Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, August 07, 1996, Page 4, Image 4

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Ai (.n si 7, 1996 * lin P ortland O bserver
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(Obseruer
Regional power outage started by tree
Die incredible influence possessed
by a single tree should never be under­
estimated. say experts at the Bonneville
Power Administration, so property
owners who plant and prune trees near
BPA power lines are being asked to
help reduce outages in the area by
keeping trees safely distanced from
lines
A single tree is what started a wide­
spread power outage that affected 2
million people in 14 western states on
I uesday, July 2. Ihe outage occurred
when electricity jum ped from a
345,000-volt transmission line in
Wyoming to a cottonwood that had
grown too close to the line. This inci­
dent. combined with a number o f un­
usual operating conditions, led to out­
ages in many parts of the West.
In order to keep electricity flowing
■
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Arches add elegance to generous Jessica
Bv Associated Designs
Arched windows, double col­
umns and a fetching eyebrow dor­
mer draw the eye to the handsome
Jessica. In this plan, good things
come in threes. It has three bed­
rooms, a roomy three-car garage,
and three spacious family living ar­
eas. All rooms that aren’t vaulted
have 10-foot ceilings.
You enter the home through a
delightful barrel-vaulted entry
brightened by sidelights and a flat
transom. Higher up, a
half-round transom
nestles under the eyebrow dormer
you see outside. A plant shelf be­
low the dormer takes advantage of
the natural light.
Straight ahead, an arched open­
ing frames an arched art niche, one
of two in this hallway. The vaulted
living room to the left has a fireplace
flanked by bookshelves. An elegant
tray-ceilinged dining room is to the
right.
Vaulted
Family
27'x18’
Bedroom
irxii'2"
Down
Down
Nook
Patio
TÄ
Bedroom
n'io"xir2"
Kitchen I
¥ [
Vaulted
Living
15'x18
k
Vaulted
Entry
Maater Suite
15'2”x17‘
Dining
12'6"x14'8"
I Covered Porch
&
-----
3-C ar Garage
32'4"x23'8"
T h e J e s s ic a
Living Area
Outside Dimensions
# 3 0 -0 4 9
2505 sq.ft
72’ x 67'
Windowed on three sides, the
family room is the brightest and
largest of the gathering spaces. An
arched transom crowns the rear win­
dows while double doors in the
nook open onto a large patio. Over­
head plant shelves and an extended
eating bar define the boundary be­
tween kitchen and family room.
A step-in pantry adds storage
space, and utilities are handy in a
long utility room/mud room that
connects to the garage. You can sit
on the bench to remove muddy
footgear, stow it underneath, and
hang coats on the wall pegs
above.
Amenities in the Jessica's mas­
ter suite include a huge walk-in
closet, an oval spa tub, double van­
ity, and plant shelves along two
sides. A pocket door sections off the
toilet and an oversized walk-in
shower. Secondary bedrooms share
another two-section bathroom at the
end of a hallway lined with storage
spaces.
For a review plan, including
scaled floor plans, elevations, sec­
tion and artist’s conception, send
$15 to Associated Designs,
11(X) Jacobs Dr., Eugene,
Ore. 97402. Please specify
the Jessica 30-049 and in­
clude a return address when
ordering. A catalog featuring
over 170 home plans is avail­
able for $I2. For more infor­
mation call (800) 634-0I23.
© 1996 Associated Designs, Inc
reliably while maintaining low rates,
the Bonneville Power Administration
is asking people to help by ensuring
that trees and other potential hazards
are safely distanced from transmission
lines.
“Trees don't have to cut off power
to become a problem," said Darrel
VanCoevering, BPA system opera­
tions manager. "In many cases, they
can cause damage. That means we
must replace or repair equipment -
which winds up being more costly for
electricity users.”
Trees need not touch power I ines to
be dangerous. Lines often sag when
carrying a lot of electricity or during
hot weather. Electric ity can j ump from
wires to nearby trees, causing wild­
fires or harm to people nearby. Plus, as
the summer warming trend continues,
it is highly likely that some lines will
sag. increasing the chances for a dan­
gerous hazard. This, coupled with the
threat of widespread fires, could en­
danger the lives and property o f thou­
sands of people.
Safely growing trees and shrubs
can make the d ifference between beau-
tiful landscapes and safety hazards. To
ensure your safety, only trained ex­
perts should remove trees that are close
to transmission line.
Each year, trees that have fallen.
have been cut, or were improperly
planted cause dozens o f outages that
affect electric utility customers and
threaten public safety. In the past year,
18 percent of the tree-caused outages
on the BPA power system in the region
were the result o f human action - either
from trees being cut or from grow ing
trees too close to the lines.
These tree-related power outages
are more than just an inconvenience.
Fire departments, police and hospitals
are all dependent upon a reliable sup­
ply of electricity to be able to respond
to emergencies. Additionally, individ­
uals on life support devices also are
threatened by these electrical outages,
and there are many dangers and incon­
veniences caused by outages to traffic
lights.
BP A has developed a “Danger Tree”
program to promote transmission line
safety and assist property owners with
their responsibility to keep trees and
vegetation a safe distance from power
lines and equipment. The program of­
fers property inspections and mainte­
nance work to owners o f property with
potential power hazards along BPA
high-voltage lines.
“Citizen involvement is essential
for general electrical safety, and it’s
needed to make the Danger Tree pro­
gram effective,” says BPA transmis­
sion line manage Randy Melzer.
Thinking o f
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Maybe we can’t make Northeast Portland a
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Singles & Seniors, I can help you!
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Portland General Electric’s Employees Seed the Future.
"Seed the Future” is a five year partnership w ith Friends of Trees to
plant 144,000 trees and seedlings around Portland. Those trees w ill help
beautify neighborhoods and purify our air. At PGE, we think a power
company can do more than make a profit. It can make a difference.
Portland General Electric
V
J
Stress-
reliever
Summer can be a stressful time
for trees in and around the home
landscape, acco rd in g to Ray
McNeilan, home horticulturist with
the Oregon State University Ex­
tension Service.
Many tree problems appearing
in the summer are caused by some­
thing affecting the tree’s root sys­
tems, said McNeilan.
A common cause o f tree stress
is the misuse o f weed killers in
lawns that are growing above the
tree roots
The root system o f a tree spreads
out in all directions from the trunk.
The roots w illdevelop in whatever I
direction they find growing room,
good soil, moisture.
As the tree develops, the roots
continue to expand outwards at a
rate equal to or even greater than
the top growth.
Tree roots may extend out from
I the trunk as far as the tree is tall,
said McNeilan. The root system of j
a maple tree 30 feet high may
reach as far as 30 feet away from
the trunk.
This means that most nearby
trees will have their roots under­
neath your lawn. Check carefully
any weed killers used on the lawn
to make sure they will not harm
nearby trees.
Another problem is lack o f soil
moisture, especially during peri­
ods o f hot weather.
Unless irrigated periodically,
young trees or trees planted this
past spring will suffer from hot
daytime temperatures.
Water young trees every month
during their first year.
Apply enough water that it
reaches and stimulates the roots
that grow deep into the soil.
Hot summer temperatures also
cause trees to show symptoms o f j
problem s that may have been
present for m any years, said
McNeilan.
For example, a maple tree may
haveverticilliumwilt, butnotshow
many effects o f the disease until
the tree becomes stressed by high
heat. In this case watering the tree
doesn’t remedy the real problem.
Hardware retail
utilizes computers
John Hechinger Jr. was showing
off the kitchen and bath displays at
his company’s Home Quarters Ware­
house in Manchester. Nearby, a de­
signer worked at a computer as she
listened to a customer explain her
needs and desires.
T he d e sig n a d v ic e is free,
Hechinger said Because HQ prom­
ises to match any com petitor’s price,
he doesn’t worry that the customer
will come to his store for free help in
designing a kitchen or bathroom and
then buy the components elsewhere.
The increasing size o f such dis­
play areas, the attention given to the
presentation o f lighting fixtures and
the improvement in quantity and qual­
ity o f area rugs for sale are all part o f
HQ’s effort to focus on home fash­
ion.
Dad’s
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