Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from October 2001

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from October 2001

Banks' troubles increase after terrorist attacks.
October 1, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich Many banks were dealing with troubled loans and sagging profits going into this years third quarter, and now some local officials predict those problems could get worse in light of the recent terrorist attacks. The...

Allegany County developer sued for violating gas line right of way.
October 1, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier An Allegany County developer apparently has changed its mind about siting a sewer line just four inches from a high-pressure natural gas pipeline and all it took was a federal lawsuit. The pipelines owner, Columbia Gas...

TV helicopters still restricted over Baltimore.
October 1, 2001... Byline: Bruce Miller For almost three weeks, helicopters at news stations nationwide did not leave the ground. But as of Friday, some of the restrictions were lifted. Despite some reprieve, however, some news stations are still not...

Comcast Baltimore City visits local neighborhoods.
October 1, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick In an effort to get to know its new customers, Comcast Baltimore City will be rolling up its sleeves and visiting local city neighborhoods to discuss concerns and projections about local cable. Comcast Baltimore City,...

Changes to Baltimore County's development codes suggested.
October 1, 2001... Byline: Keeley Webster A preliminary report crafted by Baltimore County planners based on input from an advisory group recommended fine-tuning not wholesale changes to the section of the Baltimore County Code that allows developments to...

Air, ground freight haulers affected by terrorism.
October 1, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein The airline industrys sudden slow down has sent economic ripples through both air and ground freight operators who move cargo through BWI Airport but not all of the fallout has been negative. Forward Air, a national...

Commentary: Resolve racial profiling conflicts through community collaboration, mediation.
October 1, 2001... Byline: The Daily Record Editorial Advisory Board While last weeks acquittal of a police officer in the shooting death of a black youth has reignited tensions there, Cincinnati is midway through an innovative community-wide collaborative...

Tickets to Cal Ripken's final game too pricey, say Oriole fans.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich Fans will have to shell out as much as $3,500 for Cal Ripkens probable last game Saturday night, but even some Oriole diehards say the price is too steep and have ruled out going to the game. Although the game is...

Baltimore teachers union loses case against city board in Md. Court of Special Appeals.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Legal Affairs Writer The Court of Special Appeals yesterday gave the State Board of Education and the Baltimore Teachers Union a lesson in administrative law, reversing a lower courts ruling that had revived several...

TV stations ready for Cal Ripken's final game.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Bruce Miller Eyes across the nation are going to be on Baltimore this week as the city and baseball fans bid farewell to Orioles future Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken. And, since not everyone will have the chance to see the Iron Man play...

Frederick clothing manufacturer alleges CEO stole $1.4M from firm to pay embezzlement fine.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier A Frederick clothing manufacturer is suing its insurer to recover almost $1.4 million to which it claims a former CEO wrongfully helped himself in the mid- to late 1990s. Hartz & Co. Inc. didnt realize there was a...

Investors awaiting introduction of Columbia-based Martek infant formula in U.S.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Karen Buckelew Columbia-based Martek Biosciences yesterday saw its stock rating upgraded after last quarters strong sales with more good news expected by the end of the year. Adams, Harkness & Hill Inc. upgraded Martek, traded as...

Baltimore's historic silversmith building completely renovated.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour After many years of darkness, the landmark Stieff Silver sign a familiar sight to motorists heading north on I-83 is glowing again, as Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse has nearly finished its $13.5 million...

Electric dereg. leads to pricing suits filed in MD.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein In suburban Maryland, competition among electric suppliers is heating up, as evidenced by two complaints now before the Public Service Commission involving disputes over competitive marketing and pricing practices. In...

Lawyers suing Baltimore City for age discrimination want to depose their opponent's employees.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Stacey Winakur Two lawyers suing Baltimore City and City Solicitor Thurman W. Zollicoffer Jr. for waging an age-based jihad against attorneys and staff over 50 asked a federal judge this summer to let them interview present and...

Baltimore restaurant to give 25% gameday sales to WTC fund.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick In an effort to help the families of foodservice workers lost in the World Trade Center attacks, local restaurant Towne Hall, which is co-owned by Cal Ripken, will be donating 25 percent of its revenues during Ripkens...

