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Water SA
On-line version ISSN 1816-7950
Print version ISSN 0378-4738
Water SA vol.36 n.4 Pretoria Jul. 2010
Water network rehabilitation: a group decision-making approach
Danielle C Morais*; Adiel T Almeida
Federal University of Pernambuco, PO Box 7462, Recife-PE; 50630-970, Brazil
Rehabilitation of water networks is a complex problem which may require a range of different water management actions, involving groups or institutions having differing objectives, responsibilities and interests, and requiring collaboration for conflict resolution. Group decision making can play a vital role in situations where multiple actors are involved, each having their own private perceptions of the context and the decision problem to be tackled. This paper proposes a group decisionmaking model based on an analysis of individual rankings, with the aim of choosing an appropriate alternative which is the best compromise of the points of view of the actors involved in the decision problem. An application with 4 influence groups was conducted based on the proposed method.
Keywords: group decision, individual preferences, water losses, leakage
Municipal water supply infrastructure maintenance is very important for sustainable urban development. Mismanagement in this field can have serious consequences, such as water pipe bursts, which result not only in disruption of the service but also in significant water losses. Water lost from potable water distribution systems remains a key problem facing not only developing but also developed countries throughout the world. A new challenge in water distribution management is how to achieve effective water utilisation and reduction of wastage, taking into account many different aspects, such as technical, social and environmental.
The problem of rehabilitation of water networks needs to be perceived as a process where multi-discipline actors have to invest money, time and physical and mental effort in order to use scarce financial resources in an adequate way, choosing a desired action to provide water in volumes sufficient to meet domestic, commercial and industrial demands, to recognized quality standards, without interruption and at appropriate pressure. However, supporting a group decision-making process becomes intensely difficult due to the different perceptions of the actors of the way in which the problem should be handled and the decision made (Matsatsinis et al., 2005).
When more than one individual participates in a decision process it is necessary to aggregate their information. In general, the 2 methods that have been found to be most useful are the aggregation of individual judgments and the aggregation of individual priorities (Forman and Peniwati, 1998). The former is used when the group is assumed to act together as a unit, and the latter when they are assumed to act as separate individuals expressing their own preferences. Nevertheless, the problem of rehabilitation of water networks involves groups or institutions with different objectives, responsibilities and interests. This study is therefore focused on the second situation, where an individual is acting in his or her own right, with different value systems. Thus it is concerned with the resulting individual alternative rankings.
One of the fundamentals of the Water Resources National Politic (Brazilian Ministry of the Environment; MMA, 2006) is the decentralisation and participation of all in the water resource management process - civil society, the public sector and water resource users. Decisions in this field normally involve multidisciplinary decision makers, who commonly use a voting procedure as a means to reach a decision. However, a simple voting system does not guarantee a global result considering the preferences of all decision makers.
Various authors have studied the problem of aggregating individual preferences for group decision-making (Smith, 1973; Armstrong et al., 1982; Forman and Peniwati, 1998; Cook, 2006). In fact, the voting system is one of the most useful ways to achieve a 'social choice' (Sales, 2005), because voting is one of the decision-making alternatives which is able to reach a solution when the decision to be made implies a conflict of interests among group members.
One of the earliest works based on social choice is Essai sur l'application de l'analyse à la probabilité des décisions rendues à la pluralité des voix, developed by Marquis de Condorcet (1785). In this work, Condorcet argued that the majority opinion will very likely identify the decision that is objectively the best. Condorcet's argument was known as Condorcet's rule. Based on this rule, Condorcet created a procedure to aggregate individual preferences, verifying which option was preferred by the majority of the decision-makers (Young, 1988).
Another pioneer in social choice theory was the Chevalier Jean Charles de Borda (1781), who used a count which was related to the ranking of alternatives according to each individual's preferences. Borda also pointed out some defects of Condorcet's method. Borda argued that when there are many options, Condorcet's method can elect an option which was endorsed by only a small minority of the electorate (Young, 1988).
In such a context, a group decision should be understood as a junction of the individuals' interests; thus the purpose of the final result is to allow for the maximisation of members' group satisfaction. The best result can be considered as the one that guarantees the largest number of satisfied decision-makers. Individual decision-maker satisfaction is related to the degree to which the final decision result is adapted to individual intention.
In this study, a method of analysing individual rankings was applied, by tackling the choice problematic. Thus, the final result of a group decision should be the choice of the alternative which represents the collective intention, based on the ranking position of the chosen alternative with regard to individual points of view, allowing the largest number of decision-makers to be satisfied with the final result. This method of analysis of individual rankings for group choice is conducted in 4 steps.
This paper is organised as follows: firstly, the problem is structured and some concepts of water losses are discussed, identifying where and why they happen; secondly, the fundamentals of the group decision-making process using the method of analysis of individual rankings for group choice are presented, followed by an application of the method for water infrastructure rehabilitation. Finally, a summary and some concluding remarks are presented.
The 'rehabilitation of water networks' problem
One of the most important reasons to rehabilitate water networks is to reduce water losses. Leakage represents a significant portion of the high index of water losses found, and is one of the crucial issues to be dealt with in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water supply services (Mackenzie and Seago, 2005). There are many causes of leakage and they are related to soil type, water quality, technology and materials used in network construction, operating pressure and age of the system, and the operation and maintenance practices followed (Arreguín-Cortes and Ochoa-Alejo, 1997). Losses from leakage can be severe, and may go undetected for months or even years. The larger losses are usually from burst pipes or from the sudden rupture of a joint, while smaller losses are from leaking joints, fittings, service pipes and connections. It is inevitable that leakage will vary from one part of the country to another. According to Morais and Almeida (2007a), factors such as traffic loading and ground movement will vary, and therefore it is very difficult to compare the success of leakage management in different areas.
