http://www.otak.com/ Main OTAK blog. Thu, 17 May 2012 10:32:45 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/5/638 With a proposed federal transportation bill sparking intense debate in congress, one Otak professional decided to lend his expert opinion to Capitol Hill. Curtis LaPierre flew from Washington State to Washington, D.C. and advocated for active transportation programs such as transportation enhancements, complete streets, safe routes to school and scenic byways in the transportation bill. He spoke to legislators from his home state about how these programs would expand travel choice, strengthen local economies, manage stormwater runoff and improve the quality of life for communities across the country.  To learn more about the benefits of active transportation programs, please click here.   Wed, 16 May 2012 23:30:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/5/638 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/5/636 Otak received the American Planning Association’s (APA) National Excellence Award for Best Practice at the APA’s National Conference in Los Angeles. Otak planners received the award for their work on Cool Planning: A Handbook on Local Strategies to Slow Climate Change. This handbook embodies Otak’s commitment to building sustainable communities, and winning such a prestigious national award for this project is a proud moment for all of us at Otak. We thank the APA for this honor and congratulate everyone who worked on this project.   To learn more about Cool Planning, please click here. To view the Cool Planning handbook, please click here.           Tue, 01 May 2012 20:14:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/5/636 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/5/637 Volunteers from Otak’s Lake Oswego and Vancouver offices planted trees as part of an Earth Day celebration with other volunteers from throughout the Portland area. It began on Saturday morning near the I-205 Multi-Use Path in the Gateway area of Portland where volunteers were taught tree-planting basics. Then the volunteers set to work lugging trees and tools up the steep incline, digging holes in the rocky soil, setting trees in the holes, covering the soil around the trees with burlap sacks, securing the sacks to the ground with stakes, and driving wooden poles into the ground on the sides of the trees. After four hours of work, the volunteers had planted 180 native species, making it the largest-ever planting in over three years of planting along the I-205 Multi-Use Path. The event was organized by Friends of Trees, a group which aims to bring people in the Portland-Vancouver and Eugene-Springfield metro areas together to plant and care for city trees and green spaces. The Otak volunteer group worked with Friends of Trees through EarthShare. To learn more about Friends of Trees and find out how you can get involved, click here.       Tue, 01 May 2012 22:58:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/5/637 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/635 Otak’s Rudayna Abdo spoke at the Oman Affordable Housing Development Summit in Muscat, Oman, which opened on April 16. Rudayna spoke about revisiting urban planning and development codes to promote development in North Wathba and Al Gharbia in the United Arab Emirates. The summit brought together an array of eminent regional and international experts to discuss strategies and solutions to the region’s housing challenges. Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:24:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/635 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/634 Otak’s Kate Schwarzler delivered a presentation at the 32nd Annual National Recreation Resource Planning Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from April 16-20. During her presentation, Managing New Impacts from Energy Development, she discussed preserving the scenic values of our western landscapes for future generations in the face of growing demand for land uses. Communication sites, linear rights-of-way, recreation, private development, as well as energy and mineral development have the potential to alter the character of the landscape and impact the user experience of our parks, trails, recreation areas and scenic byways, if not carefully planned and designed. Kate’s presentation provided an overview of different methods for documenting the visual environment, evaluating the visual quality of the landscape, understanding how proposed changes may alter scenic qualities and strategies to mitigate potential impacts. The conference, held by the National Association of Recreation Resource Planners (NARRP), aims to educate attendees about current outdoor recreation planning efforts and features dozens of presentations that share outdoor recreation planning best practices, trends and success stories. About 200 professionals from federal, state and local agencies, the commercial sector and academic institutions typically attend the NARRP conference. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:37:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/634 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/633 Congratulations to Amr Azzazi on passing his LEED Green Associate exam! Amr is an architect working out of our office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Otak’s LEED-Accredited professionals in Abu Dhabi ensure that our commitment to sustainability is being implemented overseas. Good job Amr!                     Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:39:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/633 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/632 Otak has won the 2012 American Public Works Association’s Public Works Project of the Year Award for the Burnham Street Improvements project! This national award puts Otak in a very elite group of winners, and Otak will receive a plaque at the APWA annual Awards Recognition Ceremony in Anaheim, California this summer. Congratulations to everyone who worked on this project! To learn more about the Burnham Street project, please click here. Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:16:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/632 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/631 Otak recently had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from Kosovo as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program. The visitors from Kosovo met with key Otak staff and discussed a wide variety of issues related to planning, development, and maintenance of public infrastructure. Few members of the delegation had visited the United States before, and the visitors remarked that they found the exchange “very useful and appropriate to their program objectives and individual questions.” The feeling was mutual at Otak as our participants benefited greatly from the lively discussion with our visitors. We would like to thank the World Affairs Council of Oregon for this wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas with visitors from around the world! To find out more about the International Visitor Leadership Program, please click here. Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:28:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/631 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/629   Howdy from LA and the APA national conference. Attended really interesting sessions on healthy food planning, LA planning and city planning as viewed from literature, and an awesome master plan and implementation project in Fort Worth called Trinity Point (Texas attitude meets smart growth!). Visited Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall and LA's Union Station/Olvera Street today.    