Jan 09, 1996

Swedish Health Services

Seattle-based Swedish Health Services has hired Albert J. Alvarez as executive director of the Foundations -- the fund-raising arm of the organization -- and promoted Lisa Anderson to vice president of human resources. Alvarez comes to Swedish with more than 20 years of experience in fund raising, development, marketing and public relations. For the past three years, he was president of university relations for Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. Prior to that, Alvarez served in top-level executive positions at Northridge Hospital Foundation in Northridge, Calif. Anderson, who has been director of human resources for Swedish since 1992, came to the company from Careline Inc. of Seattle, one of the largest emergency medical services providers in the nation. She also has served as director of human resources management for Safeco Properties Inc., in Seattle.

World Vision

World Vision, a relief and development agency which recently relocated its entire operation from Southern California to Federal Way, has hired John Unterreiner as director of spiritual formation. Before joining World Vision, Unterreiner was the director of pastoral care for Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland. In his new position, he will facilitate the spiritual development of the company's 450-plus employees, leading weekly chapel services, helping employees plan devotional times, coordinating World Vision's annual Day of Prayer, and serving as chaplain to agency staff and employees.

Wing Luke Asian Museum

The Wing Luke Asian Museum will give a lifetime achievement award at its annual art auction and dinner to Andrew Chinn, a Chinese American watercolor painter of Northwest and traditional Chinese Landscapes. Born in Seattle, Chinn went to China for his early education and returned to Seattle in 1933. He was a founding member of the Chinese Art Club in 1936 and worked as a technical illustrator at Sand Point Naval Base and Bremerton Navy Yard. Chinn worked as an illustrator for The Boeing Co. until his retirement in 1978. He has taught Chinese style watercolor painting since 1945, and still teaches a class at Seattle Central Community College. The museum's annual art auction and dinner, featuring over 60 artworks by premier Northwest artists, will be held on Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. at the Westin Hotel in Seattle. For more information, call (206) 623-5124.

Caffe Appassionato

Seattle-based coffee retailer, franchisor and distributor Caffe Appassionato has appointed Gillian Mathews as retail buyer. Mathews is the founder and former owner of Made in Washington, a six-store company selling locally made items for tourists.

Cost control and risk allocation

The Northwest Construction Consumer Council is sponsoring a seminar on new contract language for cost control and risk allocation. It will be held Jan. 24 at the SeaTac Marriott, 3201 S. 176th St., from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The program is targeted at construction industry executives and design professionals. It deals with issues surrounding selection of contract type, development and implementation of contracts, and consideration of contract clauses in conjunction with other factors affecting construction project schedule and cost. Featured speakers include attorneys and representatives from owner organizations. NWCCC members can attend the event for free. Non-members are $50. For further information, contact NWCCC at (206) 382-9929. Registration deadline is Jan. 19.

Management for small contractors

Six half-day workshops covering the critical basics of business success as a construction contractor will be introduced winter quarter at Seattle Central Community College's Wood Construction Center. The series includes six different workshops. The first, Starting a Construction Business, is scheduled for Jan. 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The remaining five workshops are designated for established contractors who want to improve their business operations. The five are: Construction Sales & Marketing, scheduled for Jan. 18; Construction Estimating & Bidding, to be held Feb. 1; Construction Job-Cost Accounting, Feb. 15; Construction Planning, Scheduling & Control, Feb. 29; and Construction Safety Plans, Training & Inspections, March 14. All will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuition for the classes is $65 each or the five workshops for established contractors may be taken for $280. All classes will be held at SSCC's Wood Construction Center, at 3210 S. Lane St. Course instructor is Charles Barb, a principal of Shawcroft, Barb & Associates Inc. For further information, call (206) 587-5448.

HVAC controls seminar

The Association of Energy Engineers is holding a Feb. 22-23 seminar in Atlanta covering aspects of upgrading HVAC controls and central plant systems. Decision factors critical to attaining optimum system performance will be covered as well as what types of application scenarios are best served by conventional types of systems and when new and alternative technologies such as gas cooling and thermal storage should be considered. Participants will also be educated on the latest refrigerant developments and related technology options. Correct methods for applying and interfacing direct digital control systems will be reviewed. Cost of the program for AEE members is $595. Non-members will have to come up with $695. The event will be held at the Sheraton Gateway. For further information, contact the Association of Energy Engineers, 4025 Pleasantdale Road, Suite 420, Atlanta, GA 30340; (770) 447-5083, ext. 210; fax (770) 446-3969.

