Planning Commission Seeking Further Revisions To Berendos Home Proposal

The is seeking as small a as possible for a home on Berendos Avenue in .

Nestled between a hillside and and at the mouth of Modoc Place and Avenue, the one-acre lot has a very small with natural restrictions and city regulations already in place. The owner, Dave Colt, reduced the scale of a former version of his plans to present to the April 21. Nevertheless, the commissioners unanimously requested Colt return June 2 with a revision that puts less of a on the lot Landscaping Idea. The commissioners also requested Colt return with a plan that calls for no parking on the street in the front of the lot, which will require a variance on the front setback that is normally required.

The commissioners were pleased with some aspects of the scaled-down , but were intrigued that the coverage on the lot could get even smaller.

The version of the plans they reviewed called for a two-story home containing four bedrooms, three baths with a limited, uninhabitable attic space that will not be higher than . The total living area was reduced from 3,500 square feet to 2,700 . The overall height of the home would be 26 feet, reduced from 35 feet. A two-car attached garage with two adjacent on the developed part of the lot was proposed. The commissioners were concerned those must be placed well clear of the street and will not present a traffic or pedestrian . The curb will be painted red to prevent people from parking along that portion of the street.

A sidewalk on the portion of the lot facing the street will be created out of . Addressing concerns from the neighbors about safety on that part of the road, the sidewalk will be open to the public. During construction, trucks will not be permitted to block the roadway as it is narrow and would severely restrict .

The home was relocated on the lot 25 feet away from the creek to increase the habitat of the San Francisco garter snake and California red-legged frog, as recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is now at the base of the hill and 15 feet from the closest dwelling on Modoc Place. Some eucalyptus trees will have to be removed, which raised objections from several neighbors who objected to a potential loss of wildlife.

Planning staff prepared a mitigated negative declaration and asserts it is all that is necessary to fulfill CEQA requirements. However, many members of the public who addressed the commissioners at past meetings and at this last meeting wanted the commissioners to require the owner to prepare a full environmental impact report. They were concerned about , storm water drainage, potential loss of wildlife, the removal of dirt and a sense that the home did not blend in well among the smaller homes of the neighborhood.

Commissioner Rich Campbell, who addressed his colleagues as a member of the public because he lives close to the building site, brought up concerns about protecting wildlife. He also said the unique configuration of pedestrians and vehicles created a potential hazard.

“I appreciate that he tuned it down, but he did not scale it down adequately, 3,000 is not reasonable,” Campbell said. “These safety issues must be addressed. Prohibit parking along that site. There’s still a fair argument for an EIR.”

In response, planning staff added additional requirements to which the owner must now comply, if his project is approved. To address issues about biology, the owner must comply with recommendations from the GGNRA. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service required the owner apply for an incidental take permit for the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake. A condition was added that requires an exclusionary fence and escape funnel designed as recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure the endangered species are protected. The habitat area shall not be used for construction purposes. After construction, a permanent barrier - buried at least six inches and rising 24 inches above ground - will replace the . If wildlife is discovered during construction, construction will stop.

Addressing concern about preserving the upland habitat and movement corridors, Landscaping Idea an additional condition was added that prohibits structures, the use of pesticides and other actions that would harm the habitat area.

Addressing culvert and drainage impacts, the city will now require the owner to allow city staff to walk onto the property and maintain the culvert and creek channel. Staff will review and approve a drainage plan the owner will submit. No run-off will be directed into the creek.

The home plans will require a variance for exceeding the allowable lot disturbance and to allow a side yard setback. Planning staff recommended the commissioners approve this and allow a 15.6 percent lot disturbance, with 7.5 percent of that in .

“The may prefer the applicant further reduce the of the building thereby reducing the disturbed area and the amount of the variance needed for the maximum allowable lot coverage,” the staff report reads. In staff’s opinion, it would be possible to design a dwelling of 2,700 or less living area with a smaller that the proposed dwelling. The has expressed concerns about not exceeding the maximum allowable lot coverage for other projects but in this case, the maximum allowable lot coverage is a negative number, which raises practical issues. Also, the dwelling does not exceed the proposed living area threshold for the proposed Mega Home Ordinance.”

The commissioners did not approve the variance at this meeting and instead held out for a plan that decreases the total lot disturbance.

A neighbor asked for story poles to give the community a sense of how they will be impacted by the new residence. A couple of neighbors spoke in favor of the development saying that the owner did a good and thoughtful job developing plans and that it would make a nice addition to the neighborhood.

But one neighbor, Steve Candido, the one whose property is now closest to where the new home will be, said he didn’t appreciate the new setback from the creek.

“It’s right on top of me. But you should let him go forward to the next step,” he said.

The commissioners expressed their pleasure with the progress the owner made on scaling down the project.

“This has been a genuine improvement,” said Commissioner Harold Cicerone, noting there will be a peer review of the plans once the approves them. “A lot of things have been addressed. The actual being disturbed is very small. Idea I don’t need an EIR to tell me there are species on this site. I’m comfortable with that part of it. We are being sensitive to the creek.”

Chair Leo Leon pushed for a smaller .

“This project can be designed with a smaller . I’m concerned about retaining walls, especially if they are unnecessary and I believe they are unnecessary, he said.

