Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Energy News Digest for June 16, 2009

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email
jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Chelan PUD - More Rehab Work Approved For Rock Island Dam
- Chronicle Op/Ed – Lewis County PUD Supports Keeping Our Hydroelectric Dams
- Nearly 8 Percent - Lower Avista Rate Hike Proposed In Idaho
- California - Pacific Gas and Electric Blackouts Last Longer Than Elsewhere
- Alaska Village Electric Cooperative to Selawik: Pay $250,000 or Lose Power
- Alaska - Man Proposes Nuclear Power Plant near Fairbanks
- Drilled Through Electrical Service - House Fire Started By Cable Worker
- "Smart" Power Grids May Be Rife With Dumb Security Bugs
- IR Thermography in the Smart Grid Initiative
- A Proactive Approach to Detecting Energy Theft, Now
- Idaho Officials Unhappy With Neighbor States
- Eco Wars: Battle between Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation
- Tribes Want Protection for Mystery Bay Shellfish
- Stillaguamish Tribe Renews Salmon Ceremony
- Condition of Shelton’s Aging Sewer Plant Leads to Building Moratorium
- Olympia’s Capitol Lake Option Costlier than Estuary
- Rock Snot - Unsightly Algae Extends Its Grip to a Crucial New York Stream
- The Damming of the Mekong: Major Blow to an Epic River
- Water Risks Ripple through the Beverage Industry
- Federal Officials Vow Support for Renewable Energy in West
- WA To Get $4.2 Million for Biomass and Wood-To-Energy Projects
- Oregon - Council Learns About Helix Wind Project
- If You Hug the Trees, Can You Have More Renewable Energy?
- Renewable Power Requirement Could Jump Start Manufacturing
- Honolulu Advertiser Op/Ed - Solar-Energy Plants Use Too Much Water
- High-Altitude Wind Machines Could Power New York City
- “Grass Roots” Anti-Wind Farm Campaign Adopts Corporate PR Tactics
- Intel Aims To Capture Wild Electricity
- Cities Spend Stimulus Funds to Retrofit Lighting
- One More Day to Finish Climate Talks with Farm State Democrats
- NY Times Editorial - Climate Trap
- The Next 'Moon Landing?' Norway Plans Deep-Sea CO2 Storage
- Undersea cable links Alaska to Lower 48
- Google: The Data Center Is the Computer
- Data Centers in the Desert
- AT&T Wants 100% Broadband Coverage By 2014
- U.K. Plans Universal Access To High-Speed Internet
- Survey: Family Time Eroding As Internet Use Soars
- Day 28 of Seattle Dry Spell
- Hard Times Means Low Bids on Washington Contracts
- Restrictions Tweak Oregon's Century-Old Initiative System
- Why Washington and Oregon Could End Up With Garbage from Canada
- City Of Shelton Delays Decision On Development Regulations in Urban Growth Area
- ACS Hiring 200 for Puget Sound Call Centers
- Seattle Times Completes Sale of Maine News Properties
- No Powerball Tickets Will Be Sold In Washington
- World War II Bombers Welcomed Back to Bremerton

WORD OF THE DAY

Regnant • \REGG-nunt\ • adjective – 1: exercising rule: reigning 2a: having the chief power: dominant b: of common or widespread occurrence

Dilton’s harsh, cackling laugh echoed throughout the throne room. His minions, shaking with fear, waited in ignorance for his next, cruel order that would once again mark the regnant stamp of his iron rule. “You, Tin Man,” he thundered. “You will be the next karaoke contestant tonight, and I will choose your music: ‘Afternoon Delight’.” A horrified gasp rolled through the room.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Chelan PUD - More Rehab Work Approved For Rock Island Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090616/NEWS04/706169964/-1/SPORTS?More-rehab-work-approved-for-Rock-Island-Dam

Chronicle Op/Ed – Lewis County PUD Supports Keeping Our Hydroelectric Dams (Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/06/15/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/doc4a3685407595d837957954.txt

Nearly 8 Percent - Lower Avista Rate Hike Proposed In Idaho (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jun/15/lower-avista-rate-hike-proposed-idaho/

California - Pacific Gas and Electric Blackouts Last Longer Than Elsewhere (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/15/MNRG184E5B.DTL&feed=rss.news

Alaska Village Electric Cooperative to Selawik: Pay $250,000 or Lose Power (The Arctic Sounder, Anchorage, AK)
http://www.thearcticsounder.com/news/story/6266

Alaska - Man Proposes Nuclear Power Plant near Fairbanks (The News-Miner, Fairbanks, AK)
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/jun/15/man-proposes-nuclear-power-plant-near-fairbanks/

Drilled Through Electrical Service - House Fire Started By Cable Worker (The Mercury, Pottstown, PA)
http://pottsmerc.com/articles/2009/06/16/news/srv0000005599811.txt

"Smart" Power Grids May Be Rife with Dumb Security Bugs - New technology that controls our electrical grids is hackable without proper security measures, one expert shows (Popular Science)
http://www.popsci.com/gear-amp-gadgets/article/2009-06/smart-power-grids-may-be-rife-dumb-security-bugs

IR Thermography in the Smart Grid Initiative (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=364597&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

A Proactive Approach to Detecting Energy Theft, Now (Energy Pulse)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=2069

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho Officials Unhappy With Neighbor States (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1358/story/613667.html

Eco Wars: Battle between Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation (Mother Nature Network)
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/eco-wars-battle-between-renewable-energy-and-wildlife-conservation

Tribes Want Protection for Mystery Bay Shellfish (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/882182.html

Stillaguamish Tribe Renews Salmon Ceremony (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090616/NEWS01/706169934/-1/RSS02

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Condition of Shelton’s Aging Sewer Plant Leads to Building Moratorium (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7539/reftab/1632/t/AGING-SEWER-PLANT-LEADS-TO-BUILDING-MORATORIUM/Default.aspx

