Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service articles from December 2000, page 7

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service archives from December 2000

Pianist Victor Borge dies at age 91.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... CHICAGO _ When Victor Borge launched his career as a concert pianist in Denmark in 1926, he was not exactly destined to become one of the world's most famous pratfall artists. Yet because he could not resist sabotaging his own stage...

A sports tale before Christmas.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... `Twas the day before Christmas and all through sports, Coach Santa was fretting the published reports. The news that he read, it made him quite ill. His best elf was bolting for $250 mil. There was good reason why his spirits...

Warren has overcome more than the average injuries to succeed in football.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ As David Warren settles into a couch outside the Florida State locker room, he tugs repeatedly at the wool beanie perched on his head. He yanks the cap down to his eyebrows, covering a thin surgical scar that spans...

Murky Atlantic helps Magic's cause.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... ORLANDO _ Opportunity is knocking atop the Atlantic Division. Anyone interested can walk through the door. The shoulder injury to Allen Iverson on Friday night is about to drop the Philadelphia 76ers back to the rest of the division,...

A few laughs help us overcome the ugliness of sports.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... CHICAGO _ While preparing his holiday cards a few years ago, a sportswriter friend of mine decided to send one to the president of his local NBA team, a man he had met only recently at a party. He dutifully scrawled his signature, added the...

Marlins' payment is key to ballpark deal.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... MIAMI _ It may seem like a plan cobbled together of seemingly unrelated sources, but the $385 million plan to build a retractable-roof ballpark for the Florida Marlins is typical of sports venue financing plans in recent years. Rather...

Long time coming: Hawks have 1st 3-game winning streak.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... KANATA, Ontario _ The last time the Blackhawks won three straight games was at the tail end of last season when their playoff hopes were dead and buried. Now, with a postseason afterlife still a mathematical possibility, the Hawks have...

Bulls flounder, fly, fizzle; Bookend flops kill Bulls.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... AUBURN HILLS, Mich._Throw out the first 3 minutes 26 seconds of Saturday night's 106-93 loss to the Pistons, and we've got a basketball game. Then again, that's like saying throw out the first 27 games of this year, and the Bulls have a...

Illini fail to fill it up, run out of gas.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... AUSTIN, Texas_On Illinois coach Bill Self's master schedule, this one stood out like Rudolph's red nose. The letdown-breakdown-meltdown Self had been fearing arrived right on schedule Saturday night. After emotionally draining victories...

Black quarterbacks get their shot in NFL.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... FORT LAUDERDALE _ For years, all black quarterbacks sought from NFL clubs was an opportunity to compete for the job instead of being shuttled off to wide receiver or cornerback. Now, with the final games of the regular season being played...

Witty Deshaies misses final cut.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... CHICAGO _ Some players live in immortality because of their hits, others because of their wits. Jim Deshaies definitely falls in the latter category. We say this not just because the left-hander was one of the worst-hitting pitchers...

Magic routs Cavaliers.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... ORLANDO _ The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't have a clue on how to play without their starting center. The Orlando Magic knew exactly what to do. The Magic, who are no strangers to changing lineups, blasted the bewildered and weary...

Grant Hill waits and wonders.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... The Buzz ORLANDO _ One of the options being considered by doctors in the recovery of Grant Hill is more surgery on his left ankle. Although Hill will accompany the Magic to Indianapolis tonight, where they will play the Pacers on...

Miami faithful could be facing the cold, hard facts.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... MIAMI _ The Miami Dolphins really need to think warm Sunday... Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Cars burning after the Lakers' title victory. Hot chocolate. Jalapenos. The Miami Heat. Randy Johnson's fastball....

A draft-day trade for Green has paid dividends for Packers.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... GREEN BAY, Wis. _ In the days after a playoff loss against the Miami Dolphins in January, Seattle Seahawks Coach Mike Holmgren called in reserve tailback Ahman Green for a meeting. Green just had finished his second season in Seattle _...

With much at stake, Bucs look to ignore weather.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... GREEN BAY, Wis. _ When it comes to sports philosophy, Coach Tony Dungy often draws on life's experiences. If not his own, then those of individuals he respects most. In cases involving the latter, two names that often come up are former...

Good vibes, bad year: Hopes for success died with McNown.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... CHICAGO _ For a season that began with realistic hopes of at least a .500 record, anticipating a finale that hardly will cause a blip in the overall picture left Bears players this week, and surely fans, with an overwhelming sense of...

