THURSDAY
JAN. 29, 2015 Opinion ��������������Page 4 Community News ���Page 5
Habitat resolves to move forward
Super Sunday Trivia Contest
Page 9
Page 11
Sports ���������������Page 7 Classifieds ���������� Page 14 Volume 83 No. 22
SERVING THE WEST END SINCE 1931
• WWW.FORKSFORUM.COM •
The Little Mermaid
Forks Community Hospital ambulance. Photo Christi Baron
Forks Hospital looks to replace expired EMS levy
LAPUSH
BEAVER
Lights Out! Electrical power was restored to nearly 5,300 customers at 9:50 p.m. last Friday night after a tree fell into a 115-kilovolt line near Sappho, cutting power to the West End. Power was off for nearly seven hours in the west ends of Clallam and Jefferson counties — including in Forks, LaPush, Clallam Bay and Neah Bay — after a tree fell on a major Bonneville Power Administration line 20 miles east of Sappho around 3 p.m., according to Mike Howe, Clallam County Public Utility District spokesman. Once BPA crews removed the tree, they found no major damage and quickly were able to restore power, said Doug Johnson, BPA spokesman. Power was restored to all customers at the same time since the problem was confined to one particular point on the line, he said. Anything making contact with a line can cut power by tripping the breaker, which often can be remedied remotely, but in this case, the tree had to be cleared from the line before the breaker could be closed and power restored. BPA crews patrolled the line until they found the problem, then removed the tree and restored power, he said. The tree must have been tall, according to Johnson. Trees are cleared in wide rights-of-way for 115-kilovolt lines such as the Port Angeles-Sappho line, he said. In Neah Bay, the outage canceled girls and boys basketball games against Clallam Bay.
CLALLAM BAY
SEKIU
NEAH BAY
PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Permit No. 6 Forks, WA
FORKS
The Missoula Children’s Theater presented a variation on the play “The Little Mermaid” in two performances on Saturday, Jan. 24, at Forks High School. Both performances were well attended and local children ages 5-18 took part in creating fun for all. Submitted photo
ECRWSS - BOXHOLDER
Forks Community Hospital CFO Jim Chaney told the Forks Forum last week that the hospital district will be asking voters to approve a six-year emergency medical care and services property tax levy during the Feb. 10 special election. The EMS levy, which would allow the district to collect up to 24 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation beginning in 2016, would provide funds for emergency medical care or services in the district, including some new equipment and training manpower. The previous levy approved in 2008 taxed at a rate of 20 cents per $1,000. Chaney said the 4 cent increase per $1,000 is due to inflation. Some items on the wish list if the levy passes include a different chassis for the heavy Jaws of Life unit and possibly a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Chaney added that due to the rural nature of some ambulance calls, “We have had times when we couldn’t get to the injured patient, due to the rough terrain.” Chaney also said the ambulance fleet currently consists of three ambulances; a 1997, 1999 and a 2003 and new ambulances are expensive. At this time FCH has 23 EMTs with 10 currently active. Chaney said that businesses that employ the volunteer EMTs make sacrifices when their employees are called out for an ambulance run. To be an EMT a person must be 18 years or older and it can take up to six months of training. The Forks hospital ambulances make a total of about 450 runs a year. If passed, the levy will provide about $107,000 annually. A new ambulance can cost between $95,000 to $100,000 each. Ballots were mailed out last week to registered voters in the district.