LI Business News articles from July 2004

LI Business News archives from July 2004

Touro Law Schools fires Spector Group on bill dispute.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Touro Law School has dismissed The Spector Group from a project to design the $25 million law center the school wants to build. Touro cited a disagreement with the architectural firm on the design bill. Both sides...

NY Institute of Technology seeks partners for Central Islip campus.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi With fewer than 1,000 students attending its sprawling Central Islip campus, New York Institute of Technology is quietly seeking educational institution partners to increase the site's usage, according to a real...

Long Island's permit process slows down franchise starts.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn With the process of obtaining the proper permits taking up to six months, entrepreneurs interested in opening everything from ice shops to bakeries consider Long Island one of the most frustrating markets to enter,...

After surviving much travail, Globecomm Systems Inc. emerges a different company.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Almost since its founding 10 years ago, satellite systems provider Globecomm Systems Inc. has tip-toed from one international minefield to another. In the late 1990s, Globecomm shifted resources to the...

Dowling College forced to terminate its New Jersey classes.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Dowling College was forced to terminate on-site business courses at three companies in Trenton after the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education discovered the college did not have a license to operate in the...

Cooper joins Long Island's Ruskin Moscou Faltischek as co-managing partner.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, the Island's fifth-largest law firm, has named Douglas Cooper its co-managing partner alongside Michael Faltischek. Faltischek, who has been the firm's sole managing partner since...

Cablevision chairman's GOP ties don't affect company's distribution of 'Fahrenheit 9/11".
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter In a case of business and politics making strange bedfellows, "Fahrenheit 9/11," a blockbuster documentary that lambastes President Bush, is being distributed by a unit of Cablevisions Systems Corp., whose chairman...

Long Island public relations mogul chooses semi-retirement in Florida.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale After a nearly four-decade career as a public relations mogul on Long Island, Howard Blankman is headed into semi-retirement and moving to Florida. The 79-year-old Lancaster, Pa.-native lived the past 50 years...

Chairman of North Shore-LIJ Hospital has become a key player in Long Island health care.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Not many people get to see their children born in a hospital that their family helped found and shape. But Dan de Roulet did - three times. His three sons were born at North Shore University Hospital at...

Motley Crue's Tommy Lee performs at Garden City Hotel's nightclub.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Former Motley Crue band member Tommy Lee and the Garden City Hotel may seem to march to the beats of very different drummers. But for at least one night, they were very much in sync. Soon after former Motley Crue...

Lawsuits seeking class-action status charge that vitamin maker mislead investors.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff When a stock takes a big hit, it often isn't long before lawsuits - charging that the company should have prevented, cushioned or warned of the fall - are filed. After shares of vitamin maker NBTY shed about $10 in a...

Nassau's deputy county executive for economic development streamlines the department.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Patrick Duggan, Nassau's deputy county executive for economic development, took the helm of a department that was beaten and bruised by allegations of spending irregularities, sexual harassment and mismanagement....

Melville-based Arrow Electronics takes steps to avoid 'junk' debt rating.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Arrow Electronics, one of two Long Island technology giants listed by Standard & Poor's as being in danger of becoming a "fallen angel" whose debt falls to "junk" status, is making moves to shore up its balance sheet,...

New York legislators unable to reach agreement on business-friendly bills.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini As far as business groups across the state are concerned, this year's legislative session in Albany was much ado about nothing. At the 2004 powwow, state lawmakers were unable to reach an agreement over the...

U.S. Senate committee approves shoreline protection project for Montauk Point Lighthouse.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The U.S. Senate's environment and public works committee has approved $12 million in funding for a shoreline protection project for the Montauk Point Lighthouse. The bill, authorized under the Water Resources...

Nassau County launches free prescription-drug discount card program.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Nassau County has launched one of the largest local efforts to help consumers cope with the high price of prescription drugs. Through the NassauRx program, a free prescription-drug discount card will be mailed to...

