Notices. Notice

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BILLING CODE 6725-01-U FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Change in Bank Control Notices; Acquisition of Shares of Bank or Bank Holding Companies The notificants listed below have applied under the Change in Bank Control Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)) and § 225.41 of the Board’s Regulation Y (12 CFR 225.41) to acquire a bank or bank holding company. The factors that are considered in acting on the notices are set forth in paragraph 7 of the Act (12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(7)). The notices are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated.

The notices also will be available for inspection at the office of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing to the Reserve Bank indicated for that notice or to the offices of the Board of Governors. Comments must be received not later than January 30, 2007. **A. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City** (Donna J. Ward, Assistant Vice President) 925 Grand Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64198-0001: *1. Nancy A. Strohmeyer, Lakewood, Colorado;* to retain voting shares of FirstBank Holding Company, and thereby indirectly retain voting shares of FirstBank of Colorado, both in Lakewood, Colorado. *2.

Monty W. Rhine, Wamgeo, Kansas;* to retain control of Republic Bancorp, Inc., and thereby indirectly retain voting shares of New Century Bank, National Association, both in Munden, Kansas. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, January 9, 2007. Robert deV. Frierson, Deputy Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E7-332 Filed 1-11-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210-01-S FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding Companies The companies listed in this notice have applied to the Board for approval, pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 *et seq.* ) (BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR Part 225), and all other applicable statutes and regulations to become a bank holding company and/or to acquire the assets or the ownership of, control of, or the power to vote shares of a bank or bank holding company and all of the banks and nonbanking companies owned by the bank holding company, including the companies listed below.

The applications listed below, as well as other related filings required by the Board, are available for immediate inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The application also will be available for inspection at the offices of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their views in writing on the standards enumerated in the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the proposal also involves the acquisition of a nonbanking company, the review also includes whether the acquisition of the nonbanking company complies with the standards in section 4 of the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1843).

Unless otherwise noted, nonbanking activities will be conducted throughout the United States. Additional information on all bank holding companies may be obtained from the National Information Center website at *http://www.ffiec.gov/nic/* . Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding each of these applications must be received at the Reserve Bank indicated or the offices of the Board of Governors not later than February 9, 2007. **A. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta** (Andre Anderson, Vice President) 1000 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30309: *1.

First Citizens Financial Corporation, Dawsonville, Georgia;* to become a bank holding company by acquiring 100 percent of the outstanding shares of First Citizens Bank of Georgia, Dawsonville, Georgia (in organization). Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, January 9, 2007. Robert deV. Frierson, Deputy Secretary of the Board. [FR Doc. E7-333 Filed 1-11-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6210-01-S FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Extension AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (“PRA”) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through May 31, 2010 the current PRA clearance for information collection requirements contained its Antitrust Improvements Act Rules (“HSR Rules”) and corresponding Notification and Report Form for Certain Mergers and Acquisitions (“Notification and Report Form”), 16 CFR.

Parts 801-803. That clearance expires on May 31, 2007. DATES: Comments must be filed by March 13, 2007. ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments. Comments should refer to “HSR Rules: FTC File No. P989316” to facilitate the organization of comments. A comment filed in paper form should include this reference both in the text and on the envelope, and should be mailed or delivered, with two complete copies to the following address: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, Room H 135 (Annex J), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580.

Because paper mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay, please consider submitting your comments in electronic form, as prescribed below. However, if the comment contains any material for which confidential treatment is requested, it must be filed in paper form, and the first page of the document must be clearly labeled “Confidential.” 1 The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible. 1 Commission Rule 4.2(d), 16 CFR 4.2(d).

The comment must be accompanied by an explicit request for confidential treatment, including the factual and legal basis for the request, and must identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from the public record. The request will be granted or denied by the Commission's General Counsel, consistent with applicable law and the public interest. *See* Commission Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). Comments filed in electronic form should be submitted by using the following weblink: *https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-hsrpra* (and following the instructions on the Web-based form).

To ensure that the Commission considers an electronic comment, you must file it on the Web-based form at the weblink: *https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-hsrpra.* If this notice appears at www.regulations.gov, you may also file an electronic comment through that Web site. The Commission will consider all comments that regulations.gov forwards to it. The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the collection of public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate.