Olympia’s Capitol Lake Option Costlier than Estuary (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/882634.html

Rock Snot - Unsightly Algae Extends Its Grip to a Crucial New York Stream (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/science/16invasive.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

The Damming of the Mekong: Major Blow to an Epic River (Yale Environment 360)
http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2162

Water Risks Ripple through the Beverage Industry (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE55F05420090616?feedType=nl&feedName=usbeforethebell

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Federal Officials Vow Support for Renewable Energy in West (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009341038_aputwesterngovernorsenergy.html?syndication=rss

WA To Get $4.2 Million for Biomass and Wood-To-Energy Projects (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/energy/archives/171308.asp?source=rss

Oregon - Council Learns About Helix Wind Project (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)
http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=93965&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48

Biomass Conundrum - If You Hug the Trees, Can You Have More Renewable Energy and Protect the Forest? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/06/16/16climatewire-if-you-hug-the-trees-can-you-have-more-renew-20190.html

Renewable Power Requirement Could Jump Start Manufacturing (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/mnEnergy/idUS422433101520090616

Honolulu Advertiser Op/Ed - Solar-Energy Plants Use Too Much Water
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090615/OPINION03/906150305/Solar-energy+plants+use+too+much+water

High-Altitude Wind Machines Could Power New York City (Wired Magazine – Good Grief! They look like siege balloons from WWII!)
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/06/highaltitudewindpower/

United Kingdom – “Grass Roots” Anti-Wind Farm Campaign Adopts Corporate PR Tactics: New nationwide group launches campaign to lobby politicians and demonize wind farm developers (Business Green)
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2244207/grass-roots-anti-wind-farm

Intel Aims To Capture Wild Electricity - Free high-def TV is just one benefit of Friday's shift to digital broadcasting. A bonus may be free electricity for everyone (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009340228_brier15.html?syndication=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Cities Spend Stimulus Funds to Retrofit Lighting - Seattle plans to replace all 40,000 residential streetlights with energy- and cost-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) technology (Environmental Leader)
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/06/16/cities-spend-stimulus-funds-to-retrofit-lighting/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Rep. Waxman Gives Himself another Day to Finish Climate Talks With Farm State Democrats (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/06/16/16climatewire-rep-waxman-gives-himself-another-day-to-fini-56404.html

NY Times Editorial - Climate Trap: Officials from the Obama administration have been beating a steady path to China’s door to talk about climate change.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/opinion/16tue2.html

The Next 'Moon Landing?' Norway Plans Deep-Sea CO2 Storage (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0615/p06s01-woeu.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Undersea cable links Alaska to Lower 48 (KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK)
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10538372

Google: The Data Center Is the Computer (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/06/15/google-the-data-center-is-the-computer/

Data Centers in the Desert - Why some of the largest companies in North America have chosen Arizona for their data centers (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/12/data-centers-desert-technology-cio-network-data-centers.html

AT&T Wants 100% Broadband Coverage By 2014 - Though critics take opportunity to highlight past AT&T promises (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Wants-100-Broadband-Coverage-By-2014-102953

U.K. Plans Universal Access To High-Speed Internet (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12600076

Survey: Family Time Eroding As Internet Use Soars (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12594356

GENERAL NEWS

Day 28 of Seattle Dry Spell (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/882912.html

Hard Times Means Low Bids on Washington Contracts - The economic hard times have a small silver lining for some Washington communities. (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009344611_apwabidbonanza.html?syndication=rss

Restrictions Tweak Oregon's Century-Old Initiative System (Associated Press)
http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_061609ORN-initiative-ballot-LJ.879c9b79.html

Why Washington and Oregon Could End Up With Garbage from Canada (Associated Press)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/48116142.html

City Of Shelton Delays Decision On Development Regulations in Urban Growth Area (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7538/reftab/1632/t/CITY-CONTINUES-HEARING-ON-U-G-A-AGREEMENT/Default.aspx

ACS Hiring 200 for Puget Sound Call Centers (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/15/daily20.html?ana=from_rss

Seattle Times Completes Sale of Maine News Properties (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009341889_apusmainenewspaperssold1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

No Powerball Tickets Will Be Sold In Washington (Associated Press)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/48153417.html

World War II Bombers Welcomed Back to Bremerton, WA
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/15/world-war-ii-bombers-welcomed-back-to-bremerton/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

Bob Bogle of Rock Band the Ventures Dies At 75
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009344343_apobitbogle1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Pennsylvania Windfall: Cop Finds $100 Bills Blowing In Wind
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12599870

Atlanta among Worst for Road Rage
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/06/15/daily26.html?ana=from_rss

California Woman Dies after Lightning Strike
http://www.examiner.com/a-2070067~Plumas_County_woman_dies_after_lightning_strike.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

New York City Correction Official Resigns Over Bar Mitzvah Held in Jail
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/nyregion/16jail.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

SONGS OF THE DAY

The Ventures - Walk Don't Run
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ11y7pYl-8

The Ventures - Wipe Out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjiOtouyBOg&feature=PlayList&p=5086C858FAD2D2A1&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=41

The Ventures Hawaii - Five O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSKL8dz-Qjk&feature=related