It is thus necessary to adopt preventive measures, in order to reach a decision about a distribution system in a just way, which assists the customer fully, does not harm the environment and is coherent with the realities faced by the water company (Al-Rashdan et al., 1999). On the other hand, to reduce leakage to zero cannot be practical, because there are always many very small leaks which are neither practical to find nor economic to repair. It is unreasonable to expect a company to reduce leakage to below the economic level.
Nevertheless, the economic implications of leakage reduction are all too obvious. Water leakage not only involves unnecessary expense in pumping and treatment costs, but may also trigger premature investment to develop new sources or to expand system capacity to keep pace with increasing demand. Reductions in leakage will therefore result in lower annual operating costs and, furthermore, deferment of demand-related capital expenditure. However, it is difficult to find the right alternative to reduce leakage when many actors are involved, which is often the case with this kind of decision problem.
These actors can represent different departments of a water company (engineer department, financial department), different organisations (environmental agencies) or simply different stakeholders involved in a project (society, as spoken for by community representatives). Each actor usually has their own specific objectives (Cai et al., 2004).
Hence, a methodology is needed to help these actors to evaluate the potential actions, with regard to predefined criteria, while taking into account the characteristics of the specific system and evaluating the alternatives from the point of view of each different actor, considering financial, technical, environmental and social aspects.
Analysis of Individual Rankings method
Bouyssou et al. (2006) analysed a variety of voting systems: In some situations, the election is uninominal, where each voter votes for one candidate only. In this kind of election, each voter ranks all alternatives from best to worse, without ties, and when voting each voter votes for the alternative that he ranked in the first position. Supposing a set of 3 alternatives for a 100-voter election, where 51 voters prefer alternative a to b and b to c (in short aPbPc) and 49 voters prefer c to b and b to a (cPbPa). It is clear that 51 voters will vote for a while 49 will vote for c. Thus a has an absolute majority and wins. However, almost half of the voters perceive a as the worst one, and alternative b seems to be a good compromise.
Bouyssou et al. (2006) therefore perceived that uninominal election combined with the majority rule allows a dictatorship of majority and does not favour a compromise. A possible way to avoid this problem is to ask the voters to provide their whole ranking instead of their preferred alternative. Hence, the task of the aggregation method is to extract from all these rankings the best alternative reflecting the preferences of the voters as much as possible. Following this idea, the method proposed in this paper seeks to study rankings of alternatives and to extract a choice of compromise, analysing the best and the worst alternatives classified by all decision-makers, applying 2 types of counting based on the principles of Borda's counting.
First of all, it is necessary to know how all the members of the group understand the problem situation and would solve it, making a ranking of actions (alternatives), which are evaluated by a family of criteria:
Let A = {A1, A2, ..., Ai} be the set of alternatives, g = {g1, g2, ..., gn} the consistent family of criterion and DM = {DM1, DM2,..., DMm} the decision-makers (DMs), who form the group. Each participant evaluates the problem with respect to the alternatives common to the group, constructing a rank order of the alternatives according to their individual preferences.
When one alternative is not chosen simultaneously by all decision-makers, it is necessary to apply a tool that makes the analysis of individual rankings possible, in order to find an alternative which can be considered the most appropriate for solving the problem, in accordance with all group members' points of view.
Based on ranking alternatives constructed by each member group, the procedure to apply the method proposed by Morais and Almeida (2007b) is well-defined in 4 exploration phases (Filter 1, Filter 2, Veto and Choose), as shown in Fig. 1.
With the individual ranks of all actors involved in the decision problem, the procedure of the analysis of individual priorities can start. It is important to note that the actors can apply any appropriate multicriteria method to support the ranking process.
Filter 1
This first phase consists of creating a set of alternatives considered as a superior order, through application of separation by quartiles. The quartiles divide the sample of data into four equal parts in relation to the number of observations. They are used for convenience, when it is desired to eliminate the observed extreme values, or when it is desired to examine certain parts of the sample of data.
The data are then summarised for analysis of the alternatives constant in the upper quartile. The ranked set of alternatives is divided into two parts, where a quarter, or 25%, of the alternatives are ranked in an upper position, and the remaining ones, three-quarters, or 75%, are in a lower position. The element that indicates the position of the upper quartile is given by the following expression: x = n/4, where n is the total number of ranked alternatives (rounded up).
For n = 7 → x = n/4 = 1.75 ~ 2 (rounding up), so the 2nd position divides the ranking, where the 1st and 2nd positions make up the 25% of data falling within the upper quartile.
Those alternatives that are in the upper quartile would, theoretically, be the most appropriate alternatives to be implemented, translating the collective idea of the 'best' alternatives.
As part of the first phase, a count should be made of how many decision-makers preferred the alternatives that were in the upper quartile. The alternatives that did not obtain votes are eliminated from the process. In other words, those alternatives that did not appear among the best ones (in the group of the upper quartile) are taken out of the set of possible actions to solve the problem.
