The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY) articles from October 2000, page 2

The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY) archives from October 2000

Profits of Lancaster, N.Y.-Based Environmental Company Rise in Fourth Quarter.
October 12, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 12--A sharp jump in work from the Defense Department and Superfund projects helped Ecology & Environment send its fourth-quarter profits soaring, the Lancaster-based environmental services firm said Wednesday....

Customers of New York Gas Company to Receive Savings on Heating Bills.
October 12, 2000... Oct. 12--A three-year agreement that will save the average National Fuel Gas Co. residential customer $26.30 this winter on heating bills won approval Wednesday from the state Public Service Commission. The rate plan, which had been...

Amid Dissent, Development Agency Aids Two Downtown Buffalo, N.Y., Projects.
October 12, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 12--A vote to give tax breaks to two multimillion-dollar downtown projects fueled debate Wednesday at the Erie County Industrial Development Agency. Board members approved a $216,500 tax-incentive package for...

Realtors Association Changes Name to Reflect Niagara County, N.Y., Inroads.
October 12, 2000... Byline: Chet Bridger Oct. 12--The Greater Buffalo Association of Realtors changed its name Wednesday to the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors to reflect the regional housing market of its membership. The Amherst-based...

Erie, Niagara County, N.Y., Redevelopment Efforts Get a Boost.
October 12, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 12--The Niagara Frontier's long-abandoned industrial sites got a boost toward being redeveloped Wednesday when the region was named to a federal list of communities receiving extra help in reclaiming the dormant...

Buffalo, N.Y.-Based Application Service Provider Offers Schools Tech for Less.
October 12, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 12--Job No. 1 for Carol A. Kostyniak was setting up a computer network to link 19 area private schools in her newly formed consortium. The idea was to put schools in touch with each other and with parents...

Three Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Firms Make Magazine's Top 500 'Fastest Growing' List.
October 11, 2000... Byline: Sharon Linstedt Oct. 11--A trio of Buffalo-area companies has made Inc. magazine's annual list of the top 500 fastest growing, privately-owned businesses in the U.S. A Town of Niagara-based home products and furnishings...

Amherst, N.Y., Office Park Worries Downtown Buffalo Real Estate Market.
October 11, 2000... Byline: Lisa Haarlander Oct. 11--A developer is set to turn one of the largest remaining pieces of vacant land in Amherst into a business park with more space than in all the empty offices in downtown Buffalo. Ciminelli Development...

Buffalo, N.Y., Investment Group Increases Stake in Research, Development Firm.
October 11, 2000... Oct. 11--A group led by Buffalo investor Brent D. Baird has increased his stake in Tayco Developments to 10.28 percent, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Baird group purchased 12,100 shares of...

Buffalo, N.Y., Retired Executives Group Restructures to Reflect Changing Times.
October 11, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 11--A coalition of retired executives that has provided free counseling to 4.5 million entrepreneurs is streamlining and diversifying its national management structure to reflect the changing face of business....

West Seneca, N.Y., Readies Sales Pitch for Semiconductor Plant.
October 11, 2000... Byline: Matt Glynn Oct. 11--Dutchess County had an advantage over other New York state sites such as West Seneca in luring IBM Corp.'s new $2.5 billion chip-making plant. But West Seneca thinks there are more chipmakers out there to be...

Niagara Mohawk, National Grid Merger Could Result in Job Losses, Union Says.
October 11, 2000... Byline: Darryl Campagna Oct. 11--The proposed merger of Niagara Mohawk and National Grid could mean the elimination of 500 jobs between upstate New York and New England, and the union representing Niagara Mohawk workers in Buffalo is...

Family-Owned Tonawanda, N.Y., Building Material Retailer Closes.
October 10, 2000... Byline: Sharon Linstedt Oct. 10--Weinheimers, a family-owned Tonawanda company with local business roots dating back to 1888, has closed its doors citing financial difficulties. The retailer and distributor of home building materials...

