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MICKEY MAURER Commentary: Should trysts sink a career?

“There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” – “Anthem,” by Leonard Cohen How outrageous does executive behavior have to be before it should be deemed unacceptable by corporate America? Are we experiencing a trend toward greater scrutiny of our executives’ personal lives and is this a good idea? What should be the peccadillo standard for the executive officers of public companies? Witness the recent forced resignation of David Colby, chief financial officer and…

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SPORTS: Pan Am Games was ‘coming out’ party for city

Twenty years ago, Indianapolis was preparing to take on the world. Or at least half of it. It was a month before the 10th Pan American Games. In my lifetime, I do not recall many times-if any-when there was such a feeling of collective effort. This wasn’t a city rooting for a team, like the Pacers or the Colts. This was a city rooting for itself to pull off this mammoth undertaking, to show not just the country, but the…

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BEHIND THE NEWS: Judge in fraud case fines Brightpoint defendant $50,000

A federal judge in a high-profile fraud case has slapped a former Brightpoint Inc. manager with a $50,000 fine-a relatively modest sum, but one the manager says he lacks the resources to pay. Judge Harold Baer of U.S. District Court in Manhattan late last month assessed the fine against Tim Harcharik, the former director of risk management for the wireless phone wholesaler. Harcharik, 53, was the sole remaining defendant in a securities fraud lawsuit the SEC brought in 2003 against…

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WEDJ one year later: Ratings more than double: Revenue growth pushes Hispanic station toward record

After years languishing as a ratings bottom feeder, WEDJ-FM 107.1 is quickly moving up the radio charts with its Hispanic format and is positioned to crack the market’s top 10 stations. Since local radio veteran Russ Dodge was hired as general manager in late April 2006, WEDJ’s rating for area listeners 12 and older has more than doubled, from 1.0 to 2.1, according to New York-based Arbitron Co. WEDJ’s morning show is ranked No. 3 with listeners ages 18 to…

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PROFILE: Piano Solutions Inc.: Shop singing piano’s praises Shop owners want to give community an arts education

Piano Solutions Inc. Shop singing piano’s praises Shop owners want to give community an arts education Piano Solutions Inc. owners Greg Durthaler and Brian Hostetler like to think they’re in tune with the music industry-all the better to help their clients. The key (so to speak) is to offer a full range of products and services. “Today, we offer tuning, moving and storage of pianos while carrying an array of method books, print music and piano accessories,” Durthaler said. “We…

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Happily ever after?: How to avoid the roadblocks to financial security

Happily e ver after? How to avoid the roadblocks to financial security In her new book, “The Feminine Mistake,” author Leslie Bennetts cautions women to seriously consider the financial consequences of exiting the workplace to be a stayat-home wife and mom. The former journalist and Vanity Fair writer says “few intelligent people would sink a lot of money into refurbishing a rental, but stay-athome wives think nothing of subordinating their own financial interests to those of their husbands, blithely assuming…

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City steps up effort to help immigrants: Mayor’s wife spearheading program to better acclimate newcomers

The burgeoning number of immigrants arriving in Indianapolis have a new source available to help them navigate unfamiliar surroundings and the kaleidoscope of social support systems available. The Immigrant Welcome Center is a program launched in October that uses volunteers dubbed “natural helpers” to link foreign newcomers to such basic needs as health care, government and transportation services. Although the effort is nearly 9 months old, it’s just now getting up to speed as organizers are interviewing candidates to lead…

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PROFILE: Georgetown Chiropractic Clinic PC: Demand spurs chiropractor to grow clinic Massage, Pilates, yoga classes round out northwest-side practice

P RO F I L E Georgetown Chiropractic Clinic PC Demand spurs chiropractor to grow clinic Massage, Pilates, yoga classes round out northwest-side practice If life gives you a pain in the neck, chances are you’ve sought relief from a specialist at working out the kinks-like Georgetown Chiropractic Clinic PC. Chiropractic use has tripled in the last two decades, according to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. To accommodate some of that growth locally, Georgetown Chiropractic has doubled…

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Biz magazine seeks boost from Recorder: Newspaper’s backing should help minority business publication grow

Carolene Mays exited the production area of The Indianapolis Recorder after applying her own elbow grease to ensure a new deadline is met and reflected on the increasingly hectic pace engulfing the newspaper. The publisher of one of the nation’s oldest and most prominent black newspapers is used to carrying a heavy load, considering she moonlights part time as a Democratic member of the state House of Representatives. Yet, she is in uncharted waters as the new owner of Indiana…

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Commentary: Hedda gives a searing Civic review

I cede my column this week to Hedda Hopper, a Hollywood gossip columnist. Hopper died in 1966, but she agreed to come back again to review the Indianapolis Civic Theater benefit performance. HEDDA HOPPER’S HOLLYWOOD-Just detrained in Hoosierland to catch the Indianapolis Civic Theatre benefit. Charlie Morgan played Ed Sullivan in a sendup titled “A Really Big Shooow.” Sullivan, your career is safe. Morgan, general manager and vice president of Cumulus radio stations in Indy, was stiffer than Charlie McCarthy….

