Werner, Helmut

(1936-)
Metallgesellschaft AG

Overview

Named by Business Week in 1996 as one of the 25 most successful managers, Helmut Werner helped revise the German luxury car company and prepared the way for the blockbuster merger between Mercedes' parent company, Daimler Benz AG, Germany's biggest industrial company, and Chrysler Corp in May 1998. The new DaimlerChrysler company, with sales of $130 billion and 421,000 employees will become one of the largest automakers in the world. Werner, as Chairman of Mercedes-Benz from 1993 to 1997 did not survive a power struggle with Jurgen Schrempp, Daimler Benz's chairman, and eventually resigned from the company. He is still an important player in Mercedes's revitalization and one of the industry's top executives.

Personal Life

Helmut Werner was born in Cologne, Germany, on September 2, 1936. He graduated from the Abiture Beethoven-gymnasium in 1956 and earned a business degree from the University of Cologne in 1961. He is married to Erika Werner, and the couple have two children, Jens and Britta. An avid skier, Werner annually celebrates the Christmas holidays with his family on the ski slopes. He has called his former position as chairman of Mercedes-Benz "the best job in the world." He currently …

Lehrbuch der makedonischen Sprache in 50 Lektionen

(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)

Wolf Oschlies. Lehrbuch der makedonischen Sprache in 50 Lektionen. 3rd, revised ed. Slavistische Beitrage, 454. Studienhilfen, Band 15. Munchen: Verlag Otto Sagner, 2007. 183 pp. euro16.00, paper.

In 1984 the first edition of Oschlies's Lehrbuch, then with Vera Bojic as co-author, could claim the distinction of being the first textbook of Macedonian to appear outside Macedonia. (Horace Lunt's Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language [1952], though in English, was published in Skopje.) Twenty-three years later, and half a century after Lunt, the choice is much wider-Rina Usikova's grammar, Victor Friedman's chapter in Corbett's and …

Capitals win Southwest as NHL playoff qualifiers settled

The Washington Capitals clinched the Southeast Division title with a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday, as all the playoff qualifiers were settled on the penultimate day of the NHL season.

The win was the Capitals' seventh straight, the franchise's longest in 15 years and a streak that tipped Carolina out of the playoff spots.

The Capitals finished last in the Southeast each of the past three season and were still there as late as Dec. 30.

They became the first NHL team to make the playoffs after sitting at 14th or 15th in the conference at the halfway mark.

Blues 3, Blue Jackets 0

In St. Louis, Keith Tkachuk …

Window sticker only gives an estimate of car's mileage

Q. My 2002 Dodge Neon SE only gets about 17 mpg in the city. Thedealer checked the car and found nothing wrong. It said the new carwindow sticker only gives fuel economy estimated in tests by theEnvironmental Protection Agency and that "real world" figures candiffer a lot. It suggested putting more air in the tires. I'm a 71-year-old senior citizen.--W.C., Chicago

A. And thus probably don't squander fuel economy with such thingsas jackrabbit starts. The EPA-estimated city fuel economy for yourcar with an automatic transmission is 25 mpg. But the dealer iscorrect in saying actual fuel economy probably will differ from theEPA figures. While better than nothing, those numbers …

Wall Street: A History

Wall Street: A History. By Charles R. Geisst New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. 404 pp. Endnotes, bibliography, index, and illustrations. $30.00. ISBN 0195115120.

This book is primarily aimed at the commercial trade market, and does not merit an extensive review in the scholarly journals. So I will be sensibly brief. Charles Geisst, a professor of finance at Manhattan College, surveys the Wall Street scene from its origins in the late eighteenth century through the 1990s. Given the scope of the project, superficiality was inevitable. Presumably in order to attract the widest possible audience, the author tends to focus on the scandals associated with colorful and allegedly …

Clinton condemns Russian terror attack

GUANAJUATO, Mexico (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has condemned the terrorist attack on a Russian airport that has killed nearly three-dozen people and wounded many more.

