Austin Business Journal articles from April 2001

Austin Business Journal archives from April 2001

Major land deals unfolding.(Capital Pacific Holdings LLC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 27, 2001... Gary Bradley involved in two transactions, including planned public sale of 1,300-plus acres Ownership changes have occurred or are pending on nearly 4,000 acres immediately south of Austin along I-35. More than 1,300 acres of the...

CEOs form partnership.(CEO Partnerships)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Seven 'seasoned' executives band together to supply insight, expertise to startups Instead of tapping a veteran CEO for a startup, companies now can tap the experience of seven former or current Austin CEO who recently launched their own...

Office project now on hold.(Austin, Texas)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Financial partner in Norwood Crossing stops construction until Austin leasing market improves The financial partner in an Austin office project has halted construction until the leasing market improves. Norwood Crossing was planned...

Hair-raising experience.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... While some displaced high tech workers jump right back into the high tech pool, Scott Goodwin, Ineto Inc.'s former director of implementation and technical marketing, is leaving high tech for good. He's opening a hair salon called Salon...

More money for popcorn?(independent motion picutre being filmed in Austin, Texas)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Austin indie film "Master of the Game" is mastering the art of budgeting. The film could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by shooting with a high-definition camera instead of using the usual 35mm camera. "As far as we know,"...

Spending spree.(NetSpend Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 27, 2001... Austin startup NetSpend Corp. is steering its cart into the world of teen shopping. NetSpend has teamed up with MasterCard International, Inter National Bank and brick-and-mortar retailers to bring an alternative purchasing option to...

Unconventional wisdom.(Seven Strategies to Improve Your Bottom Line)(Review)
April 27, 2001... Preston Gee is a man who believes in what he does. Gee, senior vice president for strategic planning at St. David's HealthCare Partnership in Austin, has authored another book. Its final "go-to-print title" is Seven Strategies to Improve...

Upscale and eco-friendly.(Sutton Co. loft development incorporates environmentally sensitive features)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Austin's The Sutton Co. is incorporating environmentally friendly features into its new upscale urban lofts downtown. The Sutton Co., builder of Plaza Lofts on Republic Square, is working with the Austin Green Building Program, which...

Taking stock.(DuPont Photomasks Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 27, 2001... The tech slump may be dragging down business at Round Rock-based DuPont Photomasks Inc., but one business magazine is high on its stock: The most recent issue of Business 2.0 dubs DPI'S stock one of "10 tech stocks worth the risk." ...

$44M hospital project planned.(Memorial Herman Memorial City Hospital, Houston, Texas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 27, 2001... HOUSTON--The Memorial Hermann Healthcare System is planning a $44 million professional building and parking garage at Memorial Herman Memorial City Hospital. Memorial Hermann CEO Dan Wilford says MetroNational Corp. will build and own...

Fort Worth firm seeks to beef up.(Shannon Gracey Ratliff and Miller LLP expands)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... FORTWORTH--Shannon Gracey Ratliff & Miller LLP hopes its recent expansion into Arlington, Dallas and the Alliance area will reposition the Fort Worth-based law firm as a regional powerhouse. The new Dallas office, which opened in...

Marketing guru leaves Clear Channel.(Bob Cohen, Clear Channel Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... SAN ANTONIO-Bob Cohen is leaving the San Antonio marketing manager post he has held at Clear Channel Communications Inc. since 1994. One of the leading pioneers of all-sports radio in San Antonio, Cohen is ending his 15-year career with...

Hart Graphics site for sale.(company closes its doors, sells property, Austin, Texas)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... What might be the largest available site in an otherwise developed area along North MoPac Expressway is on the market. The 16.5-acre site includes the former printing operations and headquarters of Hart Graphics Inc. at 8000 Shoal Creek...

Austin lands tech R&D center.(Docent)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Learning management company Docent bypasses Portland, Ore., for new site Austin has beaten Portland, Ore., in the contest to land a Web-based learning management company's first research and development center. Darrell Woelk, former...

A concrete contract.(Hunt Construction Group selects Heldenfels Enterprises Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... San Marcos' Heldenfels snags deal worth as much as $4.2M for San Antonio arena A San Marcos company has been awarded a multimilliondollar contract to supply concrete components for the SBC Center, the San Antonio Spurs' new home. ...

Attorney heads into Hays.(John O'Quinn)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Controversial Houston lawyer buys law firm, will donate road improvements, preserve land A controversial attorney who's made millions suing groups such as tobacco companies and breast implant manufacturers plans to donate $5.8 million in...

