The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) articles from December 2001

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) archives from December 2001

Facing the grim facts, and healing.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Jennifer Lin LOWER MAKEFIELD, PA. _ The question haunted Tara Bane for three months before she mustered the courage to ask it. On Sept. 11, her brother-in-law, Sal Lucchese, had been a witness to the disaster that killed...

St. Joseph's falls to Gonzaga.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Ray Parrillo PHILADELPHIA _ No one on Hawk Hill wanted to say it too loudly. That might have suggested that the pressure was mounting. Regardless, St. Joseph's was desperate to ring in the new year with a quality victory. ...

St. Joseph's falls to Gonzaga.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Ray Parrillo PHILADELPHIA _ No one on Hawk Hill wanted to say it too loudly during the days leading into Monday night's game against Gonzaga, ranked No. 22 and riding an impressive winning streak that left behind defeated...

Coleman suspended, fined for Jazz altercation.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Ashley McGeachy PHOENIX _ Practice was over, and Derrick Coleman, dressed head-to-toe in black, had one thing to say about his one-game suspension and $7,500 fine by the NBA on Monday for his actions against the Utah Jazz on...

Temple defeats Ole Miss.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Mel Greenberg PHILADELPHIA _ Temple coach Dawn Staley might not have gotten a bigger haul if she had spent New Year's Eve at the casinos. Her Owls (5-6) hit the jackpot on Monday at the Liacouras Center with an 84-69 victory...

Capsule reviews of new video releases.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Barry Zukerman A raucus action film about the Los Angeles street-racing scene tops this week's list of new movies on video. THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 2-{ stars (Universal, `01) 107 mins. Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle...

The secret to AOL's success: convenience.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Reid Kanaley Easy to use and impossible to ignore, America Online, the titan of Internet access, continues to pile on subscribers. The company announced this month that its membership had reached 32 million. Analysts say that...

This week's Web Winners: Privacy, not piracy.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Reid Kanaley Privacy. People say they cherish it, but they give it away without a thought online. Here are some sites for raising privacy awareness, and for rebuilding lost privacy in your online travels. ___ CONSUMER...

Democrats set to change for an early nomination.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Dick Polman PHILADELPHIA _ Democratic Party leaders, concerned that President Bush could be tough to topple in 2004, are changing their primary season calendar in the hopes of producing an early presidential nominee with a...

Division title just a means to an end for Eagles.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Phil Sheridan PHILADELPHIA _ Andy Reid found himself staring at the inside of a Gatorade bucket. The beverage itself was soaking into his clothing. Reid could accept the traditional dousing from his players, even with the ice...

Thomas' season is over after surgery.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Phil Sheridan PHILADELPHIA _ Eagles defensive tackle Hollis Thomas was placed on injured reserve on Monday afternoon, officially ending his season just hours after surgery to repair his broken foot. The Eagles signed...

McNabb made great strides.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Phil Sheridan PHILADELPHIA _ The throw to remember came before the one most people remember. It was the fourth quarter, and the Eagles were down by 21-14 to a Giants team that had frustrated and stifled Eagles quarterback...

Eagles face a quandary against Buccaneers.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Bill Lyon PHILADELPHIA _ On the first day of the New Year, Andy Reid finds himself confronted by a question for which there is no easy answer, and for which there may not be a definitive answer. Namely: How hard should the...

Poker champ leaves A.C. with $300,000.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Bill Ordine This is a critical hand. The game is seven-card stud poker. Win, and I finish ahead. Lose, and hours of grueling work go down the drain. I would be dead-even. I have a straight. My opponent is deciding whether to draw...

Klatt finds a home.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Tim Panaccio VANCOUVER, British Columbia _ As Trent Klatt skated around the empty rink at General Motors Place, there was no indication of the agony the former Flyer, now a Canuck, had endured in recent months. "For me to...

Readers enthusiastic about 2 high-tech rain gutters.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Gene Austin They shed leaves, but let water in. Some reported poor water collection at roof valleys, however. Do high-tech rain gutters really prevent clogging by leaves and help eliminate such problems as wet basements, roof...

Plan to alter freedom-of-expression rules frets Pennsylvania student journalists, advisers.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Connie Langland NORRISTOWN, Pa. _ A rambunctious bunch of student journalists at Norristown Area High School wants to know: Is the school newspaper, the Wingspan, in danger of getting its wings clipped? Wingspan staffers and...

Why I won't wave the flag _ despite the sorrows of Sept. 11.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Claude Lewis I recently made a comment on television that made some people very angry. I said that despite all the flag-waving since Sept. 11, "I personally never wave the flag because America's greatest symbol has no stars or...

