Mayor ups ante on Crosby

It's nothing personal, just hardball politics — that's how several Boston city councilors viewed Mayor Martin J. Walsh's decision to call out state gaming czar Stephen Crosby this week, pressuring him to step down from deliberations over who gets the eastern Massachusetts casino license.

"I'm not aware of any bad blood between Walsh and Crosby, but having worked with (the city law department), they always felt the Gaming Commission has not been fair to the city of Boston," said Councilor Sal LaMattina of East Boston. "I've told the commissioner himself that I'm frustrated with how the commission has treated Boston, and not allowing us to be a host community."

City Councilor Michael Flaherty said he was not aware of any prior dust-ups between the mayor, a former state rep, and Crosby when both men served on Beacon Hill. Crosby was secretary of administration and finance under governors Paul Cellucci and Jane M. Swift.

"Marty, as the CEO of the city, has a responsibility to fight for the best deal for Boston, particularly for the impacted communities of East Boston or Charlestown, and the City Council supports his efforts," Flaherty said.

Boston is demanding host community status to proposed casinos on its borders in Revere and Everett, and has rebuffed offers from the commission to hold a hearing to decide the matter. Walsh has called for votes in East Boston and Charlestown on the Mohegan Sun-Suffolk Downs and Wynn Resorts projects because of the impacts Boston would face despite the gaming parlors not being within city limits.

In a letter to the commission Thursday calling on Crosby to remove himself from the greater Boston casino vote, a city lawyer accused the chairman of making "prejudicial" statements critical of the city for asserting its host status. It also cited a lawsuit against Crosby by Caesars Entertainment that claims he favored the Wynn casino proposal that would be built on property in Everett owned in part by Crosby's former business partner.

"I think emotions are running high, probably higher than is warranted. The chairman is a good man. The mayor is a good man. And we want a good solution," Gov. Deval Patrick said yesterday. "I wish there was, frankly, kind of a cooling-off period, and there are days when I wish that they would start over."

Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Gaming Commission, said Crosby has no plans of recusing himself. "At this point, the chairman will be continuing with his participation," she told the Herald, declining to discuss the matter further.

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Finish line to see tight security

The parties will go on this year along the Boston Marathon route, but attendees can expect tighter security at some of the more popular bashes in the wake of last year's bombings — especially those near the race's Boylston Street finish line.

Hosts have hired security contingents and are requiring RSVPs and names on lists for entry to parties that in year's past maintained more of a drop-in, open-house policy.

A "significant" show of security, including city and state police, will be at 
Forum on Boylston Street, outside of which the first bomb exploded last year in the middle of the Joe 
Andruzzi Foundation's marathon fundraising party.

The restaurant will host the foundation's party again this year.

"There's going to be a significant presence there as opposed to years past," 
Forum spokeswoman Nicole Russo said. "Forum will have their own security on hand, but they also have been working with city and state authorities, and they will have a presence as well."

Marlo Marketing/Communications, whose office overlooks Boylston Street, hired a security team for the first time for its seventh annual party that typically attracts up to 200 over the course of the day.

"We've never done security before, we've never even done a formal RSVP," owner Marlo Fogelman said. "This year we asked for an RSVP, and have security guards at the front door. I (will have) people down there who will be checking names as well. It's just going to give us some control and a sense of safety with who's in the office."

The two-level office of the firm — one of many Boylston Street businesses that were shut down for more than a week following the bombings — is right next to Forum, and shrapnel from the first bomb hit its windows.

"Nothing incredibly damaging ... pictures were off walls, and our sign fell off. Tons of dust and smoke and debris came in," said Fogelman, who never gave a thought to not hosting the party again this year.

"(The security) was just something I wanted to do for the safety of our guests and the safety of everybody."

Meanwhile, the Charlesmark Hotel, which will be holding its 14th annual marathon party on its Boylston Street patio, plans no extra security this year beyond its usual door people and management staff.

"Business as usual for us," said operating partner Mark Hagopian, who felt the blast of the first bomb last year and captured the immediate chaos on video. "We're open to the public, and we're calling it a marathon celebration party, same as we do every year."

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Brighton women arraigned in elder scam

A probate lawyer urged seniors to give power of attorney only to someone they know well after two Brighton women were arraigned yesterday on a 63-count indictment accusing them of stealing more than $450,000 from a disabled elderly neighbor by leveraging the woman's cat to gain control of her finances.