AT&T to occup center on the way in N. Austin.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 27, 2001... A fiber-optic switching center under construction in North Austin will be the local hub for AT&T Corp.'s new national network. Kerry Hibbs, an AT&T spokesman in Dallas, says the data center at 11400 N. Lamar Blvd. is on the company's...

Momentum to open office in Dallas.(Momentum Software Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Austin-based Momentum Software Inc., a provider of software development and integration consulting services for the Internet and wireless markets, says it is opening an office in Dallas. The office is expected to open in the second...

Zilog lays off employees in Austin.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Zilog Inc. recently reduced its workforce by 10 percent in response to the downturn in the electronics industry. The reduction of 100 employees primarily affects three locations, including Austin. The company operates a customer service...

PointServe purchases Austin startup Servana.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Austin-based supply chain management company PointServe Inc. has acquired a another local company, Servana Inc., for an undisclosed amount. It's part of PointServe's strategy to focus on its core strategy -- field service automation....

Akin Gump builds labor unit with Hughes lawyer.(Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld L.L.P., James Gary)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is ramping up its labor and employment practice in Austin by hiring James Gary, former partner and bead of Hughes & Luce LLP's labor and employment practice in Austin. Gary now is a partner and head of...

Clearwire Technologies Inc. (Dallas).(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Arlington-based Clearwire Technologies Inc., a supplier of wireless high-speed Internet access, has raised $97 million, bolstered its management team and signed a pioneering deal that could put it in 100 markets nationwide. The cash is...

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Boston).(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Believing that digital television was born in its laboratories, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is turning to the federal court system to deliver a piece of the billion dollar market to its coffers. The Cambridge, Mass.,...

Cisco Systems Inc. (San Jose).(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... The worsened outlook for Cisco Systems Inc. will make it much more difficult for The company to achieve one of its biggest goals: to become a leading optical networking player. Along with cutting 8,500 jobs and delaying some expansion...

Inktomi Corp. (San Francisco).(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Inktomi Corp., the one-time Wall Street darling that lost more than 95 percent of its Market value this past year, has scuttled plans to nearly double its Foster City, Calif., office space. The search, wireless and network-caching company...

Plan would cool Austin but may heat up costs.(Heat Island Mitigation Committee)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Proposed changes to development regulations intended to cool down Austin appear likely to receive a combination of chilly and warm receptions from commercial real estate developers. The new recommendations proposed by a citizens committee...

Fired Up to develop restaurants in UAE.(Food and Life General Trading L.L.C., United Arab Emirates)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Austin's Fired Up Inc. has entered into an agreement to develop Johnny Carino's Country Italian restaurants throughout the United Arab Emirates. Food & Life General Trading LLC, a division of the Al Abbas Group, will develop franchised...

Columbus, Ohio, seeks to echo Austin's success.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... The man who helped put Austin on the tech map will try to do the same for Columbus, Ohio. Douglas Henton, president and founder of Collaborative Economics in Palo Alto, Calif., is lending his expertise to an economic development...

Stonebridge lays off half of Austin office.(Stonebridge Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Stonebridge Technologies Inc., a technology consulting company, has laid off 15 employees in its Austin office. "We are scaling back our Austin operations in response to market demand in the area," says Craig Dees, a spokesman for...

Consultant hired for HUB project.(Grijalva and Allen, historically underutilized businesses)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Houston's Grijalva & Allen has been hired as the consulting firm that will help small contractors participating in the University of Texas System's new Bonding and Technical Assistance Program. Grijalva & Allen was chosen from among six...

Taking the bite out of business.(Longhorn Dental Associates)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Management company helps dental group focus on clients, not profits This is not your father's dentist. Austin-based Longhorn Dental Associates is a group dental practice with 31 dentists and 150 employees. Unlike more traditionally...

Yes, the word 'no' can be a sales benefit.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... "No!" How many times have you heard that word? Whether you've been in sales for 10 years or 10 days, chances are you've heard that response more than you would like. The fact of the matter is rejection is as much a part of sales as...

Pentagon to he grilled over Chinese contract.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Now that China has released the crew of a Navy spy plane, the U.S. Defense Department faces hostile fire from Congress over its decision to award Chinese companies a contract to make berets for U.S. soldiers. The House Small Business...

Fed: Credit card use rising at small firms.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... An increasing number of small businesses rely on credit cards, according to a new Federal Reserve Board survey. The Fed found 45 percent of the 3,561 small business owners it surveyed used personal credit cards for business purposes in...