Monday, June 15, 2009

Energy News Digest for June 15, 2009

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- BPA, Columbia Falls Aluminum Talk about Electric Rates
- Union-Bulletin Op/Ed - Hydropower Should Be Considered Renewable
- TransAlta coal power plant faces heat from Sierra Club
- Here’s the Sierra Club Letter for Action on TransAlta
- TransAlta Releases Its 12th Annual Report on Sustainability
- Locations of High-Risk Coal Ash Sites Kept Secret
- Nuclear Power May Sprout
- Monday is moment of truth for nuclear power plant near Mountain Home
- Investors Pour Cash into Columbia River LNG Project
- Study: U.S. Public Power Was Financially Sound In 2008
- Seattle City Light Rolling Out Hybrid Repair Trucks
- Renton - Overloaded Outlet Sparked Five-Alarm Blaze
- Northern Wasco County PUD Gives Away $30K
- Utilities Profit from Lower Electricity Sales
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District Rolls Out a Smart Electrical Grid
- $1.3 Billion FPL Rate Increase Raises Ire of Florida Attorney General
- Ohio - Foes Help Sink Gorge Hydro Project
- Massachusetts - Highest-In-Nation Power Bills Poised To Surge In 2010
- Austin Energy - Finding Energy for Future Is a Worry for Utility Chief
- South Carolina - Utilities to Tweet If Hurricane Hits
- Electricity Woes A Way of Life in Afghanistan
- Lake Washington Sockeye Fishing Season Unlikely
- Northern Pikeminnow Fishing Is Off To a Good Start
- Upper Klickitat River Opens For Hatchery Spring Chinook Fishing
- Progress at Condit: Removal of White River Dam Set for Next Year
- Klamath Dam Removal Moves a Step Forward In Salem
- Water Management in California Deemed Critical to Orcas
- Peninsula Daily News Op/Ed - Lower Elwha Klallam Nurture River Steelhead
- Oysters In Deep Trouble
- NY Times Editorial - Of Fish and Flexibility
- Biologists Study Decline In Eastern Washington Geese
- Climate Change & Renewables: Bills to Protect Environment Derailed By Finances
- Nestle Eyes Columbia Gorge Spring to Bottle Water
- Bainbridge Sewage Pipe Leaked More Than Thought
- Bainbridge Leak Highlights Island's Decaying Sewer System
- Castle Rock and Cowlitz County to Meet About Water System
- Portland Building Will Be Sewage-Recycling Standard
- Columbian Op/Ed - Company Confronts Maze in Effort to Develop Wind Energy
- Idaho Statesman Editorial - Idaho Must Act to Keep Clean Energy Growing
- California Sees Big Costs To Renewable Power Plan
- The Switch: Oregon Well Situated For Ocean Energy
- Seeking Growth Market, Chip Maker Eyes Solar Cells
- Idaho - Hoku polysilicon plant faces delay
- Oregon - Green and On Top
- Biodiesel Refiners See Red, Not Green
- How to Get Solar Power on Your Farm or Ranch for Cheap
- Irish Investor Blows Into Illinois with $1 Billion to Buy Wind Farms
- Today is Global Wind Day
- Solar Airplane Aims for 36-Hour Flight
- ‘Built Green” Homes Grew In Value in Last Two Years
- Energy Audit Company in Mountain View Hits Potential Stimulus Hot Spot
- Water, Energy, Climate Top Western Govs' Agenda
- Gov. Gregoire Has Overstepped Her Authority with Climate Policy
- Daily Astorian Op/Ed - Thoughts on Energy
- Democrats Struggling for Consensus on Climate Bills
- U.S. Emissions Bill Is Criticized Abroad
- Washington Post Op/Ed - Could We Engineer a Cooler Planet?
- Boxlight Trades In Poulsbo for New, Smaller Belfair Home
- Quincy, WA - Data Centers Keep Economy Humming
- Arizona - Data Center Breaking Ground in Phoenix
- IBM Ready to Help Business Users Step into Cloud Computing
- Widespread Broadband Internet Access Moving Closer to Reality
- The Tweet Smell of Success
- WA Gov Prepares For Further Budget Cuts
- Port Orchard Remains Likely From Young Man
- Russia Faces Collapse of 'Monotowns'
- Radar Money for Washington Coast Passes Committee
- Oregon Gets Tough on Metal Thieves
- Neighbors to Sue Sea-Tac Airport over Noise from New Runway

WORD OF THE DAY

Avuncular • \uh-VUNK-you-lerr\ • adjective - 1: of or relating to an uncle 2: suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality

“Here ya go sonny,” croaked Francis to the small boy, patting him gently on the head and dropping a hard candy into the tiny, begrimed child’s hand. Francis was known throughout the neighborhood as a benign, avuncular porch-sitter. What had most of his neighbors scratching their heads is that it appeared that a kindly 75-year old man resided in Francis’ 15-year old body.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

BPA, Columbia Falls Aluminum Talk about Electric Rates “…it's not just electrical rates that are affecting the companies bottom line, but also a sharply depressed aluminum world market…” (KPAX, Missoula, MT)
http://www.kpax.com/global/story.asp?s=10487855

Union-Bulletin Op/Ed - Hydropower Should Be Considered A Renewable Energy Source (Walla Walla)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/06/13/opinion/daily_editorial/090614editorialhydro.txt

TransAlta coal power plant faces heat from Sierra Club (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/15/story8.html?ana=from_rss

Here’s the Sierra Club Letter for Action on TransAlta (Seattle Dirt)
http://seattledirt.com/2009/04/09/stop-the-coal-industrys-sweetheart-deal-write-gov-gregoire-today/

TransAlta Releases Its 12th Annual Report on Sustainability (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=113715

Locations of High-Risk Coal Ash Sites Kept Secret (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009331951_apuscoalashdisclosure.html?syndication=rss

Nuclear Power May Sprout - Energy supply system seeks to study construction of small reactors at Hanford reservation (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/778125.html

Idaho Statesman Columnist - Monday is moment of truth for nuclear power plant near Mountain Home (Boise)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/802660.html

Investors Pour Cash into Columbia River LNG Project (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/06/14//area_news/doc4a349a24d99af601688295.txt

Study: U.S. Public Power Was Financially Sound In 2008 (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=364431&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Seattle City Light Rolling Out Hybrid Repair Trucks (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/08/daily50.html?ana=from_rss

Renton - Overloaded Outlet Sparked Five-Alarm Blaze (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/47963861.html

Northern Wasco County PUD Gives Away $30K - Gymnastics, fort win biggest grants (Dalles Chronicle, OR)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/06/news06-12-09-02.shtml

