Crain's Chicago Business articles from April 2003

Crain's Chicago Business archives from April 2003

Generation next; Offspring of corporate chieftains chart more entrepreneurial courses than their fathers.(News)
April 7, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Patrick Ryan Jr.'s first-and last-stint at a large corporation came in the early 1980s, when, at age 15, he donned a rust-colored, polyester uniform and worked the deep-fat fryer at a McDonald's Corp. outlet near his...

A new learning curve for Racing Champions; 'Thomas' deal steers firm into consumer brands.(News)(analysis of acquisition of Learning Curve International Inc. by Racing Champions Ertl Corp.)
April 7, 2003... Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA Racing Champions Ertl Corp. is driving onto a new track. With last month's $115-million acquisition of Chicago-based Learning Curve International Inc., the Glen Ellyn collectibles company is steering into the...

Seeing signs of turbulence around Meigs; A quiet chorus begins to question mayor's methods.(News)
April 7, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ Like a victorious general fresh from routing the enemy, Mayor Richard M. Daley has been in full strut since his fleet of bulldozers cakewalked through the battle to liberate Northerly Island. But in the cozy world of...

The state makes a sac fly for Sox; Stadium deal leaves taxpayers on hook if business sours.(News)
April 7, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN The Chicago White Sox's first victory of the young 2003 baseball season occurred off the field-and it was owed largely to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority's willingness to risk taking one for the team. ...

Mostly - but not all - good, competent men.(Commentary)
April 7, 2003... Byline: Joe Cappo Anyone interested in Illinois history should try to find a copy of a book published by the Institute for Public Affairs at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The book, "Mostly Good and Competent Men," includes...

Meigs message: Don't mess with Mayor Daley.(Opinion)(Editorial)
April 7, 2003... Had there been any doubt about who's boss of Chicago, Mayor Richard M. Daley put the question to rest last week. And he did it in the same manner used to bring Meigs Field to its untimely demise: with brute force. Flush from his...

Real Estate Review: City's new-home sales fall, while some suburbs boom.(Chicago, Illinois)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Residential developers in the city had a harder time selling units than building them last year. Sales of new homes in Chicago fell to 3,440 in 2002, down nearly 20% from the previous year, according to...

Aftermarket sales bolster Clarcor results.(News)
April 7, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Even in the face of war and recession, not every industrial company is suffering. Take Clarcor Inc., a century-old manufacturer in Rockford that wouldn't appear to be a candidate for strong growth. A maker of air...

Datebook.(Calendar)
April 7, 2003... WEEK OF APRIL 7 APRIL 7: Center for Intellectual Property Law at John Marshall Law School presents The Changing Views of Intellectual Property at Large Companies. 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. John Marshall Law School, 315 S. Plymouth Court. Free....

Quote of the Week.(Alter Group President Michael Alter on the charitable style of the new generation of business leaders)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... When I get involved in something, I want to really get involved - much more so than writing a check or just sitting on a board. Alter Group President Michael Alter, on the charitable style of the up-and-coming generation of business leaders...

Blackwell father/son partnership tested their bond; Collision of styles roiled IT startup.(News)
April 7, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Clashing business styles and father-son dynamics proved a potent mix when the Robert Blackwells Sr. and Jr. went into business together. They were realizing a long-held dream of teaming the father's master...

Minting customers; Banks reach out to wary borrowers with more marketing muscle.(Special Report: Business Lending)
April 7, 2003... Byline: ED AVIS When Rick Kash, president of Cambridge Group, sought a new bank last year, he didn't shop for the lowest price. With strong financials and plans to expand despite a down economy, Mr. Kash could have played the rate game and...

Trib's center unites weather watching.(News)
April 7, 2003... Byline: DAISY WHITNEY Crain News Service Tribune Co. is consolidating weather forecasting for its Chicago-area media outlets in a new, state-of-the-art facility. The weather center, to be located in a former newsroom at Tribune...

SBA shouldering heavier burden; Hard-pressed firms come calling.(Special Report: Business Lending)
April 7, 2003... Byline: JERRY DeMUTH Mariangela Palumbo's travel agency is back on its feet after four banks refused to extend her a loan, bringing the company to the brink. ``My business fell totally after 9/11,'' says Ms. Palumbo, owner of...

