uones

Robert Fox, 77, retired assistant manager of operations for the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau, Portland, Or., died July 1.

Mr. Fox served in the Navy during World War II.

Dick Gavis, 57, long-time Southern California lumber sales representative, died July 7 in Long Beach, Ca.

After serving in the Navy for a year in the 1960s, he went to work for American Forest Products, Cerritos, Ca., in outside sales.

He then joined Fir & Pine Lumber

Co., Cerritos, and McClellanSchneider Lumber Co., Wilmington, Ca. He operated his own company, Treeline Lumber, Mission Viejo, Ca., in the early 1990s before retiring.

Dr. Thorsten Walther, 28, coowner of GRK Fasteners, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, died July 19 in an automobile accident in Edmonton, Alberta.

A native of Germany, he moved to Canada in 1990 and earned a bachelors degree in history and political science from Lakehead University, and an MBA and phD in business administrationfrom California Coast University.

He shared ownership of the fastener business with his father, Uli, and his twin brother, Mirco.

Weyerhaeuser Faces Alder Suit

Weyerhaeuser is being accused of "fraudulently manipulating its relationship" with Coast Mountain Hardwoods, Delta, B.C., to eventually buy out the province's only alder sawmill.

The statement of former Coast Mountain Hardwoods' president and c.e.o., Wayne Kidd, is part of a $500 million U.S. antitrust lawsuit submitted by the mill to a U.S. District Court in Portland, Or.

Court records detail WeYerhaeuser's deal in 1993 to sell Coast Mountain Hardwoods' lumber for a 57o commission. Other court documents allege Weyerhaeuser misrepresented the revenue it received and kept more than the agreed-upon commission, fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million.

A former Weyerhaeuser employee said he was told to keep the true value of Coast Mountain's alder lumber a secret because Weyerhaeuser "did not want Coast Mountain's management to know" what the sawmill's potential could do in the market on its own.

"I was told that Weyerhaeuser wanted to keep Coast Mountain Hardwoods financially weak and under the control of them," said the former Weyerhaeuser emploYee, Robert Johnson.

He added that Weyerhaeuser hoped to be in a position to buy Coast Mountain Hardwoods at some Point.

Weyerhaeuser acquired Coast Mountain Hardwoods' operations in September 2000 in a $26 million deal that included its Delta alder mill and five alder-specific tree forest licenses.

gonderosa & Sugu. Sn"

FIRST ANNUAL Old Timers Barbecue lured more than 80 veterans to Bill & Sue Scott. (4) Susan

Dennis Richardson.

Chenoweth Woods in Sebastopol, Ca., July 14. The.group's selection Chenoweth, Jim Ltiwman, Jim Ramsey. (6)Ptt Viale.'fl)Len Viab. 6l committee unanimously elected.Harry A. Merlo, fiist president of Barbara & Lud McCrary. 1S1 a'Maiion WarO. (lblJoe & Juiiri Louisiana-Pacific, as its inaugural Lumberman of the Year (1) George Bowman. (11)Joan & D'enny Hess. (12) Pat & Bill Gittinds. (13) Merle Brown, Phil Nell, co-chairman Ron Lewman. (2) Kent & Cindy BonO. (3)