Saint Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN) articles from July 2001

Saint Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN) archives from July 2001

`The Princess Diaries'.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Chris Hewitt At the end of "The Princess Diaries," it occurred to me that a more accurate title would be "The Princess Diaries 1." It's such a delightful, amusing fairy tale that it leaves you wanting more. And the ending of...

`Rush Hour 2'.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Chris Hewitt If you enjoy Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker doing their things, you'll like "Rush Hour 2." Otherwise, you should make a date with some apes or dinos this weekend. Whenever the movie lets them loose _ Chan to do his...

Little bazaar on the prairie: To see the world, head for Winnipeg.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Beth Gauper WINNIPEG, Manitoba _ In a single day in Winnipeg, a tourist can learn a few words of Cree, dine on curry and conch, and come face to face with Queen Victoria. The empire on which the sun never sets has come to the...

Back to school.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Amy Lindgren Adults are returning to classes for career enhancement _ or pure pleasure. I hate to bring this up, but have you noticed that we're just over a month away from Labor Day? Already, the stores are planning sales...

Minneapolis Loses Top Bond Ranking.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Jul. 31--After years of boasting the best bond rating possible, Minneapolis saw its bond rating downgraded one notch Monday by Moody's Investors Service from AAA to Aa1. While financially that means...

Financial Services Companies Vie to Buy Boston Brokerage Firm.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Sheryl Jean Jul. 31--Two financial services firms with large presences in the Twin Cities may significantly expand their retail stock brokerage operations at a time when many firms are in retreat mode. Analysts say Wells...

EBay Files Infringement Suit Against Competitor BidBay.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Joelle Tessler Jul. 31--SAN JOSE, Calif.--Online auction site eBay filed a trademark infringement lawsuit Monday against a tiny competitor named BidBay, alleging that BidBay's brand, logo and home page mimic eBay's. "This is...

General Mills Waits for Clearance To Acquire Pillsbury.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Lee Egerstrom Jul. 31--General Mills Inc. and Diageo PLC said Monday that they are still working with the Federal Trade Commission to gain approval of General Mills' acquisition of Pillsbury, but they now expect to oft-delayed...

Eagan, Minn.-Based Internet Firms Wins $115 Million in Financing.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Jim McCartney Jul. 31--They had to call in the Marines to do it, but WamNet is close to becoming one of the few Twin Cities Internet companies to land a significant financing deal in these dark days for the online industry. ...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Investor's Eye Column.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Gail MarksJarvis Jul. 31--Want to be a millionaire? It's not an unreasonable goal for youths. Those who start investing early with money from summer jobs, and leave the money untouched for years, can become millionaires with...

Minnesota Legislature Reduces Property Tax for Transportation.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Toni Coleman Jul. 31--After nearly 30 years of supporting transit operations, many metro-area property owners will get relief next year following recent action by the Legislature to replace the annual transit levy with a portion...

Target Starts Selling Windmills on Its Web Site.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Scott Carlson Jul. 31--Tilting at windmills? Perhaps. Target Corp. has begun selling windmills on Target.com, specifically wind turbines for homes and small businesses. The device, made Bergey Windpower of Norman, Okla., sells...

Lawn boy put to work.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Rick Shefchik There is any number of occasions for regret as your children get older and leave bits of their youthful ways behind. But then they become old enough to use the lawnmower. We picked our current home partly...

Fullback hopes to fill a void.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Bob Sansevere Daunte Culpepper likes Jim Kleinsasser, likes him a lot. Of course, when you're a quarterback you're bound to like anyone who can help keep you out of a body cast. "I love him to death," Culpepper said. "I'm...

Battles loom, especially in the trenches.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Bill Williamson MANKATO, Minn. _ Brian Baker, the Vikings' new defensive line coach, has no idea what the look of his starting group will be once the season begins. But that's fine with Baker, who came to the Vikings after...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Business Briefs Column.
July 30, 2001... Jul. 30--3M's M&A OUTLOOK: When 3M's chairman and chief executive, James McNerney, took the helm at the beginning of the year, he told analysts he planned to step up the pace of acquisitions. So far, deals have been few and far between, and...

