Dec 29, 1998

Honda to sell 70 mpg car

DETROIT (AP) -- Honda will introduce a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the United States next fall that averages 70 miles per gallon. The car, which is powered by a combination of gasoline and electricity, will be unveiled at next month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Code-named "V V," the car will meet California's Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standard, Honda said. It will go on sale simultaneously in North America, Japan and Europe. Toyota Motor Co. has been selling a hybrid car in Japan since last year and said last fall that it would begin selling one in the U.S. by 2000. Government and industry researchers seeking cleaner-running vehicles recently have turned away from pure electric battery power to hybrids. Though not as clean as pure electrics, hybrids significantly cut pollution and are easier to make. The V V is designed for wide sales and has a broader appeal than electric cars with their limited driving ranges, American Honda Motor Co. spokesman Andy Boyd said Tuesday. "There is definitely a market for this vehicle," Boyd said. "It's different from an electric vehicle. It's not limited in its capacities." The company said the V V is a two-seat personal coupe with a "highly aerodynamic design and extensive use of lightweight materials, including aluminum and plastic body panels." The hybrid will have a 1-liter, 3-cylinder lean-burning engine that will be assisted by an electric motor during acceleration, Honda said. General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. said in January that they would be ready to produce hybrid-electric vehicles by 2001. DaimlerChrysler AG said its hybrid car probably would be ready for production in 2003.

GM will test hybrid bus in NYC

DETROIT (AP) -- General Motors Corp. is developing a fuel-efficient diesel-electric bus that will be used to haul commuters during initial testing early next year on New York City streets. GM says it could save transit fleets millions of dollars in fuel costs while also reducing pollution. The combination diesel-electric powertrain is expected to cut fuel consumption by 40 percent. GM is applying the so-called hybrid technology to a commercial vehicle first because it considers that a more logical and potentially profitable use than in passenger cars. GM planned to announce details of the bus program at the press preview of the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show this week. The world's largest automaker introduced the futuristic EV1 electric car at the same show three years ago. Despite the hoopla surrounding it, demand has been weak in large part because the car has limited range before its batteries need recharging at special electricity stations. Hybrid engine technology involves combining two fuel systems to power a vehicle, typically electricity and a conventional fossil fuel. In the case of GM's bus, the wheels will be driven by an electric motor. A diesel engine about half the size of a conventional bus engine will run at a steady level to charge the batteries that power the motor. Most of the pollution from conventional diesel-powered buses results from hard acceleration. With the hybrid running at a steady state, pollution will be reduced significantly. The technology is similar to gasoline-electric hybrids being used in cars, such as Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius subcompact sedan on sale in Japan and scheduled to arrive in the United States in 2000. Honda Motor Co. recently said it would export its two-seat "V V" hybrid car to the United States next fall. Those cars, however, use both the gasoline engine and electric motor to drive the wheels. While still studying applications for passenger cars, GM is placing more emphasis on commercial vehicle fleets for near-term use. "While a lot of attention is focused on the car, it's kind of difficult to get people excited about the technology when gasoline's so inexpensive," GM spokesman Jeff Kuhlman said Monday. "But in a situation where you're looking for a vehicle in which maintenance and lifetime usage costs are a big issue, such as in a transit system, this makes all the sense in the world." GM also is planning to submit a bid with the U.S. Postal Service to provide 6,000 electric mail vans, which eventually could open up another fleet market for the new technology. The bus is undergoing testing now in Indianapolis and will be delivered to the New York City Transit Authority early next year. It will be fitted with instruments to measure how it performs and holds up in the city's constant stop-and-go traffic, Kuhlman said.

Their home was a toxic waste site

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- County health officials are looking for as many as 19 people who may have been contaminated by toxic chemicals while living at a run-down warehouse. The search for former residents began when police in October discovered toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes in hundreds of leaking barrels, dozens of unlabeled jars and a massive pile of trash inside the warehouse on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Northeast Portland. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the 70-year-old building may have been the biggest toxic waste site in Oregon. EPA officials suspect that some of the chemicals might have been stored at the warehouse for as long as 20 years. The EPA has tested the warehouse and found unhealthy levels of cyanide, mercury, lead and other heavy metals in the dust. Officials say the dust coated everything inside the warehouse -- clothing, furniture, books and shelves. The owner, Erwin Franklin Grant, 74, had been renting space to residents inside the warehouse and in a bus parked on the property. City officials forced the renters to move out because it was not a legal residence. County health officials say residents may have inhaled fumes or dust containing heavy metals, such as lead and arsenic. "We need to get these people to a health care provider as soon as possible and get them tested to see if they were exposed to harmful chemicals," said Jennifer Chacon, an environmental health specialist for Multnomah County. "Part of the problem is that they just disappeared when the authorities came in. We don't know where most of these people are now." Lead and mercury poisoning can cause birth defects, brain damage, nervous system disorders and, in extreme cases, death. Grant used a portion of the warehouse for his own residence, and his renters included a pregnant 14-year-old camping in the bus. Chacon said many people living there were using a kitchen inside the warehouse. Chacon said officials have located the girl and found out she has since given birth. Officials have learned the baby is healthy, Chacon said. EPA officials estimate that the cleanup of the warehouse could cost $1.5 million and last until February.

