The Columbian

Hot Housing Market has Sellers Grinning ; but Buyers Discover It's Hard to Find Small Homes at Small Prices

With new carpet on the floors and clutter cleared off the counters, Minette and Scott Bennett's home gleamed with promise. They gave guests a tour on Sunday, demonstrating that the hot tub works, pointing out extra storage and highlighting the landscaping. They put their Salmon Creek-area home up for sale over the weekend and launched their effort with an open house on Sunday, the traditional day for sellers to invite buyers in for a look.

War & Art ; Veteran Lived Through Pearl Harbor, Two Wars to Enjoy Life As Artist and Teacher

Gordon Sage was just 18 and fresh off his parents' South Dakota farm in 1940 when he flagged down a cattle truck and rode free to Minneapolis and joined the U.S. Marines. "It was just after the Depression and there were no jobs, so I decided to see some of the world," said Sage, now 83 and a retired Evergreen High School art teacher.

Most Fireworks Fines Not Paid ; Half Cited in City Appeal Penalties to Hearings Examiner

Issuing citations is one thing. Collecting the money is something entirely different. Four weeks after the Fourth of July, Vancouver has collected only 9 percent of the $53,500 in fines levied for fireworks violations.

Neighborhood Grants Face Uncertain Future ; Federal Downsizing to Affect Housing, Urban Blight Efforts

LA CENTER It's got to be the prettiest little house in town: a yellow bungalow with dormer ceilings, a miniature porch and the sorts of touches wind chimes, birdhouses that show off an owner's love. Roses climb the sides of the arching metal arbor that serves as the yard's welcome mat. Across a decade of life in La Center, Diana Anderson kept her eye, and her fantasy for the future, trained on the cute little house at the edge of town.

Police Report: Rosemere Attack Suspect Arrested ; Teen Had Been Wanted in Incident Where Man Lost Eye

Vancouver police Saturday evening arrested a 17-year-old Vancouver boy they suspect beat a Rosemere neighborhood man so badly he lost his eye. A Clark County Sheriff's Office deputy who stopped John Roadman near the 9100 block of St. Johns Road for a traffic matter discovered the youth was wanted for questioning in connection with last week's Rosemere attack, said Patrick Kennedy, a Vancouver police officer and spokesman.

Seattle University, Ethiopian Retailers Spar Over Use of Building

SEATTLE (AP) Seattle University plans to evict several Ethiopian retailers who have refused to leave a former warehouse the Jesuit school owns and wants to use for storage right now. Some business owners argue that they have a right to remain, citing lease agreements they signed under previous ownership and that extends beyond July. They also say more time is needed to find alternative sites, and that a move now would be poorly timed.

Oregon Unions Still a Political Force ; Split From Afl-Cio Not Likely to Hurt Efforts in State

SALEM, Ore. As Oregon's leading advocate of smaller government and lower taxes, Russ Walker is preparing to fight a political war on two fronts in the 2006 elections. Walker, executive director of the Oregon chapter of FreedomWorks, says his group is laying the groundwork for a ballot measure to restrict the ability of unions to tap their members' paychecks for political contributions.

Helicopters Scan Palouse Streams to Assess Warmth

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) Helicopters with infrared surveillance devices swooped over the Palouse countryside over the weekend, measuring the temperature of streams to determine if they comply with federal standards meant to protect fish and other aquatic life. The flights are scrutinizing 65 miles of the north and south forks of the Palouse River and Paradise Creek in Idaho and Washington.

Eagle Poachers Tough Birds to Catch ; Investigators Struggle to Fight Growing Market

VANCOUVER, B.C. (AP) Paul Weyland's job is shrouded in secrecy. As a U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent who investigates organized poaching rings, he works in an unmarked office building on the outskirts of Bellingham.

Uncovering Mias - a Beach's Grisly Secret ; Dog Tags Lead Curious Veteran to Forgotten Remains of Wwii Troops in Philippines

LONGVIEW When 57-year-old Dennis Douglas saw two dog tags around the neck of a Filipino man in Leyte, Philippines, earlier this summer, his curiosity immediately perked up. Douglas, a decorated Vietnam vet and 1966 graduate of R.A. Long High School who now lives in the Philippines, wondered how the man had obtained them. So on June 1, the Filipino man took him to a sandy spot about a quarter of a mile from the sea.

Pierce County Reviews Speech Law ; Council Members Aimed to Stop Verbal Attacks at Meetings

TACOMA (AP) The Pierce County Council is considering changes to a month-old law restricting public comments at meetings. Councilmembers wanted to stop personal attacks when they approved a rule that stated "speakers may not attack or make any allusion to the motives of any council member."