91视频

Between reporters and editors, the 91视频 newsroom receives the electronic equivalent of a mountain of press releases. And while the flood of info that used to arrive by snail mail and fax has slowed in recent years, we get enough announcements in those forms that they amount to a paper version of a small molehill.

With some journalistic digging, some of those announcements and releases and 鈥渉ey, guess what award my firm just received鈥� e-mail messages yield stories big enough to hold the front page of the paper or a top news slot on the 91视频鈥檚 Web site.

But what about the rest of the news and information that comes into the newsroom? Those tidbits are still worth mentioning, our readers told us. And we agreed. Those other press releases, announcements and e-mailed notes, when considered in a bunch, give a bird鈥檚-eye view of what鈥檚 going on in the local building industry on any given day, at any given time.

So there we were, pondering all of the bits and pieces of news that don鈥檛 make it onto the front page, sitting there in a city with a reputation for letting nothing worthwhile go to waste. And that鈥檚 when we came up with the idea for this column, which we hope will grow into a regular feature.

And about that column name, picture it this way. Imagine a couple of birds sitting on the ledge outside your office window, watching what goes on inside, maybe even hearing the conversations that occur. If those birds could speak, here鈥檚 what they might say . . .

A Watershed Moment

Shannon Emery of William Wilson Architects wrote in to let us know that one of the projects that previously was named one of the 91视频鈥檚 Top Projects has been recognized by another group. The Watershed at Hillsdale last month won two Merit-level Multifamly Executive and Developer awards.

And while we鈥檙e at it, let鈥檚 turn the calendar back a few months to summer. That鈥檚 when the affordable housing project, which contains residences for seniors and formerly homeless veterans, earned a silver rating in the LEED green building system and then walked away with Merit and Grand awards in the National Pacific Coast Builders Gold Nugget 2009 competition.

Congrats on all counts to the project team, which included William Wilson Architects, Walsh Construction, Green Building Services, and Housing Development Center as project manager.

Hot stuff
We were just getting ready to add the Dec. 9 Mandeville techniques training class being offered by ACEC Oregon to the 91视频鈥檚 print and online calendars when an e-mail arrived announcing that the session was full. Because of demand, though, the engineering group had decided to add a second session on Dec. 8.

But before we could get the new date mentioned in the calendar, another message showed up. The second session also had filled up, so ACEC Oregon was adding a third class on Dec. 7.

We couldn鈥檛 help but wonder what made this Mandeville training the hottest thing for local engineers since pocket protectors.

So we got in touch with ACEC Oregon鈥檚 Merideth Webber, who pointed out that the fast-filling seats might have something to do with each session being small, limited to 24 people. When added together, those 70-some seats are the equivalent of a regular turnout for an ACEC event,聽Webber said.

But apparently there鈥檚 also been some buzz building about the training, which was designed specifically to help building industry folks improve how they communicate with clients.

鈥淲e had a few members mention they had done this training several years ago 鈥� and (they) found it so valuable that they now want to pass it on to the younger generation,鈥� Webber wrote in an e-mail.

We have a feeling the third session may already be full by now, but you can always check by calling聽ACEC Oregon聽at 503-292-2348 or by e-mailing [email protected].

And the winner is . . .
P&C Construction, picked as construction manager-general contractor for an expansion of hematology and oncology facilities at Kaiser Permanente鈥檚 Interstate location. The 18,000-square-foot remodel is expected to be done by fall 2010.

Good deeds rising
In the 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 the right thing to do鈥� category, Paula Barran, a partner in the local law firm Barran Liebman and a regular columnist for the 91视频, has added a new entry to her volunteer portfolio by recently joining the board of directors of the Children鈥檚 Cancer Association. Apparently, the
鈥減ay it forward鈥� mentality isn鈥檛 limited to Barran. Another of the law firm鈥檚 staffers, Traci Hope, is the newest addition on the board of directors of the Oregon chapter of the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association.

Paper pusher
Just in case some of you have a spare abstract laying around that focuses on water efficiency, the organizers of the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition聽have sent a shout-out for submissions. Submittal guidelines and due dates are available online at .

The event isn鈥檛 until October 2010, but it is in Las Vegas,聽and it聽also happens to be right around the time that clouds and rain arrive in Oregon. Did someone say 鈥渧acation?鈥�

This is the part of a column where the author asks readers to get in touch if they have something to share. But 91视频 readers don鈥檛 need us to state the obvious. So at the risk of going all Oliver Twist on you, we鈥檒l just say we鈥檇 like some more, please, sent to [email protected].