INTERESTING TIMES

Friends of the Cheat, Inc., a non-profit watershed group based in Kingwood, West Virginia is seeking a Project Manager (PM) to coordinate water quality monitoring and associated database in our service area. The PM will be responsible for identifying acid mine drainage (AMD) discharges, water sample collection and analytical data interpretation, stream monitoring (flow, pH, etc.), data analyses for remediation system design, implementation of AMD treatment systems, and evaluating project performance. Additional responsibilities include: working with landowners, collaboratively developing engineering/construction bid documents, contract procurement, and construction oversight.

The position requires, at minimum, a BS degree with a science focus and two years of experience in a related field, preferably watershed focused. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and intermediate GIS skills are ideal. Experience with benthic macroinvertebrate collection and identification is preferred, but not required. Strong verbal and written communication skills are a must as the PM will work with the Executive Director to research and draft grant applications and complete reports to satisfy funding requirements.

The position requires intermediate GIS skills to map pollutant sources and spatially analyze water quality data; as well as water sampling, stream flow measurements. The successful candidate will enjoy being outside and working in a team atmosphere, but also have the ability to work independently and make informed decisions.

This is a full-time salaried position with a pay range of $32,500 to $35,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits include paid vacation, health insurance, and a flexible work schedule.

To apply, submit a resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references to Friends of the Cheat by December 2, 2011. E-mail submissions are preferred and can be sent to Amanda at Cheat dot org. Hard copy applications can be mailed or dropped off to: Amanda Pitzer, Executive Director, Friends of the Cheat, 119 South Price Street, Suite 206, Kingwood, WV 26537.

This 60 minutes program is from last November, but it's a good overview of what's happening.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7054210n

Rivers are magnets for the imagination, for conscious pondering
and subconscious dreams, thrills and fears. People stare into the moving water,
captivated, as they are when gazing into a fire. What is it that draws and holds us?
The rivers’ reflections of our lives and experiences are endless. The water calls up
our own ambitions of flowing with ease, of navigating the unknown. Streams
represent constant rebirth. The waters flow in, forever new, yet forever the same;
they complete a journey from beginning to end, and then they embark on the
journey again.
--Tim Palmer

National Geographic won the 2010 Malofiej--the top award for their map. The rivers are scaled by annual discharge, so you can get a good sense of where the boating might be.

I heard on NPR the other day that the percentage of homes in Oregon that do not have indoor plumbing is increasing. They consider indoor plumbing to be all three of these: flush toilet, tub or shower, and running hot and cold.

a place to assess your diet: http://nutritiondata.self.com/

( Where do kids get too much manganese?? )

Why the fluoridation of public water supplies is illegal

( nice argument by Mike Adams )

After the recent series of earthquakes around the world, and a news article I read interviewing a Portland City employee about what will happen here when the fault pops loose. It's the same fault that San Fransisco sits on. He thinks the big one will happen here within a century. It could be tomorrow. I am not ready. When I mention it to others, no one seems willing to think about it. But why not be prepared? We here live on a giant fault, and this city would be paralyzed by a quake because the city is split in half by a river. There are eight bridges in the city. Probably half of them would fall down, or be severely damaged. Water lines would break. Lawlessness would ensue. Even here. But we like to think that we are so civilized that nothing bad would happen. I do think that Portland, of all cities, would probably be one of the best to be in when the shit hits.

This is a bit of general advice I gleaned from living through the utter anarchy that followed the earthquake, in no particular order. I write this in the hopes that it helps someone someday.
( ADVICE, not mine, but I agree, not that I act )