Crain's Chicago Business articles from April 2006

Crain's Chicago Business archives from April 2006

DID YOU HEAR THE ONE ABOUT . . .(Focus: Law)
April 3, 2006... You know it's time to get out of an industry when there's an endless supply of punch lines about what you do. Keep your eyes peeled throughout the Focus section for a sampling of our favorites. Q: What do you have when a lawyer is buried up...

This Week: Hospital charity care bill is dead for '06.(Briefs)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Shruti Date Singh A proposal to make tax-exempt hospitals devote 8% of annual operating costs to charity care is dead in the Illinois General Assembly this year. Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who proposed the bill, agreed to...

For The Record.(Briefs)(Motorola Inc.answersto the Treo and the BlackBerry )(Wages of truck drivers )(Fordham Spire, a residential and hotel tower, is expected to be finished in 2010.)
April 3, 2006... The bill extending prevailing wages to truck drivers who deliver construction materials to state-funded job sites failed in the Illinois House on Thursday. (See related story on Page 18.) The measure was defeated on a 17-67 vote. United is...

The future is corn tamales; It was, anyway, for one Chicago lawyer.(Focus: Law)
April 3, 2006... Byline: CHRISTINA LE BEAU Nancy Andrade was 12 when her dad lost his job at a steel mill on the Southeast Side of Chicago. The plant shut down unannounced and "everyone's world collapsed,'' recalls Ms. Andrade, now 37. Her father's...

Brewer buys bleacher rights.(Briefs)(Anheuser-Busch )(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... When Cubs fans fill the outfield seats at Wrigley Field for the home opener Friday afternoon, they'll be sitting in the Bud Light Bleachers. Anheuser-Busch announced last week that it has purchased the naming rights to those seats inside the...

Exec wants to buy `upper upscale' hotels.(People)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Gregory Meyer Job: Senior vice-president of acquisitions and development, Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc., since December. Vitals: 50 years old; bachelor's degree, University of New Hampshire, 1977. In a 26-year hospitality...

Step by step to making the break; Ready to run, kick and scream? Then read on.(Focus: Law)(Running from the Law: Why Good Lawyers are Getting Out of the Legal Profession)(What Can You Do With a Law Degree?: A Lawyer's Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside and Around the Law)(Should You Really Be a Lawyer?: The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During and After Law School)(Book review)
April 3, 2006... Byline: LAURIE CUNNINGHAM Web sites Career Consultant Network www.decisionbooks.com/ counselors.shtml This site provides a regional guide to career counselors who specialize in helping lawyers find alternative careers. ...

Pension perils; TAXPAYERS HAVEN'T FOCUSED ON IT YET, BUT RETIREMENT PLAN MESS IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Greg Hinz Be they conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, the candidates for governor in last month's primary agreed on one thing: The state's employee pension plans are a mess. The average taxpayer hasn't focused on...

From legal briefs to bachelorettes; Hate your job? There's always reality TV.(Focus: Law)(Kevin Kappock of LMNO Productions Inc)
April 3, 2006... Byline: LAURIE CUNNINGHAM While delivering a speech at his law school graduation, Kevin Kappock got a big laugh when he noted that the first law school of the modern world was founded in Bologna, Italy-the birthplace of baloney. His...

The Poker Champ.(Focus: Law)(Greg Raymer won 35th annual World Series of Poker tournament)
April 3, 2006... Greg Raymer was a patent lawyer at Pfizer Inc. when he won the 35th annual World Series of Poker tournament in May 2004-walking away with $5 million in cash, the largest prize in poker tournament history. Mr. Raymer, known by the nickname...

The Wine Guy.(Focus: Law)
April 3, 2006... As the editor of the Wine Advocate, Robert Parker Jr. is both loved and hated for his ability to make or break a new label in an industry historically dominated by European aristocrats and old-money millionaires. But before the Baltimore...

The great escape.(Focus: Law)(career counseling by Cheryl Rich Heisler)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Laurie Cunningham Career counselor Cheryl Rich Heisler uses a four-stage approach to help clients transition from law to more satisfying work. The steps are completed in four to six hour-long sessions with Ms. Heisler. Sessions are...

The Food Critic.(Focus: Law)(Jeffrey Steingarten)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Jeffrey Steingarten, author of "The Man Who Ate Everything'' and a judge on the Food Network's "Iron Chef,'' is also a Harvard law school grad. After graduating in 1968, he worked as an assistant to then-Boston Mayor Kevin White and did legal...