Bob O'Regan, a partner in the Boston law firm Burns and Levinson, said before seniors become frail and dependent, they should grant someone they know is trustworthy "durable power of attorney," or written authorization to act on their behalf in private, business or legal matters, even after they lose the mental capacity to supervise the person.

"Too often, you have a senior citizen who lives alone, whose family is far away or not in much contact with them, and they become dependent on the wrong people," O'Regan said. "As their health declines, they sign documents to make life easier. That's a license to steal."

That's what prosecutors allege Randi Berkowitz, 63, did to a 74-year-old neighbor with progressive dementia after Berkowitz and her roommate, Patricia DiGiacomo, 58, ingratiated themselves with the woman by caring for her 7-year-old tabby, "Puddy Cat."

Berkowitz and DiGiacomo then used the woman's money to buy a 2010 Mini Cooper, an iPad, exercise equipment, meals, specialty kitchen supplies and other items for themselves and ultimately got her to transfer ownership of her condominium to Berkowitz, prosecutors said.

Berkowitz's attorney, Susan Rayburn, said the defendants had a "loving relationship" with their elderly neighbor, and authorities' pursuit of them has been a "witch hunt."

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Tapping into the Great Outdoors

Even if you live in an urban building, you can still have access to the outdoors.

A number of new residential buildings in Boston are creating outdoor spaces — roof decks, garden terraces, courtyards and pools — to connect those who live there with nature.

Copley Wolff Design Group, a Hub landscape architecture firm, is designing outdoor spaces in more than a dozen new buildings, including the Kensington, The Victor, 315 on A, West Square and upcoming work at the Lovejoy Wharf, the Ink Block, One Canal and 101 Seaport.

"Apartment units have gotten smaller and to attract tenants you need to have a lot of common space that's like an extension of their apartments, where they can hang out," said John Copley, principal at Copley Wolff. "Outdoor spaces flowing off these rooms have become an important part of marketing new buildings."

Copley Wolff works with the architects and marketers to create unique concepts for each building,

At the Kensington, Copley and landscape architects Michael D'Angelo and Cortney Kirk created an outdoor lounge and pool area on the sixth floor. The outdoor lounge has a gas fireplace, a built-in flat screen TV and comfortable couches. The deck steps up to a swimming pool with an ipe wood deck, lounge chairs, a trellis for shade and city views.

Fred Goldberg, general manager of the Kensington, said the pool and outdoor lounge, which will open for the season next week, proved popular with tenants last fall.

"It's a huge wow factor to show to prospective tenants," Goldberg said.

At 315 on A, Copley Wolff created an entirely different feel with a 20th floor common roof deck with views over the Seaport District to Boston Harbor. The ipe-decked space has large sliding doors that connect it to a common kitchen/lounge area, and there's two infrared gas grills and dining tables. On the ground level, Copley lined a long entry driveway with upright hornbeam trees and ornamental grasses.

At The Victor apartment complex in North Station, the firm put in larger trees on one rooftop terrace and grass on another.

They've also created an interior courtyard at West Square in South Boston so first-floor units open onto a landscaped area with grass and shrubs.

"Interior courtyards help in leasing what could be seen as less-desirable units without city views," Copley said.

Copley is designing a large pool, plaza and roof decks for the Ink Block now under construction and a park-sized 15,642-square-foot fifth-floor landscaped roof deck at 101 Seaport Square with Boston Harbor views that will be open to the public.

"Roof decks let people get outside quickly, rather than having to walk four or five blocks to a park," said Kirk. "Nature in the city has become a building amenity."

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Following the money

Steven Palladino has been charged with 25 counts of criminal contempt for violating court orders freezing his assets, drawing thousands in cash advances and spending lavishly at high-end restaurants and stores. Some of his alleged purchases include:

Date Violation Amount

5/31/2013 Cash Advance on Bank of America Credit Card $2,500.00

6/12/2013 Bank of America Credit Card Purchase at Strega Restaurant $372.40

6/25/2013 Sale of Ford F-350 Truck $9,500.00

6/30/2013 CitiBank Credit Card Purchase at Bloomingdale's $770.31

7/15/2013 CitiBank Credit Card Purchase at Mercedes-Benz of Westwood $500.00

7/19/2013 CitiBank Credit Card Purchase at Barney's $1,046.25

10/9/2013 CitiBank Credit Card Purchase at Smith & Wollensky restaurant $376.19

11/15/2013 CitiBank Credit Card Purchase at Tartufo Restaurant $137.35

11/15/2013 CitiBank Credit Card Purchase of Coins at Kenmore Collectibles $4,170.00

11/15/2013 Cash Advance on CitiBank Credit Card $1,000.00

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Big cuts at UMass hospital

Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health Care, the biggest hospital system west of Boston, is slashing hundreds of jobs and cutting services in an attempt to close a gaping budget hole.

