The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 43

Classified Looking for a pal? Try our pet listings 6-14E BUSINESS Dilbert 2E Livestock 3E THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2002 CdiMM may esrape AMpMa woes similar companies, piling up the losses as they sought to lay fiber-optic lines and build operations to compete with telephone companies like BellSouth. The Telecommunications Act of 19 paved the way for these companies to compete with the phone companies, which have Please see ADELPHIA, 2E By RICHARD LAWSON Staff Writer The Tennessee Titans now join other professional teams with stadiums that have carried the name of a bankrupt company. But the team doesn't expect it to affect the name of Adelphia Coliseum. Coudersport, Pa-based Adelphia Business Solutions announced yesterday that it Astros Field. PSINet, an Internet technology company based in suburban Washington, D.C, had its name on the Baltimore Ravens stadium The Ravens regained the naming rights last month and is seeking another buyer.

Adelphia Business Solutions has struggled for nearly two years, along with other likewise don't anticipate a change in a way we do business together. We hope to continue our relationship with Adelphia Communications, the parent company of Adelphia Business Solutions, and do not expect to change the name of the stadium in the future." Actually, Adelphia Communications is no longer the Titans' stadium in downtown Nashville. "We are aware of the situation and understand the reasons behind it," Steve Underwood, the Titans executive vice president and general counsel, said in a prepared statement. "Adelphia indicates that it does not plan to change its relationship with us, and we parent company. In January, it spun off all of its stock in Adelphia Business Solutions to that company's shareholders.

Houston-based Enron Corp. was the most recent notable bankrupt company to have its name on a stadium. The Houston Astros has changed the name of its baseball park from Enron Field to filed for bankruptcy protection in New York, citing mountains of debt It listed debt of $8825 million and assets of $222 millioa The telecommunications company, which has customers in Tennessee, has a 15-year, $30 million deal for the right to put its name on the Jt mi I Albertson's fails in quest to sell stores Grocer closing 7 locations hC 0 vi -S 1 1 I A '2. is i JOHN PARTIPILO STAFF Saturn employees at the Spring Hill plant watch a live satellite broadcast of GM North America President Gary Cowger announcing the new Ion to attendees of the New York International Auto Show. By KETm RUSSELL Staff Writer Albertson's Inc.

yesterday said it will close its seven remaining Middle Tennessee stores next Thursday after being unable to find buyers for the properties. Officials with Boise, Idaho-based Albertson's informed the company's approximately 675 area employees of the closings in meetings yesterday morning. The stores in Bellevue, Hermitage, Hendersonville, Franklin, Brentwood and Columbia are scheduled to shut their doors at 5 pm on April 4. Franklin has two locations, Nonsupervisory employees at six of the seven Albertson's stores are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1995. Jeff Francis, the union's secretary-treasurer, said employees were taken aback by news of the closings.

"Employees are never comfortable being told their job has been eliminated, especially with one week's notice," Francis said. Store employees will continue to be paid and receive benefits through May 27. The company also said it is working with area employment agencies to explore job opportunities for those affected by the closings. Albertson's entered the Nashville market in 1998 when it bought the FoodMax and Bruno's supermarkets. The company operates more than 2,400 retail stores in 33 states under eight different brands, including Albertson's and Seessel's in Tennessee.

The company in July announced plans to close 165 stores nationwide as part of a cost-cutting effort designed to save $500 million annually. The wave of closings hit Nashville last month when Albertson's shuttered four of its 11 area stores. The company then two weeks ago announced plans to leave the Nashville market entirely and seek buyers for its remaining seven stores. Yesterday, Albertson's spokeswoman Jeannette Duwe said those efforts have so far proven unsuccessful. "Our goal was first to sell to another grocer.

We exhausted all of those avenues," Duwe said. Duwe declined to discuss specific details about her company's efforts to sell its Nashville stores. Albertson's owns its store locations in Bellevue and Hendersonville and leases space for its remaining store operations. More on3E Nissan yesterday unveiled a new "urban" sport utility vehicle, which will be Building Yue, Ion pushes Saturn plant to capacity made in Japan. Toyota is rolling out a brand of cars under the Scion name.

The bbX, at left, is representative of the company's pitch to younger consumers. By BUSH BERNARD Staff Writer NEW YORK The new Saturn Ion unveiled yesterday morning will provide job security for workers at Despite retiring the Camaro and the another derivative to kind of squeeze in there, but for now, these two vehicles will do it," said Jim Ulrich, head of Saturn's engineering department The Spring Hill plant, which employs more than Please see SATURN, 3E new small-car line is set to begin this fall at the plant, replacing Saturn's standard S-series. Between the Ion, which has sedan and coupe versions, and the Vue, Saturn's new sport utility vehicle, the Spring Hill plant will be operating near capacity. "We can always look for Firebird, General Motors is bringing back the GTO. They wont be quite the same as the automaker Spring Hill plant, company officials said.

