Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) articles from August 2003

Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) archives from August 2003

Studio Gains Counter Theme-Park Losses for Disney in Third Quarter.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 1--BURBANK, Calif.--The Walt Disney Co. beat Wall Street estimates Thursday, posting a 10 percent increase in third-quarter profits due to strong film and television network business, but the entertainment...

California Budget Woes Send Film Incentives Program to Cutting-Room Floor.
August 1, 2003

Merger Pays Off for Westlake Village, Calif.-Based United Online's CEO.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Aug. 1--WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--If you put Mark Goldston's name into the Internet search engine Google, about 6,400 entries will surface, most with his name attached to United Online Inc. Goldston is chairman and...

Los Angeles-Area Colleges Meet Federal Deadline for Tracking Foreign Students.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Aug. 1--California State University, Northridge, and the San Fernando Valley's three community colleges have met today's federal deadline to record all foreign-student enrollments in a computerized federal tracking...

Los Angeles Engineers Plan Pipeline for Treated Wastewater.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Aug. 1--Stymied in their toilet-to-tap recycling program, Los Angeles city engineers have started developing a pipeline to deliver treated wastewater across the San Fernando Valley -- but only for irrigation and...

Charter Communications' New Cable Fee in Glendale, Calif., Funds Local Access.
August 1, 2003

Los Angeles-Area Hospital Seeking Dismissal of Lawsuit Filed by Medical Staff.
August 1, 2003

Summer Workers Are More Than Just Seasonal for Home Depot, Lowe's.
August 3, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Aug. 3--The do-it-yourself crowd has others doing lots of work. Faced by an increased summer interest in sprucing up homes, massive hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowe's go on annual hiring binges, adding on...

Mentryville, Calif., Is Monument to Area's Oil-Drilling Industry.
August 3, 2003... Byline: Nicholas Grudin Aug. 3--PICO CANYON, Calif.--Before real estate became the treasure of the Santa Clarita Valley, another business ruled the rolling hills: black gold. California's multibillion-dollar oil industry sprouted from...

Los Angeles Emergency Workers Stage Mock 'Attack'.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Dana Bartholomew Aug. 4--NORTHRIDGE, Calif.--More than 600 Los Angeles firefighters, police officers and emergency crews staged the nation's largest anti-terrorism drill -- a six-hour exercise that began Sunday night with a...

Parking Fines Are Just the Ticket to Raise Revenue for Los Angeles.
August 4, 2003... Byline: James Nash Aug. 4--After a post-9-11 reprieve caused by the reassignments of many parking officers, Los Angeles motorists can expect to receive a record 3.3 million parking tickets this year -- generating $110 million in revenue to...

Sweepers Have 99 Percent Success Rate in Cleaning Los Angeles Streets On Time.
August 4, 2003... Byline: James Nash Aug. 4--Savvy drivers know that parking officers almost always come at the time a street is posted for sweeping. But are the sweepers equally diligent? Yes, according to the city's Bureau of Street Services, which...

Art in Los Angeles Transit Stations Leads to Tours.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Grace Lee Aug. 4--From murals to blinking neon, artwork along the Red Line Metro Rail offers its own journey into the city. A tour of subway station art on Sunday drew some 40 visitors, who made a two-hour trip through a...

Computer Scientists Dispute Security of Touch-Screen Voting Systems.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Troy Anderson Aug. 4--Touch-screen voting systems being installed in Los Angeles County and much of the nation are prone to tampering and fraud and pose a grave danger to democratic elections, according to computer scientists at...

Cats Help Protect Inventory at Downtown Los Angeles Flower Mart.
August 4, 2003

Summer Movie Hits Rush Disney Past $1 Billion Mark at Box Office.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 5--BURBANK, Calif.--On the strength of box-office juggernauts "Finding Nemo" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," The Walt Disney Co. has enjoyed a stupendous summer -- hitting $1 billion in domestic grosses faster...

