Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) articles from October 2000

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) archives from October 2000

Chicago Tribune Auto Letters Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Jim Mateja Oct. 1--THE STATE OF CAR-BUYING IN FLORIDA: QUESTION: Bought a vacation home in Florida and would like to buy a used car down there to keep there. The homeowner's insurance agent in Florida told us that since we aren't...

Chicago Tribune Chicago Stocks Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Andrew Countryman Oct. 1--Profit warnings, which have roiled the stock market in recent weeks, extracted a toll on several of the Chicago-area's biggest companies last week. Elk Grove Township-based UAL, parent of United...

Chicago Tribune Binary Beat Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: James Coates Oct. 1--WINDOWS ME IS A FINE CURE FOR WHAT DOESN'T AIL YOUR PCQ: QUESTION: Hi, Jim. After we read about Windows ME, my daughter and I purchased this upgrade for Windows 98. But she was told by an employee of the store...

Chicago Realty Industry Adapts to the Digital Revolution.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Mary Umberger Oct. 1--CHICAGO--For years, the realty business has been afloat in promises about what the digital revolution will do for it -- and to it. Now, some of these prognostications are starting to come to fruition -- some...

OPINION: It's Plodding Progress for World's Women.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Ruth E. Igoe Oct. 1--UNITED NATIONS REPORT: It has been eight years since Alice Walker created an international controversy when she addressed the subject of female genital mutilation in her 1992 novel, "Possessing the Secret of...

Chicago Tribune Business Finance Notebook Column.
October 1, 2000... Oct. 1--More consumers are paying their credit card bills on time than they have in nearly six years, one indication that the economy continues to buzz despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to slow it down with interest rate hikes. Still,...

Chicago Tribune Jim's Driveway Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Jim Mateja Oct. 1--Jim's driveway is capsules of Jim Mateja's auto reviews that appear in the Chicago Tribune. The vehicles will be grouped by model year and listed alphabetically. The digested version of the most recent reviews...

Chicago Tribune Jobs Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Christine Tatum Oct. 1--When it comes to swan-diving from college into the workplace, let's just say Aaron Krause knows more about belly flops. After collecting his master's degree in journalism from Indiana University in May,...

Variety Is the Spice of the New Millennium for Automotive Model Year.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Jim Mateja Oct. 1--CHICAGO--Still a bit confused about how to spell millennium, much less which millennium, not to mention which century, it is? Then to add to your confusion, this is the first day of the rest of the 2001...

Chicago Tribune New Cars Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Jim Mateja Oct. 1--NEW MONTERO LOOKS, AND RIDES, SMOOTHER: Beauty is only skin deep, they say, while ugly goes all the way to the bone. In the case of the Mitsubishi Montero, ugly went all the way to the marrow. Tall and...

Chicago Tribune Real Estate Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Steve Kerch Oct. 1--A WHIFF OF AIR OFFERS HINT OF SCREENS' MORTALITY: On the day you close on the purchase of your first home, there are a thousand things running through your mind: Is the mortgage company really going to fork over...

Chicago's South Loop Develops Residential Spaces.
October 1, 2000... Byline: John Handley Oct. 1--CHICAGO--The movers and shakers of 19th Century Chicago--including Marshall Field, George Pullman and Philip Armour--built their mansions in the Prairie Avenue District. Now that South Loop neighborhood is...

Chicago Tribune Software Spotlight Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: James Coates Oct. 1--LATEST VERSION OF WINDOWS IS A GEM OF A MEMORY HOG: For openers, disregard Microsoft's own claims about system requirements printed at left. ME might as well stand for Memory Eater as for Millennium Edition....

Chicago Tribune Transportation Notes Column.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Jim Mateja Oct. 1--AUTOS: Night Vision, the infrared heat-imaging system that allows motorists to see objects in the dark or in a snow or rain storm, was such a success that Cadillac got caught short of supply and only had 6,000...

White Sox ready to go from underdog to top dog.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Paul Sullivan CHICAGO _ The American League division series pitting the White Sox against Seattle finally may bring an answer to the age-old question: "Who let the dogs out?" The Mariners adopted the rap song of that name...

Baldwin passes his test for a playoff roster spot.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Paul Sullivan CHICAGO _ James Baldwin had a rough outing in his final playoff tune-up Sunday but still received a vote of confidence from his manager. Baldwin gave up five runs on six hits and three walks in three innings...

Versatility gives Lowe edge for playoffs; spot starter provides White Sox flexibility out of the bullpen.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Bill Jauss CHICAGO _ The soap-opera saga of White Sox starting pitchers and their injuries is well known. Cal Eldred's elbow put him on the disabled list in July. James Baldwin's shoulder flared up in August. Elbow pain struck...