All timely and responsive public comments, whether filed in paper or electronic form, will be considered by the Commission, and will be available to the public on the FTC Web site, to the extent practicable, at *www.ftc.gov.* As a matter of discretion, the FTC makes every effort to remove home contact information for individuals from the public comments it receives before placing those comments on the FTC Web site. More information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC's privacy policy, at *http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm.* FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the proposed information requirements should be addressed to B. Michael Verne, Compliance Specialist, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Room 301, Washington, DC 20580. Telephone:

(202)326-3100. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (“PRA”), 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, federal agencies must obtain approval from OMB for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. “Collection of information” means agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. 44 U.S.C. 3502(3); 5 CFR 1320.3(c). As required by section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, the FTC is providing this opportunity for public comment before requesting that OMB extend the existing paperwork clearance for the HSR Rules and the corresponding Notification and Report Form. The FTC invites comments on:

(1)Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2)the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3)ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4)ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, *e.g.* , permitting electronic submission of responses. All comments should be filed as prescribed in the ADDRESSES section above, and must be received on or before March 13, 2007. Background Information Section 7A of the Clayton Act (“Act”), 15 U.S.C. 18a, as amended by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, Pub. L. 94-435, 90 Stat. 1390, requires all persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions to file notification with the Commission and the Assistant Attorney General and to wait a designated period of time before consummating such transactions. Congress empowered the Commission, with the concurrence of the Assistant Attorney General, to require “that the notification * * * be in such form and contain such documentary material and information * * * as is necessary and appropriate” to enable the agencies “to determine whether such acquisitions may, if consummated, violate the antitrust laws.” 15 U.S.C. 18a(d). Congress similarly granted rulemaking authority to, *inter alia,* “prescribe such other rules as may be necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section.” *Id.* Pursuant to that section, the Commission, with the concurrence of the Assistant Attorney General, developed the HSR Rules and the corresponding Notification and Report Form. As discussed below, several changes have been made to the HSR Rules and the Notification and Report Form since FTC staff last sought OMB approval for the clearance. Burden Statement *Estimated total annual hours burden:* 156,000 hours (rounded to the nearest thousand). The following burden estimates are primarily based on FTC data concerning the number of HSR filings and staff's informal consultations with leading HSR counsel. In its 2004 PRA submission to OMB regarding the HSR Rules and the Notification and Report Form, FTC staff estimated that there were 21 “index filings” under Clayton Act Sections 7A(c)(6) and 7A(c)(8) that required 2 hours per filing, and 2,192 non-index filings that required an average of 39 hours per filing. 2 Staff also estimated that a total of 50 transactions would require an additional 40 hours of burden associated with the more precise determination of transaction value as a result of the introduction of a tiered filing fee system. Thus, the total estimated hours burden was 87,530 hours [(21 index-filings × 2 hours) + (2,192 non-index filings × 39 hours) + (50 transactions × 40 hours)]. *See* 69 FR 18686 (April 8, 2004). In January 2005, staff obtained OMB approval for a nonsubstantive/nonmaterial change request to the FTC's previous burden estimate, resulting in a new burden estimate of 84,020 burden hours. The 3,510 burden hour reduction was based on an anticipated small decrease in the number of non-index filings due to annual adjustments to the statutory thresholds beginning in fiscal year 2005. 3 2 Clayton Act Sections 7A(c)(6) and (c)(8) exempt from the requirements of the premerger notification program certain transactions that are subject to the approval of other agencies, but only if copies of the information submitted to these other agencies are also submitted to the FTC and the Assistant Attorney General. Thus, parties must submit copies of these filings, which are included in the totals shown, but completing the task requires significantly less time than non-exempt transactions. 3 Based on actual data concerning the number of non-index filings since then, staff does not anticipate that the annual adjustments will decrease the number of filings going forward. Furthermore, because the adjustments are based on annual change in gross domestic product, as the thresholds increase, the size-of-transactions should increase at the same rate, resulting in no net effect on the number of non-index filings received. There have been two amendments to the HSR Rules and one amendment to the Notification and Report Form since staff last obtained OMB approval in January 2005: 1. Revised treatment of unincorporated entities under the HSR Rules. 4 This amendment changed previously existing reporting requirements. However, based on filing statistics from the effective date of the rulemaking, the amendment appears to have had a *de minimis* effect on the number of filings received and thereby has not impacted PRA burden. 4 70 FR 11502 (March 8, 2005). 2. Electronic submission of premerger notification filings. 5 Since the effective date of this rulemaking only one electronic submission has been made. FTC staff anticipates that as the business community becomes more familiar with the new submission process more persons will choose to e-file and that such persons will experience a one hour reduction in burden (the estimated time to print or make copies of the documents when filing the traditional way). However, due to the low volume of electronic filings, the availability of the e-filing system currently has a *de minimis* effect on burden and the FTC conservatively declines to reduce its burden estimate at this time. 5 71 FR 35995 (June 23, 2006). 3. Allowing Internet links to be used for responses to Items 4(a) and