Commissioner Celeste Langille said the home is too big for the lot. She asked for a covenant to restrict any future owners of the property from changing the conditions that the planning staff is putting in place. Director of Planning Michael Crabtree responded that those covenants could be put in place.

“This is an environmentally sensitive lot close to a hill and a creek and he will have to get an incidental take permit. The size is out of character with the neighborhood. This is more variance of the Hillside Preservation District than I’d like to see. I would like to see a redesign with a smaller house. Safety is another issue. Parking is not resolved,” she said.

“The applicant has done a fine job,” said Commissioner B. J. Nathanson, noting the elements that will be taken care of by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the peer review. “At what point are we micromanaging what people can do? But I like the idea of a smaller .”

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Thursday, May 1st, 2008

Landscaping Idea No Comments

Crosslake considers licensing landscapers

Home > News

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
11:32 AM on Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Crosslake considers licensing landscapers

by Betty Ryan
betty.ryan@pequotlakesecho.com

If the shoreline of any property is changed, the homeowner and the landscape contractor are required to obtain a permit.

Now, in addition, the Crosslake City Council is considering requiring all and excavating contractors to be licensed.

Ken Anderson, community development director, showed pictures of a project where non-permitted rock work caused major erosion on a lakeshore and construction of a sand beach area that encroached on a lake. Another photo showed a deck that was being built from the lake.

“I could show you 40 more photos like these,” Anderson said.

The proposed ordinance would license contractors and excavators. Septic system installers are already licensed.

The proposed ordinance would require the land that was been altered to be restored. Vegetation would have to be re-established to prevent erosion into public waters, fix nutrients, preserve shoreland aesthetics, preserve historic values and archeological sites, prevent bank slumping and protect fish and wildlife habitat.

There would be civil penalties: $100 fine for first violation; $500 fine for second violation; and $1,000 fine for third violation plus a 30-day suspension of license. A fourth violation would be a $2,000 fine plus a revocation of the license.

Council member Steve Roe said he thought the fines should be higher. He said some contractors just include the fine costs in their bid to do the landscaping.

“I don’t think there’s any question that this is needed,” Roe said. “We need to make sure the contractors understand.”

Council member Dean Swanson said, “We’re not concerned about the good ones. I am concerned about enforcing it.”

A in the audience thought it was a great plan, but was concerned about enforcing it. Another contractor liked the licensing ordinance, but said a $1,000 fine was nothing.

Anderson said he planned to be “up front” about the ordinance and notify all area in a letter about the ordinance. He hoped the ordinance would be approved before the coming construction season. He added that not much building is going on at this time, so there probably would be more contractors available to bid on a job.

After much discussion, the council tabled the ordinance to the April meeting. In the meantime, Anderson said he will work with the city’s attorney to incorporate some of the changes suggested and would like to have a new version back to before the April meeting.

February permit summary

In February, permits were issued for five homes, five garage/storage buildings, five septic systems, seven /patios/, eight land alterations, and eight demolitions/move buildings. Total estimated value of the 38 permits is $1,521,650.

In January, 11 permits were issued for an estimated value of $301,225. Total for 2008 is 43 permits with estimated value of $1,552,730.

Shoreland rule update

Anderson requested council permission to be a member of the Shoreland Rule Update Local Government Unit advisory committee. He will be one of some 25 planners or zoning administrators who will meet six to eight times over the next 18 months. The first meeting is March 28 in Monticello.

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Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

Hillside Landscaping No Comments

Spa celebrates restoration and reopening of the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Lagoon

The historic Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Lagoon has been returned to the people of Hawaii.  The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort &; Spa, together with Hilton Grand Vacations Company, closed the lagoon in 2006 for an unprecedented, $15 million restoration project.  It reopened recently as Waikiki’s most unique recreational area for water enthusiasts.

Named after Hawaii’s aquatic legend, the lagoon is a man-made body of water that was part of Henry J. Kaiser’s Hawaiian Village development in the early 1950s (the hotel became a Hilton in 1961).  Together he and the government expanded the old Fort DeRussy Channel, creating a beach and a lagoon fronting his new hotel.  In the early days after the lagoon opened, many island families enjoyed the ocean-fed lagoon.  However, over the years, a variety of marine life made their home in the lagoon, including puffer fish and jellyfish.  The lagoon’s bottom also began to turn murky and dark from the decomposition of organic material, making it an unpleasant swimming experience.

The magnificent, 5-acre jewel re-opened slightly smaller in size, but with a state-of-the-art water circulation system featuring seven saltwater wells 195-250 feet below the surface of the ocean.  The wells draw in about 15,000 gallons of water per minute from the ocean, helping to turn over the water about five times a day.  The lagoon’s depth has gone from about 12 feet to approximately , and more than 33,000 tons of sand replenished the beach and bottom of the lagoon.  In addition, new aesthetic features of the project include an island with a two-tier waterfall, a board walk, park benches and landscaping that create a park-like setting.  About 60 coconut trees have been added, along with a number of native Hawaiian plants, making the area even more inviting than ever before.  Recreation opportunities include the rental of a variety of beach equipment from the Hilton’s Waikiki Beach Activities desk fronting the lagoon, including aqua cycles, kayaks, stand-up paddle surfboards and rafts.

“The lagoon opening reflects the continuing commitment Hilton is making to our guests and our community,” said Jon Conching, vice president of sales and marketing for Hilton Hawaii.  “We are pleased to contribute to Waikiki’s with these environmental improvements that restore a unique landmark for the benefit of both local residents and visitors.”

