS and go check them out!
 
Best Ham and Eggs:  The Cattleman's Cafe in downtown Blue Ridge.  The ham that comes with the eggs is one of the biggest slices you will ever be served.   As a matter of fact, your dogs will love it when you order this because there is a good chance that you will be bringing some of the ham home for them.   For the more adventurous breakfast eaters also try the chorizo con huevos - very good but you may find that it does have a bite to it-if so, you might want to order a side of gravy just to tone it down a bit.  Get there early enough and look for one of my favorite people-Billy John Dickson-he's the loud guy in the overalls.
 
Best Biscuits and Gravy:  Farmersville Dairy Queen.  Even though there are a lot of good ones around I would have to give the nod to the Farmersvillle DQ   Owned and operated by Joe McKee this place is another one of those local shrines.  What makes Joe's gravy and biscuits better?  He grills the biscuits.  Love to go there on Friday mornings; that's when the retired school teachers meet.  If you need to know anything about Farmersville, just ask the ladies in the back booth.
 
Best Corn Beef Hash and Eggs:  Driver's Travel Mart Diner in Anna, also known as the Anna Truck Stop.   At the Anna exit on US 75 there is a truck stop on almost every corner.  The Anna Truck Stop is at the northeast corner of US 75 and FM 455.  This is the only place that I know of in Collin County where one can order corn beef hash and eggs.   While this is not a favorite of everyone, it's one of those dishes that if you like it you almost need to have it from time to time.  Word of warning though, while the food is great (also try their hamburgers) you have to walk through a major smoking section to get to the nonsmoking section which has also been known to have people light up.
 
Best BLT:  Lucy's in downtown Celina.  This one is a little tricky.  For one Lucy's only serves breakfast on weekends and secondly the BLT is not on the menu.  If you order a BLT they will say they do not have it.  So, you need to order toast and bacon with some lettuce and tomato on the side and then you build your own.  If you let the waitress know what you are doing, she'll usually work with you.
 
Best Omelet:  Bill Smith's Cafe in McKinney.  Opened in 1956, Bill Smith's Cafe was recently recognized with a county historical marker for being the longest continually family owned cafe in Collin County. The best omelet at Bill's is not really an omelet. It's called Bill's Hashbrown Supreme.  It's almost like a hash brown omelet with eggs, cheese and ham. I think our daughter ordered this everytime she went to Bill's for four years running. Add the tobasco and a little ketchup and you are good to go.  
 
Best Original:  Scott's Fifth Quarter Sports Grill in Melissa.  Although the Fifth Quarter is a sports grill which has some good music at night, it is also open for breakfast.  Scott's signature dish is Eggs Scotty.  A Texas version of Eggs Benedict, instead of muffins Scott uses biscuits, complete with the hollandaise sauce.   It's one of those meals that after you finish it you find yourself telling your significant other, "We should have split that."  Also, be sure and try the Fifth Quarter's fried green beans-only in Texas!
 
 Best Pancakes:  The Cotton Gin Cafe in downtown Prosper.  Not being a big pancake eater myself this is mostly off the word of folks who love them.  It's called the Cotton Gin Special and its best when the fried eggs are placed on top of the pancakes.  The Cotton Gin is also known for their fried steak fingers as well.
 
Best Chicken Fried Steak:  This category is sacred.  While all the establishments above have great chicken fried steak and eggs, the best chicken fried steak that I have run into recently is served at a place that does not serve breakfast.  The place is Cheesecake Amour at Craig Ranch in McKinney.  A wine bar with some excellent dishes, it's amazing just how good their chicken fried steak is.  Jeff and Gayle Haynes, the owners, will actually help you in picking out the best wine to go with your chicken fried steak.  After dinner you can then indulge in some of the best cheesecake around.  Your arteries will be thanking you!
 
Well, there it is!  If we missed something or you have suggestions of your own feel free to contribute on our blog at www.joejaynes.com.

McKinney Medical Center Chaplain Rickey Hargrave shares his thoughts about the importance of nurses for National Nurses Day, which is May 6

By Rickey Hargrave, Medical Center of McKinney Chaplain
Created at 1:15 p.m. on May 5, 2009

As long as there have been illness and injuries there have been people who would step up and take care of those afflicted. From Jael, to the Good Samaritan, to the modern day nurses we have examples of people who offered help.

