Chastain Business News

Updated
12-31-07


Chastain Business News Archives

Even before John Castaing initiated in 1697 what would become
the London Stock Exchange, Chastains have been taking care of business!
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Susan Chastain Celebrates
Fifth Anniversary of Firefly Club



12-08-07 Artist Tamara Chasteen Opens New Studio (Huntsville Item - Huntsville, TX) The Wynne Home Arts Center is offering residents an opportunity to take a break from their hectic schedules to attend an open studio with Huntsville artist Tamara Chasteen. Chasteen, who has transformed the garage behind the Wynne Home into her temporary studio, encourages the public to take a creativity break and work with a variety of arts and crafts...“An open studio is an opportunity to schedule studio time or a lesson in a specific craft,” Chasteen said. “This concept is a sharp departure from trying to fit a busy life into a rigid class schedule. The studio is available after school for kids and parents just getting out of school and lasts until 8 p.m. for working people.” Chasteen said the arts program is a new concept she hopes will encourage residents to try something new. Full Story Back to Top
12-05-07 State Hospital Director James Chastain Opens New Crisis Center (Brookhaven Daily Leader - MS) Government officials from the city and county up to the state level gathered Tuesday morning to witness the grand opening of the Brookhaven Crisis Intervention Center, a mental health facility that operates under the guidance of the Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield. A handful of the top officials with the state's mental health services gathered behind the podium at 10 a.m. to begin the ceremony. Mississippi State Hospital Director James Chastain welcomed the crowd. Ed LeGrand III, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, named a long list of county, city and state officials who had made the opening of the crisis center possible...Chastain placed the official blue ribbon in front of the crisis center doors and the dignitaries gathered behind it. District 39 State Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and District 92 Rep. Dr. Jim Barnett each held the scissors and the ribbon was cut. Full Story Back to Top
11-29-07 Cheryl and Joe Chestang Open New RV Park (South Alabamian - Jackson, AL) One of the many new RV parks in the area is now open for business. Cheryl's RV Park is located at the old rest area on U.S. Highway 43 near Wagarville. It is owned by Cheryl and Joe Chestang of Creola. Full Story Back to Top
10-28-07 Randy Chastain Builds Lifestyle Homes (Daily News Journal (subscription) - Murfreesboro, TN) If you asked Randy Chastain, he'd tell you that architectural, exterior and interior design all work hand-in-hand in creating a beautiful home. Chastain is the president of Parkside Homes...his company builds "lifestyle homes." "What we want is for people to live more efficiently, heat and cool less, and have less maintenance," he said. Chastain also boasts that gone are the times when a nice home had to span large areas of land to provide homeowners the amenities they desire. "We want to make the most use of space," he said. An example of that was the Danbury model. "There's a lot of house in the 2,982 square feet." The three-bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom home included a study loft, a two-car garage and an intricately designed back yard. "You see a back yard and it's just space. And that's all— just space," Chastain said about typical back yards. With his building plans, he offers homebuyers choices in the design of the back yard, rather than the usual expanse of grass. This concept is what Chastain calls "outdoor living." His company works with Artscapes Architectural Gardens to provide clients with the courtyards of their dreams. Full Story Back to Top
09-17-07 Tony Shasteen Joins Gaijin Studios (comic Book Resources - USA) GAIJIN STUDIOS, a home for some of the biggest and most talented names in the comics world for more than a decade-and-a-half, proudly announces the newest addition to its ranks: Tony Shasteen, artist of 12 Gauge/Image’s O.C.T: Occult Crimes Taskforce...Atlanta's GAIJIN STUDIOS is a longtime staple of the comic book industry, having been in continuous operation since 1991. It's currently the creative home of Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Cully Hamner, and Tony Shasteen, but it has a long list of impressive past alumni: Adam Hughes, Dave Johnson, Jason Pearson, Tony Harris, Georges Jeanty, Jason Martin, Joe Phillips, Rick Mays, Kelsey Shannon, and Stine Walsh. It continues to be a popular creative force in the comic book industry, working for most of the major comic book publishers, with occasional forays into other media. Full Story Back to Top
08-23-07 Elisia Chestang and Vanessa Chestang Reed Own Travel BaBees (PR.com (press release) - Levittown, NY) Travel BaBees, Inc. is a full service baby equipment rental and supply company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with remote locations throughout Northern California, Southern Orange County and San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. Travel BaBees assists traveling families by personally delivering high quality products to their destination... They rent a wide variety of popular name brand infant, toddler, and children's items such as cribs, strollers, car seats, toys and so much more. Owners Elisia Chestang and her sister Vanessa Chestang Reed take the safety of their clients and products very seriously. Website Full Story Back to Top
08-19-07 Lance Chastain Survives Bankruptcy to Start Successful New Business (The Wichita Eagle - Wichita, KS) Interex once was one of Wichita's biggest success stories. A maker of computer accessories, it was in the sexy high-tech sector, growing rapidly and winning accolades for its innovation...Interex soon joined a long list of high-profile companies and businessmen in Wichita who went bankrupt...Interex founders Greg Menas and Lance Chastain were 22 and 19 years old and bubbling with ideas. They were salesmen in a local clothing store and students at Wichita State University...Investors forced Menas out as president in 1996 and Chastain took over. A few months after winning its last Metro Award in 1999, Interex started laying people off. It declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy Jan. 24, 2000. Company lawyers blamed the collapse on a salesman who allegedly placed false orders for computer equipment. The company bought inventory, found it didn't have customers for it and ran into a cash crunch. Its largest bank cut off its credit. "He made commitments that he should have never made," Chastain said this week of the salesman...After his departure in 2000, Chastain started a computer accessory manufacturing and sales company called Stratitec. He built it from three employees to 50 before selling one of its product lines in December. But Chastain kept a software product he helped develop called TimeIPS, an employee time and attendance system that runs on a computer network. He has sold it to thousands of customers, including Fortune 1000 companies. Full Story Back to Top
08-09-07 Katie Chastain Releases Firecracker CD (Times-Mail (subscription) - Bedford, IN) Firecracker. It makes you think of loud and boisterous celebrations. But loud and boisterous are two words that don’t describe former Mitchell resident Katie Chastain. She is much more quiet and reserved, but “Firecracker” is the name of Chastain’s debut CD. The only thing about Chastain that might resemble a firecracker is her red hair. Chastain, now living in Boston, released a CD of mostly original music last month. “I grew up singing in church, which was my main introduction to performing,” she said After graduating from Mitchell High School, she earned a degree in education from Taylor University. While attending the Christian university in Upland, she applied for and was accepted into the Contemporary Music Center on Martha’s Vineyard. Full Story Back to Top
08-01-07 Al Shasteen Trains Welders in Welding Boom (KOTV - Tulsa, OK) Welding, if you'll pardon the pun, is a hot field. Especially in Sapulpa, where one company wants to find 130 welders. It is good news for Sapulpa and good news for Thermal Engineering Incorporated, which is having the hiring boom...Al Shasteen, with Tulsa Technology Center, which teaches welding, says they will actually tailor their schooling to fit a company's type of welding. And companies are sending employees to school during the workday. "That's how big of a need there is. They're actually stopping production and sending them to train," said Shasteen. Full Story Back to Top
07-24-07 James G. "Bo" Chastain is Chairman-elect for Mississippi Hospital Association Board (Jackson Clarion Ledger - Jackson, MS) James G. "Bo" Chastain, director of the State Hospital at Whitfield, is chairman-elect for the 2007-08 Mississippi Hospital Association board of governors. He has been director of the hospital since 1993. Chastain has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Mississippi State University and an M.B.A. from the Else School of Management at Millsaps College. Full Story Back to Top
07-23-07 Tony Shasteen to Appear at Comic-Con International (Monsters and Critics.com - Glasgow, UK) 12 Gauge Comics blasts into Comic-Con International, packin' more heat than ever before!...Scheduled signings include the creative team from the Occult Crimes Taskforce: Rosario Dawson, Tony Shasteen and David Atchison. Full Story Back to Top
07-19-07? Rhonda Shasteen Thrilled to Have Mary Kay Participate in CMA Awards (Elites TV - Dickinson, TX) Who knew Country could look so good? In anticipation of "The 41st Annual CMA Awards," beauty leader Mary Kay announces its title as the Official Beauty Sponsor of the prestigious 2007 CMA Awards..."We are thrilled to play the part of beauty ambassador for Country Music's Biggest Night(TM), the CMA Awards," said Rhonda Shasteen, Mary Kay Senior Vice President, Global Brand Strategy. "Just as the CMA Awards celebrates the best of Country Music, Mary Kay helps women recognize and celebrate their inner beauty." Full Story Back to Top
07-16-07 Kristye Chastang Provides Physical Therapy With Horses (Mobile Register - Mobile, AL) For some, the problem might be physical or even neurological in nature, said Kristye Chastang, a registered physical therapist, and owner of Buckaroo Barn in White House Fork, near Bay Minette. "Some of the physical problems that we use therapy horses to work with include abnormal muscle tone, impaired balance and coordination, and decreased mobility," Chastang said. Some of these symptoms are caused by such disorders as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis and even traumatic brain injuries. Chastang said she uses "hippotherapy," which is a physical, occupational and speech therapy treatment strategy that utilizes movement from a therapy horse in order to achieve results. Full Story Back to Top
07-15-07 Dave Chastain Band to Play at Blues Festival (Quincy Herald Whig - Quincy, IL) Familiar faces will grace the stage at the annual Quincy Area Blues Fest Friday and Saturday in Washington Park. Every act but one has played in past Blues Fest events, and Reba Russell highlights the festival Saturday night by making her third visit to Quincy. On the inside cover of her latest CD, "Broke Down But Not Out," is a photo of Russell performing at the Blues Fest...The Dave Chastain Band takes the stage after Bumbry. Chastain appeared at the festival in 2003 and brings a scorching blues style. He's released three CDs, with the latest called "Legacy," and he's considered to be a Midwest guitar legend. Full Story Back to Top
07-13-07 Attorney Lisa Shasteen Shares Timing on Post Office Move (St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg, FL) Clearwater developer Antonios Markopoulos, who is transforming the dilapidated Floridan Hotel, purchased the property that's home to the post office. His attorney, Lisa Shasteen, said he plans to use the lot to build a ballroom and for parking. The post office's lease expires this month. Shasteen said the post office may remain there for several more weeks. Markopoulos wants to complete construction on the Floridan by year's end, Shasteen said. "It seems like we're on schedule," she said. Full Story Back to Top
