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About The Dalles chronicle. (The Dalles, OR) 1998-2020 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 2020)
A4 Weekend of January 4-5, 2020 The Dalles Chronicle TheDallesChronicle.com OPINION YOUR VOICE Clean energy now To the editor, After Oregon’s Republican senators left their jobs during the last legislative session, instead of working on our clean energy needs, we need ALL of our state representa- tives ready to show up and produce results on clean en- ergy during the short session beginning Feb. 3. There is talk already of a possible repeat walkout or other avoidance tactic, despite the urgent need for us as a state to address climate change. Our legis- lators, ALL of them, need to hear the clear message that we need and expect robust state legislation to address climate change this legisla- tive session. Our homes, environment, and livelihoods are already threatened. Our children and grandchildren are rightfully fearful for their futures. Further inaction and/or roadblocking in the state legislature is absolutely unacceptable. Sen. Chuck Thomsen and Rep. Anna Williams, I urge you to commit to passing meaningful legislation this session to fully transition Oregon to a clean energy economy. We need a firm commitment and a firm delivery date, with clear im- plementation plans and en- forceable benchmarks along the way. Nothing less will move us out of the climate crisis we have collectively created. Laura Dunn Hood River Uplifting views To the editor, Driving throughout The Dalles the last few weeks have been so uplifting. Neighborhoods with so many decorations for the holidays; business win- dows lit up and decorated in various holiday themes; businesses open longer hours; pictures with Santa available at many locations, has all made our town come alive with activity and joy. To all who made our town more festive during the holiday season the City of The Dalles Beautification committee says thank you and happy new year! Your efforts build civic pride and make The Dalles a nicer place to live. The Dalles Beautification committee includes Tiffany Prince, Connie Krummrich, Brenda Coats, Judy Merrill, John Nelson, Bill Lennox and Max Butensky. Connie Krumrich The Dalles WILDFIRE WHAT’S HAPPENING More information on plan needed EMAIL COMMUNITY EVENTS TO MGIBSON@THED- ALLESCHRONICLE.COM. LISTINGS ARE FREE. Continued from page A1 utility’s nature to say part of our plan would be to shut off power, so we very much want to be able to remove that from any plan we have.” Pacific Power does not have a timeline in place for removing the PSPS policy from its plan, but has been working on isolating down- town Hood River’s electricity so that it can eventually be removed from the bound- ary, Berreth said. Additional system-hardening measures could potentially allow the boundary to be reduced further. Mayor Kate McBride asked Pacific Power to come up with a timeline for when the PSPS could be removed from the Wildfire Mitigation Plan. “If we knew it was going to be three years, then we as a community can do what we need to do,” McBride said. “If we know that it’s going to be 10 or 15 or 20 years before we can really not be in that danger, then we may have to do some other more drastic measures ourselves. To get some better numbers and time frames on your end on when you might come to a point where you feel like you aren’t going to shut any- thing off, would help us plan better.” Highlights of the plan are available online at www. pacificpower.net/outag- es-safety/wildfire-safety/ public-safety-power-shutoff. html, but one part of the communication issue is that the plan itself has been largely confidential; the city council members and county commissioners present at the Dec. 17 meeting stated that they did not receive the plan until just days before the meeting—with specific instructions not to share it—and newly-appointed Council Member Gladys Rivera said she did not receive her copy of the plan until the night before the meeting. “The Hood River / Wasco County Public Safety Power Shutoff document that was developed by Pacific Power and in collaboration with local public safety and health authorities includes critical infrastructure and contact information. For this reason, it was agreed upon by all contributing parties to not make the document public. This was a joint decision,” said Drew Hanson, senior communications representa- tive for Pacific Power’s parent company, PacifiCorp, in an email-statement following the meeting. Saunders requested that sensitive information be removed so that a redacted version of the document could be shared, and Hanson has confirmed that docu- ment is being prepared. One of the primary con- cerns with the plan itself was the short timeline for notify- ing local emergency man- agement and customers of an impending power shutoff: emergency management is notified up to 72-hours in ad- vance, customers are notified 48-24 hours in advance. “I would like you to take input from our emergency people here in the city and the county, because they JANUARY Hood River county and city officials met for a joint work session on Dec. 17 to speak with Pacific Power representatives about the company’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan for the first time since the plan was