Utilities Profit from Lower Electricity Sales (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009332801_apusskewedutilitiesglance.html?syndication=rss

California - Sacramento Municipal Utility District Rolls Out a Smart Electrical Grid (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/business/story/1942943.html

$1.3 Billion FPL Rate Increase Raises Ire of Florida Attorney General - Average increase would be 30% for typical customer (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2009/06/08/daily72.html?ana=from_rss

Ohio - Foes Help Sink Gorge Hydro Project: A long and heated battle over adding hydroelectric facilities to a Cuyahoga River dam between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls appears over (Akron Beacon, OH)
http://www.ohio.com/news/48007187.html

Massachusetts - Highest-In-Nation Power Bills Poised To Surge In 2010 (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/06/15/story8.html?ana=from_rss

Austin Energy - Finding Energy for Future Is a Worry for Utility Chief (American Statesman, Austin, TX)
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/06/14/0614duncan.html

South Carolina - Utilities to Tweet If Hurricane Hits: Twitter will be used to help give S.C. residents updates on storms (The State, Columbia, SC)
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/827242.html

Electricity Woes A Way of Life in Afghanistan (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105249682&ft=1&f=7

FISH & WILDLIFE

Lake Washington Sockeye Fishing Season Unlikely (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_061209WAB-no-salmon-KS.747e5faf.html?rss

Northern Pikeminnow Fishing Is Off To a Good Start (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2009336118_outn14.html

Upper Klickitat River Opens For Hatchery Spring Chinook Fishing (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2009332708_upper_klickitat_river_opens_fo.html

Columbian Editorial - Progress at Condit: Removal of White River dam set for next year after Department of Ecology ruling (Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090615/OPINION02/706159988/-1/OPINION

Klamath Dam Removal Moves a Step Forward In Salem (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5208-klamath-dam-removal-moves-step-forward-salem/

Water Management in California Deemed Critical to Orcas (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2009/06/11/water-management-in-california-deemed-critical-to-orcas/

Peninsula Daily News Op/Ed - Lower Elwha Klallam Nurture River Steelhead (Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090615/NEWS/306159989

Oysters In Deep Trouble: Is Pacific Ocean's Chemistry Killing Sea Life? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009336458_oysters14m.html?syndication=rss

NY Times Editorial - Of Fish and Flexibility: New bill would poke holes in the Magnuson-Stevens Act that imposes ambitious timetables for rebuilding fish stocks and gives scientists a say in setting limits.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/opinion/13sat3.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Biologists Study Decline In Eastern Washington Geese (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/881973.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon – Climate Change & Renewables: Bills to Protect Environment Derailed By Finances (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090615/LEGISLATURE/906150328/1042/STATE

Nestle Eyes Columbia Gorge Spring to Bottle Water (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/06/nestle_eyes_columbia_gorge_spr.html

Bainbridge Sewage Pipe Leaked More Than Thought (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/WN_061309WAB-AP-sewage-leak-KS.793dae43.html?rss

Bainbridge Leak Highlights Island's Decaying Sewer System (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/12/bainbridge-leak-highlights-islands-decaying/?partner=RSS

Castle Rock and Cowlitz County to Meet About Water System (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/06/14//area_news/doc4a34974f418ca959114308.txt

Portland Building Will Be Sewage-Recycling Standard (Associated Press)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/778172.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Columbian Op/Ed - Company Confronts Maze in Effort to Develop Wind Energy (Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090614/OPINION03/706149992/-1/OPINION

Idaho Statesman Editorial - Idaho Must Act to Keep Clean Energy Growing (and where, pray tell, is your inclusion of hydropower?)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/Opinion/story/801971.html

California Sees Big Costs To Renewable Power Plan “…28 percent rise in electricity rates and $115 billion in construction if the state wants to get a third of its electricity from renewable sources…” (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE55B5KN20090612

The Switch: Oregon Well Situated For Ocean Energy (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5206-switch-oregon-well-situated-wave-and-tidal-power/

Seeking Growth Market, Chip Maker Eyes Solar Cells (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/business/energy-environment/13chip.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Idaho - Hoku polysilicon plant faces delay (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/881483.html

Oregon - Green and On Top: Solar. Wind. Water. Geothermal, biomass and even garbage. With all these opportunities, it’s no wondering Oregon leads the nation in clean energy (The Bend Bulletin, OR)
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090614/BIZ0102/906140325/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01

Biodiesel Refiners See Red, Not Green - Combination of factors closes at least a third of U.S. plants (The Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jun/14/biodiesel-refiners-see-red-not-green/

How to Get Solar Power on Your Farm or Ranch for Cheap (Business Insider)
http://www.businessinsider.com/solar-power-for-the-farm-or-ranch-2009-6

Irish Investor Blows Into Illinois with $1 Billion to Buy Wind Farms (Chicago Tribune, IL)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-windfarm-june15,0,6549179.story

Today is Global Wind Day - In U.S. organizers hope to alert country to risk of losing jobs in this sector to China (Industry Week)
http://www.industryweek.com/articles/today_is_global_wind_day_19356.aspx

Solar Airplane Aims for 36-Hour Flight (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/solar-plane-aims-for-36-hour-flight/?partner=rss&emc=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

‘Built Green” Homes Grew In Value in Last Two Years (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2009333428_builtgreen140.html

California - Energy Audit Company in Mountain View Hits Potential Stimulus Hot Spot (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/06/15/story7.html?ana=from_rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Water, Energy, Climate Top Western Govs' Agenda (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_ut_western_governors.html

Olympian Op/Ed - Gov. Gregoire Has Overstepped Her Authority with Climate Policy
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/880966.html

Daily Astorian Op/Ed - Thoughts on Energy
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=393&ArticleID=61748&TM=56845.91

Democrats Struggling for Consensus on Climate Bills (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061402266.html?wprss=rss_politics

