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February 26, 2009 Opinions |
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—Letters To The Editor—
Style And Grace With Customers
To The Record Courier:
Here not to long ago, a group of us got together to go out and have dinner, which we don't do as much as we use to. My sister was here as a visitor from out of town who was supporting the Crane Boarding School etc., we are very proud of this school in this event, it is wrestling tournament out of Halfway, and the games coming up. When events like this one are held elsewhere sometimes it has been known that the school closes and every one supports the games by attending them and adding to the excitement and all.
Crane will get to go to State for wrestling in the midst of writing this letter. And yes my younger nephew came in 1st place at the writing of this letter and we are very proud of their accomplishments. My younger nephew will be the last in the bunch of my sister's family to enjoy playing the sports of his choice. Crane will be represented in the games especially with my nephew being his last year in school and it seems he is making a good share of the baskets along with other members of the team. In John Day he was even given honorable mention, which wasn't anticipated. Both boys and girls won the games. In the tournaments coming up I am sure we will see some pretty stiff competition. I plan to be in the midst with this group at times myself. Kinda of different for me, after all they are my nephews.
Well where we went to have dinner it was never mentioned about reservations, etc. and it never used to be that way, nor was there a poster posted outside the door saying reservations only.
We did manage to get seated and all, but never got waited on. So we went elsewhere to enjoy the evening. I hope in all the servicing that takes place with customers here when the games are in process that communication is of the utmost and everyone is treated with dignity and respect, so that everyone can enjoy the atmosphere and the excitement of these games. If there are changes with any restaurant etc., then please advertise letting the public know. Most of the restaurants you can generally walk-in to and not have to make reservations with the exception of a few. Of course, if you do have parties involved it is best to make reservations whether or not the games etc. are here.
By the way for those of you who remember The Pine Restaurant out of Burns, Ore., it is now opened for business. For bigger parties reservations are appreciated, and it is opened to the public for dinner. They have recaptured the past of the interior of the building etc.
I am anxious to see the restaurant when my nephew graduates in May. Their food and service have always been excellent when we have supported their businesses. Their number is listed in the phone book.
As far as serving etc., no matter what unless "otherwise specified" that if you seat your customers you are obligated to wait on them!
Almost all, if not a good majority of us, are cutting way back in not eating out as much, but we still manage to go to those we like going to and appreciate their services etc. With the economy and all being the way that it is, serving dinner at home is going to be more so, and watching our budgets. Even the price of groceries etc., and at the moment we are buying a half of beef and enjoy those $50 prices for steaks and all at home. Now vegetables are expected to rise as well, with the shortage of water in some areas. It is rare for us to buy a half of beef and even with the high cost of meat these days etc. it is hard for me to even go grocery shopping without getting upset at times. I am sure most are experiencing this as well. $20 can go a long ways if you know what to look for at the grocery stores, we can call this Money Savers. So lets make this fun for everyone to enjoy as well as eating at all the local restaurants, and having the integrity and respect for everyone involved etc. Good luck to all the teams.
Brenda Dickison
Baker City, Ore.
Low Definition World
To The Record-Courier:
The world is a colorful and beautiful place. I’ve experienced an assortment of colors in the places we have lived over the years. In the Great Plains, you get the great dome of sky unequaled anywhere, with shifting shades of blue, and the brilliant colors of God’s light show when the thunderstorms blossom. We have lived in Iowa, where the summer green of the cornfields is muted by humid haze, and in the fall, the hardwoods generate great calendar pictures. We have lived in the Southwest, where the earth tones are spectacular, and you get the electric flash of turquoise commonly worn by men, women, and children. The gem’s brilliance creates it’s own definition of blue. We lived in the southern reaches of the Rockies, where 13,000 foot mountains will give meaning to “purple mountain’s majesty.”
We are now settled in the high desert of Eastern Oregon. Here we gaze upon large brown hills, backed by ranges of deep blue mountains. We see the sagebrush with it’s assortment of grays and greens. Pine forests lend their own verdant colors, and in autumn, the contrasting yellow of the Western Larch. The summer sky here is a milky shade of blue on the best of sunny days, with haze caused by high atmospheric pressure and the occasional forest fire.
In January, we experienced a phenomena that was rare in our previous homes-an inversion. Inversions occur when warm air rides up over the cold air, and holds it in place. There are two results. One is that foggy conditions happen, and the fog takes the edge off any structure, blurs the line of sight, and causes some items to disappear completely (like the mountains). The fog causes hoarfrost to form on every available weed, tree and power line. We spied a small group of deer breakfasting on the neighbor’s lawn, and they were frosted from antler tine to tail. For the first day or two, people grab their camera and start snapping pictures, because the scene is one of God’s truly dazzling works. The second effect happens when the inversion lasts more than two or three days. The world no longer appears to be in color, but in black and white.
People fall into two distinct groups regarding this weather situation. One group of folks, like me, get crabby and owly and are not much fun to be around until the sun returns, which it always does. The other groups espouses a cheerful philosophy which is “you don’t have to shovel the fog.”My wife falls into that category. In an attempt to save the cheerful from the crabs, we should all join hands and sing “Heaven Help Us, It’s an Uncloudy Day.” If, as some proclaim, God could send us a Son, it should be a small matter to send us some sun. A toast to all who are willing to share their warmth and brilliance. Here’s to you, Sunshine.