Loan Brawl.(News)(Comdisco)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... 1998: Comdisco execs take out $109 million in company-guaranteed loans to purchase company stock. 2000: Dot-com crash destroys Comdisco's prospects; CEO Nicholas Pontikes resigns. 2001: Comdisco files for bankruptcy protection. ...

Study slams banks' service; Secret shoppers report lack of warmth, concern for customers.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Even with a flood of new retail branches and high deposit rates, Chicago banks are doing a poor job at customer service, a new study concludes. Naperville-based advertising and marketing agency Rhea & Kaiser...

Spring forward to May Street; Bright space refreshes our outlook; menu packs just as much punch.(The Business of Life)
April 3, 2006... Byline: VIRGINIA GERST Want to show a client you think outside the box? Avoid business as usual and venture (slightly) out of the Loop for lunch. Two restaurants just a few minutes west of downtown are possibilities. One is new and the...

Members-only care for man and beast.(The Business of Life)(316 Club Barber Spa and Canine Empire LLC)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Laura Bianchi Care and grooming by membership has come to two new worlds: the masculine and the canine. Guess which gets a heated indoor swimming pool and weight loss center? 316 Club Barber Spa 175 W. Jackson Blvd. ...

Head Master.(The Business of Life)(Mike Parisi from Parisi's Barber Shop)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Kevin Davis Mike Parisi, 69, owner, Parisi's Barber Shop, 208 S. LaSalle St. Duties: Cuts hair in financial district for "attorneys and bankers, a few brokers and bond people. I used to cut (late DePaul basketball coach) Ray...

St. Andrews: plain but popular; Lakewood wins praise; a great driving range.(The Business of Life)(St. Andrews Golf and Country Club)
April 3, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY On a bitingly cold Saturday in early March, most local courses were still deep in hibernation. But golfers lined up early to tee off at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago, and by midafternoon, the driving...

Poised for a drop? Short-sellers bet against Board of Trade.(Markets)(Chicago Board of Trade)(securities)
April 3, 2006... Byline: KATE RYAN CBOT Holdings Inc. is attracting a different kind of trader: the short-seller. The shorts are swarming, betting that shares in the Chicago Board of Trade's parent company will take a dive after member-owned stock hits the...

Top Table.(The Business of Life)
April 3, 2006... For seriously good eating, make haste to May Street. La Scarola, though, is a great spot to relax over traditional Italian food in a congenial Old World atmosphere.

Airports on area fringe expand; Communities hope improvements will help attract development.(News)(O'Hare International Airport, Peotone)
April 3, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY While politicians continue to squabble over expansion at O'Hare International Airport and a proposed new airport in Peotone, small airfields around the suburban periphery and beyond are on an expansion binge. ...

What's the etiquette for personal cell phone use in the office?(The Business of Life)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Darci Smith Keep it on vibrate to eliminate the possibility of it ringing repeatedly when you leave it unattended, or in case you forget it while you're at lunch, says Barbara Pachter, author of "The Jerk With the Cell Phone: A...

FALOR'S TRAIL; -condo developer faces numerous lawsuits from creditors, partner.(News)(Brash Hotel: case of false allegations)
April 3, 2006... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Robert Falor has emerged as one of the most aggressive promoters of the hottest real estate trend in downtown Chicago: selling hotel rooms as condominiums. But as the 38-year-old tries to build a condo-hotel empire...

Does your job feel like jail?(Focus: Law)(Changes in career of Gary Sircus)
April 3, 2006... Byline: DANIEL ROME LEVINE From his spacious office on the 37th floor of a Loop high-rise, Gary Sircus had a stunning view of the Chicago skyline. He also looked straight onto the rooftop recreation area of the Metropolitan Correctional...

Tied up in knots? Then try tying knots; How one man found salvation through silk.(Focus: Law)(Greg Shugar,a lawer)
April 3, 2006... Byline: DANIEL ROME LEVINE In 1998, fresh out of law school and working for a small telecommunications company, Greg Shugar found himself caught in the middle of a shouting match. "How did anyone ever marry you?'' Mr. Shugar's boss...

Reasonable doubt.(Focus: Law)(Cheryl Rich Heisler,lawer of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP)(Interview)
April 3, 2006... Byline: LAURIE CUNNINGHAM As a former corporate lawyer at what's now Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Cheryl Rich Heisler knows what it's like to feel uninspired and stuck. She's now the president of Lawternatives, a Chicago career consulting...