The 103 job cuts come on top of 285 positions eliminated since October. UMass Memorial Medical Center President Patrick Muldoon told the Herald the changes are needed because the hospital has seen a dip in patient volume. He didn't rule out future cuts.

"We continue to look at lots of options," Muldoon said. UMass Memorial posted a $55 million budget deficit last fiscal year.

The changes announced yesterday include the closing or consolidating of operating rooms, inpatient rooms, endoscopy services, IV therapy and more. UMass Memorial CEO Eric Dickson said in a blog post that the big Worcester hospital can't be all things to all people any more and must shrink its footprint.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association blasted the changes, which it said would cause 81 nurses to lose their jobs. The union negotiated contracts last year that forced the hospital to hire more nurses.

"All the gains we made with the hospital over the year — we are in fear of being undermined by this constant barrage of cuts," union spokesman David Schildmeier said. "We believe this is going to have a really negative impact on the quality of care for the patients."

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China's growth slows to 7.4 percent in 1Q

BEIJING — China's economic growth slowed further in the latest quarter but appeared strong enough to satisfy Chinese leaders who are trying to put the country on a more sustainable path without politically dangerous job losses.

The world's second-largest economy grew by 7.4 percent over a year earlier, down from the previous quarter's 7.7 percent, government data showed Wednesday. It matched a mini-slump in late 2012 for the weakest growth since the 2008-09 global crisis.

Beijing is trying to guide the impetus for China's economic growth toward domestic consumption instead of trade and investment following the past decade's explosive expansion. The top economic official, Premier Li Keqiang, last week ruled out new stimulus and said leaders will focus on " sustainable and healthy development."

"Chinese growth held up better than expected last quarter and there are signs that downwards pressure on growth has eased somewhat," said analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics in a report.

Retail sales and factory output were weaker than in the previous quarter but improved in March. On a quarter-to-quarter basis, economic growth from January to March slowed to 1.4 percent from the previous period's 1.8 percent.

The data reflect official efforts to shift emphasis from industry to services such as restaurants and retailing that generate more jobs with less investment.

"The resilience of the relatively labor-intensive services sector has helped the labor market hold up reasonably well," said RBS economic Louis Kuijs in a report.

The latest growth is below the official annual target of 7.5 percent announced last month. But Chinese leaders appear willing to miss that target so long as the economy creates enough jobs to avoid potential unrest. In a sign of concern about employment, they launched a mini-stimulus in March of higher spending on building railways and low-cost housing.

"Policymakers appear comfortable with the current pace of growth," said Pritchard. "The policy response to today's numbers is likely to be muted."

The quarterly expansion matched the third quarter of 2012, when growth tumbled after global demand for China's exports weakened unexpectedly while the government was tightening lending and investment controls to cool surging inflation.

The past decade's rapid growth, which peaked at 14.2 percent in 2007, was driven by an export boom and spending on factories, apartment towers and other assets. But that model is losing its ability to drive growth. It also left China with badly polluted air and water.

Chinese leaders have promised sweeping changes to make the economy more competitive and efficient, including opening more industries to private and foreign competitors.

They have issued a steady drumbeat of minor changes in recent months such as making it easier to register a business but more basic change such as in the state-controlled banking system is politically fraught and could take years.

Last year's economic growth of 7.7 percent was the strongest of any major economy but tied 2012 for China's slowest expansion since the 1990s.

Weaker growth could have global repercussions, hurting Asian economies and others such as Australia and Brazil for which China is the leading market for iron ore, other commodities and industrial components.

Chinese imports suffered an unexpectedly sharp contraction of 11.3 percent in March in a sign of weak demand for raw materials in manufacturing and construction.

___

National Bureau of Statistics (in Chinese): www.stats.gov.cn

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Asia shares rise, shrug off slower China growth

TOKYO — Shares rose Wednesday in Asia as positive sentiment from strong corporate earnings outweighed Ukraine's crisis and slower economic growth in China.