Buyer beware: Clothing you buy may inform on you.(Opinion)
April 7, 2003... Byline: Marc J. Lane Management strategists are touting a miraculous new computer system that promises to revolutionize the way manufacturers and retailers track consumer goods from factory to cash register. But pranksters and profiteers...

Delinquencies hit microlenders, too; Tough economy is taking a toll on small players.(Special Report: Business Lending)
April 7, 2003... Byline: ED AVIS Organizations offering microloans-those little cash infusions with a big impact on tiny enterprises-are feeling the pinch of a tight economy. And as the small businesses dependent on microloans suffer from tight-fisted...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
April 7, 2003... WEEK OF APRIL 7 April 9-10: Equipment Leasing Assn. of America, Fairmont Hotel, estimated attendance 550. April 9-11: Construction Specifications Institute, McCormick Place North, estimated attendance 10,000. April 9-11: Defense...

Chicago Observer: Engineering firms trade places on Bank One's trading floor job.(Briefs)
April 7, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler Bank One Corp., betting heavily on expanding its capital markets capabilities, is building a technologically up-to-date trading floor in a Loop tower under construction. What's not quite up to date, according to...

Tobacco judgment could choke Kraft; Parent's options: sell shares, boost dividend.(News)
April 7, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN and JAMES B. ARNDORFER A whiff of secondhand smoke is raising new questions about Kraft Foods Inc.'s vulnerability to the tobacco lawsuits embroiling its majority shareholder, Altria Group Inc. If Altria's Philip...

Executive Moves.(People)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING Steven K. Wright, 39, to partner at Dahlquist & Lutzow Architects Ltd. in Elgin, from vice-president of construction administrative services. CONSUMER SERVICES Thomas Braun, 25, to controller at Lakeshore...

Late News.(news briefs from Chicago, Illinois)
April 7, 2003... MB, SUDLER PARENT BREAK OFF MERGER The planned combination of two of the city's largest real estate firms is off. Commercial real estate management and leasing firm MB Real Estate LLC and residential brokerage and management holding...

Boeing launches new sweepstakes; Ill. is dark horse in race for next airplane plant.(News)
April 7, 2003... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Boeing Co.'s disclosure last week that it might build a new commercial airplane somewhere besides Seattle will spark another bidding war like the one that landed the company's headquarters here two years ago. ...

Stealth investor is taking a big bite of Big Store.(News)(millionaire Edward Lampert acquires stakes in Kmart Corp., Sears Roebuck & Co.)
April 7, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES Edward Lampert, the stealth Connecticut multimillionaire poised to take control of Kmart Corp., has been quietly buying up big chunks of Sears, Roebuck and Co., making him the retailer's second-largest shareholder. ...

War, virus sap UAL's cushion; Mounting losses could precipitate default.(United Air Lines Inc.)
April 7, 2003... Byline: PAUL MERRION War and a deadly Asian virus are accelerating the estimated arrival time of a financial reckoning for United Airlines. United could default on its bankruptcy loans sooner than expected, potentially triggering a...

Profile: Developer is betting on industrial sector.(Real Estate)(Ryan Cos.)
April 7, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY When Minneapolis developer Ryan Cos. arrived in Chicago four years ago, it concentrated on shopping centers. Now, it's set its sights on the local industrial sector, testimony to the fact that the sector has held up...

Study: O'Hare plan too pokey.(plans to expand O'Hare International Airport)(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... A study commissioned by the city revealed that Mayor Richard M. Daley's plan to expand O'Hare International Airport would not keep up with expected increases in flights and may even worsen delays, the Chicago Tribune reported. John Harris,...

For firms, hiring disabled people offers a big payback.(Opinion)
April 7, 2003... Byline: Sheila T. Romano Diversity in the workplace has again become a much-discussed topic among Americans. Very often, these discussions do not include the country's largest minority group: people with disabilities. Although progress...

CEO raises get fat in lean times; Slim profits don't stand in way of bonuses.(News)(salaries, bonuses earned by chief executive officers in 2002)
April 7, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS GATX Corp. Chairman and CEO Ronald H. Zech made a lot more money in 2002 than his company did. While GATX finished with a paltry net profit of $300,000 and its stock price fell 30%, Mr. Zech received a...

