FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017 4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS Opinion / Politics — Special Column — — Letters to the Editor — So I was thinking ... Idaho Power’s transmission requirements About Christmas By Jimmy Ingram Special to The Baker County Press Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Festive holiday music, Santa Claus, parties, egg nog, and baked treats of all shapes and sizes. In many homes and communities it’s a time of tradition—traditions many people look forward to all year. But while some traditions like caroling and sleigh rides aren’t as common these days, they’ve been replaced with several new ones. Broken Christmas Lights: There are two things you can count on when it’s time to put up the outdoor Christmas lights: 1. You have no idea where you put them last January, and 2. When you do find them, they’ll be in a giant ball and half of them will not work. “Who made this mess?” you say to yourself. You did. Now remem- ber, they will work when you check, double-check, and re-check each individual strand, but will cease to function after they are strung up. After all, knowing they didn’t work before they were up would be too easy. So what you thought would be a two-hour job turns into an entire day, particularly when you make trips to multiple stores trying to find the exact match for the lights you bought last year. Guess what: they don’t have those any more. So you buy brand “x” instead of brand “y” and hope they match. They don’t, but only close friends, total strangers, and your chil- dren will notice. Elf on the Shelf: I’m sure many of you are now familiar with this crea- ture. A fun-loving elf whose existence brings magic to into the hearts of children and homes worldwide. Or as a certain sect of pop culture now considers it: a prop showcasing a slightly distasteful way to make your friends and the entire internet laugh. A quick internet search can produce pictures of the elf doing everything from gleefully holding a candy cane on a mantle, to laying passed out next to a naked Barbie doll and an empty bottle of tequila—and everything in between. The unchanging “cat that ate the canary” facial expression of the elf only adds to the fun. The only limits to the adorable na- ture or potential debauchery of the elf is your imagination. Either way you Submitted Photo Jimmy Ingram is a local farmer and father of two who enjoys people watching within our wonderful community and beyond. choose it is indeed a magical experi- ence. Ugly Sweater Parties: What’s more enjoyable than a warm, comfortable sweater in December? An offensively ugly, laughter-inducing, oversized ugly sweater. The concept of ugly sweater parties proves that ugly sweat- ers are like jolly Old Saint Nick: their spirits never die, they merely come around once a year. Bright colors with geometric shapes? Perfect. Mildly of- fensive sayings? Even better. The funny part about ugly sweater parties are that they really do require some effort. For some, more than oth- ers. The lucky few can simply sneak into the closet of a close relative in dire need of a clothing intervention. Others are forced to scavenge “lost and found” bins and second hand stores in search of the ultimate ugly sweater. And finally, it is 2017 after all, meaning an Amazon.com search can provide you with hundreds upon hun- dreds of sweaters that will undoubted- ly make you the laughing stock of the party. The best part about ugly sweater parties is that stains, spilled wine, and kitchen grease only add character to your garment. No napkins or manners required. White Elephant Gifts: Another new(er) holiday tradition. When you see a Steven Seagal action figure at the Dollar Store you really only have one option—buy it. It would make a great white elephant gift. “John Tesh’s Greatest Hits?” you ask yourself. More like “perfect party gift.” Not unlike the ugly sweater party the theme is simple: the worse the better. Somewhere right now someone is gift wrapping an unopened Jazzercise video from 1991, wearing their grandmothers olive green floral sweater and thinking, “I’m gonna be a hit at this party.” No matter what your tradition is this Christmas, the ultimate tradition is to have fun with your family and friends. Put up lights, wear ugly sweaters, drink egg nog, and most important- ly—be merry! Ferrioli gets lifetime achievement award Last week, Senator Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association (ORECA). The award was presented by Ron Holmes, Board President of Wasco Electric Cooperative. “I am honored to accept this award from ORECA,” said Ferrioli. “Being the voice for rural Oregonians has been my privilege.” “Senator Ferrioli has spent his entire career fighting for the livelihood of rural Oregonians,” said ORECA Executive Director Ted Case. “He has been the voice of the small towns and remote areas that depend on the power from the Columbia and Snake Rivers for their prosperity.” ORECA represents Or- egon’s 18 electric coop- erative utilities in Oregon Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker County Press reserves the right not to pub- lish letters containing factual falsehoods or incoherent narrative. Letters promoting or de- tracting from specific for-profit businesses will not be published. Word limit is 375 words per letter. Letters are limited to one every other week per author. Letters should be submitted to Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.com. Advertising and Opinion Page Disclaim- er: Opinions submitted as Guest Opinions or that receive emission-free hydropower resources marketed by the Bonnev- ille Power Administration. These co-ops serve in 30 of Oregon’s 36 counties and provide electricity to over 200,000 customers. Ferrioli will begin serving on the Northwest Power Planning and