14
in other words
january16
2014
Things to Ponder
By Grant Williams
Have you ever wondered why your religious
experiences resemble a boring roller coaster ride?
Here’s another question. Do you believe Jesus was
religious or spiritual? Your answers will help you
understand where you are in your spiritual journey. Do
you remember why Jesus submitted to John’s baptism?
Matthew 3:15 says it was to “fulfill all righteousness.”
Jesus didn’t consider baptism, synagogue attendance
and holy day observances as religious duties or
responsibilities, but as acts of worship and obedience.
Israel’s searching for and not finding God has the same
reason why the modern church finds many of its people
empty, unchanged, and bored. Numerous people
aren’t seeking God, but a religious experience. God is
searching for people who want to know Him personally.
God is seeking people who crave to worship Him alone,
unencumbered with the trappings of religion.
Around the world there are thousands of
churches bursting with people seeking God. There are
polished praise bands that will dazzle you with powerful
and inspirational music. Well trained preachers who
fill your head with knowledge and the truth from God’s
Word. However, as notable as these things are, they are
only tools God can use to build His “True Church” if
the worshipers come to Him on His terms. The seeds
of the Word of God must fall on an open, repentant,
and willing heart before genuine spiritual growth
can begin. Resisting His will leads to frustration
causing a person to remain unmoved from their own
selfish desires. Knowing about and being exposed to
spiritual truth without a sincere turning from sin will
only produce empty religious floundering that leads
to disobedience, selfishness and idolatry. Reading the
Old Testament prophets will confirm these facts. The
“True Church” is faced with the same dilemma. Will
we choose to protect our own small piece of the pie,
like ancient Israel, or will we heed His call and submit
to His design for the Kingdom?
The Lord knew we would struggle with
obeying His will for our lives. I believe that’s why He
streamlined His commandments down to “love the Lord
your God …and your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew
22:34-40). Not long ago I received a phone call from
a friend who asked me to forgive him for laughing at
something I had said in a meeting. After thinking about
what I had said he realized I had made a good point.
My friend told me he wanted to be more like Jesus
and he felt compelled to rectify the wrong. I was so
encouraged it was hard to hold back the tears. My faith
was bolstered by this man’s humility and willingness
to listen to the Holy Spirit. Is there someone you need
to make things right with? Are you willing to take a
step of faith and prove to yourself that the God of the
Word knows what is best for you and His Church? It
will take courage, but you won’t be sorry once your
friendship is healed. God bless you in your quest to be
more like Jesus.
The Sounding Board: Communication Counts
By Jack Phillips
Robert and Martha VanNatta
attended Power of One’s monthly 7pm
meeting at the Learning Center on
Thursday, January 2nd.
Mr. VanNatta presented his
views. He believes there is no room for
lower rates; nor that WOEC operations
and management can be made to work
better. He restated reasons of having to
deal with a large territory and FEMA
events. It appears to me, Bob sees the
Cooperative as a neutral conduit, or
pipeline, for the purchase of power from
BPA and for the transmission of that
power to members. He believes costs are
what they are and that’s how it is! This is
in spite of being presented a researched,
fact based chart showing WOEC with
the highest 2012 rates in Oregon, no one
else even a close 2 nd ! We pay managers
a high six figure income to run this little
co-op and this is what we get? He feels
his hands are tied; that member input,
while heart-felt, is mostly uninformed
and misguided; that looking to other
means of sustainable power is not work-
able, now or for the intermediate future.
You can talk to your district director; go
to meetings, get a copy of the agenda and
make remarks, but not participate to any
greater extent in the full content of the
meeting other than observing. (There is
procedure for recall and/or changing the
bylaws and/or dissolution. I will discuss
that at another time).
In contrast to Bob’s statements,
Power of One members expressed their
belief that WOEC can lower rates, im-
prove its management, operations, in-
vestments, loans, finances and hands-on
contact with, and participation of, the
membership through-out WOEC’s terri-
tory. With this in mind, questions were
asked to Mr. VanNatta on what plans the
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Schedule as of April 1, 2013
Nehalem Valley Fixed Route
Mon, Wed, Fri Leaves Vernonia 6:15am & 4:30pm
Dial-a-ride Service Available
Tue & Thr for 5 hours per day 503-366-0159
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http://www.columbiacountyrider.com
board had to actually reply to the strongly
expressed high-rate concerns of WOEC
members? There were 100+ members at
the rate change meeting that voted unan-
imously to lower rates! Or what was go-
ing to be done about adjusting punitive
charges for multiple meters on a single
location? Or why hasn’t high speed fiber
optic come to Vernonia thru WOEC’s
$1.5+ million investment into fiber op-
tic? Or why is it code-tabbed binders are
distributed to Directors at meetings and
not members? Bob’s answers: Rates
cannot be lowered, period!; and, it ap-
pears, that includes multiple meters on
a single member’s account; for fiber op-
tic, cable is here for the medical clinic,
paid for by a grant. It is not for single
users unless someone wants to start a
business and connect to LSN; he hoped
the investment in LSN will blossom into
something bigger and better and produce
good results, even though, to date, it has
not.
As to the tabbed binders being
given only to Directors and staff, Bob
said it was Marc Farmer who estab-
lished the procedure and kept members
from seeing copies by reason of pos-
sible occurrence of proprietary and/or
private information. Really? A policy
like that appears, to me, to be taking
and slipping-away member rights and
the ability to contribute or participate.
Unchallenged, it becomes how things
are done, set in concrete, not changed
and members being told “nothing else
can be done”. How easily freedom is
“disappeared.”
Our reaction? We asked for
meeting binder copies to be supplied to
members plus a current, complete copy
of the Policy Statements. Bob said he
would provide the Policy Statement
Copy to us immediately and put it on-
line. Plus, he said, with a new manager,
the withheld binder policy may change.
Interestingly Bob added that in all his
years at WOEC, no one asked for, or was
given, a copy of the Policy Statements,
except recently. A copy was given to Jim
Buxton. Amazing. Why not any other
members? Over the past months, this is
what I have learned: Policy Statements
are important. They are the manifesta-
tion, and enforcement mechanism, of
the board’s decision(s) about the bylaws.
You want to know why a certain thing
was done? Look in the Policy State-
ments. The fact that the Policy State-
ments have been number coded and not
offered to members asking for the origi-
nal documents, amendments, bylaws
and service regulations begs the ques-
tion. If the current membership is fully
informed, changes will follow. That is a
lot of bother to some folks.
So there you have it, the latest
on our electric cooperative. If you, dear
reader, feel the same way as Pwr/1, are
upset with the highest electric rates in
Oregon, have gotten yourself this far,
want to say something and be heard;
and you are, or know, a WOEC member,
Pwr/1 wants to hear from you. Things
are going to change. We are on the move.
Now is the time to get your boots on the
ground, to talk with your neighbors and
the rest of us. You do not have to move
mountains. Everybody helps. Meet new
folks. Get in touch:
email: woec.unitedmembers@yahoo.
com and/or jphillips5295@gmail.com
snail-mail: P.O. Box 51, Vernonia, OR
97064
WEB: www.powerofonevernonia.
site88.net
Tel: (503) 804-6997 Tel: (503) 429-
0248
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Columbia County Rider
General
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FIXED ROUTES RATES (All fares are one way)
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Per Additional Zone (add) - per boarding $1.00
MONTHLY PASS RATES - Scheduled Routes Only
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2 Zones
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All Zones
$150.00
Seniors,
Disabled,
Students & Children
Children under 12 must be
accompanied by an adult.
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