| Pentagon limits gear in surplus auctions
--The Defense Department's effort to block Iran from obtaining much-needed hardware for its fleet of F-14 Tomcat fighter jets has led the military to pull far more than parts from F-14s out of its surplus auctions. The Pentagon's retired F-14s contain roughly 76,000 components. Many of those parts are usable on other planes and until this year, were sold by the military on the surplus market. The Defense Department in January halted the sale of all parts from its Tomcats. On Thursday, it disclosed that the suspension went far beyond items from F-14s, and actually sweeps in 163,000 types of components, including parts from other planes and any support equipment that could be used in connection with Tomcats. "You're talking about things like the nuts and bolts ...
Van service to go out for bid
SPRINGFIELD - After pressure from the state's new transportation chief, the region's public transit agency yesterday announced that it will seek bids for a troubled van service for the elderly and the disabled. Bernard E. Cohen, secretary of the state Executive Office of Transportation, yesterday met with Mary L. MacInnes, administrator of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, and recommended that she advertise for bids for the estimated $6 million van service, he said. MacInnes has been facing growing criticism for naming a new van vendor without obtaining bids. "I don't think this is an agency that needs more questions about procedures," Cohen said yesterday during an editorial board meeting at The Republican. Federal investigators, concerned about possible bid-rigging, raided the agency's Springfield headquarters in late 2005, but no charges have been brought.
Fannie Mae to sell $4.0 bln bills on Wednesday
NEW YORK, April 23 (Reuters) - Fannie Mae (FNM.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the largest U.S. home funding company, on Monday said it plans to sell $2.5 billion of three-month benchmark bills due July 25, 2007, and $1.5 billion of six-month bills due Oct. 24, 2007, on Wednesday in a Dutch auction. In such uniform price auctions, successful bidders pay only the price of the lowest accepted bid rather than the actual price as in a conventional multiple-price auction. Bids will be accepted from authorized dealers from 9:00 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), until 9:45 a.m. EDT (1345 GMT). Settlement is April 25-26. .
Modest Mouse, Shins, Decemberists Swag in Art Auction
Buckman Elementary School, an arts magnet school in Portland's public system, is rife with the cool, artsy kids. And these cool, artsy kids-- along with some high-profile, indie rock favorites-- have donated some items to be auctioned in benefit of the school; they're no mere pinch-pot ashtray castoffs, either. In addition to a fly-fishing trip and jaunts to the Sonoma wine country, a series of hand-decorated mini-guitars and other swag from the likes of the Decemberists and Carson Ellis, Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock, the Shins, Stephen Malkmus and newest Jick Janet Weiss, Sam Coombs of Quasi, and the Dandy Warhols will go up for the good cause. The Art Rocks auction takes place in two parts: the first-- organized by Sleater-Kinney pillar and Buckman parent Corin Tucker-- goes down web-ways April 22, when online bidders can stake their claim on those hand-decorated mini-guitars via eBay (keyword: Buckman).
Troubled waters ahead for Indian River Inlet bridge
Just when it seemed the Indian River bridge project was finally moving forward, controversy has erupted over the bidding process to construct the $130 million structure over the inlet. And the bid has not even officially been awarded.
Darrel Cole, director of Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) public relations, said the bidding process is under review by the governor’s office.
State labor officials are questioning the bidding process, and the possibility of legal action looms.
Union officials said the awarding of the apparent winning bid to the team of PCL Civil Contractors Inc. and Buckland & Taylor Inc. of Tampa, Fla., is questionable, Bridge
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based on a point system used to evaluate the bid.
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