RLX down 23 percent in the last 12 months

"The implementation of these plans is already in progress," continues Lavin. "InMarch 2008, the MRRA announced that NASB has its first tenant, Embry RiddleAeronautical University, who plans to establish a permanent campus location inBrunswick once the base closes." According to the press release on MRRAs website, Bowdoin College and Southern Maine Community College are also committingto relocating or expanding to the base once its closed. Gregory FCAJoseph CrivelliSenior Vice Copyright Business Wire 2009. What: National Retail Federation to host annual expo Stocks When: Jan 11 to Jan.

14 Talks seen focusing on how to survive recession By Martinne Geller NEW YORK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Several months ago the NationalRetail Federation (NRF) chose "Inspiration" as a theme for its2009 annual convention, to be held next week in New York Butnow it seems "Survival" might have been a better choice As U.S. consumers grapple with a year-long slump, risingunemployment and falling home values, the retail industry isstruggling to attract shoppers and preserve profits. Major retailers, from Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) to Macy'sInc (M.N), have cut their profit forecasts, trimmed staff orshuttered stores. 1, 2 and 3issue" at the convention, Tracy Mullin, the trade group's chiefexecutive, said in an interview. "That's all anybody's going tobe talking about, I guarantee you." The retail industry's biggest trade show normally attractsseveral thousand retailers as well as vendors that sell themservices like computing, staffing, consulting and security. "We think we may be down slightly, but not by much," Mullinsaid of attendance, noting a desire of retailers tocommiserate. "They like to share experiences and find out ifthere are actually people doing worse than they are." The NRF will release its final 2008 sales figures andsummary of the holiday season on Wednesday, but it will notissue a forecast for the current year at the show, as itusually does.

A spokesman said the convention falls a week earlier thisyear, and with the U.S. government issuing its December salesdata on the last day of the show, there is not enough time. "In this economy, we feel it is essential to have a betterunderstanding of holiday performance before finalizing our 2009economic forecast," an NRF spokeswoman said in an email, addingthat the forecast will come out later this month. The International Council of Shopping Centers, anothertrade group, said the 2008 holiday season showed the firstdecline in sales since it began tracking data in 1970. The NRFhad forecast a rise of 2.2 percent in holiday sales inNovember. LIFE SUPPORT Howard Davidowitz, chairman of retail consultancy HowardDavidowitz & Assoc., said chain stores are now in survivalmode "You've got all these retailers on the cusp ofbankruptcy You've got hundreds of thousands of stores thatcould close You've got shopping centers in collapse. You'vegot suppliers going out of business," Davidowitz said."Retailing is on life support." Analysts fear things will worsen before they improve, andinvestors have questioned whether the sector has hit bottom,with shares tracked by the Standard & Poor's Retail Index.RLX down 23 percent in the last 12 months.

"We continue to anticipate worsening trends in January nowthat gift-giving is over and maintain our cautious view on thegroup," said UBS retail analyst Roxanne Meyer in a researchnote on Friday. Consumers have also grown accustomed to the steep discountsoffered during the just-completed holiday season and may balkat paying full price in the future, which could force retailersto have to mark down even new merchandise. "We are seeing a lot of deflationary pressure in theeconomy right now, and that means consumers are going to expectdeclining prices," said Ira Kalish, director of globaleconomics at Deloitte Research and a presenter at the NRFconvention. NRF event highlights include a speech by Wal-Mart ChiefExecutive Lee Scott, in what may be his final public appearancebefore his planned retirement next month Other speakersinclude senior-level executives from J.C. (Reporting by Martinne Geller, editing by Gerald E.McCormick) Stocks. NEW YORK, NY, Jan 09 (MARKET WIRE) American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) todaylaunched the BGU-Negev Emergency Fund to address the growing crisis atthe University and surrounding Beer-Sheva community due to the escalatingGaza conflict."For the first time in 60 years, Beer-Sheva is in range of rockets firedfrom Gaza and has already been hit multiple times," explains Carol Saal,AABGU president. "Classes at Ben-Gurion University have been canceledindefinitely, while schools, day care programs, clubs, and activities ofall kinds are closed.