Say goodnight, Gracie: Future uncertain for veteran.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Teddy Greenstein PITTSBURGH_Mark Grace is prepared for a major change in his life. Make that two major changes. Grace expects to become a father around Nov. 3 when his girlfriend is due to deliver a baby boy who will be named...

Sammy Sosa's 6-year itch pitched to Cubs.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Teddy Greenstein PITTSBURGH_Sammy Sosa finished the season with a major-league-best 50 homers, 138 runs batted in and a career-high .320 average. But those weren't the numbers on his mind Sunday. For the first time Sosa...

Tim Floyd must find new angle.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Sam Smith CHICAGO _ This might not be the best Bulls season in recent memory, but it may be the most revealing. Because as training camp opens Monday for the 2000-01 season, we should find out whether Tim Floyd can coach in the...

Ethics and morals weigh heavily with women voters in Ohio.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Monica Davey NEW ALBANY, Ohio _ Pat Martin, who spends some afternoons in a ballet studio lobby here waiting for her daughters' lessons to end, usually selects a political candidate on the basis of two issues that might affect her...

Gore and Bush prepare for Tuesday's debate.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Rick Pearson and Monica Davey LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. _ Just a few hours before Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore launched into a weekend of debate preparation on the shores of the Gulf Coast, a reporter spotted the questionable...

Maturing Wildcats thinking bowl.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Skip Myslenski CHICAGO _ There was no evidence to support their claims. There were no facts to buttress their outsized aspirations. There was no proof to back up the words that came out of their mouths. That is why it all sounded...

Booker's eight-yard gain saves the Bears.
October 1, 2000... Byline: K.C. Johnson GREEN BAY _ Forget Eddie Kennison's end-around that started with a fumble and potential disaster and ended with a 52-yard gain that set up a field goal. Forget Marcus Robinson's two touchdown catches totaling 126...

Bears' defense hangs in just long enough.
October 1, 2000... Byline: K.C. Johnson GREEN BAY _ Early Sunday evening, the final Packers drive had finally stalled, courtesy of a dropped pass and some Phillip Daniels pressure on fourth down. Brett Favre walked off the field, his chin strap...

Edinger makes the most of a second chance he didn't want.
October 1, 2000... Byline: K.C. Johnson and Don Pierson GREEN BAY, Wis. _ There's icing the kicker. And then there's deep freezing him. Tight end Alonzo Mayes unwittingly did the latter to Paul Edinger on Sunday, forcing the Bears' kicker to line up...

Another fantastic finish? Not this day for Green Bay.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Don Pierson GREEN BAY _ For a while, the Packers were thinking of starting their Lambeau Field renovation early since they weren't using the end zones anyway. They scored one touchdown in a loss against the Jets, and none in a win...

Iraqi containment strategy unraveling.
October 1, 2000... Byline: John Diamond WASHINGTON_The U.S. strategy of containment against Iraq is unraveling amid rising oil prices, bickering among allies and concern about the suffering of the Iraqi people. President Saddam Hussein's hold on power is...

Latest bout of violence holds peace process in balance.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Hugh Dellios BUREIJ REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip_Because he was so curious, Mohammed Aldura's parents said they tried to think up ways to distract him from going to watch when older boys threw rocks at Israelis. That protective...

Mideast fighting spreads to Israeli Arab towns; death toll at 29.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Hugh Dellios RAMALLAH, West Bank _ Bloody battles sparked by the dispute over Jerusalem's holy sites spread from the Palestinian territories to Israeli Arab towns on Sunday, escalating into war-like skirmishes as the Israeli army...

After perfect party, Aussies expect a Monday hangover.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Uli Schmetzer SYDNEY, Australia _The Big Barbie Down Under is over, the beer kegs are dry, the shrimps eaten, the last hoarse shouts of "Aussie! Aussie!Aussie!" have died and psychologists are warning Post Olympic Blues are certain...

Juarez says he was robbed; referee suspended after bout.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Michael Hirsley SYDNEY, Australia _ Rocky Juarez actually uttered the five-letter word. Fixed. "This guy . . . it was fixed," a frustrated Juarez said of his loss on points, 22-14, to Bekzat Sattarkhanov of Uzbekistan in...

The 2000 Olympic superstars were Sydney and Australia.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Philip Hersh SYDNEY, Australia _ The moment Australia had anticipated for seven years had something of an anti-climactic feeling when the public address announcer at Olympic Stadium revealed Cathy Freeman was the person who would...