U.S. Emissions Bill Is Criticized Abroad: Inadequate for the climate and unfair to poor countries. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061202072.html?wprss=rss_business

Washington Post Op/Ed - Could We Engineer a Cooler Planet?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061203453.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Boxlight Trades In Poulsbo for New, Smaller Belfair Home “…Another draw is the availability of fiber optics. PUD 3's massive system provides faster service than in Seattle…” (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/14/boxlight-uproots-from-poulsbo-for-new-belfair/

Quincy, WA - Data Centers Keep Economy Humming (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090613/NEWS04/706139972?Data-centers-keep-economy-humming

Arizona - Data Center Breaking Ground in Phoenix - A 160,000-square-foot retrofit dubbed Phoenix NAP (Phoenix Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/06/08/daily64.html?ana=from_rss

IBM Ready to Help Business Users Step into Cloud Computing (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009338808_ibmcloud15.html

Widespread Broadband Internet Access Moving Closer to Reality (Pittsburgh Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/06/15/story11.html?ana=from_rss

The Tweet Smell of Success (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/weekinreview/14cohen.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

WA Gov Prepares For Further Budget Cuts (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5202-wa-gov-prepares-further-budget-cuts/

Port Orchard Remains Likely From Young Man (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10529514

Russia Faces Collapse of 'Monotowns' - As small cities centered around one industry feel economic strain, popular unrest grows (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/11/russia-putin-monotowns-business-oxford.html

Radar Money for Washington Coast Passes Committee (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/06/14/local_news/doc4a3344993c0d2366025061.txt

Oregon Gets Tough on Metal Thieves - If it passes, law could be a boon for Clark County (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090615/NEWS02/706159967/Oregon+gets+tough+on+metal+thieves+

Neighbors to Sue Sea-Tac Airport over Noise from New Runway (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009338948_webseatacsue15.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

PETA Complaints Won't Stop Fish Toss
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_061309WAB-AP-peta-fish-KS.78c8697d.html?rss

Mother Secretly Lives In Home for Sale - Woman, 2 Children Stay In House Unbeknownst To Homeowner
http://www.kirotv.com/money/19735014/detail.html

Parking Space in Boston Sells For $300,000
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/19722079/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Take Me to the River - Talking Heads
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anjT71N4PGM&feature=related

Friday, June 12, 2009

Energy News Digest for June 12, 2009

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email
jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- As Wind Power Grows, a Push to Tear down Dams
- Okanogan PUD Hires Team to Remove Fire Dangers near Poles
- Tree Cutting Costs Farmers - BPA buzzes through hazelnut orchards
- Metal Theft Bill Clears Oregon House
- NorthWestern Energy Adds Hybrid Bucket Truck
- Alternate Gas Routes Studied In Eastern Oregon
- Cantwell - Senate Panel Hands FERC 'Cease and Desist' Power for Gas, Electricity Markets
- Chesapeake Energy: McClendon Mum On Lawsuits Over $75M Bonus
- Stalled Clean Coal Plant Moving Ahead In Illinois
- Wrongful Death Suit Filed In Fatal Water Heater Explosion
- Into the Breach - Unlikely voices call for a more inclusive approach to resolving the Snake River’s dam vs. salmon conundrum
- Lower Columbia River Opens Again After Delay
- Coho Salmon Season Set for Oregon Coastal Rivers
- Dead Fish in Lake Washington Prompt Concern
- State Approves Water Right for Large Eastern Washington Feedlot
- Obama Turns Out To Be Not So Much a Friend of the Environment
- Oregon - Hybrid Car Tax Break May Fade Away
- Nation's Largest Solar Plant to Be Built In New Mexico
- Atlanta Startup Turns Human Waste into Fuel
- Eating Your Own Dog Food: Congress Will Run Project on Saving Electricity
- Tacoma Building So Green It Needs To Be Mowed
- North Carolina - Duke Reaches Save-A-Watt Settlement
- Solid-State Lighting is a Bright Idea for Energy Efficiency, Study Says
- Agricultural Panel Jeopardizes Climate Bill
- Agriculture Carbon Offsets - Savior or a Boondoggle?
- Congress - GOP Charges Markey with Climate Witness Intimidation
- Clever Cap and Trade Primer - Where's My Carbon Credit, Dude?
- Stations Turn Off Analog Signals as Digital TV Deadline Arrives
- GAO On Broadband: Please Listen To Us. For Once. Please.
- Broadband Confession: I Have Pipe Envy
- Microsoft to Sell Windows minus Browser in Europe
- Yahoo Names New CFO, Fills Void Left By Shake-Up
- Twitter Helps Dell Rake in Sales
- Study Says Belfair Bypass Is Top Priority on Highway 3 Corridor
- Science Publication Says Mount St. Helens May Sit On "Supervolcano"
- Oregonian Op/Ed - What Ever Happened To Those 'Green' Jobs?
- Ride Out the Recession in Olympia
- Hanford Digs Up Radioactive Wasp Nests
- Olympia: Legendary KGY Broadcaster Got His Wish

WORD OF THE DAY

Glutinous • \GLUTE-tin-uss\ • adjective – Having the quality of glue: gummy; sticky

“The key to eating rice with chopsticks is the rice itself,” the cook breathlessly whispered to the apprentice chef. “If you cook it just right, it will result in a slightly glutinous mass, which makes it easy to pick up the bowl and start shoveling chunks of tasty rice into your pie-hole.”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

As Wind Power Grows, a Push to Tear down Dams (NY Times, surprisingly more balanced than the headline implies)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/business/energy-environment/12bonneville.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Okanogan PUD Hires Team to Remove Fire Dangers near Poles (Omak Chronicle, WA)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n090611a.shtml

Tree Cutting Costs Farmers - BPA buzzes through hazelnut orchards to clear right-of-way (Capital Press)
http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=618&ArticleID=52003&TM=64607.3

