PLUGGED IN TO COWLITZ PUD Crossing the

This morning, I crossed the Lewis & Clark Bridge. Sue sent me to Rainier to collect the mail from CRR’s P.O. Box over there. I must admit that everytime I cross that bridge, I think about a warning expressed by a friend who knows concrete and has worked a

River

lifetime in construction. He predicted a few years ago that the Lewis and Clark had flaws that could cause it to collapse.

Apparently, the Washington State Department of Transportation also has concerns about the bridge’s

Antidote Tap House - We Cure What ALEs You!

“Lewis and Clark Bridge will close for critical repair and preservation work,” the newsletter declared. “Steel expansion joints allow the Lewis and Clark Bridge to expand and contract with daily temperature variations. The bridge must close to replace two bridge expansion joints and a fractured floor beam. This repair project will help preserve the bridge and extend its service life.”

Beginning June 26th, travelers, commuters and commercial traffic can expect nighttime single lane operation starting at 8pm. This will slow access with northbound and southbound traffic sharing a single lane. The single lane closure will occur 20 days before the full bridge closure and for an unreported number of days after.

Full closure will last for up to eight days beginning at 8pm on Sunday, July 16th and ending on Monday, July 24th. I’d like to think that DOT took into account CRR’s delivery schedule getting Readers to Columbia County on the 15th. (Editor’s note: Would you?)

During full closure, interstate traffic must detour to Astoria or Vancouver to cross the Columbia. Another option: The Wahkiakum County Ferry will operate twice an hour, all day, between Puget Island, Washington, and Westport, Oregon. Since the ferry has limited capacity, preference may be given to healthcare workers and first responders. It stands to reason that travelers should prepare for lengthy wait times and long lines. Ferry info line: 360-795-7867. Website: co.wahkiakum.wa.us

Let me suggest to those who use the Lewis and Clark Bridge for scheduled medical appointments, to either plan for lengthy travel times, or consider contacting your provider to reschedule your appointment.

With this closure, many of us will come to appreciate how important the Lewis and Clark Bridge is in our daily lives.

Longview resident Ned Piper coordinates advertising and distribution of CRR, and enjoys the opportunities to meet and greet friends, both old and new.

By Alice Dietz, Cowlitz PUD Comunications/ Public Relations Manager

Introducing NEW Home Energy Loan Program

Cowlitz PUD and Fibre Federal Credit Union have teamed up to offer residential homeowners financing on five energyefficient programs: insulation, windows, ducted and ductless heat pumps, and heat pump water heaters. Loans ranging from $2,000 to $12,000 are available through the credit union. The PUD rebate is applied to the loan’s annual percentage rate, lowering it to zero in most cases. How do I get started?

1. Contact Cowlitz PUD’s Energy Efficiency Services

2. Complete the Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Program Participation Form located on our webpage at www. cowlitzpud.org.

3. Obtain project pre-approval. To gain pre-approval on your home energy project, contact Cowlitz PUD Energy Efficiency Services at 360-501-9514, or email eeservices@cowlitzpud.org.

Heat Pump Water Heaters

A heat pump water heater is a smart upgrade from your standard electric water heater. It delivers the same reliable supply of hot water while saving up to 60 percent on your water heating costs. That means you’ll be saving money for many years to come. Learn more at www.cowlitzpud.org.

Customers can visit the Cowlitz PUD website for information on current programs and rebates at www.cowlitzpud. org/efficiency/

Sign Up Today, Receive a $5 Credit!

Sign up for both eBill and AutoPay and receive a $10 credit on your next bill! With eBill you will receive your bill electronically instead of waiting for a paper bill in the mail. When you set up AutoPay using your checking account or credit card, your bill will be automatically paid on its due date! Sign up on SmartHub today or contact Customer Service for assistance at 360423-2210.

•••

Alice Dietz is Cowlitz PUD’s Communications/Public Relations Manager. Reach her at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360501-9146.

Columbia River Reader Collectors Club

Lewis And Clark Revolutionized

What really — truly — happened during those final wind-blown, rain-soaked thirty days of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s trek to the Pacific? Southwest Washington author and explorer Rex Ziak revolutionized historical scholarship by providing the answers: day by day and week by week. We’re delighted to offer In Full View, and Rex’s other two books, one with an extraordinary fold-out map, as our inaugural offerings from CRR Collectors Club.

In Full View

Rex Ziak $29.95

A true and accurate account of Lewis and Clark’s arrival at the Pacific Ocean, and their search for a winter camp along the lower Columbia River.

Eyewitness

TO ASTORIA

Gabriel Franchére $21.95

The newly edited and annotated by Rex Ziak version of Franchére’s 1820 journal, Narrative of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast of America in the Years 1811, 1812, 1813 and 1814, or The First American Settlement on the Pacific.

DOWN AND UP

Rex Ziak $18.95

A unique fold-out guide mapping day-byday Lewis and Clark’s journey from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean and back.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

11 issues $55.

SUBSCRIPTIONS MAKE THOUGHTFUL GIFTS... FOR YOURSELF OR FOR A FRIEND!

We’ll send your recipient a printed gift notification card.

THE TIDEWATER REACH

Field Guide to the Lower Columbia River in Poems and Pictures

By Robert Michael

Pyle

and Judy VanderMaten. In three editions:

• Boxed Signature Edition

Color and BW $50;

• Collectors Edition,Trade paperback. Color and B/W $35

• Trade paperback B/W $25 DISPATCHES