07-09-07 Tony Shasteen Helps Reveal New Developments in O.C.T. (RopeofSilicon.com - Seattle, WA) Actress Rosario Dawson (Grindhouse, Clerks 2, Sin City) is joined by her creative team, writer David Atchison and illustrator Tony Shasteen, as well as 12 Gauge Comics' Keven Gardner (The Ride) and Gus Vazquez, for a Q&A session about their hit comic series Occult Crimes Taskforce. With their first trade paperback in stores now and new stories on the horizon, the O.C.T. is just gearing up! Find out about the upcoming miniseries and get an update on Dimension's Occult Crimes Taskforce feature film. Full Story Back to Top
07-03-07 Bear Ridge Mall Sponsors Alan and Ronnie Chastain's Shady Creek (Cherokee Sentinel - Murphy, NC) Bear Ridge Mall and owners Bob and Judy Smith are getting behind some of our talented local musicians. Local favorites "Shady Creek" are partnering with the Smiths to launch a new chapter in the band's history...Bear Ridge is sending Shady Creek back into the recording studio and fronting the bill for a new promotions package including T-shirts, hats and a new CD for the band. "We are currently taking a break from our tour schedule to work on some new material for the new release and hope to get back in the studio by early fall." said Alan Chastain of Shady Creek. The team is working on the final details and Shady Creek plans to hit the road in the fall to promote their new release with the proposed title, "Blood Sweat and Tears"...Shady Creek consists of Ronnie Chastain on banjo, lead vocals and tenor; Alan Chastain on lead vocals, baritone and rhythm guitar; on mandolin, lead vocals and tenor vocals, Josh Earley and last but not least, on doghouse bass- Ken Ensley. Full Story Back to Top
06-23-07 Woody Chastain Sells Thirty-Nine Year Old Business (Online Athens (subscription) - Athens, GA) After 39 years in business, Woody Chastain has sold his Bulldog Sporting Goods stores. Chastain sold the Baxter Street and Barnett Shoals Road retailing ventures to Jody Tanner, who has worked for Russell athletic wear and for the Hartwell Industries garment company. Chastain and Tanner met through Tanner's work with those apparel distributors. Chastain said he had been made offers before but just wasn't ready to get out of the business. When Tanner came to him recently, the idea sounded good..."I thought (Tanner) and his wife and family were a good fit," Chastain said...Chastain started the business in 1968, the same year he graduated from the University of Georgia and got married. Full Story Back to Top
06-21-07 Linda Chastain Becomes Vice President of Marketing and Business Development (Napa Valley Register - Napa, CA) Consultants 2 Business announces Linda Chastain has joined its company as vice president of marketing and business development. Chastain will be responsible for bringing strategic (consumer-based) marketing advice to clients across the United States. A former Visa USA executive, Chastain later managed brand development and market positioning for two pioneering biometric technology companies. Chastain lives in Napa. Full Story Back to Top
06-15-07 Susan Chastain Relocates Firefly Club (MLive.com) Have you heard the buzz about The Firefly Club? The blues and jazz hot spot is moving. Owner Susan Chastain said she expects to open at 637 S. Main St. on Aug. 1 in a space formerly occupied by the Neutral Zone teen center and just down the block from the South Main Market. Chastain said her lease at 207 S. Ashley St. has been on a month-to-month basis, and the Vie Fitness and Spa, located in the space above the Firefly, is interested in expanding. "It's a win-win-win for the landlord, Vie Fitness and us,'' Chastain said...The rent at her new location, which measures about 4,000 square feet, will be similar to what she has been paying, and the South Main Street spot has one thing the Bird did not - ample free parking. "I'm scared of being out of that walking loop downtown, but I'm hoping our on-premises parking will make up for that, that people will come down that wouldn't normally come down,'' she explained. "We will have room to do more dancing. I can have different acts because we will be able to seat more people.'' Full Story Back to Top
06-14-07 Kristye Chastang Heals With Hippotherapy Gulf Coast Newspapers - Baldwin County, AL After a little coaxing, Isabelle, still with a hold on both Alessandra’s hands, made gradual, wide steps toward the barn. After realizing where she was, she let go and walked with only verbal persuasion toward Kristye Chastang, physical therapist and founder of Buckaroo Barn. “This is definitely her favorite therapy,” said Alessandra...It’s called hippotherapy. “Hippos” is the greek word for horse...Physical therapists have myriad tools at their disposal to combat these issues of balance and muscle memory. They use rubber balls, scooters and swings, but there’s nothing quite like the three-dimensional motion provided by the gradual trot of the horses, according to Chastang...While the patients are saddled in, they move their pelvises much like the movement required of walking. The balance used to hold themselves with the horse generates core stability from the pelvis to the shoulders...It was only a few months after Isabelle started hippotherapy when she started walking, according to Alessandra. “She always had therapy but after the hippotherapy she really broke out,” she said. “After that, she wasn’t scared to move anymore.” At the end of the session, Isabelle walked between Alessandra and Chastang much faster than before. She even made turns of independence toward more of the horses. Full Story Back to Top
06-07-07 Cherie Chastain Supports Company Biking Program (Chico News Review - Chico, CA) Cherie Chastain, sustainability coordinator at Sierra Nevada, said the program currently involves 62 employees who have either made a pledge to bike to work four times a month, bike 20 miles a month for fun, or run four errands a month on a bike. Chastain said Sierra Nevada wanted to make the goal very attainable, and many employees go well above their pledge. The Green Machine kicked off April 1, as a "push to get people to use alternative sources of transportation," said Chastain, along with helping to get more employees to exercise and get in better health. Chastain, who rides upward of 30 miles a month, praises the health benefits of biking...The overall response to the program has been overwhelming, she said, with the only drawback being crowded bike racks. Full Story Back to Top
05-29-07 Ken Chastain is Mr. Tambourine Man (Pioneer Press - St. Paul, MN) if you want more tambourine, you call Ken Chastain. The 42-year-old Minneapolis resident has carved out a musical niche as the guy record producers contact when they want a virtuoso jingle-jangle track on a rock or pop album. With credits on albums ranging from Ziggy Marley to Backstreet Boys to Har Mar Superstar, Chastain is basically Mr. Tambourine Man. Full Story Back to Top
04-25-07 Carrozzeria Castagna Announces Aznom (Edmunds.com/Inside Line - Santa Monica, CA) Carrozzeria Castagna, the Milanese coachbuilder that traces its roots back to the mid-19th century, has pulled the wraps off the Aznom, a custom-bodied two-seater built on a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 chassis. Full Story Back to Top
04-23-07 Gerda Chastain Serves 25 Years at Golden Gables Restaurant (Times-Mail (subscription) - Bedford, IN) Golden Gables restaurant manager Carolyn Stigall is proud of the restaurant’s family-like atmosphere, where the customers have returned for many years. “It’s not just the customers, but we have former employees who leave and come back,” Stigall said. “I had a guy stop by a short time ago and he said, ‘You are the best boss I have ever worked for.’...Gerda Chastain is another longtime employee, with 25 years of service. “Its a nice place to work,” Chastain said. “It makes a difference when you’re treated nice. I work second shift and have mostly older customers, and they are all very nice.” The restaurant is at the Ind. 37 South-U.S. 50 West junction. It’s open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and specializes in serving breakfast 24 hours a day. It offers a full menu, sit-down or carry-out service and a daily lunch special from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Full Story Back to Top
04-18-07 Tony Shasteen Creates Wallpaper (Comic Book Bin - Montreal, Quebec, Canada) “We’ve never had so much content available on the site and our fans should be very pleased,” said 12 Gauge President Keven Gardner. “Everyone can quickly and easily find out whatever they want to know about their favorite 12 Gauge books. We’ve added preview pages for every comic 12 Gauge has released so far, beautiful Wallpapers from Jason Pearson (Body Bags), Brian Stelfreeze (The Ride, Gun Candy) and Tony Shasteen (The O.C.T.). Full Story Back to Top
04-07-07 Chastain’s Casual Café and Catering Company Opened Restaurant in Sapulpa (Sapulpa Daily Herald - Sapulpa, OK) Chastain’s Casual Café and Catering Company has opened a restaurant in Sapulpa on the corner of Dewey and Park in the downtown area. Chastain’s specializes in lunches with a diverse menu and a quaint corner café feel. The tortilla soup is a favorite that won awards two years in a row at the Tulsa State Fair in ’98 and ’99. It was started when owner Laurie Rhodes’ mother Barbara Ballard tasted some tortilla soup at a restaurant in Tulsa and said,” I can do better than that.” “We actually started in Sand Springs in a small antique mall with three tables,” said Rhodes. “And we grew to 150 tables. Since then we’ve been operating in Sand Springs for 10 years.” Rhodes got the name Chastain’s from a department store that had branches in Sand Springs and Sapulpa in the 40s and 50s. Full Story Back to Top
04-05-07 Tony Shasteen's Very Success in O.C.T. Caused Issue Delays (Comic Book Resources) Then came the release of 12 Gauge's biggest hit to date, "The O.C.T." from actress and noted fangirl Rosario Dawson. "We solicited that series with one book in the can, the second almost done,” Gardner explained. “The problem there was having a new comic book creative team that didn't realize what they were getting into, and me, the guy producing the thing for Image, not grasping how big it was going to be. “The media ate it up. We hit Heroes Con. [The team] had a big press event in New York a week later, then Comic-Con a week or two after that. Issue #2 was delayed because Tony [Shasteen, illustrator] was doing all the cons and press events. Then they get a movie deal and that takes up lots of time. Tony was still doing his day job and David [Atchison, writer] and Rosario were making sure the story ends up exactly the way they wanted — it was all overwhelming. But, I'm happy to say, issue #3 was finally released and issue #4 is at the letterer today and it is Tony's best work so far — he got better and better with each issue, which is really saying something. Whew." Full Story Back to Top
03-30-07 Frank Chastain Advises Spring Cleanup for Lawns and Gardens (Poughkeepsie Journal - Poughkeepsie, NY) Winter weather can take a toll on yards, landscaping and garden areas, too. Frank Chastain, director of safety and training and the estimator for spring and fall cleanups and turf mowing at Neave Landscaping in Wappingers Falls, said his crew likes to begin spring cleaning of lawn and plant beds in March, although weather conditions sometimes push the schedule a bit..."You want to want your turf to be as thick (with grass) as possible because it will actually prevent weeds or choke weeds out," Chastain said. "You really want a full, lush lawn."..."Spring cleanup is a major operation - we have a standard that we like to set and so we're not going to leave the property until it's up to our standard," Chastain said. Full Story Back to Top
03-22-07 Bakery Icon Murphy Chatagnier Dies at 97 (Port Arthur News - Port Arthur, TX) When the head folks at Sara Lee know you by name, that’s quite a big deal. That’s how well known Murphy Chatagnier was during his life. Chatagnier, 97, who owned and operated Murphy’s Cake Shop, died Thursday. Chatagnier honed his craft at the tender age of 14 while working for his uncle, Whitney Peck, of Peck’s Bakery. Later he headed the steward department on the Texas Company’s tanker, SS New Jersey...After a stint with the Merchant Marines during World War II during which his ship was torpedoed, the Louisiana native and longtime Port Arthur resident built Murphy’s Cake Shop in 1946, taking with him innovative ideas to help his bakery. Full Story Back to Top
