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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
February 15, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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February 15, 2007
 
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They're treasuring the moment Lynn Rostvold, incoming treasurer of PUD 3, left, shares a light moment with Commissioner John Whalen and retir- ing treasurer Gall Olson. Whalen of- ten lightened the mood during Olson's monthly reports by asking: "How much money is in the cigar box?" Olson is re- tiring on Friday after 27 years with the PUD, the last 10 as treasurer. Rostvold was officially designated as the new treasurer by vote of the PUD 3 Commis- sion on Tuesday. [3PA budget casts a shadow ,c00ver Groundhog Day debate Public power officials think the seeds of a future rate hike might be embedded in a pro- posed 2008 budget for the Bonn- eville Power Adminis,tration. The BPA is the major supplier of electricity to homes and busi- nesses in Mason County and so the budget was a subject of some recent discussion by the PUD 3 Commission. Wyla Wood, gener- al manager of the public utility district, circulated a memoran- dum about the budget from Kev- in O'Meara of the Public Power Council. He described the budget as a "good news/bad news" situa- tion and Jay Himlie, the PUD's power supply manager, put the accent on the negative. "They're making another run at us once again," he said. President Bush presented the budget for consideration of the U.S. Congress earlier this month. The good news, as far as O'Meara is concerned, is the that administration will make it eas- ier for the BPA to borrow money from lenders other than the U.S. Treasury. The bad news is that the budget as presented would Flrrested but not charged ii No charges were filed in Mason County Superior Court against three people who were scheduled for arraignment on Monday, Feb- ruary 12. Jesse Blair Gassier, 20, of 50 North Buckhorn, Hoodsport, had been arrested January 30 in an investigation of possession of methamphetamine. Jeremy Dale Kempton, 22, of 223 West H Street, Shelton, and Heather Karin Hudson, 23, of 9142 Wen- dy Drive, Lacey, were arrested January 29 in an investigation of possession of meth. All were released from condi- tions imposed on them by the court. i t 7, u AI,I, OUT CONSTRUCTION CONPANI" LL.C. allow the BPA to use income from its surplus power sales to pay off more of its Treasury debt in advance. People in pub- lic power prefer that this money be used to keep electricity rates low in the Pacific Northwest. O'MEARA WROTE that the budget assumes prepayments of $533 million through 2012, and by his calculation this could re- sult in rate hikes in excess of 5 percent "depending on the year, and exactly who the money is collected from." Another concern expressed by Wood about the budget at last week's commission meeting has to do with efl'orts of the BPA to try to get the people who buy its wholesale power to pay for im- provements to its transmission lines. "Power customers and transmission customers are not the same," she said. Commissioner John Whalen recalled that there was a time when the public utility districts had a chance to buy the BPA and lamented the fact that this was not done. "It's a cash cow now," Wood replied. "They're not going to let it go." U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, also threw her two cents in on this subject when she quizzed U.S. Energy Secre- tary Samuel Bodman on Febru- ary 2, also known as Groundhog Day. The BPA budget had a hearing that day before the Sen- ate Energy Committee, ot" which she is a member. She described the proposal on transmission lines as "illegal" and a rehash of last year's plan to raise electric- ity rates in the Pacific North- west as a way of" shrinking the federal deficit. "LAST YEAR, a bipartisan coalition of Northwest senators made it very clear that we will not allow tile administration to use BPA as the deep pockets to pay tbr the President's irrespon- sible deficit," said Cantwell. "A year has not changed my mind or the minds of my colleagues. This illegal plan will go nowhere in the Congress and I'm not sure why the administration is wast- ing our time with this propos- al." Cantwell complained of her own "Groundhog Day frustra- tion" (referring to the movie in which the main character lives the same day over and over) and asked Bodman whether the ad- ministration has the legal au- thority to implement the trans- mission funding plan on "its own. Bodman said he didn't know the answer and recalled that he and Cantwell "had this discussion a year ago, as I remember. It is a little bit like Groundhog Day, I think in that sense." Steve Johnson of the Wash- ington Public Utility Districts Association said the proposal "is nothing more than a hidden at- tempt to gouge the Northwest's ratepayers to the tune of about $1 billion, and at the worst pos- sible time." By Popular Demand February 22"23" 24 Watch next week's Journal for details You don't want to miss it Remember: 10% Senior Discount Parts & Service SALES: Monday-Saturday "FAMILY OWNED PARTS AUTO SERVICE: SINCE 1928" Monday-Friday ,'" a Grove 426-4424 CHEVROLET Downtown SHELTON SHELTON Page 2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 15, 2007 City commission roundup: Upgra [e o1" sewers enters a new The City of Shelton is about to embark on the next phase of its ef- forts to improve the way it handles stormwater in downtown Shelton. Commissioner of Public Works Dawn Pannell announced Mon- day that the city will solicit bids next week on