Stocks down for 2nd straight year despite 4th-quarter rally.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Miriam Hill Plummeting corporate earnings pushed U.S. stocks to a second straight yearly loss for the first time since the 1970s, making 2000 and 2001 the most prolonged bear market many of today's investors have ever seen. ...

Names in the news.
December 31, 2001... The Queen Mother missed church services Sunday. Royal watchers said it was the first time they could remember that the increasingly frail royal matriarch, 101, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, had not attended any of the traditional Christmas...

Is Bin Laden the culprit? Evidence falls short on whether he was behind Sept. 11.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Tad Daley Are the two "Osama tapes" of December really irrefutable evidence of his guilt? Much of the debate about bin Laden's loathsome conversation with a visiting Saudi sheikh centered on whether that tape was "authentic"...

A failure at keeping New Year's resolutions promises a new approach.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Pat Croce I hope you are having a joyous holiday season, and let me be the first to wish you a "Happy New Year!" I'm sure that your new year will be a happy one if you can achieve the resolutions you make. Unfortunately,...

Climate changes a part of Earth's cycle ruled by physics.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Faye Flam PHILADELPHIA _ Early winter this year brought spring-like temperatures and a drought reminiscent of late summer before the mercury plunged last week. But this is nothing compared with the radical shifts in climate our...

2-for-1 Amtrak deal; Broadway tickets.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Donald D. Groff Amtrak will start the new year with a candy-cane sweet deal: A buy-one-get-one-free fare offer on many of its routes, including some Northeast Corridor trains. To further sweeten the deal, the twofer can be used...

The Philadelphia Inquirer Business People Column.
December 31, 2001... Dec. 31--FIRM TURNS TO NAMESAKE TO TAKE OVER AS ITS CEO: Patrick J. O'Connor tomorrow will become president and chief executive officer of the Philadelphia law firm that has long sported his name, Cozen O'Connor. O'Connor, who has been...

The Philadelphia Inquirer Gambling Column.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Bill Ordine Dec. 31--POKER CHAMP LEAVES A.C. WITH $300,000: This is a critical hand. The game is seven-card stud poker. Win, and I finish ahead. Lose, and hours of grueling work go down the drain. I would be dead-even. I have a...

Fluctuating Room Rates, Parking Costs Are Factors in Philadelphia Hotel Deals.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Marcia Gelbart Dec. 31--When Philadelphia hotel operators were coming up with rates to advertise in a new marketing campaign -- two weekend nights for the price of one -- Harriet Seltzer settled on $209. After all, that is...

Philadelphia-Area Party Planners Say Low-Key Is In for New Year's Eve.
December 31, 2001... Byline: Zlati Meyer Dec. 31--Alas, this New Year's Eve, no one will be partying like it's 1999, concerned about Y2K, or excitedly ushering in a new millennium. For the first time in close to half a decade, some in the party industry...

The Philadelphia Inquirer Business Travel Column.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Tom Belden Dec. 30--In the next few weeks, there could be a resolution -- or at least some tangible progress toward one -- of one of the oldest and nastiest disputes in international aviation. On the horizon is a new "open...

U.S. Economy Seems to Recover Slightly, But Position Still Tenuous.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Joseph N. DiStefano Dec. 30--When the Internet stock bubble popped last year, the Federal Reserve abandoned its post as a hard-core inflation fighter and began flooding the nation with cheap money to keep the economy from...

All Eyes on European Union's Switch to Euro as 2002 Begins.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Joseph N. DiStefano Dec. 30--Twelve European currencies -- among them the mighty German mark and the colorful Dutch guilder, the ancient Greek drachma and the modern Irish punt -- will begin to vanish on New Year's Day. They...

The Philadelphia Inquirer Personal Finance Column.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Jeff Brown Dec. 30--Unless there's a stupendous rally tomorrow, stock-market investors are likely to say goodbye to 2001 with a shake of the head and a bitter "good riddance." Certainly, the broad indicators seem to tell a...

Shifting out of Gear as the IPO Market Grinds to a Halt in 2001.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Miriam Hill Dec. 30--The market for initial public offerings all but ground to a halt in 2001, making it the slowest year for IPOs since 1979. Only 83 companies went public this year, down from 406 in 2000 -- the surest sign...

Philadelphia-Area Hospitals Reduce Services as Surgeons Scramble for Coverage.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Josh Goldstein Dec. 30--For the second year in a row, some trauma centers in the area face partial shutdowns starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday because doctors on their staffs cannot find malpractice insurance. In addition, 19...