(b)of the Notification and Report Form. 6 Staff projects that 50 percent of non-index filings will utilize this alternative method of providing financial data, resulting in a reduction in burden of one hour per non-index filing. 6 70 FR 73369 (December 12, 2005). Finally, since staff last obtained OMB approval, the switch of the base year from 1997 to 2002 became effective. 7 Arguably there is some burden involved in changing the revenue numbers from 1997 to 2002 for the base year. However, this data is reported by large companies to the U.S. Census Bureau every five years in the ordinary course of business and, thus, the FTC is not required to account for such burden under the PRA. 8 Furthermore, based on staff's informal consultations with industry, staff anticipates that any increase in burden would be offset by a reduction in burden because recent revenue data is generally more easily retrievable by and readily available to reporting persons than older data. Nonetheless, although it appears a reduction in burden may be warranted, staff conservatively declines to make an adjustment to its previous burden estimate on this basis. 7 The switch of the base year from 1997 to 2002 became effective December 30, 2005. 70 FR 77312 (December 30, 2005). 8 See 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(2). Staff recognizes that the HSR Rules require companies to report total revenues for a specific NAICS code (whereas, the Census Bureau collects data for a specific NAICS code for each establishment). Nonetheless, staff anticipates that the burden tied to the aggregation of such data as required by the HSR Rules is *de minimis* . There were 3,510 non-index filings and 48 index filings in fiscal year 2006. Based on an average increase of 13% in fiscal year 2004—fiscal year 2006 in the number of non-index filings, staff projects a total of 3,966 non-index filings for fiscal year 2007. Likewise based on an average decrease of 34% in index filings over the same time period, staff projects a total of 32 index filings for fiscal year 2007. Retaining the FTC's previous assumptions, staff estimates that non-index filings require approximately 39 burden hours per filing and index filings require an average of 2 hours per filing. Finally, staff continues to estimate that approximately 91 transactions will require an additional 40 hours of burden due to the need for a more precise valuation of transactions that are near a filing fee threshold. 9 Thus, the total estimated hours burden before adjustment is 158,378 hours [(3,966 non-index filings × 39 hours) + (32 index filings × 2 hours) + (91 acquiring person non-index filings requiring more precise valuation × 40 hours)]. Adjusting for the reduced burden due to incorporating Item 4(a) and Item 4(b) documents by reference to an Internet link reduces the total burden by 1,983 hours (3,966 non-index filings × .5 = 1,983 × 1 hour = 1,983 hours), resulting in total burden for fiscal year 2007 of 156,395 hours. 9 The FTC retains its previous estimate that 4.6% of non-index filings for acquiring persons will require a more precise valuation. Using staff's projections for fiscal year 2007, 91 transactions will undergo a more precise valuation process [(3,966 non-index filings / 2) = 1,983 (number of non-index filings for acquiring persons) × 4.6%]. This is a conservative estimate. In estimating PRA burden, staff considered “the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency.” 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(1). This includes “developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the purpose of disclosing and providing information.” 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(1)(iv). Although not expressly stated in the OMB regulation implementing the PRA, the definition of burden arguably includes upgrading and maintaining computer and other systems used to comply with a rule's requirements. Conversely, to the extent that these systems are used in the ordinary course of business independent of the Rule, their associated upkeep would fall outside the realm of PRA “burden.” Industry has been subject to the basic provisions of the HSR Rules since 1978. Thus, businesses have had several years (and some have had decades) to integrate compliance systems into their business procedures. Accordingly, most companies now maintain records and provide updated order information of the kind required by the HSR Rules in their ordinary course of business. Nevertheless, staff conservatively assumes that the time devoted to compliance with the Rule by existing and new companies remains unchanged from its preceding estimate. *Estimated labor costs:* $73,506,000 (rounded to the nearest thousand). Using the burden hours estimated above and applying an estimated average of $470/hour for executive and attorney wages, 10 staff estimates that the total labor cost associated with the HSR Rules and the Notification and Report Form is approximately $73,505,650 (156,395 hours x $470/hour). 