the job of upgrading the pipes in Basin II. That means crews will soon be tearing and then repairing sewer lines in an area bounded by 12th and Front streets on the west and east and the alleys between Pine and Alder streets and Franklin Street and Railroad Avenue on the north and south. "The city is very excited about this project," Pannell said. Her remarks came at this week's meeting of the Shelton City Com- mission. The project will go out to bid on February 20, with bids to be opened on March 16 and a con- tract to be awarded in April. Once the bidding process is complete the heavy lifting can begin. "WE'RE ON TRACK for that," Pannell said. The city is under an order by the Washington State Department of Ecology to reduce the infiltra- tion of stormwater into its sewer system. The old designed to let rainwater the new view is this leads dumping of pol!ution into Bay as the city s wastewatert ment plant becomes the event of a rainstorm. Work on an area Basin I was completed in and the city has a $1-million grant to design a new system for Basin II. ResidentS shop owners in downtown are being asked to let crews ing on Basin II go onto their t erty as the scope of the thorizes the contractor to lateral lines as well. "We do ask the indulgence as we are di the street and replacing th lines," Pannell said. "It bit of a mess, but we are 100-year-old pipes with and that is a good thing." CITY OFFICIALS will with officials of the Ecology as work on Basin II der way. Pannell said the lines will be fitted with (Please turn to r ' A (( T The UW Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team is looking for volunteers to help monitor marine birds in south Puget Sound. Training session Shelton Public Library .Meeting Room Saturday; Feb:"17, 10:30 am-4:30 pm Contact: info@coasst.org, 206-221-6893 10-Yard Truck most sizes CRUSHED ROCK delivered into Shelton s165 Call for details for and pricing to just other areas. Plus tax, Price effective 9/1/05. Prices subject to change without notice. CONSTRUCTION GRADE ED.O00,%,a 3" Minus EO.B. Located on Highway 101 between Shelton and Olympia Year-round delivery Creek Quarry Call for details (36000 426 IS YOUR CHECKBOOK MORE BALANCED THAN YOUR 40 l(k)? Most brokers will tell you that itwesting in a 401(k) is aa impollant way to save for retirement. What few bother to say is that it's not enough just to have a 401(k). % get the most from y,,.r .401(k) when you retire, yOU. have to actively manage it now. At Edward Jones..e work with you to help ensure that your 401(k) portloli° accurately fits your goals. So your 401 (k) can wo,'k fir yoU, not the other way around. To learn how Edward Jones can help you make settSe of your 401(k), call or visit your local financial advis0t today. Armln Baumgarlel Dan Baumgartel www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC Armin Baumgartel Dan Baumgartel Financial Advisors 821 West Railroad Avenue, Suite A, Shelton 426-0982. !-800-441-0982 They're treasuring the moment Lynn Rostvold, incoming treasurer of PUD 3, left, shares a light moment with Commissioner John Whalen and retir- ing treasurer Gall Olson. Whalen of- ten lightened the mood during Olson's monthly reports by asking: "How much money is in the cigar box?" Olson is re- tiring on Friday after 27 years with the PUD, the last 10 as treasurer. Rostvold was officially designated as the new treasurer by vote of the PUD 3 Commis- sion on Tuesday. [3PA budget casts a shadow ,c00ver Groundhog Day debate Public power officials think the seeds of a future rate hike might be embedded in a pro- posed 2008 budget for the Bonn- eville Power Adminis,tration. The BPA is the major supplier of electricity to homes and busi- nesses in Mason County and so the budget was a subject of some recent discussion by the PUD 3 Commission. Wyla Wood, gener- al manager of the public utility district, circulated a memoran- dum about the budget from Kev- in O'Meara of the Public Power Council. He described the budget as a "good news/bad news" situa- tion and Jay Himlie, the PUD's power supply manager, put the accent on the negative. "They're making another run at us once again," he said. President Bush presented the budget for consideration of the U.S. Congress earlier this month. The good news, as far as O'Meara is concerned, is the that administration will make it eas- ier for the BPA to borrow money from lenders other than the U.S. Treasury. The bad news is that the budget as presented would Flrrested but not charged ii No charges were filed in Mason County Superior Court against three people who were scheduled for arraignment on Monday, Feb- ruary 12. Jesse Blair Gassier, 20, of 50 North Buckhorn, Hoodsport, had been arrested January 30 in an investigation of possession of methamphetamine. Jeremy Dale Kempton, 22, of 223 West H Street, Shelton, and Heather Karin Hudson, 23, of 9142 Wen- dy Drive, Lacey, were arrested January 29 in an investigation of possession of meth. All were released from condi- tions imposed on them by the court. i t 7, u AI,I, OUT CONSTRUCTION CONPANI" LL.C. allow the BPA to use income from its surplus power sales to pay off more of its Treasury debt in advance. People in pub- lic power prefer that this money be used to keep electricity rates low in the Pacific Northwest. O'MEARA WROTE that the budget assumes prepayments of $533 million through 2012, and by his calculation this could re- sult in rate hikes in excess of 5 percent "depending on the year, and exactly who the money is collected from." Another concern expressed by Wood about the budget at last week's commission meeting has to do with efl'orts of the