One of the unique features of the lagoon is its with plant species that are either endemic, indigenous, or those native to Polynesia.  Chief landscape architect Teresa Law of Belt Collins Hawaii, Ltd. used to reflect a typical Hawaii shoreline with the use of Pohuehue and ‘Akulikuli along the beach.  Beach Naupaka is used in the backdrop to separate the lagoon from a parking area, while Beach Heliotrope and Pohinahina are also used around the lagoon’s perimeter.

In addition to Law of Belt Collins, several other Hawaii-based firms assisted with the rejuvenation project, including Delta Construction Corporation, who was the design/build .  The concept design for the water circulation system was provided to the design/build contractor by Tom Nance Water Resource Engineering, Inc.  Alcon and Associates served as the civil engineer, and overseeing the project were Oswaldo Lopez of Hilton Hotels Corporation and Paul McElroy of Rider Levett Bucknall.

A private blessing and official opening ceremony were held to commemorate the opening of the lagoon.  In attendance were Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona, other politicians, dignitaries, as well as several relatives of Duke Kahanamoku, including his grand-niece, Ms. Jo-Ann Kahanamoku-Sterling from Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii.

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Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

Landscaping No Comments

This is what we had come to India to see Tiger. Only tiger.

MADHYA PRADESH, India — For three days we’d been tracking tiger in India, and by the end of our last game drive in Bandhavgarh National Park we despaired of ever seeing the elusive cat. Then, as we slowly crossed a low, stone bridge over a stream, a big tiger nonchalantly ambled across the dirt road in front of us. He stopped to look at us, then sauntered on.

No one made a sound, just a collective intake of breath.

Our guide, Kartikeya, wheeled our safari vehicle around, and raced to a nearby water hole. There the tiger was on the opposite shore, lolling at the water’s edge under a shrub, his orange and black stripes reflected in the still water. The bucolic scene was spellbinding. Eventually, he stood up, strolled along the bank and disappeared behind a bamboo thicket. It wasn’t a close sighting, but no one was complaining.

This is what we had come to India to see: tiger. Only tiger. Safari hands who have checked off the Big Five in Africa — lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino — quickly learn it’s a major challenge to find India’s Big One: the Bengal tiger.

If you go: Tiger safari

in India

Travel tips: Game viewing is at its best October to June; avoid the monsoon season, mid-June to September.

For more information: India — Embassy of India, 2536 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20008; 1-202-939-9806; www.indianembassy.org, or the Indian Consulates in Chicago, New York, San Francisco or Houston.

What’s more, in Africa, seeing the Big Five is a goal; In India, seeing the Big One is the only goal.

Your best chance is in the central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh, home to one-fifth of India’s estimated 3,600 tigers, almost half of them in tiger reserves. This is why CC Africa, a leading eco-sensitive safari operator in Africa, teamed up with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces to launch a multi-camp tiger circuit that combines safari know-how with the best of Indian hospitality.

There are other high-end camps in India, but these are the first in tiger-rich Madhya Pradesh, the first to have their own intensively trained naturalist-guides, and the first to offer a varied safari experience that doesn’t depend on a tiger sighting if there isn’t one — yes, be prepared for that — with extravagant comfort, unparalleled bird life and unusual, playful dining.

Our first stop was Mahua Kothi, at Bandhavgarh National Park, where 12 kutiyas, or mud-walled cottages, in a sun-filtered, bamboo jungle are grouped around a central lodge like an Indian village. Each villa has its own courtyard with shaded seating. You come home from a game drive to find your “butler” has drawn a bubble bath, and while you are at dinner, has lit your courtyard candles and turned on your electric bed warmer.

We had curries, kebabs, pilafs and soups and under a spreading mahua tree, a chowki dinner on the lodge rooftop under the stars, and a breakfast by a walled, organic garden, the muffins, pancakes, and pressed rice laid out on a bullock cart. One night, a barbecue in the boma with firepits and dancers featured spit-roasted lamb and whole chickens cooked in a mud pit.

Bandhavgarh strictly enforces the no off-road tracking prohibition. To make sure, a park ranger always rode with us.

With the passion and knowledge of a great guide, Kartikeya pointed out the varied forest residents, from sambar deer to Indian wild dog and jungle cat. He explained how tigers mark their territories by spraying urine and clawing trees sometimes 10 or 12 feet high up the trunk.

Once he braked and, cupping his hands to his ears, alerted us to an urgent, low sound.

“It’s the monkey alarm call. The langurs are announcing the presence of a predator — a tiger or leopard. I’m still looking for my first leopard,” he added shyly.

He always braked for birds, too. There are 250 species just in this park — 1,253 in all India — flashing their gorgeous plumage.

But we’re after tiger. While Kartikeya was pointing out tiger tracks and tiger poo, mahouts on their elephants were out looking for tiger in the bush. If they find any, they alert the guides by two-way radio, who then speed to the tiger area where guests ride elephants into the bush for a sighting. This is the only way to go off-road tracking.

Kartikeya never got a call.