Clinton says the U.S. stands with the people of Russia in what she called "this moment of sorrow …

NYC student arrested for doodling on school desk

A New York City middle school student has been arrested for doodling on her desk with a marker.

Twelve-year-old Alexa Gonzalez scribbled "Lex was here 2/1/10" on her desk Monday. She also wrote "I love my friends Abby and Faith." The girl says the doodles could have been erased, according to the Daily News.

Moraima Tamacho says her daughter was released several hours after she was taken in handcuffs to a …

Boss who steals perplexes loyal employee

Dear Bob: I have been a shipping manager at a computer partscompany for 15 years and worked my way up from stock handler to mypresent position. I love my job and regard everyone I work with asfamily. But I recently discovered that my boss is stealing from thecompany. This is the man who hired me and has acted as my mentor.When one of my shipping clerks told me about the fraud, I refused tobelieve it until I discovered telltale signs. I feel like my worldhas been shattered. What should I do about it?

UPSET

Dear Upset: In a way, your world has been shattered. It'supsetting to discover that the person you respected is a thief.

You can choose to …

US: Gadhafi claim protesters on drugs is nonsense

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is mocking Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi over his claim that anti-government protesters are misguided youths who have been given drugs and money by a "small, sick group."

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley has a new Twitter posting that jabs …

Asian stocks down on worries over Europe

Asian stock markets lost ground for a third straight day Thursday over new concerns about Europe's economic outlook after Moody's Investors Service warned it may downgrade Spain's debt rating.

Oil prices fell below $75 a barrel in Asia, as wilting stock markets dragged down the confidence of crude investors. The yen weakened against the dollar, while the euro remained virtually unchanged.

While a key central bank report released Thursday showed business confidence among Japan's biggest manufacturers improved for a fifth straight quarter, the Nikkei index was still taking its cues from Wall Street, which closed out a painful second quarter Wednesday, leaving …

2006 Hall of FAME Business of the Year 1-50 employees: E.K. McConkey & Co., Inc.

Winner

Henry J. Christ

President/CEO, York

E.K. McConkey & Co., Inc.

E.K. McConkey & Co. Inc. has come a long way.

Of course, the company's been around for 116 years, so one would expect a bit of evolution.

Back in 1890, Edwin McConkey, an employee of Farmers Fire Insurance Co. and a state senator, launched his own agency to have a local outlet to sell policies for his insurance company. The main challenge he faced? A lack of customers; at that point, insurance was a luxury for most people. And since he was the first York resident to own a car, it's no surprise that there was little demand for auto insurance.

E.K. McConkey remained …

Abbas says President Bush's visit gives Palestinians "great hope"

U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday predicted that a Mideast peace treaty would be completed by the time he leaves office. He said he's convinced that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders understand "the importance of democratic states living side by side" in peace.

"I am confident that with proper help, the state of Palestine will emerge." Bush told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "And I'm confident when it emerges, it will be a major step toward peace. I am confident that the status quo is unacceptable, Mr. President, and we want to help you."

Abbas, standing alongside Bush, called on Israel to fulfill its …

Reports: Japanese banks may drop merger plan

Japan's Shinsei Bank Ltd. and Aozora Bank Ltd. _ two midsize lenders with major U.S. shareholders _ could call off their plan to merge later this year amid differences over management, strategy and system integration, news reports said Saturday.

The two companies announced the merger plan in July, saying the combined entity would be Japan's sixth-largest bank with assets of about 18 trillion yen ($200.7 billion).

However, Japan's leading Nikkei business newspaper said Saturday the banks have been unable to bridge differences over management policy or come up with a growth strategy. Kyodo News agency also reported they are at odds over how to integrate their banking systems, and what their core banking business should be.

The Nikkei quoted executives it did not identify from both banks for its report. Kyodo quoted sources it did not name.

Kyodo said if an agreement cannot be reached, the banks may drop the merger and pursue independent paths. The Nikkei said the banks are considering whether to call off the merger or postpone it indefinitely.

Shinsei Bank said in a statement on its Web site it had no comment. Aozora Bank could not immediately be reached.