The Philadelphia Inquirer Home Real Estate Column.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Alan J. Heavens Dec. 30--Celebration, the Walt Disney Co.'s experiment in master-planned, neo-traditional communities, marked its fifth anniversary this fall with little hoopla. The anniversary probably has been overshadowed...

Pennsylvania Developer Wins Big with New Jersey Residential Project.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Alan J. Heavens Dec. 30--Marshal Granor has never shied from taking risks. A recent example: Riverfront at Palmyra, Granor Price Homes' first venture out of Pennsylvania. Riverfront is what is known in the industry as a...

Campus career centers offer work veterans help.
December 30, 2001... Byline: James M. O'Neill PHILADELPHIA _ A large number of older college alumni are reconnecting with their alma mater these days, seeking the kind of assistance the schools more commonly give graduating seniors _ help in the job market....

St. Bonaventure is for real in Atlantic Ten, and other notes.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Mike Jensen PHILADELPHIA _ Here is a scary thought for the rest of the Atlantic Ten: The road to this year's A-10 title now goes through the most remote and frigid outpost in the conference. Trips to Olean, N.Y., home to St....

Chad Lewis comes up big for Eagles.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Jim Salisbury PHILADELPHIA _ In the middle of last week, as the biggest game of the Eagles' season approached, Chad Lewis sidled up to quarterback Donovan McNabb one day after practice. Lewis, the Eagles' tight end, knew he...

Eagles-Buccaneers matchup no big deal.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Phil Sheridan PHILADELPHIA _ The Eagles will try to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium. "The players want to win," coach Andy Reid said. "They want to play. We'll be aggressive next week...

Kicker Akers gains redemption with field goal.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Bob Ford PHILADELPHIA _ First of all, get something straight _ because David Akers did. The ball, that is. When discussing Akers' missed field-goal attempt at the beginning of the second quarter on Sunday, be careful how...

Eagles rally past Giants for NFC East title.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Phil Sheridan PHILADELPHIA _ The Eagles know exactly how much history weighs, because it was squarely upon their shoulders after the New York Giants took a fourth-quarter lead on Sunday. No division titles since 1988. No...

Eagles rally by Giants for NFC East title.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Phil Sheridan PHILADELPHIA _ The Eagles know exactly how much history weighs, because it was squarely upon their shoulders after the New York Giants took a fourth-quarter lead on Sunday. No division titles since 1988. No...

These Eagles surely test your limits.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Bill Lyon PHILADELPHIA _ Sunday night, under a full moon on the next-to-last day of the year at cold, wind-lashed Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia's star-crossed professional football team won the most important regular-season game...

McNabb finally does what he's supposed to do.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Claire Smith PHILADELPHIA _ The situation called for Herculean determination. No one knew that more than Donovan McNabb. It would not be enough for the Eagles quarterback to merely stand tall amid the New York Giants on...

Flyers break through in Denver.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Tim Panaccio DENVER _ It was bound to happen sooner or later. The Flyers had always seemed to play well in Colorado but never well enough to win. Saturday night at the Pepsi Center, however, the Flyers changed that with...

`Fool for God' does not feel foolish pursuing peace.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Dianna Marder PHILADELPHIA _ Briana Hale, 28, is in town from Betsy Layne, Ky. (pop. 450), for some job interviews. It's Sunday afternoon and she's sightseeing. First stop: the Liberty Bell. She's impressed until she steps...

Visions of Ben & Jerry's kept `Survivor' loser going.
December 30, 2001... Byline: Gail Shister Ben & Jerry's, have we got a poster girl for you. After being voted off CBS's "Survivor: "Africa," Kim Powers says the first thing she did when she got home was scarf down a pint of B & J's Chunky Monkey. At 9 in...

Sixers fall to Jazz.
December 29, 2001... Byline: Ashley McGeachy SALT LAKE CITY _ One day after watching his team play from the horizontal position in the 76ers locker room, Larry Brown was back on the bench Saturday night. He might have rather stayed in the locker room. ...

Sixers lose to Denver, 93-90.
December 29, 2001... Byline: Ashley McGeachy DENVER _ Allen Iverson said that it was too early for Larry Brown to leave the 76ers, even if the coach was disgusted by his team's lackluster record, its spotty defense and, most recently, its collapse against...

Flyers defeat Avalanche.
December 29, 2001... Byline: Tim Panaccio DENVER _ It was bound to happen sooner or later. The Flyers had always seemed to play well in Colorado but never well enough to win. Saturday night at the Pepsi Center, however, the Flyers changed that with...