Considering Ui as the number of times that the alternative i appears in the upper quartile, representing the number of votes this alternative received to be included among the best ones, Ui can be computed by:
if the alternative i is in the upper quartile for the decision-maker k
i corresponds to the alternatives in the upper quartile (i = 1, ...; n)
j is the position in the upper quartile, varying from 1st to xth ( j = 1, ..., x)
k represents a decision-maker (k = 1, 2, ..., m).
The first filter is then concluded, eliminating those alternatives that were not considered by any of the decision-makers, in other words, Ui = 0.
Filter 2
The second phase of the exploration is conducted by an inverse analysis, using the group of alternatives that compose the lower quartile. The element that indicates the position of the lower quartile is given by the following expression: y = 3n/4 + 1 (truncate), where n is the total number of ranked alternatives. In other words, it divides the ranked group of alternatives in 2 parts so that 25% of the alternatives are ranked in a lower position and the remaining ones, 75%, are in an upper position.
A count should be made of how many decision-makers are against the alternatives. Considering Li as the number of times that the alternative i appears in the lower quartile, representing the number of votes which this alternative received to be grouped among the worst ones, Li can be computed by:
if the alternative i is in the position j for the decision-maker k
i corresponds to the alternatives in the lower quartile
j is the position in the lower quartile, varying from yth to nth ( j= y, ..., n)
k represents a decision-maker (k = 1, 2, ..., m).
The alternatives with more votes against than in favour are eliminated, in other words, Li > Ui. Those alternatives that were able to pass through both filters go on to the third phase of the exploration, termed 'veto'.
In the third phase, a positional count of the alternatives is accomplished, based on Borda's method (1781 in Cook, 2006). This method attributes a value corresponding to each position in the ranking, so that 1 point is added when moving from a particular position to the next higher one.
However, the method proposed here only analyses the situation of the alternatives which are in the upper and lower quartiles. Thus, to each position of the evaluation a number of points is attributed, differently from Borda's method. In this case, the number of points is computed as follows: 1 for the last position (the upper quartile limit: x), 2 for the next to last position, ...., x for the first position. The points gained by each alternative are totalled and the alternatives obtain a score called Strength of the Alternative, Fi , given by:
if the alternative i is in the position j for the decision-maker k
i is the remaining alternatives in the upper quartile, j is the position varying from the 1st. position until the upper quartile limit (xth), for all k decision-makers (k = 1, 2, ..., m).
For instance, the Strength of the Alternative A is given by:
Similarly to the upper positional count, the lower positional count is made, where a number of points are attributed in an inverse way to each position of the evaluation, because higher points should be considered for the alternatives in the worst positions, thus guaranteeing that the weakest alternatives have a larger accumulation of points, in other words, votes against being favoured as alternatives. In this case, the attribution of points is computed as follows: x for the last position, (x-1) for the next to last position, ..., 1 for the first position (lower quartile limit: y). The points gained by each alternative are totalled and the alternatives obtain a score called Weakness of the Alternative, fi , given by:
if the alternative i is in the position j for the decision-maker k
i is the remaining alternatives in the lower quartile, j is the position, varying from the first position of the lower quartile (yth) until the last position of the ranking (nth), for all k decision-makers (k = 1, ..., m).
For instance, the Weakness of the alternative A is given by:
Now, it is important to investigate if the intensity of that disagreement is enough to refuse that alternative. So, if fi > Fi, it can be affirmed that there is a high opposition to the alternative being considered among the best ones; the alternative is then eliminated. In this phase, it is also possible to insert a more restrictive veto threshold, depending on the decision-makers, as follows:
b represents the percentile of the fi value in relation to Fi that the decision-makers are willing to accept. This value should be discussed between the analyst and the decision-makers.
In this third filter, termed 'veto', the alternatives are also evaluated through a discordance meaning, to check if there is high opposition since the alternative is well-classified. Then, the veto threshold is introduced, representing not a specific performance of an alternative, but the difference between preferences among alternatives. This veto verifies if there is very high opposition in relation to the alternative selected by the second filter, the intention being to eliminate the alternatives classified as worst for the majority of the decision-makers, by the analysis of the Strength and the Weakness of the Alternatives, in other words, a positional analysis of the alternatives that are in the upper and lower quartiles.
For instance, if an alternative has the best positions considered by some decision-makers, but at the same time it is considered as worst by the other decision-makers, being classified significantly in worse positions than the ones considered in the upper quartile, it is probable that the alternative will pass filter 2, but not the veto filter. Only when one alternative passes through all 3 filters can it be affirmed that this alternative translates a collective feeling, in other words, it is considered as a good alternative with regard to all decision-makers.
The fourth and last phase of the exploration is to choose the alternative. The procedure is concluded when the alternative that has the largest number of points is selected. This analysis of the intensity of the strength of the alternative is given by the expression:
αi = Fi - fi , with the alternative chosen being that which presents the largest αi.
Nevertheless, in the case of ties (same scores), a pair analysis of those alternatives can be made, in order to verify which one is preferred by the majority of the decision-makers.
Analysis of Individual Rankings for water supply infrastructure rehabilitation
This section shows an application of the method to aid actors in choosing the action to be taken to rehabilitate the water distribution network. In order to illustrate the proposed method, the case study of Morais and Almeida (2007a) was used. The main characteristics of the case study are as follows: The city was located in the north-east of Brazil, in Pernambuco State. The population of the city is 45 481 with a population density of 236.8 people/km2. The city has a very hilly topography (varying from 60 to 130 m of elevation) resulting in large differences in water pressures along the network. The network distribution system is around 30 years old and there are many problems with meters. The water losses index is almost 60%.
