Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2016)
REGION Friday, January 22, 2016 PENDLETON East Oregonian Page 3A BPA upgrades Celilo Converter Station Facility part of 846-mile connection By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Contributed photo Bike shop rallying support for trails near airport proclivity for cycling, but rather a way to improve an unused piece of city land. “I think it is a classic case 3HQGOHWRQ FLW\ RI¿FLDOV have long talked about of turning a liability into an increasing activity at the asset,” he said. MacKenzie said similar Eastern Oregon Regional Airport, although it usually parks have succeeded in wasn’t done with cycling Eagle, Idaho, Sammamish, Wash. and Boulder, Colo. He enthusiasts in mind. Pendleton bike shop Echo added that the lure of nearby %LNH%RDUGSRVWHGDÀLHU outdoor recreational oppor- on its Facebook page rallying tunities could in turn help the support for a network of city lure more industry to the bicycle and running trails airport area. Because of the lack of west of the airport. City Planner Evan unpaved running trails, MacKenzie said he has been MacKenzie said the trail gauging community interest park found another ally in in recent months, and the Pendleton High School track owners of Echo Bike & coach Nicole Stewart. “It’s cross country in the Board have been some of the people receptive to the idea. purest sense,” MacKenzie MacKenzie said estab- said. MacKenzie said he, lishing an airport trail system is less about his own Stewart and Echo Bike & By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Board co-owner Shayne Myers ran the idea by the airport commission, whose members were supportive of the proposal. If approved by the city council, the park wouldn’t happen overnight. Although he was the one WR ¿UVW VXJJHVW WKH FRQFHSW MacKenzie said he hopes community members like Myers and Stewart would lead the charge in getting the park approved and estab- lished. Those in favor of the project will make a presenta- tion to Pendleton city council on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. and supporters are encouraged to attend. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. BRIEFLY Students safe after lockdown of Athena-Weston Schools Three Athena-Weston schools were locked down for about an hour Thursday due to an incident with a parent at Weston-McEwen High School and Weston Middle School. According to Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan, Calvin Sumpter, 37, made some suicidal comments before leaving work Thursday at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary. Sumpter then traveled to the middle school and high school, where he was observed driving erratically, and tried to request that his children be pulled from VFKRRO6FKRRORI¿FLDOV refused. Sumpter then drove away, and was in Milton-Freewater when was detained by local authorities. Rowan said Sumpter was charged with disorderly conduct and was transported to St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton for a medical evaluation. He could also face a reckless driving charge. The lockdown affected Athena Elementary, Weston Middle School and Weston- McEwen High School from about 11:45 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., according to information release by the InterMountain Education Service District. %LQJRJDPHVEHQH¿W Relay for Life PENDLETON — Bingo games this weekend will help raise money for Pendleton Relay for Life. The event is Saturday beginning at 6 p.m. in the theater room at The Prodigal Son Brewery & Pub, 230 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton. RSVP or pre-sale bingo FDUGV¿YHFDOOLQJVDUH HDFKRUWKUHHIRU For more information, call Heather at 541-377- 0350. Hermiston Elks set Crab Feed HERMISTON — Tickets for the annual Hermiston Elks Crab Feed must be reserved by Tuesday. The event is Saturday, Jan. 30 with happy hour from 5-6 p.m. and the crab feed from 6-8 p.m. at the lodge, 480 E. Main St., +HUPLVWRQ7KHFRVWLV per person. For a ticket or more information, call Jim Voss at 541-571-5116 or the lodge at 541-567-6923. Agape House serves murder mystery HERMISTON — Dave Hughes is cooking up fun for another Agape House murder mystery dinner. Hughes, Agape House executive director, participated in a cruise workshop teaching him the Jack Pachuta Murder Mystery Writing System. His latest effort, “The Murder of Handsome Jack,” will be staged Saturday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Agape House, 500 Harper Road, Hermiston. The cost LVSHUWLFNHWZLWK tax-deductible. The price includes a prime rib dinner and dessert. Each table of guests will serve as an investigative team for the murder mystery. After an introduction and case summary, the suspects will share their memories of Jack and any interactions they had earlier in the day prior to his death. During the dinner break, investigative tables may purchase additional clue SDFNDJHVRIVL[IRU IRURUIRU During dessert, the crime lab and autopsy reports will be read. Audience members will have an opportunity to solve the mystery for a chance to win tickets to an upcoming murder mystery presentation. All money raised from the event will go to support the missions of Agape House and Martha’s House in helping those in need. For more information, call 541-567-8774. Bonneville Power $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ KDV ÀLSSHG the switch on its new and improved Celilo Converter Station near The Dalles. The project, which began in 2012 and cost PLOOLRQ PRGHUQL]HV D key piece of infrastructure connecting the Northwest power market to customers in Los Angeles. Originally built in 1970, the Celilo Converter Station anchors the north end of ZKDW¶VNQRZQDVWKH3DFL¿F Direct Current Intertie — a 500-kilovolt, 846-mile trans- mission line stretching from Wasco County to a second converter station managed by the Los Angeles Depart- ment of Water and Power. 