LI Business News articles from April 2004

LI Business News archives from April 2004

Second candidate turns down Suffolk County commissioner of econ. development post.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini For the second time in a month, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy's choice for commissioner of economic development has turned down the job, Long Island Business News has learned. After first accepting the...

Touro Law Center names new dean.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini The search is over. After a 12-month, nationwide quest, Touro College's Jacob B. Fuchsberg Law Center - one of two law schools on Long Island - has found a new leader in former Creighton University School of Law...

Former monk, CEO bring spiritual message to KeySpan workers.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Back in 1994, when Enron was still a rising star and it seemed the future for energy companies lay squarely in its hands, Robert Catell presided over a funeral for Brooklyn Union Gas. Catell, the company's newly...

KeySpan planning $360 million sale-leaseback.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Gas and electric giant KeySpan Corp. has put a big, bold "For Sale" sign on the 250-megawatt power plant it turned on this week in Astoria, Queens. A Securities and Exchange Commission filing said KeySpan is...

Little harmony in offshore jobs studies.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter The debate over offshore outsourcing of U.S. jobs has created a cottage industry for researchers, but the reports they are generating appear to be drawing conflicting conclusions. Two recent studies rallied to...

Burman Properties hits Southern industrial market.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Making its second foray into Southern territory, real estate developer Burman Properties has acquired a 2 million-square-foot industrial real estate portfolio that includes properties in Winston-Salem, N.C., and...

Cold Spring lab, VCs gain on Tularik Inc. buyout.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Amgen Inc.'s $1.3 billion buyout of California gene-regulation firm Tularik Inc. has prompted cheers across the continent at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and among some Long Island venture capitalists. The...

New York Islanders fighting for playoff position.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Charles Wang's company is facing another financial deadline, but this time all he can do is sit and watch with the rest of us. That's unless he's learned how to skate and shoot a puck. His New York Islanders are...

Hofstra Univ. professor returning to Alaska.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff After two years as chair of Hofstra University's Department of Journalism and Mass Media Studies, Carole Rich is packing her bags and leaving in May to return to Alaska. Rich accepted a position as a professor at the...

Long Island entrepreneur launched successful online biz during dot-com bust.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Even the most self-assured entrepreneur might have thought twice about launching an Internet company during the dot-com bust. But Steven Morgan saw an opportunity. Leaving a lucrative job as a vice president for the...

Hotel industry enraged over proposed tax.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini In the debate over a proposed hotel/motel tax increase in Suffolk, some of the bigger players - the Levy administration, for one - remain on the sidelines. But small hotel/motel owners are voicing their opinion...

Stop & Shop chain blanketing LI.
April 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Stop & Shop, the Quincy, Mass.-based supermarket giant, opened a new store, giving it 34 stores on Long Island less than four years after it entered the market with its acquisition of the Edward's chain. And...

Experts: Long Island office market on the rise.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Despite a lack of new jobs in the region, which results in greater demand for office space, the Long Island office real estate market is improving, according to preliminary first-quarter numbers from the market...

Connecticut, LI continue squabble over proposed energy cable.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The on-again, off-again war over the Cross-Sound cable is on again. In the latest round, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Arthur J. Rocque Jr....

Commentary: West Side Stadium proposal stalls state budget.
April 2, 2004... Byline: John Kiernan The long-awaited proposal for a Jets West Side Stadium and the expansion of the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan was finally announced last week in a ceremony featuring Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Michael...

Commentary; Kiss and tell political books are nothing new.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Jerry Kremer Many years ago I heard the expression "kiss and tell" and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Along came a Broadway play by that name and I got a better clue as to its meaning. Kiss and tell involves having your...

Long Island Technology Briefs April 2, 2004.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Traffic is picking up for Wi-Fi specialist CEDX Corp. Managing Principal Craig Plunkett said the company has begun offering service at two Manhattan sites: The Abingdon Guest House at 13 Eighth Ave., and the...

