May 14, 2007
Andrea MuirraguiINDIANAPOLIS HAS: Seating for up to 73,000 and a retractable roof at Lucas Oil Stadium, set to open in 2008. The press box
seats 200, but event space could be converted for additional media use. PRACTICE FACILITIES NFL WANTS: Comparable practice
facilities for both Super Bowl teams, including a covered field with the same turf as the stadium, locker rooms for players
and coaches, meeting rooms, and laundry service. INDIANAPOLIS HAS: The Colts' 56th Street football complex. Bid organizers
have...
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May 14, 2007
Greg AndrewsMany Hoosier stocks are on a tear, posting year-to-date gains rivaling the numbers we saw in the frothy late 1990s, before
the Internet bubble burst. But market analysts say the comparison stops there. The companies posting gains are old-line manufacturers
like Cummins Inc., not dot-com startups built on hype. And the appreciation is built upon a solid foundation-rapid increases
in profit. Indeed, New York-based Citigroup noted that corporate profits are up 115 percent since the last recession ended
in the...
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May 14, 2007
Della PachecoInternational Center pairs local hosts, visiting delegates to promote cultural understanding When a group of Iraqi editors
and writers visited Indianapolis last summer as part of the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program,
they learned about American journalism and Hoosier hospitality. Florence May, a member of the International Center of Indianapolis'
board and president of Simply Hospitality-an Indianapolis-based special-event planning company-hosted the group for dinner
in her home. May grew up in a military family and has lived throughout...
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May 14, 2007
Chris O\'malleyMilwaukee native Trevor Ocock figures his interest in transit dates to age 3. At least that's what his mother tells him. But
the transit bug overtook him at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio, as he was earning a degree in business administration
and human resources management. Soon, he was washing buses for Ohio State University's transit line. Later, he drove an OSU
bus-met lots of ladies that way-and eventually became its operations manager. "I have always liked to be around...
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May 7, 2007
Anthony SchoettleFew Hoosiers had heard of O'Reilly Auto Parts before the Missouri-based company built a massive distribution center in Hendricks
County and bought the naming rights to Indianapolis Raceway Park last June. Now, the company, which was founded in 1957 and
went public in 1993, figures to become a major retail presence here. Already, 14 stores have cropped up here among 35 that
opened statewide. That makes 1,700 stores in 25 states for the company that reported revenue of $2.3 billion...
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May 7, 2007
Greg AndrewsIt's an age-old strategy: A private equity firm buys a company, bolsters its performance, then pockets a tidy profit by taking
it public or selling it outright. Los Angeles-based Freeman Spogli & Co., the majority owner of Hhgregg Inc. the past two
years, last month revealed plans for a $170 million initial public offering for the consumer electronics retailer. You can
be sure other private equity firms that have scooped up local companies in recent years have the same exit...
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April 30, 2007
Peter SchnitzlerThe diversification of the state's two enormous public pension funds into private equity is transforming Indiana's venture
capital sector. And their $155 million Indiana Investment Fund is the largest factor in the equation. If it's successful,
the Indiana Public Employees' Retirement Fund and the Indiana State Teachers' Retirement Fund will save Hoosiers untold millions
of dollars and help launch a host of new high-tech companies. If it's not, taxpayers will one day have to foot the bill. Indiana
State Budget...
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April 23, 2007
Chris O\'malleyThe biggest acquisition in the 34-year history of ATA Airlines will steer it closer to its charter roots and further from
a scheduled-service binge that led to bankruptcy three years ago. Analysts say the $315 million deal to buy Atlanta-based
World Air Holdings will broaden the revenue base and bring economies of scale for ATA's newly renamed parent, Global Aero
Logistics. It also hands ATA a cargo business worth $100 million in 2005. The deal should give the Manhattan vulture...
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April 16, 2007
Scott OlsonThe java stands Hubbard & Cravens Coffee Co. opened a year ago within Clarian Health Partners' three downtown hospitals are
brewing a rich aroma of results. Yet executives of the locally based coffee retailer and wholesaler know sales could be sweeter.