AGC technical skills classes

The Associated General Contractors of Washington Education Foundation is offering several construction technical skills classes beginning in January. Reading Plans & Specifications will be held Jan. 16-Feb. 15 in Tacoma and the same dates in Bellingham. Both sessions will meet on Tuesday and Thursday nights, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The course reviews basic construction math skills and introduces construction drawing organization. Topics also include construction terminology and use of drawing views and drawing sub-sets. The Tacoma location is at 3820 S. Pine. Classes in Bellingham will be held at 2211 Rimland Drive. In Seattle, Quantity Take-Off will be offered Jan. 16-Feb. 15 on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The course introduces the approach and techniques needed to conduct a detailed quantity survey of a small commercial building. Topics to be covered include quantity take-off approach, concrete building foundations, and structural framing and masonry finishes. Prerequisites for the class include the ability to read blueprints, basic math skills and an understanding of industry terminology. The Seattle location is 1200 Westlake Ave. N. Cost of the classes are $195 each. For further information, contact Alison McGuire at (206) 284-0061 or (800) 562-2868.

Legal liability for public agencies

The University of Washington's College of Engineering is presenting a TRANSPEED course covering tort liability and its effects on public agency design, construction, operation and maintenance of highways, streets and roads. The course, scheduled for Jan. 18-19 in Seattle, is designed to help participants better protect their agency from expensive and time-consuming litigation. Course topics include: the legal process, trails and engineering standards, design and engineering standards and practice, field evidence and forms of evidence, risk management, pointers for witnesses, and litigation mitigation. Cost of the course is $150 for public agency staff and $300 for others. TRANSPEED is an ongoing program of short courses for public agencies and the private sector in traffic and transportation engineering. For further information, contact Engineering Professional Programs at (206) 543-5539 or Jim McManus, TRANSPEED program manager, at (206) 543-3747.

Safety classes

The Evergreen Safety Council, a chapter of the National Safety Council, is holding two programs, Safety Committee/Safety Meetings and Accident Investigation/Safety Inspections, Jan. 22-23 in Vancouver. The first program details the requirements for a safety committee as mandated by state regulation by both Washington and Oregon. Participants will learn how to prepare a committee plan and how and what documentation must be maintained. The program will also explain the requirements to conduct safety meetings, their frequency, documentation and record keeping. The second program will provide an approach to procedure, methodology, documentation and interviewing to complete an adequate accident investigation on which a later determination on preventability can be judged. The program includes a session that covers approach, checklist and documentation for conducting safety inspections with special emphasis regarding purpose and objectives. Each course is $165 for members and $195 for non-members. Both days are $330 for members and $390 for non-members. Sign-in is at 7:30 a.m. The program runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The location is the Red Lion Inn at the Quay, 100 Columbia St., Vancouver. For further information, contact Evergreen Safety Council at (800) 521-0778.

Accident/hazard prevention class

The AGC of Washington is holding a Jan. 17 course on accident prevention and hazard communication. The course evaluates the need for written programs on the subjects. Topics covered include: minimum Washington state requirements; project safety analysis; role of management; role of employees; accident investigation; the OSHA 200 log; substance abuse programs; recording the safety process; regular safety meetings; training; and benefits of proper documentation. Class will run from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the AGC Education Center, 1200 Westlake Ave. N., Second Floor, Seattle. Cost is $50 per person. Participation is limited to AGC members only. The class is also scheduled for July 17. For further information, contact the AGC Safety & Loss Control Department at (206) 284-0061 or (800) 562-2868.

Drilling/blasting techniques

A five-day course on drilling and blasting techniques is being offered Jan. 22-26 by the College of Engineering at the University of Washington. The course presents participants with the opportunity to increase their understanding of modern, successful techniques used to effectively manage the drilling and blasting project, from initial cost estimating to project completion and evaluation. It is formatted for mining engineers, licensed blasters, estimators, project managers and others who supervise blasting projects. The course will include problems taken from actual blasting projects, with solutions explained in full detail. For further information, contact Engineering Professional Programs, University of Washington, 3201 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103; (206) 543-5539; fax (206) 543-2352.

Money available for prevention projects

BELLEVUE -- Funding is now available for commercial stormwater pollution projects from the city of Bellevue. It will pay for half the cost of any structural, operational or equipment modification that prevents dirt, soap and other pollutants from entering storm drains. Potential projects include fleet washing systems, designing outdoor vehicle and equipment wash areas, and building outdoor materials storage areas. Funded projects will be used to educate other Bellevue businesses about cost-effective solutions for keeping pollution out of streams and lakes and complying with stormwater regulations. Projects will be selected through the competitive process, with final funding decisions made by members of Bellevue's business community. For ideas about potential projects and for the application call 537-5216. Applications must be post-marked by Jan. 30.