Baltimore-based Davis Media Group's ad campaign for Best Western falls short of expectations.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Business Writer When Davis Media Group snagged the $25 million advertising account for Best Western International, it turned some heads in the Baltimore advertising community. But even as it nosed out longtime...

Greater Baltimore Medical Center's new library will focus more on public use.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Business Writer Greater Baltimore Medical Center is responding to consumers' increased interest in reading more about their ailments with plans for a new medical library and community resource center. The...

Silver Spring-based CityNet completes first citywide fiber optics network in Albuquerque, NM.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Business Writer CityNet Telecommunications, the Silver Spring-based company focused on bridging the so-called "last-mile divide" in broadband communications, has turned its dream into a reality. The company has...

Potomac-based, black-owned defense contractor sues Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier A Potomac-based, black-owned defense contractor filed a $1.3 billion lawsuit against Lockheed Martin Corp., accusing the Bethesda-based Goliath of masterminding a scheme to destroy his company as part of a strategy to...

Tech. Council of Md. sponsors BIO VentureForum to showcase health care opportunities.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Technology Council of Maryland is a co-sponsor of BIO VentureForum, showcasing 94 promising health care venture opportunities from around the world, today and tomorrow at the Hilton Washington & Towers,...

Retiring baseball players Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn honored by U.S. House of Representatives.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Baltimore Orioles third baseman Cal Ripken, now in the final week of his career, was honored yesterday by the U.S. House of Representatives. Ripken, and San Diego Padres' Tony Gwynn, who is also retiring,...

Univ. of Md.'s business school selects San Francisco-based Autonomy to power its information portal.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business selected San Francisco-based Autonomy Corporation plc to power the school's new information portal that delivers automated services to users.

Easton-based Celeste Industries to lay off employees due to industry downturn following Sept. 11.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Celeste Industries Corp., an Easton company that makes accessory items for airplane cabins, said it will lay off 26 of its 161 workers in response to the harsh downturn in the airline industry following the...

Institute of Mission Helpers of Baltimore City receives grant from governor's office.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Institute of Mission Helpers of Baltimore City received a $4,605 grant from the Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention to help fund its Home/Hearth program of mentoring, tutoring and arts...

Baltimore-based SYSCOM selected to integrate Blue Cross Blue Shield's hardware and software.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports SYSCOM Inc., a Baltimore-based workflow solutions and systems integration company, was selected by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to integrate the health insurer's hardware and software. Columbia-based...

Canon Business Solutions opens new office at Columbia Corporate Park 100.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Canon Business Solutions-Southeast Inc., a subsidiary of document imaging company Canon U.S.A. Inc., opened an office at Columbia Corporate Park 100.

Md. Legislature passes law to penalize aggressive drivers.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Under a new law passed by the Maryland Legislature in the last session, drivers who are convicted of aggressive driving will be subject to a penalty of five points on their driving record.

Rockville-based Simutronics introduces new game technology to allow worldwide interaction.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Simutronics, a Rockville online games company, introduced eScape technology that allows players worldwide to interact with each other in real time using the Microsoft Explorer Web browser, without having to...

Rockville-based 20/20 GeneSystems launches new proteomics technology.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports 20/20 GeneSystems Inc., of Rockville, will launch today a new proteomics technology to aid pharmaceutical research. Proteomics the study of proteins and their role in disease is a key field of research in...

Annapolis-based iJet Travel Intelligence announces new member of its advisory board.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Jerome H. Glazebrook, president-Americas for the international security consultancy Hill & Associates, joined the Security Intelligence Advisory Board of iJET Travel Intelligence, of Annapolis.

Annapolis Junction-based EarthShell Corp. sells its environmental packaging to Oregon State Univ.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports EarthShell Corp., of Annapolis Junction, an environmental packaging company, said Oregon State University is using its food packaging in its campus dining centers.

Salvation Army of Greater Baltimore assisting those indirectly affected by Sept. 11th attacks.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Salvation Army of Greater Baltimore is providing financial and emergency assistance to local residents indirectly affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon, such as qualified persons in...

Md. State Comptroller offering free educational seminar for tax professionals.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The State Comptroller's office is offering a free educational seminar for tax professionals tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Harbor Hospital auditorium, the first of seven around the state and in...