BPA to try to get the people who buy its wholesale power to pay for im- provements to its transmission lines. "Power customers and transmission customers are not the same," she said. Commissioner John Whalen recalled that there was a time when the public utility districts had a chance to buy the BPA and lamented the fact that this was not done. "It's a cash cow now," Wood replied. "They're not going to let it go." U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, also threw her two cents in on this subject when she quizzed U.S. Energy Secre- tary Samuel Bodman on Febru- ary 2, also known as Groundhog Day. The BPA budget had a hearing that day before the Sen- ate Energy Committee, ot" which she is a member. She described the proposal on transmission lines as "illegal" and a rehash of last year's plan to raise electric- ity rates in the Pacific North- west as a way of" shrinking the federal deficit. "LAST YEAR, a bipartisan coalition of Northwest senators made it very clear that we will not allow tile administration to use BPA as the deep pockets to pay tbr the President's irrespon- sible deficit," said Cantwell. "A year has not changed my mind or the minds of my colleagues. This illegal plan will go nowhere in the Congress and I'm not sure why the administration is wast- ing our time with this propos- al." Cantwell complained of her own "Groundhog Day frustra- tion" (referring to the movie in which the main character lives the same day over and over) and asked Bodman whether the ad- ministration has the legal au- thority to implement the trans- mission funding plan on "its own. Bodman said he didn't know the answer and recalled that he and Cantwell "had this discussion a year ago, as I remember. It is a little bit like Groundhog Day, I think in that sense." Steve Johnson of the Wash- ington Public Utility Districts Association said the proposal "is nothing more than a hidden at- tempt to gouge the Northwest's ratepayers to the tune of about $1 billion, and at the worst pos- sible time." By Popular Demand February 22"23" 24 Watch next week's Journal for details You don't want to miss it Remember: 10% Senior Discount Parts & Service SALES: Monday-Saturday "FAMILY OWNED PARTS AUTO SERVICE: SINCE 1928" Monday-Friday ,'" a Grove 426-4424 CHEVROLET Downtown SHELTON SHELTON Page 2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 15, 2007 City commission roundup: Upgra [e o1" sewers enters a new The City of Shelton is about to embark on the next phase of its ef- forts to improve the way it handles stormwater in downtown Shelton. Commissioner of Public Works Dawn Pannell announced Mon- day that the city will solicit bids next week on the job of upgrading the pipes in Basin II. That means crews will soon be tearing and then repairing sewer lines in an area bounded by 12th and Front streets on the west and east and the alleys between Pine and Alder streets and Franklin Street and Railroad Avenue on the north and south. "The city is very excited about this project," Pannell said. Her remarks came at this week's meeting of the Shelton City Com- mission. The project will go out to bid on February 20, with bids to be opened on March 16 and a con- tract to be awarded in April. Once the bidding process is complete the heavy lifting can begin. "WE'RE ON TRACK for that," Pannell said. The city is under an order by the Washington State Department of Ecology to reduce the infiltra- tion of stormwater into its sewer system. The old designed to let rainwater the new view is this leads dumping of pol!ution into Bay as the city s wastewatert ment plant becomes the event of a rainstorm. Work on an area Basin I was completed in and the city has a $1-million grant to design a new system for Basin II. ResidentS shop owners in downtown are being asked to let crews ing on Basin II go onto their t erty as the scope of the thorizes the contractor to lateral lines as well. "We do ask the indulgence as we are di the street and replacing th lines," Pannell said. "It bit of a mess, but we are 100-year-old pipes with and that is a good thing." CITY OFFICIALS will with officials of the Ecology as work on Basin II der way. Pannell said the lines will be fitted with (Please turn to r ' A (( T The UW Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team is looking for volunteers to help monitor marine birds in south Puget Sound. Training session Shelton Public Library .Meeting Room Saturday; Feb:"17, 10:30 am-4:30 pm Contact: info@coasst.org, 206-221-6893 10-Yard Truck most sizes CRUSHED ROCK delivered into Shelton s165 Call for details for and pricing to just other areas. Plus tax, Price effective 9/1/05. Prices subject to change without notice. CONSTRUCTION GRADE ED.O00,%,a 3" Minus EO.B. Located on Highway 101 between Shelton and Olympia Year-round delivery Creek Quarry Call for details (36000 426 IS YOUR CHECKBOOK MORE BALANCED THAN YOUR 40 l(k)? Most brokers will tell you that itwesting in a 401(k) is aa impollant way to save for retirement. What few bother to say is that it's not enough just to have a 401(k). % get the most from y,,.r .401(k) when you retire, yOU. have to actively manage it now. At Edward Jones..e work with you to help ensure that your 401(k) portloli° accurately fits your goals. So your 401 (k) can wo,'k fir yoU, not the other way around. To learn how Edward Jones can help you make settSe of your 401(k), call or visit your local financial advis0t today. Armln Baumgarlel Dan Baumgartel www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC Armin Baumgartel Dan Baumgartel Financial Advisors 821 West Railroad Avenue, Suite A, Shelton 426-0982. !-800-441-0982