Reflections on the Olympics.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Melissa Isaacson SYDNEY, Australia _ They're good people, these Awzees. Kind and patient and well-humored about their departing houseguests, which is a good thing for Americans who might otherwise never be invited back again. ...

Ethiopian Gezahgne Abera wins Olympic marathon.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Philip Hersh SYDNEY, Australia _ There is a wondrous and tragic history in Ethiopian marathoning. Gezahgne Abera added another chapter Sunday and revived the bittersweet past by winning the 2000 Olympic marathon. In 1960,...

U.S. defeats France 85-75 for gold.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Fred Mitchell SYDNEY, Australia _ It was viewed as a no-win situation. Yet the U.S. men's basketball team could not fathom the mortification of becoming the first American squad comprised of NBA players to be denied a gold...

U.S. beats France 85-75 for basketball gold medal.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Fred Mitchell SYDNEY, Australia _ It was viewed as a no-win situation. Yet the U.S. men's basketball team could not fathom the mortification of becoming the first American squad comprised of NBA players to be denied a gold...

U.S. woman wins silver in first women's modern Pentathlon.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Lola Smallwood SYDNEY, Australia _ Shortly after dawn, 24 women began competing in the first women's Olympic modern pentathlon, a sport that harkens back to the competitive fury of ancient man. For the Americans, winning a...

Despite leading the medal count, U.S. team was only moderately successful.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Melissa Isaacson SYDNEY, Australia _ Perhaps it was the ultimate sign of America's athletic proficiency or our high ideals or maybe just our demanding nature that somehow five Olympic medals in one Summer Games was not enough. ...

Freestyle wrestlers leave without gold.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Michael Hirsley SYDNEY, Australia _ Lincoln McIlravy talked about winning for his family and friends, for country and for pride, then admitted he used all of that for motivation for a bronze-medal match he never wanted to wrestle....

Parish shocked over priest's pickax attack on abortion clinic.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Mickey Ciokajlo ROCHELLE, Ill._Parishioners at St. Patrick Catholic Church and community residents say they know Rev. John P. Earl as a friendly and outgoing pastor with a genuine interest in children and a fine sense of humor that...

Chicago Tribune Business Outlook Column.
October 2, 2000... Byline: William Sluis Oct. 2--THE AMERICAN JOB MARKET remains a global wonder, its status seemingly invulnerable month after month. Each month brings reports of heavy demand for workers, as well as lamentations about the difficult...

Chicago-Area Hospitals Face Funding Plunge over Medicaid.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Ray Long Oct. 2--SPRINGFIELD, Ill.-- A Clinton administration proposal to close a Medicaid funding loophole could cut $157 million in federal aid earmarked for Children's Memorial Hospital, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Northwestern...

Chicago Tribune Technology Buzz Column.
October 2, 2000... Byline: James Coates Oct. 2--BY THEIR CLICKS SHALL YE KNOW DEM: Are you surprised to learn that Republicans act differently online than do Democrats? GOP clickers swarm like well-heeled flies to Web stock analysis sites, while Democrats...

Mystery tape haunts Bush, Gore campaigns as they prep for debate.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Monica Davey and Rick Pearson HUNTINGTON, W.Va. _ As the candidates made their way to Boston on the eve of their first debate, questions about the case of the purloined videotape trailed them. By Monday, no charges had been...

Gore, Bush want to win debate but must do so in very different ways.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Michael Tackett WASHINGTON _ When Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore take the stage Tuesday in Boston for their first presidential debate, they have a common goal but distinctly different burdens of proof. ...

Government aid to farmers hits record high.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Michael Kilian WASHINGTON_Government assistance to farmers and ranchers reached a record high of $28 billion in the fiscal year just ended, with almost half of all farm income now coming from American taxpayers, Agriculture...

An on-the-run McNown gets the job done.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Skip Bayless GREEN BAY _ Every (under)dog has its day, and until about eight minutes remained, Sunday was simply the Bears' day. The 0-4 Bears watched with relief as the "Pack is Back" Packers turned into the grin-and-bear-it...

Finally, Bears can lighten up; victory at last and relief.
October 2, 2000... Byline: John Mullin GREEN BAY _ The shaving cream said it all. As wide receiver Eddie Kennison stood surrounded by microphones and cameras in the Bears' locker room, teammate Marcus Robinson crept around behind him and gave him an...

Finesse replacing fists: The debut of European-raised coaches Alpo Suhonen and Ivan Hlinka may mean the dump-and-chase game is on the way out.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Neil Milbert The NHL will be a little more continental this season. And the game they play in the league will be a lot kinder and gentler than it was back when the prevailing philosophy was "if you can't beat `em in the alley, you...