Vegetable processing plant honored

QUINCY -- A vegetable processing plant in Quincy was recognized for its efforts to improve the quality of the wastewater generated at the plant. The award was given by Conagra's Sustainable Development Council to Lamb-Weston, Inc. Conagra is the parent company. In the Quincy project, Lamb-Weston and J.R. Simplot teamed up with the city of Quincy to improve wastewater quality through the construction and operation of engineered natural systems which provide a cost effective method of nitrogen management and solids reduction using specially constructed lands. Processing the potatoes and vegetables at the plant requires about 3.5 million gallons of water per day. The engineered natural systems remove and reduce substantial organic material from the wastewater. The system uses a sand filter and about 300,000 square feet of beds planted with common reeds to process the biosolids produced at the plant. The biosolids first sift through the sand filter. The reeds then help in the decomposition process. Similar systems are usually used in small domestic wastewater facilities. This is the largest industrial application in the world. It is projected to last between seven to 15 years without special maintenance. The system will treat between 2,000 to 3,000 tons of biosolids per year. Cost of the system was $1.5 million with a yearly maintenance cost of $45,000. The next cheapest alternative was land application, projected to cost $6.5 million to construct and $1 million per year to operate. The Kirkbride Group, Inc. of Lacey, worked with the owners to develop the system. The company specializes in planning and project management.

GM to sell electric cars

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- General Motors Corp. will begin selling electric cars in the mass retail market as early as this year, becoming the first of the Big Three domestic automakers to do so, The Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal reported. The specially designed zero-emissions cars will be sold in California, the newspapers said. The Journal reported they also would be sold in Arizona. Recognized as the leader in the electric-vehicle race, GM first surprised the auto world with a 1990 announcement that it would mass produce the Impact, a sporty, two seat, battery-powered car. It later abandoned the project due to financial problems, but the Impact's influence could surface again in the new model reportedly in the works. GM has already spent $350 million to develop electric cars and manufacturing innovations to go along with their production. In addition, GM has invested in a manufacturing pact with Ovonic Battery Co. to produce a battery that can drive small cars twice the distance of existing batteries. The California Air Resources Board decided last month that it may extend the deadline for mandatory production of exhaust-free cars from 1998 to 2003. The final vote on the mandate is expected in March. Last week, Southern California Edison switched on the first in a network of electric-car charging stations. The station is located in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store in the City of Industry, a Los Angeles suburb.

U.S. to reprocess nuclear fuel

WASHINGTON -- The United States, which had given up recovering plutonium from spent nuclear reactor fuel and had urged Russia, Japan and others to do the same to help curb the spread of nuclear weapons, is about to resume the practice on a small scale. Energy Department officials say reprocessing the spent fuel is the safest way to deal with it, because in its present form the fuel is leaking into the pools of water in which it is stored. But separating the plutonium will create new storage problems: The plutonium itself will have to be carefully guarded, because it can be used to make bombs, and what remains after the plutonium is removed will be a liquid, which is notoriously difficult to store. The Energy Department has millions of gallons of such wastes in aging steel tanks, many of which have leaked. Environmentalists who have dealt with nuclear safety issues in weapons production say they also fear that the department's decision may be the first step in a return to cold-war-style production of plutonium, which caused widespread pollution and created millions of gallons of hard-to-handle wastes. They say the spent fuel should be canned or encased some other way and stored out of water, to prevent rust. "Reprocessing is a cure that is worse than the disease," said Dr. Arjun Makhijani, a longtime critic of the Energy Department who heads the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, a non-profit group that has studied the department's weapons production system for years. The group released a report on Thursday titled "The Risk Relapse Into Reprocessing." A department contractor, the Westinghouse Savannah River Co., produced a draft study last summer that said reprocessing was a promising treatment option for nuclear waste, both from military and from civilian power reactors. Reprocessing concentrates the plutonium into "buttons" about the size of hockey pucks. But the volume of the liquid wastes left by reprocessing occupies about six times the space that the fuel did. Bigger problems loom, though: Within a month or so, the energy secretary, Hazel O'Leary, is scheduled to decide whether to reprocess nuclear fuel of American manufacture from research reactors in Europe; and the department must decide what to do with thousands of tons of military fuel at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, near Idaho Springs, and the Hanford reservation.

Hazardous Waste in Real Estate

A two-day conference on Hazardous Waste in Real Estate, Strategies for Successful Transactions, will be held Feb. 1 and 2 at the Center House Conference Area of the Seattle Center in Seattle. There have been a number of recent developments at both the federal and state levels to address the way the EPA and the Washington Dept. of Ecology administer the hazardous waste statues. The program will examine those changes with particular emphasis on the productive use of contaminated property. The seminar features legal, real estate and government experts with extensive experience in environmental and real estate law. It is designed to familiarize lawyers, lenders, business and real estate professionals as well as government officials with current and emerging issues involving liability for hazardous waste in real estate transactions. The conference is sponsored by Law Seminars International. For registration and information call 621-1938.