The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) articles from September 2000

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) archives from September 2000

Terry Francona reportedly facing the firing line.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Bob Brookover MIAMI _ For the last couple of weeks, Terry Francona has periodically talked about himself in the past tense. He is a man who obviously knows that his days as the Phillies manager are numbered. Barring a shocking...

Best awards races are in baseball.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Jim Salisbury PHILADELPHIA _ The only races closer than the presidential campaign this fall will be the competitions for baseball's major awards. Bush vs. Gore has nothing on Johnson vs. Maddux, Furcal vs. Ankiel and a pair of...

Some say Cheney is not much help to Bush.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Robert Zausner The questions to Dick Cheney were about his vice presidential campaign: Was he stepping it up? Was he changing his style? Was he enjoying this at all? The answer was succinct. "Yes." Which, after a...

Philadelphia is the sole U.S. Catholic diocese with two saints.
September 30, 2000... Byline: David O'Reilly ROME _ Her giant banner has hung since midweek from the face of St. Peter's Basilica. A canopied, outdoor altar stands on the steps of the spiritual center for her canonization Mass. A sea of gray chairs fills the...

Will Penn State wilt in the Brees.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Ray Parrillo STATE COLLEGE, Pa. _ If Penn State free safety James Boyd is not impressed with the passing artistry of Purdue quarterback Drew Brees, what must the Boilermakers think of a Nittany Lions defense that had 45 points...

Penn State finally wins wild fashion; victory dedicated to Taliaferro.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Ray Parrillo STATE COLLEGE, Pa. _ Penn State answered the call of the wild. The Nittany Lions gave those who have been complaining about their vanilla offense all kinds of fun stuff. There was the shotgun for perhaps the...

Eagles' defense just hunts and confronts.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Bill Lyon PHILADELPHIA _ Hard as its heart can be, Philadelphia always has had a soft spot for the hitters, for the players who can cause collisions, concussions, concessions. The coaching lifers in pro football, the men with...

Culpepper is the exception, rather than the rule.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Mike Bruton PHILADELPHIA _ Just about everybody thought that coach Dennis Green's luck had run out this year when he handed the reins of the Minnesota Vikings offense to Daunte Culpepper. When Brad Johnson went down two...

Anson Carter a serious thorn in Bruins' progress.
September 30, 2000... Byline: (Repeating for all needing.) By Tim Panaccio By Tim Panaccio "I guess there's a bit of a poker match going on there." _ Bruins GM Harry Sinden on contract negotiations. X X X PHILADELPHIA _ Anson Carter...

Sydney's successful, but bloated, Games.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Bob Ford SYDNEY, Australia _ The first official snake of the Olympic Games has been spotted in the Media Village, a four-foot long brownish resident that emerged from its winter's nap to find the grounds overrun with several...

Favor Hamilton falls in 1500 meters.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Mike Jensen SYDNEY, Australia _ It was completely understandable that Marla Runyan did not know what had happened even after she had crossed the finish line. Runyan is legally blind. She suffers from Stargardt's Disease, a...

Big night for Jones, Johnson and U.S. relay teams.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Phil Sheridan SYDNEY, Australia _ There is confidence and then there is cockiness. The difference between them told the story of America's performance Saturday on the last full night of track and field events at the 2000...

Slay and Henson have to settle for silver.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Frank Fitzpatrick SYDNEY, Australia _ Suddenly the medals stand became a dungeon for American wrestlers, an arena hallway a venue for venting their frustrations, the silver medal a burden they were doomed to carry forever. ...

U.S. women win gold in basketball.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Stephen A. Smith SYDNEY, Australia _ They hugged, they applauded, then they weeped as a group during the national anthem. The U.S. women's basketball team had arrived in Australia shouldering as much responsibility as its...

With funds scarce and repairs necessary, tall ship to invite students aboard.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Maria Panaritis PHILADELPHIA _ Faced with a deck of rotting planks and a shortage of wealthy benefactors, lovers of the Gazela have been struggling with a dilemma as challenging as unfriendly seas: How do you persuade funders...

For Armstrong, a bronze in time trial.
September 30, 2000... Byline: Mike Jensen SYDNEY, Australia _ Lance Armstrong had come here to win gold. He had broken his neck in training, gotten hit by a car, and kept working to win one medal. "I went as fast as I could go,'' said the man who has a...

