| Auctions offer lounge lizards with a difference
THE dinosaur skull was advertised as "perfect for a New York City apartment", though with a starting bid of $US100,000 ($A124,000), it was clear that the apartment in question was not a small studio. What the I.M. Chait Gallery billed as its "natural history" auction held on Sunday at its showroom on Fifth Avenue at 29th Street, as well as by telephone and on eBay was a child's dream, a wealthy person's playground and a curator's nightmare. The showroom resembled miniature versions of the rooms at the American Museum of Natural History. Fossils were displayed all around and meteorites lined the shelves. Nearly all 345 items were available to touch. They included an Egyptian mummy's hand; lion, hyena and warthog skulls; a gold nugget; and (behind glass, but touchable on request) crystals, minerals and a meteorite from Mars.
TOPIC OF THE DAY Bidding process
The Spring Lake Heights Borough Council awarded a sole bidder a $750,000 contract to replace residential water meters. The sole bid was just $35 less than the appropriation. The bid specifications stated, "The Borough has selected Sensus Metering Systems for this Project. The successful contractor will replace all existing water meters with Sensus meters." No one in borough hall could provide one document showing the name Sensus Metering Systems, let alone explain how it was "selected." In-Line Services was the only Sensus distributor and installer that bid. New Jersey's public contract law strongly discourages the use of manufacturer names in bid specifications because it prevents free, open and competitive bidding. Every borough taxpayer should ask, "Why would they do this?" Surely, the answer is not "for the love of Spring Lake Heights." Would any of those who voted for this contract stop at one bid if it were their personal $750,000 and their own residential project? The bid specifications deny Spring Lake Heights taxpayers a competitive process.
PALO ALTO: DREAM PLAYHOUSES TO BE DISPLAYED FOR AUCTION BENEFIT
Architects, designers and builders are letting their inner children run wild as they work to design original life-sized children's playhouses and garden structures to be auctioned off at Stanford Shopping Center's biennial Dreams Happen Playhouse Gala and Auction. Beginning May 5, the finished products will be displayed at Stanford Shopping Center and will be auctioned off June 2 to benefit Rebuilding Together Peninsula. "Dreams Happen is an important event for us and we're inspired by the incredible participation year after year of Stanford Shopping Center and our volunteers,'' Seana O'Shaughnessy, executive director at Rebuilding Together Peninsula, said. "The proceeds raised fund our efforts for up to two years and allow us to significantly impact the lives of low-income families on the Peninsula.'' The design teams have named their structures with tantalizing names like Waggy the Dog, Go'pher Gold Mine and Tahoe Trading Post, according to a statement from Rebuilding Together Peninsula.
Bidders fail to tune in to Chrysalis auction
Chrysalis' efforts to auction its radio assets have started slowly after yesterday's deadline for first round bids passed with a muted response. Analysts say that if the sale process continues to struggle it could raise doubts over the efforts of rival SMG to attempt a £100m summer flotation of Virgin Radio. SMG's announcement earlier this month was seen as an attempt to flush out buyers for Virgin Radio with former owner Sir Richard Branson seen as a possible favourite. .
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