Rita Bank helped run her family 's real estate business and , as a hobby , collected antiques , always dreaming of having an antiques shop .

She died before that could happen , but her son , Ted , opened one in her honor , Rita 's Antiques Cafe , 167 Eighth Avenue -LRB- 18th Street -RRB- .

It is filled with his mother 's crystal , china , paintings , light fixtures and furniture , and you can also sip a coffee or a glass of wine with a sandwich -LRB- $ 6 to $ 7 -RRB- or pastry -LRB- $ 1.75 to $ 5.50 -RRB- in the brick-walled store .

And if you like the table you 're sitting at , you can buy it .

Most of the food comes from purveyors like Chelsea Souk in the Chelsea Market .

FOOD STUFF .

Summary: Rita 's Antiques Cafe serves light food in antiques shop .

Summary: Photo .


Pissaladière , the onion and anchovy tart that is a specialty of Nice , is usually made with a simple bread dough enriched with olive oil .

But the Oliviers & Company shops sell a flour specially for making pissaladière : spelt flour , or farine de petit épeautre .

It 's $ 6 for 8.9 ounces , enough for a generous crust for six to eight people .

The recipe on the package , requiring eggs , cornstarch , olive oil and salt , in addition to the spelt flour , makes a sturdy , if not particularly elastic , dough .

The pastry that results has a nutty , rustic flavor to balance the sweet onions , salty anchovies and olives in the topping .

FOOD STUFF .

Summary: Oliviers & Company shops sell flour specially for making rustic tart pissaladiere .

Summary: Photo .


I am not a big fan of soy-protein meat pretenders , but as the French say , `` You must n't die an idiot . ``

So I tried Karma ' Licious Veggie Bolognese pasta sauce , and was pleasantly surprised .

It tastes like a rich meat sauce , with no soy flavor , and the texture could fool any card-carrying carnivore .

Tama Herman , with tongue in cheek , named her company Mad Cow , and took a year to develop the sauce .

She also makes a mushroom version , but the evidence of mushrooms was fleeting .

The sauces are low in sodium as jarred sauces go -LRB- 170 milligrams in a half-cup , less than half that of a typical jar -RRB- .

They are $ 7 for a 24-ounce jar at Westerly Natural Market , 911 Eighth Avenue -LRB- 54th Street -RRB- .

LifeThyme Natural Market , 410 Avenue of the Americas -LRB- Ninth Street -RRB- .

And the Amish Market at 49th Street and Ninth Avenue .

The sauces are $ 5.99 plus shipping from www.veganstore.com.

A new product for those who like the taste of Worcestershire sauce but not its hidden ingredient , anchovies , is Annie 's Naturals Organic Worcestershire Sauce .

It has the sauce 's sweet-sour-spicy flavor but no fish .

It is sold at many supermarket chains for $ 3 for 6.5 ounces .

FOOD STUFF .

Summary: Pasta sauces using meat substitutes by Karma ' Licious and Worcestershire sauce by Annie 's Naturals offer meaty taste suitable for vegans .

Summary: Photo .


IN professional kitchens there is a longstanding rule : there can be only one head chef .

In French , the word chef means chief .

And having two seems as harmonious as having two kings -LRB- remember the War of the Roses : two kings , one crown , much bloodletting . -RRB- .

Yet there are teams of executive chefs around the country who bravely go where others fear to tread : into small restaurant kitchens , full of sharp , heavy and hot objects that would make good projectiles .

These bravehearts include Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger , who seem more like sisters than co-workers , though they have worked together at Border Grill in Santa Monica , Calif . , since they opened it in 1981 .

One of the first chef teams since the country 's restaurant scene greatly expanded in the 70 's , Ms. Milliken and Ms. Feniger typify the overworked , overachieving chef : from 1995 to 1999 , they were the hosts of `` Too Hot Tamales '' and `` Tamales World Tour , '' on the Food Network .

They have opened five more restaurants and written five cookbooks .

As the job description of executive chefs grows beyond the kitchen -- building restaurant empires , being television hosts , writing cookbooks -- chefs are finding that sharing the glory as well as the toil can be a beneficial exchange .

That is , for the right pair of chefs -LRB- micromanagers and control freaks need not apply -RRB- .

Co-chefing is not simply a matter of two people sharing brilliant culinary insights while stirring the same pot .

It 's a complicated balancing act based on mutual respect , compromise , a clear-eyed assessment of both parties ' strengths and weaknesses and a whole lot of trust .

`` We clicked ever since we first met , working in a Chicago restaurant in 1978 , '' Ms. Milliken said of Ms. Feniger .

`` For some reason my weaknesses and her strengths and vice versa were very compatible , and it felt natural to work as a team . ''

`` She 's persistent and positive and hopeful , `` Ms. Milliken said , '' and I get discouraged and am skeptical and worry a lot .

She helps get us through that way .

But she 's also pretty disorganized and scattered , and I 'm a little better that way .

I think neither of us separately would have built what we have together , nor even half of what we have . ``

Sometimes , they concede , they wonder if their co-chef relationship borders on co-dependence .

After all , Ms. Milliken married Ms. Feniger 's ex-boyfriend , and Ms. Feniger was in the delivery room when Ms. Milliken had her first child .

`` No matter what happens , what tensions arise , we work it out , '' Ms. Milliken said .

For them , working it out has meant couples therapy at times .

Odd .

`` We are in California , '' Ms. Milliken said .

Sharing the kitchen duties at Blue Hill in Manhattan works well for Dan Barber , allowing him to divide his time between the restaurant , catering and planning other projects .

But Alex Ureña , his co-chef when the restaurant opened , left after a year to become the executive chef of Marseille restaurant .

Now Michael Anthony fills that slot .

`` I learned a lot working with Alex , '' Mr. Barber said , `` and I can now apply that to working with Mike . ''

One key lesson was about communication : the more of it , the better .

This means being open to criticism and suggestion , and taking the other chef 's feelings and ego into account .

`` I 'm a little sensitive , `` Mr. Barber acknowledged .

`` If Mike 's forgotten to tell me that he put yellow watermelon in the tomato coupe on my night off , and I come in the next day and find out from one of the cooks , it stings me .

I think , ` What did he go and change it for .

` But ultimately if it improves the dish , we both win . ''

But not everyone is enthusiastic about being a member of such a team .

Pino Maffeo worked as Patricia Yeo 's chef de cuisine at AZ .

She promoted him to co-chef when she opened Pazo in Midtown a few months ago .

`` The whole thing was her idea , and I go along to support her , '' Mr. Maffeo said , `` but I do n't like to put myself out front .

At this point , I 'm happy helping to propel someone else 's career . ``

Ms. Yeo prefers to give credit where it is due , unlike many of her peers , who simply hire chefs de cuisine or sous-chefs to run their kitchens when they are not there .

`` Anyone who thinks they can run more than one restaurant at a time is either kidding themselves , or they just are n't there , `` she said .

`` The sous-chefs do all the work but do n't get the credit . ``

One recipe for happy co-chefdom is separate but equal spheres of responsibility .

Ms. Yeo comes up with the dishes , and Mr. Maffeo executes them .

He 's also the enforcer , firing people if need be , and making sure the kitchen 's workings are as smooth as crème fraîche .

For Diane Forley and Michael Otsuka , co-chefs of Verbena for two years and also husband and wife , sharing credit was never an issue .

The part that gave them pause was whether their marriage could survive the stress .

`` That 's the first thing people say to us , `` Mr. Otsuka said , '' ` I could never work with my husband , we 'd be divorced in a year , ` but it 's been good for us . ``

The best part , for them , is coming up with dishes together , bouncing ideas off each other and melding their two distinct styles .

In their signature gravlax , the cured salmon is something Ms. Forley has made for years but the blinis now have buckwheat flour at Mr. Otsuka 's suggestion , along with a very Otsukian garnish : shredded daikon and tobiko caviar .

`` That dish is a perfect example of our two styles complementing each other , '' Ms. Forley said .

`` But we do n't go overboard with that .

We 're not going to put soy sauce on ratatouille just to prove a point . ``

Mr. Otsuka works in the kitchen during meals , doing the prep lists and ordering .

Ms. Forley trains much of the staff , takes care of the phone calls , the press , events and , lately , the couple 's young daughter , Olivia .

But neither would agree that being co-chefs gives them more free time .

`` Now , we are actually able to see projects to completion , '' Ms. Forley said .

`` Before , we tried to do everything at once , and there was always something we would have to let drop . ''

Mr. Otsuka added , `` We 're not necessarily working less , but we are getting more done . ``

Mr. Barber of Blue Hill noted : `` Most people would think it 's easier to work with a co-chef because you would only have to do half the work .

But it does n't actually happen that way .

When you 're working by yourself , you can quickly make all the hundreds of decisions that need to be made every day without having to stop and discuss every little thing .

It takes more thought and energy than working by yourself . ``

Not all co-chefs share that view .

Part of the appeal for Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr , co-chefs of Balthazar , is being able to have a life beyond the kitchen .

They both work only five days a week instead of six like many chefs , giving Mr. Hanson more time with his wife and daughter .

`` It 's a very stable , sane way to work in a kitchen , `` he said .

But , as in marriage , not all partnerships work out .

Raphael Lunetta and Josiah Citrin had been best friends since they were teenagers but after three years as co-chefs at JiRaffe in Santa Monica , Calif . , more than their restaurant was at stake .

It was unclear whether their friendship would survive .

`` It was tough when we realized it was n't working , `` Mr. Lunetta said .

`` There were a few big blowouts .

Once I threw a piece of medium rare salmon right out of the frying pan and onto the wall behind him , and he probably threw some salmon back at me , but it never really got violent . ``

The two have since made up , with Mr. Lunetta remaining at JiRaffe and Mr. Citrin moving on to his own restaurant , Melisse .

Now , they are even godparents to each other 's children .