03-06-07 New Chastain Neighborhood Opens in Charlotte (dBusinessNews Charlotte (press release) - Charlotte, NC) Baker Residential is pleased to announce the grand opening of its newest neighborhood, Chastain, in Indian Land, S.C., the weekend of March 10th and 11th. A grand opening event with light hors d'oeuvres will be held on Saturday, March 10th from 12 to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 11th from 1 to 4 p.m. at the new Baker Sales Center at Chastain. Chastain is located just over the Lancaster County border from the Ballantyne area, minutes away from I-485, giving residents a peaceful home site with quick access to the best that Charlotte has to offer...Chastain offers residents a pool and a cabana clubhouse, proximity to beautiful Carolina horse country, and Anne Springs Close Park and Cane Creek Park nearby. The neighborhood's location near the I-485 loop is just minutes away from Ballantyne, South Charlotte, Uptown, golf courses, shopping and dining. Full Story Back to Top
03-06-07 Hillside at Chastain Homes Under Construction (Newswire Today (press release) - London, UK) Monte Hewett Homes is pleased to announce that the start of construction at Hillside at Chastain, the new community coming to the Chastain Park area. Monte Hewett Homes will build six of the 11 homes in Hillside at Chastain, priced from $1.7 million. “We are excited to have the opportunity to build in Hillside at Chastain,” said Monte Hewett, President of Monte Hewett Homes. “With homes under construction, buyers can call to get a personal showing and full understanding of the kind of exceptional community we’re creating.” The brick homes will update the traditional styles of the surrounding area, and are within walking distance of Chastain’s famous trails, equestrian center, golf course and tennis courts. Full Story Back to Top
03-02-07 Mike Chasteen Loves Elevators (Bizjournals.com - Charlotte, NC) Mike Chasteen has never grown tired of the elevator business. For him, it's still a thrill ride. His enthusiasm is obvious as he talks about Vertical Systems Elevator Corp., which installs and services elevators, along with hydraulic lifts and specialty lifts such as dumbwaiters, for commercial clients including restaurants and hotels. In the company's Anderson Township headquarters, Chasteen and his crew of 11 employees tinker in "Frankenstein's laboratory," a huge room brimming with elevator parts, circuit and PC boards, door mechanisms, computers and a metal shop...It's Chasteen's dream job. "Any city I go to, I make sure I go to the highest building and ride the elevator," he said...Chasteen's passion for the industry comes naturally; he's been tinkering with elevators since the age of 5 with his father, who worked for Haughton Elevator Co. for nearly 20 years and started Vertical Systems Elevator in 1983. Chasteen spent 11 years with Westinghouse Co. before joining the company, and his 21-year-old son, Nick, has joined the family business. Full Story Back to Top
02-26-07 Randy Chastain Describes New Residential Community (Daily News Journal (subscription) - Murfreesboro, TN) Weston Park’s four builders—Clark & Howell Building Group, Concord Homes, Deer Creek Construction and Parkside Homes—offer a full range of compatible home styles and price points, ranging from $170,000-$400,000...“Weston Park is a residential community set in the heart of the growth corridor of greater Murfreesboro,” said Randy Chastain, owner of Parkside Homes. “With a convenient location and beautiful surroundings, it combines the best of town and country lifestyles, offering a truly new way of living in Middle Tennessee.” Full Story Back to Top
02-19-07 Charles Chatagnier Named Vice President of Sales (HeraldNet - Everett, WA) Charles Chatagnier has been named vice president of sales with Seattle Specialty Insurance Services in Everett. He will be responsible for marketing the company's insurance products and services. Full Story Back to Top
02-17-07 Evon Chastain Promoted to Vice President and Human Resource Manager (The Chattanoogan - Chattanooga, TN) Cornerstone Community Bank announced several promotions: Carolyn Smith to senior vice president and chief deposit operations officer, Gary Petty to senior vice president and chief financial officer, Nancy Hale to vice president and relationship manager, Evon Chastain to vice president and human resource manager...Evon Chastain has over 16 years of banking experience and recently completed the Human Resource Management School at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Ms. Chastain is a board member for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and lives with her husband in Chattanooga. Full Story Back to Top
02-13-07 Florist Sherri Chasteen Plans to Deliver Despite Weather Conditions (Wilmington News Journal, OH - Wilmington, OH) Freezing rain, sleet, three inches of ice or eight inches of snow? That was the question on the minds of almost everyone in Wilmington on Monday...Clinton County florists were looking ahead to how they will cope with delivery of Valentine's Day flowers...Sherri Chasteen, owner of Blooms in Blanchester, said Monday afternoon that she hopes to have three or four vehicles on the road Wednesday. "I'm watching the weather. If it is a problem to get the orders delivered, I will call the people and let them know we can't get the deliveries made." Chasteen said front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicles will be used if the snow and/or ice arrives. Full Story Back to Top
02-03-07 Rhonda Shasteen Promotes Proven Business Book (PR Leap (press release) - Chula Vista, CA) Bob Prosen’s book "Kiss Theory Good Bye" has been awarded Best Business Management Book by Best Book Awards 2006 and was most recently the number one best-selling business management book on Amazon. The book is also a finalist for the prestigious Ethan Awards...“By the time I had finished the first two chapters, I asked my assistant to order copies for my Vice Presidents. It is definitely one of the best, if not THE best, business book I have ever read.” — RHONDA SHASTEEN, Senior Vice President, Mary Kay, Inc. Full Story Back to Top
02-02-07 Sherrie Chastain Releases Health E-book (PR.com (press release) - Levittown, NY) Daytona Beach, FL...Inside the pages of Sherrie Chastain's new e-book "You Can't Take It With You So Stay Longer or The pH Factor" you will discover the easy to follow steps to prevent poor health & restore good health. This e-book is a Step by Step Guide to Health. You will discover the elements that must be in place before any healing can begin...Sherrie Chastain has over 25 years of Study, Research & Consultation experience in the Natural Health & Organic Gardening Fields. Full Story Back to Top
01-24-07 Vanessa Castagna Considered as GAP CEO (San Francisco Chronicle - San Francisco, CA) Gap has formed a search committee to recruit a CEO with extensive retail experience, ideally in apparel. That has whittled the field to a handful of possibilities...Vanessa Castagna, who last week stepped down as chairwoman of Mervyns board of directors, may be in the running...Harry Bernard, a partner with the San Francisco fashion-marketing and consulting firm Colton Bernard Inc., said that Castagna may be a good match for Gap..."I would think (Castagna) would be an interesting choice," Bernard said. "She certainly knows the customer and arena." Full Story Back to Top
01-19-07 Vanessa Castagna Leaving Mervyns (Sacramento Business Journal - Sacramento, CA) Two years after taking over as executive chairwoman of Mervyns and leading a turnaround of the once-troubled retailer, Vanessa Castagna will leave her position Feb. 1...She came to Mervyns after leading a similar turnaround at a much larger retailer, JCPenney. Castagna is credited with reviving Mervyns at a time when many retail analysts predicted its demise...After taking the reins, Castagna closed more than 70 Mervyns stores considered underperforming...She has also refined the store's merchandise offerings and launched a major remodeling initiative in the chain's aging stores, bringing in new flooring, lighting and product display fixtures. After closing stores, Castagna presided over the opening of four new Mervyns stores this past fall in California, Arizona and Texas. Full Story Back to Top
01-11-07 Jeffrey L. Chastain Accepts Position of Vice President, Investor Relations (PR Newswire (press release) - New York, NY) Pride International, Inc. (NYSE: PDE) announced that Jeffrey L. Chastain has agreed to accept the position of Vice President, Investor Relations and is expected to join the Company by the end of the month. Since 1994, Mr. Chastain has been employed by Transocean Inc., most recently as Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications. Over the course of a 23-year career, Mr. Chastain has served in investor relations and analytical roles in the energy-related and financial investment industries. Mr. Chastain holds Bachelor and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of North Texas and is a past president of the Houston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute. Full Story Back to Top
12-22-06 Jim Chastain is New Vice Chairman of Board (Lakeland Ledger - Lakeland, FL) Dr. Matthew Cory, pediatrician at Lakeside Pediatrics in Lakeland, is the new chairman of the Lakeland Regional Medical Center Board of Directors. Jim Chastain, president of Chastain-Skillman, is the new vice chairman. Full Story Back to Top
12-13-06 Attorney M. Lisa Shasteen Confirms Construction Purchase (Tampa Bay Business Journal - Tampa, FL) Antonios Markopoulos paid $2 million for the post office building next to the hotel in the 900 block of North Florida Avenue, plus three-quarters of a neighboring block, and plans to turn the 20,000-square-foot structure into convention and meeting space, his attorney M. Lisa Shasteen confirmed Wednesday. The U.S. Postal Service's lease will expire in July 2007, she said. The acquisition allows Markopoulos, a former Clearwater Beach developer, to plan for future construction and parking for the Floridan, Shasteen said. Restoration of the 240-foot-tall hotel is on track to be completed by next fall, she said. "We're hoping for a New Year's Eve party," said Shasteen, whose Shasteen-Sizemore Co. has assisted Markopoulos with acquisitions and development Full Story Back to Top
11-04-06 Accounting Firm LarsonAllen Purchases Chastang, Ferrell, Sims & Eiserman (Pioneer Press - St. Paul, MN) Minneapolis-based accounting firm LarsonAllen made two acquisitions for a total of $11 million, buying Chastang, Ferrell, Sims & Eiserman in Florida, and Christensen, Gale & McLaren in Arizona. Recent acquisitions have bumped LarsonAllen's revenue to an expected $170 million in 2006 from $120 million in 2005. Full Story Back to Top
10-16-06 John Castaing's London Stock Exchange Under Attack (Guardian Unlimited - UK) When John Castaing began issuing lists of stock prices in 1698 he could never have guessed that his venture in Jonathan's Coffee House on a busy alley in the City of London would become a multibillion-pound operation and the subject of persistent takeover attempts. But that is now the fate of what has become the London Stock Exchange. The management - led by chief executive Clara Furse - seem to be determined, though, not to sell off what was started by one of the world's first stockbrokers. Full Story Back to Top
9-19-06 Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp Appoints Dr. Jean-Paul Castaigne to Board (Canada NewsWire (press release) - Canada) Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp ("SCT")...is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jean-Paul Castaigne as a member of its Board of Directors. Dr. Castaigne is a senior pharmaceutical executive with extensive international experience in top pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Castaigne was recently the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of ConjuChem Biotechnologies Inc. (TSX: CJB). He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of JPC Consulting; a consulting firm specialized in Biotechnology companies. Prior to joining ConjuChem Biotechnologies Inc. ("ConjuChem"), he was Vice-President, Head of Global R&D at the Fournier Group in France. Full Story Back to Top
9-17-06 Randy Chastain Promotes Downsized Homes (Detroit Free Press - United States) At one end of the spectrum is the all-American family, with two or three kids, a dog, a white picket fence and an SUV. Opposite is an emerging market of home buyers like Mason, who want "efficiency, freedom of lifestyle, low maintenance but still an ability to entertain," says Randy Chastain, president of Parkside Homes of Nashville, Tenn. A two-bedroom setup suits single home buyers like Mason, and it makes sense for sophisticated design-savvy buyers who prefer to outfit a compact home with all the options. "Homeowners can get a fully appointed house -- we aren't talking about vinyl boxes," Chastain says. "We're talking about homes built as well as a $600,000 house, but more efficiently laid out." Chastain calls the concept "value calculus." "Heating bills are going up, and the cost of construction is going up, so why build a bigger house than you want to maintain and more expensive to purchase, when you can have an efficiently laid-out, entertainment-oriented, two-bedroom home that services all your needs?" Chastain asks. Full Story Back to Top
