Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) articles from July 2004

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) archives from July 2004

Michigan St. coach reaches the mountaintop of Kilimanjaro summit.
July 31, 2004... Byline: Mark Snyder EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Michigan State football coach John L. Smith lives in a world of superlatives. The best tackle, the biggest play and the hardest hit are all part of the coaching language. Nowhere in the...

Detroit Free Press Tom Walsh column.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Tom Walsh Jul. 30--What's a new CEO to do? Imagine you're an outsider, just hired to take over a $9-billion-a-year car and truck parts supplier with 32,000 employees at 160 plants in 27 countries. Where do you begin? ...

Detroit Free Press Mike Wendland column.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Mike Wendland Jul. 30--SMALL RESORT TOWN TAKES A BIG WI-FI NETWORK STEP: The Lake Michigan resort community of Grand Haven became the first place in the United States this week to offer broadband Internet access via Wi-Fi...

`Metallica: Some Kind of Monster'.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Terry Lawson The most popular and revered heavy metal band still crunching it out bares its collective soul and dirty laundry in "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster," a documentary that will undoubtedly prove enlightening for the...

Giants eyeing Urbina, but Tigers want big-time prospects.
July 30, 2004... Byline: John Lowe DETROIT _ If the San Francisco Giants don't obtain right-hander Ugueth Urbina by Saturday's 4 p.m. trading deadline, it apparently will have more to do with the Tigers' asking price than with the Giants' opinion of...

Giants eyeing Urbina.
July 30, 2004... Byline: John Lowe DETROIT _ If the San Francisco Giants don't obtain right-hander Ugueth Urbina by Saturday's 4 p.m. trading deadline, it apparently will have more to do with the Tigers' asking price than with the Giants' opinion of...

Maroth's focus stays on streak.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi DETROIT _ If the trade rumors involving Mike Maroth are bothering the left-hander, he's not showing it. The non-waiver trade deadline is 4 p.m. Saturday, about three hours before Maroth is scheduled to start for...

Bush on offensive in west Michigan.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Kathleen Gray GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. _ At times animated, at times defiant, President George W. Bush came into what he called America's heart and soul Friday to answer four days of Democratic National Convention attacks on his...

Alfred Richard Unser, son of Al Jr., says he's `Just Al'.
July 30, 2004... Byline: George Sipple BROOKLYN, Mich. _ Call him "Just Al." No matter what you call him _ and he has been known as Mini Al, Micro Al and Little Little Al _ he's undoubtedly an Unser. Alfred Richard Unser, the 21-year-old son of Al...

Barron set for another spin at MIS, with new partner.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell BROOKLYN, Mich. _ Last year, he spun and won in the Irish Hills. Sunday, Alex Barron wants to keep it close at Michigan International Speedway. A top-five finish would be OK. Barron will compete in the IRL...

Setzer, Edwards glad to be front-runners.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell BROOKLYN, Mich. _ Shane Hmiel's record and Dennis Setzer's pole won't count. Inclement weather washed out qualifying Friday for Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. The drivers had to settle for a...

Lions to address key issues to win games.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester DETROIT _ Wide receiver Roy Williams didn't make it, but the rest of the Lions reported for work on time Friday, ready for the start of training camp and the renaissance of a once-proud NFL team. Williams, the...

With a 2nd-round 64, life good for Daly.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Krista Latham GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ He's Average Joe Golfer. He's reality TV meets the PGA Tour. He's everyone's everyman. Whatever. He's John Daly, he's in a fourth-place tie after two rounds of the Buick Open at Warwick...

Paraguay's Franco only a stroke off the lead after second round.
July 30, 2004... Byline: John Eligon GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ Carlos Franco doesn't practice all that much, but it isn't killing his golf game. After all, his laid-back routine keeps him at ease. "When I finish today, I'm finished_no practice,"...

Vijay, two others share Buick lead.
July 30, 2004... Byline: Krista Latham GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ The big three and the big one. Tiger. Furyk. Vijay. Daly. Headed into the Buick Open's final two rounds at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, the four biggest names in the field are in...

Detroit-area Arab Americans are diverse, settled, and at home in U.S.
July 29, 2004... Byline: David Crumm Jul. 29--A two-year, $1-million study of metro Detroit Arab Americans concludes that these thousands of families are far more diverse, more settled and more eager to embrace American life than many observers around...