"The hospitals are so huge that we don't capture even a third of what we could," said Marcie Hubbard, director of store operations.
"So the question is, how do you reach everybody in that entire hospital?" The 23 Taiwanese...
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April 16, 2007
Roger SchmennerGlobalization, like all sweeping economic trends, provokes a widespread disquiet. Specifically, we fear that somehow, if it
continues unchecked, people in the United States will lose their high-paying jobs and we will devolve into a lowwage service
economy. As China gains, we lose. To borrow a phrase from Thomas Friedman, they're frightened that the flattening of the world
economy will flatten us. It is true that traditional manufacturing jobs are fewer now than before. And, lots of things are
made...
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April 9, 2007
Patrick BarkeyWhat's the news on Indiana employment? Odd as it might seem, that phrase is almost a contradiction in terms. For while we
do receive very timely, detailed information on how many jobs are carried on Indiana employers' payrolls each month, the practical
challenges in keeping close tabs on the latest zigs and zags in the 3 million-strong Hoosier labor force make the interpretation
of the fresh data difficult. Only after the data have sat on the shelf for half a...
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April 9, 2007
Brian WilliamsThe Indiana Commerce Connector, those 75 miles of concrete through the Indiana countryside, was announced with great fanfare
at the start of the 2007 legislative session and recently disappeared with equal aplomb. Thanks to the efforts of state Rep.
Terri Austin, chairwoman of the House Roads and Transportation Committee, and the other members of that committee, the citizens
of Indiana had ample opportunity to express their opinions on Indiana's transportation needs. While the governor's specific
proposals for the Indiana Commerce...
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April 9, 2007
Peter SchnitzlerBut extra helpings of your favorite fattening treats may be on their way. At its April 19 meeting, the Indiana State Fair
Commission will consider whether to add up to five more days to the fair, starting in 2008. "You'd have another weekend where
people can come out to partake in fair activities," said Indiana State Fair Commission Chairman Kyle Hupfer. "My guess is
you'd see some new folks come to the fair who wouldn't otherwise come." This year, fair...
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April 9, 2007
Marc D.As a girl, Lori Drzal dreamed of becoming a spy, a policewoman-something where she'd be helping others. Her father had different
ideas. "Become a secretary," he told her. "You'll always have a job." "Today," she said, "I think, 'Why did he tell me that?'
But ... I've always had a job. I've always grown in my jobs, and I've always been challenged." Drzal, 48, executive assistant
to Steak n Shake President and CEO Peter Dunn for the past four years,...
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April 9, 2007
Peter SchnitzlerTaliera Corp. plan to raise $60 million through an initial public offering was withdrawn March 27, but Taliera isn't going
away. It's simply trying a different approach. CEO J. Smoke Wallin said he and his team of eight beverage industry veterans
still believe their business plan is right.
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April 2, 2007
Peter SchnitzlerIndianapolis hasn't attempted to systematically catalog all its infrastructure needs since 1991. Back then, the Greater Indianapolis
Chamber of Commerce collected a list of the most pressing local projects and presented it to Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. The
price tag at that time: $1.1 billion. A lot has changed in the 16 years since the Chamber released its Getting Indianapolis
Fit for Tomorrow report. Some problems it identified, such as the health risk of combined sewer overflows, have been partly
addressed....
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April 2, 2007
Morton MarcusLast week, I was walking on the Statehouse grounds and I saw some folks with large green pins on their lapels. "What do those
stand for?" I asked. "Small businesses need Electronic Gaming Devices" one wearer told me. "That's for bars," I commented.
The reply I got was not friendly. In the newspapers and on TV during the same week, there were features about horse breeders
"needing" more state subsidies from slot machines at racetracks to "keep the industry alive."...
