| Counties go high-tech for bids
As the final seconds of online bidding ticked away Thursday, offers came in to Camden County's purchasing division fast and furious. County officials, however, disregarded the high bids. It was the lowest ones they were after. Up for bid were contracts to supply all of Camden and Gloucester counties' largest government buildings -- the county colleges, courthouses, wastewater treatment plants -- with electricity at a fixed rate for up to two years. It was a lucrative offer considering Camden County spent $2.94 million on energy last year and Gloucester County paid $1.27 million. "We're at the mercy of the market," said Ross Angilella, Camden County's administrator. "But by doing this, we are positioning ourselves to get the best possible rate." Camden County, the lead purchasing agent in Thursday's reverse auction, got permission from the state last month to bid the contracts online, said Anna Marie Wright, Camden County's purchasing agent.
Air to seek bids for onboard Internet access
Low-cost giant Southwest Airlines might add wireless Internet connections to its planes to attract more business fliers. Southwest will seek proposals within a few weeks to outfit several jets to serve as prototypes, Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said today. With such a system, passengers would have Internet access in flight, e-mail and "potentially delivery of entertainment services," Kelly said. "We are very seriously exploring that," Kelly said. "Wed be acutely interested in the cost of doing that. It would be a very
exciting development if we could make that work."
Southwest is studying the idea as part of a broader review of ways to generate revenue apart from ticket sales. The Dallas-
based airline offers only peanuts and other snacks and drinks on its flights so it can stay profitable at lower fares.
A tale of two bids
FOR more than a century J. Sainsbury and Boots have been the two landmarks on Britain's high street that make towns feel complete and smaller villages envious. Both the grocer and the chemist bear the names of their founders. Unusually among British firms, they have dominant individual shareholders. Both, although they are well run, are stuck in the uncomfortable middle-ground of a retail market that is rapidly polarising between those that sell cheap goods and those that sell luxurious ones. And both have been stalked in recent weeks by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), an American buy-out firm. Now their ways are parting. On Friday April 20th Alliance Boots agreed to accept a £10.6 billion ($21.2 billion) bid from KKR, which has teamed up with Stefano Pessina, the chemist's executive deputy chairman and biggest shareholder.
Saturday's Best Bets: Raffles, auctions display artistry, benefit ...
He was born Ted Horowitz, but Popa Chubby sounds a lot more on the mark. The name came from Parliament Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell and it means excitement. He grew up in the Bronx, and his roots go back to the pre- and post-punk New York Club scene. He was one of Richard Hell's touring Voidoids. He's been influenced by everyone from Jimmie Page to Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin to Marvin Gaye. He likes to say he's taking blues to the cutting edge, "where it high-fives its contemporary cousins rock, rap and hip hop." Popa's been polishing and honing his chops all his life in juke joints, clubs, bars and studios all over the world and now he's coming to the Pavilion at the Lycian Center in Sugar Loaf at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. Visit www.lyciancentre.com for details and directions.
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