8-26-06 Chef Peter Chastain Takes Prima to New Heights (Contra Costa Times - CA) The latest and perhaps biggest leap forward occurred during the winter of 1999, a few years before Tiffany & Co. would come to town, when Peter Chastain became chef. He took "Trattoria" off the door, put out white table cloths and nudged up prices. But the real shift occurred in the kitchen. Chastain replaced canned products and frozen fish with local, seasonal produce and fresh, organic meats. He removed the Cuisinarts and started chopping, grinding and mixing by hand. "There were a number of (changes), but at the core of it was to make it from scratch," Chastain said. "The physical involvement with the food gives us a result that is elegant but still has some rusticity." In June 2005, Chastain and his business partner John Rittmaster purchased Prima and the adjacent Prima Vini wine shop from the Verlanders. Prima today is upscale without being stuffy. On a recent Saturday night, several young diners sported T-shirts while middle aged men mostly wore golf shirts or sports jackets. Selections from the live piano ranged from classical to Coldplay. Full Story Back to Top
8-24-06 Chastang's Bayou City Ford in Houston Participates in Ford's Aggressive Stock Clearance Move (DetNews.com - Detroit, MI) After slashing production last week, Ford on Wednesday launched an aggressive incentive program that includes no-interest loans for up to six years that expand financing eligibility to clear out remaining 2006 cars and trucks...even if their credit is less-than-perfect..."It's the right time to unload the '06s, as we're not overloaded with '07s yet," said Sam Treynor, general manager of Chastang's Bayou City Ford in Houston..."From the point of view of moving product, this is about the best proven way to get people on the lot and get them to buy," said Treynor, who estimated he had about 70 remaining 2006 models on his lot. Full Story Back to Top
8-18-06 Lisa Shasteen Says Tampa's Floridan Could Begin Restoration Next Week (St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg, FL) The Floridan is still a big, proud, imposing structure - for 40 years, Tampa's tallest - but it has been through a lot the past two decades. The iconic hotel last housed guests in 1987...Clearwater developer Antonios Markopoulos, hopes to restore the Floridan to the glory it knew in the first half of the 20th century. For the past year, he has worked to satisfy the city's Architectural Review Commission requirements to begin restoring the property. Construction crews are ready to begin working on the Floridan in earnest next week, said Lisa Shasteen, an attorney representing the project. If all goes well, a boutique hotel - at least four stars, perhaps even five - will emerge in 12 to 18 months...It originally had 426 rooms, more than double the number planned for the renovated Floridan, Shasteen said. It will have 194 standard rooms at 400 square feet, 16 suites and two penthouses. Full Story Back to Top
8-16-06 Ken Chastain's Rural Gas Station Not As Rural Any More (Waynesville Smoky Mountain News - Waynesville, NC) So far, the traffic hasn’t been too much of a problem for customers at Ken’s Grocery and Propane, perched on the crest of a small hill coming into Tuckasegee proper, according to owner Ken Chastain. But it doesn’t show any signs of decreasing. “The traffic’s going to be here forever from now on,” Chastain said. For a gas station, of course, traffic isn’t all bad. Chastain used to have two people working at the store every morning. Now he has three and sometimes has to come in himself to help. “There’s 10 times the business here there was 10 years ago,” he said. The clientele has changed, and perhaps so have people’s tastes. “When I first went into business here, we made a comment, me and my wife did, about ‘reckon we’ll ever see bottled water sitting on the shelf?’ Right now it’s one of the biggest sellers in the cooler,” Chastain said. In his 27 years in Tuckasegee, Chastain has seen a lot of other change, most of it having to do with land development and privatization...rising land prices indicate that working-class families aren’t the ones driving the market. Looking out the gas station window about a quarter mile down N.C. 107, Chastain can see two acres of land that just sold for $80,000 per acre. While that’s expensive, it’s half the price many mountain lots are going for. Full Story Back to Top
Roger Chastain Says Acquired Trucking Business Will Continue to Operate from Sylacauga, Alabama (Daily Home Online - Talladega, AL) Mount Vernon Mills has no intention of moving the trucking division it has purchased from Avondale Mills from Sylacauga. Roger Chastain, president of Mount Vernon Mills, based in Mauldin, S.C., said Friday afternoon the company will continue to run the trucking division from Sylacauga. The division has more than 100 employees in its Sylacauga operations. Chastain said the company plans to hire the trucking division workers and even add more drivers...Avondale Mills Inc., based in Monroe, Ga., shut down its textile manufacturing operations July 25, after 161 years in business...Mount Vernon also has a history dating back to 1845. The early years of Mount Vernon provided at least one interesting historical footnote. Fabrics made by the company’s mill in Baltimore, Md., were sewn into tents used by the Union Army in the Civil War. At the same time, the Tallassee, Ala., facility, which became part of Mount Vernon in 1900, produced cloth for uniforms and carbine rifles for the Confederate Army. Full Story Back to Top
8-3-06 Robert Castaigne Gives Oil Production Projections (MarketWatch - USA) Total earlier Thursday announced a 9% slide in output to 2.29 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in the second quarter of 2006, due to disruptions in Nigeria and maintenance projects. "My best estimates is that we'll reach 2.4 million (barrels) of oil equivalent per day in 2006," with the assumption of hydrocarbon price at $60 a barrel, Castaigne said. Castaigne said the Dalia field in Angola will start up in the fourth quarter of the this year, boosting production. The Dalia field is expected to produce 240,000 barrels a day, Castaigne said. "We remain with a target of 4% in production growth for the period of 2005 to 2010," Castaigne said, with an assumption of a barrel price at $40...Nigerian production, which normally stands at 300,000 b/d, has been significantly affected by social unrest. The company is on track to meet its budgeted $13.5 billion capital expenditure for the year, with a slightly higher number in the exploration side, Castaigne said. Full Story Back to Top
7-23-06 Director Brenda Chastain Delivers Good News on Kingman Airport Authority Finances (Kingman Daily Miner - Kingman, AZ) Land sales at the industrial park soared higher than expected in the past year, providing the Kingman Airport Authority with a positive cash flow. According to budget figures provided by Director of Corporate Administration Brenda Chastain, the airport authority's cash reserves total more than $3.8 million heading into the 2006-07 fiscal year. Last year at this time, the authority had $419,000 in cash on hand. "I've never seen a year like this before," she said. The additional funds offset a projected operational deficit in the 2006-07 budget...Land sales brought in an estimated $2.9 million in 2005-06, exceeding expectations by more than $1.6 million. According to Chastain, land sales are expected to bring in $3 million in the coming fiscal year...Chastain said she has not finished processing all of the 2005-06 fiscal year's numbers yet, but she expects expenses to come in at $2,549,294. Full Story Back to Top
7-20-06 Builder Randy Chastain Discusses Craftsman Homes (Lansing State Journal - Lansing, MI) Drive around emerging communities in much of the country, and it's hard to miss all the craftsman-style homes. The covered front porch, the gabled roof, tapered columns at the entrance and limited use of bricks are architectural details more in line with 1920s and 1930s home construction than anything built in the 1980s and 1990s...Builder Randy Chastain agrees. "Craftsman architecture feels like home," he says. "In a society that's busy, hectic, hurried, there's something settling about an architecture style that has simple lines and at the same time is properly proportioned and scaled." "We're constantly trying to figure out new ways to use it," he says. "We give our buyers a whole range of architectural styles, but the predominant style that's chosen is craftsman."..."We're all about trying to make our floor plans open," Chastain says. "Rooms used to be compartmentalized." He notes today's customers want the kitchen, living area and dining space to be connected, and modern building technologies make that possible. "We tweak the old style for what people want from a modern standpoint." Full Story Back to Top
7-17-06 Senior VP Rhonda Shasteen Says Company Still Prospers Since Death of Mary Kay Ash (Dallas Morning News (subscription) - TX) Ms. Ash died in 2001, but Rhonda Shasteen, senior vice president of marketing at Mary Kay, said there was no doubt the cosmetics company would continue to prosper. "For those of us who are involved with the company and knew Mary Kay, I would say no, there was no concern," she said. "Mary Kay knew early on that what she built was going to surpass her lifetime." Full Story Back to Top
6-20-06 Vanessa Castagna Discusses Mervyns New Organizational Strategy (Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco, CA) To further support its goal of becoming an independent company, Mervyns announced today a new organizational structure that will position the Company for future growth. The new format, which includes the appointment of seven vice presidents, is competitive with other independent companies and strengthens the Company's leadership structure. "As Mervyns continues on its path to becoming an independent company, we are making significant investments in the business, including opening new stores, store refurbishments and implementing new technology systems. This new leadership structure is another important piece of that investment," said Vanessa Castagna, executive chairwoman of Mervyns' board of directors. "These promotions reflect the exceptional contributions these individuals have made to our current and continuing success, as well as their significant responsibility in driving our business strategies and delivering results." Full Story Back to Top
6-12-06 Mervyns' Vanessa Castagna Introduces New Executive Vice President (Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco, CA) Mervyns, a leading promotional neighborhood department store, announced today the appointment of John Serino as executive vice president, operations. Serino has nearly 36 years of extensive industry experience across multiple retail channels. He will report to Vanessa Castagna, executive chairwoman of Mervyns' board of directors..."John's strong leadership abilities and outstanding track record of developing successful growth strategies to enhance Company performance and customer satisfaction make him an excellent addition to Mervyns," said Vanessa Castagna. "His extensive retail industry experience will be invaluable as we execute Mervyns' strategy to invest significantly in our core West and Southwest markets, which includes refurbishing existing stores, opening new stores, enhancing our merchandise assortment and implementing new technology systems." Full Story Back to Top
6-8-06 Shirley Chastain Certified as Main Street Manager (KPVI-TV - Pocatello, ID) Shirley Chastain just became a certified Main Street Manager. It's a big nod of confidence from the National Main Street Trust. That's a program that helps communities of all sizes revitalize their historic commercial districts. Chastain says progress is being made in Downtown Idaho Falls, but there's always more that can be done, too...Graduates like Chastain must pass entrance exams, attend four intense educational sessions over a two-year period, and pass exams focusing on the Main Street four-point approach to downtown revitalization. Full Story Back to Top
