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Show m Business Trends D2 H Local Business D3 13 Travel D9 Th Deify Herald Sunday, April 2, 1995 Paralyzed by disease, engineer Spring home buying off to a cautious start works sis!! By EVAN RA&STAD AP Business Writer His HILLSBORO, Ore. eyes speak. They look out from a body that can't move. They see and understand the most complex device ever produced the microprocessor, brain of computers And they keep Mike Ward productive nine years after he developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, known best as Lou Gehrig's disease. Ward is able to work four days a week as a physicist and engineer at Intel Corp., the largest maker of computer chips, because his computer has a camera that follows his eyes, which "type" by looking at letters on ' ,. , By jzs ICfTf '0i j''SmSji ld ; ; Associated Press Writer - Workers at KOKOMO, Ind. Chrysler Corp.'s only automatic transmission factory went on strike Friday, cutting off supply of the crucial parts and threatening to close the No. 3 U.S. automaker's assembly plants. ;At the same time, employees walked out of a General Motors Corp. truck plant in Pontiac, d of Mich., taking down GM's capacity for building e pickup trucks. Both disputes involved efforts by the United Auto Workers to .retain or add jobs in an industry that has cut tens of thousands of U.S. jobs in recent years. "I don't think either side wants Chrysler employee this," Tom Walsh said as 5,700 members of UAW Local 685 walked out of the company's Kokomo plant. "It's not good for us. It's not good for them ... but it's something you sometimes have to do. " Nearly 90 percent of Chrysler's cars and trucks use transmissions made at the Kokomo plant. It supplies assembly operations in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Delaware, Ontario, Mexico and Austria. If the strike continues, the first assembly plants likely to have transmission shortages are in Detroit and Warren, Mich., Toledo, one-thir- fast-selli- full-siz- 22-ye- ar . nimMirMimmnrii iu.JUri'n!!. il" I i. i. AP Photo known as Lou Qherig's disease, Ward is able to work four days a week because the computer on the right has a camera that foliows his eyes, which "type" by seeing letters on the screen. Mike Ward, an engineer and physicist at Intel Corp., works at his computers in his Hillsboro, Oregon, office Tuesday. Nine years after he developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, best keeping PCs on an ever cheaper and more powerful path. He was the key creator of a technique that has saved time and tens of millions of dollars for Intel and other somely," said Casey Bennett, companies. Known as ion milling, it can be thought of as microsurgery in which the scalpel is a beam of ions and the patient is a circuit the width of a human hair. The process is used while testing a new chip design and allows a manufacturer to remove or change a circuit that is believed to be defective without redoing the entire chip. Previously, to be sure that a circuit was responsible for a defect, a new chip would have to be made with everything the same modifications." except the circuit. That took weeks, cost a lot, and, with new generations of chips advancing into (he millions of circuits, becoming impractical. "This technique that Mike has developed has paid off hand who works with Ward in failure analysis and lab design at Intel. "It's an industrywide standard now by which people do circuit Ward began working on ion milling after ALS set in but before it paralyzed him. Now, typing with his eyes, he edits a quarterly newsletter on failure analysis and reviews designs of Intel's production labs. "He's a pretty remarkaule individual," said Ron C. Smith, the manager who leads the Intel Technology Development Group. "I personally probably couldn't do what he 's doing. ' ' ALS is a condition in which nerves that control muscles progressively die, leaving the muscles useless. For Ward, it began with the loss of his voice nine years ago. A few years later, he began using a wheelchair. For the past two years, he has been fed artificially and needed the ventilator to breathe In 1993, he got system called Eyegaze attached to his PC. It follows his eyes by shining an infrared beam on them, then measuring the angle as the beam reflects off his pupils when they look at a monitor. Ward said he is fortunate because Intel has paid for the $25,-00- 0 in accessories and modifications to his PC that allow him to still work. The camera is too big to work with a portable computer. So, away from the office, friends or relatives hold up a piece of cardboard pointing to letters until he blinks to spell out what he wants to say. "Most people cannot buy equipment because there is little state or federal help," Ward said. "Insurance will not buy this stuff." For Intel, the cost of Ward's system is inconsequential. Ohio, and Windsor, Ontario, Chrysler spokesman Alan Miller said. The first shutdowns could come by Monday. The Kokomo workers want Chrysler to commit to producing truck transmissions at their plant. The automaker, which plans to introduce the transmission in the late 1990s, has not said where they will be built. If production is moved elsewhere, several hundred jobs at Kokomo might be cut. "We'd like to keep the jobs here for our kids who are growing up, so they'll have a decent future and decent jobs, " said Dennis Brewer, a Chrysler veteran. Domino effect a strike at Chrysler Corp.'s automatic transmission plant tn Kokomo, kid., persists, it wtti force the company to close plants Of CUt production as they run out of transmissions. UAW Local 594, which represents the 5,500 workers on strike at the truck plant and an engineering center, wants the comny to create jobs at the plant for 1 ,500 workers