Coyotes ravage Flyers with 4-2 victory.
December 29, 2001... Byline: Tim Panaccio PHOENIX _ A lethal dose of officiating and poor goaltending ruined what was supposed to be Jeremy Roenick's homecoming party last night at America West Arena. The Phoenix Coyotes ravaged the Flyers with an...

Mount Laurel, Pa., Homeowners File Suit against Builder over Safety Concerns.
December 29, 2001... Byline: Nora Koch Dec. 29--"Design defects" in several thousand townhouses and condominiums in Mount Laurel may pose carbon monoxide dangers, according to a lawsuit filed against the builder by several homeowners. The suit, filed...

Pennsylvania to Provide Relief from Medical-Malpractice Insurance Payments.
December 29, 2001... Byline: Josh Goldstein Dec. 29--Gov. Schweiker announced emergency steps yesterday to provide some immediate financial relief to doctors struggling to find and pay for medical-malpractice insurance. Doctors who cannot find...

South Philadelphia Cabinetmaker Expands Business.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Alan J. Heavens Dec. 28--Carmen Vona's father was a machinist who did carpentry and other repair work on the side to earn extra money. When Vona was 11, his mother suggested that he accompany his father to pick up some...

Groups Lose in Bid to Block Edison Schools from Coming into Philadelphia.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Ovetta Wiggins Dec. 28--Edison Schools Inc., which recommended the state hire a private company to help run Philadelphia's schools, can be hired for just that job, a state judge ruled yesterday in Harrisburg. Commonwealth...

Analysts Say Reputation Key to Future of Abington, Pa., Hospital.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Margie Fishman Dec. 28--While other independent community hospitals have staggered financially or ceded ownership to larger health systems, Abington Memorial Hospital has been on the upswing. In the last five years, it has...

Miss America Pageant Will Stay in Atlantic City, N.J., for Now.
December 28, 2001... Dec. 28--ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.--The Miss America Pageant is giving its Boardwalk home of 80 years one more year to get its act together. But Miss America still is threatening to walk away from the only home she has known if she doesn't get...

The Philadelphia Inquirer Technology TestDrive Column.
December 28, 2001... Byline: John J. Fried Dec. 28--YOUR HANDWRITING 2.0 Data Becker. Windows. $19.99. On the hope that, despite the presence of a few hundred fonts on your computer, you miss seeing documents in your own handwriting, Data Becker...

Philadelphia Tourism Groups Hope Center Will Boost Partnerships.
December 28, 2001... Byline: James M. O'Neill Dec. 28--Elfreth's Alley has long been a gold mine for Philadelphia's tourism industry. But those who run the museum and tours on the tiny street are worried their presentation is locked in time and misses a...

Normal Flight Schedules Return for US Airways.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Marcia Gelbart Dec. 28--Passengers flying US Airways found normal flight schedules yesterday, after almost 200 flights nationwide had to be canceled the previous two days because too many flight attendants called in sick. On...

Attitude toward military on rise before and after Sept. 11.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Mark Bowden PHILADELPHIA_Just in time for the holidays, the war on terrorism has receded from the front pages. Osama bin Laden is on the run, his al-Qaida fighters routed, his culpability in the Sept. 11 attacks proved beyond all...

Phillies watch NL East rivals get stronger.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Bill Lyon The Mets have acquired the luminous glove and sturdy stick of Robbie Alomar. The Phillies, while on an archaeological expedition in the Valley of the Dinosaurs, have, uh, unearthed Dave Hollins. Chuck Klein may be...

St. Joe's, Gonzaga match top point guards.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Ray Parrillo PHILADELPHIA _ Dan Dickau doesn't seem to have a lot of patience for the approach to basketball taken by many players, and the splendid senior point guard for Gonzaga isn't reluctant to say so. Too selfish. ...

Hot free agents haven't sizzled for Heat.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Stephen A. Smith More than 19 years of exceptional coaching shouldn't be diminished by one absymal season. An impeccable resume spanning two decades doesn't just disappear because a man tried his luck at making personnel...

Even Buffalo, N.Y., having trouble slogging through 6 feet of snow.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Rose Ciotta BUFFALO, N.Y. _ Buffalo can handle snow, but this is too much even for this tough town. What started as a gentle covering on Christmas Eve turned into a steady pummeling that by Friday dumped nearly 7 feet of snow...

From gems to junk, eBay booms selling it all online.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Wendy Tanaka PHILADELPHIA_Christopher Schleyer cut his college years short at Rowan University in Glassboro, Gloucester County, after his collectibles business took off _ on eBay, the online auction site. "I was on full...

