Otak Blog

Last Friday, Otakians from the Lake Oswego office gathered at Tualatin Community Park for a company potluck. With clouds in the sky, the weather was not ideal but that did not stop people from partying. Otakians enjoyed each other’s good company as they munched on hamburgers, three-alarm chili, pecan pie, and other tasty treats. Kids (and eventually even some adults) had a blast knocking candy out from the teddy-bear-shaped piñata. The water balloon toss led to wet clothes, and of course a water balloon fight in the end. Happens every year! A great time was had by all, and not a drop of rain fell from the sky.

Otak’s Carbondale office co-hosted a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours block party on July 15, 2009. A colorful slideshow of photos and memorabilia from Lindsey Utter’s two-month junket in Otak’s Abu Dhabi office were on display, along with samples of Otak’s recent work on the Khalifa City B and North Wathba Masterplan development projects in the United Arab Emirates. Carbondale staff was on hand to greet guests, enjoy some great food, and savor the sun-drenched summer evening.

For the last six weeks, I spent two hours a week with students teaching them basic landscape architecture principles. This year’s assignment was to design a courtyard that included two constraints – one, a door that entered into the space from a house, and two, a window looking out into the courtyard. Students were asked to design a space that included a patio table with chairs, a bench, and a small fountain. They received templates for each element and were required to create multiple rough drafts of their design. On the forth week, I sat down with each student and conducted individual review sessions and guided them to draw and render their final plan. The final outcome was displayed at the AIA Portland office for the Pearl District’s First Thursday Art Walk earlier this month and will remain on display throughout the rest of May.

Submitted by Kaitlin Beatty, Landscape Architectural Professional

On Saturday morning, April 18th, nearly 20 Otakians and friends met in Northwest Portland for the third annual “Spring 10k Run/Walk/Bike Challenge.” Co-workers gathered to conquer a fitness goal, and to drink after-run beers. There were dogs, kids, babies, joggers with strollers, power walkers, fast runners, slow runners, and exclusive beer drinkers.

The 10k (6.2-mile) route started at the corner of NW Savier and 23rd Avenue, took you east to Natio Parkway, through the 2.6-mile loop around the Eastside Esplanade, and back to Northwest’s McMenamins. The group populated nearly all of the outdoor tables and enjoyed lunch and beverages on the beautiful, sunny afternoon.

The event is open to all Otakians and friends. It is in no way an official race; no results are posted. The race organizer tried to get as much participation as possible without bombarding the entire company with e-mail solicitations, so if you would like to participate next time please e-mail Sheryl Walsh at sheryl.walsh@otak.com and she’ll put you on the contact list. In the meantime, keep moving!
 

Otak’s Seattle office is busting with babies! On a sunny Friday afternoon, the Seattle staff celebrated recent babies and their parents/parents-to-be. The group enjoyed a light spread of snacks and beverages, including beautiful baby cupcakes courtesy of Allisa ‘Martha Stewart’ Carlson. As a small gesture, the office presented Sharlene Sherwood, Tom Early, Mark Shelby, and Keith Bates with Otak onesies for their offspring. The party concluded with a Sherwood baby due date/birth weight lottery. Good luck and congratulations to all!

Pictured from left-to-right:
Jeb Parkinson and Sharlene Sherwood (due May 11); Tom Early with Stella (13 mos.); Mark Shelby with Bekah (6 weeks); and Keith Bates with Elliot (3 mos.) and Greyson (22 mos.).   

For the second year in a row, Carbondale staffers Kate Schwarzler, Linda Schuemaker, and Jennifer Michaud, along with partners and friends, served beer, wine, and good spirits to some of the most generous people in western Colorado at the Save the Land Dance. The dance is a major annual fundraiser for the Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT), based in Carbondale. Since 1967, AVLT has helped private landowners preserve over 28,000 acres of working family ranches, scenic viewsheds, riparian and wildlife habitat, and recreational areas in the Roaring Fork and upper Colorado River watersheds. This year’s dance honored many of these landowners, whose photos and biographies appear in AVLT’s first book, Our Place, which debuted at the dance. It’s a beautiful tribute that provides a real-life look at these families who have shaped the region for generations, and who will continue to do so through the donation of their land.

This past spring, Carbondale’s Gary Long spent five days on a solo journey along the Oregon-California Trail, starting at South Pass, Wyoming. A Recreation and Visual Resource Specialist based in Cheyenne, Gary wanted to hike the trail before winter snowmelt opened the back-country roads to motorized travel. The trail runs through open country with unobstructed views for almost 100 miles in every direction, at an elevation of about 7,500 feet. The vegetation is mostly sagebrush and grasslands—to some, bleak country with little scenic value. To Gary, it is a vast landscape, teeming with wildlife. In addition to bands of wild horses, he found antelope, sandhill cranes, sage grouse, and no trace of other human beings. Although he was hiking the trail in reverse, from west to east, Gary says it was easy to imagine himself an immigrant or gold-seeker heading west in the mid-19th century. A severe case of blisters on the balls of both feet shortened Gary’s trip from a planned 100 miles to 50 (still about 8 miles a day), and he rejoined civilization at Sixth Crossing, where the Oregon Trail crossed the Sweetwater River for the sixth time.

197 miles
28 hours and 23 minutes
12 runners
2 vans
And lots of dancing on the side of the road while cheering on runners.

The Hood to Coast race began for team “Heart-O-Tak” on Friday August 22, 2008 at 9:15 in the morning. Team members from multiple Otak offices came together to collectively run 36 legs, ultimately completing the journey from Mt. Hood all the way to the beautiful Oregon coast and the finish line. It was a wonderful adventure – team members bonded over bagels in the dark, foggy hours of the early morning and slept between vans in dew-coated fields. It’s one of those experiences that a person has to be slightly crazy to take on, but it’s so rewarding and fun it’s nearly an addiction. I can’t wait to drive a van and cheer on fellow Otakians again next year.
-Kaitlin Beatty

This year the Fourth Annual Fall Flat-water Paddling Trip (FOAFFPT) took place on the Willamette River between River Miles 84 to 50. The Otak paddlers started the trip near downtown Salem and traveled downstream through a beautiful stretch of the river dodging the Wheatland Ferry to camp overnight at the Grand Island River Trail takeout (River Mile 70). After a night of great food, a roaring campfire, and a sound night’s sleep, the paddlers set out for the second leg of the trip to Newberg. As the group of canoers and kayakers enjoyed the sunny and warm weather they watched osprey fish and startled many blue heron. After a mid-day lunch break the flotilla arrived in Newberg without a single mishap. Our only oversight: we forgot the keys for the shuttle vehicle in Salem! A fun time was had by all.

After a season full of runs, strikeouts, fly balls and slides, the Otak men’s softball team had their first-ever playoff victory in their 6th season. Proving that Otak employees can play as hard as they work, the team took advantage of the fantastic Oregon summer weather by getting outside and interacting with members of the Lake Oswego community.