•*V'
»
Page 12
The INDEPENDENT, July 21,1999
Call before you dig; it’s the sensible thing to do
With warm weather just
around the corner, many gar
dening, remodeling and build
ing projects will soon be under
way. NW Natural urges people
to “Call Before You Dig” to pre
vent damage and service inter
ruptions that can be caused by
digging into underground utility
lines. Notifying utilities before
starting anywork that requires
digging is necessary for safety
and required by law.
The “Call Before You Dig"
safety warning applies to any
one who may be digging —
contractors, excavators or
homeowners. Notification is
easy and free; all it takes is one
call to a notification center at
least two full working days be
fore excavation is to begin. Af
ter the center receives a call, it
will alert participating utilities,
which will locate and mark their
lines with color-coded paint.
Anyone who fails to call and
damages underground ser
vices, can be held liable for all
repair costs. More importantly,
damage to a gas pipe or an
electric cable poses a signifi
cant safety hazard.
Polyethylene pipe that is
widely used for natural gas dis
tribution can be damaged by
everyday tools like shovels and
post hold diggers. It is easy to
avoid damages and potentially
dangerous situations by calling
before digging.
Upon notification of pro
posed excavation from the no
tification center, NW Natural
will identify the location of the
natural gas pipe with yellow
paint. The law requires that
anyone digging in the marked
area must carefully hand exca
vate with a shovel instead of
using a backhoe or other pow
er equipment, and must take
care not to damage the pipe
once it is exposed.
NW Natural experiences
damage to approximately
1,800 gas lines each year that
are attributed to excavation.
Nearly half of those are caused
by an excavator who did not
notify NW Natural of their intent
to dig. Most of the remaining
damages are a result of exca
vators who were not careful
when digging around exposed
lines.
The Oregon Utility Notifica
tion Center can be reached at
246-6699 in the Portland metro
area, 696-4848 in Clark Coun
ty, Wash, and 1-800-332-2344
in all other areas of Oregon.
Remember, don’t risk dig
ging into buried natural gas,
water, sewer, telephone, fiber
optic, cable television or elec
tric lines. Call before you dig.
It’s free and it’s the law.
From page 2
something in Salem, but most
of us prevailed in showing the
relationship between our local
fairs and the State Fair. As was
explained on the floor, provid
ing opportunities for kids to
participate in FFA, 4-H and oth
er similar programs and giving
them a chance to display their
accomplishments is not always
a money-making proposition.
For so many, the Oregon State
Fair is a culmination of ex
tremely worthwhile activities for
our youth - as well as some
thing we adults appreciate.
One of the important issues
still awaiting a resolution is the
transportation package. Every
one agrees that more money is
needed to fix and improve our
roads. We in District 2 can at
test to that with real and ex
treme examples! Unfortunately,
how to raise those funds and
how much to tax is a difficult is
sue. We have been dealing
with this issue all session and it
has changed dramatically and
often over the past six months.
The balance between taxes on
fuel, licensing fees, and the
current weight-mile revenues is
a tenuous one at best. This bal
ance will be determined in the
next few days if we are to get a
package out at all.
I still remain somewhat opti
mistic that we will have a budg-
et before leaving here so we do
not have to have a special ses
sion.
VIFiCEriT BAKER
c o n s T R U C T io n
Rep. Elaine Hopson
Salem Office:
H-376 State Capitol
Salem, OR 97310
Phone (503) 986-1402
email
..
This is a scene en acted in many places th ro u g h o u t
Vernonia as work continues on replacement and repair of
the city’s 60-70 year old water distribution system.
Tillamook Office:
P.O. Box 656 Tillamook, OR
97141
email
Your voice is heard when you
speak from the ballot box.
Register to vote today.
DENNIS ELECTRIC, INC.
4 2 9 -8 9 3 0
• Excavation................... CCB #109588
• Septic Installation............DEQ #37688
f ELECTRICAL
SERVICE
ECON-O-FAB
Robert W illiam s
G eneral C o n stru ctio n
Pole Buildings
Composition, Metal, Seamless
Roofing • Hand Nailing
888-499-7822
5O3-755-X831
649-5454
493 Bridge Street
Vernonia, OR 97064
W l T A K l Tilt P t N r s o u T o r UCCIDENTE
R ay
fh e NEW WAY
P elster
4-H air
MOVING & STORAGE
A ppointm ents
A vailable
CCB# 123932
503-429-4000
4 0 Y e a rs E x p e rie n c e
821 B ridge S t ., V ernonia
Pumps • Pressure Systems
Filtration • Chlorination
Low Well-Output Holding Systems
K itch en s, B a th ro o m s, W in d o w s , S k y lig h ts,
T ile , C o u n te r T o p s, F in ish C arpentry,
V in y l F lo o r s &. More!
Complete Water Systems,
from the well to the faucet.
6 9 3 -6 1 4 7
! .¡censed Handed • Insured (..(211# 1I2O 57
SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION
Cabinets, Doors, M illwork
& Formica Countertops
PVC Plumbing Pipe & Fittings
DANA LEE
Hoisting Service Available — Roofing, Trusses, etc.
ENTERPRISES, INC.
(503)429-7311
Serving the Portland Area
CCB #84814
16819 Timber Rd., Vernonia, OR 97064
(503) 429-9045
Cell (503) 680-5484
CCB# 123466
Fax (503) 429-8059
VAUGHN’S WAHR CONDITIONING
1-800-570-5296
World W ide Movers
Paul Arpin Vanlines Agency
540 Milton Way
St. Helens, OR 97051
P oppino
P ainting
NEHALEM VALLET PUMP CO.
■ ^B u ild in g or
J\em odeling? , * ''*=; «*
IG K iflB M f
4 2 9 -0 2 4 8
Dennis & Schann Nelson
16725 Timber Rd. E., Vernonia, OR 97064
Cabinetry
Custom & Euro
Phone:
FREE ESTIMATES
(50 3) 4 2 9 - 5 0 1 4
J im M o r r is o n J r.
Owner
CCB No. 19808
LICENSED • INSURED • FREE ESTIMATES
P.O. Box 6205
Aloha, OR 97006
GARY MEYER
Licensed & Bonded
1 Manufactured Dwelling Installation...#970MDI
CCB #51042
M e y e r s A u to B o d y
FREE ESTIMATES
Bonded • Insured • CCB No. 90548
Licensed
429-7101
TO N EY JO H NSO N
C O N S T R U C T IO N
Specializing in Remodel & Repair
DRYROT
DRYWALL
TILE, VINYL
ROOFING
FENCING
DECKS
SIDING
CCB# 85280
“Have Tools Will Travel”
503-429-7009 Mobile: 503-939-8083
V I)
i c y
* « .i'»--