A list of 6 alternatives (actions to rehabilitate the water network infrastructure) is presented in Table 1.
Four actors were identified to integrate the decision process, representing 4 specific interests, as shown below (it is important to note that in decisions of this magnitude, all actors who have an influence in the decision process should be taken into account. The number of actors depends on how the decision will proceed (Table 2).
The decision-makers evaluate the alternatives, from their individual perspectives, points of view and interests, ranking the alternatives by importance. All DMs evaluate the problem considering the same 7 criteria (cost; benefit period; economicfinancial balance; effects in reduction of waste; environmental benefits; maintenance and operation conditions; social acceptability). They used the Promethee method (Brans et al., 1986) to rank the alternatives. Table 3 shows all individual results.
As expected, the prioritised alternatives are not the same for each decision-maker. Thus, the results of the individual rankings go to the next phase of aggregation of the results, or global evaluation, where it is possible to analyse the individual rankings.
Analysis of individual rankings
To conform with the first phase of the method, the alternatives which are in the upper quartile should be analysed. As the total number of alternatives, n, is 6, then:
Element of location - Upper Quartile x =
Element of location - Lower Quartile y =
The set of the alternatives in both quartiles is shown in Table 4.
Filter 1
By considering Table 3, which shows the ranking per decisionmaker, the first phase can start, summing the number of decision-makers who are in favour of each alternative (Ut), as given by Eq. (1). Table 5 shows the result of the sum of votes in favour of the alternatives.
Filter 1 is completed by eliminating the alternatives that are not in the upper quartile. Thus, alternatives A2 and A4 are eliminated.
Filter 2
The sum of the number of decision-makers who are against each alternative (Li) is calculated, as given by Eq. (2). The results are shown in Table 6.
Filter 2 is completed by eliminating the alternatives with Li > Ui, meaning that more decision-makers are against than in favour of the alternatives. Alternatives A1 and A3 are eliminated.
The remaining alternatives pass on to the process of upper positional counting, using Eq. (3). Tables 7 and 8, respectively, show the values obtained for Fi and fi.
In this phase, the strength intensity of the alternatives is calculated, i.e., αi = Fi - fi . The alternative which has the highest number of points, or the highest a, is selected. Thus, it is verified that the alternative A5 has the best performance among the remaining alternatives, as αA5= 4.
For this specific study, the aggregation procedure provided a very satisfactory result. Although alternative A6 was in the first position for 2 DMs (DM1 and DM2), DM4 ranked that alternative as least preferable. On the other hand, the alternative chosen, A5, was positioned at the top of only one individual ranking (ranking of DM3). However, DM1 and DM4 positioned alternative A5 in the second position and DM3 positioned that alternative in an acceptable position (third). Therefore, no DM feels that A5 is a bad alternative and the final result is considered to be very reasonable.
The real world is characterised by deep complexity, especially in decisions that involve society as a whole, as do all problems related to water. This happens because of the implications of the manner in which policy problems are presented and decision making is framed (Morais and Almeida, 2006). The problem of water supply infrastructure rehabilitation is very complicated, due to a lack of sanitation policies and a shortage of resources, in addition to the involvement of different actors with specific interests and conflicting objectives.
This paper presented a method, based on individual rankings, to assist actors involved in the process of rehabilitation of water networks to achieve a solution judged appropriate, ensuring that the majority of the actors are satisfied with the final result. This proposal considers that each individual of the group interprets a given situation in a different way, which can generate different decision-making models. Thus, this method starts from the ranking assigned by the individuals, and allows each participant to evaluate the problem based on the alternatives and criteria common to the group.
The tool of analysis of individual priorities is especially important in social decision making, particularly when one alternative is not chosen simultaneously by all decision-makers. It is then necessary to apply a tool that makes the analysis of individual rankings possible, in order to find an alternative which can be considered the most appropriate for solving the problem, in accordance with all group members' points of view.
This method has the potential to make a positive contribution to the process of water management, putting together the preferences of different groups of influence, while including criteria relying on interdisciplinary principles, such as technical, economic, environmental and social aspects and perceptions, and suggesting an option based on these evaluations and the relative importance of the decision-makers involved.
The use of this method, incorporated in the multicriteria model for group decision, allows groups to identify the alternatives for a solution that are more favourable for certain problems. It is important to note, that this method can be used to deal with many kinds of group decision-making problems.
With this methodology is possible to pay attention in several objectives that, probably, would not be noticed in a strictly technical-economic analysis. The method helps to improve the quality of decisions, by making the decision-making process more explicit, rational and efficient.
This work is part of a research programme funded by the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq). The authors would like to acknowledge the valuable suggestions that have been made by the editor and anonymous reviewers on a previous version of this paper.
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Received 16 May 2009; accepted in revised form 10 August 2010.
* To whom all correspondence should be addressed. +55 81 2126-8728 Ext. 205; fax: +55 81 2126-8728 ext 201; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
UN group OKs new video format to save bandwidth
The U.N. telecommunications agency says its members have agreed upon a new compression format that could dramatically cut the amount of Internet bandwidth currently used by video files.