6-4-06 Chastain & Associates Insurance Acquires Eldridge & Associates Insurance (Online Athens (subscription) - Athens, GA) Chastain & Associates Insurance acquired Eldridge & Associates Insurance last month and merged the two operations into the Chastain offices in downtown Athens, said Doc Eldridge, former owner of Eldridge & Associates. Eldridge will retain his A1 Insurance company, a specialty market automobile coverage agency. The staff of Eldridge & Associates, which formerly operated as Athens Insurers, has moved to Chastain's. Ronda Sailors, the Eldridge agency manager, Lanelle Reynolds and Angie Kendrick, both agents, have all been with the business for 20 years. Chastain's agency has operated under different business names in Athens since the early 1900s, Eldridge said. Full Story Back to Top
5-16-06 New VP Ernie Chastain Speaks Out on New Technology for Doctors (Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco, CA) Electronic medical charting has broken the "three-minute barrier," which has held up its adoption by busy physicians, says Ernie Chastain, who recently became vice-president of sales for ChartWare, the medical software company. "Doctors using the most efficient systems are producing an electronic record on average in two to four minutes, most of them under three," he adds...Being so busy has the perverse effect of reducing physicians' income below its potential by inducing them to code too low, Chastain points out. "Worried about audits, and with paper records that are written hurriedly or long after the visit, they lack the confidence to charge the proper level of service. "But with accurate documentation, there is never a problem with an audit...Chastain, who has spent 25 years in executive management positions in medical software, says he joined ChartWare after visiting 35 other companies and their users and became convinced it was on track to be one of the major players in the industry...Before joining ChartWare, Chastain was vice president of sales at VantageMed. He has also been president of the Enterprise division of InfoCure/VitalWorks and vice president of sales at Quality Systems Inc. David Tully-Smith MD, president of ChartWare, says Chastain, whose specialty has been to grow companies profitably, has had "an extraordinary record of performance over the long run in this challenging market." Full Story Back to Top
5-11-06 Senior Vice President Heather Chastain Says Plant Closure is Due to Demand (Lincoln Journal Star - Lincoln, NE) The closing of a home accessories plant in Grand Island will cost 114 people their jobs...“This business decision was a needed one based on market demand and not a reflection of the employees’ service or performance,” said Heather Chastain, Home Interiors senior vice president of operations and corporate development. Full Story Back to Top
5-11-06 Dr. Jean-Paul Castaigne Joins ConjuChem Scientific Advisory Board (Canada NewsWire (press release) - Canada) ConjuChem Inc. (TSX: CJC) today announced the appointment of Thomas R. Ulich, M.D. as Executive Vice President, Research and Development, effective May 23rd...ConjuChem also announced that Jean-Paul Castaigne, M.D., Chief Operating Officer has been selected to join the Company's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Castaigne will be ending his employment with the Company effective June 30th but will remain as a consultant in support of the Company's ongoing clinical development program and business development activities. Full Story Back to Top
5-08-06 Vanessa Castagna Announces Mervyns' Store Openings (Bizjournals.com - Charlotte, NC) Mervyns LLC said Monday it will open four new stores in October, marking the company's first store openings in three years. The new stores are part of Mervyns' strategy to invest significant resources in its core markets..."The announcement of these new locations represents a huge milestone for Mervyns, and reflects our focus on future growth and continued success," said Vanessa Castagna, Mervyns' executive chairwoman, in a statement. We are committed to growing in our West and Southwest core markets -- and having the right stores in the right locations, which will allow us to better serve our customers." Full Story Back to Top
5-07-06 Stan and Regina Chasteen Open Second Flooring Store (Online Athens (subscription) - Athens, GA) Carpets Unlimited franchise owners Stan and Regina Chasteen recently opened a second Mohawk Color Center Elite flooring store in the Athens area. The latest store operates in Suite G at 1100 Oconee Professional Center, behind the Zaxby's on Epps Bridge Parkway. The Chasteens also have a franchise that has operated in Bogart on Atlanta Highway for six years. The new store carries Mohawk's lines of carpet, wood and tile flooring. The phone number at the Epps Bridge Parkway Carpets Unlimited is (706) 549-9433. Full Story Back to Top
5-05-06 Director of Marketing Leif Chastaine Discusses InSync Software (Byteandswitch.com - New York, NY) "Currently, we're focused primarily on North America and we will be looking at expanding our operations to new markets," says Leif Chastaine, InSync's director of marketing. Chastaine won't disclose how many customers the startup has racked up since it was founded in 2003. He does mention that InSync's software is used to track manufacturing equipment when it is sent from a production site to a repair shop. Full Story Back to Top
4-20-06 Lesli Chastain Named Merchandising and Design Manager (Furniture World Magazine - USA) Lesli Chastain has been named merchandising and design manager for case goods and licensed collections for Magnussen Home. She will report to Nathan Cressman, Magnussen Home vice president of merchandising and international operations...Chastain is responsible for the direction of product design for the Magnussen Home collections for the dining room and bedroom as well as Biltmore Estate For Your Home collections. “Lesli’s extensive background in design with one of the industry’s leading design firms coupled with her manufacturing experience will go along way to adding to the velocity that we have created,” says Jeff Cook, Magnussen Home president and chief executive officer...Prior to joining Magnussen Home, Chastain was director of product design for Fine Furniture Design and Marketing, where she led product design and merchandising for case goods and fine accents. She also served as design manager at Palliser Furniture, where she helped create the company’s stylistic direction and managed the design department. Chastain began her career at Otto & Moore, a furniture design firm, where she won a Pinnacle Award for her work on Lane Furniture’s National Geographic Collection. Full Story Back to Top
3-31-06 Donald D. Chasteen Turns Historic Space into Apartments (Terre Haute Tribune Star - Terre Haute, IN) Space above a downtown Terre Haute pawn shop is being renovated into nine apartments, the owner of the building said this week. Work on the exterior facade of 622 Wabash Ave. started in June. The project also has included replacing about 24 feet of concrete and flooring from a front sidewalk into the building that currently houses Pawn It. After changing contractors, owner Donald D. Chasteen said that exterior work is expected to be completed within a week. “I wanted to utilize the space above and decided to turn that into nine apartments,” said Chasteen, who purchased the four-story building in 1995. Full Story Back to Top
3-24-06 Castania Is Important to Lebanon's Trade Growth (Daily Star - Lebanon - Beirut, Lebanon) The syndicate's strategy is encouraging agro-food exporters to establish a presence at international trade fairs like Gulf Food, ANUGA in Germany, and SIAL in Paris. Lebanon was represented by 17 companies at this years' ANUGA fair in October, including one of the country's biggest canned-food producers, Cortas, Castania Nuts, and olive oil distributor SRI International...Castania Roasting Company also took European tastes into consideration when they changed their packaging in order to increase their international distribution levels. However Castania representative Peter Daniel said production costs are hindering the export potential for the entire agro-food sector. "Costs have to be reduced so we can lower prices and export more," he said. Full Story Back to Top
3-23-06 Lady Sunshine to Record Live Album at Susan Chastain's Firefly Club (Ann Arbor News - Ann Arbor, MI) Lady Sunshine, Ann Arbor's award-winning blues belter, is recording a live CD Friday night at the Firefly Club, and she'd like her fans to come on down and lend their support...Susan Chastain, owner of the Firefly, said the timing of the recording session couldn't be better, coming during Women's History Month and the club's March lineup that pays tribute to the women of jazz. "(Sunshine) plays here once a month - she's a local treasure. I am sure she will be extra-special good for the recording,'' Chastain said. "We're honored this is where she wanted to do it.'' Full Story Back to Top
3-22-06 Chef Peter Chastain Waits for Just the Right Asparagus (Contra Costa Times - CA) It's Stockton asparagus that Peter Chastain waits for with anticipation tinged with nostalgia. Chastain is executive chef and co-owner of Prima in Walnut Creek. Asparagus that Chastain considers good enough to pay for may start arriving this week. "We'll reject them a lot at first," says Chastain. A couple of weeks ago Prima's chef de cuisine, Oscar Patlan, let his anticipation get the better of him. "He ordered a bunch of things," says Chastain; "English peas, asparagus, fava beans." They were horrible. "We told him he got prematurely aspringulated." The imperfect produce never made it through Prima's back door. Chastain loves that wild spring chanterelle mushrooms pop up at the same time as the season's first delicious asparagus. He calls it a great convergence, and takes advantage of it as a saute with pancetta. Full Story Back to Top
3-15-06 Seals and Sea Lions Welcome at Debra Chasteen's Restaurant (Curry Coastal Pilot - Brookings, OR) "Tourists love them," said Debra Chasteen, the co-owner of The Chart Room restaurant, which looks out over the Crescent City Harbor. The pinnipeds can be a real annoyance to fishermen and boaters, she said, but they delight diners. Sometimes, up to 250 seals and sea lions will congregate on the docks just outside the restaurant. Chasteen said she's expecting an influx of wildlife fans to be stopping by during the upcoming Aleutian Goose Festival. Past radio advertisements for the restaurant have even highlighted the seals and sea lions. Full Story Back to Top
3-12-06 Ron Chasteen's 1997 $95 Million Win Is Early Patent Infringement Victory Against Big Business (Denver Post - Denver, CO) Niro won one of Colorado's biggest patent-infringement cases in 1997. A Denver jury awarded inventor Ron Chasteen $57 million from snowmobile maker Polaris Industries and its engine supplier, Fuji Heavy Industries. Chasteen alleged they stole his idea for a fuel-injection system. An appeals court boosted the award to roughly $95 million. Chasteen said at the time he would use a portion of his money to set up a ranch for troubled children. The case illustrates how the perception of patent-infringement cases has transformed from "David vs. Goliath" to "patent troll" vs. "victimized corporation," Niro said. Full Story Back to Top
3-10-06 Anthropologist Christine Chastain Discusses 'Mean Car' Focus Group (Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Pittsburgh, PA) Car makers have long talked about the "face" of a car -- headlights for eyes, grille for a mouth and the bumper as jaws -- and auto designers say the difference between a hit and a flop may come down to a vehicle's visage. Car makers used to strive for an inviting face, but lately they're pushing an edgier look: Car faces that look meaner, angrier and, at times, even downright evil...One focus-group project, conducted on Cadillac's behalf, put groups of 10 through three-hour clinics that encouraged them to meditate on car design, says Christine Chastain, an who worked on the study. After an hour or so of discussion about brands, the researchers played meditative music and asked the participants to recline in their chair. "At that point people start to get surprisingly childlike," says Ms. Chastain. By the third hour researchers began eliciting memories from early childhood, and one participant said the company's luxury cars made him think of resting his head in his mother's lap. Another said a prototype's front end looked "like the bared teeth of an animal." Full Story Back to Top