Metal Theft Bill Clears Oregon House (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2064957~Metal_theft_bill_clears_Ore__House.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

NorthWestern Energy Adds Hybrid Bucket Truck (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/11/financial/f191109D77.DTL&feed=rss.business

Alternate Gas Routes Studied In Eastern Oregon (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2063296~Alternate_gas_routes_studied_in_Eastern_Oregon.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Cantwell - Senate Panel Hands FERC 'Cease and Desist' Power for Gas, Electricity Markets (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/06/12/12greenwire-senate-panel-hands-ferc-cease-and-desist-power-74482.html

Chesapeake Energy: McClendon Mum On Lawsuits Over $75M Bonus - The chief executive is under fire for taking a $75 million bonus while the company was losing billions (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009331585_apuschesapeakemeeting.html?syndication=rss

Stalled Clean Coal Plant Moving Ahead In Illinois (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/12/financial/f071856D24.DTL&feed=rss.business

Wrongful Death Suit Filed In Fatal Water Heater Explosion (Wisconsin State Journal, Madison)
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/454621

FISH & WILDLIFE

Into the Breach - Unlikely voices call for a more inclusive approach to resolving the Snake River’s dam vs. salmon conundrum (The Inlander, Spokesman Review’s Weekly, Spokane, WA)
http://www.inlander.com/content/newscommentary_mike_crapo_and_jim_risch_snake_river_dams

Lower Columbia River Opens Again After Delay - Small run of spring Chinook salmon put opening on hold (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090612/OUTDOORS/906120332/1034/SPORTS/Lower-Columbia-River-opens-again-after-delay

Coho Salmon Season Set for Oregon Coastal Rivers (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2064804~Coho_salmon_season_set_for_Ore__coastal_rivers.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Dead Fish in Lake Washington Prompt Concern (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_061109WAB-stickleback-KS.6fb5e042.html?rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

State Approves Water Right for Large Eastern Washington Feedlot (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/878436.html

Examiner Columnist - Obama Turns Out To Be Not So Much a Friend of the Environment
http://www.examiner.com/x-5908-Boston-Environmental-Policy-Examiner~y2009m6d12-Obama-turns-out-to-be-not-so-much-a-friend-of-the-environment

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon - Hybrid Car Tax Break May Fade Away (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1244775306167300.xml&coll=7

Nation's Largest Solar Plant to Be Built In New Mexico (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOVUnTb2J7yKCIVSfCfWRZtHOF_QD98OQFU81

Atlanta Startup Turns Human Waste into Fuel (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/smallBusinessNews/idUSTRE55B3UU20090612

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Eating Your Own Dog Food: Congress Will Run Project on Saving Electricity (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/11/AR2009061102978.html?wprss=rss_politics

Tacoma Building So Green It Needs To Be Mowed (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/776124.html

North Carolina - Duke Reaches Save-A-Watt Settlement (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/06/08/daily51.html

Solid-State Lighting is a Bright Idea for Energy Efficiency, Study Says (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/gwmBuildings/idUS178093055120090611

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Agricultural Panel Jeopardizes Climate Bill - Lawmakers threatened to derail controversial legislation to combat climate change unless it does more to support forestry and farming interests (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/11/MNP0185SB3.DTL&feed=rss.news

Agriculture Carbon Offsets - Savior or a Boondoggle? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/06/12/12climatewire-agriculture-offsets----a-savior-or-a-boondog-33517.html

Congress - GOP Charges Markey with Climate Witness Intimidation (The Hill)
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-charges-markey-with-climate-witness-intimidation-2009-06-11.html

Clever Cap and Trade Primer - Where's My Carbon Credit, Dude? (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105285865

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Stations Turn Off Analog Signals as Digital TV Deadline Arrives (NY Times)
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/stations-turn-off-analog-signals-as-digital-tv-deadline-arrives/?partner=rss&emc=rss

GAO On Broadband: Please Listen To Us. For Once. Please. - Government waste agency wants clear goals (duh) for broadband (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/GAO-On-Broadband-Please-Listen-To-Us-For-Once-Please-102891

Broadband Confession: I Have Pipe Envy (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/06/11/broadband-confession-i-have-pipe-envy/

Microsoft to Sell Windows minus Browser in Europe (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10519030

Yahoo Names New CFO, Fills Void Left By Shake-Up (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12570906

Twitter Helps Dell Rake in Sales (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE55B0NU20090612?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

GENERAL NEWS

Study Says Belfair Bypass Is Top Priority on Highway 3 Corridor (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/11/study-says-belfair-bypass-is-top-priority-on-3/?partner=RSS

Science Publication Says Mount St. Helens May Sit On "Supervolcano" (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/science_publication_says_mount.html

Oregonian Op/Ed - What Ever Happened To Those 'Green' Jobs?
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/06/what_ever_happened_to_those_gr.html

Ride Out the Recession in Olympia (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=177803

Hanford Digs Up Radioactive Wasp Nests (Associated Press)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/47890677.html

Olympia: Legendary KGY Broadcaster Got His Wish - Dick Pust has been a part of KGY for more than half its history (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/879075.html

DIVERSIONS

City of New York Investigating Bar Mitzvah Held in Jail
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/nyregion/12jail.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Filming the Flight of a Winged Maple Seed
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/science/16obseed.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Chimps Made Honorary Citizens of Cle Elum
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_061109ANB-cle-elum-chimps-KS.6f3cbbf8.html?rss

Obama Writes Girl a Note for Missing School
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009328636_apusobamanote.html?syndication=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

Maurice Jarre - Lawrence of Arabia (Backdoor shout out to Stephen Colbert)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irPSvEkQl8Q

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Energy News Digest for June 11, 2009

