Port airs ideas for waterfront at open houses
Published 10:49 pm Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The Port of Everett has scheduled two community open houses on the latest draft of its strategic plan, a guide for future development and activities on the waterfront. The first open house will be 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. The second is 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 8. Both sessions will be held in the Weyerhaeuser Room of Everett Station at 3201 Smith Ave. Public comment will be sought at both meetings. The draft plan will be available Monday at www.portofeverett.com.
Economy slowly pulls out of rut
The economy registered modest growth in the early summer, considering how consumers and some businesses were buffeted by both high gasoline prices and the sour housing market. That’s the gist of a Federal Reserve survey released Wednesday, which also showed the economy is now growing, albeit slowly.
Chrysler group sale gets bank backing
Chrysler Group’s sale to a private-equity firm was put back on track Wednesday after a group of Wall Street banks agreed to assume the bulk of a $12 billion debt sale that failed to attract buyers. With no investor appetite, the seven banks led by JPMorgan Chase &Co. will instead keep the debt on their books for buyout shop Cerberus Capital Management.
National home sales fall for fourth month
Sales of existing homes fell in July for a fourth consecutive month, further evidence that housing troubles are far from over. The National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday that sales of existing homes dropped by 3.8 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.75 million units.
Revenue drops at E-Trade brokerage
E-Trade Financial Corp. on Wednesday reported a slight increase in its second-quarter profit that topped Wall Street’s expectations though revenue at the discount brokerage fell short of expectations. Earnings for the three months that ended June 30 rose 1.7 percent to $159.1 million, or 37 cents per share, from $156.5 million, or 36 cents per share, a year earlier.
Oil, gas futures rise, crude supplies drop
Oil futures jumped more than $2 a barrel Wednesday, pulling gasoline futures higher after the government reported that inventories of crude oil at a key Oklahoma terminal fell last week. Gas prices at the pump, meanwhile, extended their decline.
From Herald staff and news services
