FIR

Chase

Phone: (5411874-2236 brandishing a2-112" pocket knife.

Alex J. Brendel, 40, was booked into Humboldt County Jail and charged with three counts of brandishing a weapon and one count of trespassing.

The Sheriff's department said a worker from the Scotia, Ca.-based firm hit Brendel with a stick in self defense, while other workers detained him. Palco officials told deputies that Brendel had said he was going to "take matters into my own hands."

New Owners For Wickes

An investment group has acquired 51Vo of Wickes Inc.'s outstanding common stock. giving it majority ownership.

Imagine Investments, Dallas, Tx., acquired 2.8 million shares of the 52unit, Illinois-based retailer, from previous majority shareholder Riverside Group Inc., Jacksonville, Fl.

Now that Riverside Group no longer has an ownership interest in Wickes, Riverside's owner, J. Steven Wilson, has resigned as Wickes' president and c.e.o.

Rejoining Wickes as its new president and c.e.o. is Jim O'Grady, who spent 25 years with the chain before leaving last May to lead Hope Lumber & Supply, Broken Arrow, Ok.

Robert Mulcahy III, a director since 1988, has been appointed chairman. The board has also established an executive management committee.

Recently, distributor Bradco Supply Corp. offered $7.2 million to buy the remaining Wickes shares it did not own. Bradco alreadv owned l5%a of the firm's stock.

Boomer Housing Trends

Fully one-fourth of home buyers aged 50 and older are paying more for retirement homes than for their previ- ous house, and their new home likely features next-generation amenities like structured wiring and exterior maintenance services, according to a new national study by the National Association of Home Builders and Countrywide Home Loans.

The study of builders and developers revealed that more than half of their buyers in age-qualified, age-targeted and independent living communities are spending the same or more on homes. An even higher number are paying with cash or with high down payments of 3OVo or more.

Builders noted that the majority of buyers use equity in their current home and are willing to pay extra for high-tech options and upgrades in their homes. "Successful builders are offering yard service, high-speed Internet access, universal design features and social activities to attract 50+ customers," said Kent Conine, president of NAHB.

Certification Handbook

FSC Forest Management Ce rtification Handbook.for the Southeast United States, a handbook for landowners. forest mangers and forest product companies involved with Forest Stewardship Council's third-party certilication program. is free fiom The Forest Management Trust, Box I 10760, Gainesville, Fl. 32601; (352) 846-2240 ; www.foresttrust. org.

Wired In The House

Structured Wiring Networl<.r, a new brochure of structured wiring products for electrical contractors and builders. is free from Cooper Wiring Devices, 45-31 Court Sq., Long Island, N.Y. 11101; (718) 9378000: www.cooperwiringdevices.com.

The ABC's OF CBA

A product guide to Natural Select copper azole wood preservative is available from Arch Wood Protection, 1955 Lake Park Dr., Suite 250, Smyrna, Ga. 30080; (770) 801 -6600: www.naturalselect.com

Mouldings Showcase

An interactive CD featuring product specs and CAD drawings for builders and architects using mouldings is new from WindsorOne, Box 39, Windsor, Ca.

3.i,i33;Jllt) 838-7 101 ; www'wind-

The Tool Catalog

A 96-p. catalog of power tools, toolings and abrasives for industrial, constmction and welding applications is free from Metabo Corp., 1231 Wilson Dr., West Chester, Pa. 19380; (800) 638-22641' www.metabousa.com.

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Glass lnsulation lntellect

A brochure of flexible spacer systems for insulating glass (brochure # F-8067) is free from TruSeal Technologies, 23150 Commerce Park, Beachwood, Oh. 44122; (216) 910- l 5321 wwqr.truseal.com.

Window Replacement Tips

A 8-p. guide to selecting replacement windows is free from Simonton Windows. Box 1646, Parkersburg, Va. 26102; (800) 542-9 | | 8; www.simonton.com.

Foam Roof Insulation Facts

An educational package to assist designers, specifiers and contractors with the recently adopted long-term resistance values of polyiso foam roof insulation is free from Johns Manville, Box 5108, Denver, Co.80217; (303) 978-2000; www.im.com.

Deck ldeas Galore

The Big ldea Book, a 12-p., full-color brochure of composite deck designs, is free from Louisiana-Pacific Corp., 805 SW Broadway, Portland, Or. 97205; (800) 648-6893: www.weatherbest.com.