Sunshine should be part of spring cleaning Congress.(Opinion)(reform measures for Congress)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Jesse L. Jackson Jr. After the long winter recess, Congress' top priority has become spring cleaning. Under Republican rule the last several years, legislation has been contaminated by unchecked power and big money. To reverse...

Nicor signals another rate-hike request.(News)(Nicor Inc.)
April 3, 2006... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Just six months after winning a $50-million rate increase, Nicor Inc. already is talking about asking state regulators for another hike. In recent meetings with Wall Street analysts, Russ Strobel, CEO of the...

The amazing long life of the Razr; Against odds, hip flip phone keeps selling; but can parts keep up?(News)(Motorola Inc.,Razr)
April 3, 2006... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON At a time when most cellular phones are yanked from the market just months after they're introduced, Motorola's Razr is proving bulletproof. Sales of the slim, metallic handset continue to accelerate, showing no...

Sears piles up $4 billion in cash; Spending cuts build war chest, give Lampert investment options.(News)(Sears Holdings Corp.)
April 3, 2006... Byline: SANDRA JONES Sears Holdings Corp.'s cash hoard has about tripled in the past year, leaving billionaire hedge fund manager and Sears Chairman Edward Lampert in a prime position to do what he does best: invest it. But Sears...

Cook County cash crunch; Sources say gov't may need to borrow to fund operations.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: GREG HINZ Already reeling from the hospitalization of President John H. Stroger Jr., Cook County government now faces a troubling financial predicament: a cash crunch that sources say could force the county to borrow short-term...

Insight seeker.(The Business of Life)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Dan Weissmann Susan M. Crown, 47, is president of the Arie and Ida Crown Memorial Foundation, which gave out more than $9 million in 2004. She's also a partner in the family business, Henry Crown & Co., and juggles board...

FreightCar falls on slowdown fears.(Markets)(FreightCar America Inc.'s)(securities)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Bob Tita Investors put the brakes on FreightCar America Inc.'s stock after an analyst warned that demand for new freight railcars may be peaking. The Chicago-based company's stock fell 12% last week, closing Friday at $63.60 a...

Need to Know.(Focus: Law)
April 3, 2006... Byline: Source: Lawternatives When lawyers leave law firms, here is where they go, ranked by the most popular industries: 1 Corporate management or in-house counsel for a former client 2 Communications, including PR, journalism,...

Using McCormick as airport check-in; Company takes luggage, issues boarding passes.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER In the ongoing battle for convention business, Chicago has a new weapon: the downtown skycap. Conventioneers now can skip at least some lines at O'Hare International Airport by checking their bags and getting...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
April 3, 2006... * Lehman Bros. should have been included in the March 27 directory of investment bankers. A corrected version appears online at Chicago-Business.com/lists. * A March 20 story should have stated that Knob Creek bourbon sales volume...

Property tax cap good for all-even business.(Opinion)
April 3, 2006... With an election looming in November, Illinois politicians are eager to procrastinate, avoiding decisions on thorny issues until after the campaign. Among the measures that appear headed for a holding pattern: extending a 7% cap on Cook...

Natural soap seeks a national stage; Owner hopes presence in Walgreen, Jewel helps.(News)(Jewel-Osco Div.)
April 3, 2006... Byline: JULIE JARGON Henry Stewart is hoping a boost from Walgreen Co. will help turn his natural soap and toothpaste business into a national brand. The owner of Chicago-based Minar Products LLC says a chance meeting with a former...

The Beauty Queen.(Focus: Law)(Vincent, Marjorie)
April 3, 2006... Marjorie Vincent was a student at Duke University School of Law when she was crowned Miss America in 1991. A native of Oak Park who represented Illinois in the pageant, she was the fourth African-American to win the title (Vanessa Williams was...

First Industrial seeking deals; Plans to buy buildings in venture with UBS unit.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: ALBY GALLUN After a record-breaking year for acquisitions in 2005, First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. aims to keep the momentum going with a $900 million joint venture with a unit of UBS A.G. The Chicago-based real estate...

Identity theft could be boon for Vasco.(Markets)(Vasco Corp.)(Brief article)
April 3, 2006... Byline: H. Lee Murphy The pick: Oakbrook Terrace-based Vasco sells computer-access authentication products to banks and credit card companies. Mr. Oberweis began buying shares in fourth-quarter 2004, when the stock was trading around $3....

The Acting Senator.(Focus: Law)
April 3, 2006... Fred Dalton Thompson was a federal prosecutor in Tennessee and co-counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee in the early 1970s before launching an acting career. First featured in movies like "The Hunt for Red October,'' he left acting when he...

