2010 Engineers Without Borders Portland Professionals newsletter

1. EWB‐USA, Portland Professionals Newsletter October 2010
PDX PROFESSIONALS
NEWSLETTER
Published by Engineers Without Borders, Portland Professionals October 2010
EWB‐USA is a not‐for‐profit organization that partners with developing communities to improve their quality of life through the implementation of
environmentally sustainable, equitable, and economical engineering projects while developing internationally responsible engineers and engineering
students. The Portland Professionals chapter is working on projects in Ecuador, Haiti, Tanzania, and Portland.
In This Issue: President’s Letter
⇒ Tanzania Project
⇒ Kickball Without Borders Recap Happy October and a hearty hello!
⇒ Haiti Project I hope all of you have
⇒ Upcoming Events had rewarding, enrich‐
ing and enjoyable sum‐
mers! While some
Tanzania have been busy with
By Ada Banasik our Kickball fundraiser,
or our active projects
The Tanzania Team has another successful project under its belt! A team of in Haiti and Tanzania, I welcome our
engineers traveled to Lashaine Village in June to oversee the installation of returning members and newcomers
a solar energy system and expansion of the rainwater harvesting system at to EWB ‐ Portland.
Orkeeswa Secondary School, built and operated by IEFT (www.ieftz.org).
Team members were warmly welcomed by the students and staff and In June we fielded project trips to
amazed at how much Orkeeswa has changed! both Haiti and Tanzania installing a
water chlorination system, 60,000 l.
Through a generous $12,000 grant from Boeing, EWB worked with Chloride water storage tank, and a 1,080 watt
Exide, Ltd., a regional supplier of solar energy systems, to expand Or‐ solar photovoltaic system. Also this
keeswa’s solar system, summer our Ecuador project team
donated by Chloride had two members journey there to
Exide in 2009. The ex‐ identify possible new projects in that
isting 160‐watt system country.
was relocated from the
classrooms to an on‐ All of these projects of course could
campus building that not take place without the support of
will temporarily serve many sponsors and individuals. In
as a dormitory for girls, August, our Kickball Without Borders
until a full‐scale dorm is tournament was a huge success, rais‐
built in the future. De‐ ing over $11,500! Thank you to all
spite some “this‐is‐ the volunteers, players and sponsors
Africa” delays, a new 1‐ for your time, effort, positive attitude
kilowatt solar energy and donations that made this hap‐
pen!
Orkeeswa students excited to watch the installation of a system, designed and
new solar energy system! Photo by: IEFT funded by EWB, was I look forward to another successful
successfully installed! It year of improving the lives of others,
will power classrooms, sharing with new friends here and
staff offices, a newly constructed science lab and future computer lab and abroad, and all the rewards that
library. Orkeeswa now has a sufficient energy supply to power a class‐size come with enriching the lives we
computer lab and IEFT is ready to raise funds for the purchase of 35 energy touch!
(Continued on page 2) Steve Adams
www.ewbportland.org 1

2. EWB‐USA, Portland Professionals Newsletter October 2010
Member Spotlight (Continued from page 1)
‐efficient computers. The amazing
Orkeeswa students are anxious and
excited to begin using computers on
an everyday basis. Computer skills
will have a tremendous impact on
these children’s lives. “By learning to
use computers, the students of Or‐
Please welcome Steve Adams, keeswa will have a huge advantage
our new Chapter President and over students from other secondary
member spotlight! Steve has schools,” says Matt Barbian, electri‐
been an active member of EWB cal lead for the project. “The real Tank is almost finished!
Portland for 5 years. Joining the benefit will be realized years from
EWB Portland Professionals chap‐ now when these students apply for college. Having been there for a third time,
ter in 2005, and in 2006 Steve it was wonderful to see them again; their hospitality is always breath‐taking.”
took on the position of chapter The 60,000‐liter rainwater harvesting system, constructed by EWB in 2009, was
treasurer. In 2007 he became a expanded with the addition of a
key planner for the 2007 West second 60,000‐liter ferrocement
Coast Regional Workshop held tank to store rainwater collected
here in Portland at his alma ma‐ from the roofs of two new build‐
ter Portland State University. Af‐
ings on the Orkeeswa campus.
ter being Chapter Treasurer for
two years, he was elected as “The most amazing part of the trip
President‐Elect and transitioned was driving around the villages,
into his role as Chapter President meeting the students’ families and
this last June. seeing their home life”, says Ada,
In his day job, Steve is the Deputy one of the travel team members.
City Engineer for the City of Wil‐ “As engineers, we of course en‐ Discussions with the village women’s group.
sonville, and works to oversee joyed seeing our designs imple‐ Ashley Holmer, IEFT Executive Director and
mented, but the hospitality and Ada Banasik with the Lashaine Women’s
both private development and Group. Photo by: Mzee Lesinet, IEFT
capital projects for the City. Out‐ warm smiles of Orkeeswa students,
side of work and EWB Steve, his their families and the literally hun‐
wife Eve, and two adult children dreds of village children that seem to spill out of the bush wherever we show
are outdoor enthusiasts. Steve up is unforgettable and rewarded the countless hours of design work, report
has been known to do multi‐day writing and fundraising that made this project possible. Thank you Lashaine!”
bike trips, backpacking trips, and “It was great to see how all of our ef‐
loves to spend time out on the forts over the past year have come to
water. If you’re lucky enough to fruition”, says Brad Ostapkowicz an‐
get to know him, you’ll be invited other travel team member. “You gain
on a rafting trip! a lot of perspective when you are in
Welcome, Steve! We look for‐ direct contact with the students who
ward to your leadership! the EWB projects are helping. It also
gives us incentive to keep working
through the next coming year know‐
ing the students will be progressing in their studies, in part, due to the
sustainable sources of water and electricity. Thanks to all the students, “The most amazing part of the trip was driving
staff, and families who were extremely friendly and welcoming!” around the villages, meeting the students’ fami‐
lies and seeing their home life”
Team members also discussed potential future projects with IEFT staff and
the village women’s group. There’s much work to be done!
www.ewbportland.org 2

