Wine Tasting

The Chardonnay has been "cold conditioning" in the garage at around 50 degrees. I topped up the liquid in the airlocks this week and couldn't resist stealing some wine. Not bad! Ian and I had conducted an impromptu taste test six weeks ago and I thought there was a bit of a metallic off-taste. That is now gone. The wine has a very nice finish already, though the body is a little thin. That may improve somewhat with age, but I think the grapes could have benefitted from another 10 days on the vine and another degree Brix. We'll be more patient this year.

But it is certainly going to be drinkable. I'm planning on bottling sometime in February and uncorking during harvest 2014.

Carbon Fiber, BMW & Moses Lake

Li'l old Moses Lake had a cameo in this morning's Wall Street Journal, in a column reviewing the new all-electric BMW i3 sports car. Here's an excerpt which provides a bit of insight into the world of carbon-fiber manufacture:

The i3's enveloping body shell emerges rather miraculously from a highly automated process in a matter of hours, not days, with minimal hand finishing. BMW has invested heavily in this technology, joining with the U.S. firm SGL Group for a thread manufacturing facility in Moses Lake, Wash. Thread cost, apparently, is a key driver and BMW researchers have been saying since the Frankfurt auto show in 2011 that carbon-fiber used for aerospace was over-engineered for automotive applications and needlessly expensive. 

The promise is—setting aside for the moment, the profitability—that one day many kinds of cars could be made with these fuel-saving composites, which would move all sorts of needles in the right direction. In fact, the LifeDrive architecture isn't a new idea. GM spit-balled a fuel-cell concept car with a skateboard chassis in 2000. The positives of such a layout probably occur to every automotive engineer at some point. But BMW got there first. I predict that in the timelines of technological history, the i3 will prove to be a significant event.

For the full article, click here.

SGL recently began construction on a $100 million expansion of its Moses Lake facility, adding two new production lines and doubling the plant's overall production capability.

Cayuse Sunsets

 

The sunsets have been blazing this week.

Holiday Lights

We wanted to run lights along the vines on the slope in front of the house, but 2,000 lineal feet of string lighting presents some electrical challenges. So we settled this year for just outlining the house. It would have been cool to have outlined the entire chimney but my ladder wouldn't quite reach and I'm not keen on scampering around a 9/12 (or whatever it is) roof on a frosty day. I'll figure something out by next year though.

The Hunt for Local Art

We've spent some time the last few weekends in search of original works of art by local and Eastern Washington artists. Spokane has several nice galleries, notably The Tinman Gallery in the Garland District http://tinmanartworks.com/ and the new Bozzi Collection in the old city hall building downtown http://www.bozzicollection.com/. Yesterday we found this whimsical original drypoint monoprint by veteran Spokane artist Mel McCuddin at the Tinman. Very affordable and looks great on our wall.

Today we took the 20-minute drive up to Soap Lake for the annual Winterfest Art Show, which draws artists from the Okanogan, Methow Valley and other artistic pockets around the area. Had a nice chat with Al Lundberg, a long-time art collector who co-founded the Soap Lake Art Guild when he and his wife retired to "The Land of Healing Waters" ten years ago. Al is tied into a network of dozens of artists throughout the region. His goal is to get their works out of their bedrooms and garages and into the public eye.

For our next art trip we are heading to the Confluence Gallery & Art Center in Twisp, recommended by Mr. Lundberg.

Fire Pit

Bruce the Mason did the expert work on this, and Gilbert helped with the concrete.

This is an area in the elbow of the vineyard that has always been the spiritual center of the property, long before the house was built. The fire pit is anchored by a large boulder that the kids have always like to climb on.

When the weather warms up again I'll stain the concrete and stucco.

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/

St. Brigid's Brewery & Taproom, Moses Lake

Woohoo!!! All right all right all right! A newly opened taproom at 606 Broadway, downtown Moses Lake, and the beer is superb.

I'd been tasting their London Calling Brown around town for a year, and tho brown is not my favorite you could tell the quality was good. So as soon as the taproom opened April & I hustled down and found a spot on the lakefront patio for a sunset brew. Oh. Yeah.

