The marathon Foss Waterway hotel project, which was originally proposed in 2003, was granted yet another extension and the developer says it has to be reinvented.

Now construction has been put off to May 20, 2009, more than six years, three extensions and multiple blueprint changes since the initial proposal. Under the new extension, the project needs to “optimize economic returns through needed redesign all within the context of an envelope that has existing permits and approvals.”

The Foss Waterway Development Authority granted the extension at a meeting Thursday evening.

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For those of you who can't get enough Facebook (including me), here's good news: Facebook, the movie, is in the works.

Aaron Sorkin, creator of television show “The West Wing,” will develop the project for Sony Corp., Bloomberg News reports.

Scott Rudin, whose past work includes Oscar-winning film “No Country for Old Men,” will produce the film, Sony Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer said in an e-mailed message.

The movie will focus on the early days of Facebook, a network that allows users to exchange pictures and messages, Elzer said.

Bloomberg reports that closely held Facebook attracted 132.1 million visitors in June, exceeding 117.6 million visitors at News Corp.’s MySpace, according to researcher ComScore Inc. in Reston, Va.

The office of State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is out today with a release noting various recent enforcement actions.

At the top – it turns out that “untrustworthy” is a real word.

In an unpublished Court of Appeals case from last year against insurance agent Jack Chandler, the court has ruled that Kreidler was correct to revoke Chandler’s license based on the fact that, according to the commissioner, Chandler “had shown himself to be untrustworthy in his sales conduct with elderly consumers.”

The court also agreed that Kreidler was correct in saying that Chandler “attempted to exploit senior citizens by using misleading marketing tactics to get them to buy reverse mortgages, living trusts and long-term care insurance.”

Kreidler revoked Chandler’s license in 2002, and Chandler appealed on the grounds that the term “untrustworthy” is unconstitutionally vague and subjective. The court disagreed and the State Supreme Court would not review the case.

“While this case took several years to reach conclusion, it was worth every minute. I am very satisfied with the result,” Kreidler said.

In enforcement actions taken by the commissioner in June and July:

• Willamette Dental was fined $30,000 with $10,000;
• Vision Services Plan was fined $29,500 with $17,750 suspended;
• United Church Foundation was fined $1,000;
• Panahou School was fined $350;
• Nationwide Home Warranty was ordered to stop doing business;
• Fremont Life Insurance Company had its license revoked
• Shawn L. Martinez, a public adjuster, and North Pacific Claims in Renton had their licenses revoked;
• Tamra L. Pratt and Pratt Insurance Agency in Belfair had their licenses revoked;
• Julie D. Lemery and Main Street Insurance had their licenses revoked (for demonstrating incompetency and being untrustworthy).

Let the lip-smacking anticipation begin. Sonic's first Puget Sound region drive-in restaurant will go up at the corner of 136th Street East and Meridian Avenue on South Hill.

This vacant corner at 136th Street East and Meridian Avenue will serve as the home for Sonic's first drive-in restaurant in the Puget Sound region.

J. David Orem, who owns the franchise rights in the region, said he will sign the lease agreement Friday.

When will it open? That will depend largely on how fast Pierce County approves the permits, said Orem, who plans to file his application as early as next week.

"We're readying all our drawings," said Orem this week while on the road to visit the new Sonic in Vancouver. "Once we get the permit, we'll be under construction for 90 days, then we'll open. (When the application's filed with) the folks at Pierce County who make the decisions with regard to building permits, it's out of my hands. If there was any way I could speed the process up, I'd like to open by Christmastime.

Otherwise, plan for early 2009.

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