We moved on to Pench National Park, a dry, deciduous forest of mostly teak trees and meandering jungle streams, and Baghvan, the second of CC Africa-Taj camps. Here 12 suites sit along a dry river bed surrounded by forest. Stairs lead up to an impossibly romantic covered rooftop terrace with a large, mosquito-netted bed, overhead fan, and, yes, hookah pipes.

At Pench the game is similar to Bandhavgarh. And we’re still desperately seeking tiger.

On our last day there we got the mahout call.

We drove over to meet two elephants. Their mahouts had leaned a ladder against the side of each elephant, and we climbed up to wooden platforms on top, our legs dangling by the elephant’s side. Mohan Bahadur, the 12-foot tall male I was on, lumbered into the bush, swaying from side to side as I clung to the iron bar across my lap.

And there she was, four or away, eyes closed, resting under a tree, the sunlight dappling her orange and black stripes. After several minutes, she got up, and ignoring us as we followed, wandered away and lay down under another tree. The whole encounter was perhaps 20 awestruck minutes, silent but for the clicking of cameras.

We knew how lucky we were.

Joan Scobey has covered travel and food in Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, India, the Mideast, South America, Australia, the Pacific and North America.

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Monday, March 10th, 2008

Backyard Landscaping No Comments

Stymied in Syria as Internet access sinks

Editor’s note: Seattle Times reporter Haley Edwards traveling in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Syria and filing dispatches. For the jaunt around Asia, her 23-year-old friend, Stevie, is her sidekick. See Edwards’ dispatches below (most recent on top).

I’ve been traveling in Syria this week, staying at the house of two American friends in Damascus and venturing into the countryside from there. Due to a variety of factors not the least being that the undersea Internet cable lines that run to this region were severed this week, apparently by a ship’s anchor I haven’t had reliable access to Internet. Dial-up lines have been understandably clogged. For those of you who have been waiting (and thank you for your emails!) for my tales of Syria, I truly apologize. I will write a print story about my adventures in Syria in an upcoming Seattle Times Travel section and post some more online then, too.

Last days are a whirlwind of motorbike, train, bus and boat

We took a motor bike tour around the countryside outside of Hue. Visited old U.S. wartime bunkers in the hills, ancient tombs of emperors, and stopped at a Buddhist family’s house for lunch.

Once you leave Hue’s city center, most of the streets aren’t made for cars. They’re only wide enough for two motorbikes to pass at once and even then, you’re praying you don’t clip your knees on the oncoming moto’s handle bars. Canals, rice paddies, fish markets, pagodas, ancient tombs and one-room houses built from bamboo and line the trails. Stopped at an old arena, where emperors used to watch tigers and elephants fight to the death. The tigers were declawed first, so the elephants always won.

Later, leaving Hu%26#233; on an overnight train to Hanoi, little girls no older than 12 or 13 leap on board at every stop hawking hot coffee, tea and beer to the passengers. This is strictly forbidden by the railroad (which offers its own coffee, tea and beer service in the dining car and charges slightly more).

So this is how it goes: A young girl swings up onto the train when it’s still moving, tears through the passenger cars taking orders, and leaps off at the next door, just as the train is coming to a complete stop. She then sprints over to where her mom (her aunt? her older sister?) is manning a cooler and a thermos just off the platform. The girl gathers her order and sprints back onboard, narrowly evading a uniformed train officer, who by this time has run over to block the entrance. He’s scowling and his arms are crossed. She shimmies between passengers, dropping off her orders and picking up her payment, and then leaps off the train. If, by some chance she’s taken an order from a stupid tourist (me) who doesn’t have change for a 50,000 Dong bill (about $3), she’ll roll her eyes, grab your money, jump off the train, narrowly evade the officer (again), and somehow! leap back on board just as the train is beginning to move careen by your room, hurl change at you (she’s honest), and throw herself off the train, just as we’re beginning to gain speed. Meanwhile, the uniformed train official stands by, his eyebrows furrowed. It’s incredible to watch.

We arrived in Hanoi on that overnight train just after dawn and set out immediately on a bus headed for the coast (about three hours away), where we’d pick up a junk-style boat and cruise Halong Bay. Again, the guidebooks indicated that we should expect a day full of sun-bathing and strawberry daiquiris. We got rain.

Still, the bay is beautiful. Thousands of islands pillars of rock, really rise up out of the clear water of Tonkin Bay, like enormous stalagmites, and the tourist boat we were on served fresh prawns for lunch. Not much to complain about. That night, we stayed on Cat Ba Island (the closest island with a beach), which is usually overrun with tourists. In the cold weather, the place was nearly abandoned, but I liked seeing the locals live the way they might if boatloads of tourists weren’t unloading on their shores six times a day. After dark, the island was quiet. School kids played hacky-sack in the streets. High school girls in braids flirted with boys wearing matching blue and white blazers. Stevie and I played darts in a New Zealand-themed bar where no one spoke English

Little city of Hu%26#233; is soaked in war’s history

The road up the coast to Hu%26#233; is beautiful. On your left: shades of green, layered on deep mottled black hills. On your right: impossibly turquoise water and the bright pinks, peaches and blue- of beachfront buildings. The jungle here is thick and ominous, but also only four or high. There are no trees, just tangled underbrush, weeds and ivy the first round of plants that have grown back after the whole place was chemically deforested by Americans and South Vietnamese during the war.