I am @ work right now - check this out -; What happens when bloggers take on Chicago's biggest companies? There's a little insight - and a lot of mischief.(The Business of Life)(Boeing Co.)(McDonald's Corp.)(Motorola Inc.)(Allstate Corp.)
April 3, 2006... Byline: mark scheffler Carping about work is no longer relegated to whispers at the water cooler or beer-fueled tirades at the bar with colleagues. If you don't have anything nice to say, there are plenty of opportunities to say it online:...

On the Move.(People)(A. Epstein and Sons International Inc. appoints Michael Damore)(LaSalle Bank N.A. appoints Trish Kelly)(Hilco Appraisal Services L.L.C. appoints Catheryn Harshman )
April 3, 2006... ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING A. Epstein & Sons International Inc., Chicago: Michael Damore, 56, to executive managing director and president of the architecture and interior design units, from senior executive vice-president and director of...

CAT ANSWERS CRITICS WITH GLOBAL AD PUSH; As profits roll in, equipment maker takes on its global image problem.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: BOB TITA Caterpillar Inc. executives had good news to announce March 16: a 16% increase in February equipment sales. That same day, on the sidewalk outside the company's Peoria headquarters, a handful of peace activists smeared...

Tussle over truckers' pay; Bill would add delivery drivers to prevailing wage law for state-funded work.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: BOB TITA Organized labor and the construction industry are digging in for a late-session battle in the General Assembly over legislation that would raise the pay rates of truckers who deliver materials to state-funded construction...

Comdisco loan deal terms demanded; Ex-execs in litigation with firm want to know how Pontikes settled.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Five years after it went bankrupt, the animosity surrounding Comdisco Holding Co.'s breakup still runs deep. Last week former executives asked a federal judge to help them learn how much ex-CEO Nicholas Pontikes...

Avian flu threat looms over McD's; Focus on chicken could backfire if virus hits U.S.(News)
April 3, 2006... Byline: JULIE JARGON Hurrying to grab lunch downtown last week, Vanita Moore decided to try McDonald's new chicken club, one of the priciest items on the menu. But on her way out of the River North restaurant, Ms. Moore, who usually...

At Deadline.(Late News)(Firstbank (Mount Pleasant, Michigan)(McDonald's Corp.)(The United Retired Pilots Benefit Protection Assn.)
April 3, 2006... Banker pays fine for loans in '90s Michael C. Winter, former president of First Bank & Trust in Palatine, agreed to pay a $40,000 civil penalty under an agreement with the FDIC to settle allegations of "unsafe or unsound banking...

McD's set to fight message in movie; Chain warns franchisees about 'Fast Food Nation'.(McDonald's Corp.)
April 10, 2006... Byline: KATE MACARTHUR Crain News Service McDonald's marketing generals are hatching a strategy to combat a new assault on their reputation-and bottom line. The adversary is Eric Schlosser, author of the 2001 best-seller "Fast Food...

Book tells kids negatives of fast-food biz.(Eric Schlosser )(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Kate MacArthur Now that he's turned many adults off burgers and fries, the author of "Fast Food Nation'' has penned a book that aims to kill the kiddies' meal. "With kids aged 9 to 12 directly in the sights of these companies,...

Even more advice for your dicey situation; From books to Web sites to events, help is out there.(Focus: Small Business)(The Business Guide to Legal Literacy: What Every Manager Should Know About the Law)(Working with You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Workboo)(Business: The Ultimate Resource)(Book review)
April 10, 2006... Byline: MARK HENRICKS Romance in the copy room? Manager out on sick leave? Backbiting employee? What's a boss to do? Here are a few resources to arm you with expert advice on problems ranging from PDA to the ADA. BOOKS "The...

FOOD FIGHT; Conflict still flickers nearly a year after Dominick's burned down.(News)
April 10, 2006... Byline: JULIE JARGON It's been almost a year since the Dominick's Finer Foods store in Lakeview burned down, but sparks are still flying between the grocery founder's heirs, the chain's current corporate owner and local Alderman Tom...

On the Move.(People)(Mary Jo Herseth joins LaSalle Bank N.A.)(Tracy Meeks joins Seaway National Bank)(Bradley A. Serot joins CB Richard Ellis Inc)
April 10, 2006... ARCHITECTURE/ ENGINEERING Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago: Shari Massey, 38, to chief financial officer, from director of accounting at the Chicago History Museum. CONSUMER SERVICES Chicago Park District, Chicago: Stephen...

