Trash Pickup

When they were trenching for fiber optic I happened to notice quite a bit of roadside trash that had accumulated along McConihe Road over the years. So I got some big garbage bags and spent a couple hours picking up litter along a mile or so stretch fronting Cayuse. (Interesting factoid: Most common items were water bottles, of course, followed by lottery tickets.)

Was feeling pretty righteous as the neighbors drove by. And then an elderly couple stopped and when I looked over they were applauding me through their window. Nice. I did feel like I deserved a gold star.

Anyway, I think it's important to keep the neighborhood tidy, let people know you value the place and care what it looks like. Who knows, maybe it will catch on.

Gravel Service Road Around the Vineyard

I put a gravel service road around the top of the vineyard. Makes the area look more finished, and also a smoother drive for my tractor and pickup.

I tried to hire a guy to do it, but he flaked and I decided to give it a go myself. I had a small pile of crushed rock left over from when they put the roads in. This ended up covering about a third of the drive, maybe 250 feet. Saved me a little money. The hardest part was smoothing the roadway base underneath the gravel. I drug and scooped with my loader, but like everything else around here, eventually you had to get down and dig out rocks and push the dirt around with shovel & rake. Took a few man-hours but got it done before permafrost sets in. As Ian said (as he drove off), "That driveway's not gonna grade itself."

So this morning I called Central Washington Asphalt and they were over within the hour, put it down in two lifts, approximately 45 ton of 1 1/4 crushed surface base course (CSBC), 500 lineal feet x 8' wide x about 4" deep.

It looks awesome and I'm happy.

Revival Lighting

We took a day trip up to Spokane yesterday for some art and furniture shopping. No luck on art, but did find this great lighting & antique shop on Main & Division. www.revivallighting.com. Brought home a couple nice lamps.

Also a lovely lunch and fresh brew across the street at Saranac Public House.

SGL Automotive to spend $100 million to expand Moses Lake plant

 

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MOSES LAKE – SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers is investing $100 million to add two new production lines at its Moses Lake plant.

The Washington State Department of Commerce issued a press release announcing that SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers, a joint venture with German luxury automaker BMW, had been designated a project of statewide significance.


The company will double production capacity of its existing operation on 60 acres, opened in 2012 and today employing about 50.

The production plan was built to supply all of the raw carbon fiber used in BMW’s new electric vehicle, the i3.

The project of statewide significance designation is prescribed in state law to provide for coordinated efforts such as streamlined permitting in support of industrial development with broad and lasting economic benefits. Partners in the project include Grant County Economic Development, the city of Moses Lake and the Port of Moses Lake.

“This expansion represents another exciting milestone for SGL and our state,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “Washington is a perfect match for companies dedicated to sustainable, innovative and high-quality industrial production, and I couldn’t be more pleased to participate in the development of this sector that is so important to the economic future of our entire state.”

Foundation work for the expansion project began in early October.

The Moses Lake SGL plant includes a 110,308-square-foot process building and a 46,781-square-foot office and warehouse building. Plans are in place for six buildings and 12 production lines during the next five years, SGL representatives said.

The plant was built in 2010 at a cost of about $100 million.

From iFiberOne.com http://www.ifiberone.com/news/grantcounty/moseslake/sgl-automotive-to-spend-million-to-expand-moses-lake-plant/article_8b39535c-517d-11e3-aeb2-001a4bcf6878.html
                    

 

When I think of our Moses Lake house, I think of sunshine

Came over today after a rainy week on the westside. Nice to see the sun, tho it's plenty crisp outside.

South-facing homes along the ridge get perfect sunshine. In mid-summer the sun is high overhead, over top of the house. You get plenty of light but the sun is not blazing in the windows. In winter the sun sits lower on the horizon and you get sunshine bouncing off the walls of the rooms all day, plus a red sunset out the kitchen window.

So when we say "ideal southern exposure" - it's a big deal.

Fiber Optic Cable Installed

We've been doing fine with wireless, and maybe someday soon cable will be obsolete, but nontheless nice to see fiber optic hit the McConihe area.

The trunk lines are going in along the roads now, then the PUD will come along behind and stub to each lot, via conduit that was pre-installed when the roads and other utilities went in.

 

Local Economy Continues to Expand

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Service Steel Inc./courtesy photo

Service Steel

Service Steel, a Portland, Ore.-based steel cutting operation, recently purchased 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space at the Port of Ephrata.With the sale now complete, Port Manager Mike Wren said Service Steel will finalize moving into the space and preparing to ramp up operations. Wren previously said the company estimated they will start with about 50 employees.

Service Steel currently operates a 300,000 square-foot facility on Swan Island in Portland, according to the company's website. http://www.servicesteel.net/

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Tiffany Sukola/Columbia Basin Herald

ATS to lease second port building

     

Aviation Technical Services is expected to move into an additional hangar at the Grant County International Airport soon, according to Port of Moses Lake officials.
 

The port is currently in the final stages of drafting a lease agreement with the aircraft maintenance and repair company for their second hangar, Port Executive Director Patrick Jones said Monday.
 
Jones told port commissioners during a meeting Monday that ATS is anticipating more activity over the next several months. The company is currently demolishing 747's at the airport, he said.

"We're told to expect more A320's for demolition in the near future," said Jones. "They're continuing to move planes through."

ATS announced they would be helping New York-based JetBlue Airways modify their A320 fleet back in September, according to a previous company statement. ATS signed a long-term service agreement with JetBlue, which included provisions for ATS to provide maintenance and modification services to JetBlue over a three-year period.

Everett-based ATS expanded to Moses Lake earlier this year. They have been providing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for commercial and military jet aircraft since 1970.

Earlier this month ATS was honored as Aerospace Company of the Year at the 8^th Annual Governor’s Aerospace Summit in Everett, for “outstanding achievement and extraordinary leadership within the Aerospace Industry.” http://www.atsmro.com/