FDA Gives Final Approval to Abortion Pill.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Marie McCullough Sep. 29--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday gave final approval to the controversial abortion pill mifepristone, better known as RU-486, paving the way for early abortion to become more accessible...

AmeriSource Health's Service Allows Druggists to Shift Problems to Specialists.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Susan Warner Sep. 29--It's another ear infection. The baby's batting at his ears and howling. But the pharmacist has the prescription now. Relief is minutes away. Not so fast. It seems this particular antibiotic is...

The Philadelphia Inquirer Drive Column.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Al Haas Sep. 29--In the automobile business, special editions are a kind of Centrum Silver for older models. They are a favorite way of improving the sales health of vehicles that haven't been redesigned for a while. Perhaps...

New Chief of Philadelphia Business Organization Outlines New Goals, Focus.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Henry J. Holcomb Sep. 29--Sam Katz, the new chief executive of Greater Philadelphia First, said yesterday the organization will spend less time "trying to figure things out and more time helping get some things done." The...

The Philadelphia Inquirer Andrew Cassel Column.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Andrew Cassel Sep. 29--What's the difference between using the federal surplus to cut taxes, and using it to pay down the national debt? The question gets more pressing every time Washington throws off a new set of budget...

Consumers, Lawmakers on Both Sides Share Blame for Energy Woes, Experts Say.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Ken Moritsugu Sep. 29--WASHINGTON--Seeking to capitalize on high oil prices, Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush is expected to announce proposals today for a national energy policy, which he accuses the Clinton-Gore...

More Americans Have Health Plans, Census Bureau Reports.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Tony Pugh Sep. 29--WASHINGTON--For the first time in 13 years, the number and percentage of Americans without health insurance declined in 1999 as a strong economy and an expansive job market helped more people get coverage...

Appointment of New Officials at Phoenixville, Pa., Hospital Draws Ire.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Andrea Knox Sep. 29--In a move that stunned and angered many doctors at Phoenixville Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania Health System yesterday named a new executive director and chief medical officer for the hospital. ...

Pennsylvania Ceases Face-to-Face Unemployment Insurance Services.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Jeff Gelles Sep. 29--If you need employment counseling, job training or help putting together a resume and posting it on the Internet, you can get service at Pennsylvania's CareerLink center at 10th and Spring Garden Streets. ...

Philadelphia-Based Financial Printing Firm Gains Competitor's Assets.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Linda Loyd Sep. 29--Burrups Packard Inc., a Philadelphia-based international financial printing company, said yesterday it has acquired the assets of a competitor, Global Financial Press Inc., in New York. Burrups Packard did...

City of Philadelphia Must Have Stadium Plan within Six Days.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Clea Benson Sep. 29--Oh, by the way, Mayor Street's deadline to give City Council a proposal to build new stadiums is in six days. The Phillies, the Eagles and the city haven't held talks on the estimated $1.29 billion deal...

Philadelphia's Temple University Shifts to More Aggressive Investment Strategy.
September 29, 2000... Byline: James M. ONeill Sep. 29--Temple University trustees yesterday adopted a significantly more aggressive investment strategy for the university's endowment, a move officials hope will generate more gifts from donors. Temple's...

Verizon Backs Laws Requiring Drivers to Use Hands-Free Device with Cell Phone.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Zlati Meyer Sep. 29--If you can't stand watching drivers with one hand on the wheel and the other cradling a cell phone, you have a new and perhaps unexpected ally. Verizon Wireless Inc., the nation's largest wireless service...

Belfast on the rise.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Andrea Gerlin BELFAST, Northern Ireland _ A new kind of uprising is sweeping Northern Ireland. For three decades, this beleaguered province was known as a place of violent destruction, frequently rocked by car bombs, mortar...

Personal briefing.
September 29, 2000... Sex, by the numbers: Do viewers think TV's oversexed? A recent study of 4,000 American families by the Universal McCann advertising agency found 29 percent of viewers objected to sexually suggestive content and 18 percent were offended...

Gore, Bush to enter political warfare in debates.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Dick Polman On Tuesday night in Boston, Al Gore and George W. Bush will face each other on the same stage for the first time. The major parties' presidential candidates will duel for the allegiance of a deadlocked electorate and...

Election likely will produce some type of prescription drug plan.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Marian Uhlman PHILADELPHIA _ One outcome of the presidential campaign seems to be a safe bet. Retired Narberth contractor William McHugh and his 68-year-old wife will get taxpayer help with their annual $18,400 prescription-drug...

