April 19, 1998

Stock options, which used to be given only to top executives, are now handed out to about 50 percent of midlevel professionals at major companies; surveys show at least 1 in 10 of companies offer them to most of their employees; one reason options are doled out so freely is that, because of favorable accounting rules, they do not show up as charge against company's earnings; because they only pay off if stock rises, companies think of them as risk-free investments; when combined with surging stock market, options have created unexpected wealth, on paper and in real dollars, for legions of employees; photo; graph (M)

Yankee Stadium spends its 75th anniversary in solitude, except for inspectors and workers who are looking for flaws in structure similar to 500-pound expansion joint that recently crashed from upper deck; there was supposed to be celebration at Stadium on April 18, but events of last week have sent New York Yankees on road and Stadium into state of intense rehabilitation evaluation; Stadium's history noted; photos (M)

Late Branch Davidian leader David Koresh is still very much presence in Waco, Texas, five years after his 51-day standoff with Federal agents led to one of most troubling and deadly operations in American law-enforcement history; 80 people died in fire that consumed Branch Davidian compound on April 19, 1993; Koresh died amid flames from single gunshot wound at age 33; about two dozen Branch Davidians loyal to Koresh are erecting museum at one edge of property; trial to sort out all various claims to property is scheduled for Sept, but few people seem to expect that secular court will be able to settle matter of religious sect; even as Koresh's legacy is debated by various self-described Branch Davidians, visit to site makes it amply clear that much wider debate still rages over siege and deadly fire; photos (M)

Shopping interview with China Chow, 24-year-old fledgling actress and new media figure; photos; her father is Michael Chow, restaurateur, art collector and dandy, and her mother was model Tina Chow, who died of AIDS (M)

Article on controversial management style of Thomas Krens, who will celebrate his 10th anniversary as head of Guggenheim Museum in July; says Guggenheim, under Krens's direction, has become an empire, with colonies in Spain, Germany and Italy; says Krens has articulated a vision of the art museum of 21st century that transcends old parochial model and suits a world of shrinking distances; holds Krens envisions multinational Guggenheim that has its own global network circulating shows among its outposts, all of which benefit from one another; photos (L)