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Wednesday, April 26, 2000     Page: 1B

M&T Bank lists dividend
    M&T Bank Corp. has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.25 per share to
holders of its common stock.
   
The dividend will be payable June 30 to stockholders of record at the close
of business June 1.
   

   

   

   
Blakely company picked
   

   
Advanced Remediation Technologies Corp., with corporate offices in Blakely,
has been awarded a statewide contract by the state Department of Environmental
Protection to provide interim response and remediation services to the Bureau
of Land Recycling and Waste Management.
   
The three-year multimillion-dollar contract was awarded to ARTC Corp., a
Pennsylvania conglomerate. Services will include the assessment, cleanup and
removal of hazardous substances at sites across the state.
   
For information about the company, visit its Web site at www.artc.com.
   

   

   
E-Business seminar set
   

   
The Manufacturers Resource Center is offering “E-Business and the Web,”
another seminar in its Small Manufacturer’s Seminar Series to help
manufacturers increase their market share.
   
The session will take place starting at 8:30 a.m. May 18 at the center, 125
Goodman Drive in Bethlehem.
   
Reservations are required. The cost is $85 per person and $50 for each
additional person from the same company. The cost includes continental
breakfast and all materials.
   
To register or for information on upcoming topics, contact Diane Lewis at
610-758-5581. Space is limited.
   

   

   
Gates’ rival closing in
   

   
Microsoft Corp.’s Bill Gates is still the world’s richest man, but he’s in
danger of losing his bragging rights within the computer industry.
   
Oracle Corp. chief executive Larry Ellison, one of Gates’ fiercest critics
for years, is on the verge of becoming the computer mogul with the most wealth
tied to his own company.
   
Gates’ stake in Microsoft was $51.5 billion, based on Microsoft’s closing
stock price Tuesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market of $69.375. Ellison’s holdings
in Oracle were worth $50.2 billion, based on Oracle’s closing price of
$75.5625.
   
Gates remains far ahead when wealth accumulated outside their respective
companies is factored in, according to Forbes magazine, which annually ranks
the world’s wealthiest people.
   
Gates holds at least $10 billion in assets outside Microsoft while Ellison
owns a mere $200 million in property besides his stock in Oracle, the dominant
provider of database software.
   
Both Gates and Ellison are well ahead of stock market sage Warren Buffett,
No. 3 on last year’s Forbes list of the world’s 400 richest people. Buffett is
now worth about $28 billion.
   

   

   
Pyramid schemer to pay
   

   
A yearlong battle against illegal pyramid schemes ended Tuesday with a $40
million settlement, the Federal Trade Commission said.
   
The settlement requires dissolution of Equinox International Corp. and its
affiliates, Advanced Marketing Seminars, Inc.; and BG Management, Inc.
   
It also bars the companies’ founder, William Gouldd, from future
involvements in any multilevel marketing scheme and states that cash and
corporate individual assets be given to a court-appointed receiver for
liquidation.
   
The assets have an estimated book value of nearly $50 million and once
liquidated are expected to yield approximately $40 million.
   
Proceeds will be used to repay consumers and pay court-approved expenses.
   
In a suit filed jointly with eight states, including Pennsylvania, on Aug.
3, 1999, the FTC alleged that the pyramid schemes were illegal, the companies
made deceptive earnings claims and violated federal law.
   
State law enforcers alleged violations of state securities laws, deceptive
trade practices laws, false advertising laws, pyramid laws and licensing
securities laws.