March 15, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Letter
Continued from page A-4
Sandra Cyr I would like
to add comment. Why
attach other opinions
on the level that you
did? Good grief, folks
did we forget the part
of the constitution that
says freedom of speech?
Sandra, please look
up the law on domes-
tic partnerships. You
are misinformed when
you state that the law
does not give the same
rights as marriage. It
is easy to look up on
the Internet. I know
because I looked it up.
Katie's interpretation
of the rule of law is
not mean spirited and
grossly misstated, it is
her opinion.
Thank you Doris My-
ers, I would like us all
to be blessed by God
also. Maybe instead of
attacking each other
we could practice pray-
ing for each other.
That would be a novel
thought.
Marilyn Gregory
Hoodsport
Support
Fire
District 2
Editor, the Journal
On April 17 Mason
County Fire District
2 will be asking us
to renew its expiring
Emergency Medical
Services levy. In do-
ing so they are asking
us to maintain the
current funding level
so that they can con-
tinue to provide our
community with the
same great level of
paramedic and EMT
services. The district's
outreach for com-
munity input on this
levy proposal and its
decision to not ask
for a funding increase
firms my belief that
they are in tune with
the economic realities
that we find ourselves
in. Unfortunately, this
can't be said of all gov-
ernment agencies.
I don't know about
you, but living in Bel-
fair I am hearing more
and more emergency
sirens responding to
more and more medical
emergencies in North
Mason. I applaud our
fire district for the ser-
vice that they provide
us in the most difficult
circumstances. Let's
get together as a com-
munity to continue to
provide our fire district
with the resources that
they need to continue
and protect us.
Cathy Strong
Belfair
The
greenies
costing us
dollars
Editor, the Journal
PUb 3 is obligated
to follow new rules
from Initiative 937 re-
quiring a 3 percentage
requirement in 2012
to purchase electricity
from qualifying renew-
able resources. The per-
centage goes up to 15
percent over a period of
eight years.
Well, OK, the
greenies put forth this
initiative (RCW 19.285,
1-937) and Washing-
ton voters passed it in
2006. But the greenies
listed qualifying renew-
able resources as elec-
tricity from a genera-
tion facility powered by
a renewable resource
other than fresh water.
I bet when we passed
this initiative we didn't
read the fine print. So,
by disqualifying fresh
water (hydroelectric
from Bonneville, etc.),
we will be paying
increasingly higher
rates forever more so
that PUb 3 can pur-
chase power from wind
turbine and from solar
sources. Of course,
most of the solar pan-
els and wind turbines
are imported so we are
doing our best to help
create jobs in other
countries and we are
paying higher electric-
ity rates to accomplish
this. In conclusion,
this initiative says,
sun-good, wind-good,
water-bad.
Along comes PUb
3 Commission Chair
Linda Gott, who pre-
sented a resolution at
the Republican caucus
to modify this crazy
initiative and allow
hydropower. Good job,
Commissioner Gott.
Finally someone is
working to overturn
this and bring common
sense to the issue and
some relief to our wal-
lets. We don't need to
build any more dams,
just keep buying that
clean, reliable water-
generated electricity.
Let me know if you
think waterpower is
not renewable and not
clean.
William S. Zeigler
Shelton
Here's
some
perspective
Editor, the Journal
The League of
Women Voters of Wash-
ington has serious con-
cerns about both the
specifics and the pro-
cess used Saturday to
pass the budget in the
Washington State Sen-
ate. The league believes
the state budget should
reflect the Values and
priorities important to
all Washingtonians and
should involve hear-
ings, revisions, more
hearings and then a
consensus that moves
to passage. This did not
happen on March 3.
The league's legisla-
tive priorities this year
are broad - we call for
sufficient state funding
for public schools, child
care and early learn-
ing, poor families and
children, seniors and
health care for the poor
and the vulnerable and
disabled. We support
sound environmental
policies, recognizing
that we all live in a
state blessed by natural
resources that need pro-
tection. Our priorities
are based on League
principles stemming
from comprehensive
studies.
The 2012 Senate
budget makes cuts
from the proposed Sen-
ate Democratic bud-
get in multiple areas
from K-12 and higher
education to liquor
revenue for local gov-
ernments. The league
believes these cuts
are shortsighted and
will lead to increased
expenses in both the
near future and the
long-term. Worse,
these cuts are not
needed to balance the
state budget.
We call on respon-
sible legislators to
work together to revise
this senate budget to
more nearly reflect the
legitimate needs and
concerns of the people
of Washington state.
We call for a budget
that is fair, compas-
sionate and responsible
to all Washingtonians.
We call for prompt ac-
tion by legislators to
write and pass such a
budget.
