The numbers are in for the first quarter at the Port of Tacoma, and they're all negative.

Total container volume was down 14.7 percent. International containers declined 17.8 percent, and domestic containers wer off 5.5 percent.

Auto imports and exports dropped a stunning 40.2 percent while total tonnage fell 21.6 percent.

Breakbulk cargo, cargo not carried in containers or in bulk like grain, declined by 50. 1 percent and grain was off 23.9 percent, according to figures from the port.

Intermodal lifts, the measure of container traffic between ships and trains, was off 33.5 percent in the first three months of 2009.

The customary villan, the worldwide recession, was responsible for the declines, said the port.

Brian Ebersole announced this week that he will run for a spot on the Port of Tacoma commission.

Ebersole is campaigning for the seat currently held by long-time commissioner Ted Bottiger.Bottiger hasn't announced whether he intends to run again.

Ebersole's prior positions include Speaker of the State House of Representatives, mayor of Tacoma, and president of Bates Technical College.

Don Meyer, head of the Thea Foss Waterway Authority, is also running for the same position.

The five-person port commission has three seats up for election this year. The spots now held by commissioners Dick Marzano and Connie Bacon also are up for election.

Ebersole said via e-mail that he's fascinated by the outreach of the Port of Tacoma and "the way the Port connects us to the rest of the world."

"I want to help use the great resource of the Port to increase international trade, and in so doing, to help improve the quality of life of the people the Port represents," he said.

Ebersole, 61, is currently the founding the board member of a small nonprofit effort in Cambodia named The Village Pig Project, and owner of a small resort hotel in the Philippines named the Blue Lilly Villa.

He lives in Tacoma.

Toyota's gas sipping Prius hybrid car and Ford's thirstier F-series pickup trucks topped the popularity list for new car sales in Tacoma in March, new figures show.

Pierce County dealers sold 47 Prius hybrids ad 45 Ford pickups in the county in March, statistics from auto sales tracking company Cross-Sell.com revealed.

In third and fourth places were another odd couple, the small, economical Kia Spectra in third place and the much larger and expensive Dodge Ram pickup in fourth.

Among Pierce County auto dealers, Cross-Sell.com reported Larson Chrysler sold the most vehicles in March with 65 new cars sold. They were followed by Toyota of Puyallup with 61 vehicles and Car Pros Kia of Tacoma with 59 cars.

Kitsap Community Credit Union was the top provider of financing for Pierce County cars in March, the site reported with 131 vehicles financed. Toyota Motor Credit was second with 91 cars bankrolled.

New car sales fell steeply in March compared with the same month last year. Dealers in Pierce County sold 1,256 new vehicles this March compared with 2202 in the same month in 2008.

The Toyota Corolla was the best-selling vehicle statewide in March with 770 sold. The Toyota Prius was second with 398 sales. The big Ford F-series pickups wiere in third place with 395 sales.

The Boeing Co. will move its Missile Defense Systems headquarters from Arlington, Va. to Huntsville, Ala. and its FA-18 maintenance operation from Mesa, Ariz. to Jacksonville, Fla., the company said in separate announcements today.

Some 50 workers will transfer from Virginia to Alabama when the missile headquarters moves to Boeing facilities in Huntsville.

The company already has 3,200 workers in Huntsville, many of them working on missile defense programs. Boeing is Alabama's largest aerospace employer.

The Arizona maintenance operation will move to a former naval air station in Jacksonville. The state is subsidizing Boeing's operation there for two years as an incentive for the company to bring new jobs to the area.

The move to Florida will involve about 60 jobs.

In both cases, Boeing said it was moving to consolidate operations to cut expenses.

Some analysts are worried that Boeing may move some of its airliner production facilities from the Puget Sound area to the South when Boeing builds its successor to its popular 737.

Wage rates are lower in the South and some taxes are less south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Unions in the Puget Sound area note that part of Boeing's problems with its new 787 Dreamliner originated at new plants built by Boeing partners in Charleston, S.C. The major subassemblies produced in Charleston were shipped to the 787 final assembly site in Everett missing vital parts and with wiring and other systems incomplete.

The 787 is now almost two years behind in making its first flight.

Online coupons are growing in popularity as the scissors-free to save this recession. But the Better Business Bureau advises that some deals - especially pop-up, flashy ads - aren't as good as they seem.

The number of American shoppers using online coupons climbed 39 percent to 36 million from 2005 to 2008, according to a survey conducted by Simmons/Experian Research and Coupons, Inc. The survey also found that online coupon users account for one-fourth of the total 148 million consumers who clip coupons.

The CEO of Coupons.com said the Web site saw 192 percent increase in the value of coupons printed from March 2008 to March 2009, totaling $57 million worth of possible savings in March 2009.

Though the discounts can add up for avid coupon hunters, BBB says consumers should be cautious about the coupons they click online. Here are some things to look for:

- Be careful about coupons offered through a third party rather than directly through the store. If the coupon company requires you to divulge personal information to receive the savings, you may want to check out the company first at http://www.bbb.org/.

- Be wary of pop-up coupon offers that require you to click immediately to redeem. Clicking on the ad may automatically sign you up to be billed for services you do not want.

- Read the coupon's terms and conditions. Check the expiration date, limitations of use and whether the online coupon is good only for online purchases.

- Not all stores are eager to redeem online coupons, because they may be concerned about fraud. BBB suggests contacting the store where you wish to redeem the coupon to find out whether or not it is being honored.

- Don't fall for the coupons in your e-mail inbox. Many fake coupons are circulated via e-mail and may even seem to be sent from a friend or family member's account. BBB says not to assume such coupons are legitimate.