Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland articles from November 2004

Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland archives from November 2004

Bridging the gap: Oregon bridge repair work continuing.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough ***** CORRECTION: Mayer/Reed, a firm specializing in landscape architecture, urban design and visual communication projects, has been selected to create interpretive signs for the Rosie the Riveter/World War II...

C-TRAN coach operator competes in unusual 'Roadeo'.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl C-TRAN Coach Operator Randy Smith may not have much experience with bucking broncos, but he's a rodeo star nonetheless. A coach operator for the Clark County, Wash., public transit provider since 1996, Smith...

Bond issues could help construction industry.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough The fate of a variety of bond issues that could create new construction projects in counties throughout the Portland-area will be determined tomorrow when votes are counted. In Clackamas County, four...

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance gets new chairwoman.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl An energy-efficiency leader at the Boise-based Idaho Power Co. has been named chairwoman of Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's Board of Directors. Darlene Nemnich will serve a one-year term as chairwoman...

Portland buildings receive national award for customer service.
November 1, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Managed by Ashforth Pacific, a division of The Ashforth Co., Liberty Centre, Lloyd Center Tower and the Nationwide Insurance Building were awarded a CEL & Associates' 2004 National Real Estate Customer...

Retail often lags in mixed-use projects.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service Mixed-use development is all the rage. Residential projects with retail components have become commonplace. But one virtue may come in handy for developers who were hoping that the retail space would move as fast...

South Waterfront's Zidell Marine still building barges.
November 2, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Surrounded by a variety of construction projects, a 2,000 ton barge was launched into the muddy waters of the Willamette River on Friday afternoon in Portland's South Waterfront District. The 290-foot barge was...

National Assn. of Home Builders extends award application deadline.
November 2, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service The National Association of Home Builders has extended the deadline to apply for its 2005 Pillars of the Industry Awards program, which honors excellence in multifamily design, development, marketing, and...

Toolkit aims to clean up air quality at Oregon schools.
November 2, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce It's not cool to idle your car at school. That's the message the Oregon Environmental Council hopes to send to parents, teachers and bus drivers with the release of a new toolkit outlining how to...

Proposed rule would help offset carbon dioxide emissions in Washington.
November 2, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce In an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming, the Washington State Department of Ecology is proposing a new regulation for small power plants that burn fossil fuel....

Human resource survey shows adjustments in staffing.
November 2, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service Rising health care costs are forcing many employers to consider a variety of unpleasant options involving their employees. The Society for Human Resource Management surveyed 375 human resource practitioners...

Liberty Northwest vice president honored at conference.
November 2, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Liberty Northwest's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Matt Nickerson was named Industry Person of the Year at the 2004 Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Washington Annual...

Ashland gets 'smart home' technology from Bonneville Power Administration.
November 2, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Whether people in Ashland treat a new Bonneville Power Administration pilot program as hands-on or hands-off, it could offer their city a variety of benefits. The two-year pilot program is a test of what BPA is...

OSHA cites Kaverit Steel following crane collapse.
November 2, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a serious citation to Kaverit Steel and Crane, based in Edmonton, Canada, following the death of one of its employees at the...

Six win awards at 2nd annual BetterBricks ceremony.
November 2, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Six green building advocates were honored last week for their commitment to sustainable, high-performance buildings with the second annual BetterBricks Awards. BetterBricks, an initiative of the Northwest Energy...

Oregon- based composite products maker continues to expand.
November 3, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl A month after Oregon's adoption of the 2003 International Building Code, nothing has changed for the 38 employees of the tribally owned Warm Springs Composite Products. A few years ago, that might not have been the...

Portland program, Open Meadow, benefits from donated services.
November 3, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough With the support of a variety of groups, Open Meadow, a program that serves North Portland youth who are at risk of leaving school or who have already dropped out, celebrated the grand opening of its Transition...

University of Oregon to hold campus planning forum.
November 3, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The University of Oregon on Friday will host a School-Siting Forum at its Eugene campus. Co-sponsored by the university's Community Planning Workshop and the state of Oregon's Transportation and Growth Management...

