NEW CROSSROADS ARENA IN BUFFALO GETS GREEN LIGHT

     The Public Authorities Control Board, made up of NY state
leaders, yesterday approved a $25M loan for the new Crossroads
Arena in Buffalo, ending weeks of "backroom wrangling" over
stadium projects throughout the state (BUFFALO NEWS, 3/24).  The
vote had been twice postponed because Republicans and Democrats
"could not agree" on a $488,150 grant to refurbish a hockey arena
in Binghamton.  NY Gov. George Pataki accused Democrats of
holding the Binghamton arena "hostage" in order to win funding
for a new baseball stadium in Syracuse.  Until Wednesday,
Republicans "refused to allow" the Crossroads loan to go ahead
without approval for Binghamton (Jon Sorensen, BUFFALO NEWS,
3/23).