Crain's Chicago Business articles from December 2004

Crain's Chicago Business archives from December 2004

DEAD BRANDS WALKING; Dormant trademarks are cast off by the big guys; Chicago startup gets them back on their feet.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: KATHERINE STEPHAN A West Loop startup is building a business by reviving dormant brands-pain reliever Nuprin, instant coffee Brim and Metrecal, a forerunner to Slim-Fast-finding value in familiar names that big consumer product...

Cabela's hunts location in burbs; Outdoor retailer eyes Sears' park, Kane County.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES Cabela's Inc., the hunting and fishing store that ranks among the top tourist attractions in Nebraska and Kansas, is scouting locations for its first Chicago-area store. The Sidney, Neb.-based retailer is checking...

Pols drop ball; Call to action on conventions moving in slo-mo six months later.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Greg Hinz The TV cameras were present in force last spring when Mayor Richard M. Daley and Gov. Rod Blagojevich convened a "summit'' to stop the hemorrhaging in Chicago's $5.2-billion-a-year convention and business-meeting...

On the Move.(People)
December 6, 2004... CONSUMER PRODUCTS Bally Total Fitness HOLDING CORP., Chicago: Marc D. Bassewitz, 48, to senior vice-president and general counsel, from partner at Latham & Watkins LLP. Replaces Cary A. Gaan, 58, who was named senior vice-president and...

On the Clock: Foot flatterer.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Anne Ford Mike Chavez, salesman, Hanig's Footwear, 660 N. Michigan Ave. Salary: On commission. Years on the job: 13 Duties: Shows customers shoes they ask for-as well as some they don't. "People that wear those pointy...

For the Record.(Briefs)
December 6, 2004... Aon sold its 16% stake in Bermuda-based reinsurer Endurance Specialty Holdings to Goldman Sachs Group for about $321 million. A Cook County judge ruled unconstitutional one of a series of business fee hikes imposed by Gov. Blagojevich to...

Rock shows at Wrigley Field?(Briefs)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The Chicago Cubs want to hold rock concerts at Wrigley Field, possibly as soon as next season. Cubs President Andy MacPhail says the team would like to have one "act'' every other year, which could mean a series of concerts by one performer....

Natty by nature: a daily necktie, hat.(The Business of Life)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Gretchen Wahl Albert Karoll, a third-generation haberdasher, owns Richard Bennett Custom Tailors & Shirtmakers in Chicago, where his team of classically trained tailors create suits, shirts and coats by hand. Stepping into the...

Regional-mall REITs fear Sears closings; Analysts think Lampert will favor Kmart's strip center locations.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: ARLEEN JACOBIUS Crain News Service Kmart Holding Corp.'s purchase of Sears, Roebuck and Co. worries real estate funds and real estate investment trusts with stakes in large regional shopping malls. Kmart Holding Chairman Edward...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
December 6, 2004... * Bankers Life & Casualty Co. has sold long-term care insurance for 30 years. The time was reported incorrectly in a Nov. 29 Focus story. * The Nov. 29 list of the Chicago area's most affluent communities misidentified the youngest...

Reading chair.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Dan Weissmann Former Gov. James Thompson made news recently as a member of the 9/11 commission and as chairman of the audit committee at scandal-plagued Hollinger International Inc. Mr. Thompson, whose four terms from 1977 to 1991...

Elbow to Elbow.(The Business of Life)
December 6, 2004... 75,000 shoppers hit Michigan Avenue each day during the holidays, compared with 50,000 most other days, according to the Greater North Michigan Avenue Assn. But you've already missed the busiest day: the Saturday before Thanksgiving, during the...

Stock Report: Buyback news boosts Jones Lang LaSalle.(Markets)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Alby Gallun Shares of Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. rose 6.1% last week after the Chicago-based real estate services firm launched a stock buyback program. The company's shares, which have risen 79% this year, ended the week at...

Late News.(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... United asks workers to leave voluntarily United Airlines offered some management employees, flight attendants and mechanics the chance to give up their jobs in exchange for the same severance pay and other benefits they'd get if...