Long Island Real Estate Briefs April 2, 2004.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Two veteran brokers and Long Island's largest office landlord were celebrated at this year's Association for a Better Long Island/Commercial Industrial Brokers Society dinner April 1 at the Melville Marriott. The...

New rooms, franchise for The Inn at Plainview.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi After investing $4.5 million in its redevelopment, the Mindel Family of Hotels has re-opened The Inn at Plainview as a mid-priced, business-class hotel. And when the second phase of its two-part redevelopment of...

Commentary: With mutual funds nowadays, it's caveat emptor.
April 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Mutual funds were supposed to be the safe investment. Whether it was through a 401(k) plan or through a private broker, mutual funds were the way to go. But little did the middle-income investors in some...

Long Island Legal Briefs April 2, 2004.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini The Nassau Academy of Law and Hofstra University are thrusting themselves into the middle of the gay marriage debate. On April 22, the legal education provider and Hofstra faculty will discuss the merits of...

Long Island Marketing Briefs April 2, 2004.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The Morey Organization is moving the studios of its three Suffolk stations from Garden City to Ronkonkoma, firmly planting them where TMO's signal is carried. The company will retain its corporate headquarters and...

Long Island Medical Briefs April 2, 2004.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik A chemist at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Research Institute in Manhasset, working with a team of scientists around the world, has developed a substance that the institute says may be able to prevent diabetes....

A kinder and gentler dental practice.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Robert Silver, a Suffolk County dentist with a 30-year-old practice, is an observer of human nature. He understands, for instance, why people put off visiting the dentist. Some find it tough to squeeze in the time...

SUNY at Old Westbury appoints new VP of student affairs.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick SUNY at Old Westbury has appointed Dr. Janice Haynie vice president of student affairs. Haynie will be responsible for managing and improving the operational efficiency of the offices of career and counseling...

Hauppauge networking group names VP of publicity.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Steve Goad has been elected to the board of directors and named vice president of publicity at the Eastern Long Island Executives Business Roundtable, a networking group in Hauppauge. Goad's new responsibilities...

Long Island nonprofits announce staffing changes: April 2, 2004.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Pat McMahon has been appointed to the board of directors of LISTnet, Long Island's software and technology network located in Great River. She is currently vice president and integrated production team leader at...

Brookhaven Lab names manager of New Quality Management Office.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Roy Lebel has been named manager of Brookhaven Lab's New Quality Management Office. He will be responsible for coordinating with senior management to increase the operational level of efficiency in all departments in...

Advantage Title Agency names new senior account manager.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Denette Pollock has been named senior account manager at Advantage Title Agency in Huntington, where she will be responsible for building new accounts in the Long Island real estate community. Before joining...

AuctionASAP: Another eBay but without all the hassles.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Selling items on eBay might seem like a simple way to declutter the home and pick up extra cash, but the task calls for technical know-how and follow-through skills. Jeff Nortman knows that those requirements are...

Sterling & Sterling names new ad VP.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Lawrence Aarons has been appointed vice president of advertising and marketing director at Sterling & Sterling Insurance in Woodbury. His responsibilities include managing several departments and promoting the...

Heckscher Museum receives art grant.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick The Heckscher Museum of Art has received a $20,000 grant from the Judith Rothschild Foundation for the conservation of works by Esphyr Slobodkina, a pioneer in Early American Modernism. In 1997, Slobodkina...

Dowling College honors Tuskegee Airmen.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick More than 200 people attended a presentation by two members of the renowned Tuskegee Airmen and their special guests at Dowling College's Brookhaven Campus in Shirley March 10. Dowling honored the ongoing...

Bethpage Federal Credit Union awards scholarships.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick The Bethpage Federal Credit Union Scholarship Fund "Dollars for Scholars" has announced that it will award 10 scholarships of $1,000 apiece to Long Island high-school seniors. BFCU is a not-for-profit...

Points of Light announces week of volunteering.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Volunteer contributions will be recognized in ceremonies across the United States during National Volunteer Week April 18-24. This year's theme, "Volunteers Inspire By Example," sets the stage for national,...

