Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Page 9
Some fire restrictions lifted
Fire season might have
ended in some parts of
Oregon, but not in Jose-
phine and Jackson coun-
ties, said Oregon Dept. of
Forestry (ODF).
However, ODF said
that some restrictions have
been lifted in the two
counties, as fire danger is
now listed as moderate.
Affected are state,
county, private and Bureau
of Land Management lands
in those counties.
Debris burning still is
prohibited. But now, for
the public, allowable are
campfires, use of vehicles
SELMA ROLL-OVER ACCIDENT - Illinois Valley emer-
gency personnel responded at 3:50 p.m. on Sunday,
Oct. 10 to a two-vehicle, end-over-end accident on
Hwy. 199 in front of Selma Quick Stop Market. Oregon
State Police said that both drivers were cited on
charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants.
They were identified as Selma residents Catherine M.
Ragsdale, 40; and Daniel M. Wylie, 28. OSP said that
Ragsdale, driving a Ford Explorer, turned left in front
of Wylie’s Jeep Cherokee, and the latter struck the
right passenger side of the Explorer. The Jeep then
flipped end-over-end. Two people in Wylie’s vehicle
suffered minor injuries and were taken by American
Medical Response to Three Rivers Community Hospi-
tal in Grants Pass. Other details were unavailable in
time for this issue. (Photos by Dale and Elaine
Pacific Power cites its stellar performance
In its annual perform-
ance report, Pacific Power
met its service commit-
ments to customers 99.9
percent of the time, the
electric utility said.
According to Pacific,
“When a Pacific Power
serviceman sets an ap-
pointment with a customer,
he does more than agree to
show up at a particular
place or time.
“He has backed his
word with a guarantee - a
promise to pay the cus-
tomer if he fails to do what
he said. This guarantee is
part of a program unique
among electric utilities in
the U.S. and a service Pa-
cific Power is serious
about delivering.
“Five years after its
inception, Pacific Power’s
Customer Service Guaran-
tee program continues to
shine as a model of making
the customer the first pri-
ority always. The com-
pany’s annual report card
of performance shows that
from April 2003 through
March 2004, the company
had 2,919,710 opportuni-
ties to meet its customer
guarantees.
“And it succeeded in
meeting them 99.9 percent
of the time,” Pacific said.
“Our Customer Ser-
vice Guarantee promises
that when we say we’re
going to give a certain
level of service, we mean
it,” said Karen Gilmore,
vice president of customer
services. “How well we
serve customers is impor-
tant to us. So important
that we hold ourselves ac-
countable by promising to
pay our customers if we
don’t keep our commit-
ments.”
“Excellence in being
there for its customers is
the foundation of our Cus-
tomer Service Guarantee
program,” said Pacific.
“Launched in February
2000, the program is a
feedback and make im-
provements to better serve
customers. The eight guar-
antees are to:
*Restore the cus-
tomer’s power within 24
hours of an interruption
notification (20 hours in
Oregon).
Utility backs its service calls with a
guarantee: a promise to pay the customer
if the serviceman fails to do what he said.
comprehensive set of guar-
antees and performance
stan dards unmatched
among U.S. electric utili-
ties. The program estab-
lishes guidelines for em-
ployees to follow and dem-
onstrates to customers that
the company is listening to
and addressing their con-
cerns about issues that are
important to them.
“The guarantees were
instituted as part of Pacific
Power’s merger with Scot-
tishPower in 1999, and are
slated to expire on March
31, 2005. But Pacific
Power has no plans to re-
tire the program,” it said.
“We’re committed to
continuing the program
because it improves cus-
tomer satisfaction,
strengthens our commit-
ment to delivering what
customers want and helps
us as a company become
more operationally effi-
cient,” said Gilmore.
Focusing its efforts on
the eight guarantees allows
Pacific Power to monitor
its performance, receive
*Keep mutually agreed
appointments.
*Switch on the cus-
tomer’s power within 24
hours of a request.
*Contact the customer
within two working days
of the initial request to ar-
range an appointment with
an estimator (if necessary).
Once Pacific Power has
the required information, it
will provide an estimate
within five working days
of the appointment or
within 15 working days
where alterations to the
network are necessary.
*Investigate customer
bill inquiries and respond
within 10 working days.
*Investigate meter
faults or conduct a meter
test and respond within 15
working days.
*Notify customers at
least two working days
prior to turning off power
for planned interruptions.
*Begin an investiga-
tion into an unknown
power supply problem
within seven working days
or explain a known prob-
Fall Recycle Round-up
(Can Slam)
Saturday, October 23, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the I.V. Visitor
• Tin and aluminum cans, labels OK
• Cardboard and Paper board, cereal-type boxes, fiber
egg cartons, shoe boxes, 6 or12 pack cartons, cardboard
tubes (remove waxed or foil lining)
• Plastic bottles, #s 1-7, neck smaller than base, no tubs,
lids, motor oil containers, buckets or furniture
• Mixed waste paper, junk mail, scrap paper, paper bags,
paperback books, phone books
Please rinse all food and soap containers.
Sorry! No glass his time (take to Kerby Transfer Station)
Co-sponsored by IVCRT, Southern Oregon Sanitation, Sterling Savings Bank,
I.V. Chamber Of Commerce & I.V. Sierra Club. Info: 596-2017
lem within five working
days.
If Pacific Power does-
n’t meet a commitment,
the customer is eligible to
receive a payment in the
form of a credit to their
account as compensation
for any inconvenience. For
some guarantees, the cus-
tomers must file a claim in
order to be considered for
payment.
“We established the
guarantee program to
prove we’re serious about
serving our customers and
serving them well,” said
Gilmore.
“When we fail to meet
a commitment, it’s a re-
minder that we need to do
better. Our customers de-
serve it.”
off improved roads, smok-
ing in wooded areas, use of
power equipment includ-
ing chainsaws; and cutting,
welding and grinding of
metal, said ODF.
Industrial forest opera-
tors still are affected by a
Level 1 Industrial Fire Pre-
caution. They must have
fire equipment on-site, and
provide watchman service.
Until fire season ends,
said ODF, people should
continue to use caution in
wooded areas, and never
leave campfires unat-
tended. Phone 474-3152
for more information.
Administrative Assistant Position
at Oregon Caves
Oregon Caves National Monument is looking for an
energetic, efficient person to fill our Administrative
Assistant position. The position will be advertised at
www.usajobs.opm.gov from 10/15/04 - 10/29/04. For
more information phone Kelly Donley at (541)592-
2100, ext. 223.
Meidinger Concrete Construction
Serving the Valley since 1974
* Licensed * Bonded * Insured
Specializing in all types of Concrete and Masonry
New - Foundations - Walks - Drives - Patios
Mobile Home Runners and Foundations
Bridges and Abutments - Slabs - Large or Small
Exposed Aggregate - Retaining Walls and Basements
Stamped & Colored Concrete