BRIEFS.

*Catalyst disputes taxes: Canadian newsprint maker Catalyst Paper Corp. said last week that it was petitioning the highest court in British Columbia regarding the legality of property taxes that have been levied by municipalities where the company owns paper mills. The company contents that the local governments have imposed aggressively large tax rates that are "unreasonable and therefore beyond the municipalities' jurisdiction." The suburban Vancouver, British Columbia-based company said that one the four local governments -- North Cowichan -- has set the property tax for Catalyst's mill at more than 20 times the residential rate, while the other three -- Port Alberni, Campbell River and Powell River -- have each set the rate at about 10 times the residential rate. The company said that in the province of Alberta, major industry property tax rates are "typically capped at four times the residential rate." "We've done all we can to impress on municipal governments that this is a shared problem and that the viability of the industrial economy in coastal [British Columbia] is at stake," said President and Chief Executive Richard Garneau. "Excessive property taxes are diverting scarce capital that's needed to support the long-term viability of our operations as we face one of the most difficult markets in decades."

*Scripps to turn over Denver archives, artifacts: Archives and artifacts of the Rocky Mountain News -- the Denver daily shuttered by The E.W. Scripps Co. on Feb. 27 -- will soon become available to the public through two deals the Cincinnati-based multimedia company says it is finalizing. The 149-year-old paper's archives will go to the Denver Public Library, while artifacts will go to the Colorado Historical Society. Scripps said in a press release today that library would receive "all digital and paper newspaper clipping files, biographical and general files, microfilm reels, digital and photographic files, books, correspondence and marketing materials," while the historical group would get "signs, photographs, special editions, artwork and other information that documents the history of the Rocky." Rich Boehne, Scripps' president and chief executive, said, "We sought partners who would regard the deep and rich trove of Rocky archives as a community treasure that needs to be preserved for generations to come."

*Oregon paper narrows width: The Register-Guard of Eugene, Ore., published its first papers last week at a narrower web width, resulting in a page that is but a mere 11-inches across. The Associated Press reported that the paper spent $1.2 million to overhaul its press to handle the narrower width, which was reduced 1-1/2 inches. "Readers need to understand that we've made this investment because we think we are going to be around for the long haul," Production Director Janet Owen told the wire service. "We're riding out the economy just like everybody else. We feel very comfortable that we will be around for a long time in the print version." Dave Baker, the paper's managing editor, outlined a number of changes to its readers in a story last week, including a redesigned front page, the first-section second page and feature section fronts. Baker says that if one were to gaze back to the 1970s, the paper's 15-1/2-inch wide format "looks as oversized as a disco shirt collar."

*Bellingham building sold by McClatchy: Washington State's Bellingham Herald has sold its downtown office building and production plant for $2.3 million, the Sacramento Business Journal reported last week. The 20,785-circulation daily, owned by The McClatchy Co., will lease back three floors of the eight-story building from the local developer who bought the building in a five-year deal. The developer said he would institute a number of improvements to the building, including reglazing the exterior and renovate the interior of the 80,000-square-foot building over the next six years. The business paper reported that McClatchy also has the building of its Modesto Bee on the market as well. Both papers shifted printing out of their headquarters buildings in recent months.

*Atlanta paper launches marketing campaign: Emphasizing that it continues to be the No. One audience provider in the market AJC Media Solutions -- the recently created ad and marketing arm of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and AJC.com -- launched a media campaign last week, comparing the paper's reach to other local media, entertainment venues in the market and the national TV show "American Idol." Using data from Scarborough Research, the campaign highlights that the Sunday print paper reaches more than twice as many Atlantans as "American Idol," that AJC.com has an audience twice as large as its closest local competitor and,

*Philadelphia's Bulletin folds a second time: Following a 4-1/2-year run as a conservative-oriented daily, The Bulletin of Philadelphia shut down last week. The paper, which used the nameplate of the 135-year-old daily that shut down in 1982 under a license from the longtime owning family, had been selling fewer than 50,000 copies a day, though its circulation wasn't confirmed. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that in recent weeks the 25-member staff hadn't been paid with any regularity and that the paper was devoid of advertising. Owner and publisher Thomas Rice said he hoped to relaunch the paper when the economy improves.

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