Doctors, Insurer Slow to Warm to New Hospital in Woodbury, Minn.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Tom Majeski Jul. 30--HealthEast's state-of-the-art Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury has everything it needs -- except patients. Opened last August, Woodwinds is nestled next to a picturesque pond and protected woodlands just...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., New Products Column.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Julio Ojeda-Zapata Jul. 30--Pity Windows-laptop makers such as Gateway. They must serve two masters -- business users on the high end and consumers on the low end -- with killer portables for each. High-end laptops must be...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Investor's Eye Column.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Gail MarksJarvis Jul. 30--YOUR TAX REBATE CHECK CAN GO A LONG WAY: A young public relations consultant, working in her first job, told me last week that she was looking forward to her federal rebate check so she could buy a nice...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Entrepreneur Column.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Kevin Maler Jul. 30--BREAKING THE MOLD: Doug Rosenthal was a six-year sales veteran at Du Fresne Manufacturing Co. when a customer mentioned something that seemed hard to believe: A new machine from a German company could make...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Technology Queries Column.
July 30, 2001... Byline: Jeffrey C. Kummer Jul. 30--QUESTION: I have a drawer full of old rechargeable batteries that I've amassed over the years. I've been holding on to them because I figured I probably shouldn't just throw them away. But I'm not sure...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Dave Beal Column.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Dave Beal Jul. 29--FOR SOME, STRONG DOLLAR CAN BE A REAL DRAG: Beware the almighty dollar. Sometimes it gets too almighty. That's the way David Plourde and his associates at Laser Machining Inc. in Somerset, Wis., see the...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Career Column.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Amy Lindgren Jul. 29--I hate to bring this up, but have you noticed that we're just over a month away from Labor Day? Already, the stores are planning sales on backpacks, notebooks and calculators. If you have kids, it's easy...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Real World Economics Column.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Edward Lotterman Jul. 29--HEALTH CARE TOO IMPORTANT TO BE LEFT IN HANDS OF SINGLE OFFICIAL: Some interesting economic issues surround the campaign against Allina and other health maintenance organizations being waged by Minnesota...

Minnesota May Feel Effects of Northwest's New Detroit Terminal.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Eric Torbenson Jul. 29--With Northwest Airlines unswervingly focused on its new terminal in Detroit, Twin Cities airport and economic development officials fear the Eagan-based carrier won't grow as quickly at Minneapolis-St....

E-mail Address on Porn Listserv Led Police to Minnesota Professor.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Leslie Brooks Suzukamo Jul. 29--For months, it was as if he were invisible. Richard Pervo, a professor at the University of Minnesota, freely used his e-mail at work to download thousands of images of child pornography, and...

Groups Working on Conflict Resolution for Stock Analysts, Investment Bankers.
July 29, 2001... Jul. 29--Wall Street used to hang on every word of securities analysts, but not anymore. These days, investors wonder whether they can trust an analyst who recommends buying a stock. The root of the problem is the close relationship between...

Fake Web Site Lures Pornographers.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Leslie Brooks Suzukamo Jul. 29--Like millions of other Americans, Thomas Allen Jones had discovered the convenience of e-shopping on the Internet. But in his case, he liked to visit illicit Web sites that sold child pornography,...

Twins fall to Mariners again.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Gordon Wittenmyer SEATTLE _ Not even newly acquired right-hander Todd Jones could have helped the Twins beat the Seattle Mariners on Saturday at Safeco Field. Not with Jamie Moyer pitching for Seattle. Not with Twins ace...

Twins trade for veteran closer Jones.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Gordon Wittenmyer SEATTLE _ Beaten for the seventh consecutive time by the Seattle Mariners, the Twins learned after Saturday's loss that reinforcements are on the way. Right-hander Todd Jones, who set the Detroit Tigers...

Trying to make sense of the Timberwolves.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Tom Powers ST. PAUL _ These are confusing times. What are we going to do with all these lovely parting gifts if Cris Carter isn't retiring after all? I just laid out $24.95 for a toaster oven, and now Carter says he's not sure if...

Tyrone Carter looks for double duty; cornerback's agility could suit him well at nickel back.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Sean Jensen ST. PAUL _ While at the University of Minnesota, Tyrone Carter spurred the turnaround of the Gophers' defensive backfield when he switched from running back to safety. Now he hopes to make a similar impact with the...

Bird-watchers in their element in Minnesota.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Chris Niskanen ST. PAUL _ If you're interested in pheasant hunting in Minnesota, you probably would want to check out Ringneck Ravine in Lyon County or Pheasant Run in Nobles County. If you're a duck hunter, you probably would...

Twins routed by Mariners.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Gordon Wittenmyer SEATTLE _ Reason No. 43 for the Twins making a trade before the Tuesday night's non-waiver deadline was on display for five innings at Seattle's Safeco Field on Friday night. Not that an 11-4 loss to the...