10 The FTC's previous estimate of $425 per hour has been increased by the Social Security COLA percentage for fiscal year 2004-fiscal year 2006 (fiscal year 2004 (2.7%), fiscal year 2005 (4.1%), fiscal year 2006 (3.3%)). *Estimated annual non-labor cost burden:* $0 or minimal. The applicable requirements impose minimal start-up costs, as businesses subject to the HSR Rules generally have or obtain necessary equipment for other business purposes. Staff believes that the above requirements necessitate ongoing, regular training so that covered entities stay current and have a clear understanding of federal mandates, but that this would be a small portion of and subsumed within the ordinary training that employees receive apart from that associated with the information collected under the HSR Rules and the corresponding Notification and Report Form. William Blumenthal, General Counsel. [FR Doc. E7-293 Filed 1-11-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6750-01-P FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification Rules Section 7A of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18a, as added by Title II of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, requires persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions to give the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General advance notice and to wait designated periods before consummation of such plans. Section 7A(b)(2) of the Act permits the agencies, in individual cases, to terminate this waiting period prior to its expiration and requires that notice of this action be published in the **Federal Register** . The following transactions were granted early termination of the waiting period provided by law and the premerger notification rules. The grants were made by the Federal Trade Commission and the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Neither agency intends to take any action with respect to these proposed acquisitions during the applicable waiting period. Trans # Acquiring Acquired Entities TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—12/18/2006 20070345 GTCR Fund IX/A, L.P 3M Company 3M Innovative Properties Company. Riker Laboratories, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—12/19/2006 20070341 Cadent Energy Partners I, L.P George W. Mullane, Jr Logan Oil Tools, Inc. 20070371 Green Equity Investors IV, L.P Brickman Group Holdings, Inc Brickman Group Holdings, Inc. 20070378 Cooper Industries, Ltd Wire-Pro, Inc Viking Electronics, Inc., Wire-Pro, Inc., WPI-Boston Division, Inc., WPI-Sarasota Division, Inc., WPI-Viking Division, S.A. de C.V. 20070391 United Technologies Corporation Longville Group Ltd Longville Group Ltd. 20070411 Blum Strategic Partners III, L.P Kinetic Concepts, Inc Kinetic Concepts, Inc. 20070438 Sterling Investment Partner II, L.P Fairway Operating Corp Fairway Operating Corp. 20070441 Deutsche Post AG Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. 20070465 Hewlett-Packard Company Knightsbridge Solutions Holdings Corp Knightsbridge Solutions Holding Corp. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—12/20/2006 20070168 H.I.G. TestAmerica, Inc Severn Trent Plc Aerotech Holdings, Inc., En Novative Technologies, Inc., Severn Trent Laboratories, Inc. 20070383 Carylyle Partners IV, L.P Sharon Tube Corporation Sharon Tube Corporation. 20070392 Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation Bear Lake Acquisition Corp Bear Lake Acquisition Corp. 20070440 Tullett Prebon plc C&W Corporate Securities LLC Chapdelaine Corporate Securities & Co. 20070442 Oak Hill Capital Partners II, L.P Frank A. Critz, M.D Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia. 20070443 Lonza Group Limited Cambrex Corporation Cambrex Corporation. 20070448 Lawrence Flinn, Jr Barry O'Callaghan HM Rivergroup, PLC. 20070455 Edward W. Stack Golf Galaxy, Inc Golf Galaxy, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—12/21/2006 20070397 Group 1 Automotive, Inc A. Baron Cass III Baron Development Company, LLC, Baron Motorwerks, LLC, Baron Volkswagen, Inc. 20070398 Group 1 Automotive, Inc Barton J. Cohen Baron Development Company, LLC, Baron Motowerks, LLC, Baron Volkswagen, Inc. 20070407 Partners HealthCare System, Inc Martha's Vineyard Hospital, Inc Martha's Vineyard Hospital, Inc. 20070410 Partners HealthCare System, Inc Nantucket Cottage Hospital Nantucket Cottage Hospital. 20070431 Third Point Offshore Fund, Ltd Pogo Producing Company Pogo Producing Company. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—12/22/2006 20070367 Medstead Luxco S.a.r.l Permira Europe II L.P.2 Ferretti S.p.A. 20070369 Bain Capital