OSI Pharmaceuticals shares climb as Tarceva enters FDA program.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Shares of OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. climbed $1.53, or 2.25 percent, to $69.41 after the company announced that its application for anti-cancer drug Tarceva has been accepted into the Food and Drug Administration's...

Senator proposes using underutilized federal land on Long Island for affordable housing.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Sen. Charles Schumer's recent proposal to use one-third of underutilized federal land on Long Island for affordable housing purposes is an innovative approach to a difficult problem. With precious little land left to...

Commentary: NY legislative session leaves lots of unfinished business.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff It's dumbfounding how little was accomplished in the state Legislature this session. Thanks to partisanship - mostly on the part of Democrats in the Assembly - nearly every major economic development initiative brought...

NY State Legislature adjourns regular session with important issues unresolved.
July 2, 2004... Byline: John Kiernan The New York State Legislature adjourned its regular session last week with a number of important issues unresolved. Although many bills involving various local governments were enacted, both the New York Senate and...

Commentary: Death and taxes: not a sure thing anymore.
July 2, 2004... Byline: John Kiernan A philosopher, whose name I don't recall, once uttered the now famous line: "The only sure thing in life is death and taxes." In the case of the death penalty in New York State, that doesn't seem to apply. As far...

Survey of wealthy Americans finds terrorism and taxes their top financial worries.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale A new survey by U.S. Trust Co. has found that nine out of 10 wealthy Americans are worried that terrorism will hurt the economy, and three-fourths believe that their children will have it tougher financially than...

Washington Mutual Inc. receives patent for its circular teller-tower design.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Washington Mutual Inc. announced that the U.S. Patent Office has issued a patent for the company's design for its retail branches. So what's next? Someone patents triangular counters? Seriously, a...

Interest rates slowly dropping again, says Mortgage Bankers Assn.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 6.21 percent from 6.34 percent a week earlier. The MBA said that for the week of June 18,...

Infosys Web site offers path to Homeland Security contracts.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Everyone talks about homeland security, but Raj Mehta is doing something about it. Mehta, chief executive of Infosys International Inc., based in Plainview, has created a Web site designed to get small and midsize...

NY lawmakers advance bills on spyware, identity theft.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter A bill co-sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-Garden City, that would stiffen penalties against identity theft has passed a key House committee, while an amended version of an anti-spyware bill has cleared a...

Time Warner considers alliance with wireless provider.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter In the wake of Cablevision System's aggressive "triple play," offering video, broadband Internet and Internet telephony service, neighboring Time Warner Cable reportedly is considering an alliance with a wireless...

Intel Corp. and Gulfstream surfboards create prototype laptop in a surfboard.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter It had to happen. Chip-maker Intel Corp. and Jools Matthews of Gulfstream surfboards have created a prototype laptop embedded in a surfboard. The computer, including solar panels, a waterproof enclosure and...

Netsmart Technologies ranked No. 70 in Fortune small business list.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Great River-based Netsmart Technologies was ranked No. 70 among the Fortune Small Business 100 fastest growing companies with revenues under $200 million. The rankings were based on stock performance and earnings...

Interpharm exec wins Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for metro NY.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Dr. Maganlal Sutaria, chairman and chief executive of generic-drug manufacturer Interpharm Holdings Inc. has been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 in the manufacturing category for metropolitan...

Babylon Industrial Development Agency sees record business growth in 1st quarter.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Robert Stricoff, executive director of the Town of Babylon's Industrial Development Agency, said a town-record seven new businesses either moved to or expanded in the town in the first quarter, creating nearly 1,000...

Long Island's Prudential DE Commercial Services closes on three deals.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Prudential Douglas Elliman Commercial Services closed on two industrial and one office transaction, accounting for more than 58,000 square feet of space. The largest of the three deals involved the lease of 40,000...

Lighthouse Real Estate Management signs three new leases in Lynbrook.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Lighthouse Real Estate Management announced the signing of three new leases at its base of operations at 444 Merrick Road in Lynbrook. New tenants at the facility include the health-services firm North Shore...

