The INDEPENDENT, December 1, 2005
Page 19
Energy grants and information Christmas ships Enter to win a week in paradise
Agape Christian School in winner need not be present to
2005 schedule
now available on new website
From page 9
A grant also will fund re-
search to show the cost-effec-
tiveness of low-income energy
assistance.
Sponsored by
Oregon HEAT, the research will
be conducted by Quantec, Inc.,
a Portland-based organization
specializing in environmental
research. Oregon HEAT al-
ready received a grant of
$250,000 from the Meyer
Memorial Trust, and today’s
grant of $350,000 brings the to-
tal to $600,000. Results of the
research will be used to
demonstrate the effectiveness
of providing assistance to
ratepayers rather than relying
on termination and collection
activities that may force those
unable to pay their bills to
abandon their dwellings.
The grants will also provide
about $800,000 to support a
statewide case management
system through OHCS. Case
managers based at Community
Action Agencies (CAAs) will fo-
cus on program integration and
consumer education, so that
families seeking help to pay
bills will also be able to access
additional services such as
weatherization and conserva-
tion training. Such integration is
increasingly important as the
need for bill-paying assistance
continues to grow while the re-
sources available for assis-
tance are shrinking.
Some smaller programs are
also included in the grant distri-
bution. For example, Myer has
allocated $320,000 to install
solar hot water heaters in 75
low-income homes and devel-
op a template for such pro-
grams. Another $180,000 will
fund Energy Share Plus, a
Lane County program that in-
tegrates services including en-
ergy education, efficient appli-
ances, and some bill payments
for low-income households, in-
cluding extremely low-income,
elderly and disabled Oregoni-
ans. And the Attorney General
has allocated $125,000 to
Portland-based Community
Energy Project, Inc., to expand
its program, which makes ex-
tensive use of volunteers to
provide workshops, training
and in-home weatherization
kits for extremely low-income
Oregonians.
The Department of Justice’s
Consumer Protection and Edu-
cation Account will receive $1.2
million for continuing enforce-
ment efforts.
The grants are the result of
settlements with El Paso Corp.
and Duke Energy. The settle-
ments conclude a coordinated
investigation into allegations of
price manipulation and an-
titrust violations in the Western
power market initiated in Janu-
ary 2001 by the attorneys gen-
eral of Oregon, California and
Washington. So far, the inves-
tigation has resulted in settle-
ments totaling over $2 billion,
of which approximately $50
million has been allocated to
Oregon.
Christmas Ships 2005 will
start their two week season
December 6 on the Columbia
and Willamette rivers.
For the first time in 51 years,
the two fleets will be together in
St. Helens and Columbia City.
They will join forces on the
evening of December 17. The
following night, they will also
be together as they move from
Scappoose to North Portland
through the Multnomah Chan-
nel.
Starting this year, the
Willamette River fleet will go
through the center of Portland
to the north then turn around
and move back up river at the
Fremont Bridge. They leave
each evening from RiverPlace
Marina.
The two fleets will also com-
bine on December 10, start at
the Sellwood Bridge, go to Mil-
waukie, turn around and make
their way back to downtown
Portland and the Fremont
Bridge.
Christmas Ships is an all-
volunteer effort by a group of
Portland area recreational
boaters. Each pays their own
costs for fuel and insurance.
Local restaurants and hotels
along the rivers donate to cov-
er the cost of the event insur-
ance.
A full schedule of Christmas
Ships 2005 is available at
<www.christmasships.org>.
Aloha is raffling a one-week va-
cation in Maui, Hawaii, plus
$2,000 for airfare, spending
money, etc. The week has
been booked at the Embassy
Suites in Ka’anapali, Maui for
March 23 through 30, 2006.
The oceanside resort has a
large swimming pool and game
room for the kids.
Only 4,000 tickets will be
sold at $20.00 each. Ticket
sales end December 16. The
winning ticket will be drawn
Saturday, December 17. The
win. Call 503-649-5677 for
more information.
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Your Window On The Weather
OSU takes trophy
From page 8
ing holidays, Oregon’s blood
banks supply thousands of life-
saving blood transfusions
around the clock. These trans-
fusions are necessary for pre-
mature babies, cancer pa-
tients, trauma and burn victims
as well as organ-transplant pa-
tients.
Last month, the Red Cross,
Lane Memorial, UO and OSU
received an “Award of Merit” for
their collaboration on the 2004
Civil War Blood Drive from
AABB, an international non-
profit dedicated to the advance-
ment of science and the prac-
tice of transfusion medicine.
Winter is here… see us for
Come inspect our selection of Maximum weather instruments.
Choose wind speed and direction, barometer, thermometer,
clock and a wide variety of combination instruments. Housed
in solid brass they are ideal for home or office, for a gift or for
yourself.
Available at
Forest Grove Honda Weather Center
3619 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove
24 hour weather line for local weather conditions
503- 359-5410 (Option #1)
A NTI F REEZE
H EATING O IL
CALL
(503) 429-6606
WILCOX & FLEGEL
720 Rose Avenue • Vernonia