Dave Rama
Baker City
The Modern World Of Two Economies
To The Record-Courier:
In our society we are becoming two completely separate groups. We have a group that I was in for 60 years. We were completely responsible for the welfare of our family. As we had good years we were able to put some away. In most of the year it was make do with what we had. We were always forced to save faster than we could afford. However we chose this life because we loved what we were doing and I had no desire to do anything else.
The other segment of our economy is also vital in a civilized society. We have to have the services they provide. However it turns out that segment of our society has developed to the point that they feel they do not have to live by the same rules of economics the others must live by.
Now I am not saying I can do anything about this problem. I just want to point out the fact that when the economy reaches the point we are in that something has to change. We hear of all the problems facing all of the tax supported forms of government. They are real no doubt about it.
There is so much that has to be done. The work load is still there and we hear of ideas to do all sorts of things (lay off workers, shorter hours, close some facilities) and so it goes. One thing I wonder is why these tax supported entities cannot do what any private organization will have to do.
The way I see it is these tax supported institutions must take a lesson from the private sector. Live within your means. Do not lay off workers. Keep all the employees necessary to get the job done. Everybody will have to make do with the available dollars.
An example right here in our county budget, they say you cannot change some of these so called entitlements. It is my opinion that there can be no sacred cows that says we have to honor all previous agreements as good as they may have been at the time they were made.
We in the private sector have got by in spite of government action and if we were lucky enough to accumulate some in our lifetime when we sell out it is known as the redistribution of wealth. I have been there and done that.
Eric Romtvedt
Baker City
Are Mega-Volt Transmission Lines Safe?
To The Record-Courier:
With the fundamental issues concerning America’s safety since 911, shouldn’t power and the safety of its transmission be addressed as integral to the safety of the entire nation? Idaho Power has filed an Integrated Resource Plan for the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) transmission line, asking Oregon’s Public Utilities Commission to agree that there is public need for this type of line. The 398 mile line will traverse 350 miles through Oregon’s rural land. The B2H Grassroots Coalition must, again, ask for qualification of need. For instance, we know urban sprawl continues to require more and more electricity. Does this type of need mean energy has to be transported vast distances from a central-station power plant? Or could this type of need, instead, instigate the use of safer technology that generates electricity near the areas of need, thus avoiding the use of mega-volt transmission lines?
The Oregon PUC has a February 2005 report on “Distributed Generation.” According to the report, distributed generation produces electricity at or near the place where it is used. The title of the report, prepared by Lisa Schwartz (PUC staff), is Distributed Generation in Oregon: Overview, Regulatory Barriers and Recommendations. The introduction explains that Oregon’s PUC had objectives for 2005-06 to “adopt regulatory policies that encourage utilities and customers to meet energy needs at the lowest possible cost and risk.”
The report can be found on PDF file through the Oregon PUC, either using Google or asking the Oregon PUC for a copy of the report. The report claims that technologies for distributed generation include: “Combined heat and power systems that produce both electrical and thermal energy and use the heat or steam for industrial processes, heating or cooling…Systems that use renewable energy resources to generate electricity…Reciprocating engine generators and small combustion turbines that run on diesel or natural gas, typically used for backup power or for power in remote locations.” The technology can recirculate waste heat, so no energy is lost and can even increase as it flows. The report goes on to explain that “many of these technologies can be more energy-efficient and cleaner than central-station power plants” (i.e. Boardman) and “their smaller size can better match gradual increase in utility loads.”
It seems one of the most important points in the Oregon PUC report is that adding small generators to the grid can “increase reliability, reducing the need for distribution and transmission system upgrades.” The information in the report shows that distributed generation might offer a more sustainable prospect for meeting America’s rising energy needs. Whereas, the “need” for a grid that consists of mega-volt power lines (connected to a central-station power plant) crossing many miles over America’s western states is highly questionable. Is this type of system really needed more than localized power generation? With a transmission grid system that connects all the big population areas with a central-station power plant, what happens if that power plant is compromised? Are mega-volt power lines a safe energy solution for the future of America? What if this type of infra-structure is obsolete in ten years?
The B2H Grassroots Coalition urges citizens to keep asking questions. Any question is a good question. We must continue our quest for transparency in the B2H process. Concerns with “public need” and Idaho Power’s Integrated Resource Plan should be directed to Matt Muldoon of the Oregon PUC. For “State Directories” go to www.oregon.gov <http://www.oregon.gov/> . There is a link called “State Employee Search Form” to locate contact persons in regulatory agencies.
Be aware that Idaho Power must, by law, include the public in the process of their application for the B2H corridor. We suggest asking Idaho Power, directly, how their proposed B2H Transmission Line is sustainable. How is it green? What plans does Idaho Power have for the future and does Idaho Power invest in progressive technology such as “Distributed Generation?” Idaho Power’s project manager, Eric Hacket, can be e-mailed from the B2H website www.boardmantohemingway.com
And don’t miss the Citizens Action Workgroup meeting, facilitated by Nancy Peyron and Diane Bloomer, held March 3, 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Baker County Extension Office.
Kristen Wares
Baker City
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