Buona Beef family gets ambitious.(Dining/Restaurant Review )(Joey Buona's Pizzeria Grille )(Restaurant Review)
April 7, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN What's in a name? Well, even though Buona Beef is a big gun in Italian beef sandwiches with 10 suburban outposts, I confess that I put off visiting the Buonavolanto family's new, much more ambitious venture just off...

REFUNDS CAUSE SHORTFALLS: Taxing times; PTAB is at center of fight between schools and property owners.(Real Estate)(Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board)
April 7, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ Tell your friends you're suffering from PTAB problems and they may suggest you see a doctor. If only the remedy was that simple. PTAB-short for the Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board-is a tiny agency with the...

Chicago Observer: Baghdad geography is suddenly in season for Chicago developer.(Briefs)
April 14, 2003... Byline: Steven R. Strahler After the attempted hit on Saddam Hussein last week in the Mansur section of Baghdad, ``I went, `Oh God, people are going to think I'm from Iraq,' '' says E. Barry Mansur, a Chicago developer who traces his...

Gloomy headlines, modest comforts; Consumers find refuge in small indulgences.(News)
April 14, 2003... Byline: ANNE MOORE A pink raincoat, pricey cooking oil, a day at the spa. These are just some of the items consumers are indulging in as they seek respite from the grim news of war, SARS, the languishing economy and even the long, dreary...

Message to the guv: Don't isolate state from business.(Opinion)(Illinois)(Column)
April 14, 2003... Byline: Douglas L. Whitley State policymakers need to transform Illinois' economic development vision from tollway (where government continually taps business to solve spending problems) to freeway (where companies can speed up to create...

Banks woo minority clients; Rapid growth is drawing more interest from lenders.(Small Business)
April 14, 2003... Byline: MARK KASS Alfredo Linares recalls when he had to stand in line at his local bank for the chance to convince lenders, most of whom did not speak Spanish, that he was a good candidate for a business loan. These days bankers line...

Cash woes crimp clothes; Minority fashion designers face tough funding fight.(Small Business)(Illanoyze)
April 14, 2003... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Kareem Muhammad wants to be the next Ralph Lauren. He'd like to expand Illanoyze, his line of moderately priced sportswear, into a collection of evening dresses, perhaps even home fashions. The only drawback?...

By the numbers: How to predict the crime rate.(Commentary)(Column)
April 14, 2003... From police departments to judges to politicians, many elements of the criminal justice system tried to take credit for the reduction in the crime rate during the 1990s. The question I have is whether they had any effect at all on the...

State shouldn't back off from Boeing plant derby.(Opinion)(Illinois)(Brief Article)(Column)
April 14, 2003... A good salesperson will tell you: ``Don't take `no' for an answer.'' The state of Illinois' economic development people should heed that advice and refuse to be deterred from making a serious bid to win a new manufacturing plant that...

Kraft needs a cigarette break from parent firm.(Opinion)(Brief Article)(Column)
April 14, 2003... The child shouldn't pay for the sins of the parent-or, in the case of Kraft Foods Inc., the parent company. But its nearly 15 years of ownership by a tobacco company is beginning to inflict pain on the Northfield-based food giant,...

Crain's seeks nominations for 40 Under 40 feature.(News)
April 14, 2003... Crain's Chicago Business is seeking nominations for its annual 40 Under 40 feature, which spotlights men and women who've made it to the top of their fields before celebrating a 40th birthday. Anyone working in the Chicago area who will...

Executive Moves.(People)
April 14, 2003... FINANCIAL SERVICES William Knapp, 41, to managing director of personal investment management at Northern Trust Corp., from managing director and head of global investment strategy at Citigroup Asset Management and Citigroup Private Bank in...

Old school spirit; Alums of historically black colleges network their way to success.(Small Business)
April 14, 2003... Byline: BRIAN LEAF For 13 years John M. Watson was a road warrior, selling food across the Midwest. And while charge cards were an important part of his traveling life, it was his Morehouse College alumni directory he never left home...

SARS roils area manufacturers; Companies recall Far East execs, delay deals.(News)(severe acute respiratory syndrome)
April 14, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA After a year of preparation, Tek Pak Inc. was a month away from introducing its packaging systems for electronic components in China, but a potentially fatal virus spreading through Asia has delayed the debut of the...

