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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2000)
Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, October 18, 2000 Rising power costs have WOEC board pondering best strategies By Jim Buxton The good news is that West Oregon Electric Coop’s elec tricity rates won’t change in the next year. The bad news is that the rates will almost certainly rise after that. The rates will not increase in the immediate fu ture because they were set on the basis of the current con tract between WOEC and Bon neville Power Administration. That contract will expire in Sep tember, 2001. It is obvious that electric rates will increase, but the question is when and how much? In an effort to keep op tions open and to deal itself as good a hand as possible, the WOEC board of directors, management and legal counsel have been studying the ebb and flow of power politics for the last several years. As dead lines for signing new contracts approach, recent develop ments in California have helped the board reach the conclusion that purchasing power from BPA is the best bet. But how to go about it? WOEC could enter into a Fire Prevention is October topic This year’s Fire Prevention theme is “The Great Escape.” The theme focuses on teach ing how to plan an escape from homes. The program also in clude teaching the importance of not playing with matches and the knowledge of what to do in case of a fire: Stop, Drop and Roll, and stay low in a smokey room. The Vernonia Fire Department would like to remind everyone to check your smoke detector and change the batteries. Children in Kindergarten through third grade will be giv en materials in school. Parents are asked to review the materi- als when your children bring them home. Children who are home- schooled or in private school, or any others who will miss this information in public school, are urged to contact the Fire Department. Arrangements can be made for a tour of the Fire Department, or materials for pre-school through third grade (including stickers and coloring books) may be picked up. Call the Fire Station if you have any questions or con cerns. 503-429-8252. Remember, too, dial 9-1-1 in case of emergency. uation is quite volatile and could change, causing WOEC to exercise one of its escape options. The contract with PNGC will allow WOEC to drop “Full Requirement” contract with BPA, which would guaran tee power at a certain price per kilowatt hour for a certain peri od of time, or join a consortium of electric utilities which pur chases a block of power and divvies it up among its mem bers in “Slices.” After due deliberation, the WOEC board unanimously vot ed to join the Pacific Northwest Generating Consortium and purchase a slice of PNGC’s block of BPA power. The up side to that would be that WOEC could sell surplus pow er, if there is any, thereby low ering prices to its members, but the downside is that it would have to purchase additional power in a poor generating year, most likely having to raise rates. The board’s reasoning was that there have been only a few bad water years in the last fifty, so it is reasonable to chance the next ten. The board also made its de cision because the block/slice option is the most attractive op tion at the moment, but the sit- out and purchase power direct ly from BPA under certain cir cumstances. Keep an eye on this issue. It can really affect our lives. WINTER FIRE SAFETY TIPS • Make sure space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves are in good working condition. Clean chimneys at least once a year. • Never use fuel burning units without proper venting to the out side, as deadly fumes are produced by burning kerosene, propane and coal. • Never close the damper with hot coals in the fireplace or stove. • Always use a screen in front of the fireplace. • Always use the proper fuel for each type of heater. Using non- approved fuels can be extremely dangerous. • Never attempt to accelerate a fire with kerosene or gasoline. Both can “flash back” to the container with serious conse quences. Store these fuels outside of the home. • Maintain adequate clearance around all heating devices to ensure they are clear of combustible materials. • Make sure house wiring is adequate and do not overload cir cuits when using electric heaters. • Never use an electric space heater in the bathroom and nev er touch one when your body is wet. • Keep young children away from space heaters and other sources of ignition. • Never dispose of Christmas trees by burning them in the fire place. Avoid creating roaring fires that can ignite soot in the chimney. the ea io n . Key Title expands service capacity Key Title Company, Ore gon’s largest family-owned and operated title company, has an nounced the expansion of its Centralized Title Plant. Key Title’s Centralized Title Plant is the largest consolidat ed property record mainte nance plant in the Pacific Northwest. Based in Corvallis, the Centralized Title Plant is currently serving eight Oregon counties and will soon expand to include additional counties. The Centralized Title Plant assists in streamlining and ex pediting the real estate trans action process. Title and es crow staff throughout Oregon can rapidly retrieve records and images to facilitate fast and accurate title reports and closings. In addition, Key Title is ex panding it’s Collection Escrow Division. The expansion of this division includes serving addi- Looking For A Tax D eduction? Donate your vehicle to the Oregon Donor Program and support quality education programs about the critical need for organ and tissue donation. Call ODP for more information. (503) 494-7888 I -8 0 0 -4 5 2 -1369 tional regional and national lev el customers, along with tech nological enhancements that provide customers v^th the most efficient contract servic ing available. to think about your Christmas letters. Key Title’s contract servicing division is the largest collection escrow agent in the Pacific Northwest. It has been servic ing seller-financed notes and private party contracts for over 35 years. State of the art technology, coupled with the staff’s com bined 70 years of industry ex perience, provides customers with the security and efficiency they have come to expect from Key Title. r ,'U dress « , tire sty\e < yettertiea' brtgtiti t ..U °nY J o t « « S ta tio n « ? íday ted Wish you had an extra car and driver? o n v e to ip e s choose C°LCO Let COLCO transport you or your children to the Golf Course, Library, School, an appointment or shopping. CALL O pu°’ .n d p aSe,a< minted on < 1 15C Per veVope ' R e tu rn 1-888-GO COLCO Public Transportation for ALL Columbia County Citizens. Our caring, courteous drivers are committed to safety. Please call 24 hours In advance. M-F 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The INDEPENDENT 725 Bridgi Strut, Vernonia, Oft 97064 503-429-9410 kv e io p e
