Sep 20, 1995

Washington Natural Gas

Scott W. Forslund, founder and president of Pine Ridge Associates, a market research firm in Edmonds, has been named manager of consumer information for Washington Natural Gas. Forslund joins the gas utility from Seattle City Light, where he had worked since 1987, most recently serving on the strategic business project team. He also was media relations manager from 1991 to March 1995. His previous work includes positions with the former Pacific Northwest magazine, the Bonneville Power Administration and King Broadcasting.

REI

Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), a national retailer of outdoor clothing and gear, has promoted Barb Williams to a new product manager position in the merchandising department of its Kent administrative headquarters. She will be responsible for the outdoor categories of basic clothing, kidswear and socks. Williams began her career with REI in 1986 at the company's Spokane store and most recently served as a merchandising inventory analyst and project manager in its merchandising department.

Sea-Tac Int'l Airport

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has received the Federal Aviation Administration's Award for Outstanding Safety Innovation for its low-visibility operations and for a demonstration project to reduce runway collisions. With the new technology, which allows pilots to maneuver in fog, the FAA approved Sea-Tac as the first airport in the country to allow takeoffs with visibility as low as 300 feet, compared to 600 feet at all other U.S. airports. Sea-Tac uses a computerized lighting and runway control system that guards against accidental incursions of aircraft and vehicle traffic onto an active runway, and allows properly equipped planes to land in extremely low visibility. The airport was also the first in the country to use an advanced radar system that helps locate and keep track of airplanes and other vehicles on the ground during low visibility conditions. According to Port of Seattle Commissioner Paul Schell, the new technology has helped Sea-Tac cope with a growing air capacity crunch by improving operations in weather conditions that slow operations at the airport nearly 40 percent of the year.

Sep 19, 1995

Fred Meyer

James C. Aalberg has joined Portland-based regional retailer Fred Meyer Inc. as vice president and treasurer. He succeeds Mike Don, who was promoted to senior vice president of strategic planning and asset management. Aalberg comes to Fred Meyer from West One Bank in Portland, Ore., where he was vice president and senior commercial lender. He has 20 years of finance, cash management and other treasury experience gained primarily in the banking industry. His experience prior to West One includes Security Pacific Bank, Rainier National Bank and The Oregon Bank. Fred Meyer reported 1994 sales of $3.13 billion and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FMY. At the end of the third quarter the company will have 136 stores in Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Alaska, Montana and California.

Asia Grille by Leeann Chin

A new restaurant concept by award-winning restaurateur Leeann Chin opened at University Village in Seattle on Monday. The eatery, which features cooking styles from throughout Asia, offers indoor and outdoor seating for 140 people, and an open kitchen so guests can see meals being prepared. Asia Grille by Leeann Chin represents a significant step in growth plans for Leeann Chin Inc., which has operated restaurants, carryouts and supermarket express location in Seattle for 15 years. The company expects to open two to three Asia Grille locations in the area in the coming year, and will open one or two additional restaurants in the Twin Cities.

Continental Savings Bank

Keith Smith has been promoted to director of information systems at Seattle-based Continental Savings Bank. Smith joined Continental in 1994 as a software support specialist. He formerly held a similar position at a national mortgage company. In his new post, Smith will manage Continental's technology and information systems at its home office in the Two Union Square Office Tower in downtown Seattle, as well as its 16 residential lending branches Washington, Oregon and Hawaii and seven savings bank branches in Western Washington.

Anderson Consulting

Anderson Consulting, a global management and technology consulting firm, has promoted 25 employees. Ratna S. Anagol, Lisa L. Bockenstedt, Valerie S. Cleofe, Michael S. Cowden, James W. Dunkelberger, Brooke R. Ferrier, Julie S. Goodell, J. Mark Goris, C. Brad Gustafson, Tyson Hartman, Georgialee Held, Darin L. Hilliker, Kristine A. Jacobs, Erik A. Kastner, Timothy J. Klug, Eric A. Lafnitzegger, Greg P. Luethe, Neil A. Mefford, Joel D. Mezistrano, William H. Murray, Michael L. Nation, Seth E. Patton, Robert A. Schmieder, Raymund L. Suarez and Shani S. Trudgian were all promoted to consultant in the Seattle office.

NAWIC

The Puget Sound Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction plans to install Judy Jewell as president tonight at a meeting in Bellevue. Jewell is president of Olympian Precast Inc. in Redmond. NAWIC board members include: Ann Jarvis of Vertecs Corp., vice president; Kim Freiheit of A.A.R. Testing Laboratory Inc., treasurer; Yvette Messina of Harry Peterson and Company, secretary; Trish Manning of Long Painting, past president; Maria Adams of Nuprecon, director; Mary Bartok of Malke Construction, director; and Gwyn Hart of Cadman, director.

W.G. Clark

Stan Hadler has been promoted to senior project manager at W.G. Clark Construction Company. The Seattle contractor also announced Will Magnuson has been promoted to project manager. Hadler joined Clark in 1989 and holds a degree in construction engineering technology from Montana State University. Magnuson joined Clark in 1991 and holds a degree in construction management from California State University at Long Beach.

EHS Electrical

Donald K. Divers has joined EHS Electrical Contractors as vice president of construction. His role at EHS includes new business development and directing the commercial construction division. Divers has 16 years experience in the construction industry, most recently working as a consultant for Oles Morrison & Rinker, a Seattle law firm specializing in construction.

Cucina! Cucina!

Seattle-based restaurant chain Cucina! Cucina! recently announced the appointment of Craig Michel as senior vice president of real estate and construction. The company said Michel's position is mandated by anticipated growth of the company, including several possible locations outside of the Pacific Northwest. Michel previously worked as vice president of real estate and development for Chevy's Mexican Restaurants.