A group of investors, including affiliates of U.S. private equity firm J.C. Flowers & Co., holds a 32.5 percent stake in Shinsei, while an entity of Cerberus Capital Management LP, also of the U.S., owns 45.5 percent of Aozora shares, according to information posted on the Web sites of the two banks.

Shinsei and Aozora said in July the merger would take effect in October 2010.

Hit by restructuring costs and fruitless overseas investments, Shinsei reported a net loss of 143 billion yen last fiscal year through March 31, 2009. Aozora posted a net loss of 242.5 billion yen.

The banks have returned to profitability so far this year, however, with Shinsei reporting a net profit of 22.2 billion yen in the first nine months of the fiscal year through Dec. 31. Aozora reported net profit of 7.3 billion yen for the same period.

The Japanese government bailed out the predecessors of both banks during a domestic banking crisis in the 1990s.

[ METRO BRIEFS ]

Cops say man stole from mom

An Oak Park man has been charged with stealing more than $500,000from his 94-year-old mother, but the elderly woman's caretaker -- whoDuPage County authorities allege also was involved in the theft --may have fled the country to avoid prosecution. David A. Hofmann, 68,remains jailed on $1 million bond after being charged with theft,forgery and financial exploitation of an elderly person. Hofmann isaccused of taking at least $500,000 from his mother, allegedlytelling her he was investing in an overseas business run by hercaretaker, 52-year-old Thelma Ogden of Gurnee. Authorities contendHofmann and Ogden instead used the money to pay for luxury trips tothe Philippines, where Ogden originally lived. Ogden remains atlarge, authorities said.

Burned store reopens

A popular magic shop in Homewood that burned down in an accidentalfire last Halloween has reopened. Chuck's House of Magic moved to anew location, 18725 Dixie Hwy., after the fire at its old store, at18301 Dixie Hwy. The new store is smaller than the old one, but JoyceGruberman, who owns the business with her husband, Chuck, saidexpansion might be possible.

Millennium parking could rise

Motorists who use the Millennium Park garage will have to dig alittle deeper, under a rate hike advanced by a City Council committeeMonday to help retire debt for the $475 million park. Under the plan,the daily parking rate for 12 hours or less will rise from $12 to$13. The move is expected to increase garage revenues that havelagged behind projections by $400,000 a year. Even with the increase,the Millennium Park garage is expected to remain a downtown bargain."We did an analysis of similarly situated garages," said Matt Darst,managing deputy of the city's Department of Revenue. "This allows usto maintain our competitive standing with those other garages."

Captured soldier is promoted

The only soldier the U.S. Army lists as captured in Iraq has beenpromoted to sergeant, the second promotion for the soldier from anIllinois unit since he went missing last year, the Army said Monday.Reservist Keith M. "Matt" Maupin is part of the Downstate Bartonville-based 724th Transportation Company. Maupin's promotion was effectivelast Friday, said Maj. Elizabeth Robbins, an Army spokeswoman at thePentagon.

Contributing: AP

Humbled Bulls know it's time to step up game

Some humbler defending champion Bulls awoke Saturday morning witha nervous 1-0 lead over the New Jersey Nets in their best-of-five,first-round playoff series.

Despite their superior wealth of experience, wisdom andtime-honored talent, the Bulls were pressed to their limits Fridaynight by coach John Calipari's injury-decimated Nets, who wereoutmanned but barely outgunned.