in- troduced in May. Pictured are, left to right, City Council Member Megan Saunders, Commissioner Bob Benton, Mayor Kate McBride, and Commissioner Rich McBride. Emily Fitzgerald photo Saturday, January 7 BLANKET DRIVE: The Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is hosting its 7th Annual Blanket Drive 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. All items collected will be do- nated to The Warming Place in The Dalles. The Warming Place is also in need of warm socks. Other warming item (such as coats and gloves) will also be accepted. Stop by the parking lot at 523 East 3rd St., across the street from Sawyer’s Ace Hardware. Donors can simply pull up to the curb to drop off new or gently used and washed blankets, socks and other warming items. Thursday, January 9 careful survey and scrutiny of the damage wrought to orchards by the recent severe weather. Patterson has investigated Continued from page A2 especially the peach, cherry and apple trees. After observing and cutting open many branches Road were major construction from various trees I have failed to projects on the county’s road find any considerable number of agenda. buds which were not killed by the Train riders William E. and low prevailing temperatures this John A. Mussman, taken off year,” said Patterson. “The trees a Union Pacific train Tuesday night by Lew Hollohan, railroad as a unit have not been killed but the prospects for a bumper fruit agent, were sentenced to 15 crop for next season has gone days in Wasco County jail after glimmering.” pleading guilty before Judge One of the oldest residents of Glenn O. Allen in justice court yesterday. A charge of passing a The Dalles, born in this city 55 car without sufficient clearance years ago, William Patterson of was filed yesterday by state po- 1705 East Jackson Street, died lice against Orville Frank Brock, at an early hour this morning from inflammatory rheumatism. 1414 Jackson Street. Patterson has been a carpenter Closed to visitors—The most of his life but for a few years Wasco County hospital will be closed to visitors as a protective followed farming pursuits in this vicinity. His parents were among measure to patients as long as the very early pioneers, coming the current siege of colds and across the plains and settling in respiratory ailments continue, Oregon in 1843. Dr. Gerold G. van der Vlugt, A dog, in the throes of county physician, announced today. The order went into effect rabies, was shot and killed this morning on route No. 3 by its immediately, for an undeter- owner Arthur Panokin. This is mined period. conclusive evidence that the Postal receipts are high, according to an announcement disease is rapidly becoming a scourge among the canines of today by Postmaster Ralph this vicinity. Panokin, who owned Bennett, the total receipts at the shepherd dog, which is the local post office for 1939 high valued by him, said he first exceeded those of 1938 by noticed the dog was frothing at $1,303.13. the mouth this morning. The pupils of the Columbia Down deep in a song-bird’s Heights school will present a heart is love of home. At least this program at the schoolhouse is so as regards the world-famed Friday night at 7:30 o’clock. lyric soprano, Alice Nielsen, who Events will include the presen- will sing at the local high school tation of a play, “Toyland,” by auditorium tonight. the first three grades, under Two persons were seriously in- the direction of Miss Ruth jured in an accident to a bobsled Leonard, and two plays by the yesterday evening on Garrison upper grades, including “Mrs. Street, when a load of 11 persons Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch,” was thrown off violently when directed by Miss Susie Fry. No the sled struck a rock while at- admission will be charged for tempting to avert a collision with the performance, which will be open to all interested persons, it a man on skis, who was coming up the hill. was announced today. Meeting of the Sorosis club Some 35 members of various will be held Tuesday afternoon agricultural committees in in Hotel Dalles parlors. President Wasco County will confer here Mrs. Curtis will read interesting Tuesday on methods of coor- letters from China. Mrs. Agnes dinating use of governmental agencies with the development Riley and Mrs. Eunice Boyle will give musical selections. of agriculture. Response to roll call will be PORTLAND (UP)—Funds current events. for Bonneville Dam’s activities WASHINGTON—Upholding the during the coming fiscal year will be slashed if the recommen- constitutionality of the most vital section of the Volstead enforce- dations of President Roosevelt, included in his budget message ment law, the supreme court de- clared that 2.75 percent beer and to congress yesterday, are other near beers cannot be sold approved. under wartime prohibition. An ROME (UP)—It was an- important feature of the decision nounced officially today that is that the court upheld the action ration cards will be distributed throughout Italy by January 15. of congress in declaring intoxi- cating and preventing the sale of 100 years ago — 1920 all beverages containing half of The fruit crop for 1920 will one percent or more of alcohol be the lightest in many, many by volume with the exception of years, is the prediction of J. homemade cider and