3-10-06? Castagna of Milan Shows Ultimate Car for Yachtsmen (Classic Driver - St. Albans, Hertshire, UK) Castagna, the Milanese coachbuilders who brought us the 'Woody' MINIs, have been up to their stylish tricks again. In addition to the Imperial Landaulet Concept, this year they have produced the ultimate toy for the big boy's yachts at St Trop and Monaco - the 'Tender'...The exterior of this custom-built car, based on the Mini Cabrio, features new proportions and technical solutions. The car is streamlined, with a fixed-access compartment with anti-theft bars in place of the normal doors. Like in some luxury boats, the rear is lengthened by 70 cm to make a convenient 'working space'. A completely teak-clad ‘beach baby’ that can be “armed” to give you everything you need for your seafaring life. Full Story Back to Top
3-01-06 Castagna Reveals Nostalgic Automobile (Global Auto Index - Budapest, Hungary) Inspired by one of the most famous models invented by Castagna in the Thirties, the Imperial Landaulet is a modern revisitation of a vehicle that has set itself the ambitious target of creating an intelligent mix, the perfect balance between elegance and sportiness. Full Story Back to Top
2-24-06 Vice President of Operations Eric Chastain Hangs Up on Turkey Soda (Inc.com - New York, NY) Driving from Grand Rapids to Detroit, he was pondering ways his company could generate brand awareness during the cold-weather months, when soda sales slow down and most beverage companies scale back their marketing. The low-carb craze was in full effect, which got him thinking: Why not develop a line of low-carb drinks that "tasted" like Thanksgiving dinner? He immediately called Eric Chastain, Jones' vice president of operations. "Hey, Eric," he said. "I want to make a turkey soda." Chastain hung up, thinking it was a joke. Understandably, he harbored some doubts about selling a turkey-flavored drink...Revenue at Jones, which is publicly traded on the Nasdaq SmallCap exchange, jumped 18%, to $24.7 million, in the first nine months of 2005 compared with the same period a year earlier, outpacing the growth of the overall soda market. Sure, most of the revenue stems from traditional flavors, such as cream soda and root beer. But Van Stolk says Broccoli Casserole and Smoked Salmon Paté deserve at least some of the credit. Full Story Back to Top
2-21-06 Colette Chestnut Named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of MTV Networks (Yahoo! News (press release) - USA) Colette Chestnut has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of MTV Networks, it was announced today by Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO, MTV Networks. As the company's CFO, Chestnut will be based in New York and report directly to MTVN President and COO Michael Wolf. She will assume her responsibilities March 20...Chestnut joins MTVN from JWT, the largest advertising agency in the United States, where she served as the North American Chief Financial Officer since 2000. Earlier, she was The Americas CFO of TBWA Worldwide from 1995 to 2000, where she had overall financial responsibility for the company's North and South American operations. Colette joined Chiat/Day/Mojo in 1992 as controller and was integrally involved in the sale of Chiat/Day to Omnicom and merger into TBWA, an Omnicom network. Chestnut also has worked at The Lowe Group of Companies and was a senior manager at Price Waterhouse. She is a Certified Public Accountant and attended Bucknell University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration. Full Story Back to Top
2-20-06 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia: the First "Wall Street" (Moneycontrol.com - Mumbai, India) It may surprise many to learn that the first Wall Street was not in New York. Wall Street-both the physical location in downtown Manhattan and the world-famous metaphor for a nerve center of capitalism-seems permanently carved into the American psyche. But it wasn't always so, says Robert E. Wright, a professor of economics at New York University. As this serious book explains, the first "Wall Street" was a broad thoroughfare in Philadelphia with the unassuming name of Chestnut Street. From colonial days until 1836, Chestnut Street paved the way for the American financial system's transition to modernity. Full Story Back to Top
2-19-06 Rick Chatagnier Named Vice President at Hancock Bank (Biloxi Sun Herald - MS) Hancock Bank's board of directors announced new vice presidents among the company's South Mississippi financial services team:...Rick Chatagnier, a Biloxi native, has served as Hancock Bank's recoveries department supervisor for five years. He has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services field. The Biloxi High School graduate received a bachelor of science degree in history from the University of Northeast Louisiana. Full Story Back to Top
2-16-06 Chastang Landfill Provides Methane Gas to DuPont (Mobile Register - Mobile, AL) The DuPont Mobile Manufacturing Center has signed a contract to buy methane gas from the county's largest landfill to fuel its plant in north Mobile County...Basically all of our needs can be met from the landfill," Midgette said. "It's a little cheaper than natural gas." Required pipelines are not in place yet, but should be operational in three months, Midgette said. The city of Mobile owns the Chastang landfill and has a contract with Houston-based Waste Management Inc. to run it. Full Story Back to Top
2-16-06 Parthenon Realty Buys Chastain Center Office Park (GlobeSt. com - New York, NY) KENNESAW, GA-Making its third acquisition this year, locally based Parthenon Realty LLC has purchased the 20-year-old, 303,451-sf Chastain Center office park from Carter Real Estate Fund and USAA Real Estate Co. The office park in this Atlanta suburb is 90% leased...Chastain Center is at 60-500 Chastain Center Blvd., between Interstates 75 and 575 in Kennesaw's Town Center submarket, about 22 miles northwest of Downtown Atlanta. Full Story Back to Top
2-13-06 Rob Chesnut Says eBay Pleased to Work with New VeriSign VIP Security Program (NetworkWorld.com - Southborough, MA) Yahoo and eBay are among the early converts to a new VeriSign online identity protection program launched Monday...EBay is pleased to work with VeriSign on VIP because "online security is central to everything we do," Rob Chesnut, senior vice president of trust and safety at eBay and PayPal, said in a statement. VIP will make it simpler for online companies such as financial institutions or e-commerce sites to implement stronger authentication by using a shared infrastructure, VeriSign said in a press release. Full Story Back to Top
2-12-06 eBay's Rob Chesnut Discusses Internet Transaction Security (LTVNEWS.COM - Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada) "Transacting online can actually combat identity theft very effectively if people do a few simple things like monitoring their financial accounts and protecting their financial information," said Rob Chesnut, senior vice president of Trust and Safety for eBay and the PayPal online payment service. "Consumers should be encouraged by the security that the Internet can offer them," Chesnut says. "With simple precautions, anyone can shop with confidence from their desktop." Full Story Back to Top
1-31-06 Jane Chesnutt Named Head of New Media Division (MEDIAWEEK - USA) Hachette Fillipacchi Media will gather Woman's Day, For Me, Home and the Women's Day Special Interest Publications into one division, the Women's Service Group. The Women's Service Group will be headed by Jane Chesnutt, group editorial director and editor in chief of Woman's Day. Full Story Back to Top
1-30-06 Roy Chestnutt Named CEO of Grande Communications (Houston Chronicle - United States) The Board of Directors of Grande Communications(R) is proud to announce that Roy Chestnutt, a former senior vice president of Sprint-Nextel and returning Austin resident, will become Grande's new CEO effective Monday, Feb. 13, 2006. At Sprint-Nextel, Chestnutt was responsible for the General Business segment. Full Story Back to Top
1-25-06 NBC AAPS VP Scot Chastain Comments on Teletrax (Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco, CA) NBC Affiliate Advertising and Promotion Services (AAPS), part of The NBC Agency, the internal advertising agency for NBC Universal, will expand its use of Teletrax to include the top 150 U.S. television markets...Teletrax provides vital broadcast television intelligence to video content providers such as entertainment companies, news organizations, TV syndicators, and the advertising industry...We have been using Teletrax's video watermarking and monitoring service for the past year and are extremely pleased with the invaluable broadcast intelligence it has provided as we monitor the success of our campaigns," said Scot Chastain, vice president of NBC AAPS. "Our decision to partner with Teletrax as it continues to expand its market coverage will enable us to further determine the effectiveness of our advertising and promotional activities across the entire NBC broadcast network." Full Story Back to Top
1-23-06 eBay Senior Vice President Rob Chesnut Shares Steps to Prevent Piracy (PR Newswire (press release) - New York, NY) Rob Chesnut, Senior Vice President for eBay, said, "Millions of buyers and sellers use eBay because it is a well-lit, transparent marketplace where people can have confidence that items for sale are genuine and legal. Through our VeRO program, eBay is committed to working with the Coalition to keep software pirates from attempting to use eBay for illegal activity." Full Story Back to Top
1-23-06 Jerry Chesnut is Driver of the Month (Layover.com - Akron, PA) The Sitton Motor Lines is Jerry Chesnut, an owner operator from Sherman, Texas. He has been with Sitton since October of 1995. As Driver of the Month, Chesnut will receive an embroidered jacket, a savings bond, a framed certificate and a choice of other gifts. In addition, he will be in the running for the 2005 Driver of the Year Award. Full Story Back to Top
1-22-06 Lee Chesnut Takes Big Risks as Commercial Builder (Arizona Republic - Phoenix, AZ) Chesnut, 45, announced plans to develop two buildings on 5 acres in the Papago Park Center, a corporate center in Tempe owned by Salt River Project. One 65,000-square-foot building will be a corporate facility with potential to convert some space to a laboratory. The 35,000-square-foot building will be dedicated lab space. "I got inspired by what is happening in Arizona and the Valley," said Chesnut...The current Phoenix project could have a $65 million price tag to complete, and that figure could grow if his plans to build additional space work out. Currently, the project has no tenants, but Chesnut is not worried about that right now. "I've been down this road so many times before, that I firmly believe that before I break ground I'll have a tenant or tenants," he said. Full Story Back to Top
1-20-06 Veteran Announcer Paul Chestnutt Resigns Due to Son's Illness (PensacolaNewsJournal.com - FL) Paul Chestnutt, radio voice of the Ice Pilots, submitted his resignation Thursday. He hopes to remain the Ice Pilots' announcer for another two weeks, culminating a 10-year run with the club. A 21-year broadcasting veteran, Chestnutt has been the only radio announcer in team history and has called 752 Ice Pilots games going into tonight's game at Florida. He has missed only two games in Ice Pilots history, both for the birth of his son, Matthew, on Oct. 18, 2002. Matthew has cerebral palsy, and Chestnutt wants to spend more time with him...Chestnutt helped define Ice Pilots hockey during the team's glory years in the late 1990s. His trademark phrase "He shoots and scooooores!" became and remains a fixture in Pensacola hockey culture. Full Story Back to Top
1-16-05 Mervyns' Vanessa Castagna Comments on Plan to Leave the Northwest (Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco, CA) "Exiting the underperforming markets of Oregon and Washington will allow us to make investments that better serve our customers and Mervyns' future," said Vanessa Castagna, executive chairwoman of Mervyns' board of directors. "We are confident that these decisions are right for Mervyns' future growth and success, and are consistent with the strategy that we announced in September 2005." Mervyns officials said the strategy to focus on its high-growth core markets in the West and Southwest announced last year has already shown solid signs of success. "Customers are shopping with us. They love our merchandise and the value we offer. They are responding to the enhancements we've made to our stores and our increased marketing and promotional events. This response tells us that our strategy is right on track," added Castagna. Full Story Back to Top