3. EWB‐USA, Portland Professionals Newsletter October 2010
Kickball Without Borders 2010 Recap
By Brooke Weeks
The EWB Portland Professionals’ annual fundraiser, Kickball Without
Borders, was a huge success this year bringing in $11,500 for the chap‐
ter! 23 teams entered to compete in a one day tournament held at Glen
Haven park in Portland. GL Garrad Hassan took home the first place tro‐
phy yet again to become a two‐time defending champion. This year a
couple of new features were added to the event to enhance and stay
true to our values as a chapter:
⇒ Facebook Competition ‐ This competition requested each kickball
team submit a creative team picture on the Facebook page of EWB
Portland Professionals (www.facebook.com/EWB.PDX ), and the
team that accumulated the most “likes” won a case of beer. The win‐
ning team for 2010 was Parametrix. The WINNER: GL Garrad Hassan
⇒ Zero Waste Event – In our efforts to “green” our chapter, we set the
goal of making KWB 2010 a zero waste event. Thanks to the hard work of Kelly Boreing (our fundraising co‐
chair), and the support of the tournament participants, we had only
two cubic feet of waste for an event of over 500 people! Kelly set up The TEAMS:
several recycling stations at the park and GL Garrad Hassan
made sure that all materials used for the (Our defending champs!)
event were either recyclable or composta‐
The Defpoints
ble. If you have questions about reducing
the waste at your next event or at your Shannon & Wilson Inc
office, contact kelly@ewbportland.org. Iron Mullet (Otak and friends)
Check out the video of Kickball Without Bor‐ Brown and Caldwell
The Facebook competition‐
ders 2010, which should be posted on the Black & Veatch
WINNER:
website this year. PGE
Parametrix
Finally, thanks is in order for all the partici‐ Infinity Images
pants who played, volunteered on the day,
BIAMP Systems
volunteered to organize the event, and of
course, all the willing, enthusiastic, and pa‐ Kennedy/Jenks Consultants
tient referees. Cardno WRG/ Kittelson
See everyone next year! Carollo Engineers
Kleinfelder
GSI Water Solutions
DKS Associates
Parametrix
Ash Creek
KPFF
Parsons Brinckerhoff/PSU
HDR Engineering
ESCO Corp
DEA Inc.
PBS
www.ewbportland.org 3

4. EWB‐USA, Portland Professionals Newsletter October 2010
A Thank You to EWB Les Anglais Program ‐ June 2010 Field
Our Sponsors
Trip
By Carolyn Shapiro
‐‐‐‐‐‐Platinum Level‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
($5,000 to $10,000 Level)
This past June a team of six EWB Port‐
land professionals traveled to Les Ang‐
lais for their third field trip since the
program began. Travel had been post‐
poned from February due to the 7.0
earthquake in Port‐au‐Prince and was
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐Gold Level‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ rescheduled after our partners in Port‐
($2,500 to $5,000 Level) au‐Prince were comfortable support‐
ing our trip.
In Les Anglais, the team successfully EWB project team with the enclosed chlorina‐
installed a passively controlled chlorine tor on the Bassin Simbi reservoir.
tablet feeder and steel enclosure to
treat part of the community water system. They trained six local volunteers as op‐
erators. Sanitation workshops were held with a variety of stakeholder groups to
get community input on a new sanitation project. Additionally the EWB program is
in the process of developing a partnership
with an organization called IFC‐World Bank to
provide financial management training to the
various water boards in Les Anglais. IFC‐World
Bank sent a representative to Les Anglais from
Sofitraining, their Haitian partner organiza‐
tion. Madame Michaelle Fortune conducted a
large scoping meeting with the water boards
from Les Anglais and neighboring districts. Ul‐
timately EWB hopes to work with Sofitraining
to complete training for community leaders so Kim Slack (EWB) training a group of
they are better able to manage their infra‐ Les Anglais residents to operate and
structure in the future. Special thanks to Par‐ maintain the chlorinator and
‐‐Silver & Bronze Level‐‐‐ sons Brinckerhoff and Biamp for their gener‐ to monitor and adjust chlorine con‐
($500 to $2,500 Level) ous grants that directly supported this work. centrations in the drinking water.
PAE Consulting Eng. Upcoming Events Calendar
StormwateRx October 12 : Haiti Team Mtg. (and every other Tuesday night)
PBS Eng. and Env. October 13 : Chapter Mtg. ‐ Social (Location: Ringlers Pub on W. Burnside)
GSI Water Solutions October 30‐31st: EWB West Coast Regional Workshop in San Francisco
Garrad Hassan November 9 : Chapter Mtg. ‐ Chapter Summit (Location: DEA)
Parsons Brinkerhoff November : ASCE ‐ UP Joint Mtg
Black & Veatch December 8 : Chapter Meeting ‐ Presentation (Location: DEA)
Tzvi’s Place January 12 : Beer without Borders
March : EWB International Conference in Louisville, KY
To learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit
www.ewbportland.org/sponsors More details at www.ewbportland.org/calendar
Our chapter’s activities are funded through donations and sponsorships. Donations are tax‐deductible and can be made online at
www.ewbportland.org/donate, or can be mailed to EWB‐USA, Portland Chapter, P.O. Box 14734, Portland, OR 97293 . Thanks!
www.ewbportland.org 4