East Aurora, N.Y.-Based Electronics Company to Vote on Possible Merger.
October 10, 2000... Byline: Matt Glynn Oct. 10--Acme Electric Corp. shareholders will vote on a proposed merger with Key Components in a special meeting on Nov. 16. Acme, an East Aurora-based electronics company, also announced that its adviser has...

Mutual Funds Endure a Lackluster Year.
October 10, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 10--The tax bills will be coming due soon for mutual fund shareholders -- and for some investors, they could be whoppers. After an unprecedented five-year rally on the stock market, mutual fund investors...

Problems of Wall, N.J., Firm Won't Affect Clients of Amherst, N.Y., Subsidiary.
October 10, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 10--The corporate parent of Prime Communications in Amherst has run up against financial setbacks, but 13,000 area customers of the Internet on-ramp service should be unaffected by the turbulence, officials...

Tech Start-Ups in Western New York Hope for Venture Capital Attention.
October 10, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 10--Having never been the launching pad for a hot dot-com stock, Western New York gets little attention from the big venture capital firms on the coasts. But without the VCs and their seed money, how can...

Lockport, N.Y., Auto Parts Plant Workers Meet with Managers of Michigan Firm.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Matt Glynn Oct. 9--Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems' Lockport plant leadership has told employees they must do more to reach the parent company's profitability targets. But the union representing hourly workers at the...

The Buffalo News, N.Y., Business Briefs.
October 9, 2000... Oct. 9--EVANS BANCORP BUYS INSURANCE AGENCY: Evans Bancorp, the parent company of Evans National Bank, has completed its acquisition of the Sliver Creek-based insurance agency M&W Group. M&W, a retail property, casualty and financial...

Workers Return to Duties at Nabisco Holdings' Buffalo, N.Y., Dog Treat Plant.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 9--Canines can breathe easier now that a week-long strike at the nation's only Milk-Bone factory is over -- at least for the time being. Workers will return to Nabisco Holdings' plant in Buffalo on...

Massive Amounts of E-Mail Can Overwhelm, Unless Handled Efficiently.
October 9, 2000... Oct. 9--"You've got mail." There was a time not all that long ago that those three little words evoked a response of giddy anticipation. If you had e-mail, you were wired. You were on the cutting edge of technology. You were a pioneer on...

Buffalo, N.Y., Elevator Manufacturer Wooed by Fleet Bank over Loan.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 9--Lockport businessman Roger W. Grear Sr. hates borrowing money. "I just don't like to owe people," said the plain-spoken CEO of Liftavator, a manufacturer of elevators for people with disabilities. ...

Natural Gas Company Warns Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Customers about High Prices.
October 9, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 9--Brace yourself. This could be the most expensive winter ever for heating your home. National Fuel Gas Co. officials are warning their 500,000 Western New York customers to expect to pay as much as 56...

Buffalo, N.Y.-Based Exhibit Producer Makes Its Mark on Nation's Historic Sites.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Matt Glynn Oct. 9--The days of Cumberland, Md., as a terminus of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal ended decades ago. But a new visitors' center display will resurrect its history, complete with sound effects of plodding mules and...

Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Experts Offer Advice for Efficient Use of Natural Gas.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Chet Bridger Oct. 9--Western New Yorkers can save money in the long run by spending a few dollars this month to reduce their dependence come winter on today's expensive fuels, according to energy experts. Residents have no...

Federal Government to Compensate Workers at Former Nuclear Sites.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 9--Workers in former nuclear weapons plants who suffer radiation-linked ailments will be eligible for $150,000 in compensation under a legislative agreement, congressional representatives announced Friday....

U.S. Payments to 1950s Nuclear Weapons Workers Exclude Later Employees.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 9--Ed Gorski went to work at Union Carbide's Linde plant in 1957, years after it stopped refining uranium ore. But low-level radioactive material remained at the Town of Tonawanda site, in the buildings and...

Educational Toy Chain Opens Outlet in Amherst, N.Y.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Sharon Linstedt Oct. 9--Zany Brainy, the country's leading "edu-tainment" chain, made its Western New York debut Friday at Boulevard Consumer Square in Amherst. The 10,000-square-foot store, located in the 1500-block of...

