The INDEPENDENT, August 1, 2012
Where to Find Them
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
(Dem)
1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 585
Portland OR 97232
Phone: 503-326-7525
223 Dirksen Senate Ofc. Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510-0001
Phone: 202-224-5244
E-Mail: http://wyden.senate.gov/
contact
Website: http://wyden.senate.
gov
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
(Dem.)
One World Trade Center
121 SW Salmon St., Suite 1250
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-326-3386
313 Hart Senate Ofc. Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3753
E-Mail: http://merkley.senate.
gov/contact
WebSite: http://merkley.senate.
gov
U.S. Representative Suzanne
Bonamici, (Dem) OR District 1
620 SW Main, Suite 606
Portland, OR 97205
Phone: 503-326-2901
2338 Rayburn House Ofc. Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-0855
Website: http://bonamici.house.
gov
Senator Betsy Johnson
(Dem) Senate District 16
PO Box R,
Scappoose, OR 97056
Phone: 503-543-4046
900 Court St. NE, S-314
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-986-1716
E-mail: sen.betsyjohnson@
state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.
us/johnson
Representative Brad Witt
(Dem) House District. 31
21740 Lindberg Road,
Clatskanie, OR 97016
Phone: 503-728-4664
900 Court St. NE, H-373
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-986-1431
E-mail: rep.bradwitt@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.
us/witt
Representative Deborah
Boone
(Dem) House District 32
PO Box 926
Cannon Beach, OR 97110
Phone: 503-717-9182
900 Court St. NE, H-375
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-986-1432
E-mail: rep.deborahboone@
state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.
us/boone
Page 3
Letters
Will have old pics to
share at Jamboree
To the Editor:
Vernonia is a Loving, Caring
Community.
Thank you for the prayers,
phone calls, cards, letters and
flowers received the past three
months regarding the brain tu-
mor I had removed. God an-
swered your prayers and all is
well.
It was a blessing to hear
from you. We love each one of
you and thank you for caring.
We plan to be at the Friend-
ship Jamboree on Saturday.
We will have a booth by the
school district office on Bridge
Street. We have free “left over”
school pictures to give away.
Stop by our table and find
yourself, former students and
staff (1970-2003).
Marguerite Nice (K-3,
WGS, MGS, LGS) and
Mel Nice (VHS)
McMinnville
We can all help keep
our parks litter-free
To the Editor:
The city of Vernonia needs
your help, with all the parks
and empty lots caused by the
many homes removed be-
cause of the flood, they are
struggling to keep them
mowed. There is no money for
someone to clean up the litter
in the parks.
As parents, try to instill in
your children to clean up their
litter, food wrappers, cigarette
butts, and used condoms.
Hawkins Park is especially
bad, the cigarette butts are a
real problem around the gaze-
bo and picnic tables. Although
there are garbage cans a few
feet away they fail to use them.
My husband and I have
been cleaning up after these
teenagers all summer, and
surely there is someone out
there younger than our 78 and
85 years-old who would be will-
ing to help keep our parks litter
free.
Thank you,
Don and DeLoris Webb
Vernonia
WOEC needs to look
at new solutions
To the Editor:
I wrote an open letter to
Marc Farmer of WOEC. He
countered. My response:
1. Yes, WOEC is organized
as a co-operative. Marc acts,
the Board approves. Most of
the time, in most co-operatives,
this works for day-to-day oper-
ations. A problem occurs when
a crisis appears. WOEC has a
big problem: a shrinking base,
falling income and rising costs.
The Board needs to get fired
up, take control, solve the prob-
lem(s) and have Marc expedite
the process, not the other way
around.
2. “Capital Credits”: If in-
come exceeds costs, members
are credited with their share of
the excess, i.e. “dividends”.
The co-op has been experienc-
ing ongoing losses, and “divi-
dends” are put back into the
co-op.
3. BPA?. The law which gov-
erns BPA and WOEC requires
a percentage of WOEC’s budg-
et to be dedicated to renewable
energy in order to meet future
energy needs. WOEC has met
this requirement with minimum
effort.
It owns approximately 1%
(yes, that is 1%) of a landfill
methane project near Corvallis
managed by Pacific Northwest
Generating
Cooperative
(PNGC). Another is a wave en-
ergy project not yet in produc-
tion. And finally, a PNGC solar
effort in Eugene (not Vernonia).