Cancer drug trial boosts NeoPharm; Stock jumps on results for brain tumor medicine.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN NeoPharm Inc.'s stock perked up on encouraging test results for its brain cancer drug. Shares of the Lake Forest-based biotech company closed at $11.25 Friday, up 44% in the two weeks since the firm's treatment...

Why did the law firm cross the street? Houston developer lures Sidley to new skyscraper.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... Byline: PAULETTE THOMAS Early last year, six attorneys from Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP climbed aboard a private jet for a tour of commercial buildings in Houston, courtesy of real estate developer Hines Interests L.P. The Chicago...

Expert Opinion.(The Business of Life)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Darci Smith What's the best wine to bring as a hostess gift this season? "What can be more celebratory than rose Champagne or rose sparkling wine?'' says Rohit Nambiar, sommelier at Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook. "Sometimes...

Scourge of sidewalks; Merchants sound off on scaffolds in Loop.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... Byline: SANDRA SWANSON It's hard to walk a block in the Loop without passing under a scaffold. And while these rickety canopies may protect pedestrians from the occasional plummeting debris, retailers hate them. We spoke to a handful of...

For tenants, the time is now; Loop might become less of a renters' market as building boom wraps up.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Rising vacancies and depressed rents in the downtown Chicago office market are squeezing Loop landlords. But what's bad for building owners is good for tenants. And in this renters' market, tenants are best advised to...

Philly firm bets big on I-55 office space; Old Tellabs complex fetches $10 million.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)(Berwind Property Group Inc.)
December 6, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY With easy access to Interstate 55, Bolingbrook has become the distribution hub of Chicago's suburbs in recent years, as industrial warehouses have popped up throughout the 21-square-mile village. But is there a...

Comdisco execs fight settlement; Stock-purchase loan pact pits employees against company.(Markets)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON Comdisco Holding Co. and its former executives are turning against each other in the long legal battle over $109 million in personal loans the executives took to buy now-worthless company stock. The executives...

Auditors detail gripes at Molex; Deloitte says company withheld information on inventory miscount.(News)(Molex Inc., Deloitte & Touche L.L.P.)
December 6, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA A seemingly small accounting dispute unfolding at Molex Inc. suggests that landmark reform legislation known as Sarbanes-Oxley may finally be turning some outside auditors from corporate lapdogs into investor watchdogs....

Governor right to raise stink on flu shot shortage.(Opinion)
December 6, 2004... I am one of the millions of people who couldn't get a flu shot this year. I work in a building full of child patients, so I can look forward to back-to-back flus and colds. When news came that the pharmaceutical companies didn't make...

State tax-refund backlog for business eliminated; Amount Illinois owed peaked at $800 million.(News)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: SHRUTI DATE SINGH The state of Illinois mailed out the last overdue corporate income tax refunds last week, eliminating a backlog that swelled to a peak of $800 million in May 2003. State Department of Revenue officials blame...

Cutting dropout rate important for future of state's workforce.(Opinion)
December 6, 2004... A troubling escalation in Illinois' teen poverty rate has attracted concern from state legislators, child welfare advocates and social scientists. But it's the state's business community that should really take notice. Recent research has...

Deal-driven earnings growth keeps Wintrust shares aloft.(Markets)(Wintrust Financial Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Steve Daniels Basics: Lake Forest-based bank with 47 branches, mainly in the northern suburbs. Numbers: Earnings for the first nine months of 2004 rose 37% to $37.2 million, or $1.71 per share. In the same period, loans are up...

Online game firm, McD in joint promo; Deal put product placements in demos.(News)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Crain News Service WildTangent, a major manufacturer of online games, entered into a novel pact with McDonald's Corp. As part of the most recent McDonald's Monopoly promotion this fall, it agreed to create online demo versions...

Guiding ShopperTrak on its growth track.(People)(Company Profile)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Sandra Jones Job: CEO and president, ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a retail intelligence technology firm in Chicago best known for cameras that count shoppers at stores. Vitals: 53 years old; bachelor's degree in English literature...