Sky watchers may see more than reindeer on Christmas.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... CHICAGO _ A partial eclipse of the sun will be visible from parts of North America on Christmas _ as long as clouds don't eclipse the whole thing. About 43 percent of the sun's surface will be obscured Monday as the moon passes between...

Glad tidings for couple that adopted five siblings.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... CHICAGO _ They have strung lights on the bushes to guide him in, stuck a large plastic candy cane in the front yard for a point of reference. They will leave the porch light on, fly a Christmas flag, leave cookies on the table. You see,...

God's green grid iron: An outsider's meditation on the Notre Dame mystique.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... X X X Tribune staff writer Avani Patel and staff photographer John Lee covered Notre Dame's football season. Lee took these photos with a $15 plastic Holga camera to capture the "surreal" experience of game day in South Bend. Patel...

Divorced parents becoming more sensitive to negotiating holidays for sake of kids.(Chicago Tribune)
December 23, 2000... CHICAGO _ On Christmas morning, Simon and Lucas Tehle will make a dash for the tree in their Palatine home to see how many presents are waiting. Dad will be on the sofa, fiddling with the video camera. Mom will sip her coffee and belt out her...

Miami's offensive line comes of age.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... CORAL GABLES, Fla. _ Offensive line coach Art Kehoe asks a simple question that even he would have been hard pressed to answer at the start of the University of Miami's season. "How can you predict the kind of success we've had?" Kehoe...

Dolphins' season comes down to the Patriots.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... FOXBORO, Mass. _ There's cold weather, a road game in December and the AFC East division title on the line. There's also the pressure of snapping a two-game losing streak. That's what's going against the Dolphins (10-5) on Sunday...

Jeff Ogden expecting tough going on punt-return unit.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... FOXBORO, Mass. _ Dolphins wide receiver Jeff Ogden will be ready for the abuse on Sunday against the host New England Patriots. Ogden admits he was caught off-guard in last Sunday's 20-13 loss to Indianapolis when fans at Pro Player...

Bills will miss GM John Butler, and other notes.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... FORT LAUDERDALE _ Forget about Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith and Andre Reed. The biggest loss for the Buffalo Bills in 2000 came last week when general manager John Butler was fired after failing to come to terms on a contract extension with...

Lions are back in the hunt, and other notes.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... FORT LAUDERDALE _ The Detroit Lions want to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a big, fat, hairy thank you. Well, at least some do. The Lions (9-6) were on the verge of playoff elimination until last Monday night when the Buccaneers...

Can the Dolphins finally slay the monster.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... FOXBORO, Mass. _ The invisible monster is lurking. Hanging over every locker. Hovering over every practice. Growing in every helmet. It is silent, but it is there. The players pretend it isn't so. The coaches say it isn't so. But it...

Theo Fleury finds his niche in the big city.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... FORT LAUDERDALE _ Last year was one of transition for the feisty, big-hearted, little-bodied Theo Fleury. The 5-foot-6 star spent 11 seasons in Calgary before signing a three-year, $21 million deal with the New York Rangers during the...

Everybody has an opinion on Larry Brown.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
December 23, 2000... FORT LAUDERDALE _ The situation in Philadelphia grows more and more bizarre by the minute, and we're not even talking about the injuries that have sidelined Allen Iverson and Eric Snow. If it wasn't strange enough that 76ers coach Larry...

Banker's miniature hobby turns into a business.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... MIAMI _ Roberto Arguello is living proof that a childhood dream can both come true and turn a profit. The Nicaraguan banker channeled his passion for metal miniatures into a blossoming Miami business, Arguello Military Collections, all...

With a new name and new CD, Tyler England's making third run.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... He's Tyler now, not Ty. That's because country listeners confused Ty England with Ty Herndon. Despite two CDs released by RCA and a No. 3 hit with "Should've Asked Her Faster," England's identity remained murky. That should...

Volunteer at an animal shelter.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... Just a few more shopping days until Christmas. No doubt you've read article after article about gift ideas for your pet. No doubt you'll see more before Dec. 25 arrives. At the risk of seeming selfish, I'm going to ask you to get an...

Q&A on gardening.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... Q. A week ago I purchased a Christmas cactus. Do you have instructions on how to care for them? A. What a popular plant Christmas cactus has turned into. People want to know everything about it, including why it is dropping blooms and...