BPA, as a wholesaler, receives
and distributes energy generat-
ed by others, some with nu-
clear, natural gas and coal; and
others with wind, geothermal
and bio mass, but that is not
the same as, nor an excuse for,
WOEC producing minimum al-
ternative energy. As Marc
notes, WOEC has relationships
with BPA in other ways. How-
ever, there has been reluc-
tance, e.g. by Marc saying, and
publishing, that BPA has a
“Dirty Little Secret”, referring to
BPA’s responsibilities towards
the protection of Salmon and
the environment. That may his
personal opinion but such
statements do not help
WOEC/BPA relationships or
represent our membership as a
whole. It does not solve, in any
manner, the issue at hand,
WOEC’s current financial cri-
sis.
4. Marc has repeatedly cited
the costs of alternative energy
as prohibitive. He said solar for
the HQ roof would be
$200,000, or more, without ref-
erencing what it specifically
produced, just that it was too
expensive. If that is true, how is
it that Germany, most of which
has more rain than we do, gen-
erates 20% of it’s national en-
ergy needs from solar; and is
shutting down nuclear reactors
as a result? Solar requires gov-
’t subsidies? Yes! And de-
signed to amortize quickly at in-
terest rates acceptable to com-
mercial banks, leaving individ-
ual citizens, and businesses,
with free and clear ownership
of the solar units. That is not
Germany’s dirty little secret, it
is their pride and joy. We are
capable of the same if we all,
collectively, get off our duffs.
5. Now comes the crux of
WOEC’s problems, electrical
energy generation. WOEC is a
“transmission only” agency.
WOEC has always had one
supplier, BPA. A single supplier
scenario always results in ris-
ing costs. No way out! There-
fore, the solution to WOEC’s fi-
nancial problems has two
choices: (1) Shut down and di-
vide up WOEC territory under
PUC supervision (it does not
matter other energy producers
do not want all or part of
WOEC. The PUC will take care
of that); or (2) become a “Gen-
eration and Transmission”
agency and control our own
costs and income. If we choose
to generate electricity, how do
we do it? We do it by incremen-
tally amassing solar and micro
hydro electric units. I will dis-
cuss affordable solar later.
Meanwhile, information is
available online. As to Marc
wanting hydro electric, con-
crete and/or earthen dams
within our Nehalem river sys-
tem, forget it. These types of
units generating hydro electric-
ity (a desirable product) are an
environmental and high cost
problem. What is needed are
non-invasive, fish-friendly, slow
moving, reverse direction, in-
stream hydro electric genera-
tors, expressly made by Hydro-
volts, Inc. (look them up!).
Cost? Dramatically less, easy
to maintain and very efficient
(income producing). Subsi-
dies? Political action we can,
as a membership produce, plus
I have never known a bank to
turn down a profit guaranteed
by the government.
6. Trees? Clearing right of
ways? I stand my ground.
7. Washington, D.C.? They
are “complimentary that we
take the time and effort to visit
them in Washington D.C.”?
They can see us, here, in our
new facilities. They work for us,
not visa versa.
If in reading this you want to
see a solution to your high, and
rising, electric bills (yes, rates
are going up), please show up
at WOEC Board meetings on
the 1st and 3rd Tuesday
evenings at the new facility.
Plus attend membership meet-
ings, when called. Become part
of democracy by exercising
“The Power of One”.
Jack Phillips
Vernonia
Policy on Letters
The INDEPENDENT will
not publish letters with per-
sonal attacks on private citi-
zens. Preference will be giv-
en to brief letters, 300 words
or less.
All letters must be signed
and include a verifiable ad-
dress or phone number.
Ike Says…
From page 2
ture in the form of sidewalks are being torn up and thrown away
long before the end of their useful life time.
Environmentally this project was abusive, but as a community,
if we wanted to move forward it became a necessary evil. Have I
appreciated the noise (I sleep during the day), dust and added
traffic at my home adjacent to the new school? No, but being a
member of our community I must overlook the inconveniences
because I believe in the good for the whole community at the ex-
pense of the few. Would we have overlooked these same con-
cerns for a private enterprise, even though it would be an overall
positive for the community? Think about that.
Izaak Walton League, Nehalem Valley Chapter
meets monthly on the 3rd Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
Call 503-429-7193 for location.