ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAIT OF A LANDSCAPE ENGINEER

Who? Scott Mikowski
Title: Landscape engineer
How long have you been in landscaping?
I have been with the company for 16 yrs.
Who is your employer?
Ham Mock and Associates
Where is there office?
Corvallis, Oregon
Who are your clients?
The majority of our clients are in Linn and Benton Counties although we are State licensed.
About 95% are Residential and 5% are Commercial accounts.
What services do you provide? Landscape construction and maintenance.

Have you noticed any changes in your clients needs?
It use to be that we built walls with pressure treated 6” by 6’ wood,
This is full of toxins; now we mostly create stone walls.
We specialize in sprinklers more now.
It is more expensive initially to install but would save them money in the end.

What do you like most about your job?
I like the clients because; there interesting people and you never know what you are going to find out until you start talking to them. Enjoy the diversity. The only people that can afford your services are making more than 100 thousand a year.

What services do you provide to conserve water?
We provide a variety of plants and understand the needs of the landscape. Computerized controllers connected to the sprinklers are programmed according to each client’s needs. There are specialized controllers connected to a weather station that is call every day. This can be accessed for a $50 dollars a year or free through the internet.

Are there classes available to teach employees about water conservation?
There are classes offered by the companies that sell the sprinkler systems, and pipes. Others classes are offered by the community college for like the back flow testing.

Do you think your clients know that you are saving them money and conserving water?
I do not know how many people realize that we are saving them money. Most of these people make $100 thousand up to millions of dollars a year.

What do you like most about your job?
I like the clients because; there interesting people and you never know what you are going to find out until you start talking to them. I enjoy the diversity. My focus is working with sprinklers and I like installing them and teaching our clients how they work.

Hermaphrodite Slaves (red worms)Revealed in Philomath, Oregon

Thousands of hermaphrodite slaves revealed in Philomath Oregon living in small dark spaces and fed kitchen scrapes. On Thursday April 16, Beverly Whitmore shared the lives of these creatures, red worms, also called red wigglers that reproduce by themselves (hermaphrodite) and with each other. That is incredible! One can create more. These clean little worms do not need dirt to live in. Happily hidden away in the dark, they are slaves to the consumption of food scraps.

“My interest in worms is mostly science. I like to share the castings with friends and help people start their own vermiculture composting environments when my population increases.”Whitmore said

There is no pet hair or jumping on guests. You can leave town for several days (go fishing with worms) and no need for a sitter. They provide free hidden, noiseless, energy, by recycling your food waste and newspapers they producing castings to fertilize plants and contribute to a healthy sustainable lifestyle.

Here are five quick and easy steps to starting a home composting bin, according to Dort Worm Farm.

1. Purchase or build a bin. A simple 1' high x 2' wide x 3' long wooden structure is really all you need. Many people also use plastic boxes with a drain hole.

2. Add bedding. Shredded newspaper works great, fill the bin loosely with the paper and a small amount of soil.

3. Wet the bedding enough that if you take a handful and squeeze, a small amount of water drips out between your knuckles.

4. Add red worms.

5. Maintain your bin at temperatures between 55 and 79 degrees F, with damp soil and a pH around 7.

For more information go to dortworms.com; Dort Worm Farm, P.O. Box 1108, Philomath, OR 97370.

A good book on the topic is: "Worms Eat My Garbage" by Mary Appelhof

Event: Master Gardeners Seventh Annual Plant Sale
May 2: There will be a clinic table where master gardeners trained by the Oregon State University Extension Service will be answering gardening questions. OSU entomology experts will address garden and vermiculture composting demonstrations from. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. It all happens at the Benton County Fairgrounds, Floral Courtyard,110 53rd St.,Corvallis,541-766-6750.

Critique at santiam restraunt is coming this week.

Culinary student Tim Maine serves Dean of Instruction Gary Ruppert at Linn- Benton Community College's Santiam Restaurant on April 2. The restaurant is supported by LBCC's Culinary Arts Program.


Main course: A Club salmon sandwich with portabella mushrooms and spinach served with an assortment of grilled onions, fresh pears, and lotus root.
This was simply amazing. the combination incredible. I had never tried lotus root before and it just melted in my mouth, perfectly fried.

This soup was so so tasty! Fresh carrots cooked and puree' with a hint of ginger, topped with long shavings of sweet baked carrot.