`` It was a great thing to have done , '' Mr. Citrin said .

`` We were best friends who wanted to open a restaurant together , so for us it was a childhood dream come true .

But I do n't understand why anyone else would do it . ``

Golden Guidelines HERE is a guide to successful co-chefdom from those who have been there .

DO Adopt a state of Gandhian nonviolence .

Be diplomatic , even when presented with a menu suggestion that you would normally veto .

Become comfortable saying `` we '' instead of `` I . ''

Be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses .

Learn to let go .

DO N'T Season the ragout when your partner 's back is turned .

Take the other person for granted , or forget to say thanks .

Play the martyr .

Let the staff pit the two of you against each other .

Summary: Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill in Santa Monica , Calif , find that sharing executive chef responsibilities can be beneficial .

Summary: Other successful duos noted , as well as team that decided to call it quits when kitchen partnership did not work out .

Summary: Photo .


When Joanna Sherman took her alternative theater company to Pakistan this spring to entertain Afghan refugees by dancing on stilts , one young boy in the crowd was not amused .

`` He stared at us earnestly and asked , ' What is the meaning of this .

' `` she recalled .

Ms. Sherman reflected upon this incident as she embarked on her latest tour , dubbed the Balkan Peace Project .

`` I gave him some glib response , but the question stuck in my mind , '' she said .

`` It 's a tough one to answer . ``

Since 1976 , when she founded Bond Street Theater in New York , her troupe has traveled through Asia , Europe , the Middle East and Latin America , seeking what she calls a `` universal physical language '' to amuse and enlighten .

But her experience in Pakistan was a reminder that not everyone gets it .

`` Sometimes it 's such a dire situation that you just want to go in and make a gesture , to give people some simple pleasure , `` she said .

`` These kids did n't have access to anything fun , anything that would make them laugh .

So we tried to offer them something . ``

Trained as a dancer , Ms. Sherman , 48 , has created a performance style that incorporates elements of mime , martial arts , juggling and acrobatics .

To her , Bond Street Theater is a `` cultural Peace Corps '' conveying a message of tolerance .

It has traveled to Israel to train a street theater company of both Arabs and Jews , to Northern Ireland for workshops with Catholic and Protestant children , and most recently to the Balkans .

Theater critics might question the merits of the play Ms. Sherman has brought to Albania : a circus-style production of `` Romeo and Juliet , '' stripped of Shakespeare 's poetic dialogue .

But the result was an instant hit at the Fourth International Theater Festival in Elbasan , largely because everybody could understand it .

`` We have always tried to reach the broadest and most diverse audience possible , '' Ms. Sherman explained .

`` Originally , this meant a local audience across the United States , but over the years we 've become more interested in going to areas of conflict or recent conflict . ``

Bond Street 's version of `` Romeo and Juliet '' reduces the play 's multiple themes to a simple core .

`` We 're coming with a message that you can have peace if you choose , `` Ms. Sherman said .

`` All the deaths in ' Romeo and Juliet ' are unnecessary , even the suicides .

Nothing is inevitable unless you make it so . ``

The slapstick comedy and rhythm of her production , reinforced by a live percussion accompaniment throughout the show , struck a chord with her audience of several hundred Albanians in Elbasan .

Laughter and applause punctuated the performance .

`` People are almost more impressed by the fact that we 're there , trying to help , than they are by the product or its message , `` she conceded .

`` We 're the outsiders .

We 're Americans .

But we can facilitate , stimulate and encourage , even if we ca n't change things . ``

The desire to become a catalyst for action has brought her back to the Balkans three times since her first visit in 1999 , when she sought to distract Kosovo Albanian children from the squalor of Macedonia 's refugee camps with a circus performance .

Bond Street Theater has now performed in every country in southeastern Europe .

It has a partnership with Theater Tsvete of Bulgaria , just one of many , which helped with the puppetry in `` Romeo and Juliet . ''

`` Artists ' power to communicate on many levels has been put to the test in the field , `` Ms. Sherman said , '' and proven to be an essential component of any strategy to rebuild morale , re-establish cultural connections and heal the psyche of a society . ``

Bond Street Theater 's commitment to humanitarian work has won it a MacArthur Foundation award and financing from the Trust for Mutual Understanding .

Although the company gave up its original theater in Lower Manhattan 20 years ago , it has not turned its back on the United States .

It regularly performs plays with strong social themes , like the provocatively titled `` Nightmare on Wall Street , '' and Ms. Sherman plans to take `` Romeo and Juliet '' on a nationwide tour next year .

`` It 's been a tremendous learning process for me , because in the United States we 're really quite closed off from international news , `` she said .

`` People in America need to learn more about the rest of the world .

And they need to think more about why the rest of the world perceives us the way they do . ``

But Ms. Sherman has few illusions about her power to do much to change that .

`` It 's a very humbling experience doing this work , `` she said .

`` You see the limitations of what you 're doing very clearly , that you can only go so far .

But it 's a lot more than nothing . `` .

Summary: Interview with Joanna Sherman , head of Bond Street Theater , alternative company that incorporates mime , martial arts , juggling , acrobats and slapstick in search for ` universal physical language ' .

Summary: Troupe has performed in various locations around world since its founding in 1976 .

Summary: Photo .


IMAGINE for a moment the following scene : Sometime tonight , beginning about 6 , between 30 and 100 people come to your home .

They arrive in a steady stream throughout the evening until midnight or 1 in the morning .

They expect dinner .

And you will make it .

Alone .

No one will help you wash the salad greens , whisk the vinaigrette , dice the vegetables , roast the chicken , reduce the sauce or torch the crème brûlée .

Now imagine doing this as many as six days -LRB- and nights -RRB- a week .

O.K. , you can stop hyperventilating now .

This was just an exercise to get you in touch with the world of the solo chef , a rarity in restaurants .

Most chefs share cooking responsibilities with a seasoned team of knife-wielding colleagues .

Yet there are , around the country , stalwart individualists who go it alone , and like it .

Dominic Giuliano is one of them .

A softspoken 30-year-old with a strong build , dark eyes and a tidy goatee , he whirls around his 7-by-9-foot kitchen at Punch & Judy , a wine bar on Clinton Street in Manhattan .

The space is leanly equipped with a sink -LRB- he washes all the dishes there -RRB- , an induction burner , a convection oven and a panini press .

As orders pile up , he morphs into a Chef Superhero , able to dress an arugula salad with a pancetta vinaigrette , coat a disk of goat cheese in crushed cashews , sear a rectangle of ruby-red tuna , press a smoked duck and fig panino , fan out slices of rosy beef carpaccio , warm a chocolate fondue and prepare a cheese plate in a single bound .

It is a wonder he does not wear blue tights .

Customers would never know there is no staff behind the kitchen door .

Plates are garnished with care , pristine ingredients shine and little details , like the selection of homemade infused oils and butters that arrive with a basket of warm bread , are never overlooked .

Mr. Giuliano has a soul mate in Chicago , where diners line up for one of the 28 coveted seats at Lovitt , the domain of Norman Six .

In his cozy kitchen , he pirouettes from six-burner stove to flattop griddle to tiny grill while turning out salads of tomatillo , tomato and queso fresco , plates of maple-glazed salmon with squash and zucchini , and stacks of crisp , golden scallop and salmon cakes .

At Lovitt , B.Y.O.B. is the order of the day , which eliminates -LRB- at least -RRB- the hat of sommelier .

And in Cobble Hill , Brooklyn , in the 10-by-10-foot kitchen of That Bar , Brent Erickson 's arms seem to multiply as he flips back and forth between his stove , flattop , panini press and a basket fryer .

Ditto for Sean Kelly , the chef at Clair de Lune , an eight-table bistro in Denver .

Mr. Kelly 's company in the kitchen are a small pizza oven , a standard stove and a mini-fryer .

Why do these Lone Ranger chefs do it .

For Mr. Kelly , the answer is simple .

`` After 9/11 , I was looking at a lot of projects with a lot of investors , but it was n't the right time to do a big space with a lot of debt , `` he said .

`` This was a safe rest stop .

I own it by myself .

To start a restaurant with no debt is unique .

This place is all about freedom .

It 's not about money .

I get to cook what I want to cook and do what I want to do . ``

Indeed , independence -- complete culinary reign over the menu -- is the solitary kitchen 's biggest draw .

`` Cooking alone makes me the only person to depend on , '' Mr. Giuliano said .

`` When it 's just you coming up with the idea for the dish , prepping it and making it all the way through to the table , that gives you a very personal attachment to the food . ``

But doing it all yourself takes discipline , planning skills and resilience .

The first rule of the solo chef is making sure the components of each dish are ready in advance , so that the time it takes from the moment the chef starts making the order to the moment it is on the plate -LRB- called the `` fire time , '' in chef lingo -RRB- is cut as thin as a potato chip .

`` It 's like Lego , `` Mr. Erickson of That Bar explained .

`` All my building blocks have to be ready to go at dinner . ''

He spends his days butchering and slicing meats , chopping and blanching vegetables , whisking sauces and making a night 's worth of soup , risotto , short ribs and couscous .

With his blocks in order , he will have only one or two steps left before the dish is on the table in front of the diner .

Mr. Giuliano follows the same strategy .

For his sushi-style caprese salad , he makes mozzarella from scratch a few times a week .

He rolls it up with chopped tomatoes and basil so that it resembles a long and puffy marshmallow log .

He wraps it in plastic until someone orders it , then simply slices it into pinwheels and finishes it with coarse salt , freshly cracked pepper and basil oil .

Fire time : 30 seconds .

`` Only 25 percent of this job is cooking , '' Mr. Giuliano said .

`` Timing is everything else . ''

He has taken a shine to soups and other dishes that can be heated up while he works on others .

Dishes that customers can share also work to the solo chef 's advantage .