Columbia-based GP e-learning Technologies selected to provide services for New Jersey company.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports GP e-Learning Technologies Inc., a Columbia-based e-learning integrator company, was selected by New Jersey-based Worknowledge to integrate courses and provide hosting services for its human capital...

Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid Corp. reports net loss for second quarter.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Rite Aid Corp., of Camp Hill, Pa. reported a net loss of $246 million, or 54 cents per diluted share, for the fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 1, versus a net loss of $456.5 million, or $1.97 cents per...

Hunt Valley-based PHH Arval unveils improved version of its Website.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports PHH Arval, the Hunt Valley-based fleet service subsidiary of Cendant Corp., unveiled an improved version of its PHH InterActive secure Website, giving more than 10,000 PHH client users access to comprehensive...

Owings Mills-based Aether Systems selected to provide wireless system for Williamsport carrier.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Aether Systems Inc., of Owings Mills, said its wireless communications system was selected by USA Cartage Inc., a Williamsport-based motor carrier, for its fleet of 85 trucks.

Bethesda-based eGrail joins N.J.-based Blueflame to deliver Web management to customers.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports eGrail Inc., a Bethesda-based content management software company, and Blueflame Inc., a Hackensack, N.J.-based subsidiary of Aztec Technology Partners Inc., joined to deliver Web content management and...

Gaithersburg-based Digene asks USDA to permit use of its cancer screening tool with Pap smear.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Digene Corp. of Gaithersburg, asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to permit the use of Digene's proprietary HPV test with the Pap smear as a primary screen for cervical cancer in women 30 years old...

Bethesda-based e-centives Inc. completes its 40M Swiss francs Rights Offering.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports e-centives Inc., a Bethesda-based online direct marketing infrastructure company, completed its anticipated 40 million Swiss francs Rights Offering, raising approximately $24 million.

Tenn.-based Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain selects Columbia-based MICROS Systems for software.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Ruby Tuesday Inc., of Maryville, Tenn., a national casual-dining restaurant chain, selected MICROS Systems Inc., of Columbia, to provide a complete suite of hosted software applications to 600 restaurants and...

Rockville-based Washington Real Estate Investment Trust sells Kensington office bldg. for $8.4M.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Rockville-based Washington Real Estate Investment Trust sold an office building at 10400 Connecticut Ave. in Kensington to an unidentified local investor for $8.4 million, a gain of approximately $4.5...

Md. state highway crews to repave Route 50 from Chateau to Linkwood roads.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports State highway department crews are repaving a stretch of Route 50 from Chateau to Linkwood roads east of Cambridge for the next several weeks. One lane of the highway in each direction could be closed through...

Commentary: Does the Federal Reserve Board's theory on interest rates and economic stimulus work?
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Business Writer As the slowdown of U.S. economic growth continues into its second year and promises to turn into a recession, a familiar pattern has emerged among monetary policymakers and private sector...

Freedom Schooner Amistad, a reproduction of the 85-foot slave ship, to sail into Baltimore's harbor.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Business Writer A symbol of freedom is blowing into Baltimore's harbor Friday in the form of an 85-foot schooner a reproduction of La Amistad, the ship that, in 1839, was the site of the only slave mutiny in the...

Md. Legal Briefs: October 3, 2001.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Houff joins Kaiser Kaiser Aluminum Corp. named Baltimore lawyer Edward F. Houff, 55, as its deputy general counsel, responsible for managing the Houston-based company's asbestos matters. Houff has dealt...

Will Federal Reserve's interest rate cut be enough to stimulate consumers to start spending?
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Business Writer The Federal Reserve's latest interest rate cut is expected to help stimulate the economy, but the flurry of reductions also could hurt some local banks, and the lower rates still might not be...

Baltimore woman sues Denny's Restaurant for accidentally serving her caustic tea.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Legal Affairs Writer Everybody appreciates a clean restaurant, but a Baltimore woman says she didn't appreciate having her tongue, mouth and mucous membranes blistered by caustic coffeepot cleanser at a Denny's...