Do you like your beer fresh? How 'bout made this morning.

Tom & Whitney Wytko, a couple of schoolteachers, are the proprietors. (They gave each other credit for the beer.) Tom is a former dairyman who's been making home beer for 23 years and obviously knows how to do it. It's rare that you walk into a place and every one of the beers is great. We are surely lucky to have them in little ol' Moses Lake.

www.stbrigidsbrewery.com

Vineyard in Repose

More Grapes

On Monday April, Gilbert & I picked, stomped and pressed another 15 gallons worth of Chardonnay. The fruit is beautiful, about 20.5 brix and nicely balanced with pretty good hang time. (My acidity measurements were less than precise so I won't try to quantify that; we'll just see how everything turns out.) Next year I will look to market both the Chard and the Cab Franc. We have about 1.5 acres of each, and our 20 gallons didn't even put a dent in it. Some neighbors are going to come by and pick as much of the remaining Chard as they want before the birds get it. We also moved the netting over to the Cab Franc.

First Crush

What followed was a whirlwind week starting with gathering supplies from Jim's Homebrew Supply in Spokane (ask for Bob) and Beer Essentials in Lakewood. April & I picked and crushed (she stomped) a carboy's worth, after which Jen, Den, Matt & Erica came for the weekend and helped with the press, winemaking advice and general good time. Much fun, good friends. Thanks everyone!

Bird Netting

Lots has happened since last post. Among other things, we decided to make wine. It's been a perfect season and the Chardonnay was coming in beautifully, with the Cab Franc probably 3 weeks behind. But we were losing the battle with the starlings. April & I went to Wilson's Irrigation Supply in Wenatchee and came away with 2,500 feet of bird netting. We put it up in about 3 hours with Gilbert sitting in the tractor bucket and feeding the net over the rows. (don't do this at home kids)

Veraison

Vineyard Looking Good

It was a cool June but a nice hot stretch in May got the berries off to a good start, and more hot weather recently has them well on their way toward veraison.

Shar came over and got a little front yard landscaping started. Edward's Nursery on Nelson Road has a deep selection of local plants, and the owner Karen is as knowledgeable as they come.

Fuji Chemical Subsidiary Announces New Biotech Facility in Moses Lake

Fuji Chemical Industry President Mitsunori Nishida met with Governor Jay Inslee in July to discuss the Moses Lake project.

AstaReal, the manufacturing subsidiary of Japanese pharmaceutical company Fuji Chemical Industry, recently announced it will build a manufacturing plant in Moses Lake to produce natural astaxanthin, a microalgae-based anti-inflammatory agent.

Grant County's abundant water resources and competitive energy costs were major reasons Fuji Chemical decided to build the plant in Moses Lake, according to the company's press release. A skilled labor force, an open culture welcoming to Japanese companies and supportive local government were also factors in the company's decision.

Fuji Chemical President and CEO Mitsunori Nishida said "We are honored to be a community member of Grant County and the City of Moses Lake. We believe that this community will experience significant growth and want to contribute to this future development. This $30 million investment shows our strong commitment to the future of this community."

The company anticipated that the facility will be completed by the fall of 2014 and will employ approximately 45 skilled employees.

The Lawn is In

Installed by Tatum Lawn Care 509-762-6771. Bob Tatum, his main man Doug and crew did a beautiful job turning a rough-graded and rock-strewn construction site into a velvet lawn.

THAT's how you make a house a home.

Moses Lake SGL Plant Provides Raw Material for New BMW i3 Body

This from iFiber One News www.ifiberone.com/news
Posted: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 9:27 am | Updated: 9:32 am, Wed Jul 31, 2013.

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Courtesy photo/BMW

The BMW i3                

MOSES LAKE – The 2014 BMW i3 electric car, built with carbon fiber produced in Moses Lake and hydro-electric power from the Columbia River, was unveiled simultaneously Monday during New York, London and Beijing events.

  The carbon fiber-reinforced plastic is produced in a manufacturing plant at 8782 Randolph Road Northeast.