Controversy surrounds planned parade in Denver.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Larry Fish DENVER _ Organizers of the city's first Columbus Day parade since 1992 said Friday that Mayor Wellington Webb's administration and American Indian protesters tried to coerce them into removing all mention of...

Athletes relying on performance enhancers.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Michael Sokolove The squall that blew through the Olympics last week _ athletes testing positive for banned substances, ugly backbiting over those who may have cheated but were not caught _ obscured a more subtle reality. ...

Temple can't hold off West Virginia.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Kevin Tatum PHILADELPHIA _ After battling back mightily from a 13-point deficit on Thursday night against West Virginia at Franklin Field, the Temple Owls were in position to claim one of the most significant football victories...

NBA star Allen Iverson says he's ready for a furor over his rap song.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Dan DeLuca PHILADELPHIA _ In a minute, Allen Iverson will come bounding into the control room of a Philadelphia recording studio wearing a giant diamond-and-platinum crucifix around his neck and a $12 million smile on his face,...

Answers to some questions about the abortion pill, RU-486.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Marie McCullough In about four weeks, a pill that has been at the center of a decade-long battle will be available to American women. It's the abortion pill, also known as RU-486, mifepristone, and now, Mifeprex. Here...

Names in the news.
September 29, 2000... A relaxed and confident Prince William, talking about his plans at a news conference yesterday, said a book by Princess Diana's former chief aide was a betrayal of her trust. "Of course, (Prince) Harry and I are both quite upset about it...

Williams and Juarez make boxing finals.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Stephen A. Smith SYDNEY, Australia _ On Friday, in the most exciting bout of the Olympic boxing competition so far, a valiant Cuban named Diogenes Luna fell to an American with star-studded potential in Ricardo Williams Jr. ...

Jones' defeat takes the air out of the Games.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Bob Ford SYDNEY, Australia _ The Olympic wave crested Friday night when Marion Jones went down the runway for the final time in the women's long jump competition. Everything that follows is anticlimax for the Sydney Games....

U.S. men survive scare from Lithuania.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Frank Fitzpatrick SYDNEY, Australia _ You had to see the aftermath to know how much the Lithuanians wanted to win _ and how much the Americans did not want to lose. You had to see Sarunas Jasikevicius lay his head on a...

U.S. men fall to Chile in soccer, miss bronze.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Mike Jensen SYDNEY, Australia _ The whistle blew and Chris Albright, his Olympics over, didn't move even an inch. The U.S. players, who had fallen just short of a bronze medal in soccer, were exchanging jerseys with the...

Jones settles for bronze.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Phil Sheridan SYDNEY, Australia _ It was one of those hold-your-breath moments that only the Olympics can provide. On the East side of Olympic Stadium, Marion Jones was locked in the long jump competition that ultimately...

U.S. women beat Korea, await Australians.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Stephen A. Smith SYDNEY, Australia _ The U.S. women's basketball team is looking a lot like the men. The women don't know much about their opponents, or much care who they are. Their sole agenda is to make sure they don't return...

Investors, analysts very disappointed this year.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Jeff Brown If you're one of those sensible long-term investors who don't use an online system to track your portfolio moment by moment, better strap in. Otherwise, the third-quarter brokerage statement you get in the next week or...

Prince William steps out on his own.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Andrea Gerlin LONDON _ Britain's Prince William stepped out and into his own last week. In a brief news conference at his father's Highgrove estate, the telegenic teen-age prince showed none of the excesses of his royal...

Undercover state troopers infiltrated GOP convention protesters.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Craig R. McCoy and Linda K. Harris PHILADELPHIA _ With police helicopters swooping overhead, the protesters dashed in twos and threes to the waiting van. The 1995 Ford Econoline sped off, bound for Center City. Nervous and...

Porches, both pretty and practical, are becoming popular again.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Alan J. Heavens "A country house without a porch is like a man without an eyebrow." So wrote Donald G. Mitchel in his 1867 book, "Rural Studies." For the next half-century, front porches of all sizes and styles graced the...

Stamp-collecting news and notes.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Dominic Sama The Postal Service annually promotes October as National Stamp Collecting Month and earlier this week held an event to drum up support for the hobby. A strip of five commemoratives, each 33 cents, on deep-sea...