1-11-06 Sam Chasteen Evaluates Rising Produce Prices (Anderson Independent Mail (subscription) - Anderson, SC) Restaurant owners polled Wednesday said the cost of a 25-pound box of tomatoes has jumped from between $10 and $12 to between $40 and $45. "They’re up about 350 percent," said Sam Chasteen, owner of Sam’s Curb Market. Areas in Florida where tomatoes and other produce are grown and shipped to the Upstate have been hard hit by recent hurricanes and storms, Mr. Chasteen said. "The storms set them back on planting crops, and what was in ground was destroyed," he said. "The produce that should have been coming now is running weeks behind. So we are having to fill in with tomatoes and produce from other places." Mr. Chasteen said he was forced to buy tomatoes from Mexico this week. Prices of green peppers and cucumbers also have skyrocketed, he said. Full Story Back to Top
1-11-06 Senior VP Doug Chesnut Talks about New Development Plans for Irving (Dallas Morning News (subscription) - TX) Gables Residential, the busiest apartment builder in central Dallas, is going to take a little bit of Uptown to Irving. Gables has purchased about 13 acres in the center of Las Colinas, where it plans to build a high-density mixed-use project. The lakeside development will include hundreds of apartments, a shopping center and a future condo tower and hotel..."It's across from Williams Square and on the water," Gables senior vice president Doug Chesnut said Monday. "It's a great piece of real estate."...It will take almost a year to plan and engineer. "We will do it in multiple phases," Mr. Chesnut said. "We can make this the heart of the Urban Center." Early concepts call for almost 800 apartments with more than 200,000 square feet of retail space on the lower floors. Full Story Back to Top
1-03-06 Eugene Castagna Named CFO for Bed Bath & Beyond (PR Newswire (press release) - New York, NY) Eugene A. Castagna has been named Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, succeeding Ronald Curwin, who has been named to the newly-established position of Senior Vice President of Investor Relations. Gene joined the Company in November 1994, and was most recently appointed Vice President - Finance and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer in June, 2000. He has also been Assistant Treasurer since February 2000. Full Story Back to Top
12-23-05 Doug Chesnut Describes Office Building-to-Apartment Building Renovation (Dallas Morning News (subscription) - TX) "We have never done a project on this scale before, but we've talked to people who have," said Gables senior vice president Doug Chesnut. "If you look at the cost of the renovation vs. if we started with a piece of land, I'm not sure we couldn't have built a building cheaper. "But it wouldn't have had the history," Mr. Chesnut said...Each floor will have nine apartments averaging 1,175 square feet, costing an average of more than $1,500 a month. To create more living space, some of the 17 elevator shafts will be sealed over. A new lobby and entrance are being constructed on Ervay Street. The building will also have a fitness center and rooftop garden and pool. "We'll have four penthouses averaging 2,500 square feet," Mr. Chesnut said. Full Story Back to Top
12-23-05 Saralyn Chesnut Discusses Historic Lesbian-feminist Bookstore, Charis (Southern Voice - Atlanta, GA) In the ‘70s and early ‘80s, Charis was the anchor of a thriving lesbian-feminist community, much of it centered in the Little Five Points neighborhood where the store is located, according to Saralyn Chesnut, an adjunct assistant professor of American Studies and Women’s Studies at Emory University. Chesnut has published an oral history of the store and the community that surrounded it. “Stores like Charis made lesbian-feminist cultural products, and thus lesbian-feminist ideas, easily available,” said Chesnut, also director of Emory’s Office of LGBT Life. “The movement literally could not have happened without the feminist bookstores that began to spring up during the early 1970s.” Full Story Back to Top
12-20-05 Gregg Castano Named Executive Vice President Global Sales (Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco, CA) Gregg Castano has been named executive vice president global sales, it was announced by Cathy Baron Tamraz, Business Wire's president/CEO. "This promotion is a reflection of the outstanding job Gregg has done managing an international sales force of almost one hundred people," said Tamraz. "He has played the lead role in opening Business Wire offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Tokyo and extending the Business Wire brand internationally."...Castano is responsible for the company's worldwide sales, both strategically and fundamentally. He is a member of the company's board of directors. Castano, who lives in Wilton, joined the company in 1985 as a newsroom coordinator. He later moved into the sales area as an account executive and held several management positions leading up to his appointment as Senior Vice President, Global Sales in 2001. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Fordham University, Bronx, New York. Full Story Back to Top
12-16-05 Gregg Castano Promoted to Executive Vice President (Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco, CA) Senior vice presidents Gregg Castano (Global Sales), Phyllis Dantuono (National Bureaus), and Michael Lissauer (Marketing and Business Strategy) have been promoted to executive vice presidents. All three serve on Business Wire's Board of Directors...Castano is responsible for Business Wire's worldwide sales, both strategically and fundamentally. A twenty-year veteran, Castano joined Business Wire upon graduation from New York's Fordham University...Business Wire electronically disseminates some 1,000 full-text news releases daily to the media, the Internet, online services and databases, and the global investment community in 150 countries in 45 languages. Business Wire has 24 U.S. offices, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Brussels, Tokyo and Sydney offices, and reciprocal offices throughout the world. Full Story Back to Top
12-16-05 Lisa Shasteen Explains Mystery Snowmen on Tampa High-Rise (St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg, FL) "He's scaring birds away, that's all he's doing," said Lisa Shasteen, an attorney for Floridan owner and developer Antonios Markopoulos...Shasteen said vultures had flocked to the building for years and covered the interior with heaps of droppings. They're drawn to downtown Tampa in the winter to perch on its tall buildings and ride its strong thermal waves of hot air. So far, she said, the scare-snows have earned their keep. Although a few birds still perch along the building's ledges, just above the snowman's head, most have decided to ride the thermals in another part of downtown. Lucky SunTrust building. Either way, when the building restoration finally begins, the birds won't be part of the plan. "Hopefully, they'll be history," Shasteen said. Full Story Back to Top
12-12-05 Jimmy Chastain Elected President of Local Communications Workers of America Union (Charlotte Observer - Charlotte, NC) The union local that represents roughly 700 US Airways ticket agents in Charlotte and other Southeast cities has chosen a new leader. Jimmy Chastain was elected to a three-year term last week as president of the Charlotte chapter of the Communications Workers of America. Full Story Back to Top
12-10-05 Manure Spreaders May Attend Class at Castana to Maintain Certification (Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil - Council Bluffs, IA) Confinement site manure applicators should plan to attend a two-hour continuing education workshop offered by Iowa State University Extension in January or February 2006 to maintain applicator certification requirements...During the workshop, applicators will learn about manure application rules, new record keeping requirements, manure sampling for nutrient analysis and the best management practices to address manure and air quality issues...If a confinement livestock operation has more than 500 animal units, the operator must be certified to apply manure unless the manure is applied by a commercial manure applicator...area workshops include Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Parish Hall in Portsmouth, Feb. 1 at 1:30 p.m. at the Page County Extension Office in Clarinda and Feb. 24 at 1:30 p.m. at the Iowa Research Farm in Castana. Full Story Back to Top
12-01-05 Linda and Rob Castagna Own Chestnut Hill Bed and Breakfast (MSNBC - USA) Time to rest. This time we landed at Chestnut Hill, a lovely bed and breakfast, owned by Linda and Rob Castagna, on the Delaware River in the tiny town of Milford. Plush private accommodations included private baths and Jacuzzis; heated floors and towel racks televisions; and a to-die-for four-poster bed with cotton quilts and soft sheets. Admittedly, it was one of the best night's sleep we've ever had. The next morning we awoke to a scrumptious breakfast of stuffed French toast and then headed to Bucks County, Pennsylvania for the vineyards. Full Story Back to Top
11-30-05 Downtown Development Corporation Executive Director Shirley Chastaine Says Downtown is Successful (KIFI - Idaho Falls, ID) “I think they're filling a niche that we needed, that people want to see, and that's part of the whole purpose is trying to find out what the public and the community want,” said Shirley Chastaine, executive director of Downtown Development Corporation. Unfortunately, not all businesses downtown have done well this year. A gift shop called Gifts of Joy used to be in this space. It was forced to close earlier this year. “We're always sorry to see a business leave. You try to do what you can to draw people to downtown, but once they get downtown what doors they choose to go into is the consumers’ choice,” Chastaine said. Full Story Back to Top
11-23-05 World’s Major Investors Visit Robert Castaigne and Other Total Executives (The Tide - Port Harcourt, Niger Delta, Nigeria) Top flight Financial Analysts, representing the world’s major investors recently visited the Total Group in Nigeria. The team came from various countries including, the United States, Britain, France, Belgium and Switzerland. Total is the fourth largest Oil and Gas Company in the world with operations in more than 100 countries...The team also visited President Olusegun Obasanjo in the company of Total’s Chief Financial Officer, Robert Castaigne, President, Exploration and Production, Christophe de Margerie; Senior Vice President, Exploration and Production in Africa, Jean Privey; Managing Director of EPNL, Jacques Marraud des Grottes and other top company executives. Full Story Back to Top
11-17-05 Paolo Castaño Describes New Wonder Hair Care Product (Manila Times - Manila, Philippines) BaByliss, a renowned French brand, has just unveiled a line of hairstyling appliances that makes looking fabulous as easy flipping your hair—for girls at least. Founded in Paris in 1960, BaByliss produces hair appliances that aims to make hairstyling easy at home and at the user’s own pace, said Paolo Castaño, president of Brands Worldwide Inc., the exclusive local distributor of BaByliss products. Full Story Back to Top
11-14-05 Big Brothers Officer Melanie Chasteen Appreciates Tickets to Ball Games (BaylorBears.com - Waco, TX) "Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas appreciates the generosity and support of Reliant Energy," said Melanie Chasteen, director of marketing for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas. "The `Bigs' and `Littles' paired in our program enjoy Baylor athletics and these tickets will allow them the opportunity to spend a fun day together rooting on their hometown teams!" Full Story Back to Top
11-11-05 Francois J. Castaing Welcomes New President and CEO of New Detroit Science Center (Yahoo! News (press release) - USA) The Board of Trustees of The New Detroit Science Center today announced the appointment of Kevin F. Prihod as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Dec. 26, 2005...Reporting to Chairman Francois J. Castaing and the Board of Trustees, Mr. Prihod will be responsible for the continuing growth and sustainability of the Science Center..."We are fortunate that Kevin Prihod is ready and able to take the lead at the Science Center and to do so with a deep passion for science, engineering and technology," said Chairman Francois J. Castaing...Commenting on Shawn Kahle's departure at year-end, Chairman Castaing said, "We are grateful for Shawn's many contributions, hard work and leadership of The New Detroit Science Center. We respect her professional ambitions, and wish Shawn and Bob Kahle the best in their new endeavors." Full Story Back to Top