Sipping Tips.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: H. Lee Murphy There are plenty of educational resources for the aspiring taster. Here are a few: Chicago Wine School, 1942 S. Halsted St., (312) 491-0284, www.wine-school.com. Proprietor Patrick Fegan offers courses in...

Rail access to grow at intermodal hub; Tenants at CenterPoint park near Joliet soon to have another option.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA Warehouse operators at the sprawling CenterPoint Intermodal Center near Joliet will soon have a choice of freight railroads serving the industrial park. Owner CenterPoint Properties Trust is building a 21/2-mile rail...

Seen & Noted: The doubts of December.(The Business of Life)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Darci Smith December holidays have us brimming with goodwill toward colleagues-but unsure how to express it appropriately in a diverse work environment. We asked Cynthia Lett, executive director of the Lett Group, an etiquette...

Time to scrap teachers' early retirement plan.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The state of Illinois is saddled with a multibillion-dollar pension mess, the result of years of failing to set aside enough money to cover what at times have been magnanimous labor agreements. It's a debt we can't get out of. So, halting...

City moves on O'Hare houses; Ready to open talks with homeowners in path of expansion.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION Increasingly confident of a go-ahead from the Federal Aviation Administration next year, Chicago is laying the groundwork to start buying homes and businesses in the path of O'Hare International Airport's planned...

U of I eyes private-equity boost; Endowment funds hope bigger allocation bolsters returns.(News)(University of Illinois )
December 6, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION The University of Illinois endowment funds, with about $1 billion in assets, are preparing to put as much as $100 million into private- equity investments. While the exact amount hasn't been determined, endowment...

Firm looks to open doors with stake in closure maker; Libertyville company seeks customers with minority-sourcing goals.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JOSEPH PRYWELLER Crain News Service Crown Zeller USA has purchased a 49% stake in a Hispanic-owned company that makes closures, helping both companies reach customers seeking minority-owned suppliers. Libertyville-based Crown...

Conventions.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
December 6, 2004... THIS WEEK DEC. 7-10: University of Iowa, Renaissance Chicago Hotel, estimated attendance 300. DEC. 8-10: American Seed Trade Assn., Hyatt Regency Chicago, estimated attendance 2,600. DEC. 10-12: Northwestern University Feinberg School of...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
December 6, 2004... THIS WEEK DEC. 6: Small Business Development Center at McHenry County College presents Marketing on the Web: The Art of Making Money. 7 to 10 p.m. McHenry County College, 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14, Room B168, Crystal Lake. Fee: $35. (815)...

Apartment developers perk up; Building surge for '05-'06; betting on jobs recovery.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Betting on a recovery, apartment developers are getting busy downtown. Nearly 2,700 apartments will come on the downtown market in 2005 and 2006, the most over a two-year period since the early 1990s, according to...

Payouts blossom for FTD executives.(News)(FTD Group Inc.)
December 6, 2004... Byline: STEVE DANIELS FTD Group Inc.'s flip-flops between public and private ownership are paying off handsomely for the top executives of the flower delivery service. FTD executives got cash payouts earlier this year when Los Angeles...

Red, white and all over; Wine tastings for every palate, price range; how to swirl, sip and still keep your senses.(The Business of Life)
December 6, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY At a private club on Michigan Avenue, Katherine Stoughton is swirling, sniffing and meditating over the raw tannins in the latest cabernet sauvignon from Diamond Creek Vineyards in Napa Valley. So are about 100 fellow...

Glassy-eyed?(The Business of Life)(Wines)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Tastings with dozens or even hundreds of wines can overwhelm. Here are a few lessons: Start with the lightest white wines and progress to the heaviest reds, topped off by dessert samplers at the end. A palate that has been exposed to the...

