Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 33

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Germans hope a month of World Cup soccer excitement will bring some economic prosperity. 5D BUSINESS CONTACT BUSINESS EDITOR Michael Clinebell 775.788.6217 BUSINESSRGJ.COM SECTION Friday, June 9, 2006 RGJ.combusiness tofoless claims, if all 0wr than expedetl ON THE WEB JOBLESS CLAIMS: www.ows.doleta.gov dated forecast for this year, predicting the economy will grow by 3.6 percent, when measured from the fourth quarter of last year. That projection is slightly better than the 3.4 percent estir mate made six months ago. The administration said the faster growth will result in stronger employment and this year's spike in energy prices will mean see ECONOMY on 7D will begin rising on a sustained basis in coming months, signaling a slowing economy. In the most dramatic indication of that slowdown so far, the government reported last week that businesses created just 75,000 new jobs in May, far below the 170,000 job gain that analysts had been expecting.

"The real story in the labor market right now is the slowdown in hiring, not the rise in firings captured by the claims numbers," said Ian Shepherd-son, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, a consulting firm. He predicted that claims would rebound greatly from what he saw as an artificially depressed reading caused by the holiday closing of many claims offices. In other news, the Bush administration released an up week, down 35,000 from the previous week. Analysts had expected decline of about 6,000. It was the biggest one-week improvement since jobless claims fell by 65,000 during the week ending Sept.

24- During that period, claims figures were buffeted by massive layoffs from the Gulf Coast hurricanes. Analysts cautioned against reading too much into last week's improvement. They BY MARTIN CRUTSINCER ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON The number of laid off workers filing claims for unemployment plunged last week by the largest amount in eight months, but it might have been a statistical fluke. The Labor Department reported Thursday that 302,000 people filed for benefits last Transforming from inside out Boulder City land-sale petition filed with city clerk A 1 1 III I.I BOULDER CITY The sponsor of a ballot measure that could turn every resident into a millionaire if passed said he submitted petitions with about 4,000 total signatures to City Hall on Thursday. The petitions call for two ballot initiatives.

One would protect almost 168 square miles in nearby Eldorado Valley from development, saving the land for a desert tortoise preserve, public recreation uses and possibly a solar power station. The other measure would sell all or part of the same acreage, with at least 90 percent of the proceeds going directly to Boulder City residents. Each petition needs 692 valid signatures to qualify for the Nov. 7 ballot, and City Clerk Pamella Malmstrom said verification could be complete tf-t BRIEFLY noted it occurred during a holiday-shortened week when residents of many states would have had one fewer day to file their applications for benefits. Many analysts are forecasting that the jobless claims numbers 3 The downtown condo project Palladio tract to be sold, meaning buyers have already locked in the price and placed a deposit on their units.

The price for a one-bedroom condo range from about $220,000 to around The American Institute of Architects, which is holding its annual convention this week in Los Angeles, praised the action by the mayors. The group gave a presentation at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Energy Environment Summit in May. "This is a tremendous step taken by the mayors to exert a strong leadership position in addressing the nation's ongoing energy crisis at a time when global warming is venturing into dangerous territory," Kate Schwennsen, president of The ANDY BARRONRENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Steve Simmons works Thursday on replacing the plumbing on one of the floors that has been completely striped at the former Sundower Hotel-Casino now the Belvedere Towers in downtown Reno. Future Belvedere just one sign of a changing downtown within two weeks.

Sherman Rattner, leader of the Coalition to Protect the Future of Boulder City, said the twin petitions are to keep the land from being sold to developers and special interest groups. The petition drive was the coalition's response to a proposed land swap between the city, the federal Bureau of Land Management and developer Larry Canarelli. The swap would involve giving Canarelli about 700 acres of land along the city's western border to build a 3,800 home master-planned community. The City Council could cancel a proposed ballot measure authorizing the land swap next week, but Rattner said he feared the city will just find another way to develop the land. orgeventgia.cfm.

The 2006 Governor's Industry Appreciation Awards will be at 5:30 p.m. Oct 25 at John Ascuaga's Nugget and is co-sponsored by the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada and the Northern Nevada Development Authority in cooperation with the Nevada Commission on Economic Development Cost: Tickets are $1 30 or $1 ,1 70 for a table of ten. Attendee registration opens in August. Details: Judi BishopNNDA at 883-441 3 or Sarah WoodmanEDAWN at 829-3700 Ext. 34.

