The INDEPENDENT, November 20, 2008 Page 15 Power of the People By W. Marc Farmer, General Manager, West Oregon Electric Cooperative Giving Thanks In times of economic turmoil, uncertainty and strife, it would seem to some that there is little to be thankful for this year. As I write this article, my mind is full of remembrance for the many things we do have to be thankful for and hope once again renewed. Heading into the winter months, like so many of you, I can’t help but reflect back on the events of last winter. It is here that my thankfulness truly begins as I still marvel and am grateful that, despite the quickness and severity of the flood and winds, no lives were lost. Many thanks can be given again for all of the wonderful friends, neighbors, and strangers who pitched in to help all of those affected by the storm damage. It was truly heartwarming and wonderful to see and experience the tremendous outpour- ing of service, caring, and support throughout the weeks and months after the flood. Faith in humanity and goodness were restored. New friendships and bonds were forged, and our town once again showed its resiliency and strength. I am thankful as the General Manager for the dedicated Staff and Line Crews who spent countless hours restoring the system from both the wind and the flood. Our Co-op Family worked above and beyond the call of duty to get the temporary office together, the flooded office cleaned out, and had us ready to serve our mem- bers as soon as possible. There was an unselfish desire to help one another and our members as much as possible. I am thankful to work with the good people that I do and for a Board that supports our efforts and cares about our members. It is a great organization to be a part of, and on behalf of all of the Staff and Crews I would like to express our appreciation to all of our members for their support and for the opportunity to serve them in this beautiful area. There should also be thanks given to Staff and Crews for all they do throughout the year to raise funds to help our members who are in need through our “Care to Share” program. WOEC employees raised over $2,000, which will be matched by the Board, to provide energy assistance to our members. The spirit of giving, con- cern, and help are alive and well here at WOEC. It is always in my heart and mind to be thankful for the great country we live in. Despite its difficulties at the moment, it is still a true blessing to have the freedoms, the beauties, and the bounties we enjoy in the United States. As we head into the holiday season our hearts are full of thanksgiving and our hopes and prayers that each of our members will find peace, joy, and happiness. The winter months mean a lot of work for us as we contend with effects of the weather on our system. As I have stated before, we remain dedicated, ready, and willing to do all that is within our power to maintain service for our members so that your homes may be bright and warm through the holidays and throughout the year. Happy Holidays everyone and at this time a Happy Thanksgiving to all! Dog owners reminded to renew licenses Is it time to renew boat registration? Columbia County dog own- ers are being reminded that it’s time for 2009 dog licenses. The dog license period is from January 1 to December 31 of each year. To avoid penalties, licenses for 2009 must be ob- tained no later than March 2. Renewal notices are mailed to all county residents who ob- tained dog licenses in 2008. To renew licenses by mail, return the completed license renewal application, with the renewal fee and proof of rabies vaccination valid until October 2009. The license cannot be re- newed without proof of rabies vaccination. Residents may send in either the original or a copy of the current rabies vac- cination certificate; the County will return it with a receipt for li- cense renewal. An owner who does not have a current rabies vaccination certificate, may ob- tain a temporary application at the Animal Shelter. The tempo- rary application is valid for 30 days, allowing time for to up- date the dog’s rabies vaccina- tion. License fees vary, as fol- lows: A spayed or neutered dog is $12.00; an unfixed dog is $30.00. Dog owners over 65 years of age receive a discount and pay only $5.00 for the first spayed or neutered dog, and $15.00 for all unfixed dogs. What are the deadlines and penalties for not licensing or re- newing my dog license? Residents needing dog li- censes are reminded that it is best to renew by March 2, as over 800 residents learned in 2008. When a late penalty is added, the license fee is $25 per dog. Residents who own dogs that have not been li- censed are encouraged to con- tact the Court Clerk’s desk at the Court House in St. Helens, or Animal Control at 2084 Ore- gon Street, in St. Helens. Until March 2, 2009, the penalty fee is waived for owners of unli- censed dogs who voluntarily come in to obtain a license. If an unlicensed dog is locat- ed or impounded by Animal Control, the owner will be charged a fee of $25.00. If the dog owner had previously re- ceived a citation for having an unlicensed dog, the fee can reach $75.00. Additionally, a ci- tation can carry a fine of up to $500.00. License fees are used to op- erate the County Animal Shel- ter in St. Helens and to fund Animal Control investigations of animal neglect, abuse and nuisances. During the last fis- cal year, the County shelter took in 527 dogs. Over 90 per- cent of these were either re- turned to their owners or new homes were found for them. This is remarkable compared to the national average of around 44 percent. The goal of Animal Control is responsible pet ownership. The program has offered numerous licensing clinics, dog chipping events, penalty fee waivers and other outreach to the communi- ty. The licensing of dogs aids Animal Control in reuniting owners with their lost dogs, as- suring rabies vaccination, re- sponding to citizen calls re- garding dog-related incidents and providing a stable funding base so County shelters can care for lost, abandoned or in- jured dogs. For more information, con- tact the Columbia County Ani- mal Control Shelter by calling 503-397-3935 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday thru Fri- day, and 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, or the Coun- ty Clerk’s Office, 503-397- 3796, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday. Boaters who have a registra- tion decal on their boat for “08” should have received their courtesy registration renewal notice card. The Marine Board mailed approximately 90,000 cards on November 3. “It’s easy to renew online, and there’s no processing fee involved,” said Ashley Massey, Public Affairs Specialist for the Marine Board. The Marine Board switched last year to a new e-commerce system that eliminates the cost to renew online. Each renewal card con- tains the boat owner’s registra- tion number (OR number) and a special PIN number. The boat owner can go to the Marine Board website at www.boatore- gon.com, click on the registra- tion icon, and enter the infor- mation from the renewal card into designated fields. The on- line system is secure, and per- sonal information is protected when paying with a credit card. The Marine Board does not re- tain any credit card data. “Another advantage to re- newing online is that users can print out a temporary permit, and immediately get out on the water,” said Massey. “The tran- saction is automated, so the Marine Board can process the renewal much faster. 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