Treasury issues guidance on New Markets Tax Credits.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... The U.S. Treasury Department has issued guidance on how allocations will be made under the New Markets Tax Credit program, which aims to pump $15 billion in private capital into low-income neighborhoods. The seven-year tax credit will be...

Herb farm attempts to plant seeds for growth.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... The Fredericksburg Herb Farm is feeling some growing pains. "If we weren't growing, it probably wouldn't be so hard," says Bill Varney, cofounder of the Fredericksburg Herb Farm. "We see a big future with herbs and herbal products, but...

It's no joke: Here's how to manage with a clue.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Dwain." "Dwain, who?" "Dwain the tub, I'm dwowning!" In over your head? Feel like you're drowning? Can't catch your breath? Don't know what to do next, who to do it to or why? Good...

Travis Boats sets sail with online marketing deal.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Austin-based Travis Boats & Motors Inc. [Nasdaq: TRVS] soon will market the inventories of 39 boat dealerships online through a deal with BoatTraderOnline.com. The deal increases exposure for the company's Travis Boating Center stores...

Amex halts trading of EpicEdge stock.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Trading of shares in EpicEdge Inc. has been halted by the American Stock Exchange because the company missed the deadline for filing its annual report Trading stopped April 12 at a price of 28 cents a share. Austin-based EpicEdge...

Surrey wraps up talks on sale of assets.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Leander-based Surrey Inc. [OTC BB: SOAPE] has wrapped up negotiations for the sale of its assets to Thermal, Calif.-based Jean Charles Inc. The sale is pending approval by Surrey's shareholders. Marty van der Hagen, Surrey's president,...

Call it a best kept secret.(Austin's bioscience industry)
April 27, 2001... UT campus holds the key to growth of Austin's bioscience industry A subtle shift is taking place in the laboratories of Austin and across the country. For years, innovations and solutions to problems have been based on physics and...

Health care providers face two Stark realities.(Health Care Financing Administration regulations)(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... Earlier this year, the Health Care Financing Administration adopted its second set of regulations under the so-called "Stark" law. This law generally prohibits a physician from referring patients to a health care provider for certain...

Medical help still wanted: Nurses, please apply.(Statistical Data Included)
April 27, 2001... Austin hospitals and health care providers struggle with the national trend toward shortages of nurses and health care workers. Experts say the shortages are so severe that they may soon threaten patient care. Figures compiled by the...

Tight nursing home budgets hit on two fronts.
April 27, 2001... With the 77th Texas Legislature chock full of moves for sweeping legislation, lobbyists are anxious to see their initiatives placed before the entire governing body. In particular, two associations representing nursing homes and services for...

TOP PHYSICIANS SPECIALIZING IN COSEMETIC PROCEDURES.(Directory)
April 27, 2001... TOP PHYSICIANS SPECIALIZING IN COSEMETIC PROCEDURES Ranked by Number of Procedures Performed in 2000 Number of: Surgeon's Name Overall cosmetic Address ...

TOP CENTERS FOR REFRACTIVE EYE SURGERY.(Directory)
April 27, 2001... TOP CENTERS FOR REFRACTIVE EYE SURGERY Ranked by number of refractive procedures performed in 2000 Total no. of refractive ...

The road to what we do.(Brief Article)
April 27, 2001... You 'never know how anyone got to here. I guess you would call C.J. a beer drinking buddy. He and I cross paths fairly regularly at the same neighborhood bar and grill. It's at the point or the way home where I usually get fed up with the...

Waller Creek project stalled.(Austin, Texas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 20, 2001... Cost of taxpayer-backed plan jumps from $25M to $46M A City of Austin project intended to rejuvenate a large portion of the Central Business District is about to be put on hold now that the cost has jumped by $21 million. The Waller...

Meeting center may bloom.(alternative conference center to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Williamson County may buy 35 acres, looks into possibility of building a second Wildflower Center Williamson County has placed 35 acres under contract with an eye toward building a conference center like South Austin's popular Lady Bird...

Arboretum space to open up.(Computer Sciences Corp. to leave 9500 Arboretum offices)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... The owner of a 186,000-square-foot office building in the Arboretum area is looking for tenants to fill the space after Computer Sciences Corp. empties the project later this year. Although 9500 Arboretum might be one of the few large...

Top station in the nation.(Exxon Mobile Corp., 9061 Research Blvd., Austin, Texas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 20, 2001... ExxonMobil Corp. is pumped up about one of its Austin gas stations. The company's station at 9061 Research Blvd. posts the highest sales per square foot of any ExxonMobil store in the country. And now the whole world knows it. A...

