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We hope you enjoy our monthly newsletter as much as we enjoy making it available to you. We look forward to sharing stories and ideas that promote our customers, their businesses and how we all work together to come up with solutions to the challenges we face together. We also look forward to hearing from you with your comments, feedback or story ideas to make our newsletter more valuable to you.

Barbara Ragsdale, CFO & Editor

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WINERIES  Dehlinger Winery - Electrical Savings

The back-up generator, which was lowered through the uncompleted roof by a crane, powers Dehlinger Winery?s fire sprinkler system (foreground) if PG&E is lost. Knights? also installed electrical panels behind the generator.

The back-up generator, which was lowered through the uncompleted roof by a crane, powers Dehlinger Winery's fire sprinkler system (foreground) if PG&E is lost. Knights' also installed electrical panels behind the generator.
Dan Dehlinger is building an addition to the existing winery for his brother Tom, the owner and winemaker of Dehlinger Winery. It's a small but focused operation that has produced sought after wines from the Russian River Valley over the last 25 years. Located off Guerneville Road and Vine Hill Road in Sebastopol, Ca., the winery is surrounded by 40 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. There is no tasting room or tour to take, and by requirements of the use permit, there are no retail sales on site. Most of the wine is sold to a closed mailing list but a small amount is released to a few retailers. Dehlinger Winery only produces around 7,500 cases per year, but the original winery was still just too small, "We spent way too much time just moving things around and back and forth in our wine production," says Tom Dehlinger. 

As with any construction project, cost is a huge factor. When Dan Dehlinger met Bob Knight of Knights' Electric he realized quickly that he'd found someone who was helping him watch the budget, "Knights' Electric is doing all of our electrical work on this addition including the energy efficient low-voltage lighting. Bob always looks at the job from the client's point of view, and he will work to find a way to get the same results in a less expensive way."

At one point Dehlinger, who is also the architect of this project, was pondering what kind of lighting system would be appropriate for the attic area in the winery. He asked Bob Knight for his recommendation, "Bob said he could install a lighting system but he had an idea that would work up there and save money. He went to Home Depot and came back with a string of lights that cost $90.00 and said that's all you really need up there. He said, 'I'll take them back if you don't want to use them.' So, we used them," said Dehlinger, through a big smile.

In another more sophisticated example of ingenuity Knight designed the electrical system that operates the back-up generator in case power is lost from PG&E. Dehlinger explains, "If we lose PG&E, the generator kicks in immediately. If we have a fire and lose PG&E, the generator kicks in and powers the fire sprinkler system while supplying minimal power to the winery to keep our essential operations going. It's a great system, and well thought out."
 

COMMERCIAL   North Valley School Grows Up

Santa Rosa's North Valley School project was completed in time for June graduation by Cary & Associates Builders, Inc. The classroom area is to the left; the multi-purpose addition is behind to the right.

Santa Rosa's North Valley School project was completed in time for June graduation by Cary & Associates Builders, Inc. The classroom area is to the left; the multi-purpose addition is behind to the right.
When  Cary & Associates Builders, Inc. took on the project of building the annex at  North Valley School in Santa Rosa, maybe nobody realized it would turn out to be somewhat of a landmark. At 14,000 square feet and 35 feet in height, it's quite visible. "I was at Yardbirds above Fountaingrove Drive on the other side of 101 and I looked over in the direction of the school and there it was ? that big blue metal roof ? I was surprised how much it stood out," states Corey Cleland, Project Manager for Cary & Associates Builders, Inc.

Located off Piner Road near Fulton Road, North Valley School is a private, alternative school that needed to expand in size to accommodate the growing student body. The annex includes 5 classrooms, 4 bathrooms, storage and a 7,500 square foot multi-purpose room that can serve as a cafeteria, gym or performance theater, complete with a stage area and commercial kitchen.

Knights' Electric installed the electrical power and service panels along with low voltage lighting throughout the annex at North Valley School. Knights' Electric is a member of the design/build team that Cary & Associates Builders, Inc. likes to work with, "Art and Rob are very thorough on the front ends of our projects getting the costs and scheduling the work," says Cleland.

Cary & Associates Builders, Inc. have a great reputation for erecting large and interesting metal buildings  such as Shell Vista Fire Station in Sonoma, Lake County Fire Station in Lower Lake, Gourmet Mushrooms in Graton and Traditional Medicinals in Sebastopol. They have also built complex, sophisticated wineries such as Neyers Vineyards, Russian Hill Estate Winery and Turley Wine Cellars to name a few. Cary & Associates Builders, Inc. and Knights' Electric have recently started work on Brown Estate Winery in Napa County, a historic restoration project.
  

RESIDENTIAL   Japanese Pole House Kit

Japanese Pole House is being assembled from a kit by Terry Andersen Construction. Boulder on the left will be used as support for an exterior stairway.

Japanese Pole House is being assembled from a kit by Terry Andersen Construction. Boulder on the left will be used as support for an exterior stairway.
On a current building project, a Japanese pole house that was shipped in as a kit, Terry Andersen was faced with an intrusive element that is now a key part of the structure. A boulder that was partially unearthed next to the structure is now a pivotal point of the home, literally. Because of the sheer size of the boulder, moving it, not to mention the cost, was not really feasible. "The owners asked me what we could do about this boulder, it's 10'x7'x6', and so we've made it the support structure for an elaborate exterior staircase. The stairway comes down to a deck that is supported by the boulder with steel dowels, then the stairway continues down in a different direction from the deck."

This Japanese pole house is built with vertical wood poles, about the diameter of telephone poles with wood beams tying in to form the structure. "This is a real challenge. A timber framed house with compound cuts. You have to think out every step you take," explains Andersen. "It's very labor intensive in time, three times more than you would spend on a house this size." The home is 2200 square feet and was shipped as a kit from Timberworks in Oregon, the building site is located at the foot of Cobb Mountain in Lake County.

Terry Andersen Construction has worked with Knights' Electric over the past 12 years, "Knights' has a great track record and I know what to expect," says Andersen. Bob Knight has fashioned the low-voltage lighting design that features recessed lighting for indirect lighting effects and a lighting control system with presets and sensors that respond to hand motion to control the dimming of ambient lighting throughout the home. Overhead beam and ceiling lighting, art lighting and kitchen counter top rope lighting highlight the design. Knights' supplied the electrical power to the new home that includes a geothermal heating system.

Terry Andersen Construction has built a number of luxury vacation homes in Buckingham Park on beautiful Clear Lake.