For a while it looked as if Tacoma's J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. and the Washington State Ferry System had put aside old differences.

But recent events have once again put the two organizations at odds over ferry contracts and who's to blame for delays in getting new ferries built.

David Moseley, Federal Way's former city administrator, had been in his new job as ferry system director only 39 days last week when he publicly blamed Martinac for delays that have crippled the ferry system.

Speaking in an interview on public radio's KUOW, Moseley said a lawsuit filed by Martinac had postponed construction of three new 144-car ferries.

"Absent the Martinac lawsuit, we would have delivery of the 144-car ferries by now," Moseley said.

But Martinac President Joe Martinac Jr. in a letter to the ferry system director, called Moseley's statement "a lie."

"This is a lie that has been perpetuated for years by WSF, and continues now through your media interviews," Martinac wrote. "I demand you stop perpetuating this disparaging information."

=> Read more!

Delta Airlines announced today it will provide summertime service between several of its hub airports and Alaska.

The Delta plan is clearly aimed at skimming the cream off the summertime tourism and cruise-related air service now dominated by SeaTac's Alaska Airlines.

Delta will begin seasonal service to Anchorage on May 17 from its Atlanta, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City hubs. The Salt Lake service is an additional flight added to the present daily service to Alaska's largest city.

The airline also plans service from Fairbanks to Salt Lake City May 31 and thrice-weekly service from Los Angeles to Anchorage on June 13.

South Korea's second largest air carrier, Asiana Airlines, announced today it is ordering two Boeing 777-200ER airliners.

At list prices, the 777s are worth $438 million, the airline said. Airlines ordinarily receive discounts from the list price.

The two planes will be delivered to Asiana in 2013. The acquisition is part of the carrier's plan to modernize its fleet.

Asiana is one of two Korean carriers (the other is Korean Airlines) that connects Sea-Tac with Seoul.

Check this out.

A Tully's customer takes the personalized coffee order very seriously:

"Veinte, iced, two percent quad ristretto, split shot 'Cookies and Creme' mint mocha. Go easy on the ice with 1 3/4 packets of Equal, no whip, topped with velvety, bone-dry foam and a dash of cinnamon."

This coffee order makes my tall, nonfat, extra hot latte with one pump of vanilla look simple.

Tully's and Pemco insurance released this real-life order earlier this week as part of the insurance company's marketing campaign that includes commercials for the "Super-Long Coffee Order."

Don Godfrey of Seattle placed this order at the Seattle Airport Way Tully's location.

Here's another – this time from Jenaea Bush of Everett:

"Veinte cup of ice with soy poured over it until the bottom of the 'u', then filled to the almost top of the cup with chai, then add 1 1/4 white chocolate and six pumps vanilla. Stir, then add two ristretto shots on top. Stir again."

Any one have a special-order drink they want to share?

Federal Way-based Weyerhaeuser posted a first quarter loss today due to the slowing housing market and rising fuel prices.

Here's the story from The Associated Press:

By JESSICA MINTZ
The Associated Press

Weyerhaeuser Co., one of the world’s largest timberland owners and wood products manufacturers, said Friday it swung to a loss in the first quarter, hurt by a sagging housing market and low product prices.

The Federal Way-based company said it expects continued weakness in the housing market and higher fuel costs to hurt second-quarter earnings in its timberlands segment.

Weyerhaeuser lost $148 million, or 70 cents per share, in the first three months of the year compared with a profit of $720 million, or $3.09 per share, in the year-ago period.

Results included $40 million in charges for closures in Weyerhaeuser’s wood products business and $35 million for real estate impairments and reserves. Excluding these and other pretax items, the company lost $51 million, or 24 cents per share.

=> Read more!

The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopedia went for $450, the 1936 Olympics pin for $175 and a bevel-glass phone booth for $300.

The total sales so far from the estate of Tacoman Steve Craig – being sold at auction by Alan Gorsuch or Sanford & Son Antiques – approaches $40,000, Gorsuch said yesterday.

The hotel switchboard went for $65, the Arts and Crafts light fixture for $1,700 and the antique chair, spit bowl, fixtures, tools and old books that made up a dentist’s office went for $250, Gorsuch said.

The second chapter of the auction lasted from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday, and Gorsuch said more items remain - in fact, there are items that were removed before the first auction for safekeeping. (Not to point any fingers, but there was some pilfering at the first preview. Who on earth would steal a dead man’s cologne?)

The third (and likely last) session of the Craig auction will be held May 15 beginning at 5 p.m. at Gorsuch’s antique emporium, 743 Broadway in downtown Tacoma.

Up for sale will be many of the rarest and best items from the estate, including ephemera from the Revolutionary War and Spanish American War, books and photography from the Civil War, and a slew of historical Tacoma-related material.