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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.
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The INDEPENDENT
725 Bridgi Strut, Vernonia, Oft 97064
503-429-9410
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