Cronheim Mortgage Co. arranges $3.51M in financing for LI property.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi David Cronheim Mortgage Corp. has secured financing of $3.51 million for a retail portfolio involving two properties that include the Rite Aid Plaza in Hewlett and the King Kullen Plaza in Cutchogue. The Rite Aid...

Certilman steps down from Long Island Regional Planning Board.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Mort Certilman, a partner at East Meadow-based Certilman, Balin, Adler & Hyman, stepped down as chairman of the Long Island Regional Planning Board last week. Certilman, who served as chairman for more than...

Garden City-based Scully Scott law firm makes top patent firm list.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Garden City-based Scully, Scott, Murphy & Presser ranked 46th in the number of patents filed on behalf of clients in 2003, according to the June issue of Intellectual Property Today magazine. The firm, which...

Uniondale-based Ruskin Moscou receives accredited status from NY legal education board.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Uniondale-based Ruskin Moscou Faltischek has attained accredited provider status from the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board. Without the three-year accreditation, each individual course proposal,...

Judge upholds Nassau County's pistol-licensing fees.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini State Supreme Court Judge William R. LaMarca shot down a challenge by seven Nassau County gun owners who argued that the county should not be involved in setting pistol-licensing fees. New York State penal law...

Long Island to host the Champions Tour at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale It was hard to find golf fans, or sports fans for that matter, who didn't enjoy the spectacle of the U.S. Open rolling through Long Island for the second time in three years. The merchandise tent was mobbed,...

Cablevision advertises its new bundled services; Verizon has no immediate response.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Verizon Communications is one of the most aggressive advertisers in the area. James Earl Jones often tells us how Verizon's "making progress every day." But what will Jones and mother Verizon do to combat the...

Ninth annual Stony Brook Film Festival to include international movies.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Organizers have created a 16-page program leading up to the ninth annual Stony Brook Film Festival, slated to take place July 21-31. For one thing, the book contains a schedule of feature films, which will...

North Shore LIJ Health System rolls out new logo.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik In an effort to create a more up-to-date and consistent brand identity, the 17-hospital North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System is retiring its old logo and rolling out a new one that will appear on everything...

Southampton Hospital names new chair.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik Southampton Hospital said Rev. Peter M. Larsen has been named chairman of its board. Larsen succeeds Donald H. Louchheim, who chaired the board since April 1 when R. Peter Sullivan III stepped down to oversee the...

Glen Cove-based Acclaim Entertainment's stock rises after arranging credit extension.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff Financially strapped computer-game maker Acclaim Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: AKLM) had a good week as its stock rose 9.37 percent to 35 cents. The bit of good news came after the Glen Cove-based company arranged a...

Cablevision Systems Corp.'s stock drops.
July 2, 2004... Byline: LIBN Staff The bears came calling for Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) after the company rolled out a $90 bundle consisting of cable television, broadband Internet and unlimited Internet telephone service to new subscribers....

Hewlett-based DCAP's earnings rise after a downturn.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn When Barry Goldstein joined DCAP Group as a consultant in 2000, the Hewlett-based retail insurance broker was hemorrhaging cash - about $4 million that year. Armed as a certified public accountant with an MBA and the...

Five things you didn't know about Anthony Leteri / Chairman, USA PolyCoat.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Between the ages of 13 through 15, Leteri raced go-carts at Blitz Kart Stadium in Central Islip. "I won the Eastern Regional Championship all three years," Leteri said. In the 1965 World's Fair go-cart competition,...

Tips for how to engineer a corporate turnaround.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn * Consult with financial and industry experts. * Determine if it makes sense to sell assets. * Design reduced payment arrangements with vendors to whom you owe money. * Make no initial personnel cuts....

Greulich named president of board of Child Abuse Prevention Services.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Nancy Greulich was named president of the board of Child Abuse Prevention Services. She will oversee the organization, which presents programs designed to prevent bullying, sexual harassment, date rape, child abuse...

David W. Klecher named principal of Port Jefferson Middle School.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman David W. Klecher was named principal of Port Jefferson Middle School. Previously, he was assistant principal of Oyster Bay High School. Prior to entering school administration, Klecher taught science to students...