Of course, in the case of Jael she used that hospitality to kill an enemy of Israel, but she gave the comfort none the less. In this day and time we celebrate Nurses Day around Florence Nightingale's birthday, which is May 15. It is a good thing to have a fixed time to celebrate. Nurses must be consistent, so should their special week be consistent.

Nurses are always on the front line. They are the first to "triage" the patients in the Emergency Room. They are the first to take the history of new patents and the first to step up when the duty is not exactly pristine. Nurses reach down and bring up strength when their own physical strength is exhausted. They must balance work schedules with family concerns. Their wants and needs must often suffer while the needs of their patients take precedence.

Their duties are more than taking blood pressure and temperature and emptying bed pans. They are guardians over medication, comfort, consolation, and compassion. Often they must be strong enough to control a seizing patient and then tender enough to explain to a child that they are only trying to help daddy.

It is a privilege to be able to observe nurses in the Intensive Care Unit, the Emergency Department, and on the floor. And never doubt that there are skills unique to each section. Yet in each case we see similarities that speak highly of their training an commitment. In emergency situations there may be 15 orders being given by different people, all critically necessary at the same time. The nurses must be able to hear, process, and implement those orders accurately and immediately. There are times when they must limit family visits to the ICU, not because they have "rules" but because it is the best for their patient. These men and women who have been called "Angels in White" almost adopt their patients and demonstrate that protection over the patients' well-being as zealously as they would their own children. And they do grieve in their own way when one of their ICU patients goes on to spend eternity somewhere. On the floor the nurses often work solo.

They still offer the same care and do the same types work but instead of having many others in a room it is often just them and the patient. And those patient counts are rising, making the work even more demanding. New methods of charting, changing software, new protocols, different attending physicians, all add to the pressure of flying alone.

Never fear, whether it is early morning, late night, or middle of nowhere, the nurse is on duty and available. They respond as soon as humanly possible with the professionalism that is the hallmark of their calling. They cry at times, but their tears are always appropriate. They laugh at times, always mindful of the effect of the laughter on others. They hurt at times, but suppress it when they enter a room to offer care to a patient. Their resiliency is amazing to me. It is a joy to be able to work with them as chaplain because I know I am not only a chaplain to the patient and family, but to the nurses as well.

And believe me, there is nothing more rewarding than to get a quick shoulder hug, a quick smile, and move on to the next emergency. Thousands of words and thoughts and feelings are passed between us in those short seconds. It has to be short because there is another patient to be assessed, another to be discharged, and another shift to complete.

2009 city election season is proving to be a little different from previous election years

By Brandi Hart
McKinneyUpdate.com editor and owner
Created on April 25, 2009

The 2009 city of McKinney election season is upon us and on May 9 people (hopefully more than 2,500) will cast their votes to decide who will help shape the city's future over the next three years on the McKinney City Council. McKinney will have a new mayor, a new at-large council member who will represent the entire city, and a new council member for the very diverse District 1.

Over the last 2.5 years I've attended most of the council meetings and workshops due to reporting jobs. I can tell you which candidates actually attended the last meeting in person and who did not ,and might have just watched the meeting at home on the McKinney Vision news channel or on the city's public relations Web site.

At the end of the April 5 council meeting story I published the names of the candidates that attended the council meeting to let the reader know who is putting in the time and effort of showing up to the meetings. By doing this the candidates could possibly talk to the residents who may attend the meetings who may have concerns about issues on the agenda.

However, only three to four out of the nine candidates have attended the most recent council meetings, thus making this a little different from last year's election where all of the at-large candiates appeared at either the Monday workshop meetings or the regular meetings held every other Tuesday.

Since some folks are foregoing attending the meetings here is a reminder of where the McKinney City Hall is located - 222 N. Tennessee St., at the northeast corner of Tennessee Street and Hunt Street. If you need directions you can also see where City Hall is located at the following link by using a Google map- http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl .Anyone can show up- not just candidates, city staff and the ever faithful Boy Scout troops.