Murphy-bodied 1930 Cadillac V16 among the stars of classic auto show.
July 29, 2004... Jul. 29--One of the huge ironies of the Great Depression was that this era of economic desperation spawned some of the most magnificent vehicles in our history. While many Americans were standing in bread lines, others -- a few,...

Plymouth, Mich., man to display his Bizzarrini at auto show.
July 29, 2004... Jul. 29--Mark Sassak calls his Bizzarrini 5300 Spyder SI "rare." That's true, but since Prototipi Bizzarrini produced fewer than 150 cars over its 5-year lifespan (1965 -- 1969), any Bizzarrini is rare. And since Sassak's lithe red...

Fairgrounds project wins approval in Detroit.
July 29, 2004... Byline: John Gallagher Jul. 29--After years of contentious debate over what to do with the Michigan State Fairgrounds, the Detroit City Council and neighborhood groups gave unanimous, even joyful, approval Wednesday to a new upscale...

Medicaid bids in Michigan spark fallout among HMOs.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Kim Norris Jul. 29--The dust has settled on Michigan's first Medicaid-contract open bidding in four years. A process that began in March, when the state opened the bidding for health plans that wanted a piece of the...

Home Depot crew in Harper Woods, Mich., to vote on union.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Greta Guest Jul. 29--Workers at the Home Depot in Harper Woods are set to vote this weekend on whether the store would become the first Home Depot in the nation to unionize. The National Labor Relations Board plans to conduct...

Kerry to call for higher fuel efficiency auto standards.
July 29, 2004... Jul. 29--BOSTON -- Framing it as a national security and foreign-policy concern rather than an environmental one, Sen. John Kerry in his much-anticipated speech tonight is expected to call on the nation and auto industry to support a...

Detroit turns neighborhood lots into thriving community gardens.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Marty Hair Jul. 29--In first-time gardens and on established plots so large they can be considered urban farms, vegetables, fruits and flowers are growing like never before in Detroit this summer. More than 300 people are...

Detroit finds fertile field in urban farming, with healthful spinoffs.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Marty Hair Jul. 29--Detroit, the city known worldwide for turning out cars, is getting a reputation for a different kind of product: Vegetables. Plentiful access to soil, including an abundance of vacant lots, is fueling...

Detroit Free Press Tom Walsh column.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Tom Walsh Jul. 29--SHOPS IN ORNATE PROMENADE TO OPEN IN AUGUST: For the first time in a quarter-century, the spectacular vaulted mezzanine of the historic Guardian Building in downtown Detroit will soon be open again for public...

Vintage guru takes a step into her future.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Barbara Gash Novi, Mich.'s vintage guru is headed to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York this fall, but she plans to keep up her business and Web site. Jeannette Tiso, 17, says she'll be "building design skills,...

Chrysler spurs big profit hike in 2nd quarter for DaimlerChrysler.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Jeffrey McCracken DETROIT _ This time there was no second-quarter surprise. In fact, this time the Chrysler Group was able to beat Wall Street expectations and help its parent company increase profits fivefold. On the...

Tigers' focus is on 2005, and beyond.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi DETROIT _ So it looks like the Tigers will miss the playoffs _ again. Does that mean we should consider the season a washout? Hardly. It would be a mistake not to appreciate how far the Tigers have come in...

Guillen prefers Infante.
July 29, 2004... Byline: John Lowe DETROIT _ Ask shortstop Carlos Guillen whom he prefers as a double-play partner _ Omar Infante or Fernando Vina _ and he doesn't hesitate to answer. "To me, Infante is a better second baseman, and I'm not afraid to...

Manning, rookie from England, races on edge on IRL ovals.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell BROOKLYN, Mich. _ These days, IRL driver Darren Manning makes his home in Indianapolis, close enough to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a quick test lap before lunch. Not far away, another Manning, Colts...

Sponsor keeps truck racer going; drug company helps fight MS.
July 29, 2004... Byline: George Sipple DETROIT _ If it weren't for her sponsor, Kelly Sutton couldn't drive in Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Michigan International Speedway. Just about every driver needs a sponsor to pay for the costs of...

Agent's work burdens Lions.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester DETROIT _ The Lions are still hopeful, but the likelihood that wide receiver Roy Williams will get to training camp on time seems to be dwindling, in part because of his agent's heavy work schedule. "We're just...

Mattiace feeling, playing well 7 months after knee injury.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Krista Latham GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ Len Mattiace rediscovered the feeling of playing well Thursday. In December, the 2003 Masters runner-up suffered two torn anterior cruciate ligaments _one in each knee _ in a skiing...

