Meet our January and February 2001 Earth Heroes!

King County Executive Ron Sims honored Ciscoe Morris, Koji Norikane, and Sara Patton as King County's Individual Earth Heroes for January and February 2001.

Ciscoe Morris, of Seattle, is one of the highest regarded gardeners in our region. Morris is the Director of Grounds and Landscaping at Seattle University and serves as a model for environmentally friendly gardening practices. Best known as host of KIRO Radio's weekly call-in program, Gardening with Ciscoe, Morris arms himself with reference books and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of organic gardening, to answer gardening questions on wide-ranging subjects. Morris regularly invites King County staff on his show to discuss environmental programs. Morris is an enthusiastic proponent of organic gardening, and directs his loyal fans to the least toxic solution for gardening problems.

Koji Norikane has been a resident of Auburn for over 80 years. A firm believer in farm cooperatives, Norikane has served as the President of the Puget Sound Vegetable Growers Association and the Washington Rhubarb Growers Association. He also served as Chairman of the King and Pierce County Board of Farmers Home Administration and assisted with loan programs for farmers and for rural housing. In the 1980s, Norikane was appointed by King County Executive Randy Revelle to serve on the King County Farmland Preservation Program Selection Committee. The committee recommended the purchase of the development rights to 12,500 acres including farmlands between Kent and Auburn. Norikane was named Auburn's Citizen of the Year in 1981 and was recently awarded the Hometown Hero Award by Auburn Mayor Chuck Booth.

Sara Patton, a Seattle resident, has led the Northwest Energy Coalition as director since November 1993. This 90+-member coalition is an influential regional alliance of conservation, low-income, and consumer advocate organizations, utilities, businesses and citizen activists. Coalition member organizations come primarily from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana. The Coalition works for a clean and affordable energy future through energy conservation, consumer protection, clean renewable energy resources and fish and wildlife. Through her leadership and shared vision, the Coalition continues to raise awareness and impact public policy around energy conservation and renewable energy. Prior to her work with the Northwest Energy Coalition, Patton worked for 15 years with Seattle City light on energy conservation issues.

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