Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from February 2003

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from February 2003

NW Wall and Ceiling Bureau honors Portland businesses.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough The Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau honored several Portland-area businesses Thursday at a luncheon ceremony for receiving 2002 Outstanding Project of the Year Awards. The awards were handed out for leading...

Ex-con offers advice for protecting construction sites.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Robert Keller knows how the criminal mind works, and he isn't shy about sharing the information. Want to steal someone's identity? Head to a nearby dumpster in the wee hours of the morning. Heavy...

ODOT system allows carriers to pay online.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga State departments and agencies are bracing themselves for a backlash of layoffs and cuts expected to result from the defeat last month of a ballot measure to temporarily increase Oregon income taxes. But one...

Engineers create architectural features.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel It's been said that the difference between architecture and engineering can be simply put as follows: Architecture is what you see and engineering is what's behind the walls, under the floors and above the ceilings. ...

Minter Bridge Road now has state-of-the-art bridges.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough Construction of a pair of bridges on Minter Bridge Road, south of Hillsboro, finished on schedule, and was the focus of a celebration on Friday. In the midst of a steady downpour, over 75 people came out to...

Regional Erosion Prevention Awards scheduled.
February 5, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough The second annual Regional Erosion Prevention Awards ceremony, designed to promote excellence in erosion prevention and sediment control, is set for June 6. The ceremony will be held at the Wilsonville Holiday...

Society for Mktg. Professional Services event links companies with clients.
February 5, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Mom was right. Who you know can make a difference between success and failure, especially in the increasingly tough economic climate of the business world. Which may explain why Client Link, an annual...

Gresham City Council passes urban renewal plan.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl It's now up to the citizens to decide whether the city of Gresham will create its first urban renewal district. At stake is a $92 million plan that would use tax increment financing to update the infrastructure and...

Prison construction projects put on hold in Oregon.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough As a result of Oregon voters turning down Measure 28 last week, the Department of Corrections was busy cutting $21 million from its budget this week, cuts that included putting two prison construction projects on...

Glisan Center to provide retail space in Pearl District.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough With the success of residential projects in the Pearl District, doors may be opening for retail opportunities in the former warehouse district in Northwest Portland. "The Pearl District is a phenomenon," said...

Legend Homes offers $25K for Linn-Benton County nonprofits.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Legend Homes has $25,000 for nonprofit organizations and is looking for takers. Earlier this year, the Portland-based company acquired the Corvallis-based division of Pahlisch Homes. While the Legend Homes...

Apartment building sales up, availability low.
February 10, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Continued low interest rates are boosting apartment building sales, enticing investors wary of other options in an uncertain time punctuated by a volatile stock market. "We've made more deals in the last couple...

Strategic plan pushes Port of Portland in new directions.
February 10, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Deepening the Columbia River shipping channel isn't the only project the Port of Portland will have to tackle in the future in order to stay competitive in a marketplace gone global, port officials say. In a...

White House appoints Home Builders Assn. members to bank board.
February 10, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough Two members of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland were recently appointed by the Federal Housing Finance Board to serve on the board of directors for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle. The...

Portland passes ordinance to up contract awards for minority-, women-owned businesses.
February 11, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough With the passage of an ordinance to increase awards of professional, technical and expert contracts to minority-owned, woman-owned and emerging small business firms by the Portland City Council last week, people...

Mixed-use development planned for Alberta.
February 11, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Steve Gemmell, the latest face to emerge on the scene in Portland's Alberta neighborhood, is preparing to embark on a mixed-use development to be built on a size and scale not yet seen in this burgeoning area. The...

Commentary: Dividends, economic stimuli, paying for benefits of government.
February 12, 2003... Byline: Bernard Levy (This is the third in a series on taxing dividends and stimulating economic growth and job creation.) During a recent conversation with a CPA friend, it became evident that my position on the taxation of dividends...

Street of New Beginnings show of homes to be held in Tigard.
February 12, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough A chance to view a neighborhood full of newly-constructed and decorated homes is coming again this year with the fourth annual Street of New Beginnings show of homes. Castle Oaks development on Beef Bend Road in...

Portland lawyers head to U.S. Supreme Court.
February 12, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Two Portland lawyers will appear before the U.S. Supreme court later this month to argue an Oregon-based case that could change the way mid-sized professional corporations count their numbers. The case,...

Seattle man re-elected to U.S. Green Building Council board of directors.
February 12, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel Turner Construction Co. recently announced that James H. Goldman, project executive in the firm's Northwest business unit based in Seattle, has been re-elected to the U.S. Green Building Council's national board of...

NIR lease brings Southshore Corporate Park to 100% occupancy.
February 12, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl NIR Inc. has announced it will lease 96,608 square feet at Southshore Corporate Park, bringing the development to 100 percent occupancy. The company, which manufactures display units for the golf industry, will...

Commentary: Retirement plan options for businesses examined.
February 13, 2003... Byline: Judith McGee Do you prefer a business without employees or partnering only with your spouse? Loners in business are consultants, skilled professionals with service businesses or independent free-lancers. Now individual...

