Crain's Chicago Business articles from December 2007

Crain's Chicago Business archives from December 2007

The jacket fits; BLAME FOR FAILURE OF TRANSIT FUNDING BILL BELONGS TO ALL IN SPRINGFIELD.(News)(Chicago, Illinois. Transit Authority)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Greg Hinz In Augusta, Ga., the winner of the Masters golf tournament gets not just cash but a green sport coat. Apparently they keep a variety of sizes on hand in the clubhouse, so the jacket fits the winner juuuust right. In...

Transit plan fails in House.(Briefs)(political aspects of taxation)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... A plan to divert $440 million in state tax money to the ailing Chicago-area mass transit system failed in the Illinois House amid accusations of political gamesmanship. Officials warn that train and bus service in the Chicago area will be cut...

For The Record.(Briefs)
December 3, 2007... Henry Hyde, whose 32 years in Congress were highlighted by his unbending opposition to abortion and his key role in impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, has died. The Illinois Republican, whose tenure in the House included stints...

Thomas Fisher; Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Age: 36 Years on the job: 12 Major clients: Blackstone Group L.P., JER Partners, Westmont Hospitality Group Industry survival tip: "Relationships and repeat business are important, so after every deal we issue a client survey...

Crate & Barrel goes national with TV spots; Retailer raises profile in ailing housewares sector.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: ROBERT LOERZEL After 30 years of advertising campaigns that focused on print media, Crate & Barrel is now making itself seen on television screens across the country. Airing on 20 cable networks including CNN, HGTV and the Food...

Paul Lundstedt; Cushman & Wakefield Inc.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Age: 47 Years on the job: 16 Major clients: TIAA-Cref Individual & Institutional Services LLC, Rreef Real Estate, Blackstone Group L.P. Industry survival tip: Take one for the team. "There is nothing worse than having to call a...

George Good, Robert Mahoney; CB Richard Ellis Inc.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... George Good CB Richard Ellis Inc. Age: 49 Years on the job: 28 Robert Mahoney CB Richard Ellis Inc. Age: 51 Years on the job: 17 Major clients: Opus Corp., Principal Global Investors, Rreef Funds ...

Les Nomades: the opposite of trendy; Luxurious ingredients, with old-world styling.(Business of Life)
December 3, 2007... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Scenesters who hungrily follow the latest in food celebrity may as well go home now. In fact, during the private club heyday of Les Nomades (the 1980s, natch), storied former owner Jovan Trboyevic might well...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Crystal Yednak KIDS Baby Loves Disco 3730 N. Clark St. www.babylovesdisco.com 12-3 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $13 In between naps, kids 6 months to 7 years take to the dance floor at Metro for the popular Baby...

Destination: Quebec City.(Business of Life)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Making New Year's Eve plans? Times Square will always be there, but Quebec City turns 400 only once. The city will kick off its yearlong anniversary celebration at 11 p.m. Dec. 31, when fireworks will light up...

You will get through this; Some seasonal challenges require expert attention. We put a few to work.(Business of Life)
December 3, 2007... Byline: JENNIFER OLVERA Deck the halls. Eat, drink and be merry. In theory, the coming weeks are about good times, using up vacation days and gathering with loved ones to, presumably, roast chestnuts. But life gets in the way....

Brown on Razr's edge; No honeymoon for insider named to top job at Motorola.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Time started running out for Greg Brown even before he was named Motorola Inc.'s new CEO. Mr. Brown, 47, a four-year Motorola veteran who will replace Edward Zander, was part of the regime responsible for the...

Hack, honk, spew: noisy days without kids' cold meds.(Business of Life)(opinions of Food and Drug Administration about child care)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Shia Kapos It's a little noisier at Chicago child care facilities this season. With cold and cough medicines on the outs, day-care centers are hearing more whoops and sniffles from sore throats and stuffed noses-noises once...

Stars in Chicago, but finding love elsewhere.(Business of Life)(social aspects of Mellody Hobson and George Lucas)(social aspects of Shawn Donnelley and Christopher Kelly)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Shia Kapos Love is where you find it-even if it seems a galaxy away. Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management LLC, found it in California with "Star Wars'' producer George Lucas, who will speak in front of Ms....

