The Boeing Co. delivered a 777-300ER today that's the first of an series of planes that will test new chrome-free primer and paint in airline service.

The aircraft was delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Boeing is testing to see whether the new paint can endure the rigors of airline service.

Eliminating chrome as an ingredient in the paint makes disposing of paint wastes and clean-up materials much less expensive because those materials won't require the kind of special dispoaal treatment that ordinary aircraft paint now requires.

The twin-jet, built in Boeing's Everett plant, is the first of 14 aircraft Boeing intends to paint with the chrome-free coating.

Boeing is testing a more fuel-efficient version of the CFM engines that power all of its single-aisle 737 aircraft.

The new engine, made by a partnership of General Electric and French engine maker Snecma, reportedly improves fuel efficiency of the 737 by one percent. That seems like a small amount, but based on the thousands of gallons of fuel the average 737 consumes yearly, the cost savings could be substantial.

The engine is being tested on a Boeing 737-900ER, the largest version of the Renton-built plane.

Boeing is also working on aerodynamic improvements to the 737 to improve fuel economy an additional 1 percent.

The new engine is simpler than those used now, cutting maintenance costs, another plus for Boeing's airline customers.

Brown Bear Car Wash is showing customers their appreciation Thursday by offering free "Bear Essentials" car washes at the company's automated "tunnel wash" locations.

The free car washes will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"We are extremely grateful to the people of Puget Sound for their decades of patronage. Our annual free car wash day is one way we can show our appreciation," said Brown Bear founder and owner Vic Odermat.

He added "weather cooperating, we anticipate this year's event to be our best ever."

Four Pierce County Brown Bear car washes will be participating in the free car wash event.

They are located at:

- 10913 Bridgeport Way SW, Lakewood
- 13204 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
- 3002 S 38th St., Tacoma
- 5950 6th Ave., Tacoma

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is hosting a Faces of Foreclosure walk at noon Wednesday.

The event is aimed at highlighting Pierce County's foreclosure situation. The county's foreclosure rate is often among the highest in the state.

Wednesday's event will features some speakers and "information sharing" about the problem, according to an ACORN press release and then a walk to the home of Kim Thagh.

Thagh is facing foreclosure on his South Tacoma home and ACORN is helping him to try and modify his mortgage. Thagh owns a home construction business and ACORN said his income has dropped during this recession.

The Faces of Foreclosure will begin the corner of 78th and South Wilkeson Street.

SeaTac leads the state for growth in retail sales over the past five years, according to date released by the Washington State Retail Survey.

Retail sales in SeaTac grew by an average of 19.7 percent from 2003 through 2008, the survey reports. Marysville, Lacey and Bonney Lake all posted double digit annual sales.

Tacoma reported an average annual growth rate of 2.5 percent in retail sales, ranking 38th out of the state's 50 top retail markets.

Those 50 markets represent $43 billion in annual retail sales and about three-quarters of the sales made in the state.

The full report, produced by a California-based company, is available for purchase for $160. For more information go to www.washingtonstateretailsurvey.com.

America’s Credit Union is still America’s Credit Union, but you may call it acu. So goes the new brand.

Introduced this week, the rebranding is the result of a process that began in May 2008, said Heidi Marzolf, ACU director of Marketing.

“There was a huge disconnect between who we were and what our brand and look and feel said about us,” she said this morning. “What we should have been, or who we are, is more technology-oriented, friendly, fast.”

ACU operates eight branches – two at Fort Lewis and six elsewhere in Pierce and Thurston counties. The credit union counts $343 million in assets and has approximately 34,500 members, Marzolf said.

The rebranding is in part the result of focus groups. “We asked if they had heard of us. The response was ‘America’s who?’” Marzolf said. ”The public in general didn’t know who we were.”

“We wanted warm up our color pallet and our logo and really have that reflect the credit union,” She said. The new logo – a lower case “acu” atop a curved horizon, is done in soft orange and burnt red, in a combination recalling perhaps an African sunset.

The marketing effort will include more advertising outreach, Marzolf said.

“We will be bringing out television commercials, we’ll be on comcast.net and in theater advertising.