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Duke lacrosse publicity a concern to all prosecutors: The ‘Nifong effect’ likely to have an impact on public perception, courtroom strategy, Indiana attorneys say

Indiana prosecutors worry about heightened suspicion of any charging decision they make as a result of the recent highprofile disbarment of a North Carolina prosecutor. Talk started months ago, but banter took a new surge following Michael Nifong’s nationally televised disciplinary proceeding June 16. He was disbarred for violating professional conduct rules in his prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players falsely accused of rape. “Around the country and here, prosecutors are talking about the Nifong effect,” said Stephen Johnson,…

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PROFILE ANNIE-O’S: Party planner’s plan: Help others celebrate Personal losses helped owner appreciate the good times

“I don’t find that some direct-mail piece says what I do,” said Dezelan, owner of Annie-O’s event planning. “I think a lot of what sells myself is me-my personality.” That’s why, Dezelan said, most of her new business comes via word-of-mouth, from people who’ve met the energetic 36-year-old with the big, bright personality. Her marketing efforts try to reflect that personality. Dezelan recently revamped the Annie-O’s Web site so that “it’s like a party at your desk,” she said. On…

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Court reporters in short supply: School closings lead to openings

Tom Richardson credits fictional defense attorney Perry Mason and the climactic trials on the long-running television series for prompting him to become a court reporter more than 30 years ago. But the romance of participating in a high-profile court case or deposition and translating riveting testimony seems to be lost on the younger set. Industry experts say the dwindling number of licensed court reporters and the closure of a number of court-reporting schools have mired the profession in a severe…

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Tax hike may finally settle police pension problem: Measure could end 30-year battle over public safety

The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council is considering a proposal from Mayor Bart Peterson to raise at least $85 million annually for public safety through an increase in local income taxes. Since Democrats control the Council 15 to 14, the measure is expected to pass by the end of July and take effect Oct. 1. The tax hike would finally settle a 30-year battle that constantly pitted public safety’s immediate needs against its longterm pension obligations. Much of the revenue generated…

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Commentary: Chasing after the younger crowd

A couple of weeks ago, I ate lunch with an attorney friend who was telling me about his eldest daughter-born, raised and now living in Indianapolis. A 27-year-old registered nurse, she was preparing to move to Chicago because she thinks “there is nothing to do here” for people her age. This really hit home for me because I have two daughters in the same age range living here, and both are starting to talk about moving away for a while,…

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Bigger not best for all: drophead Many attorneys find greener pastures in smaller practices after leaving major firms

not Bigger leaving best for red all tape drophead Many attorneys find greener pastures in smaller practices after leaving major firms When lawyers Debra Miller and James Fisher fled legal powerhouse Ice Miller LLP and the prestigious partner status they had earned, their stable of coworkers swiftly sank from nearly 250 to none. Yet 15 months later, after the pair left the largest law firm in the city, they say they’re quite content practicing together at Miller & Fisher LLC,…

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INVESTING: Rising interest rates not a reason to get defensive

Investors the world over are in an uproar about the increase in U.S. interest rates over the last month. Fundamental guys are screaming that the cost of capital is now prohibitive to further growth. Technical guys are screaming that 25- year support levels were broken and now the floodgates are open to much higher rates. Somewhere a voice of reason needs to be heard. You’ve come to the right place. The fact is that interest rates have been trending higher…

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HUMAN RESOURCES: If you hire in a hurry, you may feel bad for a long time

Of all the components of finding and hiring the right employees, employers consider interviewing job candidates the most difficult. If not done well, interviews can lead an employer to make the wrong decision. Why? Because job candidates rehearse their answers to the traditional interview questions, telling the employers what they want to hear. However, if employers ask behavioral based questions, job candidates can’t manipulate their answers as easily. Perhaps a scenario-a composite taken from typical real-life episodes-will illustrate the difference…

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As barriers drop, even small firms go global: Local company pushed its blood monitor worldwide

Here’s one way to send your company’s revenue through the roof: Push your product into 70 countries around the world. That’s easier said than done, of course. But it’s exactly the path Polymer Technology Systems Inc. took to help quadruple sales of its cholesterol-checking device in the last three years. How Indianapolis-based PTS pulled off the feat shows how even small companies in Middle America can become global enterprises in today’s economy. In fact, the possibility of worldwide expansion is…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Want young employees? Get young technology

I thought I’d explored just about every purpose to which computer hardware and software would lend themselves, but Neil Taflinger of Intake magazine tossed me a new one in the May 17 issue. Technology, he says, is a tool for retaining young employees. Could be, I suppose. Taflinger is one of those young employees he talks about, a real Gen X’er, so he might have some insight here. According to Taflinger, Gen X’ers partly judge any company they work for…

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