Legislature should reject limits on eminent domain.(Opinion)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Donald A. Petkus The members of the Illinois General Assembly are in an unenviable position. We trust that they, as elected officials, will make appropriate decisions with the power we have placed in their hands. However,...

Good food, service win over the pub-shy; Men's club vibe, big portions; plates to share.(The Business of Life)(Sidebar Grille)
April 10, 2006... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI It may smack of gender-typing, but handsome pubs trimmed in wood, brass and leather strike me as clubby bastions of masculinity. But if the food is good, the service amiable and surroundings comfortable, I'm in. ...

Bespoke boutique; Independent retailers' passion: exclusive lines, loyal clients.(The Business of Life)
April 10, 2006... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI On a blustery afternoon in late March, about 30 women met for lunch and an informal fashion show at Le Colonial on Rush Street. They were guests of Lance Lawson and Jim Wetzel, who own two boutiques, both called...

Kudos to pols for looking at tollway lease.(Opinion)(Column)
April 10, 2006... Occasions for praising Illinois lawmakers don't come along very often, so we won't pass up the opportunity that presented itself last week. We're glad legislators are looking into the idea of leasing the state's tollway system to a private...

SPENDING SPREE LIFTS ILLINOIS COMPANIES; Capital expenditures here outpace national trend, but hiring growth doesn't keep up.(News)
April 10, 2006... Byline: PAUL MERRION Chicago-area companies are budgeting double-digit increases for new equipment and facilities this year, outpacing a strong national boom in capital spending. From restaurant chains to retailers to the industrial...

A betrayal of trust; She left the company. And took a valuable client.(Focus: Small Business)(Gerard Design, Inc.)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Christina Le Beau The problem In the 13 years since Carolyn and Kenton Gerard started Gerard Design Inc. in Warrenville, they've created the kind of place where they want to work. They treat employees "like family,'' rewarding...

Loving your boss. A lot; What to do when love is in the air, in the cubicles and in the conference room.(workplace romance management )
April 10, 2006... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine The problem In the fall of 2004, the whispers started around the offices of Alarm Detection Systems Inc., an Aurora-based company with 200 employees. The talk was about a veteran manager who was dating a...

Career Ed's lesson learned; Chain of private schools overcomes some hurdles but faces several others.(Markets)
April 10, 2006... Byline: KATE RYAN After being battered by government investigations, accreditation issues and a shareholder lawsuit for more than a year, the stock of private-college operator Career Education Corp. is getting better marks from investors....

Postpartum pleas; Giving birth is hard on a woman. And on the boss, too.(Focus: Small Business)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine The problem Four years ago, one of his longtime managers told Jay Goltz that she was taking maternity leave to have her first child. Mr. Goltz, owner of Artists' Frame Service and Jayson Home & Garden in...

Will someone else buy Alberto?(Briefs)(merger of Alberto-Culver and Regis is pulled off)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Now that the merger of Alberto-Culver and Regis is off the table, analysts speculate the Chicago company could be a takeover target. Alberto pulled out of the deal after hair salon operator Regis twice warned of a deteriorating financial...

Move Maven.(The Business of Life)(Schley Sisson Brandt employee of Circle International Relocations Inc.)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Laura Bianchi Schley Sisson Brandt, 54, manager of international relocation services in Chicago for Virginia-based Full Circle International Relocations Inc. Duties: Responsible for 50 to 100 consultants working with as many...

Junior, it's time to leave the business.(Focus: Small Business)(Interview)
April 10, 2006... Byline: MEREDITH LANDRY For many of us, living with our families is hard enough. But try working with them. Family-operated businesses face a unique set of challenges, whether you are married or related to your co-workers. Pam Pound, 56,...

This Week: They're back to work at Block 37 after lull.(Late News)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Alby Gallun After a monthlong hiatus, workers were back on the job last week at Block 37, preparing the Loop property for construction of a long-awaited development that will include stores, a hotel, condos and offices. Work on the...

For The Record.(Briefs)(Motorola Inc.)
April 10, 2006... A state commission voted to seek proposals from financial experts to determine how much the state might earn by leasing part or all of the Illinois Tollway system to a private operator. Based on leases involving the Chicago Skyway and Indiana...

Condom maker posts 2nd profit; Malaysia, India developments offer hope for growth.(Annual Meeting)(Female Health Co.)
April 10, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY In its first quarter ended Dec. 31, Female Health Co. turned a profit of $60,000. The event might have garnered little notice except that it was only the second quarterly profit reported since the company went public...