Taster's Choice.(The Business of Life)(Wines)
December 6, 2004... Some notable tasting options: Schaefer's Wines at 9965 Gross Point Road in Skokie offers at least a half-dozen wines Saturday afternoons with cheeses and ptes from its in-house delicatessen. Also: evening wine classes and dinners at local...

DOLLAR disappointment; Weak currency fails to boost many exporters.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: KATE RYAN The weak dollar is starting to lift Illinois exports, but many local companies are still waiting for the falling greenback to boost their overseas sales. Sellstrom Manufacturing Co., which sells industrial safety...

Festive, not fancy, on the Mag Mile; Boisterous to rustic; great mixed milk shakes.(The Business of Life)
December 6, 2004... Byline: ANNE MOORE Midweek holiday shopping on Michigan Avenue, when crowds are thinner, is a decided bonus for downtown workers. At these dining spots, it's easy to have a brief but satisfying lunch and knock off a few stocking stuffers,...

ADM, firm in alliance on bioplastics.(News)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Crain News Service Food-processing giant Archer Daniels Midland Co. is getting into bioplastics. Decatur-based Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) formed an alliance with biotechnology firm Metabolix Inc. to commercialize plastics...

GATX raises its bet in high-low game; Firm narrowing its focus to volatile rail, air leasing.(Markets)
December 6, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA Exiting ancillary businesses hasn't freed GATX Corp. from the ups and downs of its core business of leasing railroad cars and airplanes. GATX dumped freight forwarding, venture capital financing, computer leasing and...

Empty feeling in the Loop; Tenants flock to new towers, and nobody takes their place.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Amid the weakest downtown office market since the early 1990s, life is tough for just about every Chicago leasing agent these days. But don't pity Faye Oomen, who's trying to lease the 28-story former headquarters of...

Under cover.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... All those scaffolds in the Loop are hell on business. But at least they protect pedestrians. Or do they? Merchants sound off. PAGE 28

IN FOCUS.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... Dogs of downtown As shining office towers go up all around the Loop, tenants are leaving older buildings in droves. And there's nobody to replace them. PAGE 26 Quick! Squeeze your landlord The renters' market may not last past 2006-unless...

NEED TO KNOW.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Sources: Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler Office Market Report, Torto Wheaton Research, the Donald 17.7% Vacancy rate for downtown Chicago office space during the third quarter of 2004 8.4% Vacancy rate in downtown New...

ONLINE POLL.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... Which new skyscraper will be the best addition to the downtown skyline? A Hyatt Center (71 S. Wacker) B 111 S. Wacker C 1 S. Dearborn D Trump Int'l Hotel and Tower Chicago (401 N. Wabash) E They're all ugly Go to...

Office Overload.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 6, 2004... Chicago has too much office space, with more on the way. That puts tenants in control and landlords in the lurch-for now

Rail access to grow at intermodal hub; Tenants at CenterPoint park near Joliet soon to have another option.(News)(Correction Notice)
December 6, 2004... Byline: BOB TITA ***** Correction: Plans to increase private equity investments for University of Illinois endowment funds pertain only to about $767.4 million in assets managed by the University of Illinois Foundation. A Dec. 6 story...

U of I eyes private-equity boost; Endowment funds hope bigger allocation bolsters returns.(News)(University of Illinois)
December 6, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION ***** Correction: Plans to increase private equity investments for University of Illinois endowment funds pertain only to about $767.4 million in assets managed by the University of Illinois Foundation. A Dec. 6...

Accenture's $3-billion cash play: buybacks.(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: SHRUTI DATE SINGH Accenture Ltd., its shares languishing at about $26 for nearly a year, appears poised to spend most of its $2.5-billion cash hoard on stock from insiders rather than risk depressing its share price with another...

U.S. Plastic Lumber to shed lines; Wants to focus on core biz while reorganizing.(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Crain News Service U.S. Plastic Lumber Corp. is shedding its wood waste and recovered-plastic composite decking business to focus on its core business while reorganizing under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. U.S. Plastic...

