OPD should enforce leash law

Dear Editor,

Today I was driving down the road in town and saw four different people with dogs walking without a leash, don’t we have a leash law? If so why isn’t it enforced? I also own dogs that I walk on a leash, the law is there to protect you your dog and others. It makes it very difficult for those of us who follow the law to walk our animals when others are running free, if you talk to the police about it, they say well unless the animal is in the road bothering traffic or attacking there is nothing they can do. Why is it that something bad always has to happen to have a law enforced.

I want to walk my animals on a leash I just wish others would. It would make it so much nicer for everyone if this was the norm instead of the exception in this town. The law is the law and it should not be changed for a few who think they are above the law, we have had a leash law in effect for years and yet there is still no enforcement of it. Give these who don’t use a leash a ticket with a fine attached maybe that would stop the law breakers and also help those who keep the laws.

If some one was speeding down main or on any road I am sure that the police would do something about it. Because there is a speed limit law, we can’t chose to enforce only a few laws, if we do that than we should abolish all of the laws, because if we don’t follow all laws why follow any of them.

Because of these few those of us who follow the law and use a leash on our animals not over our shoulders or in our hands just in case we need them, we can not walk our dogs knowing another dog with owner off leash will not attack. In the past I have had people tell me “oh, my dog won’t hurt your dog” and then their dog is growling and approaching my dog and myself. Then they say “I’m sorry, he or she has never done that before.” That time my dog, next time it might be someone’s small child. Please enforce the law so it is safer for all of us.

Thank you

Colleen Ashdown

Oroville

Is Enloe Dam rehab worth it?

I keep hearing rumbles about the Enloe Dam project. I have also noticed that my electric bill keeps going up. I wonder if these two issues are connected? One reason the ratepayers are paying more for electricity is because we (PUD) is in debt for other projects. Going forward with the Enloe Dam project will require that we add $40 million dollars to that debt. That means our rates will go up once again.
I know the generation, transmission, and maintenance of the electrical grid is complicated and expensive because generation of power must closely match real-time use. Too much generation and too little demand causes as many problems as too little generation and too much demand. One problem the managers of “the grid” have is that demand fluctuates with season and even time of day. I’m having a hard time understanding how going into $40 million dollars of debt to rebuild power generation at Enloe Dam will solve our budget or power generation problems.

Enloe Dam only has excess water (water not already in use) running over it in the spring run-off season. The same season of peak potential power generation for our current source of power – hydro generation on the Columbia River.

Why was power generation at Enloe Dam ended 50 years ago? Maybe because it was not cost effective? Too much debt crashed the economy and we know private equity “investors” get their cut no matter what. Maybe 60,000 County residents adding $40 million dollars of debt to our electricity budget is an issue we should re-examine. Is it worth adding $40 million dollars of debt to private investors in order to generate “almost” enough power to run Oroville should there be a power shortage in the Spring? Will Enloe Dam generate enough power to pay for itself?

I wish the PUD would come to the ratepayers with some education about the challenges of power generation and listen to rate-payers on ideas to change the dynamic of ever increasing debt. Gee, maybe we could work together to come up with an investment plan that would create jobs and address generation, transmission and maintenance problems and reduce costs.

Roberta Hackett
Oroville

Thanks to a great community

Dear Editor,

As a senior at Oroville High School, I would like to thank our community for all of the support that I have been given over the years, and especially this year with my senior project. For my project I created a sign for the high school. The sign sits on the northeast corner of the school, facing Ironwood Street.

As a third generation Oroville graduate, from the King family, I wanted to create this sign because I am proud of the school and wanted to do something to highlight it. However, this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of some local businesses and people. I would like to thank Jack Hughes for donating the Oscar emblem, Mr. Quick for approving the project, Tom Fancher of North Country Distributors for donating the red rock, Justyce Olson, Steve Thompson, Caleb Whiteaker, and my family for helping me out. Last a special thank you to my amazing advisor, Michele Fancher, for guiding me and supporting me throughout not only this project, but the past four years of school. I am proud to be graduating from Oroville High School, and to be a member of this great community. Thank you!

J.D. King

Oroville

Editor’s Note: The new sign can be seen in this week’s special graduation section of the newspaper behind the seniors in their group photo. G.A.D.