New reservations over hotel loans; Corus sends up warning sign about portfolio.(News)(Corus Bankshares Inc.)
April 14, 2003... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Corus Bankshares Inc.'s decision three years ago to place nearly all its chips on commercial real estate is showing early signs of becoming a risky bet. The number of potential problem loans in the Chicago-based...

Bulls' next GM? Get turnaround expert; Follow game plan of ex-Quaker chief.(News)(Chicago Bulls)(Bob Morrison)
April 14, 2003... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN Looking at a now-vacant general manager's position, Chicago Bulls fans are probably hoping for a flashy, big-name executive like Michael Jordan or Jerry West to replace Jerry Krause. What they need, however, is a Bob...

GADGETS AND GIZMOS: Better equipped; Innovation helps manufacturers build efficiency.(Technology)(Greater Chicago Sensors Group)
April 14, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER Every six weeks, metal stamping executive Martin Wiegel meets with a group of peers to talk technology. The get-togethers don't revolve around biotech or other topics that bring a sparkle to a futurist's eye....

Kim chee, wild boar and other Korean treats.(News)(Restaurant Review)
April 14, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN Woo Lae Oak, the upscale Korean restaurant that disappeared from Hubbard Street in River North a couple of years ago, has resurfaced in Rolling Meadows-bigger and better than before. From the outside, the...

State smacks small biz; Guv's budget protects large firms' tax breaks.(News)(Rod Blagojevich )
April 14, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ SPRINGFIELD-Big business is breathing a sigh of relief while small business is squealing in pain over the fiscal 2004 budget that Gov. Rod Blagojevich unveiled last week. Tax breaks that favor manufacturers and big...

Stocks sag in first quarter; War's progress sparks little hope for rally.(News)
April 14, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Local stocks tumbled in the first quarter as deepening economic woes overshadowed favorable reports from the war front. Telecommunications and transportation issues led the way down, followed by sectors ranging...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)
April 14, 2003... If United liquidates, it would take nearly a decade for O'Hare to return to pre-Sept. 11 levels. DePaul University airline expert Joseph Schwieterman PAGE 3

Late News.(various news briefs)
April 14, 2003... PAIN CONTINUES IN LEASING MARKETS The Chicago-area office and industrial leasing markets weakened in the first quarter, while leasing at local shopping centers picked up. With few companies hiring amid a weak economy, the downtown office...

A freshman congressman who's passed his first test.(Rahm Emanuel )
April 14, 2003... Byline: Paul Merrion Three months into his new job, and Rahm Emanuel is completely disillusioned. Not really. You must have some illusions in order to lose them, and Chicago's newest congressman came into office with a very clear...

Asian communities fertile for new biz; entrepreneurial residents build thriving centers.
April 14, 2003... Byline: BILL CLEMENTS Todd Huynh's parents were doubtful when he told them he wanted to open a cafe in Chinatown. Like many older Chinese immigrants, they operate a traditional grocery and herbal shop in the Near South Side neighborhood....

Options trading is Net firm's mainstay.(OptionsXpress)
April 14, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY At a time when most Internet brokerages are fighting for survival, a Chicago firm has found a profitable niche in online options trading. OptionsXpress LLC has amassed 40,000 active customers and nearly $600...

Shelved by retail shakeout; as store chains falter, 102-year-old supplier tumbles.(RHC/Spacemaster Corp.)
April 14, 2003... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Kmart Corp.'s bankruptcy and Gap Inc.'s retrenchment turned out to be a deadly combination for RHC/Spacemaster Corp. After 102 years in business-in the hands of the same family-the Melrose Park-based company is...

Firms growing close to home; minorities lean toward familiar clients, locations.
April 14, 2003... Byline: META L. LEVIN When minority small business owners branch out of their neighborhoods, they don't travel far. Most who open additional locations in new areas exhibit significant sophistication and business knowledge, but often,...

McD's unveils strategic shifts.(McDonald's Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2003... McDonald's Corp. will cut spending on new restaurants and remodeling by 40% and revamp its menu to lift sales in the U.S. The Oak Brook-based fast-food giant will add 360 restaurants this year, compared with more than 1,000 last year, CEO James...

