Net Periodic Pension Cost

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Net Periodic Pension Cost

16. Net Periodic Pension Cost

The following table details the net periodic pension cost incurred by period (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
	September 30,						September 30,
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Interest cost	$	152		$	163		$	457		$	488
Amortization of net loss		72			56			215			168
Expected return on plan assets		(148	)		(136	)		(443	)		(409	)
Net periodic pension cost	$	76		$	83		$	229		$	247

We contributed $289 thousand and $509 thousand to our frozen defined benefit cash balance plan (“Cash Balance Plan”) during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011.  We contributed $246 thousand and $340 thousand to the Cash Balance Plan during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010.  Refer to Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 for more discussion of our retirement plans.