A few notes on today’s market:

Up 889.35. That’s quite a day for the Dow, even in these volatile days of triple-digit swings.

One note on today’s activity – I’ve heard from Steve Claiborne at Russell Investments, and he tells me that as far as the Russell 3000 goes, this was the third-most volatile day on record for the broad-market index.

The most volatile came on October 19, 1987 - when the index slipped 18.03 percent. The next came on October 13, just two weeks ago – when the index gained 11.47 percent. And then comes today, with the 3000 up 10.24 percent.

Among the Top 10 most active trading days in the history of the 3000 – five have hit in the last 30 days.

Eight have come during the month of October.

Happily for those of us who prefer calm, November starts on Saturday.

Boeing union machinists will vote Saturday whether to ratify a new 4-year contract with Boeing Co.

Tentative agreement on that deal was reached Monday night in Washington, D.C. where company and union negotiators had met for five days with federal mediators.

In a nutshell, that new contract would give machinists a total of 15 percent in raises over four years, would keep member medical insurance costs at 2005 levels, would give machinists a total in $8,000 in one-time payments and would raise pensions to $83 per month per year of service by the end of the contract.

If more than 50 percent approve the new deal, workers could be back on the job as early as Monday. Workers have been on the picket lines since Sept. 6.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said the Saturday vote will allow workers to pick up their $150 weekly strike checks and vote at the same time and place.

UMembers typically have 14 days to return to work after a contract is ratified, we will publish the specifics in the Strike Settlement Agreement.

Voting will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Green River Community College (12401 SE 320th St, Auburn), Distric 751 Seattle Union Hall (9135 15th Place S., Seattle) and the Evergreen Fairgrounds (14405 179th Ave SE, Monroe).

The union is reminding members to continue their picket assignments until a new contract is ratified.

Pacific Lutheran University and MultiCare received awards this month for sustainable buildings.

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance gave the two organizations the "Betterbricks award" for "their support, use and design of sustainable, high performance commercial buildings," a news release stated. The awards were presented Oct. 17 in Seattle.

Sheri J. Tonn, vice president for Finance and Operations atPacific Lutheran University, was recognized for three buildings on campus – the Morken Center for Learning and Technology, the Martin J. Neeb Center and the University Center.

"Sheri is a real advocate for change at PLU," the judges said in a profile of the winners. "Her efforts in promoting efficiency and sustainability in education highlight her career as a prominent decision maker in promoting high performance buildings."

MultiCare Engineering Manager Ray Tiedemann was awarded for Tacoma General and Mary Bridge Hospitals. Tiedemann lead improvements to the buildings that resulted in an Energy Star rating of 85 out of 100. Tiedemann also has served as president of the Washington Society of Healthcare Engineering and participates in the City of Tacoma Environmental Services Commission.

CB Richard Ellis is out with its third-quarter review of industrial and office space in the Puget Sound area. In a tight economy, it’s gratifying to note that not much has changed lately.

In Tacoma and Fife, the firm notes a total vacancy rate of 9.8 percent for industrial space. (With 27,003,261 sq. ft. of rentable space, 2,639,615 stood vacant during the quarter.) For space under construction, the firm counts 900,000 square feet. The monthly asking rate for industrial space was 36 cents per square foot.

By comparison, the asking rate in Seattle, with a 2.4 percent vacancy rate; was 65 cents; in Kent, with a 5.4 percent vacancy rate, 43 cents; in the Bellevue area, with a vacancy rate of 8.5 percent, 98 cents.

“The Tacoma/Fife market saw another steady quarter,” the firm said. “Signs of confidence in the market are evident with delivery of over 1.8 million sq. ft. and planned construction of 10 million sq. ft.”

The Tacoma area submarket had the highest vacancy rate and the lowest asking rate among the regions listed. Among all markets, 5.5 percent of industrial space was vacant and the asking rate was 54 cents, CB Richard Ellis reported.

Office space results “remained steady” in “a time of uncertainty,” the firm reported this week. The vacancy rate for Class A office space was 10 percent in the Tacoma central business district; 35.3 percent in Fife; and 14.6 percent in Puyallup. The total asking rate per square foot in the South Sound was $23.62.

Overall in the region, there was an 11.7 percent vacancy rate for office space, with a total asking rate of $30.70.

Vacancy rates locally were highest in Fife, at 35.3 percent; Kent, at 26.4 percent; and Federal Way, at 23.6 percent.

By the time most of us attend the grand opening of a new shopping center or development, the decisions have all been made for us.

A mix of tenants is already in place that we may like or may find boring or uninviting.

Tacoma developer Mike Cohen wants to turn that tenant selection process on its head.

He's asking Tacomans what kinds of activities, what merchants or services they'd like to see in his new 97-acre Point Ruston near Point Defiance Park.

Cohen is already building a mid-rise condo building on the tract, the former site of the Asarco copper smelter, and expensive view homes on the hill above the former industrial site, but much of the remainder of the site remains a blank tablet. He has signed a deal for a Silver Cloud hotel in the community center, he has no other public retail commitments.

In more prosperous times, many of those development and leasing decisions would have already been made, but given the slowdown in financing and retail activity, Cohen has the luxury of time.

If you want to let him know, go to the Point Ruston Web site here and take the survey. Prizes for participants include Ruston Way restaurant diners, Point Defiance Zoo memberships, a Silver Cloud overnight and even a personal tour from Cohen.

A 15 percent wage increase over four years, annual bonuses totaling $8,000, no new medical plan costs, an enhanced pension plan, new wage rates for entry level workers and specific job protections for workers receiving parts at Boeing plants are all part of the tentative deal reached late Monday between Boeing and its Machinists Union.

The union today released those broad details of the accord as it prepares to ask members to vote on the new deal.

If a majority ratify the agreement, which enjoys the unanimous endorsement of the union negotiating committee, a nearly eight-week old strike will be over.

Here is the union's synopsis of those contract changes:

=> Read more!

American Airlines announced this week it will soon end minimum mileage awards for most of its frequent fliers.

Those were the awards that credited you with 500 miles even if your flight was only 185 miles.

Under the new American scheme, if you fly 223 miles, you'll get a 223-mile award.

The policy change is get another revenue enhancer for airlines who've spent much of the last year eliminating perks and imposing charges for formerly free services such as baggage checking, pillows, telephone reservation service and sodas.

Only members of American's most elite frequent flier level will retain the minimum mileage awards.

American passengers who live in smaller cities will probably find the change most annoying. They already pay richly per mile for their flights and now won't get much reward for taking them.