Nehemiah Corporation of America
Nehemiah Corporation of America is a non-profit organization based in Sacramento, California specializing in homeownership, affordable housing and community development. It started in 1994 as a small organization, but grew to prominence later in the 1990s after it developed a program that allowed home buyers to make down payments on their purchases using funds that were derived from the home sellers. This program, the Nehemiah Program, became popular and was widely emulated, giving birth to what came to be known as the seller-funded down-payment assistance industry. The industry attracted criticism from U.S. federal agencies (particularly the Government Accountability Office and the Internal Revenue Service) and was ultimately shut down in 2008 by a change in federal law.
Northeastern Midget Association
On March 8, 1953 a meeting was held at the Thompson Speedway Clubhouse for the purpose of forming a new midget racing organization. The founders were dedicated racing men determined to salvage the remains of what had been the most successful spectator sport in the United States. The first officially sanctioned NEMA race took place at the famed Seekonk Speedway May 30, 1953. It was a two billed show in conjunction with the American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) of New York, with each organization running its own program. The cars and drivers came from the ranks of several other racing organizations which had fallen on hard times and the pits of the infant organization were filled to capacity with no less than forty six cars signed-in. Fred Meeker captured the first NEMA victory driving the Kerhan #17 V-8. The years of 1953 and 1954 saw the fortunes of midget racing at their lowest ebb. Total purses of less than what is paid to the winner of a race feature today were common place. The group credited with keeping NEMA afloat during this timewere; Milt Dentch, the first club president, car owners Ray and Wen Kelley, and John McCarthy; drivers Al Pillion and Ray Roberts; racing officials Lenny Poe and many others. NEMA gradually outgrew its humble beginnings and emerged as a solid professional division. The early rules of NEMA restricted the use of costly specialized racing engines, specifically the twin overhead camshaft Offenhauser. These engines were so powerful and expensive that owners with modified stock engines had little chance at the top prize money. By 1957 the stock block powered machines had developed to such an extent that this restriction was removed and from this time until 1968, NEMA crowned an Offy non-Offy champion, with one being the overall champion. Along with this improved competition with this rule change came a renewal of interest in midget racing among competitors as well as the fans, who came out in large numbers to see the Ford Falcon and Chevy II engines take their share of wins over the mighty “Offy”.