Arthur T. Demoulas rings up praise 
at store’s grand opening

Market Basket CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was greeted by selfie and autograph requests yesterday, as well as hugs, kisses and congratulations from adoring customers as he marked the formal opening of the grocery chain's new Revere store more than a year after its completion.

It's the 72nd location for the Tewksbury company, and the first since Demoulas' August reinstatement following his firing by a board controlled by his rival cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas. That corporate power struggle sparked a six-week shutdown of the chain by striking workers and protesting customers and resulted in millions of dollars in losses.

"The important thing is it's all smoothed out, and we're here to concentrate on a productive thing," Arthur T. Demoulas told Revere Mayor Daniel Rizzo. "We're sorry for the wait."

"Artie T." said he hopes to complete his $1.6 billion deal to assume full ownership of the family-owned chain by year's end. Meanwhile, Felicia Thornton and Jim Gooch, named in June to replace Demoulas as co-CEOs, continue to work in a "monitoring function," he said.

Asked if the massive debt attached to the purchase would affect Market Basket's generous employee profit-sharing program or low grocery prices, Demoulas said, "We're going to do our best to keep our model and prices intact."

"Operations are in full swing," he said. "Everything is right back to normal."

Demoulas said he hasn't talked to Arthur S. Demoulas since the deal's negotiation and declined comment on whether his cousin — who came to be known as the "bad Arthur" — got a bad rap during the contentious battle for the chain.

But Arthur T. Demoulas did say he expects no further lawsuits to be filed.

At more than 80,000 square feet, the Revere store is a bit larger than the average Market Basket.

"This store location, I think, will be an economic engine for the city," said Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop), who represents Revere.

Rizzo, who noted that the Market Basket "puts close to 500 people to work," said the store opening has already prompted inquiries from Starbucks and Panera Bread about nearby expansion.

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Business leaders also saw softer side

Mayor Thomas M. Menino was known as a hard charger in the business community, a force of nature who, among many other things, transformed South Boston's waterfront into the thriving Innovation District. But Herb Chambers remembers the city's longest-serving mayor most for his soft spot for children.

The car dealership magnate recalls Menino visiting Chambers' native Dorchester, looking for toy donations to give to kids at Christmas.

"His office was like a toy factory around the holidays," he said. "Even when the auto business was going through some difficult years, he would call me and say, 'I know things are tough, but can you help me out?' And I was happy to because he was just a wonderful man."

Jack Connors, the founder of Boston ad firm Hill Holliday, said Menino called him about nine years ago, troubled that many of Boston's poorest kids never got to see the world beyond their own neighborhoods.

Connors suggested creating a camp, and the two set out to raise $10 million. As of this year, they had raised $52 million for Camp Harbor View on Long Island, where 900 kids spend a month each summer and where Menino would have lunch with them every Friday.

"The money comes from 
donors who don't know the kids, but knew him and his vision," Connors said.

But Menino could be tough when the occasion called for it.

Paul Guzzi, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, remembers a meeting in which he, the mayor and U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy urged Terry McAuliffe, then chairman of the Democratic National Committee, to choose Boston as host of the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

McAuliffe initially said no, prompting Menino and Kennedy "almost simultaneously" to slam their fists on the table and say, "We deserve this, and no is not an acceptable answer," Guzzi recalled. "No beating around the bush. He was an advocate for Boston."

His resoluteness finally won over McAuliffe, paving the way for the city to host the convention.

Menino addressed the chamber annually, and his speeches invariably turned to two of his top priorities: education and summer jobs for kids.

"One always went with the other," Guzzi said. "I can still remember him saying, 'These kids are my kids. These kids are our kids. And they deserve the best.' As it got closer to summer, there was the always-expected phone call: 'What are you going to do for our kids this summer? We want more money and more jobs.'"

James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and Menino's chief of staff from 1999 to 2001, called the mayor's schedule "not human" and his attention to detail meticulous.

They would be driving to an event when Menino would spot a dead tree or a broken street light or a faded crosswalk in front of a school, and he'd quickly
call City Hall.