Los Angeles Unified School District Seeks to Cast Stars in Role of Donors.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Helen Gao Aug. 5--Tom Hanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Susan Sarandon, Roy Disney, James Hahn, Johnnie Cochran Jr. and Rupert Murdoch: The Los Angeles Unified School District wants you. District Superintendent Roy Romer has...

Glaucoma Leads Owner of Pacoima, Calif., Glass Shop to Sell.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Aug. 5--PACOIMA, Calif.--Charles Jackson, at age 67, still boasts the thick biceps and proud frame of a working man, and a strong and commanding voice. But after 33 years of running his No. 1 Glass & Screen Co.,...

IHOP Plans 130 New Restaurants in 25 States within Next Decade.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Aug. 5--GLENDALE, Calif.--IHOP Corp. announced plans Monday to roll out up to 130 new restaurants within the decade, a huge expansion coming just eight months after telling its franchisees it would no longer bankroll...

Federal Funds Partially Compensate California for Homeland Security Costs.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Rick Orlov Aug. 5--California received $119 million from the federal government to cover homeland security costs, which is some $200 million less than what has been spent but which is going a long way toward providing some...

Troubled Capstone Turbine Corp. of Chatsworth, Calif., Names New CEO.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Aug. 5--CHATSWORTH, Calif.--Capstone Turbine Corp. named John Tucker chief executive officer Monday, a move that analysts say offers brighter prospects for the second half of an otherwise bleak year for the company. ...

Amgen, NeoGenesis Pharmaceuticals Team Up on Drugs for Brain-Related Diseases.
August 5, 2003

Home-Entertainment Industry Driven by DVD Revenues, Group Says.
August 6, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 6--The thriving $20 billion home-entertainment industry is being driven by the DVD revolution, a steadily-growing video-game market and remaining demand for the VCR despite its being tagged a dying format,...

Construction Values Drop 1.2 Percent; Experts Blame California's Budget Woes.
August 6, 2003

Film, Video Crews Are Busy on Streets of Los Angeles.
August 6, 2003

Major League Baseball Dumps Plans for Youth Academy at Los Angeles Site.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Aug. 7--Balking at building a professional-style ballfield atop a settling landfill, Major League Baseball has dropped plans for a youth baseball academy on the old Sheldon-Arleta dump, officials said Wednesday. ...

California Business-Recruiting Agency Loses Its Funding in State's New Budget.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 7--The state agency charged with recruiting and retaining businesses has become a quiet casualty of the budget crisis and will be phased out over the next six months. The dismantling of the California...

Bob Hope's Death Increases Demand for Films, Books among Fans.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 7--Bob Hope fans are savoring the many memories, and stirring big business among retailers. Since the comedian's death last week at the age of 100, DVDs of his movies and books have become increasingly tough...

Los Angeles Police Officers to Get 9 Percent Pay Raise.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Mariel Garza Aug. 7--The Los Angeles City Council agreed Wednesday to give the Police Department's 9,100 officers a 9 percent raise over the next three years -- a boost expected to leave a $15 million hole in the already shaky city...

Westlake Village, Calif.-Based United Online Signs Deal with Best Buy.
August 7, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Aug. 7--WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--United Online Inc. will soon stock the shelves of Best Buy with its discount dial-up software after the two companies signed a three-year distribution pact. The move could woo...

Los Angeles Officials Drop Plans for Upscale Shopping Mall along Freeway.
August 7, 2003

Los Angeles Transportation Agency Council Delays Vote on $3 Million Surplus.
August 7, 2003

Increase in Mortgage Rates Depresses Housing Affordability in California.
August 8, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 8--Mortgage rates hit their highest level in a year this week, a development that will further decrease housing affordability in California where buyers face escalating prices, officials said Thursday. ...

Retail Stores Bask in Hot July Sales, Figures Show.
August 8, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Aug. 8--The wheezing retail sector sputtered back to life in July, according to data released Thursday indicating shoppers are gaining confidence, which could linger through the holidays. The Bank of...