Md.'s Urban Teacher Education Program helps support high-need students.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Craig Weidemann, Ph.D. Many years ago, my wife, Sherri, left the corporate world to become a teacher. She loves her third graders. She teaches in a quiet, fairly affluent suburban school where students arrive every day well fed,...

Reagan-National Airport reopens; lost business revenues related to closure in excess of $5.6B.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Business Writer Though the regional economy is beginning to brighten, the short-term economic damage inflicted since Sept. 11 has been considerable, and not even the anticipated reopening of Ronald Reagan...

Md. Court of Special Appeals rules Potomac Electric Power Co. can pass along tax hike to customers.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Staff Legal Affairs Writer Potomac Electric Power Company can charge its customers a surcharge to recover almost $1 million in increased state taxes for January and February 2000, the Court of Special Appeals held...

Baltimore's WJZ-TV engineer believes radar transmission causing satellite interference.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports It's just a blip on a screen, really, popping up every 20 or 30 seconds and then disappearing again. Rick Seaby knows the blip is a radar transmission, and he blames that transmission for the satellite...

Baltimore couple files suit against environmental cleanup business for creating noise.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly A Baltimore County couple has filed suit against an environmental cleanup business they say is ruining their neighborhood by creating noise and vibrations, but state and company officials said the company which uses...

Book release to remember retiring baseball legend, Cal Ripken.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Nancy Kercheval Cal Ripken has shown he loves the game of baseball, but I speak for many when I say that baseball loves him as well. Peter Angelos, chairman of the Baltimore Orioles As a young boy, Marco Gentile accompanied his...

Baltimore World Trade Center adds security.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick While its business as usual for the 800 workers in Baltimores World Trade Center, its not sightseeing as usual for tourists and residents wishing to take advantage of one of the most picturesque views of downtown...

City orders resident to remove sign, Baltimore City Circuit Court agrees.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier A Hunting Ridge couple must remove a yard sign that portrays Hitler, quotes Goebbels and Galatians and also violates Baltimores zoning code, a Baltimore City Circuit judge has affirmed. The code establishes clear...

New law firm to be family affair.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Keeley Webster Attorneys Samuel Blibaum and Michael Simons are splitting from the Towson law firm theyve been part of for 15 years to form a partnership with another firm one run by their sons. Blibaum and Simons displayed...

Federal spending could supercharge Maryland's economy.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich What a difference almost four months makes. Anirban Basu, RESIs director of applied economics, said yesterday the economy slowly began to show signs of recovery over the summer, but the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11...

Baltimore board approves $6M land sale for development.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour Keeping its sights on the big picture, the city Board of Estimates yesterday approved a $6 million land sale to the development team of Centerpoint a $60 million project to rise on the citys West Side despite...

Allfirst Financial offers online account access.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich Allfirst Financial Inc. is being more aggressive with its online operations by becoming one of the first banks in the nation that allows customers to have constant access to account statements and images of cancelled...

CSX Corp. pays Baltimore for rail tunnel accident.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein Though federal transportation officials have yet to define the cause of Julys Howard Street rail tunnel accident, CSX Corp. has agreed to pay Baltimore and the Market Center Merchants Association for retail losses...

Tobacco cos. fall short on settlement payments.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier Two out-of-state tobacco product manufacturers are falling short on their obligations under the states deal with Big Tobacco, according to Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr., who has filed mandatory injunction...

Public Service Commission's plan expected to boost MD power costs.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein The Public Service Commission held a fact-finding hearing yesterday on the potential fallout from an impending federal order altering the business rules that govern how electricity is monitored and transmitted...

Amtrak gives seats to riders stranded after Sept. 11 attacks.
October 4, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports When Greyhound passengers nationwide were left stranded yesterday much like the thousands of airline passengers who were left high and dry after Sept. 11's terrorist attacks they at least had another...

Deutsche Bank opts to drop Alex. Brown from name.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich Deutsche Bank AGs decision to drop the Alex. Brown name from its banking and brokerage operations marked the culmination of several volatile months for the company, and has raised more uncertainty about its future in...

Assn. of Information Tech. Professionals holds conference in Baltimore.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Bob Keaveney Baltimores first chance in 18 years to demonstrate its sophistication as a technology town to a national cadre of industry leaders might have gone down in the rubble of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But organizers of...