7KH 3DFL¿F '& ,QWHUWLH is the longest commercial transmission line of its kind in the country. In order to maintain the link, BPA decided to replace converters at the Celilo station, which project manager Erich Orth said had surpassed their operational lifespan. “As it got older, main- tenance needs got a lot more cumbersome,” Orth said. “It made sense for a wholesale replacement of the converters.” Most of the new equip- ment at Celilo was manu- factured in Sweden. It was delivered across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama &DQDO XS WKH 3DFL¿F &RDVW and barged to the Port of The 'DOOHV &RQVWUXFWLRQ ¿QDOO\ got underway last fall, and Celilo was shut down for more than three months. The station came back online Wednesday evening, and Orth said they expect the latest upgrades to last another 40-50 years. “It’s going to be able to perform with a higher degree of reliability,” he said. Converter stations work Photo contributed by Gustav Mortensson/ABB Two massive transformers are barged from Vancouver, Wash. to The Dalles as part of the Celilo Converter Station installation. “The new equipment not only supports the western transmission grid with great- er security, reliability, capacity and lexi- bility, but will be able to work harder.” — Richard Shaheen, BPA’s senior vice president of transmission services by taking electricity from alternating current and changing it to direct current, which allows the juice to WUDYHO PRUH HI¿FLHQWO\ RYHU ORQJ GLVWDQFHV 7KH 3DFL¿F DC Intertie does this at both ends in The Dalles and Los Angeles. The result is the regions are able to swap low-cost power during times of peak demand. BPA owns and operates Celilo, as well as 265 miles of transmission line down to the Oregon-Nevada border. The agency is in the process of updating the line as well, ZKLFKVKRXOGEH¿QLVKHGE\ fall. The total project cost is HVWLPDWHGDWPLOOLRQ ³7KHVH VLJQL¿FDQW VWHSV to improve the backbone of the regional grid will both strengthen reliability and increase our capacity to deliver energy, contributing to the vitality of the North- west,” said Richard Shaheen, BPA’s senior vice president of transmission services. Prior to upgrades, the intertie had capacity for 3,100 megawatts. That’s enough power for 2-3 million homes in Los Angeles, or nearly half of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s peak capacity. With the upgrades, the system is expected to increase capacity to 3,220 megawatts. “The new equipment not only supports the western transmission grid with greater security, reliability, FDSDFLW\ DQG ÀH[LELOLW\ EXW will be able to work harder,” Shaheen said. Mukhles Bhuiyan, manager of grid planning and development for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said the intertie is a great value for the entire West. Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sher- wood-Randall commended BPA and Southwest utilities for their cooperation on the intertie. “This accomplishment is an example of the types of infrastructure advancement that will help the region and our nation maintain the economic vitality in a changing energy market,” she said. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0825. Cultural center group serves breakfast IRRIGON — The Irrigon Multicultural Arts Center committee is hosting a fundraising breakfast. The meal is Saturday, Jan. 30 from 7:30-10:30 a.m. at Stokes Landing Senior Center, 195 N.W. Opal Place, Irrigon. The FRVWLVSHUSHUVRQ The group of volunteers is raising money in hopes of preserving Irrigon’s 1921 school building. For more information, call Peggy at 541-567-3806. Rachel Dagley Business Health Farm Life Rachel Dagley 541/276-2302 • 800/225-2521 Commercial & Farm Agent The Stratton Agency Pendleton / Hermiston • stratton-insurance.com Things we want you to know: Shared Connect Plan and Customer Service Agreement with a 2-yr. initial term (subject to a pro-rated $150 Early Termination Fee for basic phones, modems and hotspot devices and a $350 Early Termination Fee for Smartphones and Tablets) or Retail Installment Contract for installment pricing required. Credit approval also required. Up to $40 Device Activation Fee applies. A Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee (currently $1.82/line/month) applies; this is not a tax or gvmt. required charge. Additional fees, taxes, terms, conditions and coverage areas apply and may vary by plan, service and phone. $300 Switcher Incentive: Requires port-in, purchase of a new Smartphone with Retail Installment Contract and Device Protection+, and trade-in of an active Smartphone on former carrier’s plan. Limit one per line. Traded-in Smartphone must be in fully functional, working condition without any liquid damage or broken components, including, but not limited to, a cracked display or housing. Smartphone must power on and cannot be pin locked. For in-store transactions: $150 Promotional Card given at point of sale. Additional $150 Promotional Card will be mailed to customer within 6–8 weeks. Promotional Cards issued by MetaBank, ® Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Valid only for purchases at U.S. Cellular ® stores and uscellular.com. For online and telesales transactions, see uscellular.com for redemption details. Device Protection+: Enrollment in Device Protection+ required. The monthly charge for Device Protection+ is $8.99 for Smartphones. A deductible per approved claim applies. You may cancel Device Protection+ anytime. Federal Warranty Service Corporation is the Provider of the Device Protection+ ESC benefits, except in CA and OK. Limitations and exclusions apply. For complete details, see an associate for a Device Protection+ brochure. Kansas Customers: In areas in which U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Offers valid at participating locations only and cannot be combined. See store or uscellular.com for details. Limited-time offer. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. ©2016 U.S. Cellular ®