No drastic changes in store for new expanded `Today'.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Gail Shister Don't expect any drastic changes when NBC's "Today" expands to three hours beginning this morning. The 9-to-10 a.m. portion "will be very similar" to the first two hours, says executive producer Jeff Zucker....

Season premiere of `The West Wing,' Wednesday on NBC.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Jonathan Storm The president's on his way. The Secret Service agent, who just happens to be an attractive woman, patrols diligently. The crowd surges. On the jammed TV screen, 11 different people yell, wave their arms, talk...

Statements linking TV, violence simplistic, experts say.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Gwen Florio Tom Mauser is an unassuming guy, still somewhat shy despite the spotlight that has focused upon him since his 15-year-old son, Daniel, was gunned down in the Columbine High School library 18 months ago. So he...

`Puppet warehouse' owner recalls raid during GOP convention.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Linda K. Harris and Craig R. McCoy PHILADELPHIA _ Michael Graves never thought a $500 business deal could end up costing him so much. In July, Graves rented out his West Philadelphia trolley barn for $500. His tenants told...

HEADLINE HERE.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Jeffrey Fleishman GRACANICA, Yugoslavia _ One year ago, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was recovering from 78 days of NATO bombing, riot police were beating protestors in the streets and Vojislav Kostunica was a respected...

Slay reaches wrestling final.
September 29, 2000... Byline: Frank Fitzpatrick SYDNEY, Australia _ Brandon Slay was still soaked from the effort of his just-completed semifinal. His beaten Turkish opponent's protest had yet to be resolved. He didn't know who, or if, he would wrestle...

Reviews of new pop, country/roots, jazz and classical releases.
September 28, 2000... Pop: RICHARD BUCKNER "The Hill" (Overcoat/Convent, 3-{ stars) MARK KNOPFLER "Sailing to Philadelphia" (Warner Bros., 3 stars) From Walt Whitman to the Beats and beyond, troubadours have been adding chapter and verse to the...

Car questions answered.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Al Haas Q. I have a 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix. It has a message center that tells you when to change your oil, when your fuel is low, etc. It keeps flashing the message "HI STOP." I have no idea what that means. It's not mentioned...

Olympic edition of Buick Regal is both fun to drive, quiet.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Al Haas In the automobile business, special editions are a kind of Centrum Silver for older models. They are a favorite way of improving the sales health of vehicles that haven't been redesigned for a while. Perhaps that's...

`Barenaked In America'.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Tom Moon The tour bus is rolling across America, conveying the merry band of Canadians known as Barenaked Ladies to the next gig on the Stunt tour. Band members are opening up to the camera. It's another one of those...

Rolen's back threatening to prematurely end his season.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Bob Brookover CHICAGO _ Scott Rolen's chronic back condition is threatening to prematurely end the third baseman's season for the second consecutive year. After leaving Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs in the...

Phillies fall to Cubs, 1-0.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Bob Brookover CHICAGO _ What appeared to be a routine grounder to second base was actually an extraordinary accomplishment at a remarkably young age for Phillies lefthander Randy Wolf. Gary Matthews' grounder represented the...

Want a bridge? NJ Transit is trying to give this one away.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Lauren Mayk PHILADELPHIA _ New Jersey Transit officials are quickly finding out there isn't a great deal of need these days for a turn-of-the-century steel bridge half the length of a football field. As part of the $604...

Personal briefing.
September 28, 2000... Rushing the ski season: Start waxing up your skis. Although it's only been two weeks since the end of summer, Colorado ski resorts have begun making snow, the Denver Post reports. "We are in full winter mode up here," a spokesman for one...

Capsule reviews of new video releases.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Barry Zukerman The tale of a widowed teacher and a recently separated attorney who doubted they would find love again tops this week's list of new movies on video. BOSSA NOVA 3 stars (Columbia Tristar, `99) 95 mins. Amy...

Verizon voices support for laws requiring drivers to use hands-free devices with cell phones.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Zlati Meyer PHILADELPHIA _ If you can't stand watching drivers with one hand on the wheel and the other cradling a cell phone, you have a new and perhaps unexpected ally. Verizon Wireless Inc., the nation's largest wireless...

Prescription service would allow pharmacists to shift problems to specialists.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Susan Warner PHILADELPHIA _ It's another ear infection. The baby's batting at his ears and howling. But the pharmacist has the prescription now. Relief is minutes away. Not so fast. It seems this particular...