The International Telecommunication Union says the format, or codec, known as H.265 would require just half the amount of data needed by its predecessor, H.264.
The Geneva-based agency says videos encoded using the H.264 format—which is favored by devices such as Apple's iPad—currently account for two-fifths of web traffic.
ITU said in a statement late Friday the new H.265 codec could pave the way for "the next wave of innovation," such as faster movie downloads and higher-quality video streaming.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
BuzzFeed fires Benny Johnson for plagiarism
BuzzFeed has fired Viral Politics Editor Benny Johnson after finding more than 40 instances of plagiarism, BuzzFeed's editor Ben Smith announced on Friday evening.
In an apology to BuzzFeed readers, Smith said the plagiarism is "a breach of our fundamental responsibility" and that editors were in the process of attaching an editor's note to every instance of plagiarism.
"Plagiarism, much less copying unchecked facts from Wikipedia or other sources, is an act of disrespect to the reader. We are deeply embarrassed and sorry to have misled you," Smith said.
In an internal memo to staff titled "What we're doing about plagiarism at BuzzFeed," Smith said Johnson's plagiarism was "not a minor slip" and that the decision to let Johnson go was not taken lightly.
"We should have caught what are now obvious differences in tone and style, and caught this very early on. We will be more vigilant in the future. We will also change our onboarding procedures to make sure that the high standards of training that come with our fellowship program extend to everyone who arrives at BuzzFeed — and particularly to those without a background in traditional journalism," Smith said in the memo.
The accusations of plagiarism started on Thursday when Gawker's J.K. Trotter reported that Johnson has "periodically lifted text from a variety of sources" — including Yahoo Answers, Wikipedia, U.S. News & World Report — "all without credit." The instances were brought to Trotter's attention by Twitter users @blippoblappo and @crushingbort.
On Thursday, Smith said BuzzFeed had corrected the instances and defended Johnson, calling him "one of the web's deeply original writers, as is clear from his body of work."
But soon after the same two Twitter users publicized six more instances in which Johnson lifted passages from sites like The New York Times, Wikipedia, The Heritage Foundation and National Review Online without attribution. BuzzFeed then launched an internal review.
In the memo to staff, Smith said the decision was not "a knee-jerk reaction." And in a nod to the type of new-media organization BuzzFeed is, Smith said that his firing is not a sign staff will be fired for a "small mistake or isolated error."
"We will always have a more forgiving attitude toward bold failures, innocent errors, and misfired jokes than more skittish old media organizations," Smith said.
Update (July 26, 11:15 a.m.)
Johnson apologized on Twitter Saturday morning:
"To the writers who were not properly attributed and anyone who ever read my byline, I am sincerely sorry," he wrote, linking to the editor's note about his termination.


text:
The walls of attorney Stephen Piucci's downtown Portland office are adorned with artwork, including a series of paintings, at right, painted by his son, Joe.
Melissa Crosman, SMPS Oregon President, Marketing Manager at Interface Engineering
Sharon Maxwell-Hendricks, owner of North Portland-based general contractor Boanerges Group, stands in one of the three classrooms her company recently renovated at Portland Community College Cascade Campus.
Miriel Aguirre, an apprentice electrician with O'Neill Electric and a member of IBEW Local 48, wires a street lamp at a street car service garage in Northwest Portland on Wednesday.
Contractor Holly Huntley, left, shows Samantha Rodriguez, a student in Oregon Tradeswomen's Pathways to Success program, how to build a fence at Fort Vancouver on Tuesday.
Holly Huntley, right, shows a group of young women how to use a chop saw at Fort Vancouver on Tuesday. Huntley, the owner of Portland-based general contracting company Environs, spends several weeks a year serving as an instructor with Oregon Tradeswomen's Pathways to Success pre-apprenticeship program.
Rick Hollister, president and owner of Site Tech, Inc., uses an excavator to level ground for a job trailer at the site of a new police station in Troutdale on Tuesday.
David Van't Hoff
Tom Boyhan, a journeyman sheet metal worker with Temp-Control Mechanical and member of Local 16, installs seismic bracing on a supply air duct at Legacy Emanuel Children's Hospital in North Portland on Wednesday. Temp-Control Mechanical is among a group of local firms participating in the Greater Portland Construction Partnership's new construction safety database, which points out strengths and weaknesses in contractors' safety plans and helps streamline the process to gain work.
Chris Nelson, a journeyman plasterer with Local 82 and employee of Harlen's Drywall, sprays cementitious fireproofing while working on a job at OHSU on Wednesday. The school uses a master contract model with design firms, as well as general contractors.
Eric Smiley, a journeyman carpenter with Local 156 and employee of Spectrum Woodworking, cuts pieces of wood trim while working on a corridor connection project at OHSU's Southwest Portland campus on Wednesday. OHSU is one of several local agencies to utilize master contracts for design and construction work.
Tricia Stone, far left, and her partner, Lissa Adams, stand in front of their Northeast Portland home with Rob Cellini, a construction team manager with Green Hammer. Stone has worked side-by-side with Green Hammer crews while renovating the house, one of several to be featured on this year's "Build It Green!" home tour in which homeowners played an active role in the construction process.
A sun room addition at the Northeast Portland home of Tricia Stone and Lissa Adams, which will be featured in this month's "Build It Green!" home tour, includes cedar from a deck that previously occupied the space. The house is one of seven on the tour feature work that was completed by homeowners who, for various reasons, took a hands-on approach to the construction process.
