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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1999)
Several city projects ready for opening ceremonies INSIDE: Two ribbon cutting cere monies on Saturday, October 23, will mark the official open Local ISP goes digital....... pg. 4 ing of the new Vernonia City Hall and Library, and the open ing of the bridge over Rock Private timberlands remaining closed because of fire danger In spite of the light rain that started Tuesday morn ing, most private timber com panies are not yet allowing public access because the danger of fire remains signif icantly high. Most of the companies will maintain the closure of their timberlands until there is enough precipitation to allevi ate the danger of fire. Hunters and others are advised to inquire about pub lic access before entering private property. Creek that will extend the Banks-Vernonia State Linear Park. The ceremonies will start at 11:00 a.m. and, tentatively, will include a walk through down town to review the many im provements made during the last couple of years by both public and private entities. The pedestrian bridge that will span Bear Creek between city hall and the library is not yet in place, but work should start soon on its installation. The city is also discussing the possibility of working with the Vernonia Youth Corps for the landscaping work needed at the new buildings. Though it’s not quite fin ished, Vernonia’s new library is already in use. The books have been moved and the comput ers will soon follow. New sidewalks on the north side of Bridge Street are taking shape rapidly and will be near ing completion when opening ceremonies take place. There will be more details in The INDEPENDENT, Oct. 20th. Gladys is back! Cookin'..... pg. 7 Mist-Birkenfeld new fire station.... pg. 9 RiverCity final standing., pg. 10 BULK RATE U S. Postage Paid Permit No. 37 Vernonia, OR 97064 Voi. 14, No. 19 ‘Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley’ October 6, 1999 Other cities dislike WOECZPGE contract A great day... Fire Chief Dave Crawford starts to cut the ribbon for the official opening of the new Mist-Birkenfeld Fire Station as Randy Hansen, chairman of the board of directors, looks on. Behind Hansen is director Doug Grant. Not shown are directors Ray Kyser, Susan Miller and Paul Ramsey. See story on page 9. PUC staff asks delay of docket Jack Williams, a staff mem ber of the state Public Utilities Commission, said at the PUC public hearing in Vernonia, that “PUC staff” asked to have the docket on the PGE/WOEC transaction held in abeyance in order to examine the effect of the annexation election on the proposed sale. According to Williams, the request did not negate any tes timony given during the public hearings. The commission has not yet responded to the staff request, but may decide on the request this week. FREE West Oregon Electric Coop erative and Portland General Electric have filed motions ob jecting to any disruption in the process. If the docket is held in abeyance, however, they have asked that the length of time be defined and not be left open- ended. Russell Green, WOEC gen eral manager, said the cooper ative is open to trying to find ways to reach a solution to the problem created by the elec tion, “as long as we can demonstrate benefits to current membership equal to what they would have received from this contract [with PGE].” Green has talked with offi cials from Clatskanie PUD and Columbia River PUD, as have representatives of PGE. Ribbon cutting for new WGS structure The new covered outdoor play structure at Washington Grade School will be officially opened Monday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m. The community is invited to attend the ceremony. In contrast to cries of dismay and belligerent objections from residents in PGE distribution areas of Columbia County, members of West Oregon Elec tric Cooperative expressed con fidence in the proposed acqui sition of Portland General Elec tric distribution areas in Colum bia County, at a public hearing held by the Oregon Public Util ities Commission in Vernonia on September 27. Ad ministrative Law Judge Ruth Crowley presided at the hearing. WOEC General Manager Russell Green briefly explained the proposed action, and said that the co-op’s board of direc tors and management wanted to see benefits to all present and future members, maintain quality service and provide for local control in the process. He added that members at the an nual meeting on September 25 had approved the addition of two directors to the board, and approved amendments to the by-laws that would allow the acquisition. A resolution by the City of Vernonia was read into the record by Mayor Art Parrow. The resolution read, in part, “...this transaction will provide all of Columbia County includ ing Vernonia residents with lower rates, quality service and local control...without this transaction, and the econo mies of scale caused by con solidation, Vernonia will contin ue to be hard pressed to recruit new industry because of higher electrical rates..." The only negative ex pressed was a concern that the quality of service might be di luted with line crews working for another company. Robert Gregg, a WOEC member whose residence is about six miles outside of Vernonia, told of reporting a power outage at 3:30 a.m. that was repaired within an hour. Quality of ser vice is important, Gregg said, “because my wife is hard to live with when she can’t flush the toilet.” Green assured Gregg that the quality of service would be maintained in all areas of the county under WOEC’s contract with Columbia Pacific, a pro posed maintenance company that would station line crews in Vernonia and St. Helens. Another member said she had read and was impressed with the maintenance contract. “West Oregon has the ham mer,” she said, “in both quality of service requirements and fiscal penalties for nonperfor mance.” In contrast, the PUC hear ings held for Rainier, St. He lens, Columbia City and Scap poose, were dominated by fre quently indignant (sometimes belligerent) testimony that PGE wasn’t trustworthy, that WOEC used to be operated poorly and is too expensive, and that they would be better served by one of the Peoples’ Utility Districts in the area. In an election held Sept. 21 for residents of the four cities, they overwhelming voted in fa vor of being annexed by either Clatskanie PUD (Rainier only) or Columbia River PUD. What impact the election will have on the contract between PGE and West Oregon is still unknown. Neither PUD can take over PGE’s territory until an agreement is reached on the cost and conditions. If no agreement is made, the only recourse the PUDs would have would be to institute condem nation proceedings. At this time, the only contract PGE has is with WOEC.