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Not Done Fighting Yet
- Tennessee - Senate Passes Resolution Urging TVA to Finalize Contract with Alcoa
- Chinese Miner Orders Guyana Layoffs Amid Global Economic Crisis: Lower Demand For Bauxite
- BPA Contracts with Oregon Firm to Build Part of a New McNary-John Day Transmission Line
- RELOCATION: Cascade Natural Gas to move corporate office to Tri-Cities
- Alaska - Aurora Energy Plant Fire Will Affect Golden Valley Electric Association Bills
- Montana - Whitefish’s Hydropower Plant: A Mystery and an Opportunity
- Crow Sizzles, Downtown Bend Goes Without Power
- Maryland Regulators Say They Must OK Nuclear Power Deal
- Company Calls New Small Nuclear Reactor a 'Game Changer'
- Mississippi - (IGCC) Power Plant Challenges Dismissed
- Steep Contango Points to Sharp Rebound in Natural Gas
- 1,000-Page Bill Attracts Lobbyists to Energy Plan
- President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
- Chelan PUD boosts habitat budget for longevity
- Trapping Fish to Help Stocks Recover
- Puget Sound Anglers Come Through With Hatchery Help
- More fishing options looming in the Columbia River
- Columbia Steelhead Recreational Sport Fishery Opens Friday
- It's Early, but Salmon Fishing Looks Good On the Sound
- Farmed Salmon in High Demand but Still Faces Challenges
- "The Sea Lion Attack"
- Puget Sound Cleanup Budget May Rise By 150 Percent
- British Columbia - Victoria to Stop Sending Untreated Sewage to Sea
- Washington DOE to Lead Crescent Bar Water Raise
- Washington Tribes Receive Nearly $2 Million to Protect Puget Sound
- Portland Settles Bias Case by Sewer Worker
- Wyden Calls BPA Wind Energy Hikes 'Downright Unaffordable'
- Will wind energy follow ethanol's path?
- After Long Wait, Longview Man's Windmill Nearly Ready To Generate Energy
- Rhode Island Lawmakers Debate New Plan for Funding Wind Farm
- Study: Jobs in fledgling green-energy sector growing
- States with most, fewest clean energy jobs listed
- Congress abandoning Obama clean energy goals
- Electric Utilities Fail to Promote Their Energy-Efficiency Initiatives
- Japan Sets Emissions Targets, and No One Seems Pleased
- Of Kites, Coal and the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill
- World's Largest Fossil Bed Linked To Ancient Climate Change
- Data Center Overload - Pics of Central Washington Data Centers!
- Amazon’s EC2 Service Suffers Outage
- Community Broadband - High Capacity, Low Cost
- Comcast Sued Again Over Forced Equipment Leases
- Dry Spell: 23 Days without Rain
- Boy dies during PE class in Vancouver, Wash.
- State Finds Union Fire Commissioner Benefited From Vote
- Newspaper Subscribers Get Petitions on Immigration
- Bill Would Tone Down Commercials

WORD OF THE DAY

Toupee • \too-PAY\ • noun – 1: a curl or lock of hair made into a topknot on a periwig or natural coiffure; also: a periwig with such a topknot 2: a wig or section of hair worn to cover a bald spot

“Toupee or combover,” mused Phil as he reviewed his graybar motel grooming options. “Combover it is,” he decided. “I’m sure unnatural things would happen to my wonderful wig collection if it were to be confiscated by the other prisoners.”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Not Done Fighting Yet - With production at just 10 percent of capacity and layoffs looming at the end of July, things look bleak “…Senator Baucus: "I've fought to help keep Columbia Falls Aluminum Co.'s doors open for 30 years, and I'm not giving up now…” (Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT)
http://dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/06/10/news/local_montana/news_8755388518_02.txt

Tennessee - Senate Passes Resolution Urging TVA to Finalize Contract with Alcoa - For 500 employees: “…The smelter's power cost is in the top 15 percent of all smelters in North America…” (Blount Today, Marysville, TN)
http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2009/jun/10/senate-passes-resolution-urging-tva-finalize-contr/

Chinese Miner Orders Guyana Layoffs Amid Global Economic Crisis: Lower Demand For Bauxite (Associated Press)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/06/03/ap6499547.html

BPA Contracts with Oregon Firm to Build Part of a New McNary-John Day Transmission Line (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/280520/

RELOCATION: Cascade Natural Gas to move corporate office to Tri-Cities (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/609305.html?mi_email=Tri-City%20Herald_PM+%26+Breaking+News

Alaska - Aurora Energy Plant Fire Will Affect Golden Valley Electric Association Bills (Fairbanks Daily News Miner, AK)
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/jun/11/aurora-energy-plant-fire-will-impact-electric-bill/

Montana - Whitefish’s Hydropower Plant: A Mystery and an Opportunity (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/whitefishs_hydropower_plant_a_mystery_and_an_opportunity/10984/

Crow Sizzles, Downtown Bend Goes Without Power (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2061679~Crow_sizzles__downtown_Bend_goes_without_power.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Maryland Regulators Say They Must OK Nuclear Power Deal (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/11/financial/f083221D80.DTL&feed=rss.business

Company Calls New Small Nuclear Reactor a 'Game Changer' (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/06/10/10greenwire-company-calls-new-small-nuclear-reactor-a-game-45123.html

Mississippi - Power Plant Challenges Dismissed - $2.2 billion integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) facility that converts “brown coal,” into a gas to generate lower-emission electricity (Associated Press)
http://www.sunherald.com/business/story/1402247.html

Steep Contango Points to Sharp Rebound in Natural Gas - Producers cut back exploration; prices still face pressure in short term (MarketWatch)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/natural-gas-could-see-sharp-rebound-this-year?siteid=moren

1,000-Page Bill Attracts Lobbyists to Energy Plan (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105240996&ft=1&f=3

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts: John R. Norris, Nominee for Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (The White House)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Announces-More-Key-Administration-Posts-6-10-09/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Chelan PUD boosts habitat budget for longevity (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090610/NEWS04/706109961/-1/PRINTINDEX?PUD-boosts-habitat-budget-for-longevity