Moss gathers a crowd on, off field.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Bob Sansevere ST. PAUL _ The procession began about 10:50 a.m. Friday. One by one, assistant coaches, scouts and members of the Vikings' front office filed into the team cafeteria. They weren't there for a late breakfast or early...

Predictions.
July 28, 2001... Editors of The Futurist magazine picked the top 10 forecasts for 2001: 1. The Dow Jones Industrial Average will hit 40,000 by 2016. 2. On the other hand, the U.S. economy may be headed for a period of "deflation" marked by excess...

The future arrives this week.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Kermit Pattison St. Paul, Minn. _ This much we know for sure _ the futurists are coming. About 1,000 people from around the globe will come to the Twin Cities this week for a conference organized by the World Future Society....

Issues arise after father indicted for leaving son in minivan.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Natalie Y. Moore St. Paul, Minn. _ The decision to charge a Minneapolis father whose infant son died in a sweltering minivan is part of society's way of trying to come to grips with the unthinkable. In conversations at work,...

American Express Aims to Thrive Despite Junk Bond Loss, Economy Woes.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Sheryl Jean Jul. 28--American Express Co. gambled and lost on its Minneapolis-based money management unit's corporate investment strategy to invest in high-yield bonds. Ken Chenault, CEO of New York-based American Express,...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Dave Beal Column.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Dave Beal Jul. 28--Economic developers are facing a big change in the way projects are financed in Minnesota. Suddenly, their most heavily used development tool -- tax increment financing, or TIF -- looks to be in serious...

Cheney Says New Energy Policy Would Push for Alternative Energy Sources.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Bill Salisbury Jul. 28--In Minnesota for the first time since November's election, Vice President Dick Cheney said the Bush administration's energy policy would emphasize ethanol and other renewable sources of fuel. That...

Mad Cow `Firewall' Holds in U.S.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Lee Egerstrom Jul. 28--Europe's so-called mad cow disease hasn't gone away, but Americans apparently have been well protected. The United States has enacted what government and industry officials call a "triple firewall" around...

Upscale St. Paul, Minn., Coffee House to Close Store in Downtown Center.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Scott Carlson Jul. 28--Executive Coffee & Tea, a pioneer in peddling upscale java downtown, plans to unplug its Town Square shop next Tuesday, marking the departure of another retailer at the St. Paul center. The closing of...

San Jose, Calif.-Based JDS Uniphase Reports Largest Loss in History.
July 28, 2001... Byline: Barnaby J. Feder Jul. 28--JDS Uniphase, a leading manufacturer of components for telecommunications networks, on Thursday reported the largest loss in business history, most of it attributed to a $44.8 billion write-off of the...

Hub Airlines Would Get Property Tax Break in Wisconsin.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Sarah Wyatt Jul. 27--MADISON, Wis.--Midwest Express and Air Wisconsin together would save about $2.5 million a year in property taxes under a state budget the Legislature passed Thursday. The budget provision would exempt...

Commission Files Suit against St. Paul, Minn., Tire Maker for Racial Incident.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Casey Selix Jul. 27--The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit Thursday against the Bauer Built tire and battery company of St. Paul, alleging that a white supervisor and co-workers hung a noose in the boss'...

St. Paul, Minn.-Based Ethanol Plant's Request Rankles Community.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Murali Balaji Jul. 27--St. Paul and community representatives are reacting with harsh criticism to efforts by the Gopher State Ethanol plant to gain permission to operate permanently at nighttime noise levels that exceed city...

Bill Seeks New Use for Farm Funds.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Tom Webb Jul. 27--WASHINGTON -- In Congress, pressure is building to divert billions of crop subsidy dollars into land conservation programs, to reward farmers for protecting wetlands, fighting urban sprawl and preserving...

Oakdale, Minn., Police Work with Farmers on Livestock Permit Issues.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Amy Becker Jul. 27--One month after an ailing dairy-goat herd was removed from her Oakdale home, Rebecca Strand is still working with the city to bring her farm into compliance. The Oakdale police notified Strand they are...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Investor's Eye Column.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Gail MarksJarvis Jul. 27--QUESTION: My husband and I reviewed our considerable consumer debt recently and discovered, to our dismay, that it totals around $16,000. We also are making payments on $22,000 worth of student loans....

