The INDEPENDENT, September 1, 2005
GUEST OPINION
By Mary Sykes
For almost 4 years I promptly paid water, gas and electric at the
home my son owned. He used it only occasionally, and I lived
there full time. He sold it to me in 2003. I called NW Natural and
City Water to change those accounts into my name with no prob-
lem. No fees. No hassle.
Not so WOE (West Oregon Electric). They said I must have my
son’s permission. I let it slide. Too much hassle. More than a year
later I called again and this time was told they would need 4
months of cancelled checks before they would change to my
name. I pay my bills electronically and darned if I was going to
give them 4 months of my entire checking transactions. That’s
none of their business.
Although they cashed checks from me via online bill payments
for years, I was told I must furnish proof as they couldn’t possibly
track down who paid a bill. They had too many customers. Actu-
ally, any accountant worth his/her salt can track source docu-
ments. So I got really mad. At this time the clerk did not mention
that I must pay $26 to join the cooperative, nor did she mention I
needed to fill out an application. That is all the info I needed and,
had I known that, I would have dropped it. I thought I was getting
a simple name change and all she needed was my credit status.
THEY DON’T LISTEN; or DID SANTA CLAUS PAY THE BILL?
Still steaming, I wrote to the interim manager and the board and
said I didn’t think this policy was fair. The manager, after numer-
ous calls to my son, sent him an application and asked him to co-
sign for me. My son would have, but I take pride in my good cred-
it and found their distrust insulting. The board didn’t respond to
me.
The manager called me, so pleased that he solved the prob-
lem. I asked him, didn’t my son confirm that I paid the electric bills.
He said yes. So I asked him, if my son isn’t paying the bills and
they have been paid promptly all these years, WHO do you think
paid them, Santa Claus? He laughed. I didn’t think it was funny.
I am nearing 70, not as swift as I used to be, but I finally figured
out how to use “filters” for my online banking bill-paying account
to be able to isolate and print a record of almost 4 years of WOE
payments. So I sent that record with an application and a check
for $1.00 with a letter saying that I assumed that because I had
paid so long, I would not have to pay a connection fee. I was AL-
READY connected. I received a terse notice back that said “Re-
quired”.
They sent my application back for signature, cashed the $1.00.
check, and sent the next bill in my name—a bill for July 22 to Au-
gust 1 or 2? plus the $25.00 “connection” fee. I paid the electric
charge online, but not the connection fee since I was NEVER dis-
connected. Although I never returned the signed agreement, they
cashed the $1.00 check. So I was now a member. Since I didn’t
want to be a member if it cost to connect, I requested they change
the name back to my son’s and was told that would cost another
$25.00 connection fee. Incredible! So I said I would appeal, to ask
the board to waive the connection fee and inquired about the date
of the next board meeting. I thought I just had to attend and speak
my piece.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? I thought my request to appeal this
matter to the Board would be honored. Imagine my shock when
on August 17, only 3 weeks after the account was in my name, I
received a shutoff notice for the entire amount, the connection fee
plus the electricity bill I had already paid. The cutoff date was 2
days after I received notice and less than a month after I became
a “member”. Is this legal? Oregon law requires PUC-covered util-
ities to send a 15 day notice before disconnect.
I admit I was curt with the front line folks. Although I did not
cuss, I let them know I was angry. No doubt they are nice people,
but on the job they are too quick to defend company policies, very
bureaucratic, don’t inform about process, and do not communi-
cate clearly to the public. Had someone told me on my first two in-
quiries that I had to fill out an application, and pay fees, I would-
n’t have pursued a name change. And that is all they should do,
really. Tell folks they need an application, they need good credit,
Please see page 20
Page 3
Letters
Tree removal helps
prevent forest fires
To the Editor:
I would like to comment on
the letters sent to you about the
home site clearing/logging ac-
tivity along Louisiana Avenue.
Seems to me Mr. Pihl may
have done this community a big
favor. If we watch the local TV
news there are forest/wild fires
throughout Oregon and Wash-
ington. Seems like there is a
new fire everyday.
Let us consider this sce-
nario: It’s noon – 90 degrees –
strong east wind – two young
boys build a campfire – after
awhile they decide to go swim-
ming. Soon the campfire has
jumped onto some dry grass
then begins to burn along the
hillside. Finally, smoke is seen
– someone calls the Fire De-
partment, but it’s too late, the
hillside has become a raging in-
ferno. Hot sparks and embers
are picked up by the east wind
and deposited on homes and
properties situated along A, B,
and C Streets and might carry
to the middle of town. The Fire
Department cannot respond to
the many calls. Homeowners
must help themselves or leave
the area.
