That is good news. But at the end of the article, the item about a new Lowes at 153rd & TV Hwy puzzles me. The only thing there are the Beaverton Creek Wetlands, and Carr Chevrolet. Where are they putting it? And why? There is already a Lowes a few miles west on TV Hwy. How about a Walmart instead?

Okay, I'm a bit confused - yes, it's great that 600 more jobs are coming to Oregon (and please note they are NOT coming to Portland ... which pleases me no end). However, the city and state have to pony up $350,000 to get them here? Yes, I know they call it 'training' money - but does IBM really need the money, from the government, to train people? Last I saw, IBM was doing fairly well and would have no trouble hiring and training people without money from the government.

Two last questions - what will these 600 jobs pay? Is there any quid-pro where IBM has ensured that due to the govenment money that the jobs will stay until the end of time?

My bad - just re-read the article and saw the salary average. Still want to know what promises the government got for giving up money.

Not to be outdone, Sam Adams will be cutting the ribbon on a bike-through tattoo parlor owned by the Q Center: "This is what urban renewal is all about!"

It is good news, but what is IBM acquiring a mortgage finance business? It's not an obvious core competency, and the real-estate boom was over years ago . . .

I don't think they are getting into the mortgage business, as in lending. It looks like they are getting the software systems that Wilshire used, and Bank of America is keeping the mortgage servicing part.

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28556.wss

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/29532.wss