Christian Campus Ministries sponsors pilgrimage.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick The Christian Campus Ministries of Nassau and Suffolk is sponsoring the annual 10-mile Good Friday Hunger Pilgrimage April 9. Proceeds from the walk-a-thon, which is expected to draw more than 300 participants, will...

Cinema Arts: A unique theater experience.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Cerini With roughly 10,000 annual members, the Cinema Arts Centre is a community home for films, filmmakers and filmgoers. Offering a range of films, including foreign and independent, the centre provides an experience not...

Commentary: Tracking the return on networking investments.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff I bet that before you invest in upgrading your sales force or marketing tools, everyone from your mother-in-law to your accountant will want to know what the return on investment will be. But has anyone ever questioned...

Credit unions make their move on Main Street.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Bethpage Federal Credit Union made big news last September when the National Credit Union Association gave it the go-ahead to sign up anyone who lives or works in Nassau or Suffolk. Up in arms and expecting the...

One-stop shopping not so hot for LIers.
April 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale While buying groceries at the same place you deposit a check might be par for the course in many parts of the Northeast, Long Islanders seem less interested in the one-stop shopping experience. But there is one...

Island banks partner, not purchase, for insurance.
April 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale As banks around the country snatch up insurance agencies in efforts to offer commercial property and casualty insurance services to small and mid-size companies, financial institutions on the Island have remained...

Merger wave creates talent pool.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik For those who think news of a big bank merger strikes fear into the hearts of competing financial institutions, think again. For many, consolidation spells good news because it makes staffers edgy, compelling some...

Cablevision refinances debt with $2B bond sale.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Cablevision Systems Corporation and its subsidiaries sold $2 billion in debt in a private placement to institutions as it refinanced earlier borrowings. In one part of the offering, the company said it sold $1...

Computer Associates seeking new general counsel.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The Computer Associates board of directors is seeking a new general counsel but has not asked Steve Woghin, who currently holds that position, to resign, according to a memo from CEO Sanjay Kumar. An internal memo...

KeySpan chief rings Wall Street's closing bell.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff KeySpan Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Catell rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange March 29 to mark the opening of KeySpan's 250-megawatt power plant in Long Island City, Queens. Catell was expected...

Del Laboratories nails down Elizabeth Arden deal.
April 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Del Laboratories Inc. said it signed a licensing agreement giving it the right to use the Elizabeth Arden and Red Door trademarks for salon nail-care products. Del signed the agreement with Elizabeth Arden Inc.,...

Cradle of Aviation's problem: marketing, marketing, marketing.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini The Cradle of Aviation has fallen on hard times. But the crux of the problem isn't what the museum has to offer. It's subpar marketing, said Eric Naughton, director of the Nassau County Legislature's budget...

Commentary: Stadiums don't help neighborhoods.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Martin Cantor Sparks have already begun to fly over the contemplated stadium and Javits Convention Center expansion intended for the East bank of the Hudson River. The neighborhood is already up in arms. New York State Assembly...

Bankers Life of New York appoints business analyst.
April 2, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Bankers Life of New York in Woodbury has appointed Barb Somes business analyst. She will be responsible for implementing business solutions and system enhancements for Bankers Life's computer systems. Previously...

The life and times of Rob Kelly, associate chair of Stony Brook Univ.'s computer science dept.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Like Mr. Peabody, the cartoon character whose Wayback Machine whisked him and his pet boy, Sherman, to turning points in history, Rob Kelly keeps popping up at dramatic moments. Millions of earthlings remember where...

Long Island tech firms brace for effect of Financial Accounting Standards Board's new rules.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Proposed new options-expensing rules would take a super-size bite out of the GAAP earnings of Long Island's bellwether technology companies, according to two Wall Street surveys. New standards proposed by the...

Tritec Real Estate to buy two industrial park facilities in Hauppauge.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi In efforts to stay just ahead of growing demand for Long Island class B office space, Tritec Real Estate Co. is in contract to acquire two Hauppauge Industrial Park facilities totaling 90,000 square feet of space. ...