Hu%26#233;, a little city that straddles the Perfume River on the north-central coast, has a kind of sweet, Eastern European feel to it. Two major bridges span the river and, on the north side, the streets are narrow, lined with markets on one side, and a grand citadel (known as “The Citadel,” originally built in 1687) on the other. This was once the home of the Nguyen Dynasty, and then the French colonialists and then the North Vietnamese, and then the Americans, and then the North again. But, each time it switched hands, thousands and thousands of people died. The dirt, the water, the walls are thick with the history of it.

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Monday, February 4th, 2008

Landscaping Rock No Comments

Snoqualmie Pass to remain closed until at least 9 a.m. Friday; governor declares state of emergency

Interstate 90 will remain closed over Snoqualmie Pass at least until 9 a.m. Friday, state transportation officials said today.

Two potential alternate routes through the Cascades, Interstate 84 along the Columbia River in Oregon and Highway 2, had been closed by snow. Both reopened this evening.

Meanwhile, Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency this afternoon for more than a dozen counties as a result of the “relentless” snowstorms that have been pounding mountain passes and Eastern Washington for days.

The governor’s declaration allows local agencies to contract with the private sector to get snow-clearing equipment more quickly.

The counties covered by the proclamation include Adams, Clark, Columbia, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman and Yakima.

Snoqualmie Pass has received of snow in the past five days, outstripping crews’ abilities to deal with avalanches and two more feet of snow are predicted to fall by Friday evening.

“We’re in a very active pattern, with a lot of fast-moving storms,” said Dennis Damico of the National Weather Service. “This is a La Ni%26#241;a winter and a snowy time of year, but even for those conditions it has been very snowy.”

Eastern Washington has also been hit hard by the snow. Spokane, where schools were closed for a fourth straight day, had its deepest snow in more than a decade, with 20 inches recorded this morning. The 114 inches of snow on the ground at Snoqualmie Pass today is the fourth highest total by this date in 40 years, said John Stimberis, avalanche forecaster for the state Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

Today, convoys led by the Washington State Patrol were allowed through the closed area periodically, beginning at 11 a.m., so people stuck at the pass last night could get down. Motorists who need to get to the summit of the pass were also escorted up, if they had chains or four-wheel drive.

I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass was covered by two avalanches in two days. Just hours after the first collapse was cleared Wednesday, a second avalanche sent snow, trees, rocks and other debris into the westbound lanes.

The second avalanche was cleared by 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, but state officials are keeping the highway closed today because of a danger of more avalanches. Rising temperatures and new snow have made the hillsides unstable, officials said.

Most state road crew members were wearing emergency beacons in case they were engulfed by another avalanche.

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Friday, February 1st, 2008

Landscaping Rock No Comments

Snow in passes just won’t stop

SNOQUALMIE PASS Hundreds of drivers stuck, waiting in heavy snowfall for a police escort to guide them down to Seattle. Scores of truckers sleeping in their cabs and watching movies, their cargo also stranded.

This is how commerce fades when heavy snow shuts down the state’s major east-west highways. The week’s relentless storms have stretched over 15 counties, causing accidents and overwhelming state and local authorities, Gov. Christine Gregoire said in declaring a state of emergency Thursday.

Her declaration will allow government agencies to contract with private business to get snow-clearing equipment more quickly. It’s welcome relief statewide, but won’t help open Interstate 90, where state Department of Transportation crews are struggling to stabilize snow-covered mountainsides that have given way twice this week to avalanches that blocked Snoqualmie Pass.

The pass, about 50 miles east of Seattle, is where the state’s economy and mobility have been hardest hit. Under of new snow since Saturday, with another foot expected today, the pass remains too dangerous to allow traffic through. It’s been closed for all but about three hours since early Tuesday, and the continued avalanche risk is expected to keep it shut down through at least today.

More than 10 feet of snow was on the ground at Snoqualmie Pass on Thursday, among the highest totals in 40 years; the average this time of year is about 6 1/2 feet. State crews were working to stabilize the hillside, setting off dynamite charges and using rifles to shoot into the slopes, but the avalanche danger was one of the highest state officials had ever seen. Most state road-crew members were wearing emergency beacons in case they were engulfed by another snowslide.

Two other major east-west routes, Highway 2 and Interstate 84, also were closed by heavy snow for much of Thursday but had reopened.

“We’re in a very active pattern, with a lot of fast-moving storms,” said Dennis D’Amico of the National Weather Service. “This is a La Ni%26#241;a winter and a snowy time of year, but even for those conditions it has been very snowy.”

Eastern Washington has also been hit hard. Spokane, where schools were closed for a fourth straight day, had its deepest snow in more than a decade, with 20 inches recorded Thursday morning. Classes at Washington State University in Pullman were canceled Thursday and today because of snow.

Productivity at standstill

The counties covered in the governor’s emergency declaration are Adams, Clark, Columbia, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman and Yakima.

This time of year is typically one of the slowest for shipping, said Jack Ziebarth, vice president of operations for Pacific-based Gordon Trucking Inc. The added snow delays are going to make it difficult for some of the smaller companies to survive.

Interstate 90 was closed Thursday eastbound at Edgewick, milepost 34, and westbound near Ellensburg, milepost 106. Semitrucks were parked along the highway and at a truck stop at Edgewick, waiting to be allowed through.

Productivity is at a standstill, Ziebarth said. “Out here on the we’ve had virtually every pass closed from the Canadian border down to California” at one time or another.

