Tuesday
Grab the Money Tree
Rainy pattern returns to Peninsula B10
Great discounts on local dining and services A8
PENINSULA DAILY NEWS January 12 12,, 2016 | 75¢
Port Angeles-Sequim-West End
Veteran is hired as exec director
Perfect colors on the trail
Leaving Poulsbo for PA chamber BY PAUL GOTTLIEB PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
QUADE SHEEHAN/WASHINGTON TRAILS ASSOCIATION
The 2015 Northwest Exposure Photo Contest grand prize-winning photo of a sunset in the Olympic Mountains was taken by Quade Sheehan, a lifeboat driver in the U.S. Coast Guard stationed at Quillayute River and an avid hiker.
Olympic sunset photo takes contest grand prize photo of sunset at Grand Pass in the Olympic Mountains, featuring himself and his partner, Stephanie Stefani, framed in the opening of their tent. “It’s amazing,” Sheehan said of his win. The grand prize photo was taken using an iPhone. While he had orchesBY ARWYN RICE trated the setting, angle and pose, PENINSULA DAILY NEWS another friend who was along for the PORT ANGELES — Two Port Ange- hike took the picture, Sheehan said. les photographers have been recognized “The sunset happened to be perfect,” for their talent in a contest sponsored by he said. the Washington Trails Association. Quade Sheehan and Ken Campbell Tough to keep quiet earned top finishes in the 2015 NorthSheehan said he planned to enter west Exposure Photo Contest. Sheehan won the grand prize for a several photos he had taken during vari-
First prize awarded for picture of otters on Discovery Trail
ous hikes around the North Olympic Peninsula, but submitted only one in time for the deadline. “They told me I won in November. It was hard to keep my mouth shut,” he said. He said he has taken all of his photos with an iPhone to prevent damage to an expensive camera. The grand prize, a Nikon AW1 mirrorless camera, is supposed to be built for the rough treatment it might get on a trail. An Oregon native who joined the U.S. Coast Guard, he is no stranger to adventure. He is a Coast Guard motor lifeboat driver stationed in La Push and is nearing the end of his enlistment. TURN
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CONTEST/A6
PORT ANGELES — Marc Abshire, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, has been named executive director of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce. He succeeds Russ Veenema, who retired Dec. 30. The hiring of Abshire, a Port Townsend High School graduate, was announced Monday at the chamber luncheon. Abshire, 55, has been the Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce executive direcAbshire tor since October 2014. He is an Arizona native and former California resident. “Based on his experience and knowledge of the area, it was just an easy choice to offer him the position,” chamber Board President Sharon Thompson told the 32 chamber luncheon attendees. A Kingston resident, Abshire said Monday in a telephone interview that he expects to start his new job by Feb. 1. The U.S. Air Force Academy graduate will attend a chamber “After-Hours” get-together 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Red Lion Hotel. Abshire said Monday he wants to run a chamber that benefits businesses and the economy. “Port Angeles is ready for it and primed for it. I’m looking forward to bringing that laser focus to the business economy there.” Abshire’s at-will contract is $58,000 a year compared to Veenema’s $89,000 multiyear pact. TURN
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DIRECTOR/A6
Power bill spike leaves payers wondering Cold temps, rate hike adding up BY ARWYN RICE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Utility District. “It’s cold out there. Your bill is going to be bigger,” Parker said. Jefferson’s billing system has a very low base rate, and multiple tiers for power usage, with increasing costs when customers use a lot of electricity, he said. Parker said the billing system results in very low summer bills, and very high winter bills. “We have big, dramatic swings,” he said, and noted that he is working on plans to change the system.
North Olympic Peninsula power customers have reported increases in their power bills, the result of what power managers say is the combined effect of a very cold December, a small increase in power costs, in some cases a long billing cycle, and a new billing system. In Port Townsend, a new billing system is the biggest difficulty reported by customers in recent weeks, but there has been some sticker shock over recent Port Angeles bills, said Jim Parker, manager for the Jefferson County Public Port Angeles City Council
approved a 5 percent rate increase for 2016, effective as of Jan. 1. For a typical Port Angeles city utility customer whose electric bill is usually about $100 per month, the bill would increase to $105, said Phil Lusk, deputy director of power systems and telecommunications. That small increase is not nearly enough to account for the $100 increases some customers have reported, Lusk said. Customers need to make sure they are reading only the electric portion of their city utility bill, which also includes other charges, including water and trash collection, he said. Lusk said the cold snap that began in late November increases the amount of power used is
partly the cause of some of the increase in power use customers are seeing on their bills. Additionally, a billing cycle one month can be as short as 26 days, and the next month can be as long as 35 days — resulting in a bill that can be about a third higher than the month before, he said.
Clallam PUD
For customers of the Clallam County Public Utilities District, the cold snap and billing cycles are the most probable causes of higher bills, said Mike Howe, spokesman for the PUD. The PUD’s rate hike doesn’t ________ take effect until April, he said. The new 3.8 percent increase Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at will take effect April 1 and will 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@ cost about $4.20 per month for the peninsuladailynews.com.
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average PUD residential customer. Howe said the cost of the PUD’s new building in Carlsborg is also not reflected on current bills, he said. Not all customers are on the same billing cycle, which depends in individual meter reader routes, he said. If anyone has a question about their bill, billing period or amount of power used, or to see if an error might have occurred, they should call the PUD customer service line at 360-452-9771. “We can answer all their questions,” Howe said.
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BUSINESS CLASSIFIED COMICS COMMENTARY DEAR ABBY DEATHS HOROSCOPE LETTERS NATION/WORLD
B4 B6 B5 A7 B5 A6 B5 A7 A3
*PENINSULA SPOTLIGHT
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A2 B7 B1 B10