From environmental reporter Susan Gordon, who attended yesterday's science summit in Bremerton:

Monday's event at the Kitsap Conference Center was a like a family reunion for the Dicks family.

U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks and his son, David, executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership, each took a turn at the podium.

David, a new dad, even showed off a picture of his 10-day-old daughter, Danika Dorothy Dicks, cuddling up next to a tiger cat. Also in the audience: the baby's grandma, Suzie Dicks, and great grandma, Eileen Dicks.

Congratulations to David and his family. Still, the Dicks clan has a long way to go to catch up with that Ladenburg dynasty.

TNT photographer Dean Koepfler posted a gallery of photos from Gov. Chris Gregoire's campaign appearance in Tacoma yesterday. The governor spent a couple of hours job-shadowing an in-home health care worker.

Since the photos are elsewhere on our Web site, here's a link to Dean's photos.

As a side note, we got this query today from a Republican activist in Pierce County: "In order to offer balance in your news reporting do you plan to give Dino Rossi the same coverage you gave Governor Gregoire in the article by Niki Sullivan?"

Was Rossi in T-town yesterday cleaning out a bed pan? No? Then I'm not sure how we're supposed to "balance" the story. Our core mission is to cover news in the South Sound (mainly, south King to north Thurston counties). Gregoire came to Tacoma and did something a bit unusual for a governor. That's a news story. Not a big one, but it's a story, which is why we put it on the front of our local section. If Rossi wants to do a job shadow in Pierce County, or do something else that's newsworthy (Tall Ships volunteer?), we'd make an effort to cover it.

Our goal is to cover either of the candidates when they make appearances in Pierce County (we'll also try to have a little coverage of the other eight candidates for governor). In today's media-and-politics climate, I expect we'll get more queries and criticism during the next few months. but keep this in mind: Pierce County is likely to be a battleground in the governor's race. In their 2004 contest, Rossi won it by 4 percentage points. I assume that means we'll have many more stories about Gregoire and Rossi visits to the South Sound between now and Nov. 4.

A final thought (because I can't resist): Darcy Burner's house burned down today. Since Dave Reichert's house is still standing, as far as I know, I don't anticipate "equal coverage" for him today.

From the AP:

REDMOND - Fire has damaged Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner’s Ames Lake-area home.
The fire began around 7:30 a.m. at 3630 West Ames Lake Drive Northeast, said fire authorities.

Burner, her husband, Mike and son Henry were getting ready for the day when they noticed the fire, said Sandeep Kaushik, Burner’s spokesman. Everyone made it out without injury, but the house is “badly damaged”, he said.

The family does not know where they will spend the night.

Update 10:45 a.m.: I just got off the phone with Sandeep Kaushik, Burner's spokesman. He says the fire was "very serious" and that, when he talked to Burner an hour ago, she described it as a "total loss."

"They're OK but obviously pretty shaken up," Kaushik said. Burner was in the home with her husband, Mike, and 5-year-old son, Henry, when the fire started. He said Henry was the first one to notice the fire and that it may have started near his room.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Kauskik is headed out to Burner's home now and will have more information soon. The Redmond Fire Department's line is busy.

Update 11:54 a.m.: Just got off the phone with Kaushik, who's now with Burner and her family at the house. He said the fire started a little after 7 a.m. Darcy and her husband were asleep.

Henry first noticed the fire, which probably started in his room. They're still not sure how, but Kaushik said it might have been a lamp.

Henry did exactly what he should have, Kaushik said. "He came running out and saying 'Mommy and Daddy, there's a fire.' Darcy got Henry out of the house as quick as she could."

Mike stayed behind to try to find their puppy, but the house "went up in a matter of minutes."

He said the gas main may have blown. Everyone but the family cat got out fine. Most of the family's belongings have been destroyed, Kaushik said.

"They're OK. They're a little shaken up, but thankful to have avoided what could have been a real tragedy."

Kaushik said the whole roof is collapsed and the inside is burned out. The sides of the house are still standing. The fire is extinguished, but there's still some smoke and firefighters are working to salvage what they can from the home.

Update 3:24 p.m.: I just talked to Kaushik again. Couple of things:

- They think the fire was started by a faulty lamp.
- Burner is going to take a few days off to get things back together, then she'll start back up with the campaign again. "The campaign is going to go on."
- Firefighters were able to salvage almost nothing.
- "Firefighters found Bruce Wayne (the Golden Retriever puppy) in the wreckage of the home he kind of miraculously survived. He was coughing a little bit." Charlotte the cat didn't make it out, as we previously posted.

As I reported last month, average residential property values fell last year across Pierce County. It’s the first time folks at the assessor-treasurer’s office can remember a decline in average residential values countywide.

But let’s keep things in perspective. Data from the assessor’s office show this year’s falling values are just a blip compared to the substantial gains in average Pierce County values over the last four years.

Here’s a spreadsheet that shows the average residential property values in Pierce County cities and school districts from 2004 to 2008, as determined by the assessor’s office. Don’t have Excel? Here are the five cities where average values grew the most during that four-year period:

Pacific 112%
Ruston 83%
Edgewood 71%
Wilkeson 69%
Gig Harbor 69%

Which city saw the lowest average increase in property values? The part of Auburn that lies in Pierce County saw average values rise “only” 34 percent.

Average values countywide fell just 1.3 percent in 2007. That doesn’t include some steep declines since the beginning of the year. But I feel a little richer anyway.

I wasn’t able to reach County Executive John Ladenburg yesterday for comment on the County Council Rules Committee decision to table his land preservation proposal indefinitely. But the executive e-mailed me late in the day. Here’s his response:

As I said in my editorial, I think it would be good to let voters decide. They may decide the best time to buy open space is when prices are depressed and interest rates are low.
John W. Ladenburg
Pierce County Executive