Developers seek new hot spots; soaring prices leading them to untapped areas.
April 14, 2003... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI Most residents of Chicago's Kilbourn Park neighborhood think their area is just dandy-clean and safe. The houses are tidy and well-maintained, and the Northwest Side neighborhood has an established commercial base...

Crain's receives top business publication award.(Brief Article)
April 14, 2003... Crain's Chicago Business has been awarded the ``Best in Business'' honor for weekly business newspapers by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Inc. (SABEW). This is the second year in a row that Crain's has won the top...

UAL liquidation: measuring the spillover effect; Workers, vendors, city, travelers would suffer.(United Airlines)
April 14, 2003... Byline: PAUL MERRION The fate of United Airlines always has been defined by the struggle to become fit enough to survive, but lately, that Darwinian imperative has morphed into something out of ``Lord of the Flies.'' ``A new airline...

Profile: Physician develops motivational wristwatch to send a message to smokers.(Neil B. Perlman)
April 14, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN The odds of quitting smoking do not favor the smoker. In fact, it would be easier to win back the cost of a lottery ticket in Illinois than to quit armed solely with a doctor's advice. Neil B. Perlman...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2003... WEEK OF APRIL 14 APRIL 15: Service Corps of Retired Executives presents How To Talk to a Banker. 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Citicorp Center, 500 W. Madison St., Suite 1250. Fee: $30. (312) 353-7724. APRIL 15: Women's Business Development...

McD's ad agencies' 'big idea': Keep biz; Shops battle for millions in account shootout.
April 14, 2003... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN McDonald's Corp.'s top two advertising agencies, which have produced some of the most-and least-memorable ad lines in the company's history, have a lot to lose. Leo Burnett USA Inc. and DDB Chicago could become...

Executive Moves.(in the financial services industry)
April 21, 2003... FINANCIAL SERVICES Paul A. Berley, 35, to managing director and controller at PrivateBank & Trust Co., from associate managing director and controller. Also, David C. Neilson, 33, to managing director, from associate managing director. ...

Manager says time is right for hedge funds.(Robert Sanborn leaves Harris Associates L.P.)
April 21, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Robert Sanborn left Chicago mutual fund adviser Harris Associates L.P. to start his own hedge fund in 2000, just as stocks were beginning to swoon. His timing was near-perfect. At Sanborn Kilcollin Partners LLC,...

Merc to clear trades at CBT.(Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. exchanges)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... Chicago's two big futures exchanges, warily eyeing a common threat from upstart competitor Eurex AG of Germany, agreed to a rare joint initiative-a deal that would allow the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. to guarantee, or clear, transactions...

Morningstar warms to money managers; Out to woo clients with new product.(introduces new product)
April 21, 2003... Byline: RICK MILLER Crain News Service After retail investors embraced its stock-research service, Morningstar Inc. has launched a product to court professional money managers, a customer base it's just begun to tap. The move is part...

Profile: State's new debt management director is ready, willing and Abel.(David Abel, new debt management director of Illinois)
April 21, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ He's working 14-hour days and seven-day weeks. The last time he had a day off was five weeks ago-before he took the job. But not only is David Abel not complaining, he says he'll keep working ``as long as they'll have...

Pliant's roll-up bogs down; Tight margins, slow growth set back plastics consolidator.(Pliant Corp.'s management and company sales)
April 21, 2003... Byline: MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK Pliant Corp. isn't quite wrapped up and ready to go. A maker of products such as plastic juice boxes, cereal box liners and dry-cleaning bags, Pliant has played the role of consolidator in the highly...

Real Estate Review: Retail future for Romeoville industrial district.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Long a haven for warehouses, Romeoville is heating up as a destination for homebuilders and retail developers. At least a half-dozen projects are being considered along Weber Road in the southwest suburb, with the...

Firms find online networks bring value, vulnerability; Challenge is keeping exchange of info secure.(usage of online services)
April 21, 2003... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS More companies are sharing and exchanging information over computer networks, but that openness comes with risk. Electronic connections to partners, vendors and third parties can inadvertently make private data...