Industrial stocks favored in 1st qtr. USG, tractor maker CNH among firms in top 10.
April 10, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Reversing the usual trading patterns of recent years, investors jumped into local industrial stocks in the first quarter while largely shunning the health care sector. The local Top 10 Winners list in the period...

Standout in far NW suburbs; No clubhouse at Red Tail, but a friendly informality.(The Business of Life)(Red Tail Golf Club)
April 10, 2006... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Obscured by the shopping centers and office buildings fronting Randall Road in the far northwest suburbs are some pretty good private golf courses, including the Elgin Country Club and Boulder Ridge Country Club in...

Once bitten, twice shy; One business owner learns his lesson about dealing with lawyers.(Focus: Small Business)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Stuart Luman The problem You don't have to be United Airlines, which recently received a legal bill for $100 million, to find yourself with big-time attorneys fees. Back when he was CEO of Strombecker Corp., his family's...

How can you best avoid on-the-job e-mail blunders?(The Business of Life)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Darci Smith Never write anything you wouldn't want made public or convey emotional, confidential or controversial info, says business communications consultant Jeanne Herrick. Avoid blind-copying others; it can seem sneaky. And...

Bank blocks Rezko's exit from condo project; Lender stops sale of property; buyer sues.(News)
April 10, 2006... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Real estate developer Antoin "Tony'' Rezko's plan to extricate himself from another soured deal has hit a snag. Unable to get a 24-story River North condominium tower off the ground, Mr. Rezko and partner Daniel...

Firm raising dorm investment fund; Venture plans to develop projects, buy properties.(News)
April 10, 2006... Byline: ALBY GALLUN A Chicago-based real estate investment firm is raising equity for a $650-million fund that will invest in student housing, one of the hottest real estate sectors today. Blue Vista Capital Partners has teamed up with...

Crain's wins 3 top awards.(News)(Crain's Chicago Business )(Sandra Jones and Greg Hinz also receives awards)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Crain's Chicago Business won a Best in Business award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Inc. (SABEW) for overall excellence in 2005. It's the fifth year in a row Crain's has taken top honors in the annual business...

Arlington exec wants to place more at show.(People)(Roy Arnold)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Lorene Yue Job: Vice-president of racing and racing secretary, Arlington Park, since December. Vitals: 41 years old; racing secretary to Emirates Racing Assn. in the United Arab Emirates; assistant racing secretary and judge at...

Nukes focus of Exelon deal; N.J. regulators expected to ask for divestiture of at least 1 nuclear plant.(News)(New Jersey )(takeover of Newark-based Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. )
April 10, 2006... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Exelon Corp. probably will have to sell at least one nuclear power plant in New Jersey to win state regulators' approval for the company's $16.7-billion takeover of Newark-based Public Service Enterprise Group Inc....

A new-and old-rival burns bankers up; Credit unions reach past their little-guy base to make commercial loans.(News)
April 10, 2006... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Homebuilder Teman Tardy turned to an unusual source last fall for his working capital needs: NorthStar Credit Union in his hometown of Warrenville. At the time, the owner of Barridge Construction Inc. wasn't even...

Absences not always fonder; If a key employee takes long leave, take stock.(Focus: Small Business)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Todd J. Behme The problem Patrick Brown figured he'd just pick up the slack when his office manager took an unplanned leave of absence. "I really didn't know what the duration was going to be'' of her mother's illness,...

Well-read by design.(The Business of Life)(Obi Nwazota from Orange Skin)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Heather Kenny As co-owner of design firm and showroom Orange Skin, Nigeria native and architect Obi Nwazota, 38, has been instrumental in helping Chicagoans feel comfortable and even welcome in the occasionally intimidating world...

Hewitt exec aims at costs; Boeing vet has already reduced supplier roster.(News)(Kristi Savacool )(Hewitt Associates Inc.)
April 10, 2006... Byline: SHRUTI DATE SINGH Hewitt Associates Inc. gets paid millions to tell big companies how to save money. But when the consulting and outsourcing firm needed to figure out how to pare its own costs, it turned to Kristi Savacool, a...

Midday art break? Make it late lunch.(The Business of Life)(Brief article)
April 10, 2006... Byline: Virginia Gerst Thinking of ducking into the Art Institute at lunchtime to catch the Girodet exhibit, or heading to the Shedd Aquarium for some face time with Faust the Komodo dragon? You won't be by yourself. In springtime,...