Exotic orchids can grow nicely even in Spokane

Orchids have ignited passion in people for thousands of years. The search for them in the wild has taken expeditions to the far corners of the earth. Legal battles have been waged over their ownership. All for a plant that more often than not doesn't grow in soil and hangs from a tree.

The Spokane Orchid Society knows how magical orchids can be. This weekend it is inviting the community to explore orchids and orchid growing at its annual show and sale at the Southside Senior Activity Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave.

This year's show will feature several plant vendors who haven't been to the show for several years, which means there will be lots of unusual plants to see. Demonstrations and lectures include repotting your orchid, growing orchids under lights, growing cattleyas, watering and fertilizing your orchid, and orchid conservation.

Orchids are not just from the tropics. Washington is home to 41 native orchids that grow all over the state. They are found on forest floors where they live in forest duff and rotting wood. Most are protected by law.

Most orchids do nicely in average home conditions. Household temperatures of about 70 degrees during the day and 60 at night are perfect. They need diffused but somewhat bright light from an east, south or west window, especially in the winter when our light levels are low. Drape a sheer curtain between them and the window to diffuse the light. They also do well under fluorescent lights set to run 12 hours a day.

Maintaining humidity and watering routines are the most challenging elements of growing orchids at home, especially in our dry climate. You can add humidity by setting the plants on a large tray of gravel filled with water or misting them regularly.

Because orchids grow in a coarse fiber medium of fast-draining bark chips or coir fiber, most orchids will have to be watered more frequently than other houseplants but not too much at a time. If they stay too wet, the roots will rot quickly. Plants potted in clay pots or suspended in the air tend to dry even more quickly and will need more-frequent watering.

Here are some plants that are good for beginners to try. Look for them and advice on how to grow them at the show.

Phalaenopsis orchids produce flowers up to 4 inches across on spikes of 15 or more flowers in every color but blue and true red. They can bloom for six weeks or longer.

Paphiopedilums, or lady slipper orchids, are easy to grow under artificial lights. This group has many spectacular hybrids with colorful flowers that resemble a lady's slipper.

Oncidiums, or dancing girls, produce dainty yellow and brown or white-and-brown flowers often used in corsages. They do well even under less than ideal growing conditions.

Now Available to the Entire US Fleet

Energy Focus, Inc. , a leader in providing LED energy efficient lighting solutions, announced that its breakthrough fluorescent replacement technology has achieved qualification for use on the US Navy fleet.

"With the Navy's qualification of IntelliTube(TM), Energy Focus's intelligent plug and play LED lamps can now replace the existing linear fluorescent tube lamps used in most of the Navy's light fixtures," said Roger Buelow, Energy Focus CTO. "IntelliTube's proprietary 'brain', a tiny microprocessor that allows the circuit to detect and actively reconfigure itself, is the secret behind the IntelliTube's ability to be used in the entire gamut of existing fluorescent sockets by simply plugging it in."

With the addition of IntelliTube(TM) to its lighting arsenal, Energy Focus is now uniquely qualified to replace the bulk of the lighting aboard ships across the fleet with its broad range of 28 Navy qualified advanced LED lighting products.

"I am delighted that IntelliTube has passed the Navy's rigorous First Article Testing and that Energy Focus' products are now available to the entire Navy Fleet - far beyond those ships included in the $23 million Navy supply contract that was awarded to us in 2011," said Joe Kaveski, Energy Focus CEO. "Supplying IntelliTube to the US Navy is a tremendous business opportunity for Energy Focus," Mr. Kaveski continued, "but more importantly the Navy can immediately begin to benefit from the significant energy savings gained through Energy Focus' LED lighting by simply changing the light bulbs installed on every Navy vessel."

Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and making energy-wasting traditional lighting technologies obsolete through the use of energy-efficient, mercury-free LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting, and semiconductor products for power and radio-frequency (RF) applications.

Cree's product families include LED fixtures and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and RF devices. Cree products are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, electronic signs and signals, power supplies and solar inverters.

Energy Focus, Inc. is a leading provider of energy efficient LED lighting products and turnkey energy efficient lighting solutions, holding 75 relevant lighting patents. Our solutions provide energy savings, aesthetics, safety and maintenance cost benefits over conventional lighting.

Our long-standing relationship with the U.S. Government includes numerous research and development projects for the DOE and DARPA, creating energy efficient LED lighting systems for the U.S. Navy fleet and the next generation Very High Efficiency Solar Cell. Customers include supermarket chains, the US government, state and local governmental agencies, retail stores, museums, theme parks and casinos, hotels, swimming pool builders and many others. Company headquarters are located in Solon, OH, with additional offices in Nashville, TN, Pleasanton, CA, and the United Kingdom.

Vigil And Tree Dedicated In Honor Of Murder Victim Ahliyah Irvin

Despite the rainy weather, at least 100 people came out to light a candle and say a prayer for Ahliyah Irvin.

The eight-year-old girl was snatched from a southeast Topeka apartment last Tuesday, then raped and murdered.

Community members and strangers joined Ahliyah's friends and family and held hands as they circled around a tree selected in Ahliyah's honor.

They decorated it with ribbons and lit candles late into the evening.

Ahliyah's mother cried and community members were still in shock, but also defiant in the face of violence.

They say they are not only supporting the grieving family but also want to send a message to support law enforcement.