Mr. Giuliano serves a Mediterranean platter -- hummus , tzatziki and tomato salad with feta -- that takes less than a minute to arrange and can serve six .

`` The sharing buys me time , '' he said .

`` I can put out one plate , and that keeps them happy and gives me time to work on a couple of other dishes . ''

Mr. Kelly banks on his raw bar and his antipasto platter , piled high with homemade bresaola , house-cured sardines , Parmigiano-Reggiano , figs , caper berries , olives and crisp fried artichokes .

`` I am putting out one plate that will serve three or four people , and that 's perfect , `` he said .

Solitary chefs rely heavily on dishes that do not mind being cooked in advance , then simply and speedily reheated .

During the day Mr. Kelly slow-roasts whole ducks , which he later halves and crisps in the high-heat pizza oven for 10 minutes , then moves to a gentler oven for a few minutes , along with a syrupy reduction of diced turnips , apples , yams , leeks and apple cider .

`` It 's a quick pick-up that is easy for me to do , `` he said .

In Chicago , Mr. Six pointed out another trick of the one-chef trade .

`` The most important thing is to cook what you know , '' he said .

`` You need to be really comfortable with what you are doing , because you do n't have an army of prep cooks to help you with food you are unfamiliar with .

You want to focus on simplicity , and try not to overreach and get fancy with plates of perfectly julienned vegetables . ``

But at the end of a 16-hour solitary day , nothing can change the fact that this is one demanding gig .

Steven Hall , an owner of That Bar , went through two other chefs in a few months before finding Mr. Erickson , an energetic 27-year-old .

Mr. Erickson said he finds the rewards outweigh the high-anxiety nights .

`` I am probably working harder than I have in other restaurants , '' he said .

`` But it 's my menu and my food , and I cook everything myself .

That makes it a lot less harsh . ``

And harsh it can be .

`` I am cooking five mornings , five afternoons , and five nights a week , '' Mr. Kelly said .

`` The mental pressure of doing it alone is very challenging . ''

Yet , he added , `` I always had the dream of doing what I am doing .

I can say that every plate served is mine , and that is tremendously rewarding . ``

Mr. Six also finds satisfaction in the fact that his signature is on every dish .

`` It 's a lot more personal , `` he said .

`` The restaurant is so small that I can overhear conversations , so if someone says something nice about the food , it 's really gratifying .

`` So far what I have heard has been really gratifying .

I do n't know what I 'll do if I do n't like what I hear . ``

A Tall Order HERE are some tips from chefs who cook alone : Take care of yourself physically and mentally .

You ca n't call in sick .

Be careful .

If you slice your finger and have to go to the E.R. , the restaurant has to close .

Make sure the food is good , because you are the one to blame if it is n't .

Monitor your beverage consumption .

There is no time for bathroom breaks .

Summary: Most restaurants have chef and army of cooks to fill diners ' orders , but several stalwarts prefer kitchen all to themselves .

Summary: Dominic Giuliano , sole chef at Punch & Judy in Manhattan has developed intricate kitchen choreography .

Summary: Solo chefs have independence and complete culinary control .

Summary: Photos .


Early in the 19th century , as a flood of pioneers began rolling across the American West , the painter George Catlin resolved to travel there and document the unspoiled landscape and native peoples .

Before the era of photography , few white people had ever seen the faces of Indians .

So Catlin 's paintings created a stir when he showed them in Eastern cities and in Europe .

He went on to become a fervent defender of Indians , even urging that the Great Plains be preserved as a `` nation 's park `` where they could continue to live their traditional lives .

Catlin described the Indians he met as `` nature 's proudest , noblest men `` and said he hoped '' to rescue from oblivion their primitive looks and customs , `` which were being '' blasted and destroyed by the contemporary vices and dissipations introduced by the immoral part of civilized society . ``

Many of Catlin 's portraits present Indians as stately and even regal .

Some modern critics , however , also find troubling aspects of his art and life .

A show at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum here puts Catlin 's contradictions on display .

The exhibition , which runs through Jan . 20 , is the most complete display of his work in more than a century , with more than 400 paintings and artifacts .

Indians are among those who have taken newly critical looks at Catlin 's work .

W . Richard West , a Southern Cheyenne who is director of the National Museum of the American Indian here , wrote in this show 's catalog , `` A native person is challenged , I think , not to feel on some level a profound resentment toward Catlin .

His obsession with depicting Indians has an extremely invasive undertone to it . ``

Mr. West called him `` a cultural P . T . Barnum , a crass huckster trading on other people 's lives and life ways . ``

The show raises questions about the ability of outsiders to interpret foreign cultures , and also about whether it is possible to judge the attitudes of 19th-century Americans by modern standards .

Catlin financed his five trips to the West himself , and after each of them he tried various means to make money from his experiences .

He staged shows of his paintings and artifacts , some of which experts now believe were of dubious authenticity , and he exaggerated his exploits .

His celebrated claim to have been the first white person to visit the sacred quarry where Plains Indians mined stone for their pipes , for example , is now widely considered false .

Catlin was a product of the same romantic imagination that produced European masters like Caspar David Friedrich and J . M . W . Turner .

Like them , he worked from nature , and his works have a sense of immediacy and intimacy .

Sometimes he produced as many as three portraits in a single day .

Romanticism shaped Catlin 's view of the Indian as a noble savage whose life in the state of nature was endangered by the encroachment of civilization .

His trips ranged from one in the Southeast , where he met tribes that had intermingled with whites for more than a century , to some in the Northern Plains , where he found groups that had rarely if ever been in contact with non-Indians .

The Indians in Catlin 's paintings are often adorned with scalps or bear claw necklaces .

Some have richly painted faces and bodies .

There are also works depicting various forms of hunting and religious rituals .

Scholars say that while some are highly accurate , others are suspect .

One of Catlin 's most powerful paintings is `` Wi-jun-jon , Pigeon 's Egg Head -LRB- The Light -RRB- , Going to and Returning From Washington . ``

It shows two views of the same man .

On the left , emerging from the prairie , he looks dignified , carrying a pipe and wearing a long feathered headdress and a richly decorated buckskin cloak .

On the right he staggers back toward home in a dandy 's suit and top hat , complete with high leather boots and an umbrella .

He is smoking a cigarette , and there are bottles of whiskey in his back pockets .

Although Catlin 's Indian Gallery at first attracted crowds in cities like Pittsburgh and New York , and later in London , Paris and Brussels , he did not sell many pictures , and attendance soon dropped .

He tried unsuccessfully to sell his collection to the United States government .

To make the money he staged Wild West shows that foreshadowed those of Buffalo Bill decades later .

Catlin 's shows included performing Indians , staged battles and even live grizzly bears .

He was bankrupt and exhausted when he died in 1872 at 76 .

Seven years later his widow donated the bulk of his collection to the Smithsonian .

The exhibition here includes some evocative artifacts .

Among them are `` peace medals '' bearing the portraits of American presidents , intended as gifts for Indian chiefs , and a mask made from a buffalo head that was used in ceremonial dances .

There is also a room with four screens , on which video scenes of the West as Catlin knew it , including sequences of wild rivers , buffalo herds and a prairie fire are projected , complete with sound effects .

From Washington this show will travel to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City , Mo .

The Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles .

And the Museum of Fine Art in Houston .

Catlin was a self-taught artist whose fame comes as much from the unusual subjects he chose as from his painterly skill .

He was working as a lawyer in the 1820 's when he saw a group of Indians who visited Philadelphia .

Eager to learn more about their culture , he traveled to St . Louis and met William Clark , governor of the Missouri Territory , who had made the famous trek West with Meriwether Lewis .

Clark encouraged Catlin 's interest in Indians and took him on his first trip up the Mississippi , where he saw what he called `` soul-melting scenery '' that would inspire him for years to come .

Over the next half-century Catlin traveled thousands of miles and painted hundreds of portraits of Indians from nearly 50 tribes , including the Pawnee , Omaha , Mandan , Sioux , Cheyenne , Crow , Blackfoot , Osage , Choctaw and Kiowa .

He kept a meticulous journal that is still considered an important source of information about Indian life , and he is remembered not only as a painter and showman , but also as an ethnographer , geologist and cartographer .

His experiences led him to conclude that `` the North American Indian in his native state is an honest , hospitable , faithful , brave , warlike , cruel , revengeful , relentless -- yet honorable , contemplative and religious being . ''

ARTS IN AMERICA .

Summary: Stephen Kinzer Arts in America column on 19th century American painter George Catlin , whose works are on exhibit at Renwick Gallery of Smithsonian American Art Museum , Washington , DC .

Summary: Photo .


Loan exhibitions from one big city to another tend to beat the drum from start to finish until we can hear it sounding , triple forte , through the windows .

There is nothing like that about the exhibition of 75 French master paintings from the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow that opened here at the Museum of Fine Arts in mid-December and runs through March 9 .

This is one of the subtlest and most seductive shows of its kind .

From Poussin and Lorrain in the 17th century all the way to Bonnard and Matisse , just before 1914 , it has surprises to spring .

A civilized curiosity is applied to everything from Jupiter 's seduction of Callisto -LRB- as interpreted by Boucher in 1744 in terms of a same-sex embrace -RRB- to the prison yard in St . - Rémy , complete with exercising prisoners , that van Gogh painted in 1890 .

-LRB- The subject of painting by van Gogh is still today 's news around the world . -RRB-

Nothing in this show falls flat or goes on too long , and some of the best things in it are small .

Room has been found , for instance , for the delicate wit with which Louis-Léopold Boilly handled scenes of domestic drama in the last years of the 18th century .

Renoir is at his very best in his `` In the Garden '' of 1876 , where the convivial scene is stolen by a young woman in a dress that is made up from head to foot of radiant pink and blue stripes .

Among the five Cézannes , the `` Mardi Gras '' of 1888 is a family affair , in that the model for the Harlequin was Cézanne 's 16-year-old son Paul and the Pierrot was Paul 's friend Louis Guillaume .

Cézanne brought all his magic to the white costume of Pierrot , which turns out to harbor a host of colors derived from the curtains behind him .

Harlequin 's sloping tread and neutral expression , though impressive , suggest that he was more attentive to his father than to the antics of the commedia dell ' arte .

Where the pictures in this show are really big , it is for a reason .

A place of honor is reserved for a very large painting -LRB- 76 by 70 inches -RRB- , `` The Village Lovers . ''

It was painted by Jules Bastien-Lepage in 1882 , when the Impressionists were changing forever the way that a painting can look .

Bastien-Lepage had been trained as a traditional painter , and he saw no reason to change .

Style and subject were perfectly matched in this case .

The picture is about country people and old-fashioned country ways .

A young man loves a young woman and tells her so across a fence .

They do not even touch hands .

Nearby a man -- perhaps her father -- is working in the garden and can see what is going on .

It is a painting that -- down to the last beanstalk -- speaks for an identifiable village and a specific way of life .

Its detailing is superabundant .

This is not , and never was , the `` cutting edge , '' but it has not outlived its uses , either .

Among perennial favorites , Corot is in good form as a weather reporter in three studies of the French countryside .

But it is in quite another guise that in `` Morning in Venice , '' he takes us with him to the Riva degli Schiavone at an hour when the light is perfect , the air is exhilarating and we have a nonpareil among townscapes all to ourselves .

And Corot does it to perfection in just 10 by 15 inches .

In the end , with just three great paintings by Matisse , all dated from just before 1914 and shown together in a room of their own , the show has a finale that no one who sees it will forget .

The pictures in question are `` Nasturtiums and the Dance , '' `` Calla Lilies , Irises and Mimosas '' and `` Goldfish . ''

All came from the holdings of the visionary collector Sergei Shchukin , and they have a collective exhilaration that bounces off the wall when we look at them .

This broad , clear , comprehensive panorama of French painting is all the more remarkable because although the Pushkin Museum was opened by Czar Nicholas II in 1912 , it was not until after the death of Stalin in 1953 that it had any freedom in what could be put on the wall .

In Stalin 's later years Soviet diehards had been heard to say that any museum director who showed Picasso or Matisse should be dismissed , flogged or shot .

The single greatest task of museum professionals in Moscow was to preserve the inspired collections formed between 1897 and 1914 by Shchukin and his fellow collector Ivan Morozov .

Between them , they drew a map of the advanced European art of the day that could have been drawn by a reborn Mercator .

Shchukin owned 43 Matisses , 8 Cézannes , 5 Degas , 16 Derains , 16 Gauguins , 4 van Goghs , 13 Monets , 5 Marquets and 50 Picassos .

Morozov owned 13 Bonnards , 18 Cézannes , 5 Derains , 11 Gauguins , 5 van Goghs , 6 Marquets , 11 Matisses and 6 Renoirs .

Shchukin in all this was the leader , and Morozov was a younger enthusiast who had ideas of his own .

Both wanted their collections to stay in Moscow forever .

But in 1918 the Soviets seized both the collections and the houses in which Shchukin and Morozov had installed them .

In 1948 the works were divided between the Pushkin Museum in Moscow and the Hermitage Museum in what was then Leningrad , on condition that nothing from either collection should be put on show .

Advanced art was , in effect , under house arrest .

Irina Antonova , the ever-valiant director of the Pushkin Museum since 1961 , worked consistently to get permission to put the forbidden pictures on view .

-LRB- The Pushkin was the first museum in Russia to hang a painting by Kandinsky -RRB- .

She succeeded , and since the 1960 's the pictures have been where Shchukin and Morozov wanted them to be -- in a place of honor in Moscow .

ART REVIEW .

Summary: John Russell reviews exhibition of French master paintings loaned by Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts , Moscow , to Houston Museum of Fine Arts .

Summary: Photo .


Facing a sinking economy , opera companies and orchestras large and small across the United States report severe deficits and are starting to panic .

As the directors of many of these institutions ponder what to do , one of their number , Pamela Rosenberg , the tenacious general director of the San Francisco Opera , is absolutely clear about what not to do .

`` We are not going to get through this economic downturn and come out the other end by replacing quality with mediocrity , '' Ms. Rosenberg , who has set the company on course to becoming America 's most adventurous opera house , said in a recent telephone interview .

`` If we are going to be worthy of support , we have to make a difference in people 's lives . ``

Companies that typically react to economic uncertainty by playing it safe and catering to subscribers would be wise to heed Ms. Rosenberg 's example .

Despite recent announcements from her office of dire budget deficits and cutbacks in some programming , she is determined to implement her bold artistic vision .

To understand why her supporters are betting that she will prevail , consider how she came to this prominent post in the first place .

She did n't want the job when the opera 's board approached her more than three years ago .

Though an American , Ms. Rosenberg had spent most of her career , some 35 years , running houses in Europe .

At the time she was winning praise and creating a buzz at the Stuttgart Opera in Germany for innovative programming rich in modernist fare , as well as for championing experimental directors and younger singers .

For all its past glory , the San Francisco Opera had become stodgy , as Ms. Rosenberg said publicly .

No matter what the board members were telling her , she doubted they truly wanted a shake-up .

Moreover , accustomed to running a government-subsidized house , she did n't relish the prospect of fund-raising .

But in the end the board convinced her .

On taking charge last year Ms. Rosenberg , 57 , implemented `` Animating Opera , '' a five-year creative plan to present series of works related to broad themes like `` Outsiders or Pioneers .

`` And '' Seminal Works of Modern Times . ``

She reconstituted the rehearsal schedule to allow more time to prepare challenging operas , notably Messiaen 's visionary , complex , five-hour `` St . François d' Assise , '' which received its American stage premiere by the company in September in a hauntingly modern production .

An impressive cast and inspired orchestra were under the direction of Donald Runnicles .

Far from intimidating audiences `` St . François '' drew the strongest attendance figures of any San Francisco Opera production so far this season , even beating out `` Turandot '' with Jane Eaglen .

The last three performances were sold out .

And who was its biggest booster .

Karl Mills , the president of the board .

An investment adviser , Mr. Mills is an ebullient opera buff in his early 40 's who , company officials report , attended five out of six performances of `` St . François . ''

`` Actually , it was four and a half , '' he admitted in a recent interview .

`` I was so moved .

Lots of people who had apprehensions were just blown away , not only by its artistic impact , but its spiritual impact .

It left a void that is hard to imagine filling . ``

Asked whether convincing audiences to spend five hours at a modern opera was difficult , Mr. Mills responded , `` It 's better than five hours of watching CNBC these days .

It 's better than a lot of what people spend five hours on . ``

No sooner had the production closed when the announcement came that the company was saddled with a $ 7.7 million deficit on an operating budget of some $ 60 million for the year .

Looked at in a national context , the gap was hardly out of line .

For the first time in a decade the acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra is in the red , by some $ 1.3 million , roughly the same as the deficit at the Philadelphia Orchestra .

Despite showing profits for 14 out of the last 17 seasons , the Chicago Symphony is now $ 6 million in the hole .

Some smaller institutions are facing catastrophe .

The San Jose Symphony , which tried to stave off bankruptcy by canceling its 2002-3 season , recently announced that there was no choice but to dissolve after operating for 123 years .

Still , at the San Francisco Opera it did not help Ms. Rosenberg 's mission when , after the deficits were made public , Mr. Mills was widely quoted as saying that the company would have to take `` a more conservative view '' in the future .

But Mr. Mills said he was referring to budget projections and administrative costs , not to artistic plans and commissions .

Ms. Rosenberg asserts that the cost of mounting the Messiaen had nothing to do with the shortfall from last season 's budget .

The debt , it would seem , is truly a case of `` It 's the economy stupid ! `` San Francisco , once a center for blue chip corporations , was pummeled by the dot-com bust .

Most foundations in the area reported 50 percent declines in their endowments , said Elizabeth Connell Nielsen , the opera company 's director of public relations .

The state 's deficit forced a 60 percent cut in the California Arts Council budget .

And Sept . 11 was especially debilitating for the San Francisco Opera because of the company 's unusual schedule .

Its house is shared with the San Francisco Ballet , and in 2001 , 9 of 11 opera productions were performed between Sept . 9 and the end of November .

Ms. Rosenberg rightly maintains that putting on challenging and unfamiliar recent works does not necessarily cost more than sticking with the standards .

Naturally , the rehearsals involved eat up funds .

But so would a grandly traditional production of `` Aida . ''

Out-of-town critics and opera buffs have been flocking to the city for intriguing offerings like the recent daring production of Janacek 's `` Kat ' a Kabanova `` with the soprano Karita Mattila in the title role .

In an effort to keep the house full and attract new audiences , Ms. Rosenberg also instituted a student rush ticket policy that students have rushed to embrace : two hours before the performance any unsold seat goes for $ 15 .

`` What we are doing here is not just good for the San Francisco Opera , '' Mr. Mills said .

`` It puts San Francisco artistically on the world stage .

It 's worth fighting for . ``

Still , something had to give .

So , reluctantly , Ms. Rosenberg has shelved two works for next season that would have been company firsts .

A production of Rimsky-Korsakov ` s '' Coq d' Or `` from the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris , which would have had to be boosted a bit with added choristers for San Francisco 's larger War Memorial Opera House stage , will be replaced with the company 's familiar David Hockney production of Mozart 's `` Magic Flute . ''

And Achim Freyer 's wildly inventive Stuttgart production of Weber 's `` Freischutz '' is being canceled .

These moves should save some $ 2 million .

Even with these cutbacks the season will still offer some unusual operas : Virgil Thomson 's iconoclastic `` Mother of Us All , '' Busoni 's monumental `` Doktor Faust , '' Janacek 's wistful `` Cunning Little Vixen '' and Shostakovich 's gritty `` Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk . ''

This is not status-quo repertory .

Ms. Rosenberg is staunchly committed to the `` Animating Opera '' series , which in the next few seasons will offer two daunting Berlioz works , the complete `` Les Troyens '' and `` Benvenuto Cellini , '' as well as Janacek 's seldom-heard `` From the House of the Dead . ''

`` The Faust Project , '' a series of operas that reflect the Faust legend , still includes a commissioned work from the composer Lewis Spratlan , who won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize in Music for a concert version of Act II of his opera `` Life Is a Dream '' -LRB- which has yet to be staged -RRB- .

And on Dec . 11 Ms. Rosenberg announced the commissioning of `` Doctor Atomic , '' an opera centered on J . Robert Oppenheimer , from the composer John Adams , the librettist Alice Goodman and the director Peter Sellars , the team that created `` Nixon in China '' and `` The Death of Klinghoffer . ''

The new work is scheduled for a 2005 premiere .

In comparison the Lyric Opera of Chicago , a company with a larger endowment and a smaller deficit , is also dropping two works that would have been house firsts in a `` pre-emptive strike , '' according to its recent announcement .

But the Lyric is playing it safe , replacing `` Benvenuto Cellini '' with Gilbert & Sullivan 's `` Pirates of Penzance '' and scrapping a Montemezzi rarity , `` L' Amore dei Tre Re , '' for a Gounod war horse , `` Faust . ''

One can only hope that the Lyric Opera is n't turning away from its bold recent history that includes presenting the premieres of two operas by William Bolcom .

Giving a second chance to Martin David Levy , whose `` Mourning Becomes Electra '' fizzled at its 1967 Metropolitan Opera premiere but sizzled in its revised version in 2000 at the Lyric .

Giving John Harbison 's `` Great Gatsby '' a second hearing after its Metropolitan Opera premiere .

And presenting a knockout production of Britten 's `` Billy Budd '' last season .

It 's interesting to note that the San Francisco Symphony , while having to contend with the same struggling economy as its neighboring opera company , is operating in the black .

Why the difference .

For one thing the orchestra is a less expensive enterprise .

Last season 's budget was $ 45.5 million .

But other factors are involved , said Karen Ames , the director of communications .

Opera companies must plan four and five years in advance in order to secure the desired singers , directors and conductors .

`` We 're not as hurt by an underperforming concert on an off week , `` Ms. Ames said .

The next week may bring a surprise success , as happened recently when four performances of Wynton Marsalis 's oratorio `` All Rise '' were a `` massive sell out , '' Ms. Ames said .

And the San Francisco Symphony 's endowment , which is three times the size of its current annual budget , provides a cushion .

The opera company 's endowment is precariously low , just half the size of its operating budget .

Most important , the orchestra has a dynamic public persona in its conductor , Michael Tilson Thomas , who has won audiences to innovative programming that balances compelling performances of established repertory with lots of edgy , hip and important contemporary music .

And Mr. Thomas , who arrived in 1995 , had a crucial period during the boom years in which to introduce himself .

Ms. Rosenberg always expected it would take her three or four years to reanimate audiences along with the company 's repertory .

In the aftermath of 9/11 , people everywhere , including some often-obtuse arts institutions , were compelled to ask critical questions : What is this organization here for .

How is what we do relevant .

The economic downturn may compel company heads to ask these questions anew .

`` Especially in times like these , '' Ms. Rosenberg said , `` challenging art can give people real sustenance .

It can make people come together and think . ``

CRITIC 'S NOTEBOOK .

Summary: Article on financial difficulties faced by opera companies focuses on determination of San Francisco Opera general director Pamela Rosenberg to retain quality of performances , with support of board president Karl Mills .

Summary: Compares problems of San Francisco with those of smaller Lyric Opera of Chicago .

Summary: Photos .


To the Editor : Verlyn Klinkenborg 's Editorial Observer about H . L . Mencken -LRB- `` Remembering the Permanent Opposition of H . L . Mencken , '' Dec . 30 -RRB- made me reflect on how outrage serves our democracy .

Senator Trent Lott 's record on race has finally raised the ire of the Republican Party .

But Senator Bill Frist shows that a sexist may still wander where racists fear to tread .

Mr. Frist 's opposition to sex education , international family planning and emergency contraception demonstrates an attitude toward women that also deserves a vehement outcry .

The discrimination against women still practiced by the Augusta National Golf Club , which did n't admit a black member until 1990 , suggests that misogyny may have even deeper roots than racism .

I hope that I live long enough to see insensitivity to women by our leaders get the anger it deserves .

LYNN PARRAMORE New York , Dec . 30 , 2002 .

Summary: Lynn Parramore letter comments on Verlyn Klinkenborg 's Dec 30 article about H L Mencken .


To the Editor : Republicans ' `` race neutral '' goals -LRB- `` The Republicans Try to Redefine Civil Rights , '' Week in Review , Dec . 29 -RRB- are both laudable and painfully unrealistic .

While the worst forms of racial discrimination were dealt with in the 1960 's and 70 's , their effects remain with us today , because of practices that made it disproportionately difficult for African-Americans to amass and pass down both real wealth and cultural capital .

If the Republicans do not alter their principled opposition to race-sensitive policies , an alternative might be to support actions that help lower-income Americans across the board , as discussed in the article .

If they fail to do so , it will be hard to believe that the principles that lie behind this opposition are not ones that were better left behind in 1948 .

DAN SOLOMON Philadelphia , Dec . 29 , 2002 .

Summary: Dan Solomon letter holds Republicans must alter principled opposition to race-sensitive policies -LRB- Dec 29 article -RRB- .


While architects have publicly proclaimed the World Trade Center site proposals displayed at the Winter Garden in Lower Manhattan as the greatest architecture show ever , many have privately expressed reservations about the designs ' details , the handling of the competition and even the spotlight in which the contestants now stand .

`` Architecture is finally having a visible presence , perhaps too visible , '' said Ricardo Scofidio of Diller & Scofidio in Manhattan .

The popular image of the architect as a creative genius whipping up great designs on a cocktail napkin is at odds with the reality .

More often , architects say , great design is the result of constant , sometimes painful give-and-take between the architect and the client .

Letting the public in on the process from the start , even as spectators , has pulled back the veil on a ritual that is most often conducted in the hush of boardrooms and private offices .

By contrast , the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation announced that its design priorities for the site would be determined `` by conducting the most comprehensive public outreach campaign ever undertaken . ''

The power of public opinion to sway the process was amply demonstrated in July when six initial site plans were universally rejected .

In this , the second round , the public has been treated to front-row seats : the presentations by the seven competing architectural teams were televised live for more than three hours , and an exhibition of their models , renderings and video walk-throughs was open to the public almost immediately .

Several architectural institutions have stepped in quickly to arrange their own forums , discussion groups and exhibitions on the process , and television networks have devoted unusual amounts of air time to explaining site plans and computer-animated design .

Architects `` presenting on TV has never happened before , '' Mr. Scofidio added .

`` But at this phase , letting the public say what it likes and does n't like will only make the water muddier , `` he said , explaining that what may be a great spectacle was no way to select a design .

Bill Lacy , a design consultant and adviser to the jury on architecture 's highest honor , the Pritzker Prize , said that the Lower Manhattan redevelopment was `` far too important to be judged by public opinion poll . ''

`` I feel sorry for these architects designing in a fish bowl , '' he continued .

`` The first team did a credible job but was crucified by being exposed to the public prematurely .

People are so eager for something positive to happen , but land use and massing studies are never exciting .

You ca n't design for seven million clients . ``

Mindful of the effort involved in preparing such complex and historically significant designs in just eight weeks -LRB- and with fees of only $ 40,000 -RRB- , the 16 architects interviewed for this article were loath to single out any team 's design .

But they did not hesitate to criticize the process as too exposed and the requirements as too vague .

The attention and its intensity are mixed blessings , said some architects , who worried that some of the more implausible designs might be taken literally , leaving the entire profession open to ridicule and condemnation .

`` There is something a little grotesque in the interpretation of ground zero as a lucky break for art , '' Leon Wieseltier , literary editor of The New Republic , said last September in a debate with Daniel Libeskind , one of the competing architects , at Columbia University .

The development corporation has frequently said that the object of the competition , a master land-use plan , is not to `` include the detailed architecture of individual structures . ''

But many architects worry that the teams ' detailed models and impressively realistic video presentations will encourage the public to perceive them as concrete plans .

Bernard Tschumi , a semifinalist in the competition and the dean of the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture , Planning and Preservation , described the process as backward .

`` They are starting with a design and hope to arrive at a program , '' he said .

`` It strikes me as unusual .

And since each design is based on its own premises , you really ca n't compare them to each other at all .

The ambiguity is not right . ``

While some architects championed the competition as a way to educate the public about the importance of architecture , many faulted the proposals for the way the buildings met the ground and integrated with the city .

`` There should be more talk about activities , not buildings , '' said the architect Denise Scott Brown of Venturi , Scott Brown & Associates in Philadelphia .

`` A great deal of money will be spent quickly on the transit system , and that will affect what else happens .

All those people coming up out of the subway will surely affect the design . ``

She said she was n't sure that factor was reflected in the proposals , `` while , in fact , it should be the generator of these designs . ''

Other architects said too much creative vision was expended on towers and not enough on street-level elements .

`` The ground plan and infrastructure are surprisingly conservative in contrast to the boldness of the architecture , '' said Ralph Lerner , a Princeton , N.J. , architect and former dean of the Princeton University School of Architecture , who is now working on the design of several areas adjacent to the World Trade Center site .

`` There were n't many new thoughts on how to treat ground transportation . ``

Many architects , however , commended the building proposals for incorporating the latest innovations in energy efficiency .

`` This will be the first time that European daring in ecological issues has been introduced at such a scale in the U.S. , '' said Raymond W . Gastil , executive director of the Van Alen Institute , a nonprofit organization devoted to increasing awareness of public architecture , `` but it will create new standards for all skyscrapers . ''

The Van Alen Institute recently published a report , `` Information Exchange : How Cities Renew , Rebuild and Remember , '' exploring how seven cities , including Beirut , Sarajevo and Berlin , rebuilt themselves in the wake of both natural and political disasters .

As for building height , architects ' opinions varied about what was appropriate for structures that would stand not in , but next to , the footsteps of the lanky twin towers .

`` I 'm offended by everyone reaching to the sky again , `` said Will Bruder , an architect in Phoenix who focuses on environmental and recycling issues .

Of the tall designs , he found Mr. Libeskind 's 1,776-foot tapering tower the most convincing .

`` At least he reached up to the sky with sculpture instead of a bulky mass , '' Mr. Bruder said .

Did any of the competitors succeed at reinventing the skyscraper for a new era .

Only if you 've never seen Hong Kong , Mr. Lerner said .

United Architects ' tall , angled structures , which combined into a single public floor high in the sky , were the only proposals suggesting a new way of thinking about large buildings in groups , he added .

Hugh Hardy of Hardy Holzmann Pfeiffer in Manhattan , who did not participate in the competition , said he was not convinced that a new kind of skyscraper was possible at this time .

The circumstances that created landmarks like the Chrysler and Empire State buildings were different , he said .

`` Not in our lifetime has anyone been able to figure out what New York should be , '' Mr. Hardy explained .

`` We 're all out of practice , and there 's no powerful leadership .

Without someone in charge , it 's all going to have to be worked out each step of the way . ``

All the architects wondered how the development corporation would proceed .

The interested public , already well informed on the issues , has still more opportunities to learn .

On Monday the Architectural League will open an exhibition that is like a continuing public tutorial .

It will display a range of documents connected to the design proposals , from the architects ' video presentations to the reactions of the European news media .

The exhibition is intended to be `` an archive of the process , '' said Rosalie Genevro , the league 's executive director , and it will be updated as more materials become available .

`` The first round was so bland , there was nothing to talk about , '' she said .

`` Now there 's so much more to look at and to sort out .

And there 's more emotion . ``

The exhibition will run through the end of February , when , the development corporation announced , it will adopt a final master land-use plan and undertake a competition for a ground zero memorial .

On Tuesday Architectural Record magazine is sponsoring a forum of architects and architectural critics , including Mr. Tschumi and Richard Kahan , the former chief executive of the Battery Park City Authority , who oversaw the creation of the master plan for Battery Park City in the 1980 's .

All the architects in the competition have been invited , along with representatives of the development corporation and Port Authority .

`` It 's an intellectual exercise , `` said Robert Ivy , the editor in chief of Architectural Record .

`` Have there ever been so many wonderful ideas to discuss , such depth of feeling to explore .

My great fear is that they are trying to make a camel with three humps . ``

But fears and criticism pale beside the excitement that most architects said they felt at the opportunity to see so much world-class architecture on display .

`` This is a fantastic show of talent , '' said Cesar Pelli , the architect of the World Financial Center and the Winter Garden , who estimated that the architects involved must have spent as much as $ 4 million on their combined presentations .

`` The community is getting a huge gift from these architects , '' Mr. Pelli said , adding , `` Of course , the architects are also getting phenomenal P.R. '' .

Summary: Architects privately note difficulties resulting from power of public opinion in choosing design for World Trade Center site .

Summary: Note unheard-of live TV broadcast presenting six initial site plans , which resulted in rejection of all designs .

Summary: Interviews reveal variety of opinions among architects on unusual selection process .

Summary: Photo .


It 's Sunday morning and the breakfast buffet at the Sofitel Suites -- one of five international hotels at this luxury 420-acre coastal resort -- is heaving with Brazilian families , all eagerly scooping scrambled eggs onto golden brown toast .

Just hours later , at lunchtime , the restaurant is empty .

Most of the families have headed home , leaving the hotel -- and most of the resort on the sun-drenched Bahian coast , some 50 miles north of the state capital , Salvador -- to the handful of guests who are staying longer than a weekend .

To a tourist , that might sound like paradise : Imagine having Sauípe 's 15 restaurants , 18-hole golf course , riding , sailing and surfing spots , exotic mangrove gardens and miles of empty beaches all to yourself .

But for Thomas Humpert , president of Sauípe S.A. , the company that must fill the beds at the two-year-old resort , it is far from heaven .

`` For 2002 , we will probably have a 41 percent occupancy rate , '' he said .

`` Obviously that 's not what we would ideally like . ``

Worse still , only 15 percent of guests are foreigners , well off the 50 percent forecast by 2005 in the resort 's initial business plan , which had the local news media hailing Sauípe as Brazil 's Cancún , a resort that would bring millions of tourist dollars to Bahia .

In many ways , Sauípe reflects the problems faced by Brazil 's tourism industry as a whole .

Serious investments have been made , $ 6 billion over the last eight years , and $ 200 million in the Bahian resort by the Marriott Group , Accor of France and SuperClubs of Jamaica , yet occupancy rates are way below their potential .

Brazil still ranks only 20th among the world 's most popular destinations .

Despite the slump in global tourism after the Sept . 11 attacks , Brazil , by rights , should have been one of the world 's hottest destinations in 2002 , said Xavier Veciana , general director of SuperClubs here .

With the currency , the real , off more than 30 percent against the dollar in 2002 , a night at Sauípe 's luxurious Sofitel can be cheaper than a London bed and breakfast .

Two of Brazil 's rivals as beach resorts -- Southeast Asia and Africa -- have both been hit by terrorist attacks recently , in Bali and Kenya .

By comparison , laid-back Bahia looks positively safe .

The problem is there are few direct flights to beach destinations here , crisis-hit tour operators are reluctant to risk adding new charter routes , and Brazil , in general , spends little abroad on promoting its coastline , historic cities and vibrant culture .

`` Now , just when Bahia has its best chance to attract more foreign tourists , airlines and tour operators are in the deepest crisis they have seen for years , '' Mr. Veciana said .

`` If the global economic situation were better , we 'd have airlines and charter companies waiting in line at the airport here begging for slots . ``

Brazil 's tropical northeast coast , potentially the country 's most valuable tourist asset , is starved of scheduled international flights .

Only TAP Air Portugal and Brazil 's troubled carrier , Varig , fly from outside Brazil directly to the regional capitals of Salvador , Recife and Natal .

`` We have an airlift problem to Brazil in general and to Salvador in particular , '' said Eduardo Farina of the Bahian Entertainment , Culture and Tourism Cluster , a business association uniting 14 companies and institutions involved in local tourism .

`` All the airlines are concentrating their flights in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo , because they can make more profit from business travelers , '' he said .

Not that Mr. Farina has anything against pursuing profit .

That is exactly what his organization hopes to do , by improving the infrastructure and training in Bahia and diversifying what its resort areas can offer visitors .

`` The main idea is to raise the quality and level of tourism here -- to show that Bahia is not just beach and sun , '' Mr. Farina said .

`` Visitors who come here to enjoy cultural , nature and sport tourism tend to stay longer and spend more money . ''

Strapped for cash , Brazil 's government is slashing spending on tourism promotion .

The advertising budget for the government agency Embratur has slipped from $ 10 million in 1997 to $ 3.5 million in 2002 .

Tiny Panama , by comparison , is spending $ 15 million a year on promotion in the United States alone .

While President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has promised to give the tourism industry its own ministry , the Bahian group is not waiting for government help .

It plans an international campaign for Bahia in 2003 , and Costa do Sauípe itself has contracted with T.H.R. , the agency behind Spain 's acclaimed strategic marketing for tourism , to pinpoint its best international markets .

`` Bahia is going to communicate aggressively all its products to specific target markets for the first time ever , '' Mr. Veciana said .

`` We hope it will bear fruit soon . ''

So far , Bahia 's experience in marketing itself has been restricted to small niches , like African-Americans , mainly from the Northeast , keen to learn more about their ethnic roots in a place closer to home and more familiar than Africa .

Luciane Leite , international marketing director for state tour operator , Bahiatursa , estimates that 60 percent of the 45,000 Americans visiting Bahia in 2002 were African-Americans .

Bahia 's population is largely descended from slaves from Mozambique , Angola and West Africa brought to work on sugar plantations .

Ceremonies mixing African rites with Catholic tradition , like the Feast of the Good Death in Cachoeira , a Baroque town outside Salvador , are performed regularly , attracting increasing numbers of tourists .

`` They 're looking for a bit of Africa here in the culture , the music , the religious traditions , many of which have died out in Africa but survived here , `` said Paula Santos , an ethnologist and tour guide for Tatur , a Salvador operator that caters to African-American tourists .

Adam Carter , managing director of Brazil Nuts , a Florida-based operator , said he saw a huge potential marketing Bahia to the African-American market .

`` In Bahia you have a fantastic product , '' he said .

`` Salvador is easily branded as the most African city on the Western hemisphere , or the New Orleans of Brazil . ''

African-Americans can be reached best by radio and specialty magazines like Essence , and through church communities , he said , though he added that Bahia so far has only used small-scale `` guerrilla marketing tactics . ''

`` This is a market that 's in its infancy , `` he said .

`` Even if you say only 5 percent of the U.S. population could be interested in such trips , it 's a market of millions . `` .

Summary: Occupancy rate at luxury beach resorts at Costa do Sauipe , Brazil , is disappointing 41 percent , and only 15 percent of guests are foreigners .

Summary: Problem is that there are few direct international flights to airports in Bahia .

Summary: Another problem is that Brazil , in general , spends little abroad on promoting its coastline , historic cities and vibrant culture .