Production on Saturn's the 1965, at right. CMA wants Fan Fair-friendly Second Ave. Travel fiim lands contract Sailair Travel, a Nashville-based firm specializing in groups and convention travel, has landed a contract to handle hotel, travel and other arrangements for Lupus 2004 in New York. The meeting is expected to draw about 1 ,700 participants. Lupus is any one of several diseases characterized by skin lesions.

1 jJ 1 Coming Sunday "I thought it was a good idea and something we'd like to make work," said Marilyn Edwards, director of marketing and special events for the Mayor's Office of Economic and Community Development One thought is to create a festival and allow Second Avenue merchants to extend their businesses onto the sidewalks. A small task force was formed to come up with other ideas, which might be presented to a larger group next week. where the meeting took place. He mentioned past, less-than-successful attempts to remove vehicles from Second Avenue for certain events. The idea should be to entertain and create activity so people will want to come back, he and others said, adding that it could be used as a way to attract more Nashvillians downtown during Fan Fair.

The mayor's office supports the idea of making Second Avenue pedestrian-only for Fan Fair. By RICHARD LAWSON Staff Writer The Country Music Association has floated a proposal with Metro and downtown merchants to make Second Avenue a pedestrian-only area for this year's Fan Fair. Merchants met yesterday for the first time to discuss the viability of shutting Second Avenue North from Broadway to Union Street for the June 13-16 event, which draws tens of thousands of people annually to see some of their favorite coun- try music artists. They generally liked the idea of a pedestrian-only area However, they raised questions about what should be done so that it complements Fan Fair, which will be downtown for the second year. "Closing this street, thinking it is going to be Disney World, is not going to happen," said Lindsay Bohannon, owner of Market Street Brewery Public House at 132 Second Ave.

hi Business Editor BIHChoyke, 664-2156 nessean.com Assistant Business Editor Kevin Paulk, 259-8284 TENNESSEAN FILE Traffic clogs Second Avenue during the summer. Kohl's Corp. brings four stores and Its brand of convenience to the Mid-state next month. We explore the company's practices and its place in our retail landscape. A reminder The U.S.

markets are closed tomorrow for Good Friday. On Sunday, look for our first 2002 quarterly stocks report for Tennessee companies. Plan to move July 4 fireworks irks downtown merchants before the news appeared in The Fair country music gathering, they nessean.com To report business news: nessean.com By RICHARD LAWSON Staff Writer After winning favor from downtown merchants with his low-cost parking option, Mayor Bill Purcell has sparked their heavy criticism over plans to move the July 4 fireworks show out of downtown. A group of them is demanding a meeting with Purcell to discuss the issue and wants him to change his mind on relocating the 18-year-old event, which draws people each year, to Centennial Park. In a meeting yesterday morning to discuss plans for this year's Fan Closing figures for March 27, 2002 DowJones 10,426.91 A73.55 A .71 vowed to apply pressure on the mayor, possibly through petitions or Metro Council "I don't think it can be changed," said Marilyn Edwards, director of marketing and special events for the Mayor's Office of Economic and Community Development She said she couldn't be sure, however, and promised to take their message to PurcelL Several downtown business people directed their displeasure at Edwards.

They said quite forcefully that they should have been told about a possible change of venue Tennessean "This, right here, is like a stab," said Leon Vlahos, who owns Pralines by Leon in Butler's Run off Second Avenue. The deputy mayor, Bill Phillips, said Tuesday that the fireworks would move because construction on the Shelby Avenue Bridge posed safety concerns. Edwards apologized to the merchants and tried to explain the administration's reasoning, indicating that perhaps the work to refur- Please see FIREWORKS, 2E m'ii A 6.09 A .53 A 2.58 A .14 A 2.75 A1.18 A 4.19 A .84 1144.58 1826.75 235.36 505.85 Nasdaq Tenn. Index Russell 2000 "Bloomberg News TENNESSEAN FILE Mayor Bill PurceH's plan to move the Fourth of July fireworks out of downtown has sparked www.termesseanxom Working for Small Business. i ii i i i i-t r- uj I --J ,1: t-j (f First Tennessee has all the tools you need to make your business dollars won naraer.

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