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An average of 1.51 ntillion housing slarts per year between 1984 and 1988 is forseen by the National Association of Home Builders...About ljVo over the 1979-83 average, NAHB projects 1.336 million units for 1985, 1986 and 1987...'85 is expected to be the star with 1.507 million starts...

Nationql Lumber has opened a new outlet in Ontario, Ca., with additional new Ca. stores slated for San Bernardino, Fullerton, Fontana and Encinitas despite a drop of TlVo in the third quarter earnings and a 52Vo decline in the first 9 months of '84...

Wickes Companies, Inc., has made an initial cash payment of $298 million to its creditors under the terms of its bankruptcy reorganization...HomeClub, Long Beach, Ca., has completed a $30 million private equity placement with a group of 15 investors including the Jack Eckerd Corp., HRT Industries (owners of Zody's) and the Ceneral Electric Pension Fund...

Coast to Coast Stores has a new unit in Silverdale Village (Bremerton), Wa., Larry and Pam Spry owners...Sutherland Lumber, Anaheim,Ca., is protesting the building of a multi-screen theater and restaurant on property adjacent to it...

New Lumber & Hardware, Federal Way, Wa., reeently completed a reru*odeling project... Lanoga Corp. has closed its Lumbermen's store in Dallas. Or....

Kelleher'Moulding, which recently moved to a new warehouse in Chino, Ca., from Rancho Cucamonga, C3., has acquired Horvey Moulding Co. San Diego, Ca,,., [o price was revealed...Slewurt Hardwood Lumber Co., Los Banos, Ca., is celebrating its 5th year in business...

Americon Timber Products, Oklahoma City, Ok., has opened a wholesale office in Boulder, Co., Gary Coodman and Bob Givens, in charge...Stockton Wholesole, Stockton, Ca., has closed its Anderson (Redding), Ca., branch yard...

Wickes has closed its 4Vz acre retail yard facility in Grand Junction, Co....University Park Lumber Co., has closed its yards in Denver, Castle Rock, Conifer and Frisco. Co....

Mt. Anget Lumber Yard, Mt. Angel, Or., has closed after 56 years in business. . .the Murphy Co. plywood plant, Jasper, Or., lost all but their green veneer inventory and a dryer in a recent $4 million fire. .

The Pacific Stock Exchange has suspended trading of Dant and Russell. Inc. stock due to noncompliance with Exchange filing requirements; the Portland, Or., based firm filed Chapter ll bankruptcy in 1982.

Stockholders have approved formation of a holding co., USG Corp., with U.S. Gypsum becoming one of nine operating subsidiaries. . .U.S. Gypsum has opened a 4\ffi sq. ft. consumer products warehouse in the City of Industry, Ca., serving Az., Ca., Id., Nv., Or. and Wa. . .

International Paper Co. will offer 590 to 1090 of a new limited partnership involving its 7 million acres of timberland to the public . . .lP also took a one time pre-tax charge againsl earnings of about $150 million in 4th quarter '84 to cover anticipated losses from sales or closing of some wood products manufacturing operations and expected losses on West Coast timber operations.

lVeyerhueuser Co. will take a nonrecurring after{ax charge of about $45 million for 4th quarter '84 to set up a reserve for plant closing and production curtailmentsl the Coos Bay, Or., plywood plant and a lumber mill in Longview, Wa., have been closed.

Sir James Goldsmith and a Cayman Islands concern plan to acquire as much as 25Va of Crown Zellerbqch Corp., San Francisco, Ca. .his attempted takeover of Sl. Regrs Corp. last spring was averted by a buyout. .

GAF Corp. will increase capacity at its roofing plant in Fontana, Ca., along with expansion of 9 other roofing facilities in a $22.8 million capital expansion program.

Sales at Palmer G. Lewis Co., 1nc., Auburn, Wa., distributor of building materials, were $l13.7 million for the lst nine months of 1984, an 1890 improvement over the previous year. .

Vinyl siding and accessories shipments have increased almost 5 times in the past l0 years to 5.5 million squares in '83.

A new Ca. shoplifting law allows a merchant to recover damages of not less than $50 and not more than $500 from an adult or emancipated minor who has stolen merchandise. .

Construction contracting rose 890 in latest figs. (Nov.) to $16.9 billion of all kinds of contracting. . .both home foreclosures and late mortgage payments set new records in 4th quarter '84. . .home mortgages are now just above 1490, the lowest level since last spring. .

While housing starts declined 0.790 in Nov. (atest figs.) bldg. permits for future construction rose an encouraging ll9o, leading forecasters to suggest declining interest rates may soon produce a housing rebound. . .starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,528,000; singles were off 0.890, multis slipped 0.4V0. .