Sep 16, 1997

CSI

Ronald A. Niemi has been elected president of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute for 1997-98. Niemi is a specifier at Callison Architecture Inc. of Seattle. He joined CSI in 1977 and has served as president-elect and director. The local CSI chapter also announced John Corbett will be president-elect; Torin Mowbray, secretary; Terry Wildeboer, treasurer; and Ed Storer, past president. Directors are Richard Hein, Donald Schuman, Richard Floyd and Bill Coady.

Technical Glass

Technical Glass Products of Kirkland has added Brian Brunette to its specialty glass sales department. In his new position, Brunette will work with architects, glaziers and code officials to determine the appropriate fire-rated glazing materials for various applications.

Sustainable Building Northwest

SEATTLE -- "Sustainable Building Northwest -- Breaking Through the Barriers," a regional conference and trade show designed to promote sustainable practices in the Northwest, is set for Oct. 27-29 at Seattle Center. More than 500 government officials and professionals from the environmental and construction industries are expected to attend. The conference will address: sustainable design, building and development; the economics of sustainable building; and tips on how to conserve energy, use resources wisely and protect indoor and outdoor environmental quality. Keynote speakers will include: Paul Hawken, an internationally-recognized environmentalist and author who is a consultant to several major corporations; David Gottfried, president of Gottfried Technology Inc. and founder of the U.S. Green Building Council; Alana Probst, vice president and director of economic development at Ecotrust; and Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface Inc., a sustainable carpet and tile business. The event will feature a trade show and a variety of technical sessions and workshops. To register or receive more information, contact: O'Brien & Co., P.O. Box 10705, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, (206) 842-8995, obrien@halcyon.com.

Willamette River chosen for revitalization

WASHINGTON -- Declaring rivers "the lifeblood of our nations," President Clinton launched an effort last week to designate 10 waterways as American Heritage rivers that will get extra federal attention. A designation under the program will allow communities, through a liaison called a "river navigator," to tap existing federal resources and expertise in protecting and restoring the waterway. The first designations were expected to be made early next year. Although local communities would have to seek the designation for specific rivers, some Western lawmakers oppose the program, fearing it will lead to the government having greater say in use of private land. Rep. Helen Chenoweth, R-Idaho, who chairs the House Resources subcommittee on forest health, called it "yet another layer of a nebulous and unauthorized bureaucracy" that could threaten property rights. She has sought to block funds for the program. But Clinton said the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, created by executive order, is "a big deal to millions of people" who care about great cities built on riverbanks. He said when he leaves office, he wants to work with a project to "restore and enhance" development along the Arkansas River in Little Rock. Efforts to get an American Heritage designation already are under way for at least five rivers, including the Willamette River in Oregon. The other four rivers are: the Yellowstone River in Wyoming; the Upper Mississippi River, which flows from northern Minnesota to St. Louis; the Connecticut River in New England; and the French Broad River in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Envirogen wins biofiltration contract

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- Envirogen Inc., an environmental systems and services company based in New Jersey, has been awarded a contract valued at $1.8 million by Waste Management of New York (WMNY) for the design, installation and operational assistance of a large-scale biofiltration odor control system. The contract calls for Envirogen to provide a turnkey biofiltration odor control system to treat up to 82,000 cubic feet of air per minute. The system will be installed at a municipal waste/biosolids composting facility that WMNY is constructing and will operate for Rockland County in New York. The installation and startup of the biofiltration system will take about a year. Biofiltration is an air treatment technology that has been used in Europe for nearly 20 years and is now being used in the United States and Canada. The technology uses microorganisms that consume contaminants as food. Byproducts of biofiltration include water, carbon dioxide and salts.

German car makers focus on environment

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Small is big at this year's International Auto Show, as traditional German car makers turn their technology to making more compact, environmentally-friendly cars. Smart, the bright, urban mini-car that looks like it drove right out of the Internet, made its debut last week after three years in production. Combining Mercedes-Benz technology and the Swatch watch company's pop design, Smart aims to revolutionize the way compact cars are made. The roadster is produced by Micro Compact Car, a joint venture between Swiss watchmaker SMH and Daimler Benz, parent company of Mercedes-Benz. It's expected to go on sale in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland in March 1998 and will cost 16,000 to 20,000 DM ($9,000 to $11,100). Mercedes also introduced two new small cars of its own, a futuristic four-door subcompact and a sport utility vehicle designed for the U.S. market. A third car, the CLK coupe, completed the company's auto show premiers. The Mercedes subcompacts, know as the A-Class can seat five people and are designed to be environmentally-friendly and economical cars with all of the comfort and safety features of a traditional large Mercedes. The CLK coupe is more like a traditional Mercedes sedan, although somewhat smaller and with a line that slopes towards the front, giving it a sporty look. The M-Class is a hybrid sport utility vehicle that looks like a sleek truck and is supposed to drive like a car. It is the first Mercedes to be produced outside of Germany, at a newly built plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala. American car-makers introduced sports cars and sedans designed to be competitive on the European market, and Chevrolet unveiled its latest Corvette convertible and a 1998 Camaro with a powerful V-8 engine. Cadillac showed its new Seville, with an automatic transmission technology designed to perform like a manual gearbox.

Sep 15, 1997

Continental

Continental Savings Bank will open two more branches: in Seattle on Queen Anne Hill and in Newcastle. It is also relocating a third branch in Tigard, Ore. Janet Holmer will be branch manager of the Newcastle branch and Ross Lopton will be branch manager of the Queen Anne branch. The new branches will incorporate a new interior design by Emick, Howard & Seibert which was developed make the retail space efficient but inviting. The new branches will have fireplaces and overstuffed chairs.

Mackie Designs

Mackie Designs Inc. announced it has entered into an original equipment manufacturer supply agreement with Radio Cine Forniture of Reggio Emillia in Northern Italy, a designer and manufacturer of professional audio products. Mackie will use the skills of RCF to expand its acoustic product line.