If it quacks like a duck, it may be a forklift at the Port
At the Port of Edmonds, forklifts no longer beep when they back up.
Instead, they “whine.” Or they “whoosh.” Or, well, this is clear: They definitely sound cranky.
After a condo resident at Point Edwards complained last month about the incessant — and traditional — beeping of the Port’s two forklifts, Port deputy director Marla Kempf decided to test a new alarm recommended by a local business owner.
The business owner had installed 65 new alarms on his 65 forklifts to rave reviews. According to Kempf, he likened the alarm to “the noise a wire brush makes on concrete.”
Whatever.
“I don’t know exactly what the new alarms sound like,” Kempf admitted. “The staff says they sound like ducks in distress.”
“We thought it sort of fit in with the wildlife reserve,” she joked.
However the new alarms sound, they have been approved for workplace use by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
But, the Port isn’t sure if it will keep them or not. Even though they are very distinctive and slightly louder than the traditional beeping alarm, there is some concern that they might not be as safe, she said.
The Port expects to make a final decision on the alarms — each of which costs less than $200 — by the end of the month.
Oh, and that original resident? He’s pleased, Kempf said.
That didn’t solve everything, though. Another Point Edwards resident has already complained, Kempf said. The resident’s dog barks each time he hears the alarm.
Lends credence to the duck analogy, doesn’t it?
Bye, bye sweet
gum trees
With two new buildings going in at Fifth Avenue and Dayton Street, the city figures it is time for new trees, too.
Seven sweet gum trees have outgrown their intended space, and their roots are now lifting and buckling the sidewalk, so the city is going to pull them out, officials announced this week.
The sweet gums will be replaced by summer red maple trees which will have “beautiful spring, summer and brilliant fall colors,” according to a city press release.
The sidewalk will also be rebuilt with curb ramps, officials said.
The city will start replacing the trees and fixing the sidewalk at the end of August. In order to maintain pedestrian flow along Fifth Avenue, work will be done in stages. Work should be done by March 2008, officials said.
Scouts make
a rescue at sea
There was a rescue at sea off Edmonds’ shore last week, and Edmonds’ Sea Scout program was to thank.
Five adult leaders and four youth members were on board the 27-foot sailboat which was used to pull a disabled 19-foot boat to safety.
The disabled boat was about a mile north of the Edmonds ferry dock when the Sea Scouts responded to an evening Coast Guard Marine Assistance Request Broadcast.
Just before dark, the Sea Scouts located the vessel just southeast of Point No Point. Two people were on board, and were safely delivered to the Edmonds Marina, Sea Scouts officials said in a press release.
The Sea Scouts are located in the Port of Edmonds on V dock and meet Wednesday evenings for sailing and training in boat handling and leadership.
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