Building Owners and Managers Assn. encouraged to welcome film crews.
February 13, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl It may be nearly 1,000 miles from Hollywood and not share the same metropolitan glitz and southern sun, but Portland is a desirable location for film, according to the Oregon Film and Video Office, the state agency...

Public projects honored in Washington state.
February 13, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga In the world of public transportation projects, cooperation between state agencies and builders can make the difference between failure and success. With an eye toward promoting and applauding the latter, the...

Architecture firm completes Oregon school projects.
February 13, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough While the number of new construction projects around Oregon has dwindled during the recent economic downturn, education upgrade projects have remained steady. Architects Barrentine.Bates.Lee, with offices in...

Renovation of historic St. Francis completed.
February 14, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Residents were welcomed back to the St. Francis last week after a year-and-a-half of construction completely renovated their old digs. The 132-unit, historic downtown building, which offers a mix of subsidized and...

Oregon Dept. of Transportation cash stash to boost road safety.
February 14, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga The Oregon Department of Transportation has received a green light to start handing out a little more than $5.5 million in surplus cash reserves to make roads safer for drivers and pedestrians. The money is...

Architect advocates for change.
February 14, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough "In order for us to move ahead we need a strategy for change." Those are the words of Bill McDonough as he spoke in front of several hundred people at Nike's Tiger Woods Center in Beaverton on Wednesday. ...

Commentary: Look for itemized deductions for clues on lowering taxes.
February 18, 2003... Byline: William Lockwood Tax season is here again. Are there still moves you can make that may help you lower your overall tax bill or boost your refund? Yes. And you can start by taking a close look at Schedule A - your list of itemized...

SunTerra Homes of Bend earns national energy efficiency award.
February 18, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel Earth Advantage builder SunTerra Homes Inc. of Bend has received the Energy Value Housing Award for a house built to Earth Advantage standards for energy efficient, earth-friendly home construction. Earth Advantage...

Funds needed to develop urban growth boundary lands.
February 18, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl The estimated cost to urbanize Damascus, the largest parcel brought into the urban growth boundary, is $1.5 billion. That's about $250,000 per developable acre. Over the next three to five years, officials from...

Eco-roof project set to begin in Portland.
February 18, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough With eco-roofs beginning to sprout up around the Portland landscape, an upcoming project to test different eco-roof systems will fit right in. Lando and Associates, a Portland landscape architecture firm, has...

Commentary: Outcome of situation with Iraq remains to be seen.
February 18, 2003... Byline: Jim Penn Daddy: "Tonight, I'm going to read you one of Mommy and Daddy's favorite stories... " Daughter: "'The Rooster in the Green Slippers'?" Daddy: "No, something new. 'The Tale of the Texas Bull and Cow.'" The book...

Port grant jumpstarts Lewis & Clark Bicentennial project.
February 19, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga A $50,000 grant from the Port of Portland will provide seed money for an effort to spread the concept of sustainability among citizens and businesses in the Columbia River Basin. The port, currently focusing...

Developer urges others to preserve historic structures.
February 19, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Developer Art DeMuro cringes a little when asked whether his growing involvement in preserving historic buildings means he's an "activist." "I can't be," he said sheepishly. "I'm too conservative." Activist or...

Commentary: Civility is certainly no replacement for real progress.
February 19, 2003... Byline: Bernard Levy The Enron Congressional Committee Hearings were revealing. They were filled with sickening sweet civility and platitudes that didn't serve the public's interest. This conduct continues. I'm all for civility. You...

Oregon Gov.'s Occupational Safety and Health Conference planned.
February 19, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough The Oregon Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Conference is approaching, with less than a month before the conference will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Presented through a joint...

Home & Garden Show brings touch of spring to Portland.
February 20, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Weather forecasts may call for winter rain during the next few days, but inside the Portland Expo Center everything is coming up roses - and orchids. The Pacific Northwest Orchid Show & Sale is one of a long...

Canstruction competition helps feed hungry.
February 20, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough A "Food-Duct for Hunger" built out of jars of peanut butter, cans of tomato sauce and boxes of pasta along with other non-perishable food items was one of the winners at Tuesday's Canstruction Awards Ceremony. ...

Portland Planning Commission quadruples threshold for building upgrades.
February 20, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl In a rare and drastic departure from staff recommendation, the Portland Planning Commission voted 5-to-1 last week to quadruple the trigger that requires improvements to existing buildings to include additional...

Commentary: Tax-advantaged investing helps you keep more of your money.
February 21, 2003... Byline: Bob Stein Taxes can take a chunk out of your investment returns; yet, many investors don't give much thought to taxes when they make investment decisions. While investment decisions shouldn't be based entirely on tax...

Port of Portland offers incentive to attract importers.
February 21, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga The Thursday morning gathering at the corner of North Ramsey Boulevard and Lombard Street in Portland looked like a typical groundbreaking. Speakers and guests gathered under a white tent, erected to ward off...

