Sightline Daily top picks 05/01/2009

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Sightline Daily | Northwest News That Matters

Top Picks of the Day

1. Nature’s success inspires sustainable living

A small but growing number of architects, building engineers and scientists who design building products are looking to animals and plants for inspiration to address the challenge of being kind to the Earth while retooling the manmade environment. Oregonian 04/30/2009

2. Economy prompts Canadians to change way of life

The economic downturn has prompted Canadians to make long-term changes to the way they live and spend money, according to survey results released Thursday. People are spending less and buying less on credit, while engaging in less costly activities such as reading, spending time with family, or eating at home. Vancouver Sun 04/30/2009

3. Tribes hail $28 million in stimulus for fishing sites

About $28 million in federal stimulus money is going toward building new fishing sites for tribes along the Columbia River. Oregon Public Broadcasting 05/01/2009

4. Feds give $75 million for Oregon streetcar

Portland’s streetcar project will receive $75 million in federal money, providing the final critical link to completing a long-planned extension of the service over the Willamette River. The project could create 1,200 construction jobs over the next two years. Business Journal 04/30/2009

5. San Francisco’s hybrid taxis a success

San Francisco’s first 15 hybrid taxis, all Ford Escapes, have made it to about the 300,000-mile mark, demonstrating that hybrid technology is more durable than previously imagined. They also saved cabdrivers about $9,000 a year. Contra Costa Times 04/30/2009

6. Oregon lawmakers debate health insurance mandates

House Democrats and Republicans debated a proposed health-insurance mandate on Thursday. One of the bill’s provisions requires insurers to pay for hearing aids for children under age 18. An estimated 1,290 children in Oregon have hearing needs that are not met. Oregonian 04/30/2009

7. Could energy innovation create a ‘green bubble’?

In the wake of the housing bubble, that has some asking whether the country is headed for a renewable energy bubble. NPR 05/01/2009

8. Plugging kids into nature, not iPods

A field trip to the Deschutes River is part of a growing trend of trying to get students outside in an effort to connect them to their environment, turn off their iPods and cell phones, and learn a little in the process. Bend Bulletin 05/01/2009

9. Vancouver, WA, builds new heart for city’s core

Vancouver celebrates the opening of Turtle Place, a new public gathering space, in defiance of vacated Main Street storefronts and office buildings. The city continues its urban revitalization despite the recession. Oregonian 05/01/2009

10. Views: Anchorage should approve bike plan
The Anchorage Bicycle Plan, completed after years of work and under public review since March, is a wish list of about 150 construction projects that will add new bicycle lanes, bike paths along roads, and miles of greenbelt trails. Anchorage Daily News 05/01/2009