The Nikkei jumped 2.5 percent to 14,347.41 as a weaker yen boosted exporter stocks and Softbank Corp. shares soared nearly 9 percent after Chinese e-commerce Alibaba Group Holding Co., in which it holds a 37 percent stake, reported strong earnings.

Japanese stocks are still in recovery mode after last week's global rout in technology shares. Markets were also relieved a slowdown in China's growth, to 7.4 percent in the first quarter, was more modest than forecast.

That was the slowest pace of expansion since the third quarter of 2012, but slightly higher than the average of analyst forecasts. China's economy, the world's second largest, grew 7.7 percent in the final quarter of last year. Beijing is targeting 7.5 percent growth for 2014.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.6 percent to 22,800.11 and South Korea's Kospi index edged up 0.1 percent to 1,993.62.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Shanghai Composite added 0.3 percent to 2,107.06. Markets also rose in Southeast Asia, Australia and India.

Concerns over Ukraine, which sent tanks and troops to reclaim government buildings occupied by pro-Russian gunmen in its eastern region, pulled shares lower Tuesday.

But a late afternoon rebound spurred by strong corporate earnings lifted Wall Street, where the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.6 percent to 16,262.56 and the Standard & Poor's 500 climbed 0.7 percent to 1,842.98. Even the tech-heavy Nasdaq recovered, gaining 0.3 percent to 4,034.16.

European shares remained gloomy.

Germany's DAX fell 1.8 percent to close at 9,173.71 and France's CAC 40 dropped 0.9 percent at 4,345.35. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.6 percent to 6,541.61.

In currencies, the dollar was trading at 102.19 yen, up from 101.86 yen late Tuesday. The euro was trading at $1.3818, compared with $1.3814.

Benchmark U.S. crude contract for May delivery was up 7 cents at $103.82 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It closed Tuesday at $103.75, down 30 cents.

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Healey backs repeal on casinos

Attorney general candidate Maura Healey is backing efforts to repeal the state casino law — a notable break from her former boss Martha Coakley, whose office has tried to keep it off November's ballot — in what could prove a looming issue in the race and for Coakley's successor.

"I come down on the side of the voters here," Healey told the Herald yesterday after first posting her position on the liberal blog Blue Mass Group. "I don't discount the legal arguments. There are close calls and jump balls, and you do the best you can to make a thoughtful and informed decision. ... I would have come down on the side of letting this go forward on the ballot."

Coakley's office shot down a ballot initiative to repeal the state's gaming law last September, arguing casino developers had paid millions in application fees and other costs. Repeal advocates have appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court, which will hear arguments next month.

Healey, who oversaw two bureaus under Coakley when the AG's office denied the ballot initiative, said she didn't have a role in the decision. But she said she opposes gambling as an economic engine and warned of the social ills casinos could spur.

"I don't want people to get hurt," she said.

Former state Sen. Warren Tolman, who is running against Healey on the Democratic ticket, said he's against repeal and noted he's heard "a lot of support" for the economic development Springfield residents hope a casino would spur.

"It's not a decision that I would make for my own hometown of Watertown but it's one that a number of communities have made," he said.

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Bowman: Preparation key to business lunch

In today's fast-paced global world, timeless people skills are more important than ever — and becoming more scarce. You need to stand apart to get ahead.

This column will showcase business situations and how to leverage them. The goal is to inspire trust, forge relationships and advance professionally.

We start with the business lunch. Many business transactions are either strengthened or shattered during lunch. When you demonstrate attention to detail at lunch, it could translate into showing you'll have the same savvy in business dealings.

Here's some tips on a successful lunch:

•   Email the day before to confirm and exchange cellphone numbers.

•   Observe "The 15-Minute Rule" — arrive 15 minutes early to meet the wait staff; learn names and select a good table; review seating (the most important person sits to host's right); and review order of ordering. (First, person of honor. Second, ladies. Third, gentlemen. Last, host orders.)

•   Arrange for the check in advance so it is never presented at the table.

•   Stand in the waiting area and personally greet guests and offer easy "small talk."

•   Do a "time check" with your guests and honor their schedule.

•   Suggest looking at menus to get ordering under way and share uninterrupted time together.

•   Match dining companion course-for-course; it's not necessary to match alcohol, but consider anything but tap water.

•   Eat when your guest eats and focus on the speaker, not your food.

•   When holding glasses, use the first three fingers and avoid "The Death Grip!"

•   Taste before seasoning your food, to avoid being viewed as rushing to judgment.