Rising petroleum costs force a new surcharge.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Diesel and gasoline prices have shot up nationwide, and those prices will likely climb farther, given the Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries' decision to cut oil production and the fast-approaching summer...

Industry analysts expect Bethpage-based Cablevision Systems to add wireless services.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Cablevision Systems has sprinted to an early lead in IP telephony, but analysts said increased competition in voice, video and the Internet will force the company to add cellular to its triple play of television,...

Smithtown Bancorp enjoys 27 percent growth in deposits in 2003.
April 9, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Last November, Bradley E. Rock presented at the Sandler O'Neill investor's conference in Palm Beach, Fla. "There were 270 investors in the room, and they were all managers of funds or high-net worth investors,"...

Garden City-based Treeline Cos. to buy Metropolitan Life Insurance's Long Island headquarters.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Garden City-based Treeline Cos. is in negotiations to buy Metropolitan Life Insurance's Long Island headquarters, a 150,000-square-foot office site on Expressway Drive North in Hauppauge. The building, built in...

Long Island legislator protests the alternative minimum federal tax.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Rep. Steve Israel, D-Huntington, is the latest Long Islander to protest the alternative minimum tax. Put in place four decades ago as a way to raise taxes for the rich, the AMT has never been adjusted for inflation....

Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk unveils its first solar-powered house.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Solar power, which has been getting increased attention as Gov. Pataki pushes for more alternative power, is coming to Suffolk County in a new way. Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk Inc. March 28 unveiled its first...

Legalization of same-sex unions will mean more business for divorce attorneys, say experts.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini More business. That's what gay marriages would mean to family law practices on Long Island and across the state if same-sex unions were legalized, according to the experts. One, Elliot Schlissel, a solo...

Long Island-based bulk-mail companies rally against pending 10% postal-rate hike.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Long Island-based bulk-mail companies are trying to stamp out a pending postal-rate hike of 10 percent or more, which would be used to cover new expenses imposed on the U.S. Postal Service. The federal government...

Rental market gains momentum as Manhattanites plan for summer in the Hamptons.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi The rental market on the East End is steadily gaining momentum as winter-weary Manhattanites trek to the Hamptons to stake claim on their summer 2004 abodes. "They're back," said Judi Desiderio, vice president of...

Cablevision's Optimum Online broadband service to offer Webcasting Major League Baseball games.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Cablevision Systems Inc. and two other cable providers will be Webcasting Major League Baseball games under a deal announced late last week. As part of the deal, Cablevision, Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications...

Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney to sell its Eckerd drugstore chain.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff It's official: J.C. Penney is making an over-the-counter sale of its Eckerd drugstore chain. Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney Co. Inc. said it's selling the embattled Eckerd drug-store chain to Montreal-based The Jean...

NY State Attorney General files motion for contempt against a Woodbury furniture retailer.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has filed a motion for contempt against a Woodbury furniture retailer. The motion, filed in Albany Supreme Court, alleges non-compliance with an order the attorney...

National Medical Health Card Systems buys Texas firm.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Pharmacy benefits manager National Medical Health Card Systems Inc. said it acquired Dallas-based The Inteq Group for $31.5 million in cash. National Medical, which does business as NMHC Rx, said Inteq could reel in...

NY-based EDO Corp. wins $8.4M deal from Raytheon.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff EDO Corp. has picked up a 17-month, $8.4 million contract from Raytheon Technical Services Co. The contract is the second part of a multi-phase program to upgrade the electronics of the U.S. Navy's EP-3E...

Long Island Power Authority considers electric power grid sale.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Long Island Power Authority Chairman Richard Kessel said it is considering selling Long Island's electric power grid. Critics were concerned that a sale would lead to rate hikes, but Kessel said a private owner would...

Commentary: Nassau County Executive Suozzi's attack is counterproductive.
April 9, 2004... Byline: John Kiernan A lot of political pros in Albany and Long Island were left scratching their heads after the political moves made by Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi last week. On consecutive days, Suozzi called for the...