Keeping a `safety net' strong.(Business of Life)(services of Catholic Charities )(Interview)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, founded in 1917, is the largest private social-service agency in the Midwest, serving more than 1.1 million people in Cook and Lake counties last year. Catholic...

Bruce Miller, Jim Postweiler; Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Bruce Miller Age: 41 Years on the job: 11 Major clients: Shorenstein Properties LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co., J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. Jim Postweiler Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. Age: 44 Years on the job: 3 Major...

Bills hit hotel plan; Mandarin project faces financing troubles as property market swoons.(News)(Mandarin Oriental International Ltd.)
December 3, 2007... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN A proposed Mandarin Oriental hotel-condominium tower near Millennium Park shows signs of financial difficulty, as past-due bills in excess of $3 million from the project's architect and another contractor cast...

Note taker.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Laura Bianchi Deborah Card, 51, president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Assn., studies maps at www.kids.nationalgeographic.com with her daughter for fourth-grade geography. Other points of interest: Can't work without a...

White tornado headed for Zion; Exelon eyes fast-track cleanup for nixed nuke: 10 years instead of 50.(News)(Exelon Corp.)
December 3, 2007... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Exelon Corp. is close to a deal to turn over its mothballed Zion nuclear power plant to an outside contractor that promises to clean up the North Shore site in 10 years-four decades faster than the current plan. ...

HOSPITALS' CLASS WAR; Funding plan has needy facilities pitted against the rich.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Mercy Hospital CEO Sister Sheila Lyne plans to spend $13.5 million to install a new computer system, replace a radiation machine and overhaul the birthing unit at her South Side facility. None of those projects...

Matthew Lawton; Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Age: 48 Years on the job: 6 Major clients: Habitat Co. LLC, BlackRock Realty, Equity Residential Industry survival tip: Play fair. "If there are five bidders trying to buy an asset, only one is going to end up with it, but those...

Chicago's Top Commercial Real Estate Brokers; Hotels, Suburban Space, Offices, Industrial, Retail, Apartments.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Stories by Christina Le Beau This summer, the mess in the residential real estate sector finally caught up with the commercial market. After a few fat years of immunity, commercial deals nationwide tanked or stalled as a spike in...

Foreclosure wave builds; Home loan defaults jump 40% areawide; burbs match city pace.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Mortgage foreclosures spiked 40% in the Chicago area during the first half of this year, with sharp increases in communities across the economic spectrum, from Englewood on the city's South Side to suburban Evanston...

Jeffrey Bramson, Jaime Fink; Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Jeffrey Bramson Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P. Age: 42 Years on the job: 2 Jaime Fink Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P. Age: 38 Years on the job: 4 Major clients: Blackstone Group L.P., Hines Interests L.P.,...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)
December 3, 2007... THIS WEEK DEC. 6: Illinois CPA Society presents Accounting and Auditing Conference. 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. Fee: $310 members, $380 non-members. (800) 993-0393. DEC. 6:...

Blues ventures into equity fund; Higher risks, but 'huge area' for $100-mil. effort.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Chicago-based Blue Cross & Blue Shield Assn. plans to launch a $100-million private-equity fund early next year, according to people familiar with the situation. The move is designed to tap into an emerging...

Medicaid spat a measure of hospitals' woes.(Opinion)
December 3, 2007... A simmering dispute among Illinois hospitals over a pot of federal money illustrates the sorry state of health care funding in our state. As Mike Colias reports in this week's Crain's, the feds have signaled that they want more of the money...

Need to Know.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... 17 Bids Jones Lang LaSalle broker Thomas Fisher got on the Holiday Inn City Centre in Streeterville, which sold for $83.5 million in January. 1,330 Number of parking spaces at 500 W. Monroe St.-the most of any office tower in...

BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR: GREENBACK NEARING END OF SLIDE; A Conversation with Money Manager Joseph T. Seminetta.(Markets)(Interview)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Joseph T. Seminetta, 43, president and CEO, Premier Asset Management LLC, Chicago Experience: 21 years Assets under management: $465 million CRAIN'S: Where are you investing? MR. Seminetta: Two...