A growth industry in Illinois: junk-fax suits; Class actions seek millions in damages from tele-spammers.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: SHRUTI DATE SINGH Illinois is shaping up as the leader in a surprisingly lucrative area of class- action litigation-claims against those sending unwanted faxes-with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. Cook County Circuit...

Tell the landlord you want some office sprinklers.
December 13, 2004... Any excuse to delay installing sprinklers in office high-rises went up in the smoke of the LaSalle Bank building fire last week. At this writing, the Chicago City Council was preparing to vote on an ordinance that would give owners of city...

Smart eater's guide to holiday meals; When kids descend-or you forget reservations.
December 13, 2004... Byline: ANNE MOORE The holiday season presents a number of dining dilemmas. We answer a couple of common ones. dilemma: My spouse and child are coming downtown to shop and meet me for lunch. Where to go that suits us all? Park...

Trib shares off as TV ads dip.(Tribune Co.)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Jeremy Mullman Tribune Co. stock fell 2% last week to close at $42.21 as advertising sales declined at its television stations. On Dec. 6, Tribune announced that November revenues at its TV stations declined 2.4% from the...

CEO will work to position new suburban hospital; Spotlight: Isaac Palmer.(People)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Sarah A. Klein Job: CEO of Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. Construction of the 138-bed hospital begins next year, with opening scheduled for mid-2007. Vitals: 29 years old; bachelor's degree in mathematics, Oakwood College,...

A city business hub: This man's datebook.(Gerald Roper-president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce)(Interview)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Virginia Gerst Gerald Roper is president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, which has 2,600 members in the six-county Chicago area. He gave us a look at his calendar-managed in daily and week-ahead versions by an...

New CEO, auditor at Molex.(J. Joseph King-resigned)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... J. Joseph King resigned as CEO of Molex Inc., ending a month of controversy after auditors of the Lisle-based electronics components maker lost faith in the executive and quit the account. Molex, with a market cap of more than $5 billion, was...

Kosher certifier sues trucking firm; Says Thornton hauler misused agency's mark.
December 13, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION The Chicago Rabbinical Council Inc. says it wasn't legal, let alone kosher, for a Thornton-based bulk food ingredient hauler to misuse its approval by the Jewish certification agency. The dispute highlights the...

PASCHKE AND POLSKY; A death, a divorce, a fortune.
December 13, 2004... Byline: JEREMY MULLMAN The gallery owner best known for representing the late Ed Paschke is poised to take a major leap in stature within Chicago's art world-if she wants it. Maya Polsky, owner of an eponymous River North gallery,...

On the Move.(People)(business news)
December 13, 2004... FINANCIAL SERVICES Chicago Board Options Exchange, Chicago: Mark Dooley, 40, to off-floor director and continuing as executive vice-president at Global Execution Brokers L.P. Also, Jonathan G. Flatow, 44, to at-large director and...

Dump deal preserves profit flow; Waste Mgmt. stands to net another $40 mil.(News)(Waste Management)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: PAUL MERRION By making the city's last operating waste dump into a park, Waste Management of Illinois stands to reap not only a public relations coup, but also a tidy pile of profits. A deal last week between the company and a...

Unbridled Board; Who's holding the reins at the agency overseeing the state's horse-racing biz?
December 13, 2004... Byline: Greg Hinz Illinois newspapers have drained shiploads of ink reporting on the Illinois Gaming Board and its wrangles over a proposed Rosemont casino. But a recent dispute at another state agency that regulates gambling is bringing...

focus: Vive la difference.
December 13, 2004... We ranked the area's largest women-owned firms, and wondered: Do women and men run businesses differently? Coverage begins on Page 19.

A cash option for Sears execs; Kmart deal cashes out all Sears stock options.(Markets)
December 13, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES Sears, Roebuck and Co. had to answer questions last week from employees wondering why top executives have sold $29 million worth of company stock since the retailer announced plans to merge with Kmart Holding Corp. ...