A trucker going from Seattle to Utah could have to chain and unchain four or five times if he isn’t stopped entirely, Ziebarth said. It’s a health and safety issue that’s “taking a physical toll on the drivers,” he said. “Just take it easy on those guys, they’ve had a tough week.”

Trucker Barry Wagner, 60, ate lunch at Ken’s Restaurant in Edgewick on Thursday afternoon and said he wasn’t expecting to leave anytime soon. He was supposed to transport a cryogenic tank from Seattle to Pennsylvania, but he’s been stuck in Edgewick since Monday.

The worst drawback to not driving besides loss of income is boredom, he said.

His daily routine all week, Wagner said, has been: “Sit in my truck, come into the restaurant to eat, watch a little TV, watch a movie, talk on the radio.”

Frank Allen, 48, was forced to park his truck Wednesday night on his way to unload cargo in Superior, Wis. At least he was accompanied by his wife and four mini-dachsunds, he figured, but the delay still hurt.

“If the wheels aren’t turning, we’re not making money,” he said.

On a typical weekday, about 6,500 to 7,000 trucks drive over the pass. State officials said Thursday they had no estimate of how much has been lost.

The governor’s office is concerned about the lack of trucks making it over Washington’s passes, but “safety is our number one priority in this situation,” spokeswoman Melanie Coon said.

As passes reopen, freight and trucks will be the first to get across, she said.

Continued closures

I-90 was to remain closed all day today and probably later, officials said. Because of higher recent temperatures, the hillsides in the pass are covered with heavy snow on top of lighter snow, a perfect combination for avalanches, said Don Whitehouse, WSDOT regional administrator.

Ski areas at Snoqualmie Pass were “on standby until further notice” due to the closure of I-90, but Mount Baker has been open each day, and Thursday reported a 173-inch base and 14 inches of new snow.

Thursday morning, more than 300 cars were lined up at the Snoqualmie Summit resort parking lot, waiting to be escorted down the mountain by state troopers.

The cars were full of skiers, resort employees and other people left stranded since the second avalanche, on Wednesday afternoon.

Deb Darrow, 56, of Renton, was returning from a business trip in Eastern Washington when troopers forced her to turn back on I-90. She rushed to the packed Summit Lodge and snagged a room with a woman who offered her the second bed. She later learned the woman lives a mile from her in Renton.

The two women made the best of it. “So we spent the night drinking wine,” Darrow said, as she scraped snow off her Subaru Outback. “What more do you need?”

Nearby, Casey Graham, 50, drove a large grader up and down the road, pushing aside several feet of snow.

Graham, who has worked for WSDOT for 20 years, said it’s the worst snow he’s ever seen at the pass. He started work at 6:30 a.m., his second straight day with a 12-hour shift. But he was in good spirits.

“If you like pushing snow, it’s great,” Graham said. “Nothing like it.”

Seattle Times staff reporters Brian Alexander and Jack Broom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or %26#97;%26#98;%26#97;%26#99;%26#104;%26#64;%26#115;%26#101;%26#97;%26#116;%26#116;%26#108;%26#101;%26#116;%26#105;%26#109;%26#101;%26#115;%26#46;%26#99;%26#111;%26#109;

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Friday, February 1st, 2008

Landscaping Rock No Comments

Singapore Airlines pampers passengers for every minute of 18hour flight

Many a traveler has faced the worst cases of today’s airline experiences: flight delays, tarmac residencies, frequent cancellations and overall angst. But for those who travel to Thailand, Australia and Southeast Asia, those black clouds in the sky can have a silver, no, make that platinum, lining.

Its name is Singapore Airlines.

Often nicknamed Sing Air, Singapore Airlines claims to be the world’s most awarded airline. Here are just four that it won in 2007: Airline of the Year, Best Overall Airline in the World, Best Economy Class in the World and Best In-Flight Entertainment. I give it the Best Award for maintaining my sanity when I go to visit family in Singapore every year.

The door-to-door, nonstop flight from Newark to Singapore takes 18 hours, 20 hours on the return journey. At 10,371 miles, this is the world’s longest scheduled commercial flight.

I’ve made this trip six times, three over and three back.

Flight SQ 21 rolls out of Newark every night at 11. It’s an Airbus 340-500, powered by a Rolls-Royce Trent 553 Engine. There are 64 business class seats up front, with 12 of those first class. Seats are almost two feet wide and can extend into sleeper seats. And each seat has a large entertainment screen.

But for all I know, they could be flying kites up there beyond the curtains. I fly economy (they call it executive economy on this aircraft) with 117 seats in the other half of the plane. But with a special twist. I always request (and get) the same seat, 32C. It is in the First Cabin, an area about the size of a modest suburban living room, where because of some quirk of engineering there are three rows of two-three-two. Lavatories separate it from the remaining 14 rows in economy. First Cabin is private, quiet and cozy. I don’t recall hearing coughers, snorers or babies.

All seats recline and have adjustable footrests, a nine-inch personal screen, an adjustable headrest with side-flap “ears,” and an in-seat power supply for your computer, if you are so inclined. And, what a great idea: baby bassinet hooks are installed at some bulkheads and infants up to 12 months can stretch out in fold-up beds.

