Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided to cut a second line of women’s apparel by the end of this year as it struggles with growing inventory despite a drive to offer more fashion for price-conscious shoppers, according to an Associated Press story at MSNBC.

The world’s largest retailer said Monday it will reduce the number of U.S. stores selling a fashion line by designer Mark Eisen, which it unveiled last year as part of a drive to match successful low-price designer labels at rivals like Target Corp.

But a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said the reduction will not be as large as the retailer’s rollback of its urban-style Metro 7 line for women, which the company said was pushed too fast into too many stores.

“This is not of the same magnitude,” spokeswoman Linda Blakley said. “It is not at all uncommon for adjustments to be made as you roll out a new line.”

The line getting downsized goes by the name George ME. A quick look at the retailer’s Web site turned up sateen capris, a cord blazer, a paisley chiffon dress and a cotton-silk camp shirt by George ME. All were priced between $16.82 and $27.82.

The price drop isn't exactly enough to get you thinking about buying a new 14 mpg Mercedes G55, but the price of gasoline both in the state and in the Puget Sound area fell overnight.

"Fell" might be too strong a word for what AAA Washington figures show. The statewide average for regular dropped from $3.445 on Monday to $3.443 today. In the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area, the price eased downward by .2 of a cent to $3.461.

In Tacoma, the regular average changed from $3.448 to $3.445 a gallon. That's a grand savings of six cents on a $68.90 fill-up.

The significant news, however, is that after nearly three months of a steeply upward climb in Washington the prices may have plateaued or even turned downward.

The drop follows a trend seen in California where gas prices have been inching downward since May 9. At $3.45 a gallon, the California price is down four cents a gallon in the last two weeks.

While West Coast prices are softening, the national average is still climbing though its got a long way to go catch up with the West Coast. The national average price of regular Tuesday was $3.209 a gallon, up 1.3 cents from Monday.

Illinois now has the priciest gas in the U.S. at $3.481 a gallon. The lowest? You'd never guess. New Jersey with the only sub $3.00 price, $2.947 among the 50 states.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber 2007 New Tacoma awards were announced last week.

They winners were:

• Ghilarducci Award (recognizing successful new development, renovation, or beautification): Prium Companies

• Popham Award (recognizing the individual that has done the most to build community): Lisa Fruichiante, Grand Cinema promoter, underground artist, and community builder

• Union Station Award (recognizing leading companies or individuals that have built or sustained momentum for revitalization): Jim Merritt, architecture company Merritt Arch

• Schoenfeld Award (recognizing exemplary performance--and pizzaz!--as a retailer): Leroy Jewelers & The Art Stop

The following nominees were also recognized:
Alexa Folsom Hill (SOTA)
Bill Evans, Tacoma City Council
Chuckals Office Supply
Dame Lola
Derek Young
Felix Flannigan, Martin Luther King Housing Development Authority
Kevin Freitas
Jeff Rounce, The Business Examiner
Matador Restaurant
Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub

The final assembly line for Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner is unlike any in aviation.

When it's finally up and running at full speed, the job of taking the parts of the 787 brought from plants all over the world and making a finished plane will take three days. That's about a quarter of what it takes Boeing to build a plane now.

That speed is a product of Boeing's decision to have much of the large construction and small detail work on large subassemblies done at subcontractors' plants. When the system is working well, those large subassemblies, big sections of the fuselage, the tail, the nose and the wings will come prestuffed with all the wiring, plumbing, ducting, motors and sensors needed for the complete plane.

Workers at Everett will simply join those half dozen big pieces together, connect the wiring and plumbing, hang the engines on the wings, and install the interior. Three days=one finished 787.

Boeing showed reporters Monday how it has modified an assembly hall at Everett to accommodate the new assembly method.

The company, for instance, has eliminated overhead cranes that are used in other assembly halls to move major plane parts. Instead, partially built 787s will be secured in specially built cradles that move on rails in the floor. A towering, bridge-like device, nicknamed the Mother of All Tools, will move the pieces of the plane's tail into position to join with the fuselage.

Once the planes' landing gear is installed, it will support itself as it rolls down the assembly line.

Smaller parts necessary for final assembly and not installed at the factories of Boeing's partner contractors, will be assembled into "kits" by a company called New Breed for delivery to the assembly line for installation. A kit could include major parts plus all of the fasteners and even the tools needed to install it.

Here's an additional photo taken this week on the assembly line:

Gov. Christine Gregoire took time out of her busy day Monday to give the engineers, executives and workers at Boeing a well-deserved attaboy for reaching the critical milestone of beginning assembly of the new 787 jetliner.

But for all the governor's virtues, she's obviously no aviation aficiando. You could see the silent cringes on the faces of the assembled engineers at an event Monday at Boeing's Everett plant when she referred to the part of the 787 Dreamliner built at Boeing's Frederickson plant as "the wing," and when she said the 787 was an ecological wonder because it would use less "gas."

The part that the folks in Frederickson build is the vertical tail. The 787 wings are made in Japan. The 787, like all jetliners, doesn't use "gas" but jet fuel that's similar to kerosene.

But the Boeing brass obviously appreciated the governor's interest and accolades, so a minor mistake in aviation jargon was not a big deal.

Fast-food chain Wendy’s plans to add breakfast to 30 percent of its restaurants by the end of the year, according to trade magazine Marketing Daily. Key to the strategy is serving a Folgers Gourmet line of coffee.

“We've engaged in consumer testing and it scores extremely well. It's a high-quality, premium coffee that will compete favorably with any other coffee in the marketplace," said spokesman Bob Bertini.

Perhaps the company was emboldened by a recent Consumer
Reports coffee tasting that ranked McDonald’s brew ahead of Starbucks'.

No info on which Wendy's will get the new breakfast program, but Marketing Daily reports that all the restaurants will eventually be serving the Folgers Gourmet – with or without eggs and hashbrowns.