September 7, 2004

United Dominion Plans $1.1 Billion in Deals United Dominion Realty Trust, one of the nation's largest apartment owners, plans to announce $1.1 billion of acquisitions and disposals that will shift the company's focus to Southern California, company executives said. United Dominion has agreed to pay $897 million for 6,172 apartment units in four transactions. The deals will give the company, which will own some 80,000 apartments, a presence in some of the fastest growing regions in the country, including Southern California and Austin, Tex. [Page C4.]

Tropical Storm Frances makes its second landfall in Florida, pounding Panhandle with winds of up to 65 miles an hour, as trailing winds of its first landfall whip up thunderstorms in eastern Florida towns; final blows from its two-day trek across state add to frustration of millions of evacuated residents, many of whom defy warnings in rush to return to their hastily abandoned homes and discover extent of damage; White House announces that it will supplement, by unspecified amount, its previous request that Congress appropriate $2 billion to pay for response and recovery efforts related to Hurricane Charley, which did its damage to state last month; 18 counties have been declared eligible for federal disaster aid as result of Hurricane Frances; number of deaths in state attributed to Frances rises to nine; National Weather Service downgrades it to tropical depression on Sept 6; photos; maps (M)

New York Yankees defeat Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 7-4; photo (M)

Dave Anderson Sports of The Times column contends that New York Yankees should not be awarded forfeit because Tampa Bay Devil Rays could not travel to New York on time for game; Devil Rays players were held in Tampa (Fla) because of Hurricane Frances; column argues that giving Yankees forfeit would be unfair to division rivals Boston Red Sox, which are in close competition for playoff spot (M)

Cristo Rey High School, new alternative Roman Catholic college preparatory school supported by donations, opens its doors to 99 ninth graders in East Harlem; it is one of 11 in network of Cristo Rey schools around country; three religious orders relied on their collective 900 years of educational mission in creating it; school tells its students, many of them immigrants, that if they work hard they will be accepted into several colleges; Christo Rey model has been able to thrive and keep tuition costs low with help of local businesses; school operates as temporary employment agency that places students in clerical jobs; students earn about 75 percent of tuition; earliest Cristo Rey schools have been so successful that Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated $18.9 million to develop dozen more; challenges of opening one in New York City detailed; photo (M)