Vegas company charged with unlawful firing The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has charged that a tas Vegas realty company violated federal law when it unlawfully fired a female coordinator because of her gender. The EE0C charged that Consolidated Realty Inc. terminated Tasha Rnley during the course of a reorganization through which the company replaced all of the female tour coordinates with men. The EE0C charges that a manager said, "We're going to replace all the tour coordinators with men because they present few problems," then offered Finley a lesser position as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.

When she complained, Consolidated Realty fired her as retaliation, using poor performance as a pretext, the EEOCsaid. The EE0C filed suit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement. The agency seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages and injunctive relief. Consolidated Realty is a business engaged in selling time share vacation properties. Ststf reports BIZ POLL RGJ.COMBUSINESS Are you excited that Cabela's could be coming to Northern Nevada? 70 i of.

by zack Ball zhallrgj.com From the outside of the former Sundowner hotel-casino, the transformation from an aging hotel into the Belvedere Towers condominiums is difficult to see. But inside, the conversion looks like much of downtown a mess of construction in preparation of a new beginning. from the nearly completed Residences at Riverwalk Towers just north of the Truckee River, up West Street to the northern end of downtown with the soon-to-be Belvedere Towers, the change of downtown Reno is happening. "Construction is heavily under way in the towers," said Anita Perez, sales broker for the Belvedere Towers. "A tremendous volume of work has been done but you can't tell what has been going on (from the outside)." But Perez said it won't be long before the change from the Sundowner is obvious to those passing by.

"The tractors have been around the building recently, taking out some of the old facade and getting ready to set the new elevation stuff," she said. Perez said that its first permanent model and sales office inside the towers for the con-dos are expected to be open in early August with the first buyers set to close in about eight months. And officials from both the Riverwalk and Belvedere towers say that sales have been strong. Perez said that 70 of the future 177 condominium units at Belvedere are under con- ON THE WEB THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS: www.aia.org THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS: www.mayors.org The "2030 Challenge" urges mayors across the country to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used in city buildings in increments over the next two decades.

The ultimate goal will be for all new buildings to use zero fossil fuel energy by 2030. Inpatient imaging services accredited Officials of Washoe Medical Center have announced that the company is one of only 1 2 facilities in Nevada to be awarded a three-year term of accreditation for inpatient ultrasound. The accreditation is a result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology. Diagnostic Ultrasound imaging uses high frequency sound waves to create images of the soft tissue organs and vascular structures in the body. This method of imaging is completely safe, patient friendly and requires little or no patient preparation.

A warm gel is applied to the patient's skin surface and the sonographer uses a variety of hand-held probes to scan the area(s) of interest. The American College of Radiology awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation of the practice. Evaluations are conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. They assess the qualifications of the personnel and the adequacy of facility equipment. They surveyors report their findings to the ACR's Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the practice with a comprehensive report.

Governor's Industry Appreciation Awards Nominations are being accepted for the 22nd Annual Governor's Industry Appreciation Awards for new businesses that nave moved to the region and existing companies that have had substantial growth. The 2006 company honorees and the distinguished business award nominations are due July 14. Nomination forms and award criteria are available at www.edawa REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE RATES This week's rates fell on a weaker-than-expected employment report 60 to 44636 quotes. LB Mayors, architects urge reduction in fossil fuel use SCOTT SADYRENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL is taking form at Sierra and First streets. $290,000, Perez said.

And much of the interest has come from locals, though there has been a heavy dose SEE TRANSFORM ON 7D American Institute of Architects, said in a statement Thursday. Buildings and their construction amount to nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumed in the U.S. each year, according to the architects' group. Buildings not only consume 76 percent of electricity produced at the nation's power plants, but also burn oil, natural gas and propane in boilers, furnaces and hot see GREEN ON 7T Text IGTor other slock symbols for latest BY CHRISTINA ALMEIDA ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES A call by the nation's architects to dramatically reduce the amount of fossil fuels used by buildings has won the endorsement of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The mayors' group, meeting in Las Vegas earlier this week, approved the "2030 Challenge" for city buildings, citing a similar sustainable design resolution passed by The American Institute of Architects in December. THE WEST MEDIA The Stephens Media Group has purchased five Arkansas newspapers. 50 SILVER THE MARKETS: 2D DOW JONES NASDAQ 10,938.82 2.145.77 1,257.46 THE NATION INVESTING Profits for Smithfield Foods the world's largest pork processor, plunged hi 04. 50 GOLD $11.04 $609.10.