"The department heads would tell me, 'If you're driving with him, try not to let him find anything,'" Rooney recalled with a chuckle. "It got so that I once threatened to paint over the passenger-side window to show a bright, sunny day with green trees, freshly painted crosswalks and everything perfect."

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Bay State home prices level off

Massachusetts homebuyers caught a break in September, when the median selling price of a single-family home failed to increase for the first time in nearly two years amid a continued market recovery, and signs point to further price stabilization.

"I do expect to see prices — at least in the short-term — to continue to level off," said Peter Ruffini, president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and regional vice president at Jack Conway & Co. in Norwell. "This is a welcome sign. It means more inventory on the market."

September's single-family home median price was flat at $325,000 after 23 months of year-over-year increases, according to MAR figures released yesterday. Those sales declined for the eighth consecutive month, falling 3.3 percent.

Ruffini attributes both stats to the number of homes on the market. Tight inventory hampered sales and drove up prices, but the number of new listings on the market is on the increase statewide, and that should help keep prices down while increasing sales thanks to still-low interest rates, he said.

"We don't really have a shortage of buyers at this point — it continues to be the quality of inventory on the market," Ruffini said. "We have new listings that are well-priced, and that inventory isn't staying on the market too long. Certainly the further you get from Boston, the more you see inventory increasing."

The inventory of single-family homes for sale in Boston fell 14.1 percent in September, while the number of for-sale condos dropped 28.1 percent.

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Mom heads to D.C. to tout MD drug

A Pembroke mother, whose 19-year-old son suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is headed to Washington, D.C., to ask lawmakers to urge federal regulators to speed up the approval process for a drug that has shown potential to stop the advance of the fatal genetic disease.

Christine McSherry's trip comes after the drug's maker, Cambridge-based Sarepta Therapeutics, revealed Monday that it does not expect to submit a new-drug application for eteplirsen until mid-2015, because the Food and Drug Administration has asked for more data.

"There hasn't been any adverse reactions in any of the patients taking this drug," said McSherry, who will be on Capitol Hill tomorrow. "The only thing that's changed in two years is boys like my son, Jett, who are not on the drug have continued to decline, while boys on the drug have continued to be stable."

Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said the agency "is fully committed to make safe and effective drugs available for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy as soon as possible."

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Bowman: Honing your phone skills will pay off

Power lunches get all the buzz, but the telephone remains the most important business tool when it comes to the art of the deal.

But you need to know how to use a phone to maximize your success. The telephone — the office phone or a cellphone — is the fastest connection between you and your contact.

For starters, you need to hone your telephone skills and techniques. Being telephone-savvy in business can enhance productivity — and the pros will tell you the way you speak is 85 percent of your message. Start with your voice. It's powerful!

Here's some phone tips worth remembering:

• Use active words and succinct phrasing: You have three seconds to make an immediate impression.

• Enunciate. Practice at home by recording your voice, and study how you sound. Read something in one room to someone in another room so you are forced to better project.

• Use a mirror — imagine your reflection is the other person.

• Smile! You can hear a smile over the line.

• Stand, because it opens your diaphragm allowing you to better project.

• Make your pitch sound as though it is being said for the first time.

• Ensure your surroundings are quiet and not distracting, if you can help it.

Coming across confident over the phone is worth the effort. When answering such common questions as "How are you?" — regardless of how you really feel — offer an upbeat response, thank the contact for asking, address them by their name and inquire about them. A positive attitude sets the tone. Avoid a passive, informal response such as, "I'm good."

To avoid sounding as if you're at a bar with buddies, drink water instead of soda (it helps avoid burping) or have green tea on hand (it packs more caffeine than coffee if you are looking for a burst.)

Always prepare for an interview by writing notes instead of clattering information into your computer, which can be distracting.

Adapt to the situation at hand. If your contact is in emergency mode or fifth gear, you shift into fifth gear and vice versa to let them know you are "with" them, so to speak.

At all cost eliminate the "non words" — "Umm, lemme see," "Uh," "You know." Say, "YES" versus "yeah" or "yup."