  The Moses Lake facility, a joint venture of German-based companies SGL Automotive Group and BMW, produces the carbon fiber for BMW's new line of lighter, more energy efficient electric cars.

It is the auto industry's first mass produced carbon fiber-reinforced plastic car body mounted on an aluminum chassis, BMW representatives said.

The 60-acre Moses Lake SGL facility employs about 50 and includes a 110,308-square-foot process building and a 46,781-square-foot office/warehouse building. It could grow by another 60 acres to accommodate six buildings and 12 production lines over the next five years, SGL representatives said.

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

The Moses Lake factory produces spools of carbon fiber composites that are shipped to Germany.

The plug-in BMW i3 is selling in the U.S. for $41,350, before federal or state incentives that could bring the price to as low as $28,775.

The car's 170 horsepower and 184 pound-foot of torque hybrid-synchronous electric motor, developed and produced by BMW, is electrified by a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery, good for 80-100 miles.

Family Time

Q and her friend Travis came out and spent four days trimming and tying up vines, punctuated by regular dips in the lake, trips to town for shave ice, and sunset dinners on the patio. They put in some good work in near-100 degree temps. She's off to college this fall, so great to have some solid time together.

Grapes are looking good. Had an attack of leafhoppers this summer. I could have sprayed and knocked them out, but decided to go the less-invasive route and place 10,000 lacewing eggs (mounted on cardboard tabs) throughout the vineyard. The lacewing larvae feed on leafhopper eggs. The leafhoppers have done some damage and for a while the issue was in doubt, but it looks like the good guys are winning the battle.

The lawn was hydroseeded last week and is coming in nicely. I'll post updated photos shortly.

The Man, The Legend, The Builder

Bruce Preston, here with his son Joe. If you are building in Grant County, don't even think about using someone else. I could go on at length about Bruce's talents and the quality and value he has incoporated into this house, but I will limit myself to this: He is honest, and he is a master builder in every sense of the word. www.bruceprestonhomes.com

Genie Industries Ramping Up

Lynne Lynch/Columbia Basin Herald

Glenn Gere, of Genie Industries, updates business and community leaders about the company's Moses Lake operations Thursday during a luncheon at Big Bend Community College's ATEC Center.

 

By Tiffany Sukola, Herald staff writer

Columbia Basin Herald 

 

MOSES LAKE - Although unfavorable market conditions a few years back forced layoffs at Genie Industries, a steady increase in demand for Genie products brought those jobs back.

 Glenn Gere, director of operations for Genie's Moses Lake facility, said the plant has seen significant growth over the last few years. Gere spoke at a Grant County Economic Development Council luncheon at Big Bend Community College Thursday.

 In 2007, Genie employed about 1,000 Basin residents, Gere said. The economic downturn then caused many of Genie's customers to rethink their purchasing, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article. As a result of reduced production, the plant began laying off employees and reducing company executives' salaries in 2009.

"We went into that economic situation and went down to 200 team members," said Gere. "We were all trying to survive at that time."

He said business began to recover in late 2009. "Almost immediately after we let the last group go, orders started coming in," he said.

In 2010, Genie brought back the first group of employees that were laid off, Gere said.

"We've been on the steady incline since then," he said. "We've had a rapid growth back to about 1,200 team members in a very short period of time."

In 2007, the plant produced about 30 machines each day, Gere said. Employees currently crank out 38 machines a day, he said.

"That's 60 percent of our capacity right now," Gere said. He expects production to continue to increase over the next few years.

Genie currently occupies a 500,000 square-foot building at the Port of Moses Lake. Gere said the plant manufactures about 16 different models of machines.

The facility contains different assembly areas for various product lines, he said. One of those areas will soon handle production of Genie's new Sx-180 boom lift.

Genie recently introduced the SX-180 lift at a trade show in Munich, Germany, said Gere. At 180 feet, it is the world's tallest self-propelled boom lift, he said.

"We already have orders for 200 to 300 of them and we haven't even built the first one," said Gere. "People can't wait to get their hands on them."

