On Saturday, October 8 nearly 130 volunteers from Facilities Services came out to clean and spruce up the University District in what has become an annual event for FS staff and their families.
This article was updated with additional information on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 and Wednesday, November 2, 2016.
Update: While the late Washington Elm between Communications and Clark Hall is unlikely to make a good candidate to take a cutting from to create a new scion, the UW Botanic Garden's Washington Park Arboretum has another scion of the Washington Elm which will make a good candidate to take a cutting and create a new scion.
"It will likely take a few years to grow the new scion large enough for replanting," said Grounds Management's Urban Forestry Specialist Sara Shores. "Meanwhile, we are working on a new design for the large space left vacant by our late Washington Elm."
Every summer when the Northwest’s gray skies give way to a beautiful blue, shining views of Mt. Rainier and a long-awaited burst of warm weather, the Power Plant’s skilled maintenance staff take apart campus’ boilers for their yearly inspections.
From the beginnings of UW Rowing in 1901 and the famous rivalry races with California, the UW has gone on to become national champions many times. The first time the UW participated in the “Varsity Challenge Cup” was in the early 19 teens.
FS Blog: Tell me about what you do for Facilities Services.
Daniel Jung: My name is Daniel Jung and I’m a window washer lead here for Facilities Services’ Building Services Department. I started here in 2013 as a window washer.
Every June as the spring quarter wraps up, students living in all on-campus residence halls and on Greek Row are required to fully vacate their rooms before summer break. Often, there’s only enough time and space to pack the essentials, which means tons of items are at risk of being left behind on University District streets.
The zipping-sound of a duct tape roll is cut off by the beeping of a radio. Employees mill about, some in Tyvek suits on an 80-degree day, others wearing high-visibility gear and hard hats. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit at 8:08 a.m., but luckily chaos hasn’t ensued because it’s just a drill.
As government agencies across three states participated in the regional Cascadia Rising earthquake preparedness exercise, the University of Washington took the opportunity to test coordination between its emergency response teams across campus. It’s one of only two universities participating in the state.
UW Recycling, of Facilities Services' Building Services Department, is the proud recipient of a Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) 2016 Recycler of the Year award.
The power plant electrician asks the group if they’re ready with their stopwatches, then counts down. Three—two—one—the lights go black for a beat. Five giant diesel engine backup generators, each larger than a pickup truck, begin to roar.
The lights are back on; surgeries continue without missing a beat, and priceless research continues to stay frozen in a lab on campus. It’s a monthly test of the University’s backup power generation capabilities down at the Power Plant.
In preparation for this weekend's Windermere Cup and the opening day of boating season, crews from Facilities Maintenance & Construction installed a bronze plaque commemorating the 1936 UW men's crew team featured in The Boys in the Boat.
In a disastrous dream schemed up by UW Emergency Management, a substation just west of campus has exploded. The power is out across most of north Seattle, including the University. Smoke clouds are billowing toward campus and generators will only last so long.
Emergency Management, Transportation Services, UW Surplus, Grounds Management and UW Recycling joined the celebration on Red Square this past Friday to help educate the community about their sustainable practices and programs for Earth Day.
In PACCAR Hall this past February, three digital boards were plastered above metal garbage, compost, and recycling bins. The displays scrolled through photos and animations of plastic water bottles, Cheerios containers, and compostable napkins to educate community members how to sort recyclables, compost and trash.
For the past few months, UW Recycling has been using their new application, Streams, to better connect their administrative office to crews in the field. Through smart phones and tablets, Streams enables employees across campus to access their collection routes online, and log changes that occur throughout their day.