Summary: Photo .


Russia announced today that it would shut down the mission in Chechnya of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe , ending any permanent international monitoring in the republic after the mission 's mandate expires tonight .

Also today , a Russian military court acquitted an army colonel , Yuri D . Budanov , who was accused of murdering an 18-year-old woman in Chechnya nearly three years ago .

The move ended a long , contentious trial that was considered a test of the country 's willingness to prosecute abuses by the military .

Representatives of the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation , which is devoted to managing conflicts and other crises across Europe and Central Asia , negotiated intensely to renew the mission .

But Russian officials insisted that the mandate be limited to providing relief aid .

The small mission , in the northwestern Chechen city of Znamenskoye , has overseen dozens of relief and economic projects , but the group has also criticized Russian forces for abuses against civilians .

Human Rights Watch in New York said the Russian decision , following the closure of Chechen refugee camps in the Russian region bordering Chechnya , `` raises serious human rights concerns . ''

`` Closing down the O.S.C.E. mission is part of Russia 's strategy to cut off scrutiny of human rights conditions in Chechnya and portray the situation as normalizing , `` said Elizabeth Andersen , executive director of the Europe and Central Asia division of Human Rights Watch .

Rights advocates in Russia were similarly dismayed over the acquittal of Colonel Budanov , which followed a finding by psychiatrists that he was temporarily insane when he seized Elza Kungayeva from her home , took her to his quarters , cut off her clothes with a knife , beat her and then strangled her before ordering her body hidden .

The court in Rostov , in southern Russia , ordered Colonel Budanov to undergo psychiatric treatment , but it was not clear for how long .

`` What can be said about justice in Chechnya .

`` Arsen Sakalov , a leader of the Chechnya Justice Initiative , a legal advocacy organization , said in an interview from the neighboring republic , Ingushetia .

`` Everything that happens proves that there is no justice there . ''

In a case that had attracted intense scrutiny , the verdict appeared timed to minimize public attention .

The court announced its decision late this afternoon after many Russians had already left work to devote themselves to New Year 's Eve , the most thoroughly observed of holidays here .

Wednesday and Thursday are public holidays .

The parents of the dead woman did not attend the proceedings today .

They now live in a Chechen refugee camp near Ingushetia 's capital and could not be immediately reached for comment .

The family 's lawyer , Abdullah Khamsayev , said he would continue to press for Colonel Budanov 's prosecution , appealing to Russia 's highest court and , possibly , to the European Court of Justice .

Russian forces have been repeatedly accused of grave abuses during the war in Chechnya , but few have ever been seriously investigated , let alone prosecuted , according to Russian and international rights groups .

Colonel Budanov was the highest-ranking officer tried on criminal charges stemming from those abuses .

The case against him dragged on for more than two years .

The colonel and his lawyers acknowledged that he had killed Ms. Kungayeva but said he did so in an emotional rage , believing that she was a sniper who had killed members of his unit .

He had been drinking heavily .

Charges that he had also raped her were dropped early on , even though an initial autopsy concluded that she had been raped .

Late last week , an assistant to the chief military prosecutor , Col . Aleksandr A . Derbenev , questioned the psychiatric evaluations , saying he believed that Colonel Budanov was in control of his actions .

The Kungayev family 's lawyer also argued that the fact he ordered subordinates to bury Ms. Kungayeva 's body indicated that he knew he had committed a crime .

Colonel Derbenev called on the court to sentence Col . Budanov to 12 years in prison for murder .

If convicted , he faced a maximum of 20 years .

Despite public outrage over the killing , Colonel Budanov won broad sympathy and support , especially from active and retired military leaders , who argued that he was unfairly prosecuted for extremes that occurred in war .

Asked how an officer suffering from insanity could have been allowed to serve in the army , Arkady G . Baskayev , a former commander now in Parliament , told the Ekho Moskvy radio station today , `` The fact is that in Chechnya and the war there you have particular conditions in which very different things happen . '' .

Summary: Russia will shut down mission in Chechnya of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe , ending any permanent international monitoring in republic after mission 's mandate ends tonight .


Any Bulletproof Cue Cards .

Things can be confusing for an entertainer who relies on the nightlife when there is no night .

Such is the problem faced by the Scandinavian singer SISSEL , when she is visiting the northern part of her homeland , Norway .

In the summertime , there is only an hour or so of darkness .

`` It gets all mixed up , '' she said .

But with the debut of her album , titled simply Sissel , she has been traveling too much to dwell on the darkness .

Speaking from her home in Norway , she said she had just returned from Moscow , where she sang a Christmas concert with PLÁCIDO DOMINGO and JOSÉ CARRERAS .

Following the recent takeover of a Moscow theater by Chechen guerrillas , security for the concert was extremely tight , Sissel said .

`` I saw that Plácido and José had these small glass things in front of them , '' she said .

Thinking it was some kind of strange security measure , she asked Mr. Domingo why he had one and she did n't .

He explained that it was a prompter and then asked Sissel , `` Do you think I sing so bad I need protection .

`` She blushed .

Before the Moscow Christmas special , Sissel , whose full name is Sissel Kyrkjebo , was serenading JIMMY CARTER at a concert to celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo .

She said the former president was very sweet and had only one request .

`` He asked for WILLIE NELSON , '' she said .

So Willie Nelson he got , singing a Carter favorite , `` Georgia on My Mind . ''

The Empire Strikes Out To the ears of an American , being named Commander of the British Empire by Her Majesty , the queen , sounds as if it would carry with it some great power .

To wage war , perhaps , or at least to levy an unwanted tax on some far-flung subjects .

Not so , says the actor BRIAN COX .

`` When you are Commander of the British Empire , you are commander of an empire that does n't exist . ``

This week , QUEEN ELIZABETH honored the Scottish-born Mr. Cox for his long career in the dramatic arts .

Mr. Cox , who has roles in several movies out in theaters at the moment , including `` Adaptation '' and `` 25th Hour , '' said he initially did not want to accept the honor .

`` But when I discussed it with friends , they convinced me that I should , '' he said .

His hesitation grew out of his often outspoken criticism of the state of political affairs in Britain , particularly what he called `` a diminution of values '' and the poor condition of the national health service .

Mr. Cox is also quick to speak out against what he sees as a dangerous brand of realpolitik .

`` I think there is a lot of posturing going on regarding Iraq , '' he said .

`` We do n't seem to have an independent mind on this . ``

Mr. Cox was referring to his belief that Britain is just following America 's lead .

As for America , he said it was often misunderstood overseas .

`` And it is not doing itself any favors with the way it has been behaving recently , '' he said .

`` Which is unfortunate , because I love America . ''

Kvetching for Columbine Being MICHAEL MOORE is draining .

Mr. Moore , who is known for ambushing his subjects , often bigwig corporate types , with cameras and crews , is tired of picking up the slack for , well , everyone .

`` I think it 's an embarrassment that it 's somebody in a ball cap with no college education that 's going in to ask these questions , `` he said .

`` It 's disgraceful .

I ca n't stand to look at myself on the screen cause I look at that and I think , ` Boy if that shows there 's anything wrong with the American media , it 's that the job is left up to this guy . '

You know .

`` The director of '' Bowling for Columbine , `` a documentary about America 's gun culture , continued his rant .

`` I 'm just waiting for the media to start doing their job so I can go back home and watch more sports .

This is way too much work for me .

I 'm a very lethargic person . ``

But he would be up for some more TV time .

Asked if it upset him that the conservative pundit ANN COULTER gets so much television time while he hardly gets any , he said that it was strange , considering how well his book had sold .

`` I 've been on a total of two network shows in nine months , `` he said .

`` What is going on with that .

`` Has he ever spoken to Ms. Coulter .

`` No .

For some reason , BILL MAHER kept trying to get her on ` Politically Incorrect ' with me .

She would never come on when I was on , `` he said .

So does he think all the attention Ms. Coulter is getting has something to do with her looks .

He sighed : `` I 've got good legs too . ``

Boldface Names .

Summary: Boldface Names column .

Summary: Norwegian singer Sissel , who has released her first album , returns home from Moscow where she sang Christmas concert with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras .

Summary: Queen Elizabeth honors actor Brian Cox by naming him Commander of the British Empire .

Summary: Director Michael Moore says he would like to make more television appearances .

Summary: Photos .


CONGRESS and the Bush administration are promising Americans tax cuts in the new year .

What form those cuts take will spark fierce debate .

Tax policy is not just an economic tool .

It 's a partisan weapon .

And its power , whether to improve economic performance or slay political opponents , depends on the details .

Political considerations are already distorting two good economic ideas .

The permanent campaign is transforming potentially significant tax reforms into flashy favors that enhance press releases more than economic growth .

The first good idea is ending the `` double taxation '' of dividends .

Under current law , a publicly held company calculates its pretax profit , pays its taxes , and then pays any dividends out of after-tax profit .

Shareholders then pay income taxes on the dividends .

This tax treatment creates all kinds of distortions .

Because interest payments are deductible and dividends are not , the tax code encourages companies to raise capital by borrowing rather than issuing dividend-paying stock .

The dividend tax also leads businesses to pile up retained earnings in cash -- and sometimes to use that extra cash for unwise acquisitions -- rather than turn over profits to shareholders .

With fewer companies paying dividends , investors who want steady incomes are pushed into bonds .

Those who want to avoid high taxes look for capital gains rather than dividends .

This , in turn , skews the market toward growth stocks rather than steady earners .

And by discouraging payouts that require cash profits , the tax code implicitly rewards financial funny business that only looks good on paper .

Correcting the dividend-tax distortion is not simple , because the tax code affects both public companies and their shareholders .

But many stockholders do not pay taxes on dividends , because their shares are in tax-sheltered pensions or retirement accounts .

The biggest distortions are on the corporate side , where the tax code biases decisions about how to raise capital .