Portland chapter of Construction Specifications Institute hosting panel on changes to MasterFormat.
November 3, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce A change is coming to the building industry, and the Portland chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute wants its members to be ready. The change will affect MasterFormat, which is...

Portland Development Commission teams up for business assistance program.
November 3, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Portland businesses can now receive matching grants of up to $7,000 to fund improvements to their production processes, through a new program developed by the Portland Development Commission and the Zero Waste...

Increased building activity in Oregon benefiting Portland architecture firms.
November 3, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Architecture firms around the state are benefiting from increased building activity in Oregon, which some economic experts say could be an indicator of increased confidence in the state's economy. ...

Council calling for tech companies to design with access for disabled in mind.
November 3, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The National Council on Disability recently called on the designers and manufacturers of electronic and information technology to incorporate universal design processes when developing their products....

More commercial development slated at Meadow Lake Village in Boise.
November 3, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service Soon after a five-story medical office building in Meadow Lake Village is completed this winter, work on at least two small office buildings will begin, representatives of the 140-acre senior mixed-use community...

Information on tax law changes available at IRS Web site.
November 3, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service With the 2005 tax filing season two months away, taxpayers can take the first step toward advance tax planning by reviewing regulatory changes featured on the Internal Revenue Service Web site,...

Ridgefield, Wash., industrial center targets small companies.
November 4, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl A new Ridgefield, Wash., industrial center will offer Clark County ownership opportunities previously unavailable to smaller companies, the project's real estate broker says. The Union Ridge industrial center - a...

Washington transportation department to host Ridgefield open house.
November 4, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The Washington State Department of Transportation will host a public open house next week to discuss two Ridgefield, Wash., projects. The Nov. 9 open house is an attempt by WSDOT to provide information and answer...

Oregon State Univ. completes nuclear test work.
November 4, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Work was recently completed in a newly upgraded test facility in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics at Oregon State University to ensure the safety of what nuclear industry experts...

Portland construction fair to be held today.
November 4, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough The Portland Development Commission and Portland State University are both sponsoring a construction fair that will be held today from 8 a.m. to noon at University Place, located at 310 S.W. Lincoln St. in downtown...

U.S. Government sues Beaverton company to protect profit sharing plan.
November 4, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an adversary complaint in federal bankruptcy court in Portland, to protect $45,000 owed to the 401(k) profit sharing plan of defunct Beaverton-based Moore...

Executive coaching opportunities filtering down to mainstream managers.
November 4, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service Executive coaching isn't just for chief executive officers anymore. Formerly the realm of top corporate pooh-bahs and deep-pocketed companies, coaching has trickled down to the lower ranks of managerial...

Election results will impact Oregon's construction industry.
November 5, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough While this year's election had important national implications, it also was an important election year for local construction industry communities especially when it came down to measures 37 and 38 and a handful of...

Oregon Convention Center ready for Greenbuild, LEED certification.
November 5, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl With their peers from around the globe about to descend upon Portland for the U.S. Green Building Council's annual exposition, the people who developed the Oregon Convention Center's sustainable features are...

Combined heat, power plant planned for Oregon Health & Science University's River Campus.
November 5, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl A planned combined heat and power plant at Oregon Health & Science University's River Campus will be designed, built, operated and maintained by Siemens Building Technologies Inc. Five natural-gas-fired...

Researchers from National Renewable Energy Laboratory review green building technology.
November 5, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service Is green building technology all that it's cracked up to be when it comes to operating performance and efficiency? Researchers from the U.S. Energy Department at NREL, the Colorado-based National Renewable...

Study: Media exaggerates million dollar employment discrimination lawsuit awards.
November 5, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service Media accounts of million-dollar awards in employment discrimination lawsuits have created an exaggerated perception of how often and how much plaintiffs win, according to a recently published American Bar...

