The state Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board wants public input on a plan to improve state employment.

A public forum to help design the state High Skills, High Wages plan will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at South Seattle Community College's Tech Center, Room TEC 129. The college is at 6000 16th Ave. SW in Seattle.

There will also be a video conference hookup at Tacoma Community College, Room 222 Building 28. A hookup is also available at Skagit Valley College, Building MV Studio A, Room #S161.

The High Skills, High Wages plan, which is updated every two years, identifies issues facing state employment and possible ways to strengthen the workforce. The state board is especially looking for business owners to give input on what they need, a WTECB news release states.

A draft of the plan created after a July meeting is available at http://www.wtb.wa.gov/Documents/HSHWDraftJuly2008.pdf.

The board said the plan started the Opportunity Grant program, which provides credits, tuition assistance or money for books for low-income students studying for "in-demand occupations" at a community or technical college.

Those who are cannot attend the meeting or a video conference can e-mail suggestions to mthompson@wtb.wa.gov.

Airports Council International has awarded Seattle-Tacoma International Airport its 2008 Environmental Achievement Award for its work in managing stormwater from the airport's expansion.

The airport worked with regulatory agencies, environmental and citizens groups to control stormwater runoff from its $4.2 billion airport improvement program that included construction of a third runway and a renovated central terminal and A concourse.

"The control of stormwater runoff is becoming a more critical issue as the Puget Sound region develops strategies for restoring the health of our waterways," said John Creighton, port commission president.

Winners in each category were selected by a three-judge panel based on the project's environmental benefits, innovation, effective implementation and cost-effectiveness.

For the construction of the third runway, the Port of Seattle, Sea-Tac's owner, restored lakes and streams west of the airport in a former housing area and channeled runoff to holding basins to control flooding and stream flow. The port also restored wetlands miles from the airport near the Green River to compensate for the loss of bird habitat near the runways. The airport deliberately created habitat near the airport that was not attractive to fowl because of the danger they pose to aircraft.

From now on, call it the Americraft ShowPlex.

The Western Washington Fair Association has sold naming rights to the $14 million, 123,000-square-foot fairgrounds exhibition center to Americraft Cookware – a manufacturer of stainless steel and aluminum pots and pans.

The Florida-based company sells its wares at fairs throughout the county, and customers may know the company for its Kitchen Craft and Healthy Gourmet brands.

The naming rights for the building, built in 2005, sold for $1 million to be paid over five years, the Fair Association said in a press release. The deal is the first sale of naming rights by the association, although Americraft has secured similar transactions with fairs in Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Arizona and Colorado.

Dave Hurley, Americraft chairman, said people who attend events including sewing shows, graduations or snowmobile expos “are looking for high quality cooking items for their kitchen. Putting the Americraft name on ShowPlex brings our products front and center.”

You won't have to wait in line to get a copy of the new Tiger Woods video game. Amazon.com Inc. is giving its customers release-day access to new video games.

The Seattle-based Internet retailer will deliver four new video games to customers on the same day they are released.

They include:
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Fable 2
Gears of War 2

Here's the catch: You gotta pay $5.98 to upgrade your shipping option for guaranteed delivery of these titles, according to a news release from the company. Amazon Prime customers will receive release-date delivery for free.

Booking your airline reservations too far in advance, may net you a higher fare, travel guru Tom Parsons warned over the weekend.

Parsons, CEO of BestFares.com, said that booking fares beyond six months in advance, contrary to conventional wisdom, could add hundreds of dollars to your costs.

That's because low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines doesn't post its schedule or prices more than six months or so in advance.

Since many airlines match Southwest's sometimes lower fares, they're unconstrained by Southwest's competition beyond six months ahead.

When Southwest recently posted its schedule and prices through March 6, other airlines rolled back their prices on competitive routes to match the Dallas-based carrier.

For instance, prices for a Seattle-to-Raleigh, N.C. roundtrip through March 6 are as low as $178. After that date, the last Southwest has posted, prices jump to a minimum of $464.

Airlines also may post sale prices, particularly during the slower wintertime travel season, as they see traffic softening.

Most of their competitors are forced to respond. Don't take Parson's advice to an extreme. Wait until the last minute on popular routes, and you'll pay double or more for one of the last seats available.

At least four Tacoma-area gas stations are selling a gallon of regular unleaded gas below $3.70 a gallon, TacomaGasPrices.com reported today.

Those low prices reflect the continuing plunge at the pump as summer winds down. AAA Washington reports average Tacoma regular gas prices now are $3.856 a gallon. That's seven cents below Tacoma prices on average a week ago.

The four stations reportedly selling gas below $3.70 today are: Fred Meyer at Meridian and River Road in Puyallup, $3.65; ARCO at Puyallup and Portland avenues, $3.69; ARCO at 10216 224th St. E, $3.69, and Costco, 1201 39th Ave. SW in Puyallup, $3.69.

Over the weekend, I was in California, traditionally a leader in high fuel prices, and gas even there had dropped below $4.

Nationally, the average price of unleaded regular is $3.681 a gallon. For bargain gas, go to South Carolina where the average gallon is available for $3.455, the lowest price in the country.

Travel to Alaska, if you've got some nostalgia for $4 gas. A gallon on average there costs. $4.583, says the AAA.

Diesel prices, while down from their highs, remain stubbornly over $4. The national average today is $4.291 a gallon.

In Washington, the average price for diesel is $4.508. In Tacoma, diesel is slightly lower at $4.476.