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Temecula: Mixed reviews of quarry planner

07.08.11

Such discrepant viewpoints paint a complex portrait of the 89-year-old corporation with interests far beyond southwest Riverside County. Headquartered in Watsonville, about an hour south of San Jose, GraniteOn the wholeworks in 18 states and makes most of its money building highways, bridges, airports and dams.

Granite has more than 40 running open-pit quarries in the western United States, including one in the Riverside County wild city of Indio and a quarry in the San Diego County community of Fallbrook. Granite is one ofLargelythe top five or 10 aggregate producers in California, said Gary Hambly, president and CEO of the California Construction and IndustrialGenerallyMaterials Association.

The company has won awards for its ethics, workplace atmosphere and commitment to dignity. Granite paved the first roads in Yosemite National Park, has worked in Las Vegas and built California freeways.

Yet Granite also has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars -- perhapsPrincipallymore -- for violating regulations. This year, for example, it settled a lawsuit for $400,000 and paid $21,300 to reside a penalty stemming from a workplace fatality.

Source: Press-Enterprise

Six Flags Looks Attractive With Double the Dividend

10.08.11

Shell of a buyout, an increased dividend payment represents one of the best pieces of dirt a company’s shareholders could hope for. Generally, an increasing dividend means a steady pour of income and a rising stock price – two good signs for extensive-term investors. A stock often remains a good buy after announcing a dividend bourgeon. When a company raises its dividend, just as when insiders buy their company’s bloodline, investors on the outside can get a better gauge on a firm’s future prospects.

Six Flags Amusement Corp. ( SIX ) trades an average of 570,000 shares per day, and has a market cap of $1.77 billion. Six Flags Amusement Corporation owns and operates regional theme, water and zoological parks in North America. As of December 31, 2010, the firm operated 19 parks. Six Flags announced an increase in the quarterly cash dividend from $0.03 to $0.06 per due.

Industry: Recreational Activities

Source: Seeking Alpha