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March 26, 2007
Peter SchnitzlerThe U.S. Department of Justice's highprofile, three-year investigation into price fixing in Indiana's concrete industry resulted
in one of the largest antitrust fines in history: $29.2 million against Greenfield-based Irving Materials Inc. The investigation
might not be over yet. The DOJ seemed to conclude its Indianapolis inquiry last month, finally closing the criminal case.
But a recent filing in a pending civil suit against IMI and its four former top executives hints the probe is continuing elsewhere.
This time, IMI...
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March 26, 2007
Katie MaurerWhat do the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal have in common? Each project was both designed and built by
the same people. Basically, they were among the first design-build projects in history. What seemed like a good idea hundreds
and thousands of years ago has been slower to take hold in modern times. These days, most construction projects are still
completed by separate entities-one that draws up the plans and another that brings those plans...
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March 26, 2007
Peter SchnitzlerEfforts to secure a mass-transit system for central Indiana are moving ahead. But not rapidly. Several mass-transit bills
are pending in the General Assembly-including one requiring the Indiana Department of Transportation to study building a rail
system from Indianapolis to Muncie, and another encouraging development of mass-transit systems across the state. But neither
is likely to result in immediate funding for a system serving Indianapolis commuters. Local mass-transit advocates still are
a long way from winning over lawmakers and others...
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March 12, 2007
Jennifer WhitsonThe Indianapolis Airport Authority has tapped Mansur Real Estate Services Inc. to develop a $50 million-plus Westin hotel
at the new midfield terminal. But the hotel's final design may be one submitted by a former competitor, White Lodging Corp.
of South Bend.
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March 5, 2007
Cory SchoutenThe final piece of a decade-long redevelopment of Fort Benjamin Harrison would give Lawrence a new downtown with shops, offices
and public plazas mixed among as many as 1,000 condos, townhouses and apartments. The Fort Harrison Reuse Authority hasn't
settled on a name yet for the 88-acre project, but the quasi-governmental group's board is expected to approve zoning updates
this month that pave the way for the project. Public meetings will be held in March and April, and the first...
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February 26, 2007
After our Valentine's Day wedding, my bride and I took a few days off for a brief New York City honeymoon. We walked nearly
everywhere, used public transportation when we wanted to go farther and bought our food and drink in jam-packed, smoke-free
restaurants and bars (the only kind there are in New York, thanks to a several-years-old, levelthe-playing-field, smoke-free
workplace law). I liked being able to dine anywhere and everywhere with clean indoor air. I liked the exercise from...
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February 19, 2007
Brian MannSince World War II, strong public policies and economic conditions have led to booming homeownership in America, and rapid
expansion of a great highway transportation system has accelerated our country's suburbanization. We all know the story; we
are participants. In the 1960s, it was often referred to as the American Dream. Although never specifically defined, the American
Dream always included having a family, a reliable (maybe even cool) car, a nice home of one's own, and the freedom to work,...
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February 19, 2007
Scott OlsonDowntown developments soon will come under extra scrutiny, once new design guidelines are approved in the spring. Known as
Urban Design Indianapolis, the process of developing the criteria fell on the shoulders of several groups: the Department
of Metropolitan Development, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Ball State University's architectural school and the
Urban Design Oversight Committee. The intent is not to mandate to developers that their buildings meet certain design standards,
but rather that the cosmetics coalesce with the existing...
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liek the rest of America
These quaint,obsessed musings by the stalkers are certainly entertaining, but I'm trying to figure out what, if anything, all the yelping below has to do with Zak Brown.