Commentary: Politicians want voters to be scared.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Jerry Kremer Fear is an interesting word. It means different things to different people at different times. During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt assured all of America that the country was in good hands with his...

Long Island Financial Briefs: April 9, 2004.
April 9, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale In case anyone was wondering, the Internal Revenue Service office in Andover, Mass., to which many of us sent our federal taxes forms this year, is at 310 Lowell Street. But who cares, right? Most don't....

Blumenfeld Development Group renovates Syosset industrial building into class A office space.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Looking for the feel of a SoHo loft, Blumenfeld Development Group has revamped part of a Cold War-era industrial building into class A office space and is calling it home. The 204,000-square-foot building at 300...

Long Island Real Estate Briefs: April 9, 2004.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Average home prices in the Town of Southold jumped 43 percent in 2003. Statistics culled by Southold-based Century 21 Agawam Albertson Fine Homes and Estates indicated an average sale price in Southold of...

Long Island Technology Briefs: April 9, 2004.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Here's a little tip: Woodbury-based Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) is one of 25 companies included in the new Merrill Lynch Nanotech Index. The new index, quoted intraday on the American Stock Exchange...

St. Louis marketing firm acquires its third Long Island company, Rabasca + Co.
April 9, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff St. Louis-based Kupper Parker Communications came to Long Island in 2000 fairly quietly by acquiring Greenstone Roberts. A year later, the firm acquired Christopher Thomas. But then came 9/11 and for three years, KPC...

Long Island Medical Briefs: April 9, 2004.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik As the nation struggles with a health-care crisis, some of the biggest foundations are giving more toward research, public education and advocacy related to health issues, according to a recent study. The...

Arroyos run three, home-based child-care businesses in Malverne.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn If you're thinking about opening a home-based child-care business, you might first consider spending time at an established enterprise. Mary Ann Arroyo, with her husband Mike, runs three group facilities in Malverne. Two...

Former Lindenhurst Village mayor named executive director of Cancer Help and Wellness Center.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Former Lindenhurst Village Mayor Lynda Distler has been named executive director of the Cancer Help and Wellness Center in Lindenhurst. Distler's responsibilities will include running cancer-support groups and...

Stephen M. Comando join Hicksville-based EGC Group as art director.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Stephen M. Comando has joined the EGC Group, a marketing and communications firm in Hicksville, as art director. A former senior art director at Graham & Co. Advertising in Great Neck, Comando will design Web sites,...

Long Island financial institutions announce staffing changes: April 9, 2004.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Bankers Life of New York in Woodbury has promoted Martina Cawley to director of partner resources. At that post, she will be responsible for overseeing a team of relationship managers. Previously, Cawley was...

Long Island real estate firms announce staffing changes: April 9, 2004.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Coach Realtors in Port Jefferson has named Pat Nicklaus licensed associate broker and career development instructor. She will be responsible for property value reports and training new brokers at the firm....

West Sayville-based marketing firm, Syntax Communication, names three new partners.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Terry Gilberti, Kathy Beatty and Tina Smith have become partners at Syntax Communication, a West Sayville-based marketing firm that specializes in public education. All were previously account executives. Their new...

Gary Marcus appointed of counsel at Goldberg & Connolly in Rockville Centre.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Gary Marcus has been appointed of counsel at Goldberg & Connolly in Rockville Centre. In that role, he will work with the law firm's Federal Contracts Group and handle procurement-related matters such as contract...

T. "Fred" Paulson appointed interim president and CEO at Vasomedical Inc. in Bohemia.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick T. "Fred" Paulson has been appointed interim president and chief executive officer at Vasomedical Inc. in Bohemia. Paulson has been a director at Vasomedical since April 2000 and served as president and chief...

Roy DiMarco appointed to the board of directors for Island Harvest in Mineola.
April 9, 2004... Byline: Ryan McCormick Roy DiMarco has been appointed to the board of directors for Island Harvest in Mineola. DiMarco will oversee marketing and communications initiatives for the food rescue organization. He is partner and chief...