Alana Peterson named event supervisor at Legendary Events.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Alana Peterson was named event supervisor at Legendary Events, which specializes in event planning for corporations and not-for-profit organizations. She will work with clients to plan special events. Previously,...

Mitchell York named regional support director of Maui Wowi Fresh Hawaiian Blends.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Maui Wowi Fresh Hawaiian Blends announced that Mitchell York was named director of regional support for New York and Long Island. York is responsible for supporting the franchise owners operating in the area by...

Harry Buckel joins All Island Media board of directors.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Harry Buckel has joined the All Island Media board of directors. He will be advising and consulting for the company. Buckel was formerly the CEO of Newport Media, which he sold to Newsday in 1999. He also has...

Dr. Craig L. Levitz named director of orthopedics at South Nassau Communities Hospital.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Dr. Craig L. Levitz was named director of orthopedics at South Nassau Communities Hospital. Previously, he was chief of sports medicine. Levitz has worked in various capacities for numerous practices, hospitals,...

Long Island non-profits announce staffing changes: July 2, 2004.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Patricia Gallatin was appointed executive director of the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation. She will oversee all activities for the foundation, which provides social services to those stricken with Alzheimer's...

Pasquale Eliseo elected president of the Nassau-Suffolk Water Commissioner's Assn.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Pasquale "Pat" Eliseo was elected president of the Nassau-Suffolk Water Commissioner's Association, an organization of water districts that work to maintain the excellence of Long Island's public water supply. Eliseo...

Long Island entrepreneur finds business partner to realize expansion plan.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn When it comes time to find a business partner, experts advise choosing one that shares your vision and complements your skill sets. Maggie Kalas did just that when she brought in Georgeanne Ponzini to help grow her...

Procurement seminar offered to small businesses interested in federal contracts.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn If you're interested in securing government contracts, be sure to check out the upcoming National Small Business Procurement Summit in Washington, D.C. Scheduled for Aug. 25 and 26, the summit is intended for...

Sam's Club offers vision-care insurance.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn From 11 percent to 14 percent of small businesses offer vision-care insurance, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Those statistics can put mom-and-pop shops at a competitive disadvantage when trying to attract...

U.S. Open provides Long Island food rescue organization with leftovers from the event.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman The U.S. Open provided more than just entertainment for Long Islanders. Island Harvest, a food rescue organization, salvaged 36,000 pounds of food left over from the event. The food was delivered to more than 500...

Cross Sound Ferry fireworks cruise to benefit Long Island charitable groups.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman The Cross Sound Ferry 15th annual Fireworks Benefit Cruise will be held on July 10. This year, the beneficiaries of the fund-raiser will be the East Marion Fire Department, the East End Gang Awareness Program and a...

Marine science program seeks volunteers.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Volunteer positions are available for seniors at Cornell's Marine Sciences water-logging effort. Cornell Cooperative Extension, a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting the environment, would like seniors to...

Annual theater event at Oakdale performing arts center to benefit child abuse services.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman West Side Story, the modern-day rendition of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, comes to life Aug. 7 to support the Child Abuse Unit of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The group will be hosting...

South Nassau Communities Hospital raises more than $195,000 for children.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman South Nassau Communities Hospital raised more than $195,000 at its 25th annual auction, held at the Garden City Hotel and sponsored by the Council to South Nassau. More than 300 people attended the auction, which...

Interview with president of Long Island's Intergenerational Strategies.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ken Cerini Intergenerational Strategies is an organization focused on assisting in the implementation of intergenerational programs across Long Island. "The generational gap has been rapidly expanding due to a number of factors. We...

Hauppauge-based Racanelli Construction to build Intercounty Appliance facility.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Intercounty Appliance is moving ahead with the long-awaited development of a 250,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution facility in the South Silver Industrial Park. The Hauppauge-based general contracting and...

Pres. of Epoch 5 Public Relations named a New York State Woman of Distinction.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman Katherine Heaviside, president of Epoch 5 Public Relations, was named a New York State Woman of Distinction, which recognizes women who have made significant contributions to the community. Heaviside serves on...