It's evident that Moffett was pushing the right buttons and corporate America is now trying to squash him. He just wanted to withdraw the free pilot services provided to the company by the pilots to try and put some pressure on a company that has not been interested in negotiating a contract in over 5 years. The company does not provide a contract because not having one has saved them a bundle of money. Shame on any Republic pilots not standing behind their union leader just because things are getting tough, can you not see such strategic moves by the company as putting the last union president in a corporate position and into THEIR pocket. Do you really believe the last union president is so appalled at the attempts by Moffett, do you not remember his oppositions to the company? We stood behind him. It has been proven over and over again for thousands of years without fail, a man cannot serve two masters. Anyone that believes people vote contrary to their paycheck and livelihood deserve to be taken advantage of, the recent statements by the former union president are laughable as he denounces the current union president from his new corporate position. Have you ever seen a drafted sports player score points for his previous team, it cannot be done, he is not on the pilots side anymore, he gets his money a different way now than you and I do, and he should not be allowed to remain on the seniority list. A drafted player brings strength, credibility, tactical knowledge, and a strategic advantage to his NEW team, he would not be drafted or paid were it otherwise. We are all forced to choose only one side to play for and support, not doing so has many references in life such as insider trading and shaving points, all illegal for good reason. This basic fact is why corporate moguls, scientist, and engineers all sign non-discloser agreements and non-compete clauses, as protection in case they are lured into switching sides as our former union president has done. No NFL coach ever drafted a player so that both teams could benefit and better understand each other, they are recruited to win the game against that former team, period. Likewise the company does not recruit the former union president by accident or mutual understanding, its strategy. Don't confuse playing the game with good sportsman-like conduct in support of common business and prosperity goals, with the requirement to only play for one side. Good men we all love and favor fall subject to this manipulation, often without their knowledge, and it is not a betrayal of their friendship to oppose them when they switch sides. If we did not love and trust them, they would not have been chosen and lured to the other side in the first place. The deception by the drafted player is not made at a conscious level, it's just human nature and it's all about money and power which corrupts our ability to be objective and loyal to two masters. This is why our court system created the defense attorney, and why our military created counter intelligence. Its strategy and its propaganda, and it works, and that's why the "powers to be" manipulate the chess pieces by sometimes changing their colors. Some players know they are being manipulated when their color is changed, but it brings them more money and power so they do not care. The rest have good intentions but do not even realize they are being manipulated. This tactic is also known by another name, Divide and Conquer. In battle sending an imperfect message with an imperfect team is obviously not ideal, but it's still being sent by YOUR team, your union leader, a leader that has common goals and common rewards with you, they are the best, because we have elected them to do a job for us. If you are not backing Moffett but believing the spin by those that have recently switched sides, you are taking food out of your own mouth. Showing unity and backing an imperfect situation still results in taking just as much ground, it's about unity and bargaining power. It's not necessary to wait around for that perfect attack because it will never come, the company will spin and attempt to destroy anyone that gets in their way. Ultimately it's not about any specific attack anyway, ASAP or whatever it makes no difference, it is and always has been only about power. If this company cared about safety it would not build pairings with 8 hour overnights, come on, are you that naive? Besides, do you really think Hoffa cares, no, he got a call from corporate America and was squeezed into denouncing Moffett. If he didn't they would spin the safety card against him and the Teamsters National with implication for truckers, future contracts, insurance rates etc...saying something like the Teamsters use safety as a bargaining chip, blah blah blah... Do you really think any pilot is going to do something unsafe for the contract, absolutely not, the only ones threatening safety here is the company with reduced rest, fatigue, and poverty. Do you not find it odd that Hoffa and the Teamsters are opposing a Teamster president publicly? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and work with one of their own? Why did they not sit down and help him strategize, correct any mistakes, and charge ahead? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and leverage a contract for all those pilots that have been paying Teamster dues, isn't that why we have all been paying Teamster dues in the first place? I sure haven't been paying dues so that the Teamsters National could come along and write this kind of an article undercutting our union leader and our unity. Whose side is the Teamsters National really on, it's obviously not the Republic pilots side.
No matter what Moffatt does the company is going to spin it like he is the terrorist and brainwash people like you into believing it, wake up, back your players that are trying to change things for you and your livelihood. Where has Hoffa been for the last 6 years, except collecting our dues. Seriously, do you really think an FO going for upgrade, signed off by a checkairman ready for the upgrade, who then fails, is not even capable of returning as a First Officer.
whoa!