Despite Fed's efforts, long view of economy is still dim.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Joseph N. DiStefano PHILADELPHIA_When the Internet stock bubble popped last year, the Federal Reserve abandoned its post as a hard-core inflation fighter and began flooding the nation with cheap money to keep the economy from...

Nation could use Sept. 11 as a catalyst for changes.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Jane Eisner Like everyone else in America, I remember Sept. 11, and I remember the morning after. On that heartbreakingly beautiful day, my neighborhood seemed transformed, but not in any familiar way. After a heavy...

Eagles tight end no longer McNabb's favorite target.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Ron Reid PHILADELPHIA _ Last season, Eagles tight end Chad Lewis was Donovan McNabb's go-to receiver, a target that the young quarterback sought out frequently when other receivers were covered. As a result, Lewis led all...

Eagles' McNabb has Jordanesque dreams.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Phil Sheridan PHILADELPHIA _ It may not be what he hoped for. It may not be what he, or Eagles fans, expected after last year. Donovan McNabb's 2001 season probably won't end with a second straight trip to the Pro Bowl....

For Eagles, a shot at redemption.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Bill Lyon The setting will be appropriately Gothic grim. Full moon rising. Cold that stabs clean to the bone. Full, rowdy, expectant, lubricated house in a decaying, concrete mausoleum of a stadium. Eagles and...

On the NHL.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Tim Panaccio The top hockey stories of 2001 Another year is about to go quietly into the night. Which begs the question: What were the top five hockey stories of the past 12 months? With the notable exception of Dale...

Garden Q&A.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Michael Martin Mills Q. When and for how long do you need to put the Christmas cactus in the dark to get flowers to bloom? Also, do you water while it hibernates? A. Selective breeding of Christmas cactus and its relatives _...

Gadgets can help track heart fitness.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Alan J. Heavens My grandfather, Henry Heavens, was thin all his life, and that's because the only car he ever owned was a Model A Ford that he traded in for a bicycle on his 40th birthday in 1929. From then on, he walked...

Names in the news.
December 28, 2001... Hollywood film producer Steve Bing has sued the British tabloid The Mirror, alleging that he faced death threats when the paper urged readers to call him after he denied impregnating actress and model Elizabeth Hurley. The paper took Bing to...

U.S. team is jelling; medal hopes are not.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Bob Ford As athletes qualify for the Winter Olympics in various sports, the composition of the U.S. delegation for Salt Lake City in February is becoming clearer, but the likelihood of meeting the goal of 20 medals in February is...

Stock market still working as supposed to _ and 2002 could be better.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Jeff Brown Unless there's a stupendous rally Monday, stock-market investors are likely to say goodbye to 2001 with a shake of the head and a bitter "good riddance." Certainly, the broad indicators seem to tell a depressing...

In New Year, Congress will swing back to politics as usual.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Dick Polman PHILADELPHIA _ Nobody obsessed with hanging chads one year ago could have imagined the shattering events of 2001. It's not hyperbole to suggest that the fallout from terrorism has permeated every nook and cranny of...

U.S. airlines could get more Heathrow slots if treaty reached.
December 28, 2001... Byline: Tom Belden In the next few weeks, there could be a resolution _ or at least some tangible progress toward one _ of one of the oldest and nastiest disputes in international aviation. On the horizon is a new "open skies" treaty...

Reviews of new jazz, classical, pop and country-roots releases.
December 27, 2001... Jazz: MARTY EHRLICH "Song" (Enja, 3 stars) Among the great onrush of recordings this year, this CD bears notice. Reed man Marty Ehrlich, a St. Louis native with impeccable avant garde credentials, is increasingly focusing on...

Despite loss to Lakers, Sixers find relief in standings.
December 27, 2001... Byline: Ashley McGeachy LOS ANGELES _ Larry Brown reviewed the NBA standings and pointed out the math to his team. Before the 76ers played the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, the Sixers were six games out of first place in...

Sixers turn back Clippers.
December 27, 2001... Byline: Ashley McGeachy LOS ANGELES _ The meeting, over eggs and coffee, was somber yesterday morning as the 76ers players and coaches tried to digest the previous night's debacle. How had they squandered a 13-point fourth-quarter lead...

This week's Web Winners: Privacy, not piracy.
December 27, 2001... Byline: Reid Kanaley Privacy. People say they cherish it, but they give it away without a thought online. Here are some sites for raising privacy awareness, and for rebuilding lost privacy in your online travels. ___ CONSUMER...