September 10, 2002

Cantor Fitzgerald, bond broker that lost 658 employees in Sept 11 terrorist attacks, is negotiating to build $100 million headquarters in Union Square, Manhattan, area better known for restaurants and residential buildings than financial services; Howard Lutnick, Cantor's chairman, is seeking tens of millions of dollars in state and federal grants and tax breaks; deal is far from finished but some in neighborhood are already welcoming company; map (M)

Hundreds of employees of Dresser-Rand Co, which was acquired by Halliburton Co in 1998, received letters in June saying they had become eligible for retirement benefits even though they were still working; many employees requested money and concluded letters portrayed as early payment of benefits was actually reduction, brought on by Halliburton merger and sponoff less than two years later; Halliburton has given workers 90 days, which ends later this month, to sign up for much smaller payment than promised earlier, or forfeit their right to lump sum forever; some recent retirees have received letters saying that they had been paid too much and should return thousands of dollars in pension money to Halliburton; few of employees and retirees have estimated that group is being stripped of $25 million in benefits, reflecting roughly $50,000 on average for about 400 people; while Halliburton appears to be within its legal rights as current sponsor of workers' pension plan, its handling of their retirement benefits contrasts sharply with its treatment of Vice Pres Dick Cheney, who was chief executive of Halliburton during acquisition and then spinoff; Dresser-Rand workers have lost their early retirement provision, and must now work until 65 or qualify for their full benefits; when Cheney left in August 2000 to become Republican Party's vice presidential candidate, Halliburton board voted to award him early retirement, even though he was too young to qualify under his contract; photos (M)

One year after terrorist attacks, people are still learning to live in changed world; some have survival backpacks that can be grabbed at moment's notice, but most have not made any significant changes, seeing little use in mounting personal attack against terrorism; some people's coping strategies discussed; photos (M)

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Article profiles Deborah Mardenfeld, who suffered severe injuries in terrorist attack on World Trade Center on September 11 and has been hospitalized for past year; she was first to be admitted to hospital following attack, and will be last of gravely injured to leave; is concerned that she and others who were seriously injured may be forgotten; photo (M)

US Postal Service engineers, seeking to deter bioterrorist mailings or speed detection of any such attacks, are reconsidering almost every step in chain that moves 200 billion pieces of mail a year, from design of street-corner mailboxes to way stamps are printed and sold; postal officials and experts, acknowledging that vast public and private mail network will never be immune to terror, describe some steps that could reduce threat; photos; charts (M)

Voters in New York select their parties' nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, state comptroller and local legislative districts today. Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Erie Counties. In other counties, they will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Questions about voting eligibility or to determine a district or polling place in New York City may be telephoned to the Board of Elections: 212-VOTE-NYC (212-868-3692).

New England Patriots defeat Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-14; photos (M)

Footlights column; Sackler Gallery exhibits Japanese prints from Anne van Biema Collection; Bluebird Jazz releases remastered recordings of Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman Quartet; New York City Opera presents Puccini trilogy Il Trittico; Christine Ebersole makes Cafe Carlyle debut; photos (S)

Health officials say as many as 500 New York City firefighters may be forced into early retirement as result of respiratory disability, chronic breathing problems caused by exposure to dense clouds of dust, smoke and fumes at site of collapsed World Trade Center; potential departure comes as Fire Department struggles to deal with loss of 341 firefighters and 2 paramedics, who were among 2,801 people killed in collapse of twin towers; 358 firefighters and 5 emergency medical workers remain on medical leave or light duty because of respiratory disorders; 213 others are on leave with emotional stress; David L Prezant, Fire Dept's deputy chief medical officer, comments; says doctors do not know exactly what affected workers or whether they will develop more serious lung diseases; respiratory problems are believed caused by inhalation and swallowing of fine particles created by fires and buildings' collapse; photo (M)

Widening rift in Indian cabinet has disrupted, at least temporarily, ambitious program to reduce government's pervasive involvement in business and economy by selling many state-owned companies; coalition government of Prime Min Atal Behari Vajpayee announces three-month freeze on sales of strategic stakes in state-owned companies while process is reviewed; pending sales immediately affected by freeze are Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum; bidding for two petroleum companies was expected to attract multinational companies; photo (M)

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