Lunch with PEMA on Jan. 6

The Professional Environmental Marketing Association will present a luncheon program on teaming on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at the Latitude 47 restaurant in Seattle. A panel discussion will examine the difficulties of putting together teams for the purpose of bidding on requests for proposals. Panel members are Sue Sander, of Shapiro & Associates; David Winter, of Hart Crowser; Paul Agid, of the Port of Seattle; and Jeff Villnow, of The Environmental Co. The event will begin with a social gathering from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Lunch will begin at noon, with the panel at 12:30. The cost is $20 for PEMA members and $30 for others. For information and reservations, call (425) 455-3680. Jon Savelle is the Journal's environment editor. He can be contacted at (206) 622-8272.

It's a Jungle (Party) out there

SEATTLE -- Woodland Park Zoo is turning 100 next year and has named the Executive Committee members for the 23rd-annual Jungle Party, the fundraising extravaganza that will help celebrate the centennial. Members are: John and Deanna Oppenheimer, co-chairs; Julie Weed, procurement chair; Marc Sherman, production chair; Fran Buckley and Linda Walker, audience development co-chairs; Janet True, party chair; and Brad and Lesley Canfield, Carol Hosford, Mark Nudelman, Cyrus Vance Jr., and Maggie Walker, advisers.

TCI Media adds, promotes staff

SEATTLE -- TCI Media Services/Puget Sound has hired Randy Schmelzer as senior technician. Among his responsibilities is maintenance of digital insertion equipment. TCI also promoted Ben Hough from traffic coordinator to IS specialist in Seattle. Uvena Crockran was promoted from sales assistant to business coordinator in Seattle. And Keena Barnes was hired as a sales assistant in the Seattle office.

Pedersen joins Everett parks board

EVERETT -- Lt. Cari Pedersen of Naval Station Everett has joined the Everett Parks Foundation Board of Directors. She has served at the station since 1997 as assistant public works officer. Naval officials say the appointment will add to the relationship the Navy has with the community.

Dec 24, 1998

Amerifresh

Amerifresh, a Seattle-based fresh fruit and vegetable distributor, has promoted Dale Woodside, president and CFO, to chief executive officer. Denny Domagala, vice president, was named president and Greg Reinauer, director of sales and marketing, was appointed vice president of marketing.

Teledesic

Teledesic -- a Kirkland-based company building a global, broadband "Internet in the sky" -- has promoted Sami Hinedi to vice president of systems. Hinedi formerly served as director of telecommunications systems.

Western Washington University

Bahram Hatefi has joined the administrative staff of Western Washington University as internal auditor. Hatefi formerly served as senior external auditor at the Texas Water Development Board. Hatefi will be responsible for evaluating the quality, adequacy and effectiveness of the school's systems of internal control and related accounting policies.

Everett Parks Foundation

Barry Smith, founder of the Everett Parks Foundation, has been honored as "1998 citizen of the year" by the International Northwest Parks & Recreation Association. Smith has served as president and volunteer of the foundation since 1993. The foundation enables private citizens to invest in the parks system for its enhancement beyond the traditional tax base.

Tully's Coffee Corp.

Marc Evanger has joined Tully's Coffee Corp. to manage Tully's corporate development and the financing of its future growth. Evanger formerly served as senior vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer of Quality Food Centers Inc.

University of Washington

Four new technology certificate programs will be offered by University of Washington Educational Outreach in February: perl programming, windows programming, NT administration and systems analysis. Data resource management will also become available online through the Internet beginning in January. The application deadline for perl programming and windows programming is Jan. 20 and the deadline for NT administration and systems analysis is Jan. 18. For more information, visit the web site at http://www.extension.washington.edu.

Shuttle Express

Shuttle Express has appointed John Rowley to vice president of operations. Rowley will be responsible for uniting dispatch, driver scheduling, training and field supervision. Rowley formerly served as director of operations. Sue Johnson, also a vice president, will begin supervising the administrative staff, reservations office, accounting office and maintenance. Steve Hendricks has been promoted to assistant manager of marketing and sales, Mutsa Tongoona has been appointed an assistant in marketing and sales, Joyce Dorsey has joined operations in driver scheduling, and Chuck Hatten has joined the operations department as personnel and training officer.