For some, giving feels best when it's done anonymously.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Sometimes they call. Mostly they write. Every once in a while they just show up with a plain white envelope full of cash. They are surprise givers who want no recognition _ America's anonymous donors. And this is...

People in the news.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... KNOCKOUT OF A LAWSUIT Oscar De La Hoya's ex-fiancee has filed a $62.5 million palimony lawsuit against the boxer, reports The Associated Press. In the suit filed Wednesday, actress Shanna Moakler claims De La Hoya used her and their...

E-tail sites providing better service, getting more business than last year.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... Though it will be a month or more before we know how this crucial holiday season went for desperate dot-coms, we're beginning to get some clues. Put together, they amount to this: People are gradually doing more buying on the Web _ but...

Judge denies trial to death row inmate despite DNA tests, flawed police work.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... GREENWOOD, S.C. _ A death row inmate lost his bid for a new trial Thursday, despite signs of flawed police work and DNA tests suggesting authorities might have arrested the wrong man. Attorneys for Edward Lee Elmore implored Circuit Judge...

Dolphins say they will survive.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... MIAMI _ They say it's a minor slip, not a calamitous swoon. These Dolphins reject the notion their consecutive December losses are the foundation to another late-season collapse. But that's exactly what last year's coaches and players...

Butch Davis won't sign extension before Sugar Bowl.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... MIAMI _ University of Miami athletic director Paul Dee said Thursday he does not expect football coach Butch Davis to sign a contract extension before the Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl against Florida, but said the delay is not an indication it won't...

Everyone loses in volatile NBA.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... MIAMI _ The NBA's player-coach relationship continues to crack at its core, and the reverberations can be felt all over America, from me to shining me. In Seattle, Gary Payton fires his coach. In Philadelphia, coach Larry Brown...

Panthers meet Devils.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... MIAMI _ Pavel Bure usually is good for a fist pump or some other celebratory expression after scoring a goal. Wednesday was an exception. His abridged ice time sapped him of emotion, prompting him to remain stone-faced following his...

Heat meets Cavaliers.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... MIAMI _ One thing could always be assumed, in winter or spring, in sickness or health: The Heat would beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. No longer. Losers of eight straight and 14 of 15 to Miami entering this season, the Cavs have beaten...

Duke falls to Stanford in Pete Newell Challenge.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... OAKLAND, Calif. _ When the shot went up, Casey Jacobsen wasn't thinking about the pain. But when the shot went down and Duke's head was hanging and the Stanford students were mobbing Jacobsen at midcourt, the pain came back. And, dang,...

Miami defeats Memphis.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
December 21, 2000... MIAMI _ The way the University of Miami stumbled out of the gate Thursday night against Memphis, it appeared the Hurricanes hadn't heeded coach Perry Clark's warning that the Tigers are better than their 4-6 record and should not be taken...

Anatomy of the Alex Rodriguez Megadeal.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... DALLAS _ When Alex Rodriguez stepped to the microphone last week, sleet was just beginning to fall outside the Ballpark in Arlington. This wasn't quite like the ice storm that caused Joe Montana to suffer hypothermia at the 1979 Cotton Bowl,...

Here are 10 reasons why A-Rod may not work out in Lone Star State.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ Here are 10 reasons why Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers may be the mismatched equivalent of black cowboy boots and a brown Stetson: 1. Hello, goodbye. Rangers owner Tom Hicks said he's looking forward to having...

Ghost of Christmas past: Anti-materialism protest could haunt retailers.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ When it comes to buying Christmas gifts, Delia Flores is putting her foot down. No more will she load up on upscale doll accessories for her four daughters. No more buying expensive gifts for her godchild. No more giving...

Russia revives Soviet anthem but now the search is on for appropriately patriotic words.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... MOSCOW _ By New Year's Eve, the Russians popping corks of champanskoye on Red Square could have a new song to sing. The tune should be familiar _ hauntingly so, say some _ but getting the lyrics right will be a challenge. Parliament has...

Designers share easy lighting tips that can transform a room and a mood.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... People think I'm nuts when I say I love winter _ and especially all the darkness. I'm not prone to sullenness. I just happen to welcome a season of indoorsmanship and introspection. And about the darkness, I say it's really about light....

Set of Limoges bone dishes an unusual find.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Q. This dish is from a set of 12 from my mother-in-law's antique collection. They're marked Limoges and are in excellent condition and we're curious about their worth. _Mrs. Graham E. Frost, Stockton, Calif. A. Your Limoges dishes...