Always maintain your high standards of professionalism; show respect. Maintain the mantra, "Grace under pressure!" And above all, as Kenny Rogers said, "Know when to walk away." Your time is precious, so move on to the next call.

Judith Bowman is the president of her own business consulting company.

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GM to move production of Volt part to US

DETROIT — General Motors is moving production of a critical component in the Chevrolet Volt from Mexico to Michigan.

GM CEO Mary Barra is expected to announce the plan later Tuesday in a speech to the Detroit Economic Club.

The automaker will build the electric drive unit for the second-generation Volt at its Warren Transmission Plant in suburban Detroit. An electric drive unit powers the Volt's wheels.

GM won't hire any new workers to make the part. The part had been made at a plant in Ramos Arzipe, in the northern Mexico state of Coahuila.

GM has been making the plug-in hybrid Volt in Detroit since it went on sale in 2010. The second generation of the Volt is expected to go on sale sometime next year.

Barra is also expected to announce $300 million in investments in Michigan between now and the end of this year.

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Beautiful stereo, but the price is not right

Tivoli Audio's Music System Three ($299, Tivoli
Audio.com)

This is the first Bluetooth-enabled portable music system made by the Herald's Seaport Center neighbors. With a rechargeable battery that powers the system for 20 hours and a splash-proof exterior meant for the beach, the question is whether this device justifies the price.

The good: At 3.75 pounds and with a handle that doubles as a place to store the phone that's playing the music, Tivoli has mastered its design with the Music System Three. A built-in radio tuner and alarm rounds out this offering.

The bad: The remote control had a disappointing lag, and high volumes did invite some distortion.

The bottom line: This is a gorgeous device that would be perfect for $75 less. But if you're itching for a super-attractive stereo, this won't disappoint.

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Governors stress home quarantine for Ebola workers

NEW YORK — The gulf between politicians and scientists over Ebola widened on Sunday as the nation's top infectious-disease expert warned that the mandatory, 21-day quarantining of medical workers returning from West Africa is unnecessary and could discourage volunteers from traveling to the danger zone.

Late Sunday night, the governors of New York and New Jersey stressed separately that the policies allowed for home confinement for medical workers who have had contact with Ebola patients if the workers show no symptoms. They will receive twice-daily monitoring from health officials.

The emphasis on home confinement was at odds with the widely criticized treatment of a nurse returning from Sierrra Leone who was forcibly quarantined is a New Jersey hospital isolation unit even though she said had no symptoms and tested negative for Ebola.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said such quarantines in medical facilities would only be used in some cases, such as if the health care workers were from states other than New York or New Jersey. For workers under home confinement, family members will be allowed to stay, and friends may visit with the approval of health officials. Workers displaying any symptoms will go straight to the hospital.

"My personal practice is to err on the side of caution," Cuomo said. "The old expression is, 'Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.'"

Under the protocols Cuomo detailed Sunday night, the state also will pay for any lost compensation if the quarantined workers are not paid by a volunteer organization.

For much of the weekend, the governors had been under fire from members of the medical community and the White House.

"The best way to protect us is to stop the epidemic in Africa, and we need those health care workers, so we do not want to put them in a position where it makes it very, very uncomfortable for them to even volunteer to go," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Meanwhile, Kaci Hickox, the first nurse forcibly quarantined in New Jersey under the state's new policy, said in a telephone interview with CNN that her isolation at a hospital was "inhumane," adding: "We have to be very careful about letting politicians make health decisions."

Saying the federal health guidelines are inadequate, Cuomo and Christie announced a mandatory quarantine program Friday for medical workers and other arriving airline passengers who have had contact with Ebola victims in West Africa, either in their homes or in medical facilities, and Illinois soon followed suit. Twenty-one days is the incubation period for Ebola.

"We're staying one step ahead," Cuomo said Sunday night. "We're doing everything possible. Some people say we're being too cautious. I'll take that criticism."

The Obama administration considers the policy in New York and New Jersey "not grounded in science" and conveyed its concerns to Christie and Cuomo, a senior administration official told The Associated Press earlier Sunday. The official wasn't authorized to comment by name and insisted on anonymity.

