Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:34:00 AM
By KARA HANSEN - The Daily Astorian
JEWELL - The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission is charging former Jewell School District superintendent John Seeley and his wife, Jewell School employee Laura Seeley, with misconduct.
The nature of the charges "remains confidential until the final outcome of the case," said Melody Hanson, executive assistant for the commission, the state body responsible for licensing Oregon teachers and school administrators and for taking disciplinary action when educators commit crimes or violate competency and ethics standards.
The case "has to work through its process at this point," she said Wednesday.....For Complete Article, Click On Title Above
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Press Release: LNG Referendum A Go For September 16, 2008 Ballot
IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 17, 2008
Signatures Validated, LNG Referendum A Go
Date Set For a Vote on LNG Pipelines in Parks in Clatsop County(Astoria, OR) Despite Northern Star's attempts to derail it in court, Clatsop County residents will be able to vote on allowing LNG-related pipelines in their parks.
Cathie Schurman, Interim County Clerk, today certified 1117 of the 1255 signatures submitted (91%), far in excess of the598 needed.
She set the date of the county-wide vote as September 16, 2008.
The ballot measure number is 4-131.
Northern Star first sued in Clatsop County court to stop the referendumentirely; then to radically change the ballot language. They failed on both counts.
The change in the zoning ordinance to allow pipelines not only affects the area near the LNG terminal, but would allow pipelines in all areas designated open space, parks, and recreation. This includes Camp Cullaby, Carnahan County Park, Fishhawk Falls County Park, North Fork Nehalem CountyPark, and Sigfridson County Park.
"As a community we implement laws that aid in the protection of ourchildren. How, in good conscience, could we as a community allow a 36-inch, high-pressure, interstate gas pipeline three feet below where our children play?" said Teri Sund, an Astoria mother of two.
Debbie Twombly, Astoria resident and also a chief petitioner, added, "Even people who support the LNG projects do not support the Commissioners making such a sweeping change to our laws to accommodate one company.
" The group Clatsop County Citizens for Common Sense www.ClatsopCommonSense.org is raising money and organizing for the vote. "We expect a vigorous campaign from a well-funded opposition, but we expect to prevail," said Marc Auerbach, one of the referendum petitioners and chair of the NorthwestProperty Rights Coalition.
Clatsop County Citizens for Common Sense Marc Auerbach Chair Northwest Property Rights Coalition and Petitionermarc@nwprc.org 503.755.2415 Don WestVice President, Columbia River Business Alliance and Petitioner donweast10@gmail.com 503.298.9937 Brent Foster Executive Director of Columbia Riverkeeper brentfoster@gorge.net 541.380.1334 Clatsop Common Sense P.O. Box 186Warrenton, Oregon 97146 www.ClatsopCommonSense.org
Signatures Validated, LNG Referendum A Go
Date Set For a Vote on LNG Pipelines in Parks in Clatsop County(Astoria, OR) Despite Northern Star's attempts to derail it in court, Clatsop County residents will be able to vote on allowing LNG-related pipelines in their parks.
Cathie Schurman, Interim County Clerk, today certified 1117 of the 1255 signatures submitted (91%), far in excess of the598 needed.
She set the date of the county-wide vote as September 16, 2008.
The ballot measure number is 4-131.
Northern Star first sued in Clatsop County court to stop the referendumentirely; then to radically change the ballot language. They failed on both counts.
The change in the zoning ordinance to allow pipelines not only affects the area near the LNG terminal, but would allow pipelines in all areas designated open space, parks, and recreation. This includes Camp Cullaby, Carnahan County Park, Fishhawk Falls County Park, North Fork Nehalem CountyPark, and Sigfridson County Park.
"As a community we implement laws that aid in the protection of ourchildren. How, in good conscience, could we as a community allow a 36-inch, high-pressure, interstate gas pipeline three feet below where our children play?" said Teri Sund, an Astoria mother of two.
Debbie Twombly, Astoria resident and also a chief petitioner, added, "Even people who support the LNG projects do not support the Commissioners making such a sweeping change to our laws to accommodate one company.
" The group Clatsop County Citizens for Common Sense www.ClatsopCommonSense.org is raising money and organizing for the vote. "We expect a vigorous campaign from a well-funded opposition, but we expect to prevail," said Marc Auerbach, one of the referendum petitioners and chair of the NorthwestProperty Rights Coalition.
Clatsop County Citizens for Common Sense Marc Auerbach Chair Northwest Property Rights Coalition and Petitionermarc@nwprc.org 503.755.2415 Don WestVice President, Columbia River Business Alliance and Petitioner donweast10@gmail.com 503.298.9937 Brent Foster Executive Director of Columbia Riverkeeper brentfoster@gorge.net 541.380.1334 Clatsop Common Sense P.O. Box 186Warrenton, Oregon 97146 www.ClatsopCommonSense.org
Monday, June 16, 2008
PP&L Takes Pot Shots At Renewable Energy?
Green Washing Utilities Attack Renewable Energy
Like a sniper shot taking out a platoon leader, the legal action taken byPP&L against third-party financing of solar has inflicted damage to afledging industry by inserting uncertainty that will spook investors regardless of how the Oregon PUC responds.