Gloom and doom.(Warren Cordes+)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... ... Departure from gloom and doom. Good news abounds at Austin's Warren Cordes+. The company is picking up new clients, expanding office space, hiring more people, launching a Web site and undertaking an advertising campaign to "practice...

American Marketing Association.(employee recruitment event, Austin, Texas)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... ... In the job market. The local chapter of the American Marketing Association is rounding up some job seekers. Six local companies and two recruiting firms are working with the Austin American Marketing Association for the "Resume...

Navis Logistics Network.(recruiting executives)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... ... To ship or not to ship. Navis Logistics Network wants you -- especially if you're a recently laid-off executive. The Denver-based company is counting on recent corporate downsizing in Austin to bring new entrepreneurs to its door. ...

Ford Motor Co.(2000 President's Award, Leif Johnson Ford Truck-City Buda)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... ... Real deal of a dealer. Ford Motor Co. has bestowed its highest dealer honor, The 2000 President's Award, on Leif Johnson Ford-Truck City in Buda. Customers determine who receives accolades by completing a survey rating dealers on the...

Tracy Nelson.(book sales benefit athletics for girls)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... ... Givin' to Liv in. Austin triathlete and author Tracy Nelson is donating part of the sales of her upcoming book sales to benefit girls' physical fitness. Nelson will participate in the TREK MultiSportswomen Duathlon on April 22. The...

Daily updates available on Business Journal Web site.(Austin Business Journal)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... For the latest-breaking business news from Austin, pull up the Austin Business Journal's Web site at(austin.bCenfral.com). Each day, the Business Journal posts news from the area that breaks between our weekly deadlines. The news...

Compaq forgives exec's $5M loan.(Compaq Computer Corp., Michael Capellas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 20, 2001... As part of his promotion to chairman of Compaq Computer Corp. last year, Michael Capellas pocketed a combined salary and bonus of $5.04 million -- and that's just the half of it. A kicker: Houston-based Compaq will forgive a loan of $5...

$30M hospital planned near Houston.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... PEARLAND -- A newly formed nonprofit group is working to bring a $30 million hospital and medical complex to Pearland that could generate as many as 1,000 jobs once it is completed. Plans call for Pearland Community Hospital to encompass...

Opposition mounts to Dallas convention hotel.(Dallas Convention Center)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... DALLAS -- Already stinging from declining occupancy rates, Dallas hotel operators are uniting to oppose a new convention center hotel they say would only make the problem worse. The idea of building a hotel attached to the Dallas...

Experts: Mergers, acquisitions may grow as times get tougher.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... DALLAS -- Area merger-and-acquisition activity slowed during the first quarter but might be picking up as distressed companies are forced to sell in the search for cash. Many companies -- technology or otherwise -- are finding themselves...

San Antonio ISP calls off acquisition by Houston firm.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- Internet Direct Inc., one of the largest locally based Internet service providers, recently walked away from a planned acquisition by Houston-based TXNet Communications Inc. The problem: TXNet couldn't drum up the capital...

Tourism council intensifies promotional efforts in S.A.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Area Tourism Council is stepping up efforts to sell the Alamo City to visitors -- and to corporations. Milton Guess is chairman of Vision 21, a project of the Tourism Council and the Greater San Antonio...

Hays acreage under contract.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Development giant ClubCorp may be involved, could lead to golf course, conference center Real estate sources say thousands of acres of land are under contract in northwest Hays County just south of Austin for what could become a...

They're whooping it up.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Three brothers organize Whoopass Entertainment film, creative production firm Three Texas brothers have made their way from California's film scene back to their Lone Star roots. Their goal: to Whoopass. No, not each others'. ...

Sprinting into SE Austin?(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Telecom giant Sprint may put Internet data center into space formerly planned for PSINet Sprint Corp. might be working on a deal to put an Internet data center in Southeast Austin. Virginia-based Internet communications company...

Group seeking space.
April 20, 2001... Texas Guaranteed Student Loan seeks 200,000 s.f. in advance of lease expiring at 183 and 620 The Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp. is in the market for 200,000 square feet of office space in Austin. Texas Guaranteed, a nonprofit...

Boeing narrows choices for HQ in Dallas region.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... The number of possible landing sites in the Metroplex for The Boeing Co.'s national headquarters has been winnowed from roughly 25 properties to about eight, local brokers say. Two are in downtown Dallas; the rest are in suburban areas....