"Most people the first thing that comes to their mind: It could've been mine," Bishop Ronald Lassiter, who led the prayer, said. "And so my main purpose, and I feel many of the people that came out, was to show support to the family and to offer some kind of comfort."

Community activist Yolanda Mitchell said she came out to see if she could make a difference.

"United we stand, divided we fall," she said. "And so far, we've fallen so far behind and our children are the ones that are paying for this."

"We need to wake up and pay attention, because if we don't, Topeka is just gonna be a lost cause," she said.

"The police department, they need all the help they can get. If no one will talk to them, then how do you expect them to do their job to get [the criminals] off the street?" she asked.

The memorial was organized by community activists of the Stop the Violence Memorial Committee who say they don't want to go to any more vigils.

Billy Davis, who was reportedly staying at another apartment in the complex, is being held on $10 million bond on a charge of capital murder for Ahliyah's death.

Island Voters Take Part in Super Tuesday

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, a day that features the biggest one-day collection of state primaries and caucuses in the United States.

Massachusetts’s residents, along with residents of nine other states will have their say in the 2012 Republican presidential primary race. A recent Suffolk University poll has former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 64 percent, with former Sen. Rick Santorum at 16 percent. Texas Congressman Ron Paul at 7 percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in last place with 6 percent.

Massachusetts has 41 delegates to be won, and delegates are awarded proportionally as opposed to winner-take-all. Candidates receiving at least 15 percent of the vote will receive a share of the delegates.

Other states voting on Super Tuesday include: Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.

While Martha’s Vineyard voters are largely registered Democrats, Jim Powell, chairman of the West Tisbury Republican Town Committee is out in Idaho with the Romney campaign. He said he feels, “very confident” about the results of Super Tuesday for Romney.

“People are gearing up nation-wide for November,” he said. “The issue of economy is going to resonate again and again with voters and not the superfluous issues that are not Romney’s priority and that can divide any party. The country needs to unify around a candidate who wants to get the 24 million Americans who lost their jobs, back to work.”

Back on the Island, Linda Mott-Smith and Carolyn Flynn, also members of the Martha’s Vineyard Republicans have been giving out Romney lawn signs and making phone calls to get out the vote on the Island.

According to Tim Carroll, Executive Secretary for the Town of Chilmark, there have not been too many people coming in to register for the primary.

“Other than folks making light of the lack of choices, we haven’t heard much about it,” he said.

He noted that there have been a few young people who have come in to register.

“The nice thing about the primary is that it brings attention to the upcoming election. Younger folks who are going to be 18 by November are coming in to register and people who have just moved here are registering as well. Whether or not they vote in the primary, they’re getting ready for the main event.”

Over in Oak Bluffs there has been little activity as well. Currently, they have 33 absentee ballots as opposed to 2008 when there were 185.

Marion Mudge, Town Clerk for the Town of Tisbury said she “expects a really low turnout,” based on the fact that there has not been a single application for an absentee ballot for this primary.

Only registered Democrats, Republicans, Green Rainbow and Unenrolled voters may vote in this election. Those registered as Libertarian, Pirate Party or Interdependent Third Party cannot vote.

On the Democratic Party ballot there is only one candidate, Barack Obama. On the Republican Party ballot there is Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. However, Bachmann, Huntsman and Perry have pulled out of the race and any votes for those candidates will not be counted.

Total's solar kits target poor households

Total Kenya is banking on portable solar kits for lighting and charging of mobile phones to break into the Kenyan renewable energy market.

The firm seeks to win at least 10,000 households that use paraffin lamps to start using solar solutions, including for charging mobile phones.

"Solar Energy is abundant, clean and renewable. We are stepping up investment in this field since it is a key component in ensuring that we have sustainable energy," said Ms Manoelle Lapoutre, Total senior vice-president in charge of sustainable development and environment.

The cheapest Total solar lantern retails at Sh1, 000 and can provide up to eight hours of lighting after a minimum six hour exposure to sunlight. Kenya, Cameroon and Indonesia have been selected as the launching pad for the low-budget kits.

The company hopes the low cost will help the base of the pyramid households reduce dependence on kerosene lamps which are considered costly, provide poor lighting and are not environmental friendly.

The focus on providing clean energy solutions like solar to poor households will assist combat the health and environmental challenges associated with biomass and paraffin usage such as respiratory diseases, fire outbreaks and irritation to the eyes caused by smoke.

Data from the Ministry of Energy show that kerosene lamps account for about 80 per cent of all households' source of lighting in Kenya. A study by the International Finance Corporation estimates that Kenyan households spend between Sh20 to Sh50 a day on kerosene to meet their lighting needs.

In June last year, the oil marketer acquired a 60 per cent stake in SunPower, a US based solar products manufacturer, in a bid to solidify its capacity in solar markets. Total is also partnering with Indonesian solar kits producer Sundaya and Chinese based D.Light ― to locally retail low cost solar light-emitting diode (LED) and solar-based lighting products.

In a bid to enhance penetration of solar energy in the country, the government last year zero-rated import duty and removed value added tax (VAT) on solar panels, equipment and accessories.

The solar products will be retailed through Total's 170 service stations countrywide. The oil distributor has started a consumer education programme on the benefits of solar targeting investment groups (chamas) and microfinance institutions to spur uptake of its solar solutions.