Israeli Arabs caught between two clashing worlds.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Hugh Dellios UM AL FAHEM, Israel _ As ambulances rushed the dead and injured into the medical clinic in this tear gas-shrouded town Monday, the spread of rioting across the Galilee region and the intensity with which Israeli Arabs...

Supreme Court opens term with flurry of activity.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Jan Crawford Greenburg WASHINGTON _ The U.S. Supreme Court kicked off its new term Monday largely by maintaining the status quo, declining to review more than 1,500 lower court decisions on such matters as a $5 billion punitive...

Walgreen, Wal-Mart announce aggressive expansion plans for 2001.
October 2, 2000... Byline: John Schmeltzer Walgreen Co., continuing an aggressive expansion program launched 12 years ago, said Monday it plans to open 500 new stores next year. The Deerfield, Ill.-based drug store chain made the disclosure while...

Women's networks expanding into green horizons.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Carol Kleiman Despite reports of their demise, women's networks are thriving. "Women's Networks," as I wrote in my book by that title published in 1980, "are a new form of the buddy system... an answer to the Old Boys...

Lawsuit filed to block construction of World War II Memorial.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Michael Kilian WASHINGTON _ Opposition groups who have long fought the project filed suit Monday to block construction of the controversial $140 million World War II Memorial planned for the capital's National Mall. Though the...

Chicago Tribune Market Report Column.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Bill Barnhart Oct. 3--Technology stocks opened the fourth quarter on a down beat Monday, pushing the Nasdaq composite index below its recent trading range. Disappointment that the Federal Reserve, in the view of most...

Chicago Tribune Market Report Column.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Bill Barnhart Oct. 3--STOCK PANELISTS AMONG THOSE TRAMPLED IN RUSH TO EXITS: Momentum investing, if it worked at all, worked against most investors in the third quarter, including the Tribune's panel of mutual fund managers. ...

Chicago-Area Cinemas Suffer from Flat Ticket Sales, Glut of New Theaters.
October 3, 2000... Oct. 3--With a summer devoid of blockbusters and ever-increasing construction of new theaters, the scene looks increasingly bleak at the Chicago area's existing cinemas, analysts and industry insiders say. While new theaters are sprouting...

Agriculture Secretary Reports Record High Assistance to Farmers, Ranchers.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Michael Kilian Oct. 3--WASHINGTON--Government assistance to farmers and ranchers reached a record high of $28 billion in the fiscal year just ended, with almost half of all farm income now coming from American taxpayers,...

Chicago Residents' Natural Gas Bills Could Rise 50 Percent.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Melita Marie Garza Oct. 3--Chicago residents are likely to see their natural gas heating bills jump as much as 50 percent this season, officials with Peoples Energy Corp. said Monday. Prices for natural gas are almost double...

Chicago Tribune Inside Health Care Column.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Bruce Japsen Oct. 3--A Chicago-based Internet exchange is taking off in popularity for medical product manufacturers who see a chance to help health-care providers streamline their purchasing and keep costs down. There are now...

Executive Director Resigns from Illinois Association of HMOs.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Bruce Japsen Oct. 3--Robert Burger, an influential health-care leader, said Monday that he will resign his post as top executive of the state's managed-care trade group because of personal reasons. Burger is leaving his...

Chicago Tribune Marketing Column.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Jim Kirk Oct. 3--AARP WANTS TO GET DOWN WITH BOOMERS: Faced with losing relevancy with what stands to be its biggest source of new members, the American Association of Retired Persons is overhauling its image and launching a new...

Navistar International's Shares Rise After Reports of Buyout Bid.
October 3, 2000... Byline: James P. Miller Oct. 3--Navistar International Inc. is back in play. Shares of the Chicago truck-manufacturing giant surged Monday morning after a trade journal reported that Navistar had received a buyout bid from industry...

Chicago Cinemas Battle for Blockbusters.
October 3, 2000... Oct. 3--With a summer devoid of blockbusters and ever-increasing construction of new theaters, the scene looks increasingly bleak at the Chicago area's existing cinemas, analysts and industry insiders say. While new theaters are sprouting...

Legend's Chicago-Based Trading Group Will Close.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Melissa Allison Oct. 3--For legendary Chicago trader Richard Dennis, the third try at managing other people's money is ending without a charm. After closing commodity funds in the late 1980s and again in the early `90s, Dennis...

Walgreen to Open 500 New Stores Next Year.
October 3, 2000... Byline: John Schmeltzer Oct. 3--Walgreen Co., continuing an aggressive expansion program launched 12 years ago, said Monday it plans to open 500 new stores next year. The Deerfield-based drug store chain made the disclosure while...