Sam Avalos, left, and John Streeter, both journeyman carpenters with Wildish Standard Paving and members of Local 156, set stair wall forms at the Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge project in Portland's South Waterfront on Friday. The $6.7 million bridge, which will allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross over I-5, is expected to be completed in March 2012.
A tower standing over 100 feet tall will house an elevator on the eastern end of the Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge project in Southwest Portland.
General contractor LMC Construction recently completed a tenant improvement project for Rivermark Community Credit Union at the new Progress Ridge TownSquare development in Beaverton. The 3,035-square-foot space was outfitted with offices, a teller row, work areas, an employee break room, bathrooms, a safe room, ATM room, and a circular waiting area in the center of the space. Design work on the branch, which opens Wednesday, was done by Baysinger Partners Architects.
Daniel Baugher, a carpenter with Hammer and Hand, spreads liquid applied flashing membrane on an accessory dwelling unit in Northeast Portland on Monday.
Hammer and Hand carpenter Daniel Baugher spreads liquid flashing on an accessory dwelling unit under construction in Northeast Portland on Monday.
Bryan Cumiskey, an electrician with KEC Electric, wires ceiling lighting at the future Dental Specialty Center in Southeast Portland on Monday. General contractor BnK Construction is building the 5,915-square-foot dental building; work on the site began in July, and is due to be complete by late October.
Residential real estate broker Beth Kellan, along with fellow broker Diane Rulien, recently won a case in the Oregon Court of Appeals against the City of Portland's requirement that brokers pay the city's income-based business license tax.
Mike Pullen, left, a spokesman for Multnomah County, and Sellwood Bridge Program Manager Ian Cannon discuss the Sellwood Bridge replacement project Tuesday morning. A possible federal funding shortfall may force county officials to alter the planned design of the new bridge.
Steve Miles, David Evans & Associates.
Architects Margarette Leite and Sergio Palleroni, a married couple who are both instructors at Portland State University and partners in the architecture firm PLDP, are working on making manufactured classrooms more sustainable without increasing the buildings' cost.
Mark Barrick, left, and Ken Haines, both journeyman carpenters with Skyline Interiors and members of Local 156, install steel framing in the former Commerce Building, now being called Broadway Commons, in downtown Portland on Thursday. The building is one of several so-called "zombie buildings," historic downtown office buildings that are being renovated and leased after experiencing long periods of vacancy.
Broadway Commons, formerly known as the Commerce Building, is undergoing a renovation, including a new paint job on the exterior.
Clyde Holland is the CEO of Vancouver-based multifamily rental housing developers Holland Residential.
Meghan Vandewettering, left, an incoming freshman at Oregon State University, and her mother, Mari, react as their Lego sculpture withstands water in a wave machine during the OSU Rally in the Square at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Friday. Visitors to a booth operated by the school's O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory were challenged to construct Lego structures to hold up to the water's force.
A Lego sculpture withstands breaking water in a wave machine operated by OSU's O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory during the school's Rally in the Square event Friday at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Robin Wagner, left, a bioengineering student at Oregon State University, helps Pearl Waubanascum, 7, and her brother, John Waubanascum IV, 4, make Lego sculptures to test in a wave machine Friday at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
An 18,000-square-foot warehouse building in Northwest Portland is being fully renovated by Siteworks for web design firm ISite Design. The building will feature an open-office design, and will also contain ten directors' offices, a brainstorming room, kitchen/break room, restrooms with showers for bicycle commuters, and a private room for nursing mothers. The building will also contain a community room for use by local residents, a café, and incubation space intended to draw a startup tech business. Work on the project began in June, and is expected to be completed in December.
A warehouse building for sale at 320 N.W. Hoyt St features 21,900 square feet over three levels. Individual floors are also available for lease.


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5/9/10: All You Can Eat Mother's Day Buffet
5/13/12: Chomp, Chomp
5/12/13: Happy Mothers, Lots of Lambs
Too much cuteness in one picture!ReplyDelete
Supreme cuteness!ReplyDelete
Oh, what's sweeter than baby chicks?
Ten hens? You must have lots of fresh eggs? Yum!
Hi Susan - I've looked around a bit and couldn't realty find this but have you posted a recipe for Cinnamon Rolls? Thanks!ReplyDelete
Hi Barb,
Sorry, no recipe for cinnamon rolls. I love them but only make them once every several years. I have a, ahem, self control issue. ;)
As for the 10 hens - last fall we were getting up to 4 dozen eggs a week which were a little too many, but egg production just didn't ramp up this spring like it should have. For one thing, several of our hens are getting old and have probably stopped laying (but I don't have the heart to get rid of - or eat - them!). Plus we've been having our annual black snake problem. We've already caught and relocated two bigs ones from the coops this year, including one that ate three eggs in a row!
Thanks for the reply, Susan. I would have 'self-control issues' too with cinnamon rolls. You may recall (or maybe not) that my brother makes your Farmhouse White bread fairly frequently.. He always gives me a couple of loaves (aren't I lucky?). He asked me about making cinnamon rolls and I suggested your site. he looked around and did find a wonderful recipe from your site "A Year in Bread" that you were part of.