Woods gives fans what they came for with a bogey-free 67.
July 29, 2004... Byline: John Eligon GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ It's nothing new for enormous galleries to follow Tiger Woods while he plays. But even the world's No. 1 golfer chuckled Thursday about the huge gathering of fans on the eighth hole at the Buick...

It's Vijay's Day: Singh's string of 3s leads to 63 and a 1-stroke lead.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Krista Latham GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ Vijay Singh's Buick Open scorecard read like a typo Thursday. A nice typo. From the No. 8 score box to No. 16, one after another, eight 3s lined up, each representing a par, birdie or...

McGwire's 6 better, but still misses the cut; Aussies strong showing.
July 29, 2004... Byline: Don VanderVeen BENTON HARBOR, Mich. _ Four mates from Australia remained down under par at the 102nd Western Amateur Golf Championship, but baseball great Mark McGwire is out. McGwire, 40, shot a six-over 76 at Point O'Woods...

Congress shouldn't delay on 9/11 recommendations.
July 28, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday, July 27: X X X President George W. Bush appears sufficiently and appropriately stirred by the 9/11 Commission report to begin an immediate review of its...

In strangers we trust, which works out fine.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Susan Ager We consider ourselves a wary nation, suspicious of strangers, worried about terror, uneasy on unfamiliar streets after dark. But we reflexively trust hundreds of strangers every day, with our health, our safety,...

Novelist leaves too much unanswered in `A Carnivore's Inquiry'.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Ron Bernas ``A Carnivore's Inquiry'' by Sabina Murray; Grove Press ($23) ___ "Everything gets more important when there's a serial killer on the loose." So says one of the characters in "A Carnivore's Inquiry," a...

Kids can solve the case of the summer day blahs.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Cathy Collison What's a summer without a good mystery? Adults love 'em, and now there are more than ever before for young readers. Before your reader needs to tackle the good _ but sometimes tough _ required reading of school,...

Ryder on mind at Buick: Funk among golfers doing what it takes.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Krista Latham GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ When Fred Funk talks about his desire to land a spot on the Ryder Cup team, his eyes soften and the lines on his face crinkle. He looks up and leans back as he speaks, as if his entire body has...

Kerry to propose $10 billion for more fuel-efficient vehicles.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Jeffrey McCracken and Ruby Bailey BOSTON _ Framing it as a national-security and foreign-policy concern rather than an environmental one, Sen. John Kerry in his much-anticipated speech Thursday night will call on the nation and...

Buick good remedy for Furyk's game after injury.
July 28, 2004... Byline: John Eligon GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ Jim Furyk's golf game isn't where he'd like it to be right now, but the Buick Open could help it along. The defending champion is playing in just his sixth tournament of the year after taking...

Time for Tiger to seize golden opportunity at Buick Open.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Krista Latham GRAND BLANC, Mich. _ The Tiger Woods slump saga will not end until the world's No. 1 player wins another major. Until that day, the media will ask questions, and (some) fans will whisper. But as a somewhat...

Trout are biting for early birds, night owls.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Eric Sharp DETROIT _ So much for banker's hours. Fly fishermen, who have enjoyed excellent afternoon and early evening fishing through the first three months of the season, will find that they will have to get up early or...

Chappelle's hometown takes him in stride.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Mike Duffy LOS ANGELES _ Now that he's blown up to another level of comic stardom on "Chappelle's Show," Dave Chappelle really enjoys kicking back at his small-town Ohio home near Yellow Springs in the southwestern corner of the...

Blackout prevention becomes victim of political gridlock.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Jeff Bennett Jul. 28--When Americans go home tonight, they will flip a switch and lights will turn on. Their refrigerators will be cold. The phones will ring. Toilets will flush. But one day almost a year ago, none of those...

Experts say states can take action to protect nation's power grid.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Jeff Bennett Jul. 28--The anniversary of last summer's great blackout has experts re-examining what can be done to improve the nation's power delivery system, better known as the grid. Changing user habits and aggressively...

Hybrid pickups act as generators with clean, fuel-efficient engines.
July 28, 2004... Byline: Mark Phelan Jul. 28--Minutes after the lights went out Aug. 14, the phones started ringing at General Motors Corp. 's advanced-engineering building in Troy. Some of the automaker's top executives were scrambling to get...

Bush connects in Urban League appearance.
July 27, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Monday, July 26: X X X America's Republican President, George W. Bush, put Democrats on the ropes Friday with his speech before the National Urban League's 2004...