The Appetizer: The presentation is lovely. The taste mmm mmm mmm. Tender mouth watering morsels with a nice balance of lemon and oregano


There is nothing liked being treated like a queen. That was my expectation when I arrived at the Santiam Restaurant on April 2Nd 2009. Laurie Chang the hostess and instructor, greeted me at the entrance, and I was seated at a window table with a lovely spring view of the campus. Tim Maine was my waiter dressed in black slacks with a nicely pressed white shirt and black bow tie. He introduced him self and gave me a verbal account of the specials for the day. I was impressed by the selection of Entrees that are all served with your choice of soup or salad and included a balanced protein,vegetable and carbohydrate meal for only eight dollars and fifty cents. There were appetizers for only two dollars and fifty cents and deserts for two seventy five.The Culinary Program is based on classical French and European cuisine also featuring Asian, vegetarian and a artistic blending of ethnic cuisines are available on a menu that changes daily.

I was surprised at how many people filled up this little place. Especially since there is no advertising. I could not find it any where listed on the L.B.C.C. website. You really have to call in to find out what is on the menu for the day and get a reservation. The food was excellent as you can see in the pictures and read in the captions. The service was slow and the Dean of L.B.C.C. and his guests did get preferential treatment. This is probably why My meal did not show up until they were served ,even though I did arrive there before them, and Tim had my order, but ,he happened to be there server as well. So much for equality, hey, we each do the best that we can. I had to ask my self if I were Tim what would I have done? maybe he had thoughts similar to these; I'm young, I've never done this before, I don't want to make a mistake, the Dean is a very important man, I don't really no who that woman is that just placed an order, big question who can make a difference in my success? Bottom line I took advantage of the moment being a student in journalism and I shot some great pictures while I waited for my lunch, one of them is of Tim serving the Dean and that one landed me my first photo in the school newspaper. All good things do come to those who wait. I partook of it all, gourmet food, photo's and sharing the experience with you. by The Lady Knightress of the Pen

Living vicariously through my grandson

This is my 13 year old grandson on spring break in the Grand Caymans. His father (Dustin Hawk) took this picture.
I love this picture because it shows an amazing intimacy between a beautiful wild dolphin and a young teen.
The cropping on this is perfect there is no wasted space. The focus is on their meeting.

Oregon Coast Aquarium April 09

I had an amazing time at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The ever changing exhibit at this weekends focus was entitled Odd Water. This is represented from the beach to the Continental shelf. I took some incredible shots of marine life. I'm learning how to manage the 3hrs. worth of photos that I took so that I can share them with you, a picture is worth a thousand words and I have 300 pics to share. Please be patient pictures Coming Soon.

A Little Piece of Heaven

You have heard of Hell’s kitchen. We have a bit of HEAVEN HIDDEN and served here at LBCC in the Santiam Restaurant, a fine dining gourmet experience that will enrich your taste buds. The cost would be two to three times the amount at any other gourmet restaurant.

Many people do not know about the Santiam Restaurant. Janet Jones, who is a cashier in the L.B.C.C. cafeteria, told of the gourmet restaurant hidden behind the kitchen of the cafeteria.

“I had talked to many students who had been there for as many as two years who did not know of the restaurant. The cost was half of what you would pay in most gourmet restaurants and when students call and make a reservation they get a discount,”Jones said.

Instructor Laurie Chang introduced her staff , all first- year students in the culinary program: Ryan C’Debaca, Ilene Pierce’ Freeman, Tim Maine, and Ian Kirby.

Chang was happy to talk about their new espresso machine, and share that they were serving coffee and pastry at 9:30 a.m. during the week. Lunch is served between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Chang emphasized how they treated all of their customers equally.

”The president of the college brought state legislative representatives to enjoy their fine dining, and dining alongside of them were the students of LBCC.," Chang said.

Kirby brought up another story from the past week of an attorney who came in her slippers, to have lunch with her husband, Chang said. “She was looking into changing her career and attending LBCC to be a chef.”

The students placed each piece of every place setting as if it were laid out by a robot. One of them said I know someone comes out here and measures the place settings individually. Preparation for a fine dining experience is serious business.

What: Santiam Restaurant at L.B.C.C.

Hours: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday -Thursday

Menu: Changes daily

Reservations: Preferred though not required

Information: 541-917-4392

Top Left: Janet Jones, cashier at L.B.C.C. cafeteria, reveals location of the college Santiam Restaurant on April 2 2009.

Top Right: Culinary students Ryan C’Debaca, Tim Maine, and Ian Kirby prepare to serve their customers.

Bottom Right: Santiam Restaurant ready to recieve patrons.

First week as a photojournalist/investigative reporter

This has been a week full of action. I have covered the Free Pizza event sponsored by the Student Life and Leadership Office. The Students at L.B.C.C. (Linn Benton Community College)were enticed by pizza to respond to and help compile a book Sharing the effect of the recent Budget cuts, tuition increase,Financial Aid reductions, and cut programs. They also, Created to posters sharing there thoughts. I talked with Elaine Pyle with The Health and Regulation Department, who was supporting this event and she said, they were taking the books and posters created buy the students to the legislature to express their concerns and ask for help in supporting our education.