Stanley Nitzberg; Mid-America Real Estate Corp.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Age: 55 Years on the job: 17 Major clients: Smithfield Properties LLC, Joseph Freed & Associates LLC, Cloverleaf Group Inc. Industry survival tip: "Give clients really good information, whether that's setting the right objectives...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
December 3, 2007... A story in the Nov. 19 issue on U.S. Trust Bank of America's expanded presence in Chicago misstated the location of one of the combined firm's local offices. It is in Winnetka. The video store visited by Trish Lindsay was incorrectly named...

Olympics come down to who's in office in '09.(Opinion)(International Olympic Committee)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Lester Munson Lester Munson is a locally based writer and commentator. When they meet in Copenhagen 23 months from now to decide whether Chicago will host the 2016 Olympics, members of the International Olympic Committee will...

Lampert's Restoration project for Sears; Skeptics say his plan to go upscale is late; no clear fix in sight.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE With profit at his company plummeting and his cash hoard shrinking, Edward Lampert has decided he wants to make Sears an upscale retailer. The bid by the hedge fund manager and Sears Holdings Corp. chairman...

HEWITT RISING.(Markets)(Hewitt Associates L.L.C.)
December 3, 2007... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Benefits consultant's shares hit record high with acquisition troubles in rearview mirror, but weaker economy may hamper growth Hewitt Associates Inc.'s people skills are scoring high marks with investors....

Retail vacancy rate spikes; Amid recession fears, set to climb higher in '08.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN The vacancy rate for Chicago-area retail properties has shot up to its highest level in more than three years, a sign that retailers are cutting back their expansion plans amid fears the local economy is slowing....

Stephen Livaditis; Eastdil Secured LLC.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Age: 46 Years on the job: 8 Major clients: Blackstone Group L.P., Beacon Realty Capital Inc., J. P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Industry survival tip: "You have to be fluent in financial markets. You have to understand...

Cheap Trick guitarist hopes to develop hit; Part of group aiming to build $25-mil. complex.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY The rock group Cheap Trick got its start in Rockford, and now one band member is diving into local commercial development amid a flurry of activity on the city's northeast side. Rick Nielsen, Cheap Trick's...

Zell looking at big China score; Billionaire set for 3rd overseas firm offering.(News)
December 3, 2007... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Sam Zell is peddling a new Chinese import on Wall Street. After playing a key role in the New York Stock Exchange debuts of two Latin American homebuilders, the Chicago financier wants to sell U.S. investors on a...

On Webster Ave., it's a small world; Upscale day care set to anchor development in busy retail corridor.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)(Barron Development LLC and Brinshore Development LLC)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Stuart Luman What: An upscale day-care center Where: 1500 W. Webster Ave. When: Summer 2008 How big: A 22,000-square-foot center, 25,000 square feet of retail, a restaurant and 60 parking spaces Cost: $18.5...

John Jaeger; CB Richard Ellis Inc.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Age: 46 Years on the job: 2 Major clients: Inland Real Estate Group of Cos., Pritzker Realty Group L.P., Rreef Real Estate Industry survival tip: "Specialize yet diversify-meaning specialize in an asset class, such as multifamily...

Jeffrey Kahan; Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler Inc.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Age: 50 Years on the job: 13 Major clients: Panattoni Development Co., AEW Capital Management L.P., LaSalle Investment Management Industry survival tip: Be flexible with your fee if it helps the greater good. "The last major...

Opening & Closing.(Business of Life)
December 3, 2007... Winter WonderFest 600 E. Grand Ave. (312) 595-7437; www.winterwonderfest.com 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday Admission: Free; $15 for regular ride/activity wristband, $18 for premium wristband With...

Selling the Donald's dream; Landing buyers for first 80% of units was easy; now the work begins.(Focus: Commercial Real Estate)(Koenig & Strey GMAC Real Estate)
December 3, 2007... Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA Kiyoko Binosi's job is to convince people to buy something that doesn't exist: condominiums at Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago. It's a challenge, since much of the 92-story building is little more...