School supplies company is good study in building business.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Keeley Webster Raymond Geddes & Co., a school supplies distributor, has seen revenues nearly double over the past two years to $20 million, has more than doubled the number of its employees to 110 and, as a result, recently moved...

Baltimore County jury awards $17,000 for contaminated cup of tea.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly A Baltimore County jury debated about an hour last night before ordering Dennys Restaurant Inc. to pay a Baltimore woman $17,000 for burns she suffered inside her mouth and esophagus after swallowing tea that was...

Baltimore-based liquor store claims racism is cause of relocation.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick The demographics of its clientele allegedly is behind the decision to force Lexington Liquor Shop to leave its spot in Lexington Market after 40 years just as the market is set to undergo a $3.5 million revitalization...

Building owner sues city of Baltimore over razing practices.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier The owner of four razed buildings in Druid Heights has taken the city of Baltimore to court, challenging its practice of condemning and demolishing buildings and putting liens on the land for the razing costs without...

Washington atty. barred from practicing in MD.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Stacey Winakur The Court of Special Appeals this week upheld an injunction against a Washington lawyer, prohibiting him from practicing law in Maryland. The court held in an unreported opinion that W. Eric Cloud, who is licensed...

Atty. loses negligence suit against brokerage.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz An Eastern Shore attorney who was bamboozled at a property settlement should have known better than to accept the buyers personal check even after getting Merrill Lynchs word that funds were available to cover it, a...

Baltimore City to get half of Md.'s share of U.S. community development funds.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour Maryland will receive $110 million in community development funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development an annual appropriation that grew by 4 percent and has local grassroots groups eager to...

Death penalty appeal could empty MD death row.
October 6, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz When the Court of Appeals hears arguments next week by convicted killers Steven H. Oken and Wesley E. Baker questioning the constitutionality of Marylands death-sentence statute, it wont be the first time the top...

Upcoming Md. General Assembly session will be far from business as usual.
October 6, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein By the time Maryland legislators return to Annapolis in January, most of the nation likely will have returned to a comfortable routine. But for state lawmakers, the upcoming General Assembly session could prove far...

Despite unmet expectations, online banking becomes key offering.
October 6, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich A new report by an international provider of e-business statistics shows that online banking is not meeting expectations for demand. Regardless, local banks are happy about the progress of their Internet business and...

Business knowledge important in biotech industry, says Baltimore venture capitalist.
October 6, 2001... Byline: Karen Buckelew M. James Barrett is part of a new breed of scientists a biochemist with a business degree. As the new biotechnology general partner at Baltimore venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Barrett has...

Silver Springs public relations firm launches client network.
October 6, 2001... Byline: Bruce Miller Building upon the commodities of the public-relations industry, Strategic Communications Group is launching a regional initiative it feels will help raise the bar when PR agencies compete for accounts. Called the...

Interview with Betsy Zaborowski of National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore.
October 6, 2001... Byline: Mark Cheshire How did the National Federation of the Blind arrive in Baltimore? We wanted to be close to New York, and we wanted to be close to Washington, D.C., and we couldn't afford the real estate in either of those...

Baltimore-based Vertis allies with NY-based Bigfoot Interactive.
October 9, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Baltimore-based Vertis, a leading provider of integrated advertising and marketing solutions, and New York-based Bigfoot Interactive, the leading provider of strategic, ROI-focused e-mail marketing technology...

Biotech cos. join effort to prevent bioterrorism.
October 9, 2001... Byline: Karen Buckelew As the nation braces for a new kind of war after last months terrorist attacks, the concept of biological terrorism has Americans frightened. But several companies in Maryland are joining the effort to prevent and...

Md. Court of Appeals hears same-sex benefit fight.
October 9, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly A Montgomery County ordinance that provides benefits to county employees same-sex domestic partners came under attack Friday, when an attorney for a Virginia-based organization asked Marylands highest court to declare...

Defense biz big winners in stock market.
October 9, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich The stock market is coming off a volatile day as the U.S. continued military strikes against Afghanistan, and some investors remain worried about what consequences the war on terrorism might have on the home soil....