•   When it comes to the bread, break off one bite-sized piece at a time; "you touch it, you own it!"

•   When it comes to table talk, engage with those seated on either side; contribute, be inclusive.

•   Write down personal information discussed and use it in subsequent communication to advance relationships.

•   Send "Thank you" notes either as an email or, my favorite, the timeless "thank you" note. Remember repetition is reputation. Enjoy this time getting to know the other person who has invested their time with you.

•   And don't send food back, ask for "doggie bags" or share food.

Follow these simple rules, and lunch will pay for itself.

Judith Bowman is president of her own consulting company. Visit her website protocolconsultants.com to learn more.

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Startup Spritz enhances reading speed

Reading lengthy and even tedious content is about to get a lot quicker, if one Boston startup has its way, with technology that makes it less work for your eyes.

Spritz, a technology that can be built into websites and mobile apps, has launched on the mobile websites of two international news outlets in Germany and Ireland, with many more to come, said CEO and co-founder Frank Waldman.

"These first two are just the beginning," Waldman said. "Our goal is to get a million as quick as possible, and then a billion readers."

Spritz's method of speed-reading flashes the words one at a time in the same place, cutting down on time spent moving eyes around a screen. The company says 80 percent of time spent reading is moving eyes around the page. Spritz suggests users start at the 250 word-per-minute setting, but goes up to 600 words-per-minute. Various studies estimate the average reading speed is between 200 and 300 words per minute.

Visitors to the German news site bild.de — Maik Maurer, Spritz's CTO and co-founder, is German — or newstalk.ie's mobile site can "stream" articles, with many more coming. Earlier this month, Spritz opened up its technology to developers, and has already seen 25,000 requests to use it. Those requests, slowly being filled by Spritz, include everything from small blogs to e-commerce sites to a major U.S. newspaper that Waldman is not allowed to identify.

The demand, Waldman said, is because Spritz can increase engagement on news sites, a key driver of advertiser dollars.

"We're expecting people will read more of their content," he said. Waldman said Spritz's research shows that people read twice as much content using the technology.

"If you read twice as fast, you'll read the same amount of time, but twice as much," he said.

Still, Waldman knows there are many who love their books and could be 
resistant to speeding through everything.

"It's not for everybody," he said. "It's perfect for certain kinds of content that you have to read, you just want to consume it, get the facts and move on."

Another use for Spritz, Waldman said, is in the rapidly emerging wearable technology industry.

Spritz is included in Samsung's Gear 2, which went on sale last week. With a 1.63-inch screen, the smartwatch doesn't offer room for in-depth reading, but Spritz lets users do it anyway, Waldman said.

"Our mission is to get the world to change how they read, one word at a time," he said.

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Samsung rolls out spiffy new Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy S5 ($199.99 with a two-year contract, AT&T, Verizon Wireless)

Another year, another Galaxy smartphone from Samsung. Running the latest version of Android on a super-fast quad-core processor, the Galaxy S5 includes a fingerprint scanner and a heart-rate monitor for fitness buffs.

The Good: With a 5-inch screen, a variety of color options and a sleek, metal-rimmed design, the S5 comes as close to a perfect form factor as you'll find for an Android phone. Added conveniences include the ability to use the touchscreen while wearing gloves and air-gestures that recognize when you're hovering over your phone. It's also super-resistant to wear and tear, with the ability 
to survive being dunked under water.

The Bad: If you don't get the fingerprint scanner just right each time, you'll end up relying on the old-
fashioned password.

The Bottom Line: This is a top-of-the-line smartphone with a top-of-the-line price. If you're an Android owner looking for an upgrade, look no further.

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Tracking Gambling’s impact

Members of the state Gaming Commission will meet with a UMass Amherst-led research team this week for a progress report on the first year of a groundbreaking study that will help shape how the commission and the Legislature respond to the social and economic impacts of casino gambling.

Chairman Stephen Crosby and Commissioner Enrique Zuniga will meet Tuesday with researchers the commission hired last spring to conduct the study, which will cost 
$3.5 million for the first three years, with one-year extensions possible at a cost yet to be determined.

"This is a unique study in the history of gaming," Crosby said, noting it is the first one to trace the impact of casinos in real time, from before they are built to years afterward. "If the research identifies problems emerging, that data will inform us as we try to identify strategies to mitigate any negative consequences."