Insurer chases the Blues to grow in Chicago.(People)(Dennis Casey, UniCARE Life and Health Insurance Co.)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Byline: Lorene Yue Job: CEO, UniCare Life & Health Insurance Co., since Aug. 27. Vitals: 55 years old; bachelor's degree in marketing, Georgetown University, 1974; MBA, Indiana University, 1991; sales, Nationwide Insurance, 1975-78;...

On the Move.(People)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Education Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago: Lisa L. Montgomery, 44, to managing director of community development, from director of women's services and diversity education. Financial Services BMO Capital Markets Corp.,...

ComEd's 10% rate shock; East Coast connection will boost bills in '09, erasing this year's relief.(News)
December 10, 2007... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Exelon Corp. CEO John Rowe's decision to link Commonwealth Edison Co. to an East Coast power grid will raise Chicago-area residents' electric bills by 10% in 2009, according to a new estimate by state regulators. ...

Need to Know.(Focus: Small Business)
December 10, 2007... $125,000 Amount a company can write off for equipment purchases in 2007. 30 Number of days you have to file an appeal with the IRS. 2 Minimum number of times you should meet with your accountant each year: once in...

Art buyers live it up at Miami Beach fair.(Business of Life)(exhibition of arts)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Shia Kapos Some of Chicago's jet set skirted the snowfall with a well-timed chance to party in Miami Beach last week. The pretense was to attend Art Basel Miami Beach, the renowned art show sprung from a similar event in...

SHOT IN THE ARM; Its stock ailing on earnings shortfalls, medical records software maker Allscripts may get a.(Markets)(Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.)(Financial report)
December 10, 2007... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Investors in Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. are counting on a new prescription for growth. Shares of the Chicago-based medical software provider have sunk 28% this year as the company fell short of revenue and...

MAKING HEADLINES AGAIN; Onetime Senate hopeful Ryan steps back into the media circus-this time as ringmaster.(News)
December 10, 2007... Byline: ANN SAPHIR Jack Ryan, whose political career blew up in the glare of the media spotlight, now aims to make a splash in the media business himself. The former U.S. Senate candidate, with no previous experience in publishing, is...

Interest Bearer.(Business of Life)(opinions of Scott Swanson president of Charter One Bank)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Laura Bianchi Scott Swanson, 41, president of Charter One Bank, gives Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird'' as gifts. "Atticus Finch has an incredibly high character.'' Other resources: For annual budget planning, reviews...

Euro coffee perks up Sara Lee; New products drive big sales gains, but can innovation be copied?(News)
December 10, 2007... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Sara Lee Corp. is on a caffeine rush. The company's overseas coffee business is churning out a steady flow of new flavors, packaging and products that have pushed sales growth and profits high above its other big...

Altoids still a drag at Wrigley; Mint sales slide again, raising doubts about gum maker's candy prowess.(News)
December 10, 2007... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.'s efforts to revive Altoids are falling flat. Despite introducing a chocolate-covered version of the "curiously strong'' mints a year ago and hiring San Francisco-based ad firm Publicis & Hal...

Office fear: germs galore; Squeamish employees find plenty to worry about; doorknobs, potlucks and handshakes.(Business of Life)(Viewpoint essay)
December 10, 2007... Byline: SHIA KAPOS Tania Mejil walks a strangely circuitous path from the washroom to her desk in the University of Chicago's office in the 401 Michigan Ave. high-rise. She's not trying to keep out of the boss's way or avoid a...

Gifts that say Chicago-but without the green relish.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Olvera Italian beef sandwiches, deep-dish pizza and hotdogs with electric green relish say Chicago, but gift buyers are reaching beyond hometown classics to unique indigenous products. "My brother desperately misses...

High Court securities case a threat to shaky capital markets.(Opinion)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Marc J. Lane Marc J. Lane is a Chicago business and tax attorney and a financial adviser. Stoneridge v. Scientific-Atlanta is the most explosive securities case to hit the U.S. Supreme Court in the last 10 years. The appeal...

DECONSTRUCTING MOTOROLA; Breakup adds up, unless new chief Brown finds quick fix for phones.(News)(Motorola Inc.)
December 10, 2007... Byline: JOHN PLETZ If new Motorola CEO Gregory Q. Brown doesn't make fast work of fixing the company's cell phone business, he can expect more pressure to break up the 80-year-old telecom equipment maker. Activist investor Carl Icahn,...