As co-founder of Onsite Energy in the 1980’s, a wholly owned subsidiary of PacifiCorp (owner of PP&L at that time), our company grew very rapidlybuilding private energy projects using efficiency improvements and renewable energy sources.
These projects were financed almost entirely by the samethird-party ownership structures questioned by PP&L today.
PP&L’s legal action is evidence that renewable energy technologies are viewed as a threat to generation sources favored by the shareholder ownedutilities and their regulators. Other examples abound: Northwest Natural Gaspromoting imported LNG for peaking gas-fired turbines that directly competewith the peak electricity produced by solar photovoltaic; PGE’s complicity with Enron’s efforts to profit off of manipulation of generation and powersupply; Oregon PUC issuing a memo concerning energy demand written by energyspeculators and their consultants.
These barriers are the tip of the iceberg of the actions that can be placed to slow or kill renewable energy projects.
Is this a business environment that can implement the goals of theLegislature and the Governor for 25% of the State’s electrical generationfrom renewable sources by 2025?
The current energy crisis is exposing our dependency on these economically and ecologically damaging energy sources. The good news is that technology exists today that is financially competitive and environmentally superior to fossil fuels. Oregon has immense renewable energy resources that are immediately developable.
In his book, Winning Our Energy Independence, S.David Freeman makes a compelling case for removing barriers and immediatelyimplementing alternatives.
Paul Sansone
Like a sniper shot taking out a platoon leader, the legal action taken byPP&L against third-party financing of solar has inflicted damage to afledging industry by inserting uncertainty that will spook investors regardless of how the Oregon PUC responds.
As co-founder of Onsite Energy in the 1980’s, a wholly owned subsidiary of PacifiCorp (owner of PP&L at that time), our company grew very rapidlybuilding private energy projects using efficiency improvements and renewable energy sources.
These projects were financed almost entirely by the samethird-party ownership structures questioned by PP&L today.
PP&L’s legal action is evidence that renewable energy technologies are viewed as a threat to generation sources favored by the shareholder ownedutilities and their regulators. Other examples abound: Northwest Natural Gaspromoting imported LNG for peaking gas-fired turbines that directly competewith the peak electricity produced by solar photovoltaic; PGE’s complicity with Enron’s efforts to profit off of manipulation of generation and powersupply; Oregon PUC issuing a memo concerning energy demand written by energyspeculators and their consultants.
These barriers are the tip of the iceberg of the actions that can be placed to slow or kill renewable energy projects.
Is this a business environment that can implement the goals of theLegislature and the Governor for 25% of the State’s electrical generationfrom renewable sources by 2025?
The current energy crisis is exposing our dependency on these economically and ecologically damaging energy sources. The good news is that technology exists today that is financially competitive and environmentally superior to fossil fuels. Oregon has immense renewable energy resources that are immediately developable.
In his book, Winning Our Energy Independence, S.David Freeman makes a compelling case for removing barriers and immediatelyimplementing alternatives.
Paul Sansone
From The Daily Astorian - Critics Debunk PUC Commission's Beyer
Monday, June 16, 2008 12:05 PM
Critics debunk Beyer's LNG paper - PUC chairman tells Kulongoski he thinks importing LNG is a good way for the state to ensure supply, price
By CASSANDRA PROFITA - The Daily Astorian
The chairman of Oregon's Public Utility Commission has told Gov. Ted Kulongoski he thinks importing liquefied natural gas is a good way for the state to ensure future supply and stabilize prices.
Contrary to the findings of the Oregon Department of Energy, which released a study last month concluding Oregon doesn't need LNG, PUC Chairman Lee Beyer said an LNG terminal will help meet increases in demand for natural gas and could offer some savings in transportation costs, though it would sell for about the same price as domestic gas.
"Other regions of the country are all looking to secure access to additional gas supply sources, such as LNG and nonconventional gas, to replace supplies from quickly diminishing domestic and pipeline import sources," Beyer said in a five-page memo to Kulongoski sent May 30. "The Northwest should do the same."......For Complete Article, Click On Title Above.
Critics debunk Beyer's LNG paper - PUC chairman tells Kulongoski he thinks importing LNG is a good way for the state to ensure supply, price
By CASSANDRA PROFITA - The Daily Astorian
The chairman of Oregon's Public Utility Commission has told Gov. Ted Kulongoski he thinks importing liquefied natural gas is a good way for the state to ensure future supply and stabilize prices.
Contrary to the findings of the Oregon Department of Energy, which released a study last month concluding Oregon doesn't need LNG, PUC Chairman Lee Beyer said an LNG terminal will help meet increases in demand for natural gas and could offer some savings in transportation costs, though it would sell for about the same price as domestic gas.
"Other regions of the country are all looking to secure access to additional gas supply sources, such as LNG and nonconventional gas, to replace supplies from quickly diminishing domestic and pipeline import sources," Beyer said in a five-page memo to Kulongoski sent May 30. "The Northwest should do the same."......For Complete Article, Click On Title Above.
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