(OSI)IX, L.P OSI Restaurant Partners, Inc OSI Restaurant Partners, Inc. 20070400 Sonoco Products Company Snyder Investment Holdings LLC Clear Pack Company. 20070403 Goldstein Group, Inc Velia Samuels Common Stock Trust Samuels Recycling Company. 20070415 Starwood Capital Hospitality Fund I-2, L.P elevenseven Holdings, L.L.C elevenseven Holdings, L.L.C. 20070425 Freeport-McMoRan Cooper & Gold Inc Phelps Dodge Corporation Phelps Dodge Corporation. 20070427 Glide Buy-Out Fund III CV Rockwood Holdings, Inc Gruop Novasep SAS. 20070429 ArcLight Energy Partners Fund III, L.P AltairStrickland Group, Inc AltairStrickland Group, Inc. 20070457 Harbinger Capital Partners Offshore Fund I, Ltd Calpine Corporation MEP Pleasant Hill, LLC. 20070460 Mr. Jostein Eikeland Fiat S.p.A Meridian Technologies, Inc. 20070467 Behrman Capital III L.P The Jerry L. Hayden Trust dated April 22, 1994 Peacock Engineering Company. 20070468 Geodis S.A TNT N.V TNT Freight Management Holdings. 20070474 Marubeni Corporation Mark J. Vallely Intragrated Resources Holdings, Inc. 20070475 Colam Entreprendre S.A Crawford Electric Supply Company, Ltd Crawford Electric Supply Company, Ltd. 20070477 Standex International Corporation Associated American Industries, Inc Associated American Industries, Inc. 20070480 General Motors Corporation Con-way Inc Vector SCM, LLC. 20070482 GS Capital Partners V, L.P McJunkin Corporation McJunkin Corporation. 20070483 General Electric Company Moseley Associates, Inc Microwave Data Systems, Inc. 20070484 Graeme Hart International Paper Company International Paper Company. 20070485 Veritas Capital Fund III, L.P Pearson plc NCS Pearson Venezuela, NCS Services de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., Pearson Analytic Solutions, Inc., Pearson Canada Solutions Limited, Pearson Government Solution, Inc., Pearson Soluciones S.A., Soluciones Pearson Mexico, S.A. de C.V. 20070489 Cardiovascular Hospitals of America, LLC St. Francis Health Care System of Hawaii Hawaii Health Ventures, LLC, SFMC Joint Ventures, LLC, St. Francis Imaging, LLC, St. Francis Medical Center, St. Francis Medical Center—West. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—12/26/2006 20070478 Scott Sheridan INVESTools, Inc INVESTools Inc. 20070479 Tom Sosnoff INVESTools Inc INVESTools Inc. 20070488 Motorola, Inc Netopia, Inc Netopia, Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—12/28/2006 20060776 General Dynamics Corporation SNC-Lavalin Group Inc SNC Technologies Corp., SNC Technologies Inc. TRANSACTIONS GRANTED EARLY TERMINATION—12/29/2006 20061812 The TriZetto Group, Inc Quality Care Solutions, Inc Quality Care Solutions, Inc. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandra M. Peay, Contact Representative, or Renee Hallman, Contact Representative, Federal Trade Commission, Premerger Notification Office, Bureau of Competition, Room H-303, Washington, DC 20580,

(202)326-3100. By Direction of the Commission. Donald S. Clark, Secretary. [FR Doc. 07-81 Filed 1-11-07: 8:45 am]

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