`Southwest Airlines Effect' Is Expected to Boost Buffalo, N.Y., Economy.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 9--Cheaper air fares spurred an Amherst computer solutions company to double-up on trade show travel -- a move aimed at boosting sales and carving new markets. Thanks to cheaper air fares, a coordinator of...

Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Movie Theaters Close as Chains Experience Financial Turmoil.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 9--The "overscreening" of America is causing unprecedented turmoil in the theater industry, and moviegoers in the Buffalo area are already starting to see the fallout. Struggling with a glut of movie screens,...

Amusement Parks Stay Open Later in Year to Celebrate Halloween, Christmas.
October 9, 2000... Byline: Sharon Linstedt Oct. 9--Ghosts, goblins and haunted houses are giving theme parks across the country, including Six Flags Darien Lake and Martin's Fantasy Island, a season-extending boost. Gone are the days when amusement...

Contract Talks near Standstill over Wages at Cheektowaga, N.Y., Call Center.
October 6, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 6--Labor carved its first foothold in the region's call center industry in January, when the electrical workers won an election at Telespectrum Worldwide in Cheektowaga. But nine months later, the union...

Priceline.com Ending Grocery, Gasoline Operations.
October 6, 2000... Byline: Sharon Linstedt Oct. 6--The days of bidding on groceries via Priceline.com are going, going, gone. The Internet-based purveyor of "name your own price" opportunities on everything from airline tickets to antiques to butter,...

Buffalo, N.Y., Mall Attracts Several New Retailers.
October 6, 2000... Byline: Sharon Linstedt Oct. 6--Boulevard Mall's tenant roster will see several new names in time for the holiday shopping season. Leading the way for the key buying period is Eddie Bauer, scheduled to open the doors on its fourth...

Auto Group to Open BMW Dealership in Clarence, N.Y.
October 5, 2000... Byline: Matt Glynn Oct. 5--Towne Automotive Group plans to open a BMW dealership in Clarence, marking its first venture outside the Southtowns. The new dealership will be located near the intersection of Main Street and Transit Road...

East Aurora, N.Y.-Based Acme Electric Wins Major Power-Products Contract.
October 5, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 5--Acme Electric Corp. has won a major new contract that would nearly double the annual sales at its flagship power distribution products business in North Carolina and allow the East Aurora-based electronics...

Buffalo, N.Y., Lands Start-Up Firm in Factory Automation.
October 5, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 5--Buffalo has lured a start-up company that connects low-tech machines like factory equipment to the Internet, a hot idea in the technology sector. The company, called Yipee!, was launched in Rochester...

Student-Loan Software Firm Addresses Bug at State University of New York.
October 5, 2000... Oct. 5--The head of a Pennsylvania-based software company involved in the credit reporting error at the State University of New York said the problem was an isolated mistake with no impact on other universities. Educational Computer...

Jamestown, N.Y.-Based Furniture Manufacturer Cuts 500 Jobs.
October 5, 2000... Byline: Terry Frank Oct. 5--JAMESTOWN, N.Y.--A softening in the retail ready-to-assemble furniture market has led Bush Industries to cut 500 jobs this quarter, mainly at its Western New York facilities. According to Vice-President of...

Discount Grocers Find Success in Serving the Frugal in Western New York.
October 5, 2000... Byline: Sharon Linstedt Oct. 5--The Save-A-Lot grocery chain, a no-frills, discount food retailer, is continuing to grow its store base in Western New York, with the addition of a fifth location. The new Save-A-Lot made its debut...

Dresser-Rand Cuts Jobs at New York Plants in Realignment.
October 5, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 5--Dresser-Rand Co. is reshaping its compressor and steam turbine business in a move that led to some layoffs at the company's three Southern Tier plants, company officials said Wednesday. Dresser-Rand...

Niagara Falls, N.Y.-Area Chemical Firms Cancel Plans for Joint Venture.
October 4, 2000... Byline: Matt Glynn Oct. 4--Occidental Chemical Corp. and Olin Corp. have decided to break it off. The two companies have dropped their plans to combine parts of their operations into a new joint venture. Olin officials cited...

