Our Nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones at Virginia Tech. We hold the victims in our hearts. We lift them up in our prayers, and we ask a loving God to comfort those who are suffering.

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on Monday, April 16, 2007, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, Sunday, April 22, 2007. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Our membership luncheon is tomorrow, April 18. It's a joint meeting for IFMA, IREM and BOMA members and the featured speaker is local businessman Red McCombs. Reservations are required, and cost is $25 per person (payable to IFMA).

We are very pleased to recognize our two local TOBY- winning buildings:

Westgate Medical Center managed by Sharon Pickett of Cambridge Healthcare Management

and

Nowlin Building managed by Adrienne Cox of CB Richard Ellis.

Each entry recently participated in the Southwest Regional competition; Westgate Medical won in its category and will advance to international judging. New York City, here we come!

We only have about 30 salary survey responses from Regular Members. If there isn't adequate data for each square footage category, we won't have a sufficient statistical sample from which to compile averages. I'm pretty sure many of you find the tabulated results very handy around review time, and helpful in justifying increases for your staff as well, but I guess we need to ask: has our local salary survey outlived its usefulness? If not, please take a moment to send in your numbers. We want all Regular Members to participate in the survey, regardless of what your job title is. If you need another copy of the survey just let me know. All individual data is submitted anonymously so I don't know whose we have and whose we don't. However, if you have already replied, do not send it again because we don't want duplicate data in the mix. Thank you!