Joe   Sent from my iPad     Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:44:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/629 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/630 Hi! The International Featured Presentation I moderated yesterday was fascinating. Dr. Aisa Kirabo-Kacyira, Assistant-Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Habitat from Kenya gave an insightful and challenging lecture to our audience of about 200 attendees. Lots of questions from the audience, and good marks all around! Sorry about no photo...couldn't take a photo of myself and Dr. Kirabo  while doing the human-interaction thing. This page from the conference program will have to do!   Dave   Sent from my iPad       Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:00:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/630 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/628 Colin Hudson has joined Otak as a project accounting assistant. Colin has been working as a temp in the Lake Oswego office for the past four months, and in that time he’s established himself as an integral part of our Otak team. We’re happy to have Colin join us full time! His previous job experience includes work in accounting, finance and data analysis, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Xavier University. Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:48:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/628 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/627 Martin Glastra van Loon is now a LEED Green Associate! Martin is an award-winning Urban Designer at Otak’s Lake Oswego office, and he’s the most recent addition to our list of LEED Accredited Professionals. We are proud of Martin’s latest achievement and confident that he will apply his knowledge of sustainable design.   Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:43:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/4/627 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/626 David Shafer has joined Otak as a CPA in corporate finance working out of our Lake Oswego office. David has over 12 years of experience in accounting and law, and he started his career as a Deputy District Attorney at the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office. Prior to joining Otak, David was a staff accountant at Strand Boyce Associates, CPAs, Inc., in California. He received both his MBA and Juris Doctorate from Tulane, and his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of California Santa Barbara.   Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:50:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/626 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/625 Congratulations to Kaitlin North on becoming a LEED Green Associate! Kaitlin is a Landscape Architect working out of our Lake Oswego office, and we congratulate her on passing the exam! Our talented LEED Accredited Professionals are instrumental in helping Otak plan sustainable communities.   Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:19:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/625 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/623 Dave Speck was one of the first people hired at Otak. “I always thought that Dave was too skinny and that he needed more meat on his bones and that he would never last,” said co-founder Greg Kurahashi. “I was wrong.” Dave worked as a land surveyor at the Lake Oswego office for over 30 years. Not only did he “last,” but he made a lasting impression on everyone who had the pleasure of working with him. “He has earned our trust, respect and admiration many times over,” said CEO and co-founder Nawzad Othman. “I have been lucky to have had him as an employee, and, even more, as a friend.” Dave retired on March 2nd, and his retirement is well-deserved. Jack Carlson, Otak’s Principal-in-Charge of Surveying and Mapping, had this to say about his coworker:  Dave was one of the constants that good companies must have in order to be successful. He was there every day and he anticipated what was needed. Clients knew that if Dave was on their job, no task or item would fall through the cracks. He never talked up or talked down to anyone. He was the consummate partner with everyone he worked with and for.  Friends and co-workers from throughout Dave’s time at Otak met at Gametime near the Lake Oswego office to celebrate his retirement and wish him well. Once again, we thank Dave for all he’s given Otak and wish him a long and joyful retirement!     Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:11:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/623 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/622 On March 1st the United Way of King County held its annual Spirit of Caring Celebration to honor the community’s most outstanding companies, most creative campaign coordinators, and most committed volunteers. Otak’s United Way campaign team consisting of Curtis LaPierre, Tyler Christofferson, and Marissa Chargualaf, attended the event where they were nominated for a Spirit of Caring Award this year in the category of Campaign Coordinator of the Year. During our more than ten year history of participating in United Way, we ranked as one of the top firms for the amount of dollars pledged per employee among A&E firms in Puget Sound. All of us at Otak thank the Kirkland team for serving their community and organizing Otak’s campaign—we are proud that they were considered for this award! Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:13:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/622 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/619 We are pleased to announce that six new employees have joined us recently at Otak! Andrew Midwood has joined Otak as Federal Business Development Director working out of Colorado. Andrew has over ten years of experience in strategic business development and complex selling strategies with an emphasis on business to government marketing, relationship development and lead generation. Throughout his career in business development, Andrew has demonstrated a knack for building and managing new markets and facilitating relations with various governmental organizations. He earned his MBA from the University of Colorado at Denver and his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Kurt Creager has joined Otak as Housing & Community Development Director working out of our Vancouver office. Kurt has over 30 years of experience working with policy, program and project implementation. In recent years, he has focused on place making and community building through mixed-income and mixed-use development projects in the Seattle, Portland/Vancouver, Phoenix, and Los Angeles areas. As a public official, Mr. Creager has worked in planning and management positions responsible for local and regional land use, housing, economic development, and environmental plans and policy. Mr. Creager served 15 years as CEO of the Vancouver Housing Authority where he produced over 3,500 dwellings in Southwest Washington State. Before joining Otak, Kurt served as the Executive Director of the Stardust Center at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and President of Urbanist Solutions. He is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where he was a Fannie Mae Fellow in the State and Local Public Executive Program; the University of Washington’s Cascade Management Institute, and Western Washington University, where he earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Planning and Architectural Graphics. Chris Rayasam has joined Otak as Chief Financial Officer. Chris began his career