Networking: It's not just for blue suits anymore.(Opinion)(importance for graduates of historically black colleges)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... Professional networks are the lifeblood of entrepreneurs, connecting buyers with sellers, borrowers with lenders, ideas with venture capitalists. Many of those connections are made in college, where bonds between students later grow into links...

Takeover talk on rise at Ryerson; Investor move renews steel biz buzz.(Ryerson Tull Inc.)
April 21, 2003... Byline: JAMES B. ARNDORFER An acquisitive South African metals trader has put Ryerson Tull Inc., the country's largest steel distributor, in play. Eric Samson, who holds a 6% stake in Chicago-based Ryerson, has disclosed in a...

Chain tries to make it in trendy River North.(Red Lobster Inc. management and advertising)
April 21, 2003... Byline: ANNE SPISELMAN I'd never eaten at a Red Lobster, but I've seen the ads on TV. The lobsters are steaming, gleaming perfection. Scampi lined up in neat rows glisten in garlic butter. Each fried shrimp is deliciously plump and golden....

Adjusting their halos; Three years after the crash, the Prairie Angels offer a bedeviled local tech market hope and money.(News)
April 21, 2003... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON The Prairie Angels sit expectantly in a downtown Chicago hotel conference room, arranged in half-crescents at round tables. They've enjoyed a buffet dinner-the veterans swooping in on the chafing dishes before a...

Fitzgerald makes the right decision for him and state.(Opinion)
April 21, 2003... Byline: Robert Reed A few years ago, a representative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce stopped by to talk with some Crain's editors about various business-related issues. In the course of the conversation, he was asked about the chamber's...

Direct retailer sees its seller ranks swell; But sales slump for marketer of women's wear.(Weekenders USA Inc.'s company sales)
April 21, 2003... Byline: MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK A Vernon Hills company that brought the Tupperware party concept to women's wear expects a growing salesforce to offset slumping sales. The same economic slump that sent sales at Weekenders USA Inc. sliding...

Threadbare Hartmarx eyes sales upturn.(News)
April 21, 2003... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY After restoring profits through deep cost-cutting in 2002, Hartmarx Corp. hopes to rekindle sales growth this year. The Chicago-based menswear maker eked out a profit of $866,000, or 2 cents a diluted share, in...

Odds favor state gaming expansion; Casinos, horse tracks go for gold.(News)
April 21, 2003... Byline: BOB TITA Gaming interests are ignit- ing what could be the biggest gambling explosion to hit Illinois since the debut of riverboat casinos nearly a decade ago. Owners of the state's casinos and horse-racing tracks-groups that...

Reporting on the war gets good, but not great, grades.(Opinion)(Column)
April 21, 2003... Byline: Joel Weisman Luckily for all of us, the war with Iraq did not put the entire country on a war footing. But it clearly put the press on such a footing. Every media outlet literally provided more war coverage than you could digest...

Mini Cooper's big ride; Race is on to fill brisk demand for the anti-Hummer.(News)(BMW's tiny compact car growing in popularity)
April 21, 2003... Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA In a nation overrun by sport utility vehicles, it takes a certain kind of person to drive the smallest car on the road. Victoria Landau is one of those intrepid individuals. She owns a Mini Cooper, the tiny car...

ABA's tough case: Clean up its mess; Execs' exit, cost overruns dog law association.(News)(American Bar Association)
April 21, 2003... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Confronted by massive cost overruns on a technology project that triggered the resignations of three senior executives, the American Bar Assn. will slash spending this year by 6%-a first step in dealing with...

Waiting for Edgar's call; His decision will determine flow of campaign cash.(News)
April 21, 2003... Byline: GREG HINZ It all depends on Jim Edgar. The dynamics of the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., will change dramatically-among both Republicans and Democrats-depending on whether the two-term governor turned...

An aging mall tries on a new wardrobe; Gurnee Mills set to launch a $10-mil. face-lift.(News)
April 21, 2003... Byline: SANDRA JONES The American mall has lost its standing with shoppers, but Gurnee Mills plans to make a major investment to try to win them back. The giant north suburban shopping outpost has launched a $10-million makeover,...

Quote of the Week.(Quotes)
April 21, 2003... It's Edgar's for the asking. GOP fund-raiser John Glennon, on the Republican field in the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald PAGE 4