Discussion reopens on convention center hotel.
February 21, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl As the completion of the Oregon Convention Center expansion draws near, the push to develop a headquarters hotel is again in motion and gaining support. The Portland Development Commission got its first look at the...

Marion County Bar Association honors members.
February 21, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Marion County judges and attorneys gathered Jan. 30 to honor a select few from their own ranks during an annual awards banquet sponsored by the Marion County Bar Association. The banquet, preceded by a...

Liberty High School nears completion.
February 21, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough With the exterior construction of Liberty High School now complete, the Hillsboro school located just north of Sunset Highway near Cornelius Pass Road is just awaiting interior finishing work before it can open its...

Industrial land is key to economic revival.
February 24, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl It's no secret that Oregon's economy needs a jumpstart. Judging by the turnout at any function promising economic enlightenment, commercial real estate professionals haven't been caught in the doldrums long enough...

President's FY 2004 budget includes $184 million for local corps projects.
February 24, 2003... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' fiscal year 2004 budget, as given to Congress by President Bush, includes $4.194 billion for civil works projects for the nation's water resources. These projects will...

Bricklayers share skills with future architects.
February 24, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel Portland State University students received hands-on training from members of Local 1 of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Union at a workshop held in Portland earlier this month. The masonry workshop was...

Commentary: Should you invest differently if dividend taxes disappear?
February 25, 2003... Byline: William Lockwood When the Bush administration proposed eliminating federal income taxes on stock dividends, it was big news. And since then, we've seen all kinds of analyses about how this move may or may not stimulate the economy,...

Business owners pump up security after orange alert.
February 25, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl While Rose City residents may not have gone out and bought as much duct tape as people in New York or Washington, D.C., downtown building owners are still serious about the continued code orange alert. Prompted by...

American Institute of Architects new president wants to make a difference.
February 25, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough As the new president of the Portland Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Amy Miller Dowell hopes her experience will help make a difference. "I have a lot of experience working with architectural...

Program offers free legal help for immigrants.
February 25, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga On any given day, an estimated 300 people sit in immigration detention centers in Washington state. Only one of every six has access to legal representation. Those odds don't sit well with attorney Brad...

Commentary: Silly management decisions: Interesting but bad business.
February 25, 2003... Byline: Jim Penn You never know where you'll find pearls. All oysters must be opened. The last two weeks were no exception. The common threads of the following seemingly-unconnected items are the silly decisions of management. First, the...

Consolidated Telecom, Smith Telecommunications merge.
February 26, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough Consolidated Telecom Group LLC and Smith Telecommunications Consultants LLC, two Portland-based telecommunications consulting firms, recently announced their merger forming Smith and Hutchens Consulting Inc. ...

Commentary: Fallacy of double taxation on dividends.
February 26, 2003... Byline: Bernard Levy (Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series.) My file on President Bush's stimulus/taxation proposals now exceeds seven inches thick. I have read, cogitated upon, analyzed and dissected. I am the lone...

Portland State Univ. to build student housing.
February 26, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl In the latest in a growing partnership between Portland State University, the city of Portland and private developers, PSU announced it will build a 217,000-square-foot student housing facility between Southwest...

ODOT offers new designs for interchange.
February 26, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga Following a request from state commissioners, the Oregon Department of Transportation has created five new design options for an interchange at Jackson School Road on the Sunset Highway north of Hillsboro. ...

Female subcontractor working on Portland Community College Cascade Campus expansion.
February 26, 2003... Byline: Rich Riegel Kelli Bestwick loves what she does. The former North Portland resident and owner of Interior Construction Enterprise Inc. of Newberg is a pioneer in interior construction. From metal framing to drywall and...

PSU engineering project gets $2M in federal funding.
February 27, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough If all goes as planned, construction of Portland State University's Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology will begin this summer. The project, which includes construction of a five-story,...

Bill would abolish statewide land use laws.
February 27, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Senate Bill 538, introduced last week, would repeal statewide land use planning laws, abolish the Land Conservation and Development Commission and do away with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development....

Commentary: Stock market parallels: Comparing, contrasting 1929 and 2000.
February 27, 2003... Byline: Judith McGee I was reviewing the history of the securities industry and thought it might be enlightening to share some insight on the Crash of 1929 and how it compares to now. The '29 Crash was a preamble to history-making...

Oregon's mile fee test set to begin next year.
February 28, 2003... Byline: Stephanie Basalyga A pilot program to test the feasibility of replacing Oregon's gas tax with a fee for each mile driven in the state is slated to begin next year, with a test pool of approximately 400 drivers. For now the...

Woodworking, building trades programs face uncertain future.
February 28, 2003... Byline: Cody McCullough With high school industrial technology programs facing an uncertain future in Portland, a group of concerned community members met Wednesday night to discuss the issue. "We are constantly hearing how this thing...

Benson Industries to lease space in I-84 Distribution Center.
February 28, 2003... Byline: Aimee Curl Benson Industries, which makes glass curtain wall systems for high-rise office buildings, will bring its manufacturing operation to the I-84 Distribution Center in Gresham. The company announced yesterday it will...