Fastener Your Seat Belts

Seventh Edition Inch Fastener Standards Book, a 1,277-p. reference guide tbr fastener design, selection, materials, strength properties and installation, is $345 from Industrial Fasteners Institute, 17 17 F..9th St., Suite 1105, Cleveland, Oh. 441 t4: (2t6) 24t-t482.

Cruising In The DC

A l2-p. brochure of three-wheel electronic cushion and pneumatic lift trucks is free from Toyota Industrial Equipment, (800) 226-0009 ; www.toyotafbrklift.com.

Finish That Wood

Quick 'N Easy Guide to Ultimate Wood Care, an interactive CD of tips and teaching ideas for pros and d-i-yers on applying wood finish, is free from Performance Coatings Inc., (800) 7366346; www.penofin.com.

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Palco Opponent Under Fire

A 78-year-old former logger and mill owner has started a recall campaign against the Humboldt County district attorney suing Pacific Lumber Co. over allegedly reporting fraudulent timber data to the government.

Robin P. Arkley Sr. of Arcata, Ca., has seeded the campaign to oust new DA Paul Gallegos with $5,000 of his own money.

Arkley has been seeking out employees of the Scotia, Ca.-based company and making his case.

"We're asking them if their jobs are important to them, and if they feel they are, we ask for $99 donations," he said. "I tell them that I'll lend them the money if they don't have it. The response has been very positive."

The recent lawsuit (see March, p. 43) has intensified resentment between the local timber community and regional environmentalists.

"This has become a rallying cry for a lot of people," said Pacific Lumber's Walter Chalton. "We don't think it's the DA's job to do rhis."

Pacific Lumber has also threatened to countersue the DA's office.

Area attorney Joe Cotchett, whose attempt to become co-counsel for the county's suit was rejected by the county board of supervisors, said Pacific Lumber's potential litigation is a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation-a corporate lawsuit designed to confound and bankrupt opponents.

Cotchett described the DA's case as a legally sound and "well written complaint."

Meanwhile, Arkley said that he expects to file a recall petition with the county "very soon."

Arkley anticipates getting the necessary signatures to prompt a special election.

Despite the recall effort, Pacific Lumber received more bad news last month, learning that Humboldt County assistant DA Tim Stoen had filed additional charges against the company.

Stoen said the impetus came from material submitted on Palco's behalf by state and federal agencies.

"Although I'm sure this was not their intention," Stoen said, "they have made our case stronger than before."

The DA's office did not outline the new charges.

Pacific Lumber officials insist the charges are false.

"When you've got a weak case like he's got, you've got to do whatever you have to do to strengthen it," said Palco's Jim Branham.

Colorado Dealer Opens Big True Value Lewis Mercantile,

Bayfield, Co., reopened April l4 in spacious new quarters to serve both contractors and consumers.

Ryan Sower, co-general manager with Travis Hayden, said the recent opening of a Home Depot wasn't a factor in the expansion. A replacement for the former 20-year-old location had been planned for three years. "Customers were asking for items we just didn't have room for in the old facility," he said. "We needed to change with the times."

Although pro-focused, the new store nearly doubled the size of its hardware department and increased staff size by about 157o.

The old building was 14,000 sq. ft., with a 4,000-sq. ft. shed and small garden center. The bright, airy replacement features a 23,000-sq. ft. store with 26,000-sq. ft. drive-through lumber yard and large outdoor covered garden center. An 8,000-sq. ft. warehouse will also be added.

Sower's family owns the building and is a partner in the Bayfield Center development, where the new store is located.

The old building is being remodeled for retail and office space.

Stimson May Donate Plant

DOMESTIC SALES: Jerry Long, Michael Parrella, Bruce Keith, Janet Pimentel, Pete Ulloa, George Parden, Vince Galloway, Steve Batick.

INTERNATIONAL SALES: Nestor Pimentel, Oscar Portillo.

Stimson Lumber Co.. Portland. Or., is considering donating its shuttered plywood facility in Libby, Mt., along with its 400-plus acres to the Lincoln County Port Authority for use as an industrial park.

Key issues to be resolved before a self-imposed May I deadline are the environmental condition of the mill site and the sale or lease ofits boiler.

Stimson would net considerable tax benefits through the donation. The boiler, which was installed following a 1992 sawmill fire, was valued at $8.5 million in 1995.

The company is currently cleaning the site, including the removal of storage tanks and asbestos from old dry kilns.

The mill was closed at the end of last year due to insufficient timber supply and rising imports of lowerpriced plywood.