Conserva- tion Council on January 16, 2018. He is leaving the State Senate after 20 years of service. Letters to the Editor express the opinions of their authors, and have not been authored by and are not necessarily the opinions of The Baker County Press, any of our staff, manage- ment, independent contractors or affiliates. Advertisements placed by political groups, candidates, businesses, etc., are printed as a paid service, which does not constitute an endorsement of or fulfillment obligation by this newspaper for the products or services advertised. To the Editor: I want to address the need for additional transmission requirements to the western energy centers of Washington and Oregon. I am a member of Idaho Power Com- pany’s Integrated Resource Planning Advisory Council. The IRPAC meets every two years to help plan for the future resource requirements in order to supply the expected load. From that point of view and the fact that I pump water from wells, I will address the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) Transmission project. Through this process, the B2H project has been a cost-effective resource in each plan for the past ten years. The B2H project will also benefit the Bonneville Power Administration and PacifiCorp who have partnered with Idaho Power on B2H to better serve their respective transmission requirements. The B2H project will also provide access to both wind and solar en- ergy for the various partners and provide enhanced reliability and stability so that these renewable resources can be fully utilized. I serve on various advisory commit- tees for Idaho Power Company and have observed a willingness by the Company to cooperate with the various groups, both public and private, who are stakehold- ers in issues such as transmission line siting. As with any collaborative effort, — Editorial — Planning Commission made right choice not everyone comes away with everything they want. The siting of transmission lines in today’s world requires many years of work with many moving parts. After the need for the transmission line is de- termined, the process of siting the line is started with consideration given to terrain, government regulation, and the desires of the various local concerns. As with any collaborative effort, an entity or individual must participate from the beginning of the process to be effective and even then may only be partially successful. Whether a person is an Idaho Power customer or a customer of another electri- cal energy supplier, the improvements to the transmission infrastructure in the Northwest help everyone though greater system stability. With this fact in mind, opposition to transmission line improvements must be viewed from the prospective idea of hav- ing electrical energy when you want to use it or the absence of the energy. I, as an Idaho Power customer and a participant in planning activities, support the Boardman to Hemingway Transmis- sion line as a least-cost resource and as an improvement to the Northwest transmis- sion infrastructure. Sidney Erwin Vice-Pres, Idaho Irrigation Pumpers Association Supervisor, Bruneau River Soil Conservation District We were pleased to see the members of the Baker County Planning Commission send the decision to oust Planning Com- missioner Rob Crawford—or not—back to those who we believe should make that decision: our three County Commission- ers. Crawford’s fate as a planning com- missioner is in question after he failed to follow the same regulations to which his vote makes other citizens adhere. Those commissioners passed that decision over to Crawford’s peers on the Planning Commission, who in turn sent it back to them. This is the proper level for a decision such as this to be made. —The Baker County Press Editorial Board Ferrioli gets legislator of the year award Last week, the Asso- ciation of Oregon Centers for Independent Living (AOCIL) presented Sena- tor Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) with the 2017 Betha Kagayama Legislator of the Year Award “For his extraordinary advocacy and leadership in govern- ment on behalf of the Inde- pendent Living Movement and the thousands of men, women and young people with physical, mental and sensory disabilities in the State of Oregon.” This award is given in the name of Mrs. Betha Kagayama, a life-long constituent of Malheur County who has dedicated her life’s work to advocate for people with disabilities. “AOCIL does great work serving people with dis- abilities, and working with them to better the lives of Oregonians has been an honor,” said Ferrioli. “I have been work- ing with Senator Ferrioli since he was first elected, and found his leadership around disability issues remarkable,” said Kirt Toombs, who heads the Center for Independent Living in Ontario. “He has always been an extraordi- — Contact Us — nary advocate for people with disabilities, and took the lead on really difficult issues. He is more than deserving of this honor.” The Association of Or- egon Centers for Inde- pendent Living (AOCIL) represents Oregon’s seven consumer-driven, peer- based Centers for Indepen- dent Living. Ferrioli will begin serving on the Northwest Power Planning and Conserva- tion Council on January 16, 2018. He is leaving the State Senate after 20 years of service. YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS The Baker County Press President Donald Trump PO Box 567 Baker City, Ore. 97814 202.456.2461 fax Open Monday-Thursday for calls 9 AM - 4 PM Open 24/7 for emails 202.456.1414 Whitehouse.gov/contact US Sen. Jeff Merkley 503.326.3386 503.326.2900 fax Merkley.Senate.gov Phone: 541.519.0572 TheBakerCountyPress.com US Sen. Ron Wyden 541.962.7691 Wyden.Senate.gov Kerry McQuisten, Publisher Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.com US Rep. 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