Candidates' children joining in as campaigns heat up.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Julie Hinds DETROIT _ How can you tell the presidential campaign is really heating up? They're unleashing the kid power. The Bush twins, 22-year-old Jenna and Barbara, are hitting the campaign trail and going public as never...

Democrats must keep convention message positive.
July 27, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday, July 27: X X X Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry will be ill-served if his party faithful devote the bulk of their Boston convention to Bush-bashing....

The Four Tops at 50: It's not the same old song.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Brian McCollum DETROIT _ Music jobs don't come easy and don't last long. It's the conspiracy of pop culture: fickle fans, elastic trends, the insatiable demand for new and fresh and newer and fresher. An ever-shifting...

Amish youth turn the tables on reality TV.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Mike Duffy LOS ANGELES _ The cheesy carnival of entertainment known as reality television has had some bottom-feeding humdingers over the last couple of years, from the gross-out challenges of "Fear Factor" to the cosmetic...

U.S., British versions of `Pennies from Heaven' are shiny.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Terry Lawson I hadn't seen the 1978 British miniseries "Pennies from Heaven" when the U.S. feature film remake (4 stars, Warner, $19.97) starring Steve Martin was released three years later. I loved the film so much I found it...

What's new in music racks.
July 27, 2004... K.D. LANG "Hymns of the 49th Parallel" (Nonesuch) 4 stars Canadian-born vocalist K.D. Lang has had an uneven career since her last flat-out fantastic album, 1992's "Ingenue," which matched her powerful voice with equally powerful songs...

`Doom 3' set for August; `Tom Clancy' sequel in fall.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Heather Newman Two huge release date announcements dominated the game world recently. First, it's officially done: "Doom 3" will release to retailers on Aug. 3 at 12:01 a.m. The official street date is Aug. 5, but it's...

Mini video-game review.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Heather Newman "Missing," The Adventure Company for Windows, $19.99. Rated: M (Mature). Three stars (out of four). It's so rare to see something relatively new in the world of gaming that playing "Missing" made me sit back in...

EA drops the ball while trying to go the extra yard.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Jim Schaefer "NCAA Football 2005," $49.95, www.easports.com/games/ncaa2005/. Players: Up to four, or online. Format: Xbox. Category: Sports. Rating: E (Everyone). Two stars out of four. ___ I gave last year's version of...

Confusing `Supremacy' boosted by Damon.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Terry Lawson The success of 2002's "The Bourne Identity," a thriller starring Matt Damon as an amnesiac spy who has no idea why people are shooting at him, was obviously unexpected. For proof, refer to the special edition DVD...

Toyota trucks torqued for MIS and first series win.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell DETROIT _ Almost halfway through the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series, Toyota is still searching for its first victory. Saturday's race at Michigan International Speedway will be the 13th in the 25-event series,...

Halle Berry is the cat's meow in stylish `Catwoman'.
July 27, 2004... Byline: Terry Lawson Not long after frumpy Patience Philips discovers she has not only acquired the power to slither up walls and do crazy martial arts moves but has also developed a craving for cream, she naturally turns to the only...

McGwire tries his hand at amateur golf.
July 27, 2004... Byline: George Sipple BENTON HARBOR, Mich. _ He became famous for reaching 70 in baseball. He can only hope to get below that number in golf. Former baseball slugger Mark McGwire will begin play Wednesday in one of the top amateur...

Detroit mayor urges board to approve bond issue for lighting, transit upgrades.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Marisol Bello Jul. 26--Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration will ask the City Council today to approve a proposal for the November ballot that allows the city to issue $215 million in bonds to upgrade police and fire...

New, low-carb toppings.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Susan Selasky The low-carb craze keeps going with reformulated versions of old standards. New from Kraft Foods are CarbWell salad dressings and barbecue and steak sauces. The CarbWell salad dressings (16 ounces for $2.79) have 0...

Telling judges what to do is a big mistake.
July 26, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Friday, July 23: X X X Maybe members of Congress should be required to take a civics class, at least the lessons on separation of powers, and checks and balances. ...

For every vote, this is the season.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Rochelle Riley It is the season of national black gatherings: the NAACP, the National Urban League and, this year, the Democratic National Convention, which hosts more black voters than Republicans. In this season, three things...

Partisan picnics.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Julie Hinds Election day will come soon enough in November. For now, there's another way to cast your vote in the presidential race _ with a fork, not a ballot. If you support John Kerry, the senator from Massachusetts, you...