Show-Business Jobs for Minorities Are Slowly Increasing, Statistics Show.
August 8, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 8--Roles for Hispanics, African-American and female performers in movies and television are slowly on the rise but still lag dramatically behind the number of jobs available for whites and males, according to...

Warner Bros. Entertainment Creates New Arthouse Film Division.
August 8, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 8--BURBANK, Calif.--Warner Bros. Entertainment, the only major film studio without a specialty arm for arthouse fare, announced Thursday that it is creating an autonomous film label to produce or acquire up to...

Doctors' Suit against Los Angeles-Area Hospital's Administrators Moves Forward.
August 8, 2003

Construction Delays on Glendale, Calif., Police Building May Be Costly.
August 8, 2003

Home-Refinancing Fees to Help Pay for Recall Election in Los Angeles Area.
August 8, 2003

Southern California Workers to Share More of Costs for Health Insurance.
August 10, 2003... Byline: Barbara Correa Aug. 10--Workers in Southern California can expect more of their paychecks to go to health-care plan contributions in 2004 -- and for years to come. With health-maintenance organizations and other providers...

Daily News, Los Angeles, Real Estate Column.
August 10, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 10--That whoosh accompanying the release of a Census Bureau report last week was the sound of a huge chunk of the state's middle class hightailing it out of California. The government's official counter...

New Home Sales Jump 70 Percent in Section of Los Angeles County, Calif.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Jim Skeen Aug. 11--PALMDALE, Calif.--New home sales in the Antelope Valley jumped 70.7 percent this spring compared with the same months last year, a surge being attributed to affordable prices and a solid regional economy. ...

Expansion Enables Los Angeles Public Library to Pump Up Number of Volumes.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Dana Bartholomew Aug. 11--Set behind towering pepper and eucalyptus trees, the Woodland Hills Branch Library -- slated to reopen Thursday -- forms a picture of West Coast rustic repose. Miles down Ventura Boulevard, the sharp...

Transportation Costs Are Hijacking Budgets of Most Los Angeles Residents.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Lisa Mascaro Aug. 11--Getting around in Los Angeles takes a heavy toll on the pocketbook, with nearly 18 percent of household expenditures -- an average of $8,104 a year -- devoted to keeping the wheels on the road, according to a...

Los Angeles County, Calif., Official Defends Touch-Screen Voting System.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Troy Anderson Aug. 11--Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Conny McCormack says she is confident that software in touch-screen voting machines being used at a few polling places in the Oct. 7 recall election isn't prone to fraud...

Daily News, Los Angeles, Business Profile Column.
August 11, 2003

CEO Is Latest Key Executive to Leave Valencia, Calif.-Based 3D Systems.
August 12, 2003... Byline: Nicholas Grudin Aug. 12--VALENCIA, Calif.--Continuing a drastic management overhaul, the chief executive officer of 3D Systems Corp. stepped down Monday, three months after accounting irregularities prompted the removal of two...

Calabasas, Calif.-Based Countrywide Financial's July Fundings Jump 63 Percent.
August 12, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 12--CALABASAS, Calif.--Countrywide Financial Corp.'s purchase fundings increased an annual 63 percent to $13.4 billion in July, the company said Monday, an indication that the residential real estate market...

Study: Growth of Health Care Sector Is Key to Economic Growth in Many Cities.
August 12, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Aug. 12--The health care sector is a dominating force for future economic growth in major metropolitan areas across the country, despite the industry's seemingly weakened state, according to a study released Monday by...

Los Angeles Unified School District Has Hefty Budget Leftovers.
August 12, 2003... Byline: Helen Gao Aug. 12--After making nearly $359 million in budget cuts that included employee furloughs, the Los Angeles Unified School District wrapped up the past fiscal year with $489.6 million left over -- $33 million more than the...

CEO Is Third Key Executive to Go in Shake-Up at 3D Systems Corp.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Nicholas Grudin Aug. 13--VALENCIA, Calif.--Continuing a drastic management overhaul, the chief executive officer of 3D Systems Corp. stepped down Monday, three months after accounting irregularities prompted the removal of two...