Fauci made the rounds on five major Sunday morning talk shows to argue that policy should be driven by science — and that science says people with the virus are not contagious until symptoms appear. And even then, infection requires direct contact with bodily fluids.

He said that close monitoring of medical workers for symptoms is sufficient, and warned that forcibly separating them from others, or quarantining them, for three weeks could cripple the fight against the outbreak in West Africa — an argument that humanitarian medical organizations have also made.

"If we don't have our people volunteering to go over there, then you're going to have other countries that are not going to do it and then the epidemic will continue to roar," Fauci said.

Earlier this month, four members of a family in Texas that Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan stayed with before he died were confined to their home under armed guard after failing to comply with a request not to leave their apartment. Also, 75 Dallas hospital workers were asked to sign legally binding documents in which they agreed not go to public places or use mass transit.

The New York-area quarantine measures were announced after Spencer returned to New York City from treating Ebola victims in Guinea for Doctors Without Borders and was admitted to Bellevue Hospital Center Thursday to be treated for Ebola. In the week after his return, he rode the subway, went bowling and ate at a restaurant.

Hospital officials said Sunday that Spencer was in serious but stable condition, was looking better than he did the day before, and tolerated a plasma treatment well.

Hickox, the quarantined nurse who just returned from Sierra Leone, said she had no symptoms at all and tested negative for Ebola in a preliminary evaluation.

"It's just a slippery slope, not a sound public health decision," she said of the quarantine policy. "I want to be treated with compassion and humanity, and don't feel I've been treated that way."

Hickox has access to a computer, her cellphone, magazines and newspapers and has been allowed to have takeout food, New Jersey Health Department officials said.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called Hickox a "returning hero" and charged that she was "treated with disrespect," as if she done something wrong, when she was put into quarantine. He said that she was interrogated repeatedly and things were not explained well to her.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who is on a trip to West Africa, said returning U.S. health care workers should be "treated like conquering heroes and not stigmatized for the tremendous work that they have done."

In other developments, President Barack Obama met Sunday with his Ebola response team, including "Ebola czar" Ron Klain and other public health and national security officials. According to a statement released by the White House, Obama said any measures concerning returning health care workers "should be crafted so as not to unnecessarily discourage those workers from serving."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered twice-daily monitoring for 21 days of anyone returning from the Ebola-stricken areas.

The World Health Organization said more than 10,000 people have been infected with Ebola in the outbreak that came to light last March, and nearly half of them have died, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Fauci appeared on "Fox News Sunday," ABC's "This Week, NBC's "Meet the Press," CBS' "Face the Nation" and CNN's "State of the Union." Christie was interviewed on Fox and Power spoke to NBC.

___

Associated Press writers Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J., Josh Lederman and Thomas Strong in Washington, and Verena Dobnik in New York contributed to this report.

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Minivan loses fluid and dashboard lights up

We have 184,000 miles on our 2005 Chrysler Town & Country van with 3.8-liter engine. The other day my wife drove it down the block and didn't notice the red path of oil on the road. She came back immediately when she noticed the van would only "rev up and not go." The check engine light came on and she barely made it back. I found that one of the hoses from the transmission control solenoid to the radiator had burst. This was an easy fix and I added 2.5 quarts of transmission fluid. The van runs and shifts normally. However, the check engine light remained on and my scan tool showed four codes — PO732, PO700, PO734 and PO700. I understand the 732 and 734 codes are for gear ratio misalignment and the 700 code is merely an informational code. My scan tool wouldn't let me clear these codes, but later that day the check engine light went off after about 30 miles of driving. Can the check engine light reset itself? Is there anything else I should be concerned about?

No, the computer cannot erase those codes from its memory. But it can turn off the check engine light after a certain number of key on/off cycles if it does not see the problem again. This allows the system to illuminate the check engine light again if the same or some other failure occurs.

The total fluid capacity of the 41TE-AE transmission is 9.7 quarts, so the vehicle lost less than one-third of its fluid. Adding the fact that it has survived 184,000 miles, I wouldn't be particularly worried — I don't think any significant damage was done.