Associated Sand and Gravel

Associated Sand and Gravel recently announced its acquisition of Sterling Asphalt plants in Kenmore and Everett. The company says the move allows it to better serve its customers in Snohomish and King counties. Associated also announced it has retained the services of Sam Johnson, past president of Sterling.

Open space preserved in West Seattle

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Greg Nickels, Executing Gary Locke, and Seattle Mayor Norm Rice were on hand Thursday at a ceremony held in West Seattle to announce a tentative agreement for the City of Seattle to buy and preserve a critical piece of county-owned open space next to the Duwamish Head Greenbelt. Acquired by Metro in 1986 as part of a pipeline project, the one-acre parcel sits at the mouth of the Fairmount Ravine and had been slated for surplus to a condominium developer. The surrounding area is home to at least one Bald Eagle's nest and other wildlife. Under the agreement, which must be approve by the City and County Councils, the City Open Space Program would purchase the land from Metro and reimburse the agency over a number of years. "This agreement preserves a significant link in our open space system, and makes Metro ratepayers whole for their investment in the property, said Nickels. "I authored the 1989 open space bond to preserve just this sort of land."

Delegates want int'l forestry practices code

PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia (AP) -- There's a need for an international code of forestry practices that can be adapted to different cultures and forests around the world, delegates to a United Nations forestry seminar have agreed. The group -- 200 delegates from 32 countries -- called for an international set of guidelines for sustainable forest management. They said it should include a land-allocation process that would tell where forestry would be practised and would involve all stakeholders in the decision process. The UN delegates also called for the use of the best information available, including ecological site classifications and an understanding of local conditions, so work can be adapted to the site. The ideas from the week-long seminar that ended Friday are expected to be discussed at a number of United Nations meetings over the next year or two. The meetings here were the first time the seminar has been held outside Europe.

Pacific Rim Environmental Conference

The Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) is holding its 1995 Pacific Rim Environmental Conference at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Oct. 2-4. The purpose of the conference is to stimulate technology cooperation and promote business opportunities based on the management of environmental challenges throughout the Pacific Rim. Speakers represent such organizations as the Secretariat for the Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries in Mexico City; the Environmental Protection Administration in Taiwan; and the United State-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP), a regional United States Agency for International Development initiative that incorporates environmental fellowships and exchanges, technology partnering, environmental and infrastructure development and biodiversity. US-AEP recently awarded A&WMA a grant to support establishing local environmental professional grant associations in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Republic of Korea and Sri Lanka. Two full-day and half-day continuing education courses will be held Sept. 1 in conjunction with the conference. Course topics are: Introduction to Economic Incentive Strategy for Air Quality Management, Key Issues in Designing an Effective Audit Program, Introduction to the Internet and Introduction to the World Wide Web. Cosponsors of the conference include the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IX. For more information, contact the registrar, A&WMA, One Gateway Center, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, phone (412) 232-3444, fax (412) 232-3450, e-mail info@awma.org.

Recycled car grilles

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- That ringing in your truck might not be as ominous as it sounds. Could be the recycled telephone in your grille. Ford Motor Co. says it is recycling 2 million pounds a year of phone and computer housings to help form the grilles for F-series pickup trucks and Econoline vans. "When people think about recycling, they usually think about soda bottles and newspapers," says Susan Day, Ford vehicle recycling coordinator. "At Ford, we are looking for new, creative recycled materials that meet our tough performance standards and reduce the amount of waste sent to our landfills each year." Ford says it collects plastic housings for computers, phones and other equipment, then separates, grinds and makes the plastic into new pellets. Those are used in grilles made at Ford's Carplastic Plant in Apodaca, Mexico. The material to mold each grille contains about 25 percent recycled materials, Ford says. In 1994, Ford said its annual usage of material containing post-consumer recycled materials was more than 26 million pounds. It expects a 25 percent increase in that figure in 1995.

Solid Waste Advisory Committee

Countywide representatives on the Snohomish County Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC), focusing on waste prevention, recycling and solid waste issues, will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Snohomish County Administration Building, third floor executive conference room, in Everett. The Committee will hear updates on various solid waste and recycling programs including the Recycling Potential Assessment and Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan. There will also be a discussion about mandatory garbage collection. The public is invited to all meetings of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, held on the third Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. To confirm future meetings dates and locations, call (206) 388-6478.

Cryptosporidium-free drinking water wanted

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A plan to prevent an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, a potentially fatal infection for those whose immune systems are weak, was adopted by the Metropolitan Water District board. In Milwaukee two years ago, more than 400,000 people became ill and 100 died due to the infection. In most people, the parasite found in the feces of animals and humans causes a one-time bout of diarrhea, but for those whose immune system has been damaged, including AIDS, cancer and transplant patients, the infection can be chronic and sometimes fatal. Cryptosporidium occurs in raw water, the runoff from hillsides where wildlife live, said water district spokesman Bob Gomperz. It is also transmitted through improper handling of foods. MWD directors approved $1.5 million to finance the first phase of a three-year program that will monitor water sources, add disinfectants stronger than chlorine, and conduct tests of the drinking water supply, Gomperz said. "The primary protection is to try to control runoff in the reservoirs," he said. "Chlorine is not effective with this bug so we're switching over to stronger oxidants than chlorine to fight it." The plan also links MWD with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Partnership for Safe Water for additional research and prevention plans. MWD and its 27-member public agencies provide nearly 60 percent of the water used by 16 million people living in portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties.