UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

physical plant

Best Wishes To Carvel Cook, Oct. 30

viet nam vets,physical facility,up
viet nam vets,physical facility,up

Please join the physical plant in extending best wishes to Carvel Cook, who is retiring on November 2, 2015. Carvel has been an esteemed member of the physical plant staff for 34 years, and he will be greatly missed by all. Carvel’s colleauges will honor him for his contributions to the University in a farewell reception to be held in St. Mary’s Lounge from 3 to 5 p.m., on Friday, October 30. All UP employees are invited to extend their good wishes to Carvel on his retirement.

For more information contact Erin Zarafshan, physical plant, at 7306 or zarafsha@up.edu.

Farewell Reception for Dave Doe, June 5

Dave150Please join the physical plant staff in extending best wishes to Dave Doe, who is retiring from the University of Portland on June 5, 2015. Dave has been an esteemed member of the physical plant staff for 26 years, and he will be greatly missed by all. A farewell reception for Dave will take place on Friday, June 5, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., in the Terrace Room. All faculty and staff are invited to extend their good wishes to Dave on his retirement.

For more information contact Erin Zarafshan, physical plant, at 7306 or zarafsha@up.edu.

Campus Changes: Praying Hands Memorial Trees

Kane Praying HandsThe physical plant grounds crew has been working this past week to remove five trees near the Praying Hands Memorial, after it was deemed too risky to allow them to remain in place. The trees were dead or dying due to leakage from a major (and aging) underground steam line, according to longtime UP arborist Jim Wells. For the past 67 years, since the memorial was built through the efforts of UP students to commemorate classmates who served and died in World War II, the area around the Praying Hands has slowly filled in with evergreen and magnolia trees, plus shrubbery and perennial flowers, providing a quiet, sheltered spot to remember those members of the UP community who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces. Senior grounds manager Nathan Hale is working on a new landscape design; however, replanting plans have not been finalized, so for the time being the Praying Hands Memorial will revert to its open setting, much as it looked originally in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

New Senior Grounds Manager: Nathan Hale

campus flowersNathan Hale has been hired to serve in the newly created position of senior grounds manager, according to Andre Hutchinson, physical plant. The care and maintenance of the campus grounds is of paramount importance as the physical appearance of campus often forms visitors’ first impressions. With the development of the River Campus, the grounds staff has been spread increasingly thin. Nathan is a registered landscape architect with more than 30 years of commercial landscaping experience and brings incredible design and leadership capability to the UP grounds team. Please welcome him as he takes on his new duties.

Key Position Filled in Physical Plant

university of portlandPhysical plant director André Hutchinson has announced the hiring of a second locksmith, Matt Nantz, to work in the University locksmith shop. Nantz and his wife recently relocated to Portland from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Matt worked in the locksmith trade for approximately 10 years, including work experience at the University of Michigan. He joins UP locksmith Dave Bachman and will help to reduce backlog and wait-times while the physical plant continues to improve building access controls and overall campus security. Please welcome him to the UP team.

For more information contact Hutchinson at 7306 or hutchina@up.edu.

UP Sustainability Efforts Recognized by PGE

university of portlandPhysical plant director André Hutchinson reports that the University of Portland was recently recognized in Portland General Electric (PGE) regional advertising for our ongoing participation in PGE’s Clean Wind Renewable Power program. Every year, UP self-directs the maximum amount of its public purpose charge toward the purchase of Clean Wind power. In 2013, the University purchased 1,032,895 kWh of Clean Wind power, resulting in 1,450,753 pounds of CO2 avoided, which equates roughly to 1,618,891 miles not driven or 173 trees planted annually. For more information contact Hutchinson at 7306 or hutchina@up.edu.

Campus Main Entry Update

hThe main Willamette Boulevard entry will be open to incoming traffic at all times during this summer’s repaving project. The entrance drive is currently a one-way gravel road on the left side of the drive. At the end of the entrance, drivers may turn into the main parking lot or go left to access other campus parking. Those who park in the main lot must exit using the road to Mehling Hall and onto Portsmouth. Those who park along the Buckley or Waldschmidt Hall areas must leave campus using the Kenna Hall exit.

On Tuesday the 24th, workers will switch the entrance to a wider gravel road on the opposite side of the current entrance, which should help make access to campus much easier. Your continued patience is appreciated as we update this important area of campus.

For more information contact Jim Ravelli, university operations, at ravelli@up.edu.

Aaaaaaargh!

PoisonOak8Faculty, staff, and students are reminded that the bluff area on campus is perhaps the world’s most efficient breeding ground for poison oak, an innocent-looking plant that causes intense itching, swelling, and oozing blisters on the skin of those unfortunate enough to brush against it, or to pet a dog which has recently rolled in a big juicy patch, or any number of surreptitious poison-oak-delivery systems. The resulting misery will not soon be forgotten.

The best way to avoid poison oak is to stay away from the sloping sides of the campus bluff altogether. If your job makes it necessary to climb down the bluff, it would be best to learn to identify the plant (“leaves of three, leave it be”), which typically has shiny green leaves and white berries— but not always. For more information, contact campus horticultural whiz Jim Haines, physical plant, at 7306 or haines@up.edu.

Portsmouth Avenue Entrance Closure, Detour

image002.jpgThe campus road that runs from Portsmouth Avenue (the “back entrance” onto campus) toward Bauccio Commons will be temporarily closed due to maintenance and repairs on the underground steam and condensate lines that provide heat to most campus buildings, according to Andre Hutchinson, physical plant. Traffic will be temporarily detoured around the back side of the physical plant building in order to get to and from the Bauccio Commons. Please drive carefully and proceed with caution when using this route. Physical plant staff and repair crews apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate everyone’s cooperation. For more information contact the physical plant at 7306 or physicalplant@up.edu.

UP Awarded Silver Status for Clean Wind Power

131231_PGE_CleanWind.jpgPhysical plant director André Hutchinson announced that the University of Portland has been awarded Silver status for 2013 as result of its ongoing participation in Portland General Electric’s Clean Wind Renewable Power program. Every year, UP self-directs the maximum amount of its public purpose charge toward the purchase of Clean Wind power. In 2013, UP purchased 1,032,895 kWh of Clean Wind power, resulting in 1,450,753 pounds of CO2 avoided, which equates roughly to 1,618,891 miles not driven or 173 trees planted annually.

For more information contact Hutchinson at 7306 or hutchina@up.edu.