Northwind September 8, 2011
September 8, 2011
WHATCOM COUNTY NORTH ROTARY CLUB
NORTHWIND
MEETING TO ORDER: President Gary called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. and provided a very moving invocation. Ray George then led us in the recitation of the 4-Way Test of the Things we say, think and do.
GUESTS: Pete Ruese was accompanied by his wife, Lynn Ruese.
VISITING ROTARIANS: Hillary Baumstarck (former WCN) from Gig Harbor; and our own Jeanne McGee from the Costalegra Club in Malaque, Mexico.
RETURNING ROTARIANS: Chuck Tull from Pullman.
BIRTHDAYS: Jerry today; Max tomorrow; and Maureen/Marlene the 10th.
OUT OF ORDER: President’s prerogative, Gary congratulated Sharon on her and Greg’s nuptials.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: September 17th will see the Meridian FFA dinner and auction commencing at 6:30 p.m. – “The Rockin Rodeo.” Contact Ray George for information. DG Jane Helton will be our program for 9/15. Dress appropriately; the District 5050 picnic will be 9/17 at Peach Arch Park, starting at 10:00 a.m.; The Rotary Leadership Institute will reconvene 9/24 in Mt. Vernon. See your recent emails or go the district website for more information; Rollo donated four tickets and a parking pass to a Mariners/Yankees game. Auctioned by Gary and bought by Ray. Thanks Rollo and Ray.
HAPPY BUCKS: Chuck – Wazzu; Rome – blackout of President’s Obama’s jobs speech in Wisconsin in favor of the Green Bay pre-game show; Jake – being out fished not only by wife, but now eleven year old granddaughter; Maureen – 40 10K’s between 39th and 40th birthdays (ouch); Winton for his gall bladder; Max for mistreatment of sunglasses; Scott for crab pots; Sharon for significant life change; Marlene for birthdays; Mel put in Bill’s H.B. in Bill’s absence and Mel taking his (almost) chair; Jerry $127 for his birthday and 51st anniversary with his wife Sharon ; Nick – upcoming baby girl, with help from his wife; Brian for a trip to the Husky game in LaVerne the R.V.; and seeing his baby off to preschool for the first time; Tyler for Haggen’s participation in the fundraiser for Children’s Hospital; Derek was just up; Ray for Dawgs and Cougs; Gary for EWU’s football program.
FINEMASTER: Max did the honors with his special blend of cordiality and ruthlessness: Anyone with long sleeves; Gary for his cellphone interruption; Dick, Jeanne, Jake and Rome for their tie for last to arrive; Nick as a reminder that it is his wife, not him, who is having a baby; Dick, Hillary, Laurie and Tim V. (in absentia) for stock market roller coaster; Greg I. knew the team that Jake Locker is now playing for; Mel for being close to Bill’s seat (actually it was George T.’s), Bill being able to use the traffic cameras to finish getting pictures for the roster; Winton volunteered to pay for the weather; fines for anyone not going to a 9/11 program; Ken for a worn out flag on his vehicle; Tyler for the loss of Don Haggen; and for Sharon, Max was the first to fine her as a married woman.
PROGRAM: Steve Jilk, general manager of Whatcom County Public Utility District #1, provided a fact-filled program about the Whatcom County PUD and PUD’s in general. Steve was a long-time city administrator in Minnesota before coming first to the City of Lynden, then the Port of Bellingham, and now G.M. of the PUD for the last five years.
The PUD concept was made law in Washington in 1930 by virtue of a citizen’s initiative out of Eastern Washington. They are not for profit public entities tasked with responsibilities to provide water and electrical power to their respective districts for the public benefit, while also preserving those resources. There are approximately 28 districts in an equivalent number of counties in the state. The first PUD was established in Mason County in 1936. The PUD’s have 928,000 electric connections in Washington State, and 118,000 water connections, with 4000 miles of transmission lines and delivery of 20 billion gallons of water annually. PUD’s now also build and maintain fiber optic lines for wholesale customers only.
In 1936, Whatcom County established a PUD which would replace all power and water systems in the county except the municipal systems in Blaine and Sumas. This amounted to a direct slap at Puget Sound Power & Light, which was in acute disfavor at the time. There are three commissioners which district boundaries are identical to those of the county council. The district actually serves the area west of the Nooksack, south of Blaine and north of Lummi Nation. Its mission is to serve as the people’s advocate in matters within its purview. Included in that role is economic development.
The district takes water from the Nooksack at two locations and serves Cherry Point and the City of Ferndale. It distributes six billion gallons annually. For historical reasons, the district distributes power, but only to the Conoco Phillips refinery. The power comes from the Bonneville Power Administration.
The district has water rights to take 58 million gallons of water per day. It has a budget of fifteen million dollars and twenty-two employees. It has in place a five year, 55 million dollar capital improvement plan.
Current projects include: working with the Foothills Chamber of Commerce to establish broadband infrastructure; working with WWU on alternate energy sources, including methane; working with Skagit County on joint projects; involvement with Water Resource Inventory Area #1- water resource planning undertaken in each of 39 watersheds; and as part of the Joint Water Supply Plan, a board composed of the Nooksack and Lummi tribes, county, City of Bellingham, and the PUD. The board is tasked with addressing stream flow and water rights issues. For more information, pudwhatcom.org.
BANNERS: Fires in Texas.
DRAWING: Finnegan, deuce of diamonds.
Scribe this week: Tim Carpenter