U.S. Small Business Admin. and Hewlett Packard offers online business matchmaking program.
November 8, 2004... Byline: James Monahan Most people connect the term "matchmaking" with marriage. But the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Hewlett Packard Small Business Foundation connect the term with business. SBA and HP teamed up in 2003...

Economist says Oregon still in recovery mode.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl If economist John Mitchell is to be believed, the nation's economy is improving at a rapid pace. But Oregon's? That's a different story. Mitchell, a western regional economist for U.S. Bancorp, spoke Friday...

Oregon Building Congress bestows awards, showcases programs.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough The Oregon Building Congress held its annual awards banquet last week at the Benson Hotel in downtown Portland and awarded various individuals and showcased several of the organization's programs. "We used the...

Eugene Public Works earns accreditation from American Public Works Association.
November 8, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce The Eugene Public Works Department is the first agency in Oregon, and the 19th agency in the nation, to be accredited through the American Public Works Association. Eugene went through a two-year...

Mahlum Architects completes design for medical center expansion in Kirkland, Wash.
November 8, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Mahlum Architects, which has offices in Portland and Seattle, recently announced that the firm has completed design work for an emergency department and surgery and in-patient facility planned for the...

Portland-based Harsch Investment purchases Brown Deer Park in San Diego.
November 8, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Last month, Harsch Investment Properties purchased the Brown Deer Park, a San Diego, Calif., industrial business park totaling 47,738 square feet for $6.2 million. Located just five minutes east of...

New federal law shortens write-off period for building improvements made for tenants.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Mark Anderson The final version of this year's federal tax package, the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, contained a little something for a lot of people, including commercial real estate owners. Congress and the president...

Energy efficiency's 'founding fathers' talk election's impact industry.
November 9, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Last week's presidential election, which gave George W. Bush wins in both the popular and electoral votes and a "mandate" to govern, according to the president, left most energy-efficiency advocates with a hangover....

Portland architects design life-size Monopoly board for charity event.
November 9, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough It is not everyday that a Portland architect gets a chance to design a life-size Monopoly game board featuring various Portland landmarks such as Pioneer Courthouse Square and Waterfront Park. That opportunity,...

Eugene Water & Electric Board joins OSHA safety group.
November 9, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division, the state agency that enforces workplace safety and health mandates including those of the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration, recently...

Spokane fined for treatment plant violations.
November 9, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The city of Spokane, Wash., faces a fine of more than $66,000 from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, which penalized the city last week for a May sewage tank rupture that killed one worker and...

Accountant says business succession planning essential.
November 9, 2004... Byline: Amy Armour Eighty percent of business owners have 50 percent of their net worth invested in their business, according to Nancy Matheny, principal at Brown, Smith, Wallace, a full-service accounting firm. And 50 percent of those...

Estimators meeting offers look at Pioneer Courthouse renovation.
November 9, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Representatives from JE Dunn-Northwest are the featured speakers at a Nov. 15 dinner and program sponsored by the Columbia Pacific Chapter 54 of the American Society of Professional Estimators. ...

Greenbuild expo begins today in Portland.
November 10, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The world's largest green building exposition officially opens today in Portland as the city welcomes the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo to the Oregon Convention Center. The conference, an annual...

Portland architecture firm hits 86-percent-LEED mark.
November 10, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce When it comes to its architecture and interior designs, SRG Partnership has talked the green talk. Now the firm is walking the walk, announcing that 86 percent of its designers and architects have...

Eye on Idaho: Growth continues at SilverStone business park in Meridian.
November 10, 2004... Byline: Lora Volkert Six buildings totaling 80,000 square feet are under construction at SilverStone in eastern Meridian, pushing the Idaho business park halfway to its goal of 1.6 million square feet. Elsewhere in the development,...

Bust it out: Skate park system planned for Portland.
November 10, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Almost two years ago, Portland voters approved a $47.7 million parks levy that included $500,000 earmarked for building at least two skate parks in the city. Now city officials have chosen 36 possible sites for the...