wine. M. Patterson who has made a LOOKING BACK may think that there are certain populations that need more notice than that,” said McBride. “I would strongly have you consider something that’s longer.” The need to properly fore- cast weather largely limits how much notice Pacific Power is able to give. There has been talk about creating a publicly-available dashboard that allows the public to view the same weather informa- tion that Pacific Power is using to make their deci- sions, but Berreth expressed concerns about “creating un- necessary anxiety” by sharing too much information with customers, and said they are working to figure out how to curate information so that what is provided to the public is meaningful. “I would rather customers have more information than less,” said county commis- sioner Les Perkins. “I know you are a private company, so you are used to being a little more guarded; we’re used to being pretty open with information,” he said. Since the policy was announced within Pacific Power’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan at the start of the 2019 fire season, local emergency management officials have expressed frustration about a lack of effective communica- tion with Pacific Power that made it difficult for them to prepare the community for a PSPS. “So far, I have been under- whelmed with the outreach,” said Perkins. “My concern is that the general public is not receiving information at all and there has been a bit of a disconnect between us and Pacific Power in terms of service providers and what we should be telling the community.” Perkins specifically referenced a situation that occurred in California in October, when Pacific Gas & Electric initiated a PSPS in northern California that affected an estimated 2.5 million people—including the small community of Humboldt County, which was thrust into chaos during the shutoff. “I agree with you that the lesson learned out of California was that commu- nication was a huge compo- nent of that,” said Berreth. Pacific Power represen- tatives have been meeting regularly with local emergen- cy management personnel for workshops, tabletop drills and other discussions on the plan. “The plan will change through coordination, com- munication with you, with communities,” said Berreth. “We’ll figure out what needs to change within the plan and then we’ll change the plan as we move forward … this isn’t a one-time devel- oped plan.” Officials in Hood River and Wasco counties first heard about the PSPS from PacifiCorp on May 30, and the plan went into full effect on June 25; since then, Hood River Emergency Management has held week- ly meetings with a coalition of nearly 30 Hood River and Wasco county agencies that have a role in emergencies, including sheriff’s depart- ments, school districts, pub- lic health departments, local government officials and fire districts in both coun- ties, to talk about issues and concerns about the PSPS and plan for emergency response impacts. The coalition held four tabletop drills—one in July, two in August, and one in late September — to better un- derstand potential response implications of a PSPS. Of these, Pacific Power repre- sentatives attended two. Backup power has been one of the primary focuses of PSPS preparation, with both Hood River County and the Hood River Energy Council looking to acquire grant funding for microgrid, solar and battery gener- ator studies and installa- tions at critical facilities county-wide. The Emergency Management Department is also working to grant-fund a partnership with Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) to create an emer- gency shelter and backup emergency response site at the school’s Hood River campus. Future prep will involve creating plans to help vul- nerable populations during a significant outage, and extensive public outreach. Pacific Power is currently preparing for the launch of their 2020 communication plan. While public meet- ings intended for the 2019 fire season were not held, Hanson said that they are currently planning for a spring community safe- ty and preparedness fair in partnership with NW Natural, the Hood River of- fice of emergency manage- ment and other local public health and safety groups. “This event will kick off a series of public meetings in each identified Public Safety Power Shutoff area in Hood River and Wasco counties,” said Hansen. “We will continue to work in partnership, be present when called upon and deliver on our number one priority, which is delivering reliable energy while keep- ing our communities safe,” said Hansen. KIWANIS PROGRAM: Kiwanis meetings are held every Thursday at noon at Spooky’s, visitors welcome. This week’s meeting includes presentation by Steph Hoppe from Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation on their scholarship program. For more information go to www.thedalleskiwanis.org. Thursday, January 16 KIWANIS PROGRAM: Kiwanis meetings are held every Thursday at noon at Spooky’s Pizza in The Dalles, visitors welcome. This week’s meeting includes presentation by Tracy Witkowski, who will talk about foster parenting. For more infor- mation go to www.thedalleski- wanis.org. Thursday, January 23 KIWANIS PROGRAM: Kiwanis meetings are held every Thursday at noon at Spooky’s, visitors welcome. Presentation by Carol Dowsett, principal.