11-03-05 Willamette Week Charged with Conflict of Interest in Castagna Restaurant Review (Seattlest - Seattle) It seems that a restaurant reviewer at WW freaked out about the lack of salt at an area eatery in a recent issue. As the owners of that establishment point out in their letter, that reviewer also imports food items for restaurants in the area. Some of his biggest sellers? Olive oil and, of course, salt. The owners at Castagna have apparently been resisting Jim Dixon's salt cartel and they're under the impression that they're now experiencing some fallout from that. It's hard to ignore the opportunity for impropriety. A restaurant's potential salt vendor reviewed them in a local paper and came to the conclusion that their food was lacking in salt. Full Story Back to Top
11-03-05 Edward Castagna Explains Reasons for Increased Commercial Repossessions (PR Newswire (press release) - New York, NY) Nassau's latest NQI shows repossessions and liquidations during third quarter (Q3) 2005 compared with Q3 2004 increased in four of five categories: trucks/trailers (+188%); construction equipment (+126%); printing presses (+49%); and machine tools (+22%). Repossessions and liquidations of medical devices decreased for the first time in 2005 (-24%). Edward Castagna, Nassau's president, says several factors appear to be influencing the upswing in some repossessions and liquidations. "The obvious answer is that adverse economic conditions are driving up some repossessions. This is true, but not the whole story," Castagna explains. Full Story Back to Top
10-24-05 CSMG Funds Chastang Landfill Gas CO2 Separator Project (PrimeZone (press release) - Los Angeles, CA) CSMG Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:CTUM) announced today that the company has signed a conditional term sheet for $1.75 million with Algonquin Power Income Fund for the landfill gas CO2 separator project in Chastang, (Mobile) Ala. Funds will be used for the plant's startup, operations and to construct a pipeline to deliver processed gas to an industrial customer...There are approximately 18,000 landfills in the U.S. and Canada. The company believes its technology could fit production criteria of up to 15 percent to 20 percent of these landfills. CSMG Technologies, Inc. owns the patented technology for high quality landfill gas production. Full Story Back to Top
10-11-05 Christophe Castaing Describes Actebis E-Shop (Eworldwire (press release) - Succasunna, NJ) With the implementation of the new e-Shop, we provide our resellers a personalized on-line shop [for their customers] taking full advantage of all the rich features available in e-Distribution" says Christophe Castaing, Sales Director for Actebis. "The full integration in our e-Distribution makes this tool simple, fast to set-up, efficient and cost less."...Castaing goes on to say "According to our VARs, e-Shop is the right answer they were waiting for in their very competitive business. It's another example of Actebis supporting our customers [the resellers] to increase their business in a very aggressive and changing environment." Full Story Back to Top
10-8-05 Susan Chastain Invites Young Teens to Hear Jazz Great Buster Williams (Ann Arbor News - Ann Arbor, MI) The Grammy-winning Williams has been making music for more than 50 years. For this appearance, Firefly owner Susan Chastain is inviting not only adults, but also teenagers to the show. "He's one of the most revered bass players alive, one of the remaining jazz masters,'' said Firefly owner Susan Chastain. "These guys aren't going to be around forever - I want to get some of the young people in to see him.'' To that end, Chastain said jazz fans of middle-school age and up are welcome if accompanied by a parent, with the first of two shows at set for 8 p.m. to make it more accessible. Full Story Back to Top
10-8-05 Crabber Turns to Chastang Landfill When Katrina Shut Down Shell Plant (Mobile Register - Mobile, AL) Most crab processing companies in the area took their discarded shells to a local fertilizer plant. But the plant was damaged in the storm, leaving them no local place to dump it...Not all crab processors have been idle since the storm, however. Terry Drawdy, owner of Drawdy Crab Co., said he cleaned his place out and has been processing local catches as well as some from the Carolinas. He trucked the waste to the Chastang landfill near Mount Vernon until the Dumpsters were set up. Full Story Back to Top
10-06-05 Eston Chastain Knows Georgia Highway 400 Expansion Will Eat His Store (Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription) - GA) Eston Chastain sees it coming. He's philosophical; when Ga. 400 cut eight acres out of his father's fallow farmland just north of Cumming, it gave them the money to move into a trailer and turn their aging house into a little flea market, the Remember When Country Store. That was 1979, and business was good for a while. But then the traffic got too fast and thick for customers to slow down. Not that that stops the tax man from saying Ga. 400 makes his land worth more, he said. Now Chastain, 71, stands in the doorway to his century-old, hand-built wood store, gaunt and whiskered in overalls and a thin button-down shirt, watching the traffic whiz by. "There'd be days when there wasn't but four or five cars," he said. He knows the widening now is supposed to stop far south of him. But he knows that won't be the end of it. "I've heard people tell me they'll get my house," he said. "They probably will one of these days." Full Story Back to Top
10-03-05 Tom Chasteen Says Hurricanes Boosted Sales for Hardware Stores (The Ledger - Lakeland, FL) Because many people are still rebuilding or fortifying their homes for the next hurricane, business continues at a brisk pace for hardware and home improvement stores. "Many hardware stores have seen a 50 percent increase in business to as much as a 150 percent increase in business," said Tom Chasteen, who owns an Ace Hardware franchise in Tavernier and serves as director of the annual Hardware Conference trade show in Marco Island. Full Story Back to Top
10-1-05 Giovanni De Filippis Replaces Paolo Castagna as Head of Fiat India (Webindia123 - India) Fiat India Pvt Ltd has appointed Mr Giovanni De Filippis as Managing Director with effect from today. Mr De Filippis takes over form Dr Paolo Castagna, who has been shifted back to the Fiat SpA's headquarters in Turin after a three-month stint in India. Full Story Back to Top
9-29-05 Paolo Castagna Annoyed at Being Out of the Loop (Economic Times - India) Mr Castagna was upset over the fact that the Indian subsidiary was not part of the discussion between Fiat and Tata Motors. Recently, India’s largest truck maker, Tata Motors and Fiat SpA announced a global alliance to analyse the feasibility of co-operation, across markets, in the area of passenger cars. Full Story Back to Top
9-29-05 Paolo Castagna Resigns as Head of Fiat India (Times of India - India) Fiat India's recently appointed managing director, Paolo Castagna, is headed back home after facilitating the global alliance between Fiat SpA and Tata Motors...Castagna stepped down from the post and will be replaced by Giovanni De Filippis beginning October 1...He, however, continues to remain the MD of Fiat India Automobiles, the holding company of the Fiat India. Full Story Back to Top
9-28-05 Todd Chasteen Loves Cooking at Work and at School (Bangor Daily News - Bangor, ME) You have to really love it the way Todd Chasteen does. Chasteen also cooks at Dirigo Pines Retirement Community in Orono. He is only 23, but his stovetop facility with a pan of hot sweet cream is every bit as graceful as that of a seasoned chef. "I learn the practical way to cook at work," said Chasteen. "I learn the real way here." When he finished the cream filling for the Paris-Brest, he returned to the bakery room to make leaf-shaped dessert garnishes from tuile paste, an easily molded dough mixture. Chef Flewelling introduced Chasteen to isomalt, a sugar derivative the two used to make glistening, red, squiggly decorations for the pastry. Full Story Back to Top
9-27-05 Dr. Curt Chastain Proposes a Plan to Keep Doctors Forced From New Orleans (Greater Baton Rouge Business Report - Baton Rouge, LA) Hospitals say retaining at least some of the doctors forced out of the New Orleans area by Katrina would be a good thing for their organizations--especially when it comes to medical specialists not currently in Baton Rouge. From a business perspective, being able to offer a broader range of services gives a hospital more of a competitive edge. "It's a great thing for the institution and the kids in the city anytime you can bring expertise to the institution," he says. "Our goal really is for no child to have to drive to New Orleans." Full Story Back to Top
9-14-05 Niesa Chastain Relocates Business--Building and All (Newport News Times - Newport, OR) After eight years of doing business at the corner of Northwest A Street near the Toledo Post Office, proprietor Niesa Chastain has moved the Toledo Coffee Depot drive-through café to its new location on Business Loop 20 - literally. On the afternoon of Aug. 8, professional house movers readied the business for relocation and hoisted the structure onto a specialized trailer; in the early hours of Aug. 9, they rolled the building to its new home and lowered it into position atop its waiting foundation across the street from Toledo Ace Hardware...Eventually, organizers with the city and the Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society hope to construct a railway museum at the site with a working roundhouse for the trains that serve the nearby Georgia-Pacific mill..."We moved because the city has other plans down the road for that spot, and I was offered the spot along Highway 20 - which is better," she said. "It took months to put it together, but it all worked out." Full Story Back to Top
9-13-05 Tom Chasteen's Annual Hardware Conference Continues to Grow (Yahoo! News (press release) - USA) Event organizer Tom Chasteen, who owns Tavernier, Fla-based Tavernier Ace Hardware, said attending retailers represented Ace Hardware, Do it Best, Orgill and True Value. The annual conference continues to widen its appeal and attract retailers from across the country. Full Story Back to Top
9-13-05 Castine Restaurant Donates $9300 Money Ceiling to Katrina Victims (Bangor Daily News - Bangor, ME) Over the years, the Brouillards have used an ingenious trick involving a 50-cent piece and a thumb tack to attach dollar bills donated by customers to the ceiling of their restaurant on the Castine waterfront. After Sept. 11, 2001, they took about 15 years' worth of dollar bills down from the ceiling and donated the cash to the family of an elevator operator who died when the World Trade Center towers collapsed..."This time, there are so many people who have been affected by the hurricane," she said. "We wanted to help people who were already helping some of those people."...As word spread through Castine that the bills would be coming down, residents and restaurant patrons began donating additional money for the effort. Volunteers took about $9,300 off the ceiling on Monday, and people donated an additional $1,500 for a total of more than $10,800 that will be sent. Full Story Back to Top
9-12-05 No Damage from Katrina to Chastang, Alabama CO2 Separator (ArriveNet (press release) - Castle Rock, CO) CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Sept. 12, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- CSMG Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB:CTUM) announced today that there was no damage to its Chastang, Ala., (near Mobile) CO2 separator for landfill gas from Hurricane Katrina. Full Story Back to Top
9-8-05 SBA's Carol Chastang Says 25% of Small Businesses Do Not Survive Disasters (Boston Globe - United States) The fact that RIBCO survived at all is remarkable, said Carol Chastang, spokeswoman for the Small Business Administration. A quarter of businesses affected by disasters -- whether the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks or Hurricane Katrina -- do not, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety, a non-profit associated with the insurance industry. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable during disasters because they do not have the resources to carry them through tough times, Chastang said. Loans can help companies that need to cover costs while waiting for things to pick up, but they generally don't save businesses that aren't firmly established, she said.