The art of the writeoff; With 2007 winding down, it's time you took a look at lowering your tax bill.(Focus: Small Business)(Interview)
December 10, 2007... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN Are taxes getting you down? Maybe you're not looking in the right places. Crain's asked Russell Romanelli, 44, tax partner at Wolf & Co. LLP in Oak Brook, what deductions entrepreneurs commonly overlook. ...

Tavern at the Park is a crowd-pleaser; It's a go-to option near Millennium Park; simple but with panache.(Business of Life)
December 10, 2007... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI Tavern at the Park embraces the simple, the straightforward and the approachable on all fronts, but with enough style and confidence to attract a polished clientele. Open since midsummer, the 280-seater is packed...

Prep for the worst.(Focus: Small Business)(Mary Lou Pier)(Interview)
December 10, 2007... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN Look out, entrepreneurs, the IRS is coming for you. The agency has determined that $109 billion of the $345-billion tax gap-the difference between taxes owed and taxes paid-exists because small-business owners...

It's a numbers game.(Focus: Small Business)(Michael Scialo)(Interview)
December 10, 2007... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN As your business becomes more complex, so do your dealings with the IRS. Crain's asked Michael Scialo, 43, tax manager for Corbett Duncan & Hubly P.C. in Itasca, how to do the math when your workload multiplies....

Finding a bean counter.(Focus: Small Business)(Thomas Ochsenschlager)(Interview)
December 10, 2007... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN How do you find a tax whiz to help you keep more of your money? Crain's asked Thomas Ochsenschlager, vice-president of taxation at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Washington, D.C. ...

Correction.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
December 10, 2007... In a Dec. 3 letter to the editor, an incorrect title was given for Christine V. Esposito. She is president of Terracom Public Relations and a founding member of the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance.

RECESSION WINDS GAIN FORCE AMID SUBPRIME WOES; A Conversation with Money Manager Jack a. ablin.(Markets)(Jack A. Ablin)(Interview)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Jack A. Ablin, 48, chief investment officer, Harris Private Bank, Chicago Experience: 26 years Assets under management: $55 billion Crain's: How big an impact will the subprime mortgage crisis have...

Education, arts drive a busy social season.(Business of Life)
December 10, 2007... Byline: mary cameron frey Business leaders, educators and arts advocates were the stars of a fun-filled, musical social calendar this fall. Civic leaders and corporate supporters ushered in the season by saluting the 117th opening...

Heavy traffic on highway bill; Big-ticket projects on local pols' wish lists.(News)(Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency )
December 10, 2007... Byline: PAUL MERRION WASHINGTON-Scarcely two years after President George W. Bush signed a $286-billion federal transportation bill, jockeying has begun over the next five-year highway and transit spending measure-and local transportation...

Ease your pain; IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR: THE TAX MAN COMETH.(Focus: Small Business)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Tomas Mucha We know you hate tax season. Who doesn't? It's one of those things, like going to the dentist, that's as painful as it is necessary. But, as the dentist might say, relax. We're here to ease your pain. This...

Red-hot market cooling? Deal slowdown seen in local apartment sales.(News)
December 10, 2007... Byline: EDDIE BAEB Turmoil in the debt market may be catching up to the red-hot sales market for apartment buildings in Chicago. CB Richard Ellis Inc. forecasts that sales of Chicago-area apartment high-rises will reach a record $2.6...

Foolproof guide to tracking your expenses.(Focus: Small Business)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Samantha Stainburn Your accountant's No. 1 complaint about you? Sloppy record-keeping. We lost count of the number of times the accountants we spoke to emphasized how important it is to keep proper documentation if you want to take...

Sole survivors.(Focus: Small Business)(Debbie Lessin president D. J. Lessin & Associates Inc. speaks for medical taxes)(Interview)
December 10, 2007... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN Just because you're a one- or two-person operation doesn't mean your tax return will be simple. Debbie Lessin, president of D. J. Lessin & Associates Inc. in Chicago, specializes in doing accounting work for solo...