I have an annoying whine in my 2010 Chevy Impala steering wheel. I understand it is the clock spring and would be rather expensive to fix. Can you explain what the function of the clock spring is and are there any inexpensive fixes? Are there any potential problems just living with it?

Actually, the total cost to replace the clock spring, according to my ALLDATA labor guide, is roughly $300. The clock spring assembly provides electrical continuity to the driver air bag through the entire range of steering wheel movement. If there is an electrical issue with the clock spring, the restraint system warning light would be illuminated.

But I question whether the whine you're hearing is actually coming from the steering column/wheel. If it is originating from the front of the vehicle as you turn the wheel, the issue is more likely related to the power steering pump or fluid. A complete flush and refill with correct power steering is inexpensive and a good preventive maintenance procedure.

I hope you can answer questions concerning timing belts and timing chains. I own a 2004 2.4-liter four-cylinder Toyota Camry with 82,000 miles. My mechanic says it has a timing chain, but the maintenance schedule says to replace the timing belt at 90,000 miles, but only for those models with the six-cylinder engine. Toyota dealers advise replacing the timing belt at 60,000 miles. Does my vehicle have a timing belt or a timing chain and when should a belt or a chain be replaced? I get a bit apprehensive when I am on the highway going 65 mph.

Your mechanic is correct, as is the owner's manual. The camshafts in this engine are driven by a steel-link roller timing chain, not a rubber cogged belt. There is no routine replacement called for with timing chains, which is an advantage over timing belts. Coupled with the fact that this is a non-interference engine, meaning there would be no valve-to-piston contact should the chain fail, no worries. As you noted, the 3- and 3.3-liter V6 engines available in this vehicle featured timing belts that require replacement at 90,000 mile intervals.

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 paulbrandstartribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number.

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See it through the Grapevine

One of the 26 startups that will compete for a share of more than $1.75 million in cash prizes at Wednesday's MassChallenge awards ceremony helps brands generate sales by connecting them with YouTubers who can reach their target audience.

Grapevine was founded in 2012 at the Cambridge Innovation Center by Brendan Lattrell, a Discovery Channel producer who began to notice that many people who make YouTube videos were getting more views than his prime time TV shows.

"I realized there's so much opportunity with these video bloggers," he said. "YouTube has 1 billion unique monthly viewers. It's the second-largest search engine, after Google. It's more influential than Hollywood."

Lattrell decided to build a website where brands could create a marketing campaign or talk to a sales person, choose a budget and get listed on Grapevine's "marketplace," where YouTubers interested in advocating for a particular brand could apply to make a video in which they review its product or integrate the product into a video.

"It's the antithesis of what a traditional TV commercial is," Lattrell said. "We believe every company needs advocate marketing. You can't just talk to consumers as yourself. You need to have people talk on your behalf."

Grapevine works with the brand to choose advocates, using an algorithm that takes into account what types of campaigns the YouTubers have worked on in the past, the average age and gender of their viewers, and the percentage of those viewers who have clicked on a link to the brands in their videos.

Grapevine then sends the product to the advocates, without a script, to make videos that are usually about five minutes long.

"Our network of video bloggers get more than 200 million views per month," Lattrell said. "It makes the Super Bowl look like peanuts."

The brand pays Grapevine, which in turn pays the YouTubers between $50 and $30,000 per video.

"The best advocates make six figures a year and get up to 100 pitches from companies every week," he said. "They only promote the ones they really love because they need their viewers to continue to trust them."

Since 2012, Grapevine has worked with "thousands" of advocates and about 100 brands, including Walgreens, Groupon and the digital music service Spotify, Lattrell said.

Bryden Ferrato, marketing manager at Lip Monthly said the Chicago-based cosmetics subscription service has used Grapevine more than a half-dozen times.

"It's helped us find some good talent that's gotten us more exposure," Ferrato said. "Advocate marketing is more personal than traditional marketing. It allows the viewer to connect with the brand. They get to see someone else's experience with it. That goes a long way."

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