Port of Vancouver names new government relations director.
November 10, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough The Port of Vancouver USA recently announced the hiring of Addison Jacobs as the Port's new Government Relations Director. Jacobs will officially assume the position on Dec. 1 and will report directly to Larry...

Zenger Farm charette plots farm's future.
November 11, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Occupying 16 acres of greenspace on the edge of Oregon's most populous city, Zenger Farm has always served an intermediary role: Urban Portland residents learn history and agriculture on the property, while...

Portland's Christine Ervin continues her 'green' crusade in private sector.
November 12, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Although she stepped down from her post as U.S. Green Building Council president and chief executive officer earlier this year, Christine Ervin has promised her peers in the green building movement that she isn't...

Portland contestants win in the Living Smart: Big Ideas for Small Lots design competition.
November 12, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough The final phase of judging was recently completed with the announcement of 21 Portland Catalogue winners in the Living Smart: Big Ideas for Small Lots design competition. This phase of judging was the second...

Multnomah County civil engineer wins ASCE award.
November 12, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Ed Wortman, a senior engineer for Multnomah County's Bridge Section, was recently named Civil Engineer of the Year by the Oregon section of the American Society of Civil Engineers at the organization's annual...

Vermont-based Green BuildingGreen Inc. launching new product directory in December.
November 12, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Vermont-based BuildingGreen Inc. will release a green building product directory for home builders and homeowners next month. The new book, Green Building Products, will be released Dec. 15 and will include...

Architectural historian offers look at design timeline in Vancouver Thursday evening.
November 12, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce What was - and is - hot in architectural design in the Pacific Northwest and beyond? That's the question Michael Houser plans to answer during his Thursday presentation, "Mies, Populuxe, and...

Idaho piping contractor develops new hanging device called the Truss-T Hanger.
November 12, 2004... Byline: Steve Martin, Idaho Business Review Sam Hartwick never allows a supposedly insoluble problem to stop him from completing a project. That determination helped the former Texan develop the Truss-T Hanger, which is fast becoming a...

Oregon's Lewis & Clark Law School honors Sens. Wyden and Smith, attorney Sand.
November 12, 2004... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Earlier this month, Lewis & Clark Law School honored Oregon's two Congressional senators, Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden, as honorary alumni, and attorney Thomas C. Sand as its distinguished graduate at...

Gov. Kulongoski appoints Sherman County judge.
November 12, 2004... Byline: The Daily Journal of Commerce Gov. Ted Kulongoski recently announced the appointment of Gary D. Thompson to Sherman County judge, effective immediately. Judge Mike McArthur resigned from the position Aug. 31 when he accepted...

Robert Half Legal survey finds legal salaries to rise 3.4 percent nationwide.
November 12, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service Good news for legal professionals around the country: You might get that raise. A recent report released by legal staffing firm Robert Half Legal showed the national average of legal salaries is expected to...

Communication is crucial in financial planning of estates and trusts.
November 12, 2004... Byline: Tommy Santora, New Orleans CityBusiness Financial planner Cheryl Bragg has a saying: "A day without a CPA and a lawyer is like a day without sunshine." Bragg, a certified personal and business financial planner for Cheryl J....

Energy Trust leases larger space in downtown Portland.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Energy Trust of Oregon Inc. has signed a lease for a new downtown office space it expects to occupy in early 2005. The nonprofit, public-purpose organization dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy...

Oregon State University to play key role in nuclear research program.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Weeks after completing safety tests on the "next generation" of nuclear power reactors, officials from Oregon State University's Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics learned last week that...

Washington company reduces formaldehyde in countertops.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl When Joel Klippert founded KlipTech Composites three years ago, developing an environmentally-friendly countertop was the farthest thing from his mind. An avid mountain biker seeking a challenge, Klippert set his...

Washington Square Mall celebrates grand opening of new parking structure.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Complete with two sky bridges and 541 parking spaces, Tigard's Washington Square Mall celebrated the grand opening of a new parking structure on Friday morning. The structure's opening completes the first phase...