Chicago Tribune Women At Work Column.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Carol Kleiman Oct. 3--Despite reports of their demise, women's networks are thriving. "Women's Networks," as I wrote in my book by that title published in 1980, "are a new form of the buddy system... an answer to the Old Boys...

Pentagon backtracks, admits chemical agent is in anthrax vaccine.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Michael Kilian WASHINGTON _ After years of denials, the Pentagon admitted Tuesday that the chemical agent squalene has been found in some of the anthrax vaccine it has been administering to military personnel. The revelation...

Gale design era draws to a close at Chrysler.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Jim Mateja CHICAGO _ For years the auto-show circuit featured "dream cars," wild creations that had little or no hope of being produced and were only cobbled together to have an outlandish-looking machine to attract people into the...

White Sox's improbable ride destined to continue.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Skip Bayless CHICAGO _ They are going to beat Seattle in five games because Seattle should beat them in four. The White Sox will advance in the playoffs because they have lost their one semblance of a dominating starter, the...

Piniella lauds experience of Mariners' lineup.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Bill Jauss CHICAGO _ Seattle manager Lou Piniella credits the experience of his veteran players for the Mariners' ability to win on the road _ they won nine of their last 10 regular-season road games to nail down a playoff berth...

Heart of Mariners' lineup lethal.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Bill Jauss CHICAGO _ Freddy Garcia didn't waste many words Monday on the eve of pitching for the Seattle Mariners against the White Sox in their playoff opener in Comiskey Park. Garcia, a 6-foot 4-inch 235-pound native of...

Enjoying his `new life' Dumped by the Brewers last season, Jose Valentin has found a home with the White Sox _ and his statistics have soared with his spirits.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Skip Myslenski CHICAGO _ He was a mess. That is the bluntest, clearest way to put it. His season was a nightmare and he was finding little joy in pulling on the uniform and trotting onto the field to play a kid's game. "I...

A new proving ground: White Sox face same doubts that have followed them all season.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Paul Sullivan CHICAGO _ The White Sox have spent the majority of this season leaping over obstacles, from the opening coast-to-coast trip to the suspensions from the Tigers brawl to the revolving door of rookies in their...

Rotation questions answered, for now.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Paul Sullivan CHICAGO _ The White Sox are putting a new spin on a famous baseball refrain in their Division Series showdown with the Mariners: Sirotka and Parque and pray for rain. It doesn't rhyme exactly, but it makes...

Collegiate, pro experience have taught Sirotka there's more to pitching than throwing strikes.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Teddy Greenstein CHICAGO _ Once the words tumbled from his lips, Mike Sirotka could not take them back. Not that he wanted to. After getting bludgeoned in an 11-5 loss to Kansas City in May, Sirotka complained to reporters...

Manuel advises more patience to young White Sox hitters.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Paul Sullivan CHICAGO _ White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said his hitters were somewhat impatient in the first game against Mariners pitching, a problem his team will have to address before Game 2. It was patience at the plate...

Cardinals able to overcome Ankiel anxiety as 6-run 1st beats Maddux, Braves.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Jimmy Greenfield ST. LOUIS _ With every pitch that sailed to the backstop, St. Louis' Rick Ankiel looked every bit like a rookie pitcher whose wobbly knees were betraying his golden arm. With every pitch that was slapped barely...

Edmonds escapes injury list.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Jimmy Greenfield ST. LOUIS _ A series of potentially debilitating personnel losses has not stopped the St. Louis Cardinals from getting to the point where they're just six victories away from the World Series. Mark McGwire,...

Hampton seeking to befuddle Giants.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Bob Foltman SAN FRANCISCO _ Mike Hampton had just endured another poor outing, this time lasting only 5 1/3 innings while allowing five runs and walking six at San Francisco's Pac Bell Park in the New York Mets' 8-5 loss to the...

Big hitter is about to hit it big.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Phil Rogers CHICAGO _ For Alex Rodriguez, the mission on this business trip is simple. "We're going to have some fun and try to steal a couple of games," Rodriguez said after the Seattle Mariners worked out at Comiskey Park on...

Bulls' top pick Fizer won't take it slow.
October 3, 2000... Byline: K.C. Johnson CHICAGO _ Jerry Krause says he will be "brought along at the right speed." Tim Floyd talks of increased depth and its inherent increased substitution, which will allow for a larger learning curve. Marcus Fizer...

At least Bulls are young; Floyd, Krause stress potential at media gathering.
October 3, 2000... Byline: K.C. Johnson CHICAGO _ The Bulls assembled for their annual meet and greet the media session Monday night at the Berto Center with a Chicago baseball team in the playoffs and the football team on a one-game win streak. If those...