at Balboa Capital Corporation where he worked as SQL DBA. He later joined AECOM/Boyle Engineering Corporation, where he held the positions of Senior Finance Manager/Assistant Controller, Senior Manager of Business Analysis/Finance, and Manager of Development. He led Boyle Engineering’s implementation of financial systems to Deltek Vision in addition to leading real estate transactions in the western region at AECOM. In each phase of his career, Mr. Rayasam has utilized his proficiency in IT and finance to run businesses more efficiently. Prior to joining Otak, Mr. Rayasam was the Corporate Controller and Director of IT for Hemmera Invirochem Inc. Mr. Rayasam earned both his MBA and Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences from the University of California. Sara Mahoney has joined Otak as Intern Architect our Lake Oswego office. Prior to joining Otak, Sara served as Architectural Intern at MulvannyG2 Architecture in Portland. She has also provided green design and consulting services for Mahoney Homes, LLC, in Beaverton and participated in the AmeriCorps program as an Outreach/Marketing Coordinator. She was responsible for educating the community of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about sustainable living. Sara received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Melanie McCandless has joined Otak’s Water Resources team in Lake Oswego as an Engineering Designer. Melanie began her career as an AmeriCorps Volunteer for the City of Gresham’s Natural Resources Program. Her responsibilities included developing geospatial models, groundwater hydrologic monitoring, creating relational databases and supervising the restoration of riparian vegetation along a degraded urban stream. She later worked for the City of Gresham on an on-call basis. Ms. McCandless received her Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering: Water Resources from Portland State University, and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies: Policy & Economics from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Lloyd Fonger has joined Otak as an accountant in our Lake Oswego office. Lloyd has almost 15 years of experience working in accounting for such diverse firms as Command Management Systems; Things From Another World, Inc.; Dark Horse Comics; Mail-Well Envelope, Inc., and Photogroup, Inc. Lloyd studied computer information systems at the DeVry Institute of Technology in Phoenix, Arizona. Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:55:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/3/619 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/2/618 Otak has been working on the University of Washington, Bothell/Cascadia Community College Collocated Campus since 1993. One of the key elements of campus development has been a 60-acre wetland and stream restoration that covers almost half of the 127-acre project site. This wetland restoration has become one of the largest and most successful restorations on the west coast. Otak provided the civil engineering associated with the restoration, which included the relocation of over 4,000 feet of North Creek and the creation of a new floodplain. The following video highlights the work done to restore the wetlands and create opportunities for student and public education. http://youtu.be/0u6sTnXpVpc Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:06:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/2/618 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/2/616 Four Otak professionals attended this year’s River Restoration Northwest (RRNW) Annual Stream Restoration Symposium at Skamania Lodge in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. The annual symposium is the main event put on by RRNW which features short courses and presentations intended to advance the science and standards of river restoration. There were many great presentations this year on topics such as sediment transport, large woody debris, restoration of steep streams, urban streams, and restoration techniques and practice. Otak was a Bronze Level Sponsor, and the highlight of the symposium for us was that our own Gary Wolff was elected onto RRNW’s board of directors. This is a great honor for Gary and a natural progression of his involvement in RRNW where he has presented in the past and has been teaching a HEC-RAS modeling course the past few years. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:34:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/2/616 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/2/617 December 29th was the day we all dreaded—the day WSDOT would start charging us each $7 per day to drive to work across the SR 520 Bridge. Eight Otak Seattleites: Jeremy Andrews, Jessica Christofferson, Keith Bates, Kevin O’Brien, Mark Shelby, Ryan Hawkins, Tom Early, and Tyler Christofferson, decided to band together to beat the SR 520 toll by forming a carpool group. In the month of January alone this group saved approximately $400 in tolls and another $200 in gasoline. However, the real accomplishment of this group is we managed to keep 1, 120 lbs of carbon dioxide out of the earth’s atmosphere, practicing Otak’s mission of sustainability! If we keep this up all year, we will save approximately $7,200 and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by 13,440 lbs. By Jessica Christofferson and Ryan Hawkins Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:03:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/2/617 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/2/615 Otak’s Ron Dean and Dalton Geny are now LEED Green Associates! They join many other LEED accredited professionals at Otak who are putting into practice our core value of sustainability, and we applaud them both for passing the LEED Green Associate test. Congratulations Ron and Dalton!              Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:53:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/2/615 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/1/614 Otak engineers have been working on the East Lents Floodplain Restoration project since July of 2008. One goal of the project is to mitigate nuisance flooding by Johnson Creek onto SE Foster Road, which statistically would flood two out of three years. The first phase of the project was constructed during the summer of 2011 and was put to the test last week. According to a USGS stream gauge, the multiple-day storm produced a peak flow that equaled the 15th largest on record. Records date back to the 1930’s. The project passed the test by keeping Johnson Creek flood water off of Foster Road. Several businesses along Foster Road were saved the hassle and expense associated with post-flood cleanup they have come to expect.  According to an article in the East Portland News, business owners are ecstatic! To read the full article, click here.   Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:03:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/1/614 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/1/613 This is our third consecutive year where several Otak staff volunteered at the Oregon Food Bank (OFB)! This year we were responsible for packaging elbow macaroni. We had an assembly line of workers who had one or several of the following tasks: 1. moving pasta from a very large container to a more manageable smaller container 2. scooping approximately 2 pounds of pasta into a plastic bag 3. weighing the bag and supplementing additional pasta or removing pasta to ensure the 2-pound limit 4. placing a twisty around the bag 5. placing 11 bags of pasta into a box and sealing the box 6. moving the box to another station where it was weighed to ensure accuracy At the end of our session we helped box 10,500 pounds of macaroni for distribution! It was a rewarding few hours of our time.   Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:06:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/1/613 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/1/612 Otak attended the 2012 ACEC Awards for Engineering Excellence event on January 11, 2012 at Portland’s Multnomah Athletic Club. The event highlighted over 30 award applicants for projects completed between 2010 and 2011. Otak submitted an entry for the SW Burnham Street | Green Street located in downtown Tigard, Oregon. The project received an honor award, highlighting the street’s unique stormwater planters, LED lighting, and challenging utility relocation environment. Otak’s Amanda Owings and SW Burnham Street project manager Darrin Stairs accepted the award alongside City of Tigard project manager, Kim McMillan. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:04:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/1/612 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/1/611 Otakians in UAE decked the office halls last month and celebrated the holidays and New Year with a lunchtime feast. They filled the table with food and filled the air with carols, but, like many holidays, the real action involved presents! They played a type of white elephant gift exchange where players can grab a present from under the tree or steal someone else’s gift. Director, Fares Kekhia, got in the holiday spirit and raffled off two cameras to lucky attendees. It was an exciting end to the year and hopefully the good times will continue in 2012!         Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:30:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2012/1/611 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/610 Otak’s Vancouver office celebrated a holiday luncheon December 20, which was catered by a local restaurant, Beaches. They had a “crazy holiday sweater” contest that included three categories: the brightest, the tackiest and the most original. Grant Evenhus, Greg Mines and Marilou Davis were the chosen winners! We had a toast to the New Year and recognized everyone for their dedication and hard work. We look forward to a prosperous and happy New Year for our staff, clients and colleagues.      Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:44:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/610 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/609 The Kirkland staff is very excited to have had the opportunity to participate in the Adopt-A-Family program. Together, they collected just under $400. It is an honor knowing that we had the chance to help make Christmas very special for a family.  Below is a picture of the gifts they will be given this holiday season. Each child will receive a pair of pants and three shirts, plus at least one of their requested toys. Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:55:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/609 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/607 Last week, our crafty Kirkland Otakians sold a beautiful variety of handmade goods at the Otak Holiday Shop. Unique Items for sale included handmade cards and gift tags, cinnamon bun candles, paper white narcissus, sugar scrubs, quilted coasters, delicious jams, hats, fishing rods, and cutting boards made from recycled pallets…staying green. Thank you to everyone who dropped by and made it a HUGE success! Our vendors sold over $800 worth of items, of which we donated ten percent to our Youth Eastside Services Adopt-A-Family. Budding plans are developing for next year’s Holiday Shop! Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:53:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/607 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/608 On December 8, 2011, the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), Oregon-Columbia River Chapter,  presented its 24th annual Forecast Breakfast, which features the region’s commercial and residential real estate experts discussing the market outlook for the coming year.  This year’s breakfast was held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland and was attended by more than 650 local real estate professionals. Otak CEO, Nawzad Othman, was invited to give the keynote address, which concluded the three-hour conference.  Nawzad’s presentation, “Time of Uncertainty, Age of Complexity: Observations of an Optimist,” covered a range of global and macro-economic factors that are affecting Oregon’s – and the nation’s — economy. While the U.S. economy struggles with high unemployment, slow growth and a looming debt crisis at home and in Europe — our largest trading partner — many countries around the world continue to experience strong economic growth. China, India, Brazil and other countries in Asia and South America are achieving GDP growth rates as high as 9-10%. In addition, the “Arab Spring” uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa are accelerating the desire for democracy and free-market economic reforms in those regions.   Nawzad remains optimistic that the United States can rebound from its current economic doldrums and maintain its role as a world economic engine, if we invest in: • Energy – The U.S. needs a bold energy strategy for both traditional and renewable sources• Infrastructure – We need to address more than $2 trillion in accumulated needs• Education – The U.S. ranks only 17th globally for math and science education• R&D/Innovation – This has been our hallmark and will be the engine of future growth. Most important, we need private leadership and political will to achieve our goals.  A copy of Nawzad’s inspiring keynote presentation, along with presentations from other regional real estate experts, is available on IREM Oregon’s website under the News section:  http://iremoregon.org/irem/2011transcript Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:01:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/608 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/606 Gary Wolff, Senior Water Resources Engineer, gave a presentation on November 30, 2011 for EWRG’s monthly meeting at the Lucky Lab. He presented a case study of modeling the complex hydraulic system posed by Otak’s East Lents Floodplain Restoration project, which is currently under construction. The presentation gave an overview of the project with an emphasis on the unique application of an unsteady-flow HEC-RAS model to capture the salient hydraulic characteristics of the reach, including the off-channel storage of flood waters north and south of the creek. It was very well attended, and sparked lots of good questions and discussion within the audience. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:32:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/606 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/605   Otak recently hired Mark Castle, PE, as a civil engineer in our Vancouver, Washington office. Mark has more than 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors preparing plans and specifications for roadways, bridges, site development, water distribution, and sewerage projects. Prior to joining Otak, Mark was with the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services  in the Engineering Services Group. He was responsible for preparing AutoCAD base maps using the City’s GIS data and supplemental ground survey data, and for preparing improvement plans for sewer rehabilitation and stormwater retrofit projects under the direction of bureau engineers.   Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:14:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/12/605 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/11/604 Last week Otak sent a team of ‘Intellectuals’ to WorldQuest for Grownups. This evening of international trivia supports The World Affairs Council of Oregon’s Global Classroom which educates Oregon kids about the world. Otak was one of the two sponsors for the event. The ‘Intellectuals’ came to the event dressed to impress, sporting berets and a varied combination of tweed, sweaters, ties, blazers and corduroy. Eight trivia rounds of eight questions each - wildly ranging across various topics of world culture - provided the evening’s challenge. Questions ranged from geography and current events to world economics and ancient history. Muddling through the tremendous pressure and responsibility connected to the chosen team name, the ‘intellectuals’ performance hit the mark, answering correctly 38 out of 64 questions, finishing only 2 questions out of third place. Unfortunately there was not a ‘team attitude’ award for the evening, otherwise the Otak team would have clearly been the undisputed winner. Despite this minor setback, it was a great evening for a great cause, with auctions during the event raising more than $20K.    Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:40:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/11/604 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/11/603 Otak water resource engineers Tim Kraft and Kevin Timmins spent Saturday evening at the Portland Art Museum for the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership (LCEP) Dinner & Art Gala. They enjoyed an evening among friends and colleagues in support of LCEP Outdoor Education programs. No one at the table went home with any artwork, but the table successfully landed a bottle of Port wine during the Live Auction and quickly made it disappear. Otak contributed to the LCEP again this year with a sponsorship that will fund "Big Canoe" field trips for three classes and pays for their bus ride to and from the dock! This is the eighth year in a row that Otak has been a sponsor. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:55:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/11/603 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/602 What's more fun than a room full of planners…talking about planning? Otak had a blast at this year’s collaborative Oregon and Washington American Planning Association (APA) Conference in Portland, Oregon. Our own Dave Siegel spoke in a session about challenges and strategies to accommodating future growth in our region. When we weren’t attending sessions about great projects going on around the states, we were at the Otak booth talking to friends, clients and fellow planners about the great work Otak is doing across the country and abroad.   Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:08:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/602 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/601 A few of Otak’s engineers recently travelled to Eagle Crest, Oregon for the 2011 APWA Fall Conference. To kick off the conference, Kevin Timmins, water resource engineer in Otak’s Lake Oswego office, participated in a golf tournament. Alissa Maxwell, civil engineer in Otak’s Bend office, presented a technical session to attendees. Lastly, at the conference's banquet, the team accepted the Project of the Year Award from APWA Oregon for the SW Burnham Street Improvements project. The conference was yet again a success. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:50:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/601 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/599 Otak International recently organized, in coordination with OMNIX and CAD Emirates, a BIM (Building Information Modeling)/Revit seminar at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates that introduced Otak’s clients, subconsultants and team to the design software. R. Nicholas Loope (Ryc), President and COO of Otak, introduced the event and shared the benefits of BIM with all attendees. He stressed the benefits associated with developing a project from concept to construction using BIM. Ryc also encouraged all participants to move forward in the competitive market by using the efficient tool. BIM and Revit are one of the key components in providing a comprehensive and integrated service to clients. The benefits of using Revit include creating more accurate designs with fewer errors, delivering projects faster and minimizing environmental impacts. This was the first event of its kind by Otak International. They will continue to explore new technologies that include all services provided by Otak in the Middle East.    Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:20:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/599 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/600 Otak recently hired Emily Leete, a project assistant for Otak’s Architecture and Planning group in the Lake Oswego office. She has 15 years of experience working in the architecture and engineering industry in various administrative roles. Emily has experience in InDesign, Deltek and a variety of other software. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:05:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/600 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/598 Otak’s work on the SW Burnham Street Improvements project for the City of Tigard recently won a Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association, Oregon Chapter. Otak supported the City’s vision for a revitalized downtown with design and construction services to transform Burnham Street into the City’s first “green street.” The Otak team faced the unique challenge of balancing sustainability objectives with the street’s status as a major utility and freight corridor populated with longstanding small businesses. Otak provided roadway and stormwater design, water main and landscaping design, utility coordination and preparation of legal descriptions for easement and right-of-way acquisition. Otak also won an Achievement Award from the American Planning Association, Utah Chapter, for the City of Logan’s Land Development Code Update. This project marked the City’s first major update of land use regulations since 2004. The plan converted traditional code to an innovative “place-based” system that supports the unique qualities and character for each of Logan’s geographically diverse residential, commercial and industrial zones.    Dan Dawson, based in Otak’s Kirkland office, recently won the James Robertson Award from the American Public Works Association, Washington Chapter. This award recognizes an individual for outstanding serviceand is one of the Chapter’s most prestigious awards. Congratulations to Dan, as well as the project team members who were recognized for their efforts on the Burnham Street and City of Logan projects. We appreciate your dedication to building better cities, stronger communities and great places that many generations will enjoy. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:20:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/598 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/597 I recently witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony for the $295-million Collaborative Life Sciences Building (CLSB) on Portland's South Waterfront. Otak has been working with the Oregon Health & Science University since early 2006 to help prepare the empty Schnitzer campus for this first, of many, buildings. This project has taken an amazing compilation of partnerships and well-executed timing to make the construction of the new building possible. The project design team started in early April of this year. The pace of design has been stunning as contractor JE Dunn begins driving piles for the building only six months since the start of the design process. In addition, two other major construction projects will be underway adjacent to the new building. This area will be a beehive of activity over the next 3-4 years. The first phase of the CLSB will be open in the Fall of 2013. -submitted by Scott Shumaker, Civil Engineer at Otak   Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:52:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/597 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/596 Otak’s Lake Oswego office recently participated in the annual Bike Commute Challenge organized by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA). This year, 12 riders braved the traffic and elements and biked to work at least once during the month of September. The Otak team logged 79.5 rides (a round trip is 1 ride) for the month and traveled a total of 1,492 miles or about the distance from Portland to Tucson, Arizona. Otak’s ride percentage of 4.9% was several percentage points higher than last year. Using the BTA’s formulas, the Otak team saved 1,462 pounds of CO2 and burned 73,123 calories. Overall, the challenge included 12,064 riders actively logging trips, and a total of 1,372,667 miles. BTA estimates the effort saved 1,345,213 pounds of CO2. Bike commuting is a great way to get exercise, relieve stress, save money on gas, and reduce your carbon footprint.  Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:10:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/10/596 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/9/595 Kevin Timmins, an Otak water resource engineer and project manager, was asked to speak this past Sunday (Sept. 18th) as part of a preconference workshop at the 2011 Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association Annual Conference being held in Vancouver, Washington. The workshop entitled “Green Stormwater Infrastructures: Now that they are in your system, what do you do with them?” was designed to provide attendees with an in-depth review of the theory and operations of green stormwater infrastructure, including vegetated swales, rain gardens, and porous pavements. Kevin, along with two dozen other conference attendees, spent the afternoon traveling by tour bus around North Portland visiting and discussing different Green Stormwater Infrastructure sites. Agency representatives from around the Pacific Northwest were present, including Clean Water Services; West Sound Utility District; Kitsap County Public Works; Cities of Boise, Lake Oswego, Corvallis, Coeur d'Alene, Everett, Salem, Portland, Rexburg, and Tacoma, and the Washington State Department of Ecology. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:53:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/9/595 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/9/591 Yesterday, Otakians at the Vancouver office arrived at work to the smell of pancakes and bacon, orange juice, fresh fruit and scrambled eggs. Rich Darland, project manager, treated staff to homemade breakfast as a thank you of their many hours of hard work. “Morale is good and we’re full, happy and busy,” said Marilou Davis, project assistant.       Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:25:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/9/591 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/9/594 For the past several years, the City of Redmond, Washington has been actively planning for the Overlake Village neighborhood to become the next urban center of Puget Sound Region’s East Side. Infrastructure development to support revitalization is already underway. Otak completed a plan for collocated parks and stormwater facilities last year, and is now working with the City to implement Phase 1. As the City continues to evaluate how to give the neighborhood a competitive edge in the market, the potential for district energy is an important opportunity. Otak recently supported the City in hosting a forum focused on the potential for District Energy and Eco-District implementation. Eco-Districts are highly integrated neighborhoods that: • Are resource efficient; • Capture, manage and reuse a majority of energy, water, and waste within the district;• Facilitate a range of transportation choices; and• Enhance community engagement and wellbeing. Several notable experts spoke at the forum about eco-districts, district energy, and urban planning, including Tom Puttman, Business Development and Technical Director with the Portland Sustainability Institute (PoSI); David Siegel, FAICP,  principal urban planner with Otak; Stuart Yanow, a Geosystems Engineer with Geotility; and Anthony Amendola with Amendola Enterprises, Micheal Weinstein with Urban Innovations Group, and Greg Galusha with MacDonald-Miller who are supporting Energy Efficiency Collaboratives in the region. Terri Battuello, City of Bothell Assistant City Manager and Economic Development Manager spoke about her community’s successful experiences in planning to revitalize its downtown and to integrate district energy. Mandi Roberts, principal with Otak, served as the moderator for the forum. Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:42:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/9/594 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/9/593 2nd in the Series: Landscape Architects Tell Their UnderstoryBy Mandi Roberts, Principal, Kirkland OfficeEveryone is talking about landscape architects thanks to ASLA’s roll out last week of the “Your Environment Designed” campaign to build awareness about the profession of landscape architecture. At Otak, landscape architects have been working side-by-side with civil engineers, architects, planners, scientists, and other professionals every day for the last three decades. Some interesting perspectives on landscape architects have formed out of this collaboration. Just recently, Nico Vanderhorst, a principal and civil engineer in the Kirkland office shared these thoughts: “ I like working with landscape architects because:• They help make our infrastructure projects look really good.• They inspire creativity, particularly in our engineers, which ultimately make our designs better.• They all wear really cool glasses.• They always let me borrow their ‘trace.’ “What is your perspective on landscape architects?  Why do you like working with them?  Share your “understory” by commenting below.As for the national movement to build awareness about landscape architects, you can still get involved! To learn more, go to www.asla.org/design   Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:29:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/9/593 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/592 By Mandi Roberts, Principal, Kirkland OfficeWednesday, August 17th, may have felt like an ordinary summer day to most, but to thousands of landscape architects, it was a day of opportunity! Landscape architects from everywhere around the United States and beyond stepped outside their cubicles to let folks know exactly what the heck we do! Through canvassing and outreach to passersby in the outdoor environments we design, we enlightened the world about our mission. Armed with chalk to write on sidewalks, posters to tape on walls, buttons to pin on chests, and flyers to pass to the masses, landscape architects (including several from Otak) shared some key messages:• We create places where people live, work, and play.• We connect towns and cities.• We enrich experiences.