THQ Announces Agreement with Microsoft to Distribute Game Boy Titles.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Aug. 13--CALABASAS, Calif.--THQ Inc. announced a multiyear agreement with Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday, granting the video game maker rights to distribute titles including "Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge." The title...

Countrywide Financial Corp.'s July Purchase Fundings Rise 63 Percent.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 13--CALABASAS, Calif.--Countrywide Financial Corp.'s purchase fundings increased an annual 63 percent to $13.4 billion in July, the company said Monday, an indication that the residential real estate market...

Affluent Elderly Boosts Growth of Health-Care Sector.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Aug. 13--The health care sector is a dominating force for future economic growth in major metropolitan areas across the country, despite the industry's seemingly weakened state, according to a study released Monday by...

Film-Industry Experts Blame Hype for Recent Box Office Bombs.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 13--In an industry where all publicity is said to be good publicity, the ubiquitousness of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez should have helped sparked ticket sales for the couple's first movie together. But...

Los Angeles Daily News Debuts New Advertising Package.
August 13, 2003... Aug. 13--Daily News home-delivery subscribers will find a host of new, money-saving circulars in today's paper as the newspaper begins offering the ShopWise advertising package. Featuring discounts on groceries, fast food and other items,...

Burbank, Calif., Airport Passenger Volume Returns to Pre-Sept. 11 Levels.
August 13, 2003

CBS Unveils Program Aimed at Increasing Diversity in Talent.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 14--At a time when the major broadcast networks continue to draw criticism for an overall lack of diversity in front of and behind the camera, CBS on Wednesday unveiled a program to identify and develop...

Cutbacks Shut Students Out of Classes at Los Angeles-Area Community Colleges.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Aug. 14--Students are scrambling to enroll in classes at the San Fernando Valley's three community colleges, where state budget cuts prompted the elimination of dozens of courses for the semester that begins Sept....

Berkshire Hathaway's Buffett to Join Schwarzenegger's Campaign Advisers.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Harrison Sheppard Aug. 14--Showing he has the muscle to recruit some of the country's best minds while maintaining his momentum in the fast-moving recall election, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday that billionaire...

Home Prices Continue to Soar in California during Second Quarter.
August 14, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 14--The appreciation of residential real estate maintained a scorching pace during the second quarter, with the median price of a previously owned home in California jumping 15.5 percent to a record $369,640,...

Los Angeles Mayor Defends Modernization Plans for Airport.
August 14, 2003

Consultant Suggests Value-Added Tax for Los Angeles.
August 14, 2003

Refinancing Activity Slows Down as Interest Rates Rise.
August 14, 2003

Kids, Parents Get Shopping for Back-to-School Items.
August 14, 2003

Interest Rates on 30-Year Loans Falls to 6.24 Percent.
August 15, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 15--The interest rate on a traditional 30-year loan fell this week for the first time since late June, slipping 10 basis points to 6.24 percent, an industry tracker said Thursday. That's still well above...

Political-Ad Spending Could Boost California TV Stations, Analyst Says.
August 15, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 15--Spending on political ads leading up to the Oct. 7 recall election could result in as much as a $100 million windfall for California's television station operators, a media analyst predicted Thursday. ...

Universal Pictures Sets Studio Record at Box Office.
August 15, 2003

Europeans Are Still Largest Population Group in Los Angeles, Census Data Show.
August 17, 2003... Byline: Susan Abram Aug. 17--BURBANK, Calif.--More Latinos and people of Armenian ancestry live in Burbank now compared with 10 years ago, but those of Western European descent still dominate the city, according to recently released Census...

Living Trusts Can Have Advantages, Experts Say.
August 17, 2003... Byline: Barbara Correa Aug. 17--The love of money proves to be a root of all kinds of evil when it causes a family to fight over an inheritance. Even with the recent stock market bust, over $20 trillion will pass from estates to heirs...