To spur better decision-making and , hence , economic growth , lawmakers should make dividends , like interest payments , tax deductible for corporations .

But getting rid of a big distortion requires a bigger tax cut than getting rid of a small one .

Thanks to all those tax-sheltered accounts , exempting dividend income from individual taxes could cost only half as much as making companies ' dividend payments tax-deductible .

Exempting only part of the dividend from taxation , as the Bush administration is expected to propose , would cost the Treasury even less .

And most policy makers would rather keep the money in Washington .

Giving individual investors a break on their dividend income already subjects politicians to demagogic attacks as friends of the rich .

Cutting corporate taxes , even to eliminate distortions , is politically dangerous .

In a campaign , `` my opponent supported tax breaks for giant corporations '' is even nastier than `` my opponent supported tax breaks for wealthy investors . ''

Sounder tax policy hardly seems worth the trouble .

The second good idea gone bad is cutting the payroll tax , which takes 6.2 percent of everyone 's paycheck from the first dollar of income up to a limit , set in 2002 at $ 84,900 .

Employers pay an equal amount for the privilege of employing people .

The employer tax does not show up on the FICA line of your pay stub , but it nonetheless increases the gap between what you take home and what you cost the company .

Reducing the payroll tax would give every worker an immediate tax break and encourage companies to hire -LRB- or retain -RRB- employees .

It 's a winning idea whether you 're looking for a Keynesian jolt to consumer spending or a supply-side boost to hiring .

And it would particularly benefit low-income workers , who pay little or nothing in federal income taxes but still owe payroll taxes .

The problem arises in defining what it means to `` cut the payroll tax . ''

A permanent rate reduction , the ideal reform , is not what lawmakers have in mind .

The most common suggestion is a one-year exemption on the first $ 10,000 or $ 15,000 of income .

This idea has two problems .

To spur either spending or long-term hiring , income tax cuts need to be permanent , not short term .

Of course , employers and workers would appreciate even a one-year break , especially a large one .

The idea is a political winner , but a temporary cut does little to encourage hiring or spending .

Companies are n't likely to expand their permanent work force if the after-tax cost of new workers is going to shoot up a year later .

And consumers generally base their spending on what they expect to earn over the long term .

They save windfalls , including tax rebates , and borrow to cover temporary shortfalls .

This principle , which is known in economics as the permanent income hypothesis , may explain why the 2001 tax rebates do n't seem to have stimulated spending as much as boosters had hoped .

A temporary rate cut might not do much to help the economy , but at least it would n't do much harm .

A lump-sum exemption , by contrast , could actually hurt low-wage workers .

Instead of hiring one full-time person for $ 20,000 a year , employers would suddenly find it much cheaper to hire two half-time employees for $ 10,000 each .

There would probably even be less paperwork -- and fewer health benefits to cover .

A temporary lump-sum exemption may win some short-term good will among middle-income voters , who are less likely to lose their jobs to part-time workers .

Lawmakers who care about spurring full-time employment , increasing consumer spending , or helping low-income workers would instead make a long-term commitment to lower payroll tax rates .

But politicians , like the rest of us , respond to incentives .

Until voters reward subtle but sound tax reforms , lawmakers will keep turning out the flashy favors that pay .

Economic Scene Virginia Postrel is the author of `` The Future and Its Enemies . ''

Her new book , `` Look and Feel : How Style Became Substance , '' will be published in June by HarperCollins .

E-mail : vpostrel@dynamist.com .

Summary: Congress and Bush administration are promising Americans tax cuts in New Year .

Summary: It is partisan weapon .

Summary: And its power , whether to improve economic performance or slay political opponents , depends on details .

Summary: Photo of 1040 income tax form .


Salvatore Pepe , a major developer of commercial real estate in Westchester County , died on Sunday at a hospital in Greenwich , Conn .

He was 93 and lived in Bronxville , N.Y.

Mr. Pepe was the president of Bianco & Pepe Inc . , based in Scarsdale , N.Y. , which he founded decades ago in a partnership with his father-in-law .

It began as a construction company and evolved into a construction , development and real estate management company .

It built the Vernon Hills shopping center in Eastchester , N.Y.

Bianco & Pepe is the parent company for the family 's real-estate activities .

The Pepe assets include office buildings , shopping centers and other retail and industrial sites .

The Pepe family 's holdings include Westchester One , a building that is one of the main commercial structures in White Plains .

Built in the 1970 's by Mr. Pepe and his son Nicholas , who has succeeded his father as president of the company , the building has 850,000 square feet of office space .

Salvatore Pepe began in the construction business in 1931 in Mount Vernon , N.Y.

He had been a construction worker , was laid off during the Depression and founded Bianco & Pepe .

The company built a number of industrial structures in Connecticut and lower Westchester County .

A native of New York City , he lived with his family in the Bronx , Mount Vernon and Los Angeles and returned to the New York City area in the late 1920 's .

In addition to his son , his survivors include his wife , Catherine Bianco Pepe .

Two other sons , Eugene and William .

10 grandchildren .

And 16 great-grandchildren .

Summary: Salvator Pepe , major developer of commercial real estate in Westchester County , dies at 93 .


Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden stepped off the plane here the day after Christmas and was immediately fitted for a blindfold , handed a cigarette and asked if he had any last words .

One word always suffices for Bowden when things are a little prickly around his program : dadgummit .

Bowden , the Seminoles ' 73-year-old coach , has used up a bag full of dadgummits the last six days while pulling people off the pile that is his 9-4 team .

Bowden is dismayed he has had to defend himself and his program after another uncharacteristically poor season on the field and several major mistakes by his players off the field .

Suddenly , there are whispers that he should retire because he has lost his grip after consecutive four-loss seasons .

`` This is a ballgame , '' he said with exasperation this week , `` not a guillotine . ''

The ballgame is the 69th Sugar Bowl here Wednesday night against No . 4 Georgia -LRB- 12-1 -RRB- and Bulldogs Coach Mark Richt , the former Florida State assistant coach who Bowden says `` is like a son to me . ''

If Florida State , No . 16 in the Associated Press poll and ranked No . 19 by the New York Times computer , had to worry about only the Bulldogs and the hype around Bowden 's facing another of his star pupils , that would be enough itself .

But the Seminoles have other issues .

* Quarterback Adrian McPherson was suspended indefinitely from the team over allegations he stole a blank check belonging to a Tallahassee businessman , a check that was later forged .

* The Tallahassee police said McPherson was part of an inquiry into illegal gambling at Florida State .

* The starting defensive tackle Darnell Dockett was suspended for the Sugar Bowl after an incident at a shopping center that the police are investigating .

University officials and the police will not disclose the nature of the incident .

* Quarterback Chris Rix , expected to be the Sugar Bowl starter , was suspended when he missed a final exam , as per university rules , Bowden said .

Florida State players have sensed some urgency around their legendary coach in preparing for the Sugar Bowl .

The senior offensive tackle Montrae Holland said practices had been very intense because a victory over Georgia would restore some of the Florida State luster .

`` We have to win , '' Holland said .

`` It 's a big deal .

It will kind of lift the cloud over Florida State 's head to win this game .

Right now , it feels like someone is bearing down on us . ``

`` He 's made it very clear he wants to win this game , `` Holland said of Bowden .

`` He 's demanding harder work at practice .

He 's let us know how important this game is to him . ``

Indeed , Bowden will not deny the significance of the game , especially with the swirl of controversy around his team .

`` The game means a whole lot to me because it can help regain some of the prestige that we 've lost , `` he said .

And if Florida State does n't win .

`` If we lose , '' quarterback Fabian Walker said , `` there are a lot of doubts in people 's minds . ``

After back-to-back four-loss seasons , there are doubts that Florida State is still able to churn out N.F.L. - caliber athletes .

In 2000 , the Seminoles had seven players drafted by N.F.L. teams .

In 2001 , there were nine N.F.L. draftees .

In 2002 , only two Florida State players were drafted .

`` It was like a mini pro team running around out there , '' said Holland , who has been in the program since 1998 .

`` The truth is , we do n't have those type of players anymore .

I know it 's hard to say , but it 's the truth .

We lost a lot of great players to the N.F.L. before last season . ``

Bowden disagrees .

He admits the team 's quarterback situation was `` never stable , '' but he says there is talent to get back into the national championship picture in 2003 .

`` Put Charlie Ward at quarterback with this team and we might be undefeated , '' Bowden said .

`` It 's not like the other material is not there . ``

Bowden said his program should be allowed room to rebuild , like other top-shelf programs of the 70 's , 80 's and 90 's .

He can not conceal his dismay over the stubbornness of Florida State faithful to accept a slight downturn in a program that produced 14 consecutive seasons of top-five finishes to go with two national championships -LRB- 1993 and 1999 -RRB- .

`` I look at Alabama , my school , and I ask myself , ' Whatever happened to Alabama .

' `` Bowden said .

`` I look at Southern Cal .

Whatever happened to Southern Cal .

I look at Texas , Notre Dame .

The schools that used to be every year in the top four or five , what happened to them .

They 've been in a down cycle .

Some of them are pulling themselves back up .

You do n't expect us to be in a cycle where we never lose , do you .

`` Richt , who coached under Bowden for 15 seasons and patterns the Georgia program after Florida State 's , is almost amused by the sudden pressure on his former boss .

`` This will drive him further from retirement , '' Richt said .

`` When he leaves , he wants to go out in a blaze of glory . ''

At least Bowden can still maintain his sense of humor .

Asked about the program 's turmoil he said things could be worse .

`` That could be Spurrier over there , '' he said referring to Steve Spurrier , his former rival Florida as the opposing coach .

COLLEGE FOOTBALL .

Summary: Florida State University prepares to face Georgia University in Sugar Bowl , hoping potential victory could compensate for what has been very difficult season fraught with controversy .

Summary: Photos .