Some Shoppers Find Bigger Isn't Better in Today's Supersized Stores.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Aron Kahn Jul. 27--When Melinda Stahlman takes the helm of a shopping cart, she's not interested in a long-distance journey. For her, stores are getting too big. "You can get lost there. You feel like you don't matter," said...

Wells Fargo to Build Operations Center St. Paul, Minn., Area.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Sheryl Jean Jul. 27--Wells Fargo & Co., citing its steady growth, said Thursday it plans to build a new operations center in Shoreview, its first outside of downtown Minneapolis, which will employ 1,200 people from two other Twin...

Cheney points to ethanol for solution to gas crunch.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Bill Salisbury ST. PAUL, Minn. _ In Minnesota for the first time since November's election, Vice President Dick Cheney said the Bush administration's energy policy would emphasize ethanol and other renewable sources of fuel. ...

Randy Moss in a Super Bowl mood.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Bill Williamson ST. PAUL _ The last time Randy Moss spoke publicly in a team setting, he raised questions about his future with the Vikings and the franchise's chances of ever winning a Super Bowl. Friday, more than six...

Chaplain offers words of advice on loss.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Rhoda Fukushima ST. PAUL, Minn. _ When her best friend's baby died, Andra Adolfson called her mother for advice. She did not know what to do, she told Mary Farr. Should she call now? Should she wait a few days? What should she...

Reviews of new music releases.
July 27, 2001... SHAWN CAMP "Lucky Silver Dollar" Skeeterbit (3 stars) In these times of look-alike/sound-alike country, it's nice to know some guys are still out there plugging away for the old tradition. Shawn Camp has been at it for about 10 years...

Mad cow `firewall' holds in U.S.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Lee Egerstrom ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Europe's so-called mad cow disease hasn't gone away, but Americans apparently have been well protected. The United States has enacted what government and industry officials call a "triple firewall"...

`Peanuts' characters vandalized _ and St. Paul isn't laughing.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Karl J. Karlson ST. PAUL, Minn._Jerry Hennelly was outraged when he saw the treatment and condition of some of St. Paul's Charlie Browns statues when he made a quick tour of the city recently. "There were little yellow feet...

Author believes you can transform yourself day by day.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Allison Askins Most of us have either heard the adage or said it ourselves: "People never change." Well, author and motivational speaker Becky Tirabassi doesn't buy it. She just believes change comes slowly, day by day. ...

A's, Dye come up empty.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn OAKLAND, Calif. _ He didn't get a hit. Hits were scarce Wednesday night. But it took just one game for newly acquired Jermaine Dye to display the skills that has baseball buzzing about the A's. Joe Mays'...

Cheney to travel to Minneapolis to discuss energy, GOP politics.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Bill Salisbury ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Vice President Dick Cheney will come to Minneapolis on Friday to promote the Bush administration's plan for a new energy policy and give a pep talk to Republican activists from a 12-state region,...

Controversial farm bill divides Capitol Hill along rural-urban lines.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Tom Webb WASHINGTON _ In Congress, pressure is building to divert billions of crop subsidy dollars into land conservation programs, to reward farmers for protecting wetlands, fighting urban sprawl and preserving wildlife habitat....

Moss agree to 8-year deal with Vikings.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Sean Jensen EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. _ Randy Moss was the Minnesota Vikings' highest-profile player in his first three seasons, and now he is their highest-paid player, agreeing Wednesday to an eight-year contract that likely will...

Minnesota Health Plan to Alter Policy on Physical Therapy Pay.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Tom Majeski Jul. 26--Prompted by criticism from the Minnesota Health Department, Medica has agreed to drop -- at least temporarily -- a controversial payment system for physical therapists that investigators said creates...

Edina, Minn.-Based Food Company Plans to Buy 14 Nebraska Supermarkets.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Lee Egerstrom Jul. 26--Nash Finch Co. said Wednesday it is in discussions with U Save Foods of Omaha to buy 14 U Save supermarkets in Nebraska in a deal, if completed, involving the purchase of U Save's stock. The...

Target Hopes Customers Will Spend More at New Stores in St. Paul, Minn., Area.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Scott Carlson Jul. 26--For weeks, a giant plastic sheet concealed the indoor construction area where workers were converting the Target Greatland in Shoreview into the Minneapolis retailer's first combined grocery-discount store...

Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn., Dave Beal Column.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Dave Beal Jul. 25--More changes are whistling through the hallways of the venerable Dunwoody Institute, one of the Twin Cities business community's most favored institutions. Frank Starke, the school's president since 1995,...