And although they finally eked out a 96-93 victory in overtime,thanks to two spectacular defensive plays by veteran All-Defensiveplayers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and to Jordan scoring fiveof his game-high 39 points in the extra session, the Bulls did notleave the United Center too proud of what they had done.Rather, they left with thanksgiving.``We are thankful to the New Jersey Nets for sticking the gameto us and making us have to bring our game up another notch,'' Bullscoach Phil Jackson said.They also left, according to Jordan, feeling pretty darn luckyto escape with a victory.``We'll probably have to play better on Sunday,'' Jackson said.Probably?Hey, the Bulls must play better or they might end up sufferingwhat Nets star center Jayson Williams calls ``the greatest upset inmy lifetime . . . maybe the greatest in history.''So let's tip our hats to Calipari's young pups. They look likethey just may succeed the Bulls soon as the new big dogs of theEastern Conference.``I'm proud of my team,'' Calipari said. ``Every guy playedwell. There are sad men in that locker room right now. I huggedeach guy. Each came here expecting to win, and they played likeit.''The Bulls had a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter.And it didn't last. But it should have been 24 when you consider:Rookie sensation Keith Van Horn, the Nets' leading scorer, playedonly the first half before the stomach flu that forced him to sit outpractice Thursday forced him to sit out the second half.Veteran playmaker Sam Cassell, the team's second-leading scorer andstarting point guard, was limited to 17 minutes before aggravatinghis pulled left groin muscle early in the third quarter.Williams played with a broken right thumb encased in a soft cast.Center Rony Seikaly played only 10 minutes because of his injuredankle, and Michael Cage, another veteran backup center, didn't playbecause of his pulled hamstring.Still, Williams grabbed a game-high 21 rebounds to pace the Netsto a 53-39 edge. And reserve forward-center Chris Gatling scored ateam-high 24 points in a starter's role.We'll just have to accept Williams' word that his thumb isbroken. But if he could grab 21 rebounds while Dennis Rodman grabbedonly eight before fouling out, it scares me how many Williams couldhave grabbed with two healthy hands.``We have a lot of respect for New Jersey,'' Jackson said.``They are athletic. They are young and aggressive. They play ahard defense. They're fun to watch and fun to play against. Theygot away with a few things that surprised us that we will be readyfor on Sunday.''The Bulls had better be. Or instead of them winning in four asI predicted, the Nets just might win in four.

Trial of 2 men accused of JFK bomb plot nears end

A New York jury is hearing closing arguments in a terrorism case accusing two men of plotting to blow up John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Russell Defreitas and Abdul Kadir are charged with plotting in 2007 to use explosives to ignite jet fuel tanks at the airport.

Defreitas is a former cargo handler and naturalized U.S. citizen from Guyana.

Jurors heard testimony that he did reconnaissance on the airport and sought Kadir's help in getting the backing of a terror group in Trinidad.

The men's lawyers say they were framed by a federal informant who infiltrated the plot before it could get off the ground.

Prosecutors began giving their arguments Monday morning in federal court in Brooklyn. Defense lawyers are to respond later in the day.

Roni Horn aka Roni Horn

LONDON

Roni Horn aka Roni Horn TATE MODERN February 25-May 25 Curated by Mark Godfrey, Donna De Salvo, and Carter Foster

A welcome survey of Horn's work tracks her thirty-year engagement with post-Minimalist form as a container for affective perception. Expect selections from her cycles of "pair objects"; the complete 100-photograph installation of "You Are the Weather," 1994-96; and- investigating the topography of Iceland as a landscape of libidinal folds and fissures-the artist's book series "To Place," 1990-. Newer pieces will include sculptures in glass, abstract word drawings, and a rubber-floored room. The accompanying publication promises a "Subject Index" of writings by the artist, Matthew Barney, Anne Carson, Tacita Dean, and Nancy Spector, among others, and will doubtless benefit from Horn's long-standing interest in books as objects. Art historian Briony Fer contributes the lead essay. Travels to the Collection Lambert, Avignon, France, June 21-Oct. 4; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Nov. 6, 2009-Jan. 24, 2010. -Frances Richard

Dr. Stanley B. Sierocinski

Dr. Stanley B. Sierocinski, 72, a Northlake dentist, diedWednesday at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, Melrose Park.

Born in Chicago, Dr. Sierocinski was a World War II veteran andwas graduated from the Northwestern University School of Dentisty,where he later taught. An Elmwood Park resident, he practiced inNorthlake for 40 years.

Along with his wife, Mary Kay, he is survived by a daughter,Michelle Kurzydlowski, and a sister, Frances Stevens.