whose positions were eliminated when GM closed its Pontiac West truck assembly plant in December. GM has faced a string of strikes in the past 15 months, most related to work-forc- e The March 20 issue of the ' magazine rated the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott School of Management 31st out of more than 281 accredited Master of Business Administration programs nationwide. The i, Reuben Clark Law School ranked 48th among . BYU's MBA program moved up one spot in the 1995 rankings, climbing from 32od in 1994 and 35tb in 1993. The law program dropped a few slots in 1995 after gain in posting 8 1994, moving from 45th to 43rd. two-positi- The survey considers student qualifications, placement success, graduation rates, faculty resources, academic quality and general reputation among profes Rochester, N.Y., applications doubled in March over January and February levels, said Gregory A. Samp, president and chief oper- m alternative to higher jS)S5f MICH. II 100 km 7 -- i i V Belvidere Warn Height Sterling J Detroi Windsor, Onfrf W IND. ILL. T Toledo I 0HI 7, fTiCfxi ftZfM f rr APAVm "Organizations are increasingly turning to graduates from the Mprriott School of Management because of our emphasis on ethics, international business and cutting-edg- e ar -- search firm. The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates seven times since 1994 to help keep inflation in check. In its most recent meeting, on March 28, the Fed left rates unchanged. "I think the Fed is done (raising) as far as interest rates are .concerned," said Woods, who says he met recently with Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan to lobby against any further increases. "We wanted to make him aware that you can push and you can push and sometimes when you are very close to the edge it doesn't take much to push the real estate industry into a recession. , If this industry goes down it's going to take a good part of the country with it. ... He (Greenspan) definitely seemed receptive." Economists also think the Fed might be done raising rates lor now, barring another resurgence in inflation. "There are still many mixed signals about the economy. (But) the Fed will probably sit on its hands and remain neutral and not push rates up," said David A. Ler-eachief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association. He and others predicted mortgages will stay in the 8.5 perh, 30-ye- ar cent range through most of the spring. Some predicted rates could actually fall during the second half of the year. "That should be enough incentive for all those fence sitters ,. both buyers and sellers," said Paul Havemann, vice president for HSH Associates. . To be sure, as long-ter- m rates it approached territory, many buyers put their plans on hold while sellers kept their property off the market. Now that rates have receded, real estate agents of expect to see a slight build-u- p inventory. double-dig- "The buyer out there is probably in a good position. I don't think the buyer can afford to make a lot of low-ba- ll offers, but it is a negotiating market, " said John Tuccillo. chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, who sees continued weakness in home prices in the Northeast and West Coast and strength in the Rocky Mountain region. "It's going to be a little tougher to sell your home in "95 than in '94," he said. David Seiders, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders, says new home inventory also had increased because of the higher interest rates. At the end of January, there were 344,000 unsold new homes, vs. 295,000 in 1994 and 266.000 in 1993. y4 fteivktere, M.: Dodge and Plymouth rteori. Ostrott Jefferson North: Mip Grand Cherokee. anton. Mo.: Plymouth, Dodge and Chrysler minivaiW. Fenton, Mo. Sterling Heightt, Mich.: Chrysler Cirrus, vooge smm. Lego Alberto 0 Toiado, Ohio: Jeep Wrangler and Cherokee, Dodoe Dakota pickups. f V 9 mrrm. Iftch.: Dodge Dakota and Dodge Ram pickups. Brampton, Ontario: Chrysler Concorde. New Yorker, LHSi Dodge Intrepid, tagle Vision. Windsor. Ontario: Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager. e Dodoe vans (separate piantj Windtor. Ontario: Toiuca Uao Aibarto, Wexico: Dodge Ram pickups. Toiuca, Mawco: Dodge and Plymouth Neon. GfM, Austria (no( shown. Jeep Gtand Cherokee and Chrysler mmivans. sionals in the field in establishing the annual rankings. K. Fred Skousen, dean of the Marriott School of Management, said high marks from the survey benefit current students as well as alumni and future students in the MBA program. m The average ARM rate is now 6.5 percent for the first year up from around 5 percent for most of last year. By comparison, the aver t wise. long-ter- rates. 100 miles Source Chrysler Corp. accredited law seen a 30 percent increase in mortgage applications in March over January. He expects business to pick up significantly after June, although he harbors no grandiose expectations. "I could feel comfortable that the last half of the year could equal or be better than the last half of last which wasn't that good," year said. Wynn At Sibley Mortgage Corp. in that the gap between long-an- d short-terrates has narrowed. Over the past few months, many fee affect&d: size. schools. . home buyers had opted for adjustable rate mortgages as an affordable 17-ye- ar close. and heightened demand should once again create more of a "buyers' market, ' ' they say Ronnie J. Wynn, president of Colonial Mortgage Co. in Montgomery, Ala., said he's already buying homes. However, we're next-generati- The strike against GM shut down the automaker's Pontiac East truck assembly plant, exacerbating the company's problems in meeting buyer demand. But unlike the Chrysler walkout, other GM plants won't immediately be forced to showed. Still, industry