For the Record.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Hyatt Corp., the hotel company owned by the Pritzker family, is buying the AmeriSuites hotel chain from the Blackstone Group for $600 million. Aon CEO Patrick Ryan said some of his employees may not have always followed the company's code...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
December 13, 2004... * Rush University Medical Center plans to cut expenses or increase revenue by $87 million by June 30, 2008, to help carry out expansion plans. A Nov. 29 story overstated that total. * A map in the Dec. 6 issue incorrectly labeled Interstate...

On the Clock: DUI defender.(The Business of Life)(driving under the influence)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Matt Carmichael William Delaney, lawyer specializing in DUI cases Salary: $80,000-$150,000 Years on the job: Six. Duties: Defending people accused of driving under the influence. He prefers to contest charges at all...

Looking for Mr. Goodbiz.(Focus: Small Business)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Cynthia Hanson The business cocktail scene can be a lot like the singles scene-fun and frustrating, interesting and terrifying. We asked dating guru Barbie Adler, president of Chicago-based matchmaking firm Selective Search Inc.,...

He said . . . she said.(Focus: Small Business)(Interview)
December 13, 2004... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN It's a touchy question: Do men and women run businesses differently? Rather than trying to answer that ourselves, we put the same set of questions to the owners of two similar-sized printing companies, one...

Phone wars heating up; SBC attacks Illinois wholesale pricing.(News)(SBC Communications Inc.)
December 13, 2004... Byline: JULIE JOHNSSON SBC Communications Inc. has asked regulators to knock out provisions of a 2001 Illinois law that spurred competition and price cuts in the residential local telephone market. A proposed order that SBC filed Nov....

Navigant expects quieter deal pace; Growth has surged on 13 acquisitions since 2001.(News)(Navigant Consulting Inc.)
December 13, 2004... Byline: SHRUTI DATE SINGH Navigant Consulting Inc. expects to slow its pace of acquisitions after three deals sent revenue soaring in the first nine months of 2004. Buyouts and divestitures have been a way of life for the Chicago...

Old Second enters Elgin market; Aurora bank also now in Joliet, Naperville.(News)(Old Second Bancorporation Inc.)
December 13, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Already one of the most crowded banking markets around Chicago, Kane County is in for more upheaval as the biggest institution in Aurora, Old Second Bancorp Inc., moves north into Elgin. Until now, homegrown...

Sales of Jonny Cat jump at Oil-Dri; Company predicts even bigger leap in fiscal '05.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Oil-Dri Corp. of America gave Jonny Cat new life this year. Chicago-based Oil-Dri expanded its cat litter offerings with the $6.5-million acquisition of the Jonny Cat brand and its California factory two years...

Exactly whom to hire to wrap up your tasks; defy the holiday madness.(The Business of Life)
December 13, 2004... Byline: GRETCHEN WAHL You're down to the holiday wire. Time to savor the traditions you enjoy, relish time spent with loved ones-and palm off chores you detest using the Internet, the phone, your credit card and teenagers. Food and...

Kellogg keeper.(The Business of Life)(Donald P. Jacobs)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Dan Weissmann In 26 years as dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Donald P. Jacobs, the son of a baker from the West Side, turned an also-ran into one of the top business schools in the country. Retired...

Expert Opinion.(The Business of Life)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Dan Weissmann Time to slice, dice and carve. What's the best knife? "There are three main ones that I use,'' says Chris Pandel, executive sous chef at Osteria Via Stato. "A French-style chef knife ($170); a tournet knife ($20),...

Late News.(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Bank One, Comdisco end quarrel over loans A U.S. Bankruptcy Court last week approved a settlement between Comdisco Holding Co. and Bank One, ending a lengthy dispute over an ill-fated executive-loan program (Crain's, Dec. 6). Comdisco will...

Ryan, others retain Endurance holdings.(Markets)( Patrick Ryan)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: SANDRA JONES Aon Corp. shed most of its stake in a reinsurance company that's attracted scrutiny in the widening insurance brokerage scandal, but Aon CEO Patrick Ryan hasn't followed suit. A family trust managed by Mr. Ryan's...