Big surprises for Pennsylvania teams.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Bill Lyon Temple: 3-1. Penn State: 1-4. Excuse me, but don't you have those records reversed? No, and it's hard to tell which is the bigger surprise, isn't it? Penn State, beset by tragedy and getting...

FDA approves RU-486 abortion-inducing drug.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Marie McCullough The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Thursday gave final approval to the controversial abortion pill mifepristone, better known as RU-486, paving the way for early abortion to become more accessible and more...

Key details about RU-486.
September 28, 2000... How it works: Mifepristone causes an abortion by blocking the hormone progesterone, which prepares the lining of the uterus for a fertilized egg and helps maintain pregnancy. A follow-up drug called a prostaglandin, taken two days after the...

Olympics show how irrational nation's contradictions are.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Acel Moore As I watch the Olympics, I find myself cheering, as I have always done, for U.S. athletes, even in sporting events I know little about and some I have never seen. Water polo is a classic example. Even though I...

Names in the news.
September 28, 2000... J.K. Rowling, whose "Harry Potter" books have come under parental challenge for witchcraft content, has acknowledged that the books aren't for all kids. "I do think, on occasion, the material is not suitable for 6-year-olds," the author...

Vinson loses in boxing semifinal.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Stephen A. Smith SYDNEY, Australia _ At some point every fighter has to lay his gloves down, concede defeat, and acknowledge that someone was quicker, stronger, faster. Thursday night was that time for Clarence Vinson. ...

It won't be the same without this group of soccer stars.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Bob Ford SYDNEY, Australia _ Maybe Thursday night wasn't the end of the U.S. women's soccer team as we have known it during an amazing decade when this group pulled the sport from the margins to the front pages. It sure felt...

An Olympics of drugs and heartbreak.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Tom Powers SYDNEY, Australia _ Tiny Andreea Raducan, wearing a simple peasant dress, sat stoically amid the tumult. Her cheeks were pale, her eyes tired.[paragraph] ``I don't understand where my medal has gone,'' she...

Huffins wins bronze in decathlon.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Phil Sheridan SYDNEY, Australia _ Chris Huffins had to do what he'd never done before. When he crossed the finish line after 1,500 meters, a race he used to hate, he knew that he'd done it. "You know when you're a kid playing...

Jones wins 200; bad start sinks Capel.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Phil Sheridan SYDNEY, Australia _ Marion Jones' to-do list got a little shorter Thursday night as she won her second gold medal with another commanding victory. This time, it was the 200-meter dash, a race she won without...

U.S. women fall to Russia in volleyball.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Frank Fitzpatrick SYDNEY, Australia _ Their towering front three resembled prisoners as they stood inches from the net on serves, peering menacingly through the grid at those on the other side. Their long arms were lifted high,...

In `greatest game,' U.S. has to settle for silver.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Mike Jensen SYDNEY, Australia _ Mia Hamm reminded her shell-shocked teammates to hold their heads up high as they stood on the silver medal podium. At Thursday night's Olympic women's soccer final, the U.S. had dominated...

Slay advances to semifinals.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Frank Fitzpatrick SYDNEY, Australia _ Brandon Slay wasn't the first graduate of Penn's Wharton School to await a big decision on the massage table. It had been another up-and-down day at the office, one in which he'd gone to the...

Highly anticipated followup to `OK Computer' goes in a different direction.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Tom Moon Thom Yorke, the lead singer of Radiohead, sounds perpetually on the brink of spilling his guarded soul's secrets. On his band's widely hailed 1997 concept album, "OK Computer," he appeared as a poster child for vague and...

Rabbis consider whether to work Lieberman into Rosh Hashana sermon.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Murray Dubin PHILADELPHIA _ Some rabbis have been thinking about this sermon all year. Some are writing it still, polishing phrases, searching for the perfect simile or the appropriate quotation from Scripture. Friday night...

DNA being used to identify toxic food faster.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Kent Steinriede Borrowing from advances in DNA identification and other high-tech processes, two companies are focusing on a new market: making automated equipment that can identify food-borne pathogens that sicken millions of...

Oscar-winning actress begins a new career as a director.
September 28, 2000... Byline: Steven Rea A list of Sally Field's filmmaking essentials: First, the outfit: Birkenstocks and socks, hiking pants from the North Face ("they have like 50,000 zippers and pockets"), a loose shirt, and a fanny pack. And...