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. Greg Walden
David Conn, Advertising and Sales
David@TheBakerCountyPress.com
541.624.2402 fax
Esa Murrell, Advertising and Sales
Esa@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Published weekly every Friday.
Subscription rates per year are $29.95 all areas,
e-mail delivery. $39.95 print issue, home delivery,
Baker City city limits only. $49.95 print issue,
mail delivery, outside Baker City city limits only.
Payment in advance.
A division of
Black Lyon Publishing, LLC
541.624.2400
Walden.House.gov
Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown
503.378.3111
Governor.Oregon.gov
State Rep. Cliff Bentz
503.986.1460
State Sen. Ted Ferrioli
541.490.6528
Baker County
Commissioners Bill Harvey;
Mark Bennett; Bruce Nichols
541.523.8200
Copyright © 2014 -2017
541.523.8201