professionals are cautiously optimistic business will pick up in the spring and summer, traditionally the busiest time of the year. A built-u- p supply of homes certainly seeing a solid upturn," he said. One change lenders say they've noticed this year is a strong preference for fixed-rat- e mortgages now It Plants the! could fell, recently released reports ating officer. "We're not seeing any rush into J. Casieik) Law schools rank in top 50 Brtgham Young University's graduate law and business programs have been rated among the top 50 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report magazine. tumn and winter. "Three to four months ago real estate was dreadful," said Edmund G. Woods Jr., president of the National Association of Realtors. "Realtors have told me they have never had a worse fall in all the years they 've been in business. "There now seems to have been a resurgence of interest and activity." A gradual drop in long-terrates over the past several weeks is giving the industry its much-neede- d boost, although the trade group and several economists predict a moderate decline in overall home sales from a year ago. By the realtors' account, sales of previously owned homes are expected to drop around 6 percent this year, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of around 3.7 million. For February alone, sales plunged 5 percent while housing starts also m Strikes close Chrysler parts factory, GM truck plant By ANTHONY JEWELL - The spring NEW YORK home buying season is off to a cautious start this year, with lenders and real estate agents hoping more customers emerge from hibernation now that interest rates Any improvement would be welcome after a disappointing au- the screen. When he finishes a sentence and looks at "enter' a voice synthesizer speaks the words he wrote. This is how he carries on a conversation. Ward's eyes also enable him to ' use regular PC software, such as a word processor or which keeps him in touch with colleagues and other disabled computer users around the world. father of Ward, a two, is probably one of the most extremely disabled persons at work in the nation today. He cannot talk or eat. An artificial ventilator helps him breathe. It is sweet irony that he remains active because of innovation in high technology, including, in part, his own work. But it hasn't been easy. "In general, I have had to find this equipment on my own," Ward said in an interview in which he spoke through his computer. "1 searched and experimented to find what worked. I have pushed people to develop what I need." v He is like tens of thousands of people with disabilities who are assisted by personal computers. They form a market that's become so large mat a few computer companies, such as IBM and Digital Equipment, have developers and marketers solely devoted to it. Ward stands out, though, because of his own contribution to AP Business Writer have stabilized. ' fixed convenage rate on a tional mortgage is around 8.5 percent down from an around 9.25 percent in January, although essentially the same as in April 1 994, according to HSH Associates, a Butler, N. I. based mortgage re30-ye- VIVIAN MARINO management tech- niques, all of which are becoming more and more important in today's business environment," he "Being ranked among the top 50 law schools in the nation positively affects the number of stu-- . dents who apply as well as the number of students who actually decide to come to BYU," said Scott Cameron, associate dean of BYU's Law School. Technology stocks off to strong start in early 1995 NEW YORK (AP) - They were the standout stocks of 1994, when most of the broad market indicators were struggling just to break even. As of late March, five of the eight best performers this year to date among 95 industry groups tracked by Dow Jones & Co. came from the technology sector. Semiconductor stocks, in the No. 1 spot, boasted a gain of better than 36 percent. Advanced medical devices, ranked No. 3, and industrial technology. No. 4, were each up more than 1 8 percent. Office equipment, in sixth place, was up 17 percent, and software and processing, No. 8, was up more than 16 percent. "The bull market in technology stocks remains intact," observed analysts at Natwest Securities Corp. "We continue to believe they will be the primary beneficiaries of U.S. economic expansion, even at a slower pace of growth. "Investments in technology remain a key to productivity improvements. The sector should also benefit from global economic recovery and a favorable U.S. dollar exchange rate.' The tech stocks' steady advance shows that some economic and in- vestment trends aren't affected much by lluctuations in interest rates and short-terwiggles on the charts of business activity. By contrast, some cyclical industrial and manufacturing stocks that fared so well in 1994 have bogged down so far this year amid evidence that the economy is slowing. Steel stocks, down a little more than 10 percent, stood dead last among the industry groups for the m year through late March. Auto manufacturing, down 7 percent, and nonferrous metals, down more than 6 percent, were other notable losers. Presumably, the cyclical and inter- stocks could switch roles again as the year progresses if investors start to conclude that a "soft landing" for the economy is est-sensitive setting the stage for renewed strong growth later on. But after a first quarter in which the Dow Jones industrial average broke 4.UU0 and the Standard & k Poor's composite index cleared 500 for the first time, many analysts are cautioning that enthusiasm for stocks in general may be getting a bit excessive. "Stocks need a breather, declares Standard & Poor's advisory The Outlook. "As the market advance proceeds, value becomes more difficult to find. " 500-stoc- |