HemCon leases more space at Cascade Business Center in Beaverton.
November 15, 2004... Byline: DJC staff HemCon Inc. has signed a 31,808-square-foot expansion lease at AMB Property Corp.'s Cascade Business Center, 10575 S.W. Cascade Ave. in Beaverton. HemCon currently occupies 10,330 square feet at the center. Founded...

Three development contenders emerge for Boise Tower property.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Dolan News Service Three developers, two of them in a joint venture, would like to take over development of the Boise Tower site at Eighth and Main streets if and when the city can reclaim the property. Phoenix-based Grossman...

Portland architecture firm develops affordable housing niche.
November 16, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough When Bill Wilson founded William Wilson Architects in 1976, he didn't know the firm would end up specializing in affordable and special-needs housing projects. But over the 28-year lifespan of the firm, that is...

Oregon State Univ. honors engineering faculty, staff, students.
November 16, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough The College of Engineering at Oregon State University recently recognized and honored some of its faculty, staff and students with awards and grants at the college's annual Engineering Breakfast. "Building an...

Portland airport hosts workshop aimed at retailers.
November 16, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Portland International Airport will open its doors today to local food, beverage or retail owners and managers interested in learning more about operating in an airport environment. In preparation for a request...

U.S. Army Corps reviews Willamette Valley wetlands permits.
November 16, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is evaluating permit applications to fill wetlands on three projects along the Interstate 5 corridor. In Salem, Cascadia Development LLC has proposed an 87,200-square-foot...

Portland's Green Investment Fund has been "refueled".
November 17, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The city of Portland's Green Investment Fund has been "re-fueled," and it might be slightly re-worked as well, its creator says. The Green Investment Fund was developed in 2001 by City Commissioner Dan Saltzman...

Portland State University teams up with Oregon truckers for "Highway Watch" program.
November 17, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Roads around the state and the country should be safer from possible terrorist threats if a new program being launched in Oregon by Portland State University and the Oregon Trucking Association, and nationally by...

Oregon Convention Center earns LEED-EB rating.
November 17, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl The U.S. Green Building Council has certified the Oregon Convention Center under its LEED-EB rating system. The Portland convention center is the second convention center in the nation to be certified under the...

Study shows construction theft continuing at steady pace.
November 17, 2004... Byline: DJC Staff Thieves made off with more than $9 million in construction equipment assets during 2003 - and the problem doesn't show any signs of slowing, according to a report issued by national security company LoJack. LoJack...

Construction Industry Institute reports major work force shortages.
November 17, 2004... Byline: Amy Amour, Kansas City Daily Record Seventy-five percent of the nation's contractors are experiencing work force shortages in the mechanical contracting and construction fields, according to a study by the Construction Industry...

Port of Portland CFO announces retirement.
November 17, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough After almost 15 years as the chief financial officer of the Port of Portland, Ed Galligan has announced that he will take advantage of the Port's retirement program as part of its recent restructuring effort. ...

Oregon's Governor Kulongoski announces initial steps on Measure 37.
November 18, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced on Tuesday that he has directed state agencies in Oregon to take initial steps to develop a plan for implementing Ballot Measure 37, which becomes effective on Dec. 2. "It is my...

Portland-based Canopy co-founders seek new ways to market green.
November 18, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Canopy co-founders Dan Nelson and Ann Goldsmith Barr started their sustainable products distribution company without any experience in the green building industry. Which is fine, they say. They're after other...

Portland Mayor Vera Katz to receive Urban Pioneer Award.
November 18, 2004... Byline: Cody McCullough With her third and final term as Portland's mayor coming to a close, Vera Katz has learned that she has been chosen to receive the 2005 Nohad A. Toulan Urban Pioneer Award for Public Service from the College of...

University of Portland hosts business ethics forum.
November 18, 2004... Byline: Justin Stranzl Business ethics analysts will meet today for a free forum at the University of Portland. Ethics Symposium 2004, presented by Oregon Independent College Foundation and the University of Portland, is designed to...