It was fun to look at that old post (July 2007) and really fun to read all the Comments! I'll let you know if he makes them - I hope I get one of the!!! :-)
Thanks again
Oh, I forgot - snakes in the henhouse? Yikes! I'm terrified of snakes! So, do you get enough eggs every week for eating & cooking? 4 dozen a week is a lot unless you can sell them or give them away.Delete
Hi Barb,
I forgot about that cinnamon roll recipe. I'm so glad he found it! And yes, of course I remember about his baking (and sharing!) the Farmhouse White. The only thing better than homemade bread is somebody who bakes bread for you. :)
Yeah, four dozen eggs a week is a little over our limit, even with lots of eating, baking, and six dogs who love raw eggs mixed in their food (it's so good for their coats!). Right now we're at about two dozen a week which we can definitely handle!
Oh my, they are way too cute! Hope all of them are still doing well and growing!ReplyDelete
I love the Lone Chick standing above all the others!ReplyDelete
I just want to scoop up a handful of those chicks and press them against my face because I have issues.
Fluffy, peeping issues :)
December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.
Hi! Thanks for visiting Farmgirl Fare and taking the time to write. While I'm not always able to reply to every comment, I receive and enjoy reading them all.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I especially love hearing about your experiences with my recipes. Comments on older posts are always welcome!
Please note that I moderate comments, so if I'm away from the computer it may be a while before yours appears.
I try my best to answer all questions, though sometimes it takes me a few days. And sometimes, I'm sorry to say, they fall through the cracks, and for that I sincerely apologize.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy your e-visits to our farm!


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Thomson Family Adventures has been sending families to Costa Rica for a loong time. Our Costa Rican colleagues are truly a part of our family; they envelop you on arrival and care for you 'til you're gone. They share abundant knowledge of everything from wildlife to forest to everyday life in their country. I'm pretty sure our past guests agree, these guides sneak into your heart and stay there forever.
I'd always heard about Costa Rica, but it wasn't until I went myself that I really understood how fantastic this country and its people are. Volcanoes, rain forest, cloud forest, ocean, beaches, wild rivers. Monkeys, sloths, iguanas and lizards, butterflies the size of your fist. Leaf cutter ants! We could have spent hours watching those hardy soldiers carry their bits of leaves across the forest floor. And of course the warm and generous people who introduce you to this fascinating world.
After years of walking a path now so familiar to tourists we wanted to offer something more adventurous, more unique for our more mature travelers. Welcome to this new opportunity!
We've redirected our Teen Adventure to encompass some of the most pristine corners of the country. Away from the crowds but in the midst of the adventure action, we fly, then drive, then boat to Corcovado National Park. This remote peninsula offers untouched forest teeming with wildlife, and a beautiful reef for snorkeling.
In the center of the country we'll ride the currents of the Class III / IV Pacuare River and thrill our hearts on a zip line you won't soon forget.
On the Atlantic Coast we'll pamper ourselves a bit with a stay in a luscious hotel on a beach unknown to tourist mobs. Here we'll discover a region ideal for snorkeling the coral reef, and hiking in rain forest.
No built up tourist scene, just natural beauty waiting to be discovered by curious minds and active bodies! Come join like minded families with children from age 12 to the 20's for our unique and exclusive adventure created just for you.


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Oooh, I love a fella who knows not just how to tie a tie, but how to do it with a bit of flair.
When my husband and I celebrated our marriage with family and friends at a party this past winter, we decided to shake things up a bit and spring for self-tie bow ties that coordinated with each other's outfits. We wanted to look fresh and dapper and surprise our guests since we generally don't wear ties, let alone bow ties.
As we dressed for the party that evening, we both remembered that we didn't know how to tie a bow tie, but I thought it was an easy enough fix — just call the concierge at the hotel at which we were staying; surely he knows how to do it.
He didn't, and neither did anyone else at the hotel. In a panic, we rushed across Times Square, half dressed, to another hotel. There's no way the concierge at this hotel wouldn't know, we thought. We were wrong, and time was running out. As a last resort, we stopped into the hotel's restaurant, begging and pleading with the staff to help us locate someone with the skills we required. Finally, we found someone — a female bartender — who, in the end, made sure we looked great but also made us feel pretty silly. Our fault, not hers.
Truth be told, I strive for perfection in everything I do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I've never put much effort into learning how to tie a proper tie, bow tie or otherwise. That's mainly because I don't like getting dressed up — I look better in street clothes than I do masquerading as a corporate wannabe — but it's still not a valid excuse.
I should know how to tie a tie — and so should you. In fact, any guy over age 16 should be able to accomplish this task with their eyes closed. For now, however, keep yours peeled and watch these video tutorials from Tie-a-Tie and Howcast that will have you sporting half-Windsors, Four-in-Hands, and various other knots that you've probably never heard of.
A "wide and triangular knot, good for spread-collar shirts," the Windsor knot is thought to be named after the Duke of Windsor, but is in fact named after his grandfather, Edward VII; the latter had his ties specially made with thicker cloth in order to produce a wider knot. This method of tying is often erroneously referred to as a Double Windsor to distinguish it from the half-Windsor; in that case, it should be called a Full Windsor.
A "symmetrical tie know that goes with any dress shirt," the half-Windsor is larger than a Four-in-Hand and Pratt, but smaller than a Windsor. This method of tying produces a neat, triangular knot.
An "asymmetrical tie knot, good for button-down shirts," the four-in-hand is widely considered the most popular way to tie a tie because of its simplicity — although, that's relative. While some believe carriage drivers created the style with their scarves, most believe that it originated with members of London's Four-in-Hand Club, who made it fashionable when they started wearing neckwear.