Swimming pool Q&A.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 21, 2000... Q. I am having a pool built in my back yard. It has been nearly nine months since the contract was signed, and I thought my pool would be completed in time for summer swimming. It is almost Christmas, and I still don't have a finished pool....

Ask Anything: Dear Lauren and Logan.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Lauren Sowa, 13, and Logan McLenahan, 11, took over for Wendi this week and answered two readers' questions: QUESTION ONE: I'm a seventh-grade guy. This girl who likes me follows me everywhere! She gives my friends notes to give me, she...

Home energy Q&A: Buy air conditioners in off-season.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 21, 2000... Q. Is winter a good time to buy an air conditioner? We've been putting a lot of money into our unit for the past few years to keep it running, so we probably are ready for a new one, but someone advised me to wait until the off-season for the...

Nontraditional materials and methods gain foothold in slow-to-change industry.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ When Patty and Joe Trindl decided to put a large addition onto their suburban home, builder Jim Ebbole suggested trying a non-wood product for balconies off the upper level of the house. "I have a wood-sided home," says Trindl....

Realtors play commission game.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 21, 2000... ORLANDO, Fla. _ Consider this: _Houses are selling so quickly that real estate agents now spend only half the time they did just a few years ago on each listing. _Agents get paid more than ever because house prices, which drive their...

Nurses are taking the need for staffing reforms to the public.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... HAYWARD, Calif. _ Faces drawn from fatigue, eyes droopy, swollen and red, the 50 registered nurses gathered in the sparse meeting room, coffee cups tipped for yet another caffeine rush. They came to share stories and console each other...

The coming debate on tax cuts.(Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service)
December 21, 2000... The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday, 12-20: X X X As the holidays draw near, the signs are everywhere _ no, not of Christmas but of a rapidly cooling economy. The predominant sign this season reads...

Where to buy lighting products.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Here's how to buy some of the the lighting products in the photo(s) that accompany this story: _The Ritratto candleholder/mirror from Paola Navone for Casamilano has a removable tank/shelf in matte nickel steel. The 19 {-inch-square size...

Gardening books perfect gifts for plant-crazy friends.(Daily Press)
December 21, 2000... Give me a gardening book as a gift and I'm as happy as a hummingbird feasting on nectar. If you're looking for a last-minute gardening gift to tuck into basket for a plant-crazy friend, here are some of my favorites. Better yet, treat...

Beefeater Gin gaining radio campaign, beefcake.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Don't blush, but there's some beefcake in your new Beefeater Gin advertising. And the brand's famous "Yeoman" warder on the bottle? He's getting a makeover too. If you look closely, he's younger. Much younger. In fact, his gray beard is...

Long on cash, short on recipients? Try philanthropy.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Well, it is not exactly Dave Barry's annual, and hilarious, gift-giving guide. But the November-December issue of Philanthropy is worth a look for holiday buying tips_as long as you have gargantuan sums of money to donate to a charitable...

`An Everlasting Piece'.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... "An Everlasting Piece" takes us to Belfast, Ireland during the hairiest "troubles" of the 1980s, where _ as battles rage between the I.R.A. and the British army _ two young barbers meet in a mental institution and attempt to corner the wig...

`House of Mirth'.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Gillian Anderson is an actress who would rather draw us toward her than jump out to meet us halfway. On "The X-Files" every word she utters registers because we know she is the smart, calm center of a world ever-liable to erupt in...

Ready for Christmas.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 21, 2000... Well, Merry Christmas and all that. More on that later, but let's get to the grit first. I decided that I can too stand to make you apoplectic after all, so I may get into the subject of politics. Maybe I'll say something like...

`Finding Forrester'.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Few moments in life are as satisfying as when you prove that someone has underestimated you. "Finding Forrester" is built around such moments. Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) is a 16-year-old African-American boy living in the Bronx. He's a...

`All the Pretty Horses'.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... The Old West is dying in "All the Pretty Horses," Billy Bob Thornton's fine movie of Cormac McCarthy's novel, but it's also, even in its last breath, it's still painfully, heart-breakingly alive. So is the film. Though it may wind up...

`Malena'.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Giuseppe Tornatore, the director of "Cinema Paradiso," is a filmmaker who loves the look, feel and artifice of the movies, especially the great Italian films of the last century. His new film, "Malena," is an often-spectacular example of...

Retailers hope last-minute rush of shoppers will save them from unprofitable holiday season.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... Retailers across the country are holding their breath and crossing their fingers, hoping that the last-minute rush of weekend shoppers will save them from a dreary and unprofitable holiday season. Indeed, Saturday is expected to be the...