By mid-May, the researchers expect to complete a baseline survey of 10,000 randomly selected adults to determine whether they gamble, drink or engage in other behaviors that have been linked to gambling, said Rachel Volberg, a UMass Amherst sociologist and the study's principal investigator.

"This is an attempt to take a snapshot of what gambling behavior looks like in Massachusetts before casinos," said Volberg, whose 15-member team includes researchers from MIT, the University of Nevada and the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada.

The team also is working with the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling and the state Department of Public Health to evaluate services for problem gamblers over the past 10 years, she said. Future prevention and treatment services, as well as the study, will be paid for with casino revenues through a public health trust fund DPH will oversee.

"Every jurisdiction is unique, but in general, what we've seen elsewhere is an increase in the prevalence of problem gambling in the wake of the introduction or expansion of gaming," said Volberg, who has studied gambling in more than two dozen states and 15 countries. "But that's typically been followed by a reduction as individuals and communities adapt and as services are introduced."

Richard McGowan, a Boston College professor and expert on gaming, called the study worthwhile and said it should have been done sooner, even though it comes with some caveats.

"One of the problems is people are going to want to know what's the actual social cost of gambling, and it's virtually impossible to do," McGowan said. "How do you figure the cost of divorce (as a result of problem gambling)? I don't know."

Equally difficult, Volberg said, is how to start a conversation about problem gambling with an addict.

"We've learned a lot," she said, "but we're still learning."

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Seatbelt warning chimes in even though belt’s buckled

I really appreciated your response to the non-seatbelt wearer! I wear my seatbelt all the time, but a number of months ago the driver's side seatbelt light/warning chime in my 2006 Pontiac G6 started going off while the seat belt is buckled. The shop said it would be $400 to repair because they would have to take the seat out to get to the area to repair. The chime comes on immediately after starting the car, then again about five minutes later and always chimes five times. The light illuminates several times while I am driving and the chime does, too.

From the symptoms you describe, the problem could be as simple as the seatbelt switch located in the seatbelt buckle at your right hip or its harness connector under the seat. Or it could be a more serious issue with the SDM (sensing and diagnostic module) or IPC (instrument panel cluster).

I would suggest having the shop unplug and test the seatbelt switch to determine if it's the culprit. I think this can be done without removing the seat. If the switch is bad, have it replaced. If the switch is good and a scan tool confirms the SDM is telling the IPC the seatbelt is fastened — yet the light/chime are still indicating the seatbelt is unfastened — the problem is in the IPC. You'll have to decide if it's worth this level of repair.

Because of the somewhat intermittent nature of the light/chime coming on, my best guess is the seatbelt switch.

I have a 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer and was informed by the dealer service department that I need to use synthetic oil. I thought this was usually required for luxury or high-performance cars and an option for the rest of us. Do I really need to use synthetic oil in this car?

Without knowing which engine option is in your vehicle, my answer will have to be a bit generic. The maintenance recommendations from Mitsubishi call for API "SN" 0W-20 for their non-turbo engines and API "SN" 5W-30 for their turbocharged engines. Both petroleum-based and synthetic motor oils can meet these specifications, but why not use the best — a premium synthetic motor oil.

L L L

I am curious what your opinion is about using only DexCool antifreeze in our two Buick vehicles as recommended by GM. An auto mechanic and auto body repairman with 30 years experience advised me not to use this product as he found it clogged up the heaters/heating systems in vehicles.

DexCool coolant/antifreeze utilizes an organic acid anti-corrosion technology and claims a much longer service life than conventional antifreeze that utilizes phosphate/borate/silicate anti-corrosion technology. Both coolants are ethylene glycol-based for their antifreeze capabilities.

Is one type better than the other? That question has been and continues to be heavily debated. The biggest issue is oxidation of the coolant over time and mileage. As long as the coolant level is properly maintained and the coolant is flushed/replaced within recommended intervals, both work well.

I have a 2000 Buick Park Avenue. The driver's door refuses to open as easily as the others. It feels like there is a vacuum between the weatherstripping and the door frame. Please advise.

First, clean and lubricate the door seal/weatherstripping and seal area on the body with an aerosol silicone lubricant. If this does not help, perhaps the door has "sagged" on its hinges over the years and miles. A body shop may be able to realign the door for easier opening.

In the "old days" I used to do this by placing a piece of 2x4 below the hinges between the door and door frame and "push" the door toward close to slightly "readjust" the hinges.

If the hinge pins/bushings are worn, they can be replaced.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please include a daytime phone number.

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