Gere said Genie recently invested in a new paint system which will allow employees to keep up with the anticipated demand. He also said Genie plans to lease another building from the port to house the company's product development team. Genie plans to build a new structure on site within the next few years and bring the development team back to that building.The goal is increase manufacturing space inside Genie's current building, he said.

"There's a lot of growth going on," Gere said.

Painting Finally Completed

...after spending the winter half finished.

We love the red and the white trim. The greige accent is OK. I would like to have kept the upper story white, but the upper trim disappears so we went with the third color and matched it on the shop. With a little online help from Vancouver, BC color consultant Maria Killam http://www.mariakillam.com/.

As you can see I've put in a rock retaining wall out back, which separates the lawn & living area from the vineyard. I've got a John Deer 3005 (27 horse) tractor and man is that a great little machine! Really showed it's stuff moving those boulders around.

Next step is getting the lawn in, and that will pretty much finish it.

Driveway Goes In

Quality Paving, Inc. - Scott Walker & crew.

Good guy, good crew, fair price, great work.

This Place is Cool

Tiffany Sukola/Columbia Basin Herald

Rock Top Burgers & Brew

Customers look over the menu at Rock Top Burgers & Brew during the Moses Lake restaurant's opening day Friday.
 

MOSES LAKE - It didn't take long for word to get out that Rock Top Burgers & Brew in Moses Lake had officially opened its doors for business.

 Hundreds of Basin residents visited the gourmet burger joint on its opening day Friday. Shortly after the doors opened at 10:30 a.m., a majority of the restaurant's tables were already filled.

 And the crowds kept coming throughout the weekend, said Jordan Hamilton, one of the new business's owners.

"We were very well-received by the community and we served a lot of people," he said Tuesday. "We had about 800 people come in each day during the first three days."

If you throw in guests who came on Monday, he said, Rock Top has served almost 3,000 people since opening day.

Rock Top occupies the former Golden Corral building on North Stratford Road. It is also the third dining establishment operated by the Hamilton family, joining Michael's on the Lake and Michael's Market & Bistro.

Lindsey Frey is Rock Top's general manager, and Adam Sawyer is the restaurant's assistant manager.

Hamilton said opening a restaurant that specialized in gourmet burgers had always been in the picture.

"We've had this concept and have wanted to do it for the past several years," he said. "There wasn't really a burger place like this in Moses Lake."

Hamilton said he wants customers to view Rock Top as a casual, family-friendly establishment.

While Rock Top does have a bar, he said, there is plenty of seating on the other side of the restaurant for families. There are also two outdoor seating areas at Rock Top, one near the bar for those older than 21 and one on the opposite side for families.

Although Rock Top has only been open for a handful of days, Hamilton said customer favorites are already starting to emerge.

The Officer Rodriguez 5-0 burger, with bleu cheese, bacon, grilled onions and avocado, among other ingredients, was one of the most commonly ordered burgers this past weekend, he said. It is named after Juan Rodriguez, a Moses Lake police officer.

"We had a contest back in December to see who could come up with the best burger recipe," said Hamilton. "And Juan Rodriguez won that, so we put that on the menu."

Hamilton said he also recommends the Rock Top Rumbler and Pacific Northwest burgers.
On the appetizer side, Hamilton said the restaurant's cheeseburger dip was another big hit over opening weekend. As the name suggests, the dip tastes like a gourmet hamburger, he said.

Rock Top also has an extensive salad, sandwich and dessert selection, said Hamilton.

Hamilton said the first few days of business went a lot smoother than he expected. He credits that to Rock Top's staff of about 70, a majority of which were new hires.

"You have 70 people who have never worked together, cooking a menu they've never cooked, in a building they've never worked in," he said. "No matter how prepared you think you are, you're still challenged."

Hamilton said he was proud of how quickly the team worked out various kinks.

"They've put in a lot of hours and they've worked a lot," he said. "To go from where we were on Friday, to where we're at today, it's better than I expected."

Rock Top Burgers & Brew is located at 930 N. Stratford Rd. in Moses Lake. They are open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/business/article_9e215342-a21f-11e2-8df1-001a4bcf887a.html