God's green grid iron: An outsider's meditation on the Notre Dame mystique.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... X X X Tribune staff writer Avani Patel and staff photographer John Lee covered Notre Dame's football season. Lee took these photos with a $15 plastic Holga camera to capture the "surreal" experience of game day in South Bend. Patel...

Australian police says a rebuffed extortionist poisoned painkillers.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... MELBOURNE, Australia _ Police allege that Dennis Donald Fountain, 62, a self-styled inventor, is the man who scared an entire nation this year by lacing popular headache and painkiller medications with strychnine in a ruthless extortion...

NFL capsules and picks from Terry Bannon.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... All Times Are CDT, Jaguars (7-8) at Giants (11-4) Time: 11:30 a.m. Saturday Line: Giants by 3 {. Last meeting: Jaguars won, 40-13, at Jacksonville on Sept. 7, 1997. Key stat: Giants have allowed only 37 points in...

Bush, emotionally, quits governorship of Texas.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... AUSTIN, Texas _ With tears in his eyes and his voice breaking, President-elect George W. Bush bid adieu Thursday to the people of Texas and the job that gave him a springboard to the White House. Standing in the ornate Senate chamber...

White Sox sign Magglio Ordonez to one-year deal.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ The White Sox avoided a potentially contentious arbitration session Thursday by signing Magglio Ordonez to a one-year contract for $3.75 million. Ordonez, who turns 27 next month, had a career-high 32 home runs and 126 runs...

Chicago sports family connects with its broadcasters.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ This is the season for writing family columns. But this one is different. This is about the unique connection between Chicago and its sports personalities on television and radio. In other towns sportscasters come and go....

McGrady makes rivalry personal.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... ORLANDO _ A suggestion, please. Buy tickets for Orlando's March 20 appearance at the United Center and buy them now. Granted, the Bulls may be on loss No. 55 or so by then. But do it anyway. Magic guard Tracy McGrady has issued a...

Leroux hopes to return in top form.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ Left wing Jean-Yves Leroux is trying to put a positive spin on his extended stay on the Blackhawks' injured list. "I was good when it happened," said Leroux, who has been sidelined since spraining his left knee early in a Nov....

Players say triangle helps team take shape.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... ORLANDO_A triangle has three points, but any discussion surrounding the Bulls' use of it as an offense has two: Critics who say the team should scrap it and those who defend it. In the current issue of Sports Illustrated, former Bulls...

Bears hitting on conversions.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ In the inexact science of NFL talent evaluation, few things are more difficult than drafting an athlete who played one position in college and projecting him at a different one in the NFL. It often can mean nothing less than the...

Former neighbor charged with killing couple with swords.(The Orlando Sentinel)
December 21, 2000... MELBOURNE, Fla._Anthony Welch was desperate when he knocked on the door of his former neighbor. The 22-year-old day laborer said he was out of a job and that his truck had broken down nearby. He needed money. Rufus and Kyoko Johnson...

On the triangle, Maloney is a square shooter.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ Bless you, Matt Maloney. You've earned a small but important place in Bulls history. Maloney spent only four months last season with Tim Floyd's Bulls_just long enough to form an opinion he had the guts to express in this...

Graves does a grand job for Irish but raps defense.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... SOUTH BEND, Ind._Barely three minutes had passed in the second half when David Graves stepped to the line to shoot two free throws. He missed the first. But as the second one swished through the basket, an instant became a moment to remember...

Ramblers build own wind chill.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ Despite the wind chill of minus-40 degrees outside Gentile Center on Thursday night, the real freeze was inside when Loyola tried to shoot. In losing, 63-53, to Loyola Marymount, the Ramblers shot a sick .563 (9-of-16) from the...

Israelis, Palestinians are optimistic at Mideast talks.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... JERUSALEM_Israeli and Palestinian negotiators said Thursday they were reviewing an outline of a possible Middle East peace deal presented by President Clinton, which includes a deadline of Jan. 10 for wrapping up a treaty before he leaves...

Blackhawks unwrap offense for 6-4 victory.(Chicago Tribune)
December 21, 2000... CHICAGO _ The United Center organist was dressed up like Santa Claus on Thursday night when the Blackhawks played Vancouver. In the first 10 minutes 14 seconds, the Canucks scored three unanswered goals, their way of saying to the Hawks:...