A "tidy and fairly wide tie knot suited for any dress shirt," the Pratt knot — also known as the Shelby or Pratt-Shelby knot — was invented by Jerry Pratt, an employee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It wasn't popularized, however, until TV personality Don Shelby started sporting it on TV and the New York fashion press mistakenly attributed the knot to him.
The bow tie originated among Croatian mercenaries during the Prussian Wars of the 17th century, but was popularized by the French, then a leader in fashion, in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Oooh, I love a fella who knows not just how to tie a tie, but how to do it with a bit of flair.


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Maria Jersey Front Opening Velcro Vest
This vest is soft against the skin, makes a great layering piece and best of all, discretely opens at the front with touch close velcro so overhead dressing can be avoided.
- 94% viscose, 6% elastane
- Length approx 25" (63.5cm)
- Centre front velcro fasten
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text: Rockwood RM5522 Rockwood Architectural Door Pull Catalog Cast Pulls Specification Base Material: Cast Brass Part Number Base Plate CTC Projection RM5522 Yes 8" 2-5/8" Close Downloads RM5522-Traditional-Cut Sheet (.pdf) Close Mounting Options Mounting Options: Our mounting systems firmly attach the pull to the door and are guaranteed for the life of the door. Choose from thrubolt, back to back or concealed mountings for wood, metal and glass doors. Note: Y base plates are recommended on wood or glass doors to make a stable and durable mounting. Note: Heavy Duty (HD) mounting features hex drive for positive tightening and large overall size for superior strength. Recommended for high frequency and rough service openings. Download Mounting Chart File: Mounting Chart.pdf Type 1: Thru Bolt (Wood or Metal) Close Finishes Description US ANSI/BHMA Polished Brass, Clear Coated US3 605 Satin Brass, Clear Coated US4 606 Satin Bronze, Clear Coated US10 612 Satin Oxidized Bronze, Oil Rubbed US10B 613 Dark Oxidized Satin Bronze, Equivalent US10BE 613E Black Suede Powder Coat BSP - White Suede Powder Coat WSP - Satin Nickel Plated, Clear Coated US15 619 Satin Nickel Blackened Relieved Brass, Clear Coated US15A 620 Polished Chrome Plated US26 625 Satin Chrome Plated US26D 626 Close Interested in this product? Contact us to order Related products Rockwood RM5592A-RM5592C Rockwood RM5500-RM5510 Rockwood RM5520


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Rob Portman voted Yea (Amendment Vote) on this Amendment.
Read statements Rob Portman made in this general time period.
Title: HIV/AIDS Funding amendment
Vote to adopt an amendment that would transfer $40 million from foreign military and anti-narcotics assistance to the Agency for International Development Child Survival and Disease Programs Fund, specifically for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Title: HIV/AIDS Funding amendment


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- Home
- Government
- Departments & Offices
- Community & Economic Development
- Divisions
- Economic Development
- Commercial Opportunities
Commercial Opportunities
The Central Valley is growing and diversifying, and Modesto at the center of these trends. Well-located and transportation connected, Modesto is a great location for both businesses and their employees, featuring business-friendly planning and permitting, excellent utilities infrastructure, an vibrant downtown and business and industrial parks with shovel-ready parcels.
Founded in 1870 and incorporated in 1884, downtown Modesto has matured into a comfortable metropolitan experience with fresh dining options, the award winning Gallo Center for the Arts, and major and independent theater options.
Close to historic residential neighborhoods, the farmers market, and a number of parks, it is an ideal location for professional businesses, unique retail, restaurants and tasting rooms. The county/city hall and state and federal courthouses are also located downtown, making it the center for government. Technology is coming to downtown with the UC Merced Venture Lab Modesto locating in the Modesto Centre Plaza, joining rising companies including DataPath and Opportun.
Downtown Modesto is evolving by design with an approved Downtown Master Plan. We encourage you to take a look.
Kiernan Business Park
Kiernan Business Park is a mixed-use development area proposed for commercial, office and residential uses. Kaiser Permanente chose this area for a regional medical facility campus, soon to be joined by the Valley Children's Medical Center, a regional pediatric center of excellence. Kiernan also is home to rehabilitation and dialysis centers. Kiernan offers work/life convenience, being located near to Route 99, high end housing and Vintage Faire, a thriving regional shopping center.
Beard Industrial Park
Beard Industrial Park's over 2,000 acres includes several Fortune 500 companies (many in food related industries), which employ thousands of area residents. The Modesto and Empire Traction Company offers rail access to both the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe lines, which with over 30 warehouses and more than 300 acres available for development make this a great industrial and commercial location. Modesto honors it's "Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health" motto with world-class water services that have attracted major food and beverage brands.
Crows Landing Road
Crows Landing Road located in South Modesto is a prime location for businesses seeking an ethnically diverse workforce. The South Modesto Businesses United non-profit organization has brought much of the local and Hispanic business community together to make this a quality business area for family businesses.
Tivoli, Woodglen and Village One
Tivoli, Woodglen and Village One are planned residential areas on the Northeast of Modesto with commercial opportunities. Organized with financing districts, these areas allow for enhanced infrastructure, landscaping and amenities for residents. Residential development opportunities are available, along with several commercial shopping center/office opportunities.