Now given the fact that most
of the wood fuel has been re-
moved and several fire breaks
have been created the forego-
ing situation will not happen as
any fire would be small and
easily controlled.
Perhaps Mike Pihl deserves
a thank you from the folks that
might have been affected if this
work had not been done.
Sincerely,
Steve Roberts
Vernonia
Kids’ Fishing Derby
was great fun, again
To the Editor:
The Fish Derby went off well
during the Vernonia Friendship
Jamboree this year. We cut the
fishing time from two hours to
one hour, which made a lot of
moms and dads happy. We had
78 kids fishing, and many fish
caught. Many prizes were giv-
en, and we all had a great time.
We also had a donation pot that
people put money in, we split
the pot and had two drawings
among the kids that signed up.
I am not sure who had the most
fun, the kids or the people put-
ting the derby on. A special
thanks to The INDEPENDENT
paper, which has been a spon-
sor for years.
A big thanks to Bob Scrog-
gins, Dennis Nelson, Dee Dee
Webb, Dale Webb, Donna
Webb and Marvin Long for help
signing up the kids, counting
and measuring the fish and giv-
ing out the prizes. We also had
a short auction.
Don Webb
Fish Derby Chair
Nehalem Valley Chapter
Izaak Walton League
New playground is
result of lots of help
To the Editor:
With the new playground
now completed, we would like
to take a moment to express
our gratitude for all of the sup-
port. First, we would like to
thank Curl’s Transportation for
transporting the playground
from Grants Pass to Hillsboro;
for completing the journey to
Vernonia, we would like to
thank Ed Buckner.
Thanks to Boise Cascade
for donating woodchips and
Gwin Logging for transporting
them to our school. We would
also like to thank Randy Holce
and Longview Fibre for provid-
ing the logs to enclose the play
structure. Many thanks go to
J&S Concrete for their donation
of all the concrete materials to
install the play structure. Lastly,
with the awesome support from
the community and the aid of
people from the Hillsboro
School District Maintenance
Department, this goal became
a reality.
We would like to thank the
following people for help with
the installation: Lisa Brewer
and Tom Ramsey, Ed Buckner,
James Brookins, Jerry and
Josh Butcher, Colin and Barb
Croas, Loren and Robin Den-
nis, Brandon Eyrrick, Tami
Goodman, Penny Johnson,
Ken Kahler, Lee MacDiarmid,
Jennifer Martin, Scott and
Jeanne Mohr, Don and Sue
Rainbolt, Keith and Daniel
Shaw, Dave Small, Craig Tolo-
nen, Nate Underwood, and
Jessica Westlake.
And, we would like to give a
“Big Thank You” to the VCPTA
Playground Committee for all of
the hard work and determina-
tion which made the whole
thing possible. Because of all of
these dedicated souls our chil-
dren will have a new place to
explore and enjoy.
Sincerely,
Mary Roumanos-MacDiarmid
Vernonia Community PTA
Thanks for support
of V. Cares Fun Run
To the Editor:
Vernonia Cares Food Bank
would like to extend their sin-
cerest appreciation to our
sponsors for their support of
our recent successful 5K Fun
Run: Tuality Healthcare, Holce
Logging, Marquis Care, Vin-
tage Suites, Dennis Electric,
City of Vernonia, US Bank,
West Oregon Electric Coopera-
tive, The INDEPENDENT, Ver-
nonia Sentry, Wilcox & Flegel,
Fuiten, Rose & Hoyt, Carol Os-
trander, Maple Street Clinic,
Sport People Northwest (Cedar
Ridge), Black Bear Coffee
Company, Vernonia Inn, Ver-
nonia Realty & Insurance Cen-
ter, Soderback & Daughters
Trucking, Leonetti’s Pizza &
Grill, Bretthauer Oil Co., Crea-
tures Pet Shop, Friends of the
Vernonia Public Library, Ver-
nonia True Value, Columbia
County Parks, and Jazzercise.
You are all a great example
of how our community and sur-
rounding communities rally in
participation of Cares events.
We Vernonians are so blessed
with our great paths and park-
like setting that makes runners
love to come here.
We at Cares recognize our
food bank would not be able to
provide for those in need with-
out your support. Thank you for
taking the “Dare to Care Chal-
lenge.”
Terry Grosnick
Vernonia Cares
5K Fun Run Director
“Paddle” Boats are a
lot of fun at V. Lake
To the Editor:
We feel we have to share
the great fun we had at the Ver-
nonia Mill Pond Lake this past
week. My grandson and I de-
cided that we would spend
some time on the “Paddle
Boats” (which you actually
“pedal” rather than “paddle”)
they now have for rent there.
First we had a great lunch at
Please see page 21