Mass will be offered at 10 a.m. tomorrow at St. Vincent FerrerChurch, North and Lathrop, River Forest. Visitation will be from 2to 10 p.m. today at Salerno's Galewood Chapel, 1857 N. Harlem.Burial will be at Maryhill Cemetery, 8600 N. Milwaukee, Niles.

Phelps selected USOC sportsman of the year

Record-setting swimmer Michael Phelps was chosen the U.S. Olympic Committee's sportsman of the year Thursday.

All-around gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin and swimmer Natalie Coughlin, who won six medals in Beijing, tied in voting for sportswoman of the year.

Erin Popovich was selected paralympian of the year and the U.S. men's volleyball team, which won a gold medal in the aftermath of the attack and killing of coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law, was team of the year.

Todd Bachman was killed while sightseeing at the 13th-century Drum Tower in Beijing the day after opening ceremonies. The assailant jumped to his death from the tower.

"As a team, we sat down after what happened to Hugh and his family, decided we were going to push as hard as we could," volleyball player Riley Salmon said. "At the time, we didn't know what that meant. We knew we could be good. We didn't know how good we could be. We got hot at the right time."

Phelps broke Mark Spitz's record by winning eight gold medals in Beijing. He has won a slew of awards since, including The Associated Press male athlete of the year and the Sports Illustrated sportsman of the year.

He was traveling and not available for the USOC conference call.

Liukin said she is back in the gym, training five to six hours a day. She will head to the U.S. team training camp next week. Liukin plans a comeback this year and may defend her Olympic title in 2012.

"People say, 'Why keep going?'" she said. "I love competing and enjoy the sport. That overpowers the questions of putting my title up there. I haven't made a 100 percent commitment (to return) but I'm making the commitment to myself to get in shape and compete."

Banks are boosters of their downtowns

The health of urban downtowns is a high priority for many banks. It is being enhanced in many ways, from big new headquarters buildings like the structure First National of Omaha unveiled last month, to financial support and leadership for such disparate items as loft apartments and downtown sports arenas.

Sometimes the structures are not as spectacular as First National's but nonetheless symbolic of commitment. Such a case is UMB Bank's $20-million technology and operations center under construction in a formerly blighted area of Kansas City's urban landscape. The 130,000-square-foot-project is viewed as a revitalization of the urban core and an expansion of the central business district.

Also in Kansas City, Bill Nelson, head man for NationsBank (soon to be Bank of America), is spearheading a drive to construct a downtown sports arena with the goal of attracting a major league basketball or hockey team.

In Albuquerque, locally owned First State has expressed a strong commitment to downtown revitalization, according to the Albuquerque Journal. In addition, the presidents of NationsBank New Mexico and Norwest Bank of New Mexico sit on a committee formed recently to develop plans for revitalizing downtown, the newspaper said.

Projects in the ambitious undertaking may include apartments, lofts and townhomes, art galleries, a theater for performing arts, tourist attractions, a supermarket, shops and parks and parking space.

Attracting people downtown to live is always a concern in efforts to rejuvenate urban spaces, and that is the goal of a $5.3million commitment by NationsBank in St. Louis. In an unusual arrangement, that institution is investing cash equity and taking a long-term ownership position in the building.

The structure, now vacant, will be developed into mixed-rate loft apartments with a first-floor gallery and artists' work space designed to serve as a hub of community activity downtown. Sixteen of the 26 units will be rent restricted, with first preference given to alumni of the unversity's art school. The remaining 10 units will be rented without restrictions and a faculty member from the art school will serve as artist-in-residence.

The project is a partnerhip between the bank, Washington University and the Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance (RHCDA). Washington University will donate the building to RHCDA, and RHCDA and NationsBank Community Development Corp. will own the building under a partnerhip arrangement.

Downtowns struggle in both urban and rural communities. Fortunately banks both large and small, regional, national and locally owned, are seeing the benefits of healthy central business districts and providing the leadership and financial support to achieve that goal.