• We turn creativity into places, imagination into cleaner air and water, and ideas into strong communities – a world designed with infinite possibilities, all through landscape architecture.To learn more, please click here.The nationwide movement organized by the American Society of Landscape Architects was designed to reintroduce the profession of landscape architecture to the public. The campaign to build awareness about landscape architects is just beginning.  You can still get involved. To learn more, go to www.asla.org/design      Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:01:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/592 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/590 Last month incoming 9th graders visited Otak’s Lake Oswego office to learn more about the architecture and engineering industry. The kids were part of the Summer Youth Connect program, a four-year series of interventions for targeted high school students supported by Mayor Sam Adams. The “Ninth Grade Counts” program “connects students with the academic support and life experiences to start high school on the right track.” At Otak, students were given brief presentations by surveyors, architects, planners, landscape architects and engineers and then students were given the opportunity to ask questions. Later in the morning, Otak professionals led small groups through the design process to design their dream school. “The kids were given constraints, not unlike those in real world situations,” said Ron Dean, Otak architect. “They had to consider context, natural obstacles, codes, programs and economics.       Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:44:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/590 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/589 Congratulations to Brad Swearingen from our Lake Oswego, Oregon office, for passing the Professional Engineering exam. Brad has over 15 years of experience in both public and private civil engineering and urban design projects. In addition to becoming a PE, he is also a LEED Accredited Professional. Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:11:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/589 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/588 What do Otakians do when the sun finally comes out? They play lots of kickball. Last month, a few Otak employees formed a team, the Mulletteers, to compete in the charity tournament for Engineers Without Borders. After a full day of friendly competition, the Mulletteers placed second out of 15 teams, and more importantly, helped a great cause ($14,000 was raised).   Last week, another Otak kickball team, the Grasskickers, won the championship! They secured a spot in the finals after playing a double header and winning both games. Congratulations!   Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:21:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/588 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/587 Otak recently hired Brian Miller, a landscape design professional in the Tempe office. The majority of his previous experience lies in residential landscape architecture and site planning within the Phoenix area. His most recent projects involved development of sustainable outdoor living environments, xeric and native planting design, pool/landscape renovation, and construction. His academic emphases were in open space planning, ecological design, and urban horticulture. Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:56:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/587 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/586 Otak International recently hired Rachel O’Dwyer Flynn as the Director of Planning. Rachel brings over 25 years of experience as an architect, urban planner, project manager and department director in the public and private sectors. Her expertise in community development includes urban planning, neighborhood revitalization, historic preservation, zoning and land use administration, transportation planning, HUD grant administration, affordable housing, stormwater management, environmental review/inspections, building code review/enforcement, and construction administration. Rachel’s expertise also includes architectural design and project management in academic, medical, commercial and residential building types. She has worked on a wide range of urban planning and architectural projects, including master plans in the state of Virginia, hospitals, medical centers/offices, university campuses/structures, commercial, and residential buildings. Prior to joining Otak, Rachel held the position of Director Planning and Development for the City of Richmond, Virginia, Director of Community Development for the City of Lynchburg, Virginia and Senior Associate Architect for Cannon Design in various east coast offices.      Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:42:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/8/586 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/7/572 Sheri Murata joined Otak’s Water and Natural Resources group in the Kirkland office on June 30th. She is an engineer specializing in water resources projects, erosion control, stormwater engineering, and site improvements. Sheri graduated from the University of Washington in 2001 and is a registered engineer in the state of Washington. Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:38:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/7/572 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/573 Chris Brandt, a landscape architect in Otak’s Carbondale office, recently won first place in the Land8 Doodle contest. His piece titled “Coffee and Cyclocross” uses spilled coffee as inspiration. Brandt said, “The spilled coffee made me think of riding in the mud.” To check out this masterpiece, along with a few other works of art, please click here.    Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:58:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/573 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/582 Check out our latest e-newsletter where we talk about our merger with HanmiGlobal, as well as our 30-year anniversary! To view the e-newsletter, please click here.  Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:43:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/582 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/574 On Monday, four Otakians, an engineer, architect, surveyor, and network administrator, all rode their motorcycles into the Lake Oswego office. In doing so, they not only enjoyed the morning sunshine, but also helped the Earth. Four motorcycles on the road, instead of fours cars on the road equates to roughly the following (if the motorcycles were ridden to work every day for one week): • Burned 12 less gallons of gas• Saved $45 in fuel• Used two parking stalls instead of four• Caused significantly less wear and tear on the roads• 4 more happy people in the world… Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:00:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/574 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/575 Joe Dills, AICP, Otak principal, was recently recognized by the American Planning Association for 30 years of contributions to the planning profession. Joe is considered one of Oregon’s leading practitioners of integrated land use and transportation planning. He specializes in land use planning, public involvement, transportation and growth management, and land use regulations and sustainable communities. Starting with ODOT’s first pilot Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) project in 1993 (the Northwest Newberg Specific Plan), Joe has been the lead planner in more than 50 TGM program projects, ranging from transportation system plans to smart growth master plans to codes. Recently, he worked on several landmark projects in the United Arab Emirates, including the Khalifa B City Master Plan, the overall Development Regulations Framework for the Abu Dhabi Metro Area, and plans for six sustainable settlements in Al Gharbia. Throughout his career, Joe has worked with community groups ranging from local neighborhood associations to state agency advisory councils. His core philosophy is that consensus and trust are built through a careful communications process that involves citizens at every step. Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:06:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/575 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/576 Don Larry, an architect, recently joined Otak’s Tempe office. Don received his Bachelor of Architecture from Arizona State University in 1972, then taught there 10 years starting in 1988. He has lived and worked in Wales, London, Beijing, and Arizona, and has designed projects in Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, China, and Philippines. Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:07:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/576 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/577 This year Otak is turning 30! We’re excited to merge with HanmiGlobal.   Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:09:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/577 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/578 On Monday, June 13, Otak staff gathered to celebrate this week’s closing of the merger with HanmiGlobal (HG), a publicly owned construction management and project management firm located in Korea. HG acquired a majority share of Otak and will make significant capital investments in the firm. Nawzad Othman (Otak’s CEO), R. Nicholas Loope, FAIA (Otak’s President and COO), and Chairman, Jong Hoon Kim (of HG) spoke to Otakians about the excitement surrounding the merger. In Chairman Kims’ speech, he said “I am very happy that we are beginning a new phase for both businesses. I fully believe that the road ahead for our companies will be prosperous, and will provide valuable experience for the organization as a whole and for each individual.”     Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:13:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/578 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/579 On May 19th five firms were honored at the AIA Washington Council’s 2011 Civic Design Award ceremony at the ACT Theater in Seattle. To qualify, projects had to have been publically funded and designed in the last six years. Seven awards were given (two Honor, four Merit, and one People’s Choice). Selected from many great entries, Otak was awarded a Merit Award for the Sound Transit Link Light Rail - Beacon Hill Station. Merit awards went to civic architecture with beauty and function. Jury members said that winners were chosen due to their use of innovation, material selection, and integration that created a design that enhances the built environment.  Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:28:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/579 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/580 Otak recently hired Carla Kenyon, a civil engineer in training (EIT). Carla specializes in transportation, planning, and urban design, and recently worked on roadway projects on federal lands in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering at the University of Portland, where she served as an officer of the University’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. She was also president of the University’s chapter of Engineers without Borders. Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:29:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/580 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/581 This year Otak is turning 30! Our culture is key to our success.     Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:32:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/6/581 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/5/583 Kate Schwarzler and Chris Brandt from Otak’s Carbondale office attended the 31st Annual National Association Recreation Resource Planners Conference in Breckenridge, Colorado. The theme of this year’s conference was “Innovations in Connecting Americans to our Great Outdoors” and sessions explored how to connect citizens to the outdoors to improve public health, reinvigorate local economies, and instill a new generation of land stewards prepared to address some of the key issues we face. The conference theme is also a central component of President Barack Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, which was initiated to promote and support innovative community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and to reconnect Americans to their outdoor heritage. Outdoor recreation leaders participated in the conference where they explored and shared the latest innovations, efforts and successes in the area of connecting Americans to the great outdoors. Otak had a booth, as well as presented a poster paper on “The Use of Color and Camouflage to Mitigate Visual Impacts.” Tue, 31 May 2011 20:58:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/5/583 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/5/584 The capital campaign for the new Muslim Educational Trust Community Center got a boost Saturday night with their annual fundraiser at the PSU Ballroom. Jennifer Nye, architect at Otak, presented the latest design for the community center. Otak architects began work on the latest phase of the project in February of this year. The current design is 35,000 square feet and includes a gym, indoor pool, library, art studio, science lab, lecture hall, lunchroom, commercial kitchen, and 14 classrooms. Groundbreaking for the community center is expected by the end of the year. Fri, 27 May 2011 21:00:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/5/584 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/5/585 Last Friday, Nawzad Othman, Otak’s CEO/President, spoke at a US naturalization ceremony on Tom McCall Waterfront Park. About 50 people representing 24 countries from around the world took their oath to become naturalized citizens. Nawzad became a US citizen in 1968. He urged the new citizens to become politically active, and reminded them that citizenship comes with responsibilities. “It’s up to you to make it happen,” he told the new citizens.   Tue, 10 May 2011 21:23:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/5/585 http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/5/569 A few Otakians participated in Pub Trivia at Players last night for a team building event... With the opening pitch, Martin hit it out of the park for a "parfait" answer (French word for a type of ice cream that translates to perfect)! Rainman Kilby pulled a "tornado" out of thin air to whirl the team into second place at the half. Unfortunately, we crashed and burned with our lack of knowledge in NASCAR racing, and apparently need to ask for forgiveness for our lack of knowledge in religious studies. But, in true Vegas style, we went all in (gotta go big or stay home) and wagered the maximum points to correctly answer a five-part final bonus question with our resident lushes (DH, Leslie, and Kaitlin); who knew Dan Aykroyd's signature drink includes vodka, Dr. Dre's is congnac, and Danny DeVito's is a Limoncello?!?! With our trivia skills and beginners luck, we were able to pull it out in the clutch for the victory! Wed, 04 May 2011 22:21:00 GMT http://www.otak.com/blog/1/2011/5/569