Rice's rise is fast, sweet.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell DETROIT _ From zero to hero, Buddy Rice has made a quantum leap in auto racing this year. Rice, 28, heads to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn this weekend as one of the hottest open-wheel drivers in...

Great golfers come to compete in Buick Open.
July 26, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell The winner of the 2004 Buick Open will join an elite group of golfers who have won the event in the past. Last year, Jim Furyk (68-66-65-68) held off a charging Tiger Woods to claim victory by two strokes....

Tigers pound White Sox, 9-2.
July 25, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi CHICAGO _ The Detroit Tigers lost the battle but won the war Sunday. After starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman was ejected in the second inning, the Tigers' offense pounded out a 9-2 victory over the Chicago White...

Man wanted in Michigan officer's slaying kills himself in Florida.
July 25, 2004... Byline: Amber Hunt Martin DETROIT _ Deborah Ayer had no idea the man sharing her bed was wanted for armed robbery and murder. But her new lover's past abruptly caught up with her Sunday morning when at least 17 law-enforcement agents...

Don't be fooled by pricey, fancy oils, experts warn.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Mark Phelan Deciding what oil to put in your car used to be as simple as ordering an after-dinner drink in Dublin. You'd buy a quart of 10W-30 as reflexively as I'd order a glass of Jameson's whiskey. Today, topping up your...

Volvo sedan and wagon are stylish but retain safety.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Mark Phelan Volvo just kicked off its Birkenstocks and slipped into a pair of slingback pumps. With the addition of the sporty and elegant 2005 S40 and V50 compact sedan and station wagon, the Swedish brand once known for its...

Doctor advocates new policies toward those with abnormal anatomy.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Patricia Anstett DETROIT _ Every few months, the media report the birth or surgery of conjoined twins. But the public often does not hear how they fare beyond if they live or die after separation surgery. That made Alice...

Court-TV special will help hip-hop widen audience.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Mike Duffy LOS ANGELES _ Do hip-hop stars get a bad rap from law enforcement? That's the provocative focus of "Russell Simmons Presents: Hip-Hop Justice," an unconventional Court-TV special that premieres Oct. 6. It's the...

Guillen talks way back into lineup.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi CHICAGO _ At 3:45 p.m., the Tigers' lineup card went up in the clubhouse without Carlos Guillen's name on it. Fifteen minutes later, a revised lineup appeared with Guillen at shortstop. "He wanted to play, so...

Rasheed receives a warm welcome back.
July 23, 2004... Byline: John Eligon DETROIT _ This is what Pistons fans have been waiting to see: Rasheed Wallace and Joe Dumars sitting together again _ and laughing. After weeks at the negotiating table, Wallace and Dumars, the Pistons' president...

President gets mixed welcoming.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Nancy A. Youssef DETROIT _ President George Bush's arrival in Detroit converted Woodward and Jefferson Avenues into a quasi-U.S. Senate chamber Friday. A group of Republicans stood together on the right of Woodward. An equal...

Urban League speech draws praise, even if it doesn't spark votes.
July 23, 2004... Byline: Dawson Bell and Nancy A. Youssef DETROIT _ President George W. Bush challenged black voter support for the Democratic Party in a speech Friday to the National Urban League in Detroit, suggesting that African-American loyalty to...

Second season of `Dead Like Me,' premiering Sunday on Showtime.
July 22, 2004... Byline: Mike Duffy You could say Georgia Lass is a real Deadhead. But she's anything but grateful about the perplexing situation. A piece of space trash _ a toilet seat off an old Russian space station, to be exact _ came flying...

Beads can bedeck clothes, home.
July 22, 2004... Byline: Barbara Gash If you like beading, you'll find many good books on the subject. But if you want to focus on beading as embellishment on garments and home decor, here's a new book to inspire you. "Embellishing with Beads" by...

Pudge builds on impressive resume while helping to resurrect Tigers.
July 22, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi My guess is Tigers owner Mike Ilitch doesn't wake up wondering: "What was I thinking when I signed that Rodriguez guy?" As baseball free-agent marriages go, the one between the Tigers and Ivan Rodriguez is working...

Sweeney knocks in seven runs in grand performance.
July 22, 2004... Byline: John Lowe DETROIT _ Kansas City's Mike Sweeney unleashed the most productive day of his distinguished career Thursday, and its roots lay in the agonizing series of events that brought him to bat in the second inning. There...