Wave of need bleeds charities; Fundraising falls short as price hikes force more to seek help.(News)(charitable organizations and food industry to donate to overrcome food shortages)
December 10, 2007... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE Charities across the Chicago area are caught in a holiday-season squeeze as surging demand for their services outstrips their funding growth. A parade of misfortunes- including higher prices for food,...

Pick 'em; THE RACE FOR COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY IS AS WIDE OPEN AS ANY IN RECENT MEMORY.(News)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Greg Hinz Even if Barack Obama et al. weren't sucking up all the media oxygen, this would be a political season unlike any other for would-be local officeholders. Absentee voting for the 2008 primary elections in Illinois opens...

A charitable call to arms for the holidays.(Opinion)(Survey)
December 10, 2007... It's time to dig deep. As Monee Fields-White reports in this week's Crain's, charities across the Chicago area are facing a surge in demand. That need is outstripping the charities' ability to raise money to provide food, shelter and other...

30 and counting.(Editor's Letter)(Crain's Chicago Business celebrates its anniversary)(Editorial)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Joseph B. Cahill Crain's Chicago Business will mark its 30th anniversary next year. Such occasions often call forth reminiscences of past glories. But we at Crain's pride ourselves on giving every story a forward spin, and...

For The Record.(Briefs)(Padmasree Warrior appointed as chief technology officer at Cisco Inc.)(Leggett and Platt Inc. closes its facility)(Louis Camilleri chairman at Kraft Foods Inc. to resign)
December 10, 2007... A special primary election to replace retired U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert will be held Feb. 5, the same day as Illinois' primary election, with the special general election following on March 8. The winner of the special election will serve out...

Ex-CTA prez to run city's D.C. office.(Briefs)(Frank Kruesi appointed at Chicago, Illinois. Transit Authority)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Mayor Daley is bringing one of his oldest confidants back into city government-in Washington, D.C. Frank Kruesi, 57, who earlier this year resigned under pressure as president of the Chicago Transit Authority, has been tapped to head Chicago's...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)(Directory)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Crystal Yednak THEATER "Good Boys and True'' 1650 N. Halsted St. (312) 335-1650 www.steppenwolf.org 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 3 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Saturday Tickets: $40-$68 The discovery of a...

Destination: Punta Mita, Mexico.(Business of Life)
December 10, 2007... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Quieter and more exclusive than nearby Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita offers a Mexican resort experience that's heavier on peaceful vistas and beachside dining, lighter on two-for-one margarita specials and...

Salad chain takes root in Chicago; But local franchiser has plenty of competition.(News)
December 10, 2007... Byline: H. LEE MURPHY Philip Gershman, a Chicago-based special events organizer, was visiting Boca Raton, Fla., two years ago with retirement in mind when he spotted long lines of customers at a food stand in a local mall. His retirement,...

Closing.(Business of Life)
December 10, 2007... Closing "Dia de los Muertos: A New Beginning" 1852 W. 19th St. (312) 738-1503 www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday Donations accepted Here's a last chance to see this exhibition...

opening.(Business of Life)
December 17, 2007... "Drawn from the Home of Henry Darger" 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. (773) 702-0200 www.smartmuseum.uchicago.edu 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday Free Glimpse the world of reclusive self-taught artist Henry Darger at this...

CONVERSION CRUSH; Foreclosures on condo projects rise; an ominous sign?(News)
December 17, 2007... Byline: ALBY GALLUN The condo slump has put developer Liviu Mihulet in a tight spot. His lender, Northside Community Bank, filed a lawsuit in August to foreclose on a 32-unit condominium conversion the developer launched in January in...

Serving Chicago's superrich; A gold mine awaits those who can map the right path.(Focus: Finance)
December 17, 2007... Byline: SARAH A. KLEIN The rich are not only getting richer, they are getting more numerous, as well. In the past four years, the number of billionaires worldwide has doubled to 946, according to Forbes' 2007 list, the unofficial...

Humbled Bears fans give Packers some props.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
December 17, 2007... Byline: Lisa Bertagnoli The Chicago Bears ruled the NFC North last season. This year their fiercest rivals, the Green Bay Packers, are at the top of the heap. That makes life easier, curiously, for both Chicago-area Packers fans and...