LCRA is negotiating for more than 60,000 s.f.(Lower Colorado River Authority to lease Southeast Austin office space)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... The Lower Colorado River Authority is negotiating to lease more than 60,000 square feet of offices in Southeast Austin. "It's not a done deal yet," says Greg Grusendorf, a project manager for LCRA. "We're still negotiating a lease." ...

Workforce academy set to graduate its first class.(Austin's Digital Workforce Academy)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Fifty, people with telecommunications skills are about to enter the Austin workforce. The inaugural class of Austin's Digital Workforce Academy is set to graduate May 4. The free program, which started in October, teaches skills to...

Genesis Park (Houston).(preparing to invest)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Genesis Park, one of Houston's newest venture capital firms, has raised $25 million to invest primarily in local technology companies. Genesis Park is preparing to burst on the tech scene after spending the better part of a year trying...

Jay Paul Col. (San Francisco).(Pacific Shores development has 57 percent vacancy rate)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 20, 2001... The poster child for new economy optimism--Jay Paul Co.'s $500 million technology campus in Pacific Shores-- might be in for a rude adolescence. Of the project's 1.7 million square feet, 802,000 square feet is either on the sublease...

Intel Corp. (San Jose).(rising energy costs)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Tech industry leaders say they're willing to pay the price to keep the lights on. But for many Silicon Valley manufacturers, rising energy costs couldn't have come at a worse time. Already hit by lethargic demand and looming price wars,...

Geoworks Corp. (Oakland, Calif.).(avoiding hostile takeovers through shareholder rights plans)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 20, 2001... With their once high-flying stocks now trading at bargain basement prices, more technology firms are worried their low valuations will tempt corporate raiders looking to make hostile acquisitions. Their fear is prompting growing numbers...

Senate rejects SBA cuts in Bush's budget request.(United States. Small Business Administration)(George W. Bush)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... The Senate added $264 million to President Bush's $539 million budget request for the Small Business Administration, restoring money Bush proposed cuffing for core programs. such as the agency's flagship 7(a) guaranteed loans and Small...

Zilliant lays off 12 employees.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Austin-based Zilliant Inc. laid off 12 employees April 16. Zilliant, a developer of software for strategic pricing management, now has about 30 full-time employees. "The layoffs were a result of the challenging business environment...

Manufacturers group sues over OSHA regulation.(United States. Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... The National Association of Manufacturers has sued the Department of Labor to block OSHA's new record-keeping regulation. The association contends the rule, scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2002, expands the scope of injuries that...

Local directories bought by San Diego company.(TransWestern Publishing Company L.P.)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Directories in Austin, Williamson County and the Hill Country published by Alliance Media Group Inc. will be consolidated into telephone books published by TransWestern Publishing Co. LLC. San Diego's Trans Western is purchasing the...

Suit: EPA ignored business effect of lead rule.(United States. Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Five years ago, Congress passed the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act to make sure federal agencies consider the effect of their regulations on small businesses. The effectiveness of the law could be tested by a lawsuit...

Former cable TV exec joins board of Legerity.(Leo Hindery Jr.)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Leo Hindery Jr., former president and CEO of cable TV giant Tele-Communications Inc., has joined the board of directors at Austin-based Legerity Inc. Hindery now is chairman of HL Capital Inc., his family's private investment and...

DuPont Photomasks to reduce workforce.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Round Rock-based DuPont Photomasks Inc. [Nasdaq: DPMI] says it plans to reduce its worldwide workforce by less than 2 percent. Company executives declined to give details on the impending job cuts. The company employs 2,100 people...

CyBerCorp changes name to CyberTrader.
April 20, 2001... Austin-based CyBerCorp Inc. has a new name: CyberTrader Inc. San Francisco-based Charles Schwab Corp. [NYSE: SCH] acquired CyBerCorp last year for $488 million. CyberTrader also announced other changes, including enhancements to its...

A doctor with heart.
April 20, 2001... Heart surgeon John "Chip" Oswalt refuses to lose touch with his patients or family It's tot unusual for a heart surgeon to be known for his skillful hands. But some of Dr. John "Chip" Oswalt's best handiwork has been on a fox and...

Texas is dubbed 'wealth-friendly'.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2001... Texas ranks 10th among states considered "wealth-friendly," according to a magazine survey. For the fourth year in a row, Wyoming leads the country when it comes to letting families keep more of what they earn and own, while Rhode Island...