Honeywell Shows Steep Drop in Income During Second Quarter.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Kevin Maler Jul. 25-- Honeywell International posted a steep drop in net income in the second quarter, due in large part to a $651 million one-time charge. But some analysts say the results show the company appears only slightly...

St. Paul, Minn.-Based Business Insurer Posts 37 Percent Drop in Earnings.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Sheryl Jean Jul. 25--As expected, health care and storm losses caused The St. Paul Cos. on Tuesday to post a 37 percent drop in its second-quarter operating earnings. But company officials also said higher prices drove strong...

Study Rates Manure Pit Leakage in Minnesota.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Dennis Lien Jul. 25--As national environmental groups called Tuesday for a ban on large animal-manure lagoons, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency released an upgraded report on the effects of such pits on water quality. ...

St. Paul, Minn., Road Project to Get Big Boost from Senate.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Tom Webb Jul. 25--WASHINGTON--The Phalen Boulevard project on St. Paul's East Side will move another step toward reality this week, with the U.S. Senate expected to approve $1.6 million for its construction. Building the...

Legislative Group to Study Minnesota Stadium Funding.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Brian Bakst Jul. 25--Hopes the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings have for new venues got a boost Tuesday from legislative leaders, who have agreed to form a task force to study stadium financing. House Speaker Steve...

3M Wants to Rule World of Projection TVs.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Martin J. Moylan Jul. 25--Just as Intel is inside so many of the world's PCs, 3M wants to be inside its TVs. Specifically, those 40-inch plus projection TVs that sell for $1,100 to $3,500. 3M Co. is looking to provide...

Merger of Two St. Paul, Minn.-Area Television Stations Appears Likely.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Brian Lambert Jul. 25--The long-awaited consolidation of television's Fox29 and UPN affiliate KMSP/Channel 9 is ready to happen, sources say. Currently, Fox29 is owned by Clear Channel Communications and affiliated with Fox...

`Planet of the Apes'.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Chris Hewitt "Planet of the Apes" begins and ends very well, but it middles middlingly. Director Tim Burton says he has revisited "Planet," not remade it, but, let's face it, this is roughly the same story. An iconoclastic...

Twins lose fifth straight.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Gordon Wittenmyer OAKLAND, Calif._Twins no sooner broke out of their hitting funk Tuesday night than they broke down offensively again. After knocking Oakland starter Barry Zito out of the game with six runs in the first...

McCombs steps up, locks up Moss.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Bob Sansevere ST. PAUL, Minn. _ It's unclear if we should congratulate Red McCombs or offer condolences. The Vikings' owner has locked up game-breaker Randy Moss for the next eight years, and for that he should be...

Moss agrees to 8-year, $75 million deal.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Sean Jensen EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. _ The Minnesota Vikings and Pro Bowl wide receiver Randy Moss Wednesday agreed to an eight-year, $75 million contract that includes an NFL-record $18 million signing bonus, league sources said. ...

Moss agrees to 8-year, $75 million deal.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Sean Jensen EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn _ Randy Moss was the Minnesota Vikings' highest-profile player in his first three seasons, and now he is their highest-paid player, agreeing Wednesday to an eight-year contract that likely will...

Honeywell shows steep drop in income during second quarter.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Kevin Maler ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Honeywell International posted a steep drop in net income in the second quarter, due in large part to a $651 million one-time charge. But some analysts say the results show the company appears only...

Love 'em or hate 'em, wolves best left alone.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Chris Niskanen ST. PAUL, Minn. _ We've come full circle with gray wolves in Minnesota. We once offered bounties on them, shot them on sight and drove them to the Endangered Species list. Now we wear images of gentle-looking...

Sometimes, when all seems lost, a pastor just needs a pastor.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Clark Morphew This is a crazy world filled with swampy places where a person can fall into self-despair and get beaten down. I'm talking about clergy, of course, those timid people who preach at us with reluctance. They get...

Summer presents young entrepreneurs with tons of opportunities.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Amy Lindgren Hey kids, there's a month left of summer. Are you bored yet? Broke? If you've had your fill of scootering, blading and boarding, it's time to try your hand at another all-American pursuit: making money. How are...

3M's Second-Quarter Profits Fall.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Kevin Maler Jul. 24--3M Co. saw its second-quarter profits fall as the slowing economies in Europe and Asia weighed on nearly all its sectors and a strong dollar wiped out the modest volume gains it eked out overseas. With a weak...