Sports Plus plan: thrill all visitors.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn ON a recent Friday at Sports Plus in Lake Grove, Bill Reitzig, president of the complex, studied the smiling faces of a woman and her two adolescent companions as they stepped off the Thriller Coaster, a brand new...

On weekends, Symbol Tech. product manager turns to 'inspirational wear'.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn If spirituality helps make the world a better place, Ron Dinehart may have found his calling. Dinehart, founder of Glen Cove-based The Universe Knows, hopes to improve the planet one person at a time through motivational...

Ninety-Nines of LI celebrating 39th anniversary.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Ken Cerini Celebrating its 39th anniversary this year, the Ninety-Nines of Long Island continues to promote aeronautics among females through education, scholarships and recreational aviation events. "Long Island has a rich...

Commentary: Women in business: Moving ahead, slowly.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Natalie Canavor In the past few weeks, several research studies have been released that should matter to every woman who wants to become a leader. The statistics, in fact, should matter to every woman pursuing a career and/or...

E-deals even small-biz playing field.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Adina Genn Thanks to e-procurement, small businesses are capturing a larger share of government contracts than ever before. According to a study by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 6.5 percent of all...

Summer breaks are history at defense shops.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter For Long Island's small defense subcontractors, the two-week summer shutdown is going the way of the F-14. Closing during the last week in July and the first week in August has been a traditional rite of summer at...

Del Lab's spray-on pantyhose spark lawsuit.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter A lawsuit by a California cosmetics company could take the luster - and the profits - from the new spray-on makeup and pantyhose line marketed by Del Laboratories Inc. Los Angeles-based Classified Cosmetics Inc.,...

Business up for two LI fireworks firms.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik After a long lull following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and a soft economy, business for two local fireworks firms is all fired up again. Bay Fireworks and Fireworks by Grucci said they've experienced double-digit...

Stony Brook Film Festival has come a long way.
July 9, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale It was 1994 and Alan Inkles, director of the Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, was staring at a blank screen - literally. "We had just gotten this big screen, and we wanted to do something...

Ivy Asset Management to expand LI operations.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter Ivy Asset Management Corp., in the midst of a growth spurt, is on the hunt for new space to expand its Long Island operations. Ivy, which manages a variety of proprietary and customized hedge-fund portfolios,...

Office market continues to rebound.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Nick Anastasi Long Island posted the lowest availability rate of commercial real estate in the tri-state area and the third lowest in the United States, according to second quarter data compiled by CB Richard Ellis and the CoStar...

Audiovox chief rides wave of technological change.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Ken Schachter In 1965, John Shalam was sitting on 2,000 car radios and he was beginning to sweat. The international trader had imported the radios from Japan for a customer and backed the transaction with a letter of credit....

A century of life for Astoria Federal customer.
July 9, 2004... Byline: David Reich-Hale Men's suits cost $15 apiece, gas cost 4 cents a gallon, the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded at a robust 79 and the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies at the Polo Grounds. It was July 4, 1904,...

Business council blasts alternative energy plan.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Claude Solnik The New York State Business Council is vigorously opposing a plan mandating that 25 percent of the electricity sold in state come from alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power by the year 2013. The...

Long Island native runs for county exec seat - in Delaware.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini Remember Richard Korn? He's a former Old Brookville resident who ran an unsuccessful race against Tom Gulotta in 1989 for the county executive seat. Now, more than 15 years later, Korn is going after the county...

Nassau shifts work from 18-B attorneys to cut costs.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Rosmaria Mancini It was an 18-year battle they thought they had finally won. But private lawyers who defend poor clients - some of the least-wanted legal work in the industry - didn't know that the war wasn't over. Six months...

Southampton may shift marine sciences to SBU.
July 9, 2004... Byline: Wendy Friedman As the school prepares to shift its undergraduate studies to sister campus C.W. Post, Southampton College is in talks to turn over its marine-sciences program to Stony Brook University. Southampton Provost Daniel...