| Wright's Barnyard Auction
It was a bitter-sweet party atmosphere in Lansing, Illinois, this week as Norton Auctioneers of Michigan auctioned off the rides, games and equipment from Wright's Barnyard. The amusement and fun park had been operated by the same family since it began in 1956.A favorite playtime destination for suburban Chicago families and children for over half a century, Wright's was also the host to countless area teens on their first date as well as numerous weddings.Attractions at Wright's included a kiddie carousel, a frog hopper, two miniature golf courses, a go-cart track, batting cages, an arcade, a restaurant and the home of Burt and Millie Wright on the five-acre site. The late Burt Wright started the park in the mid-1950s when he spent $300 to build a miniature golf course in the back yard of his home on Bernice Road. In the case of the ever popular Wright's Barnyard, (more recently known as Wright's Hollywood Park), it was not dwindling crowds or revenue that led to the closure, but the loss of land to the adjacent Interstate highways.According to Luke Brenner of Norton Auctioneers, the auction was a big success. "There was a great crowd and people kept coming in throughout the auction," said Brenner. "Maybe the biggest surprise was the go-carts," he added, "we were offering them individually but someone stepped up and bought the whole lot." The multi-player Pac-Man, obviously a local favorite, sold very well as did most all of the park's items. Brenner reported that the park's owner, Chris Paglia was very pleased with the auction. Paglia, grandson of the park's founder, even treated everyone in attendance to a picnic lunch.
Alleged Jane Austen portrait fails at auction
NEW YORK A distant relative of romance novelist Jane Austen will have to hold onto a late 18th century painting he claims is a portrait of the author as a teen-ager. New York auction house Christie's expected the painting of a young girl in white dress with a green parasol to fetch 400-to-800 thousand dollars. But the item did not make its minimum bid level. Austen scholars disagree sharply on whether the portrait could be that of the author of "Pride and Prejudice." The relative has been turned down a number of times by the National Portrait Galley in London when he tried to donate the painting. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. .
Temporary reprieve for Vida Shaw bridge
Bids for the replacement of the Vida Shaw Bridge will be delayed to give parish officials and citizens more time to discuss the future of the structure.The state Department of Transportation and Development was scheduled to receive bids for the replacement of the nearly 70-year-old, single-lane bridge Wednesday. However, recent interest in the bridge has sparked state Rep. Troy Hebert, D-Jeanerette, to request a delay.Hebert, in an April 12 letter to Bill Fontenot, Acadiana district administrator for the state Department of Transportation and Development, asked that DOTD postpone the bids to replace the bridge for another 30 to 60 days. "After talking to parish officials and hearing from local residents, this additional time will hopefully afford us the opportunity to discuss other options dealing with this historic structure," Hebert explained in his request.Romero said a meeting will take place in the next 30 days in the Loreauville area so both sides can present their concerns to state and local officials, as well as representatives from the DOTD.Fontenot said Friday the bids are now scheduled to be received May 30."It seems that parish officials, state officials and citizens want some questions answered," Fontenot said.
Changes to 'kill' auctions
NEW real estate legislation has the potential to "completely kill" Adelaide's currently thriving auction market, according to the Real Estate Institute of South Australia. President Mark Sanderson said he feared some of the proposed changes - which include allowing only one vendor bid at auction and the compulsory registration of bidders - could destroy the industry's most transparent method of sale. Compulsory registration would mean any potential buyer who either arrived late or decided to bid during the course of the auction would not be allowed. Mr Sanderson said if people were forced to register during the auction, it would stunt the momentum of the process and ultimately affect the final price. Last month, REISA launched an advertising campaign in relation to parts of the legislation.
BCE creates strategic oversight committee to oversee bids
MONTREAL (CP) - The board of directors of BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) says it has set up a committee of independent directors to oversee its evaluation of bids for the company. The board said in a release late Friday that the committee includes; Andre Berard, Thomas O'Neill, Jimmy Pattison and Donna Soble Kaufman as its Chair. According to the company's website, Kaufman is currently chair of the corporate governance committee, of which Berard and Pattison are members. O'Neill is chair of the audit committee at BCE, and Berard a member. The committee formation follows BCE's announcement earlier this week that it was putting itself up for sale. BCE shares increased more than 14 per cent this week amid speculation rival groups of pension funds and their backers are preparing bids to take the Montreal-based company private.
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