Amongthosewhofeeltheyhavebeensqueezedthehardestarethecity❼32communityschoolsuperintendents,whooperatetheelementaryandjuniorhighschoolsandmustmakemillionofthecuts.　　ISTANBUL—AnovelwaspublishedhereinMay,winningmorenotorietythansales,called"AssassinationofaPope."

    Thefemalebedbugcanlayuptofiveeggsaday,andseveralhundredoveritslifetime.Atroomtemperature,thestickyclumpsofeggshatchin7to14daysintotinynymphsnobiggerthanaspeckofdust.Thenymphsgothroughfivelifestages,takingabloodmealeachtime,beforemoltingonelasttimeintoadulthood.

    Onemorninginthewinterof2005,Mastrowentintotheoffice,andAultsaid,“Comeon,Jim,we’regoingdowntothelockerroom”—thepistol’sfirstfiringrange.

    NewCity

    TheVictoryChurchgroupalsoowns10vacantlotsonLouiseAvenuethatitintendstodevelopfornewhousing.Thepropertyborderscounty-ownedlandthatthegrouphopestobeallocatedifthecountyplanisapproved.Theadditionalpropertywouldallowittobuild16detachedhousesonacul-de-sacthatwouldsellinthe,000range,saidFranSuk,thehousinggroup❼executivedirector.

    HeopenedthefirstKootsthreeyearsagoincentralTokyo.Onarecentweekdayatthatstore,acrowdofpredominantlyyoungwomenofficeworkerslineduptogetdrinksandriceballswrappedindriedseaweed,apopularlightlunchhere.

    “We’relookingforthingsthatarebigandaretransformingtothemarketsthatwedobusinesswith,”saidJosephP.Beninati,theformerchiefexecutiveofa615-employeetechnologyfirm.Mr.Beninatico-foundedAntaresin1996withaprepschoolbuddy,JamesP.Cabrera,thenapresidentfortheGalbreathCompany.Antareswasnamedafteroneofthebrighteststarsinthesky,thedeveloperssaid,describingthenameasasymboloftheiraggressivecorporatephilosophy.

    Piscataway

    Predominantlywhite,nocollege

    Butthecompany’srecordonitsresidentialprojectsislessimpressive.Morethantwoyearsago,Mr.Beninatisaidthatatleast130peoplewereonawaitinglistfor27townhomesandsingle-familyhomesattheCiderMilldevelopmentinArmonk.Todate,however,only11havesold,atpricesof.1millionto.7million.