Advice: Remove your wristwatch. With all the changing time zones, you’ll never know what time it is anyway. The shades are down, the night is timeless. Your every care will be attended to and all wishes will be granted. Sure, you can get stiff and antsy. It’s up to you to bring a good book and take advantage of the music and television entertainment. The flight, however, is never boring.

Unbelievable service

As soon as I boarded, stowed my gear and sat down, I was offered my choice of champagne, juice or water. Really? And we’re still on the ground? I chose bubbly and smiled. “Hey, this isn’t gonna be bad a-tall,” I said to myself.

Once airborne and level, serious beverage service begins. Sing Air was the first airline in the world to not charge passengers in economy for movies or alcohol. Sing Air services something like 73 cities in 38 countries around the world. A wine panel, led by Karen MacNeil, chairperson of Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, meets twice a year in Singapore, where they go through something like 800 bottles to make selections. Sing Air spends about $16.5 million per year on the wine program. Why so much? First Class alone goes through about 20,000 of premium wine and champagne per month, remarkable when you consider there are only 12 seats in first class.

Sing Air’s economy meal service is a revelation. There are thousands of recipes in a central library. An international culinary panel has vetted every food, dish, ingredient, meal and place setting. Painstaking care has been invested in thoughtful plating, themes, china, flatware and linens. Yes, you get real knives and forks. Metal.

The meal service is more about entertainment because it gives passengers something to look forward to and serves to punctuate the long hours in the air.

Shortly after takeoff, a printed menu is presented with three choices of entree and vegetables. I usually go for something a bit Asian just to get into the mood. I didn’t save any menus, but I have notes on a couple of meals that I really liked in my notebook: Thai-style green curry fish with veggies and rice; tortellini with cheese and mushrooms in cream sauce; marinated salmon with salad starter, pan-fried chicken in red wine jus; brunch of steamed glutinous rice with marinated chicken and black mushroom, pepper omelet with tomato and hash brown potatoes. There is always cheese and crackers, salad, roll and butter, pastry or ice cream, wine and coffee. Nine kinds of bread are on board every flight, and ethnic meals are served by advance request. On one flight the woman next to me ordered a fragrant Indian dinner. My clothes reeked of curry until they were washed.

Recipes are designed to compensate for the low humidity in the cabin, which can be about 7 percent to 15 percent at cruising altitude. In that circumstance, people can lose up to 40 percent of their ability to taste. Foods and wines that are boldly flavored and robust at ground level are muted in the air.

After dessert and coffee, I might watch a movie chosen from 80 or so selections. On one flight, I watched three, only because I missed them at home. But for most passengers, it’s time put in earplugs, don an eye mask and stretch out with pillow, blanket and thick cotton socks. Because I stand at just tall, leg room is never a problem for me.

As much as Americans love to be served, we also like the option of snacking at random. Sing Air considered that in the design of the plane. There is a small passenger lounge in the rear of the Airbus. When passengers are wakeful, feeling peckish, bored or in need of exercise, we can go back and do yoga stretches, get a snack or chat with other passengers. An arrangement of fresh orchids, Singapore’s national flower, are on the buffet area along with baskets of fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal bars and sandwiches. Want something hot? Ask for a pork bun or cup of noodles. Sooner or later, everybody’s body clock is skewed, and the lounge is really welcome.

Sublime stewardesses

The men in the cabin crew wear blue blazers. But the women are a corporate symbol, part of the signature branding and the focus of the carrier’s advertising. They are perfectly groomed and follow strict rules, down to the color of nails and lipstick and the way they wear their long black hair, never loose.

Their outfit is a batik, two-piece dress called “Sarong Kebaya” designed in 1974 by Pierre Balmain, a French haute couture designer. The outfits are not off the rack. Each one is nipped-in just so, tailored to the wearer, and color-coded: blue for flight stewardess, green for lead stewardess and red for the chief.

If the cabin crew wore white uniforms instead of the paisley, they could pass for angels. They pad up and down the aisles at least once an hour with trays of water, often stopping to chat and seemingly reading your mind before you even think to reach for the call button. It’s a comforting experience. I half expected one of them to sing me a lullaby.

The first time I used the lavatory, I was in there so long the crew must have thought I’d passed out. But I was just being a neb-nose. Little drawers are loaded with amenities: toothpaste and brushes, lotions, shaving stuff, comb, mouthwash. And room, plenty of room.

Eventually, the cabin lights go on and a brunch-like meal is served. The large monitor shows a map, and you can see that by now we’ve flown past Japan and are over the South China Sea.

Then it’s wheels down at Singapore’s Changi Airport. It, too, gets awards for excellence. There is tremendous security, but you will be unaware of it even though cameras are probably recording the color of your underwear and if you cover your mouth when you sneeze. (That’s probably a crime in super-strict Singapore.)

Departing passengers just show their passports and head to individual gates where metal detectors and security staff are located. Before boarding, there is time to enjoy Changi’s : a movie theater, a swimming pool, roof-top observation deck, great shopping, a pharmacy, spa and gym and really good restaurants.

My round-trip ticket including connecting flights to and from Pittsburgh to Newark on Continental Airlines was $1,782. Because Singapore Airlines is a Star Alliance partner, I credited the miles to my frequent flier account with US Airways.

How’s that for a jolt back to reality?

Marlene Parrish can be reached at 412-481-1620 or mparrish@post-gazette.com.