Lynda Links
Co-President,
LWVMC
PUD 3 sets public hearing for rate increase
Myer said the PUb 3 is dealing
Board looks at3 with a 1o percent increase in whole-
sale power costs from BPA.
n repnt increase Also, he said the utility's whole-
sale power costs have increased by 3
percent because of requirements un-
By NATALIE JOHNSON der 1-937, an initiative that requires
natalie@rnasoncounty.com public utilities to purchase 15 per-
cent of their power from renewable
sources, excluding hydropower, by
The Mason County PUD 3 Com- 2020.
mission voted to set a public hearing Myer said many public utilities
to discuss a rate increase included in the state are contemplating rate
in the utility's 2012 budget, increases.
The hearing is scheduled for 10 "The common theme for just
a.m. on Tuesday, March 27. about every utility in the Northwest
The commission plans to consider is the Bonneville rate increase and
a 3 percent increase for power con- increases due to renewable energy
sumption, and a 10 cent per day in- requirements," he said.
crease in the daily customer charge, With the rate increase, PUb 3
said Joel Myer, PUb 3 public in- customers would pay less per 1,000
formation and government affairs kilowatt hours (kWh) than custom-
manager, ors in Franklin, Snohomish, Grays
The PUb commission plans to Harbor, Clallam PUDs and Mason
implement small rate increases over County PUb 1, among others.
several years to spread out the cost "Most of the utilities that are on
of the wholesale power increases, he par or lower than us are utilities
said. that have their own electrical gen-
The utility's increases are driven oration," Myer said.
primarily by rate hikes from the BPA raised wholesale rates to the
Bonneville Power Administration PUb 3 in October 2011. The utility
(BPA), from which the PUb pur- included the proposed rate increases
chases the majority of its power, in its 2012 budget.
Journal file photo
Joel Myer, PUb 3 public
information and government
affairs manager, said the
utiliy's has scheduled a public
hearing for 10 a.m. on
Tuesday, March 27.
March 8 -- Darrell March 10 -- Joseph Dan- March 12 -- Terry Mat- March 15 -- Aaron
Charles Roberts and Tammy iel Johnston and Susan Ma- thews Fowler and Alexandra Charles Kerns and Mary
Marie Allender rio Fraisure Lynn Rostvold Ann Coleman
March 8 -- Joshua Lee March 11 -- Aaron Ray March 15 -- Kevin Doug-
Barber and Crystal CodyBourne and Michele Lynnlas Brown and Nadine Lou-
Jones Worthy ise Johnson
DIVORCES
March 6 -- Richard A.
Ladue and Katrina A. La-
due
March 7 -- Arleta K.
Caldwell and Michael D.
Caldwell
March 7' "-- Ashe Wolf
Weatherly ~fld Steven Roy
Weatherly
Open for Business April 2, 2012
Mason County PUD No,
Johns Prairie Operations Center
Cost Effective - Coordinated - Future Focused
March 9 -- Shawn Marti-
nache and Erin Martinache
March 12 -- Marion
Sanders Jr. and Teresa E.
Sanders
A permit was issued on
March 7 to Pete Chick of the
600 block of East Dana Drive
to replace an existing rotten
door size-for-size.
A permit was issued on
March 8 to Mason Lake,
LLC, of the 600 block of
Windsor Drive Southeast,
Sammamish, for a new sin-
gle-family residence.
A permit was issued on
March 12 to State Fish &
Wildlife of the 600 block of
Capitol Way South, Olym-
pia, to add a ductless heat
pump.
A permit was issued to
Timberlake Community
Club of the 2800 block of
East Timberlake Drive West
for a demolition of an exist-
ing manufactured home.
In the story "Islanders
voice concerns on land
swap," from the March 8
edition of the Journal, Mi-
chael Glaser's last name
was spelled incorrectly.
In the story, "Port of Shel-
ton Commission talks
transportation, race-
track," from the March
8 edition of the Journal,
Commission Chair Dick
Taylor referred to high-
way intersection between
State Route 3 and High-
way 101, not between
Wallace Kneeland Boule-
vard and Highway 101.
PUD 3 is pleased to announce that April 2 will be the first official day
of business at the new operations center at 2621 E Johns Prairie Road.
The energy efficient facility provides for improved customer service
more efficient management of utility functions; lower cost of
operations over the long term; and additional office space that will
allow for continued customer-centered service for the next 50 years or
longer.
To enhance customer convenience, PUD
3 has a pay center in downtown Shelton
at 310 West Cota Street. The changes
will not affect the services available at
PUD 3's Belfair office.
During the month of March, PUD 3 departments such as engineering,
energy conservation, and telecommunications will be moving to the
new facility. Prior to April 2, customers may want to contact the PUD to
coordinate business they may have with staff.
Mason County PUD No. 3 - Clean, Renewable Energy Every Day
Main Shelton Office - 2621 E Johns Prairie Road, Shelton, WA
Shelton Payment Center - 310 West Cota Street, Shelton, WA
Belfair Office- 21341 E State Route 3, Belfair, WA
Shelton (360) 426,8255 - Belfair (360) 275-2833 - Elma (360) 861
Outage Line (360) 432-1533
-4247
Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, March 15 2012 - Page A-5