Wheatfield, N.Y., Cinema to Close Thursday Night.
October 4, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 4--The Summit Park 6 Cinema in Wheatfield will close Thursday night, fallout from unprecedented turmoil in an industry that is grappling with a nationwide glut of movie screens. Officials at General Cinema...

New York University Blames Y2K Glitch for Release of Student Loan Files.
October 4, 2000... Byline: Chet Bridger Oct. 4--The State University of New York blunder that prompted incorrect and potentially damaging financial data about former students to be reported to major credit bureaus stemmed from a Y2K computer conversion,...

Buffalo, N.Y., Tourism Officials Are Optimistic over Southwest Airlines Effect.
October 4, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 4--The so-called "Southwest effect" was the focus of attention Tuesday as more than 400 tourism professionals met in Buffalo for an annual statewide conference, the first time the event has been held in the...

$79.7 Million in SBA-Backed Loans Went to 430 Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Firms.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 3--Banks and other lending institutions made $79.7 million in SBA-backed loans to 430 local businesses in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the second-highest level in both dollar volume and number of loans in...

Buffalo, N.Y., Catholic Hospital Spends $7 Million on Cardiac Program.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Chet Bridger Oct. 3--The $7 million being invested in a new cardiac program will improve the long-term finances of the struggling Catholic Health System and improve treatment options for local residents, the network's chief...

Western New York Manufacturers Are Firing on all Cylinders.
October 3, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 3--A new report Monday by a group of local purchasing managers found that the Western New York manufacturing economy was at its strongest level in 2{ years during September, fueled by a strong flow of new...

Southwest Airlines Opens Ticket Counter at Buffalo, N.Y., Airport.
October 3, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 3--Southwest Airlines opened a ticket counter in Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Monday, as the discount carrier prepares to begin flying into the region this weekend. Travelers have been...

Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Stocks Beat the Market in the Third Quarter.
October 2, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 2--You could call it the revenge of the little Old Economy stocks. After struggling for much of the last two years, Buffalo-area stocks bounced back in a big way during the third quarter. While the...

Third Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Grocer to Introduce Frequent Shopper Card.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Sharon Linstedt Oct. 2--A three-way battle of supermarket loyalty cards is in the offing for Buffalo-area food shoppers, as Quality Markets prepares to join Wegmans and Tops with a frequent shopper card of its own. ...

Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Firms Have Tough Time Filling Job Openings.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 2--Local companies have had a tough time filling 44 percent of their full-time job openings, according to the first survey conducted by a group grappling with a perceived gap between employers' needs and job...

The Buffalo News, N.Y., Small-Business Column.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Brian Meyer Oct. 2--In a labor-starved economy, how can smaller companies lure "star" student grads onto their payrolls? Human resources managers, college placement officers and graduating seniors gathered last week for a...

Buffalo, N.Y.-Area Tourism Officials Hope Toronto Lands 2008 Olympics.
October 2, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 2--Even as the Olympics wind down today, local tourism officials still can't stop rooting for their favorite contender. "Go, Canada." Not the Canadian athletes down in Sydney, mind you. But the...

Cornell Study Shows Bright Side of Buffalo, N.Y., Union Worker Percentage.
October 2, 2000... Byline: Fred O. Williams Oct. 2--Attracting a company to the nation's No. 1 union town can be a tough sell. In Erie and Niagara counties, 27 percent of workers carry a union card, the highest rate among the nation's 100 largest...

Binghamton, N.Y.-Based Utility to Keep Stake in Nuclear Plant.
October 2, 2000... Byline: David Robinson Oct. 2--New York State Electric & Gas Corp. has decided against selling its 18 percent stake in the Nine Mile Point 2 nuclear power plant, the Binghamton-based utility said Friday. With electricity generating...

DC Air Plans Lower Fares on Buffalo, N.Y.-Washington Route.
October 1, 2000... Byline: Matt Glynn Oct. 1--DC Air will maintain jet service between Buffalo and Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and intends to charge less than US Airways does now on that route, said the owner-in-waiting of the proposed...