Terry Schow, director of Veterans Affairs for Utah, estimates a 2,000 member shortfall from normal convention attendance, which is around 12,000. He said representatives from many of the states have said veterans don't want to come to a city whose mayor is protesting the president's policy in Iraq while troops are fighting in the field.

Schow estimated during a meeting with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. earlier this year the convention would bring $600,000 in tax revenue to Utah's economy. "Now, it appears the revenue will be considerably less than that," he said.

Anderson led a public protest during President Bush's visit to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Salt Lake City last year. The American Legion was holding its convention in Honolulu at the same time and "news of the protest spread through our convention like wildfire," said Jeff Olson, chairman of the American Legion National Convention Commission.

Schow said Georgia was not going to send a delegation at all, but finally relented and will have about two-thirds of its normal representation.

Speaking of image: A group of science and technology managers are in Salt Lake City for the annual Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives conference.

One of the speakers, Chris Condayan of Washington, D.C., was walking from the Sheraton Hotel to the Salt Palace on Wednesday morning when three men in a car crossed two lanes, stopped where he was walking and began screaming obscenities at him, calling him gay, and telling him to go back where he came from.

When he showed them his wedding ring, they drove off.

Condayan is the manager of public outreach for the American Society of Microbiology. That was his first impression of Utah.

Who says we don't need a hate crimes law?

An unexpected reunion: Bob and Mary Lou Brown were celebrating Eileen McKenna's 80th birthday at the Town Club with friends and family Saturday.

During introductions to Ed and Dawn Richards, also friends of McKenna, Bob Brown asked Ed Richards if he had ever been in the Navy. After Ed said he had, Bob asked if he had served on the USS Shamrock Bay. Ed said yes. Bob then asked Ed if he had gotten tatoos in Boston at the end of World War II.

When Ed responded with another yes, Bob realized he was in the presence of an old friend and war companion he hadn't seen in 61 years, making this a pretty monumental month for Bob. He and Mary Lou will celebrate their 60th anniversary Monday.

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Paul Rolly welcomes e-mail at prolly@sltrib.com.