The
INSIDE Energy Matters
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Port of Lopez meeting
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The ‘Mystic Sea’
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www.islandsweekly.com 360-468-4242 • 800-654-6142
Islands’ eekly W
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 25 • June 18, 2013
OPALCO’s vision for broadband takes a turn By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
Somewhere along the line, Orcas Power and Light Cooperative’s vision for expanded countywide high-speed Internet service took a turn. Over the past year, OPALCO developed and promoted a plan to provide high-speed Internet access and Internet-based telephone service on a subscription basis to its membership for $75 per month. In recent weeks, however, the co-op has decided not to become an Internet service provider itself. The build-out of the fiber optic infrastructure would be financed in part by a $34 million U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development loan, some of it to be repaid with a $15 monthly additional charge to co-op customers whether or not the customer subscribed to Internet service. OPALCO announced in December it would proceed with the provision of internet service plan if half of its membership indicated support for the plan by signing up with the company and providing the company with a pre-subscription deposit. Some 900 OPALCO members signed up for Internet service and made pre-subscription deposits of $90. The deposits were returned or credited to customer accounts when
OPALCO announced the plan would not be implemented. On Wednesday, June 12, at the first of five meetings to be held on San Juan, Shaw, Orcas and Lopez Islands, Assistant General Manager Foster Hildreth introduced the revised plan to an audience of about 50 people at the Grange Hall in Friday Harbor. Several people in the audience dubbed the change of course as “Plan B.” Before the meeting, a dozen islanders gathered around Hildreth to ask questions about the “new direction.” Some said they still supported the plan approved by the board in December, others expressed satisfaction that OPALCO had scrapped that plan. Hildreth told the small group that the vision hadn’t changed, but said the co-op was moving to an “incremental approach to leveraging our assets” for the benefit of its members. When the meeting started, the crowd of 50 listened attentively to Hildreth’s explanation that the original plan approved by the OPALCO Board of Directors had not generated the level of support necessary to offset the risk to the cooperative’s financial structure. “We’ve learned a lot from our members over the past year,” Hildreth said about the reaction to the co-op’s broadband initiative. Hildreth pointed out that although the
co-op won’t be moving forward with the proposed plan, “we’ll do what we can with our infrastructure to benefit our membership and make best use of co-op resources by leasing the present fiber-optic network to telecommunications and internet providers.” OPALCO has installed 77 miles of fiberoptic cable on most inhabited islands in the San Juans. This network and the corresponding equipment connects the company’s 11 major substations and is used “for monitoring and control of power quality and equipment, voltage regulators and other distribution devices,” according to the co-op. The fiber and equipment make up what OPALCO called its “Island Network,” launched in 2001 and already leased to organizations such as San Juan County, Peace Island Medical Center, University of Washington Labortories, and others. Hildreth explained that until OPALCO figures out the direction of future infrastructure utilization, it has instituted a “moratorium on adding any new fiber connections through Island Network.” During this period, OPALCO will negotiate with CenturyLink and other internet service providers who may want to lease access to the co-op’s infrastructure. After the meeting, Hildreth explained
further in an email: “Our discussions with CenturyLink are moving forward and we expect to reach completion by the end of summer. We’ve been talking to all of the local ISPs and welcome conversations with any service provider who can help us toward our vision of better broadband for our membership.” Regarding the $34 million capital project loan commitment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some of which would have been used for the Internet project, OPALCO stated in a press release, “The USDA loan is in place through 2016 for capital projects including infrastructure expansion. We draw funds down only after completing projects. It’s likely that we won’t use the whole amount that has been approved for this construction work plan period, and there is no penalty for not drawing down funds.” OPALCO took the pulse of the meeting through a series of charts and tables asking attendees about their attitudes to present internet service and internet speed. Most responses favored faster internet service and “more aggressive investment” by OPALCO in internet service. After the meeting, Hildreth summed up his conclusions: “We were pleased to hear such strong member support for our vision,” he said.
Islanders build homes and help children in Mexico By Marne Cook Special to the Weekly
Bang! Bang! Bang! Hammers pounding nails
into wood. With each piece of wood the structure becomes a little clearer. After several days of hard work, two houses will be built and become homes for those in need. On July 7-17, youth and adult members of this community will head off to Mexico to lend a helping hand to those in need. The City, a local chapter of the 3V’s organization, along with another school group from Onalaska, Wash., will be building houses for two families. Starting from the founda-
Lopez Artist Guild Art Show
The Lopez Artists’ guild presents New Work by Wendy Buffum, Martha Garcia and Kate Scott at the Lopez center for Community and the Arts. Opening reception for the artists is Friday, June 21, from 5-7 p.m. at the center. The exhibit runs through July 30.
tion slab, these groups will be piecing together wood, insulation, dry wall, roofing and all that constitutes a simple and modest structure. Both houses will be finished within the schedule of a ten day trip. The City plans on surprising the families with a house warming party. Members of this group include Nathan and Melisa Borg, Jessica Burton, Emalie Hobi, Michael Hobi, Thomas Hobi, Joey Fowler, Riley Magnuson, Chloe Mason, Susan Savage, Sam Mcmacken,
John Mcmacken, Autumn Gr uenwald, Rande Gruenwald, Madeline Jordon, Tin Tran and Brian Leyde. The City will also be involved with The City of Angels Orphanage. The group said they will be playing and hopefully brightening the lives of the children at the orphanage in little ways. “I am so excited to play with all the little kids,” Mason said. In order to raise money for this trip, The City will be doing various fundraisers.
PICK YOUR OWN! Open Saturday Open Saturday Tuesday and23 Friday June 23 June 9 am – 3 pm
weopening are opening Saturday This This weekweek only only we are Saturday in in addition to regular our regular &9–3. Fri. 9–3. addition to our Tues.Tues. & Fri.
For info, call 4748
468-4748 468-4748 C rowfoot farm C rowfoot farm
The first event occurs on June 22 at the golf course where the group will host a golf tournament. The next event on their fundraising calendar will be on July 4 when The City will set up a snack shack in front of Lopez Island Body and Fitness. They will be selling cotton candy, popcorn, slushies, soda and water to all those who are in area looking for refreshments. As an ongoing fundraiser each students participating have been asked to raise an additional five hundred dol-
Lopez Center
lars each for building supplies and materials for the houses. “The great thing about this is that when you donate money for the houses that people aren’t just helping an amazing cause, but they get a tax deduction. It’s a win win,” Emalie Hobi said. If you would like to donate to this cause or are looking for addition information please contact call 468-2873. Cook is a freelance writer on Lopez and a member of The City group.
Abbey Road LIVE!
Wednesday, July 3, 7:30 pm Outdoors weather permitting Great dance band $15/adult $8/youth Lopez Bookshop, Blossom Grocery, Paper Scissors, www.lopezcenter.org