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Monday, January 21st, 2008

Backyard Landscaping No Comments

Inspired by nature

When Paul Greiling and Pamela Rivas jokingly call their San Luis Obispo home a %26#8220;tree house,%26#8221; its not far from the truth.

The pair found their 1.5-acre hillside lot in 1999 and instantly loved its quiet seclusion, a quality owed to its out-of-the-way location south of San Luis Obispo in Baron Canyon as well as to its profusion of oak trees.

To the couple, preserving the propertys tranquil, pastoral nature meant retaining as many trees as possible. When they approached architect Ernie Kim with the project, their goal was to work with the existing landscape rather than mold the land to their own design.

One consideration was the two seasonal streams that pass through the property. Their solution was to build the house with three wings connected by two hallways%26#8212;what they refer to as %26#8220;bridges%26#8221; %26#8212; that span the streams.

A side effect of this configuration is even greater seclusion for the couple and their guests because the master suite, , and main living areas have their own separate wings. Another plus: the sprawling floor plan of the house gives the illusion of much more space than the actual 3,320 square feet

The of the house was carefully plotted to wrap snugly around oak trees. Some sit just from the foundation, requiring judicious pruning to keep a safe margin around the house. Naturally, a few had to be sacrificed but other times, the couple made sacrifices to keep trees in tact. They built their long driveway as narrow as codes would allow for this purpose. And when they realized their dining room door would open into a tree, it was the door, not the tree, that got the ax.

Kim, Greiling and Rivas positioned windows and to maximize vistas of treetops, ocean, coastal range and the almost dizzying views down their steep, wooded hillside. A picture window beside the soaking tub in the master bath (privacy is not an issue) frames the garden and allows glimpses of wildlife, including a family of foxes that frequents the birdbath. Even their glass-enclosed shower was positioned to take advantage of views. %26#8220;Its like youre showering outdoors, looking at the rocks and the trees,%26#8221; said Rivas.

Nature has such a strong presence in the house that the couple decorated to harmonize with, rather than detract, from the surrounding . The generous use of wood and stone give a snug, cabinlike feel. Handcrafted wrought-iron vines clamber up the side of the house. Wrought-iron railings on their living room and guest room mirror the contours of the mountains beyond.

Earth tones throughout the house enhance its organic feel. A two-year search led the couple to just the right yellow for the walls to match the burnt gold of the hillsides in summer. Wallpaper was chosen in nature motifs: fallen leaves for the entryway, bamboo in the master bath, and dining room accent paper that echoes the manzanita bushes that surround the home.

The rest of their d%26#233;cor is an eclectic mix of vintage finds, European antiques, Asian artifacts purchased on travels and assorted art and collectibles. %26#8220;I think it all fits because we wanted it to,%26#8221; Rivas explained.

In fact, eclectic is what both Greiling and Rivas consider the overall style of their home, which Greiling describes as part Craftsman and part ideas borrowed from architectural books and magazines. He also credits %26#8220;childhood dreams%26#8221; as a chief source of inspiration%26#8212;a fitting origin for this grown-up version of a tree house.

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Monday, January 14th, 2008

Landscaping Stone No Comments

Lincoln Park trails

Location: West Seattle.

Length: 4.5 miles.

Level of difficulty: Gentle dirt/gravel/paved hilltop trails, steep hillside trails, level seawall trail.

Setting: This 135-acre, grand old park dominates Williams Point overlooking Puget Sound. Trails wander among the forests and lawns on the top of the 100-foot bluff (see trail map at parking lots); at the cliff’s edge, the Bluff Trail offers glimpses of spectacular views of Puget Sound through the madronas and Douglas firs. Steeper trails lead down to a seawall trail that parallels the mile-long sandy/pebbly beach.

The South Beach Trail borders Fauntleroy Cove. The North Beach Trail offers more protection from winter winds. The cove was named in 1857 by Lt. George Davidson %26#151; it was his fianc�e’s surname; he also named several peaks in the Olympic Mountains for her (Mount Ellinor) and her family members (Mount Constance, Mount Rose and The Brothers %26#151; named for Arthur and Edward).

Highlights: The park’s name was chosen in 1922 “to encourage patriotism in the children of Seattle.” The area was settled as a summer colony in 1904, and although the park area was recommended for the 1903 Olmsted Brothers master landscaping plan, it was not included. The vegetation is a mixture of native forests, along with ornamental non-native trees such as coast redwood, European beech, chestnut, cypress and oak. The park also includes a rich variety of shrubs.

Facilities: Restrooms, playgrounds, seasonal saltwater pool.

Restrictions: Leash and scoop laws in effect; pets not allowed in water, on playgrounds, on athletic fields. Bikes limited to trails more than wide.

Directions: From Interstate 5 heading south, take Exit 163A over the West Seattle Bridge (heading north on I-5, take Exit 163). The West Seattle Freeway turns into Fauntleroy Way Southwest; follow the signs to the Vashon ferry as the road winds through the business district. The park’s two parking lots are on the right, just before the ferry terminal.

Information: www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/Lincoln.htm or 206-684-4075.

Cathy McDonald is coauthor with Stephen Whitney of “Nature Walks In and Around Seattle,” with photographs by James Hendrickson (The Mountaineers, second edition, 1997).

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Thursday, December 27th, 2007

Hillside Landscaping No Comments

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