Daily News, Los Angeles, Real Estate Column.
August 17, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 17--REFI BOOM NOT OVER YET; ARMS STILL REASONABLE: Just because record-low interest rates have evaporated in the summer heat doesn't necessarily mean homeowners still can't cash in on the refinance craze. ...

Los Angeles Neighborhood's Growing Pains May Build Character.
August 18, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Aug. 18--NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--Drawn in by the Community Redevelopment Agency's plans for developments that would meld the neighborhood's bohemian nature with hip retail and expansive housing, David Dion became one...

Lancaster, Calif., Fair Is Set for Its Last Ride at Old Grounds.
August 18, 2003... Byline: Peggy Hager Aug. 18--LANCASTER, Calif.--The Antelope Valley Fair will open Friday for its last run at the 64-year-old fairgrounds, offering country and rock music stars, carnival rides and attractions ranging from the offbeat Rural...

There's No Slowing Down for Owner of Los Angeles Ford Dealership.
August 18, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Aug. 18--Ensconced behind his massive desk, Bert Boeckmann interrupts a conversation to scan a note brought in by his secretary. He peers through gold-rimmed glasses, reading that he has an important call holding....

If California Governor Is Recalled, Hundreds of Workers May Be Replaced.
August 18, 2003... Byline: James Nash Aug. 18--As many as 500 of the 3,000 officials and workers appointed by the governor -- including the influential heads of nearly a dozen state agencies -- could be replaced immediately if Gray Davis is recalled on Oct....

Proposition 53 Would Force California to Start Saving.
August 18, 2003... Byline: Rick Orlov Aug. 18--For years, California has seen a decline in what it spends to maintain itself -- as much a victim of a roller-coaster economy as partisans spending money for immediate political gain instead of long-term plans....

Los Angeles Mayor's Airport-Security Plans Rely on Nonexistent Technology.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Rick Orlov Aug. 19--New security measures called for in Mayor James Hahn's $9.1 billion Los Angeles International Airport modernization plan require technology that has yet to be invented or is only in the conceptual stage, the...

Teachers at Los Angeles Charter School Await First Opening Bell.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Helen Gao Aug. 19--Granada Hills High reopens today with colorful banners and a bagpiper, proclaiming the first day of school as an independent charter campus -- the largest school of its kind in the nation. "The eyes of the...

Chatsworth, Calif.-Based Dietary Supplements Maker Natrol Plans to Rebuild.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Aug. 19--CHATSWORTH, Calif.--Dietary supplements maker Natrol Inc. announced a restructuring on Monday that includes more responsibilities for the top executive and relocation of its high-profile Prolab sports...

New Legislation in California Aims to Reduce Size, Scope of Gravel Mine.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Heather MacDonald Aug. 19--SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--U.S. Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, said Monday he would introduce legislation in Congress to reduce the size and scope of a massive sand and gravel mine slated to...

California Rep. McKeon to Introduce New Bill on Cemex Inc. Mine Plans.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Heather MacDonald Aug. 19--SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--U.S. Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, said Monday he would introduce legislation in Congress to reduce the size and scope of a massive sand and gravel mine slated to...

New Line Cinema's New Horror Movie 'Freddy vs. Jason' Scares Up $36.4 Million.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Aug. 19--The Northeast power outage provided some scary moments for New Line Cinema as it unspooled its horror flick "Freddy vs. Jason" on Friday. But in a twist that befits this most unpredictable of summers at...

California's Lieutenant Governor Juggles Potential Outcomes of Recall Election.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Harrison Sheppard Aug. 19--Labor and Latino groups threw their support Monday to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who planned to offer his own economic plan today to tackle the state budget deficit. Also, late Monday, the U.S. Justice...

Founders of Agoura Hills, Calif.-Based Tech Firm Say Personal Service Is Key.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Aug. 19--AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--In a nondescript office building at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains, two men stand as gatekeepers to a pipeline of information that could dwarf the California Aqueduct. Bob...