Why is this important to actually show up to the meetings rather than phoning it in the next day to find out what was approved, or viewing the meetings online or on the McKinney Vision channel, you ask? Well, it's called campaigning and doing your home work, per se and knowing what the city is currently facing. Who knows? By actually showing up to the meetings it might even help sway the undecided voters to vote for a candidate if they act like they care by showing up. Just a thought.

I know that deaths in families, medial issues, work, and needing to spend time with loved ones is important and may be the reason why so many folks haven't showed up to the meetings in the last month. But if at all possible it might be more effective to not watch the meetings from your couch or computer and get in the game, per se. After all, whoever gets elected won't be able to call their votes in or watch the meetings from the couch in their home as they'll actually have to attend the council meetings.

I know that some people have also mentioned some candidates' voting records. However, the city charter doesn't even require a council member to be a registered voter. Strange, I know.

The election also means that at least one council member and the mayor will be stepping down from their service. They are Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cox and Mayor Bill Whitfield.

Whitfield will be missed, at least by me, despite the fact that I know some of his comments have caused some folks to raise a few eyebrows at meetings. That is actually some of the mayor's charm as he usually calls things like they are and asks questions. Trust me, I know some folks are not fans of being asked questions, and some are definitely not fans of folks calling things like they are.

Whitfield's work with the Council of Mayors on helping to obtain money, in substaintial sums, for environmental and energy related grants for the city and his work on the North Central Texas Council of Governments' Regional Transportation Council has not been matched by any other mayor that I know of in recent years. He actually wants to help protect the environment, I believe, and he is very concerned about storm water drainage, dams, the city's water supply, road construction, and getting DART rail to McKinney.

I have called him the "water man" as a nickname as he always worries about the city's water supply, especially when the weather tends to get warmer, and he's actually committed to protecting the trees. His calls to the Dallas TV news stations and appearing on the TV complaining about tree limbs getting cut down by electric companies will be missed, to a degree, as he at least cares about the trees and the environment, and knows how to shine the light on the issue.

I know that not everyone will miss him. However, I can tell you that he is the only McKinney mayor that I know of who would meet a reporter at the former KFC restaurant on US 380, near Church Street as most former mayors may not even know where that restaurant is located, much less stop to eat there as it's not close to a country club. I can say that as I grew up here and know that some people may only want to dine at places depending on which side of the highway the restaurant may be located.

Cox will also be missed as he actually remembers not to use his position just to criticize or berate the city staff. Instead he actually praises them, and even thanks them in public at the end of council meetings. And he's been doing almost like clockwork at the end of each council meeting at least monthly for the last two years and it has been noticed.

SPCA offers advice about treating arthritis in pets

James Bias - President of the SPCA
Created at 11:10 p.m. on April 19, 2009

There are several ways to manage arthritis in your pet, including weight management, exercise, warmth, massage/physical therapy, ramps/elevated bowls, medication and surgery.

There are several available medications that cease the progress of the disease and even heal the joints somewhat and others for pain management. Glucosamine provides the building blocks to synthesize new cartilage. Chondroitin blocks destructive enzymes that break down cartilage in the joint. Buffered Aspirin is an excellent anti-inflammatory and painkiller in dogs. However, do NOT give your cat aspirin unless prescribed by your veterinarian. Carprofen (Rimadyl) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory developed for use in dogs with osteoarthritis. Carprofen is a very strong and effective pain killer and anti-inflammatory agent. Corticosteroids have been used for many years to treat the pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis, although their use now is controversial. Corticosteroids act as a potent anti-inflammatory but unfortunately have many undesirable short and long-term side effects. Because of these side effects and the advent of newer, more specific drugs, corticosteroids are generally only used in older animals where all other pain control products have failed, or in acute flare-ups. As always, check with your veterinarian before giving your pet any new product or drug.

Each animal with arthritis will need to have a management program specifically designed for his needs. What helps one dog or cat with arthritis may not help another. Work with your veterinarian and watch your companion carefully so that you can determine what is best for them. Realize, too, that the program may need to be changed as your pet ages or if symptoms improve.
For more information, call the SPCA of Texas at 1-800-ANIMALS.

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