Trapping Fish to Help Stocks Recover (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/06/11/news//doc4a2ffd17b9468537238719.txt

Puget Sound Anglers Come Through With Hatchery Help (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090611/news/306119987

More fishing options looming in the Columbia River (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2009324924_more_fishing_options_looming_i.html

Columbia Steelhead Recreational Sport Fishery Opens Friday (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/06/11//area_news/doc4a30a37686965956923002.txt

It's Early, but Salmon Fishing Looks Good On the Sound (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2009325220_fish11.html?syndication=rss

Farmed Salmon in High Demand but Still Faces Challenges (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
http://www.timescolonist.com/Technology/Farmed+salmon+high+demand+still+faces+challenges/1682302/story.html

"The Sea Lion Attack" (w/ photos) (Tri City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/blogs/degerman/story/608410.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Puget Sound Cleanup Budget May Rise By 150 Percent (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/774823.html

British Columbia - Victoria to Stop Sending Untreated Sewage to Sea (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_victorias_sewage.html?source=pimail

Washington DOE to Lead Crescent Bar Water Raise - May be too expensive for Wanapum Dam power increase (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/06/10/news/doc4a30286b6a533917846217.txt

Washington Tribes Receive Nearly $2 Million to Protect Puget Sound (Indian Country Today)
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/northwest/47225337.html

Portland Settles Bias Case by Sewer Worker (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2062825~Portland_settles_bias_case_by_sewer_worker.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wyden Calls BPA Wind Energy Hikes 'Downright Unaffordable' – Proposed wind integration rate increase (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5185-wyden-calls-wind-energy-hikes-downright-unaffordable/

Will wind energy follow ethanol's path? (The Wichita Eagle, KS)
http://www.kansas.com/topstories/story/847964.html

After Long Wait, Longview Man's Windmill Nearly Ready To Generate Energy (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/06/10/area_news//doc4a2f0fcdc8525763528756.txt

Rhode Island Lawmakers Debate New Plan for Funding Wind Farm (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009325166_aprixgrrenewableenergy.html?syndication=rss

Study: Jobs in fledgling green-energy sector growing (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12565163

States with most, fewest clean energy jobs listed (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/10/financial/f134945D85.DTL&feed=rss.business

Congress abandoning Obama clean energy goals (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12565794

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Electric Utilities Fail to Promote Their Energy-Efficiency Initiatives (Forbes Magazine)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/gigaom/green/2009_06_10_electric_utilities_fail_to_promote_their_energy_efficiency_initiatives.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Japan Sets Emissions Targets, and No One Seems Pleased (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/world/asia/11emit.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Of Kites, Coal and the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/gwmEnergy/idUS387554852520090608

World's Largest Fossil Bed Linked To Ancient Climate Change (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)
http://www.insidebayarea.com/localnews/ci_12562210

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Data Center Overload - Pics of Central Washington Data Centgers! (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/magazine/14search-t.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Amazon’s EC2 Service Suffers Outage - Lost connectivity in a part of its network because of a “localized power issue.” (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/06/10/amazons-ec2-service-suffers-outage/

Community Broadband - High Capacity, Low Cost (MuniNetworks)
http://www.muninetworks.org/content/community-broadband-high-capacity-low-cost

Comcast Sued Again Over Forced Equipment Leases - May ultimately result in one class action suit (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Sued-Again-Over-Forced-Equipment-Leases-102883

GENERAL NEWS

Dry Spell: 23 Days without Rain (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=177347

Boy dies during PE class in Vancouver, Wash. (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009325320_webboycollapses10.html?syndication=rss

State Finds Union Fire Commissioner Benefited From Vote (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7505/reftab/1632/t/STATE-FINDS-UNION-FIRE-COMMISSIONER-BENEFITED-FROM-VOTE/Default.aspx

Newspaper Subscribers Get Petitions on Immigration (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009325131_apwaimmigrationpetitions2ndldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Bill Would Tone Down Commercials - Broadcasters have their own plan to lower volume (The Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jun/11/bill-would-tone-down-commercials/

DIVERSIONS

Dog Gets High On Pot Found In Park
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_061009WAB-dog-pot-park-KC.6b862fc4.html?rss?npc

Mo. Family Christmas Photo Turns Up In Czech Ad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090611/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_card_photo_prague;_ylt=AvSFVL8wwR_XKNDRgcSH4WXtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJwM3JlZDRmBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNjExL3VzX29kZF9jYXJkX3Bob3RvX3ByYWd1ZQRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDbW9mYW1pbHljaHJp

Man Toupee (To Pay) For Revealing Bald Truth
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090609/od_nm/us_taiwan_wig;_ylt=AvMzrDFYSskEcVqIbfyQgIrtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJpcGMzbWxqBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMDkwNjA5L3VzX3RhaXdhbl93aWcEcG9zAzYEc2VjA3luX2FydGljbGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNtYW50b3VwZWVmb3I-

Venezuela Bans Coke Zero, Cites "Danger to Health"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090611/od_nm/us_venezuela_coke;_ylt=AnaG72JLa2314tDxS8reLkPtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJtaWVmbm1hBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMDkwNjExL3VzX3ZlbmV6dWVsYV9jb2tlBHBvcwMzBHNlYwN5bl9hcnRpY2xlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDdmVuZXp1ZWxhYmFu

SONG OF THE DAY

Jigsaw - Sky High
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mudlXF3MA8Q

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Energy News Digest for June 10, 2009

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org


TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- California - Two Shocked In Long Beach Electrical Accident
- Construction to Begin on BPA Transmission Line
- BPA offers reward in Lexington wire theft investigation
- Grant PUD Progresses With Manager’s Contract
- Alaska - Matanuska Electric Association Board Limits Manager's Authority
- Final Run For A River Watcher - Rob Campbell, operator of Lake Chelan Dam and powerhouse
- Congressional Republicans Draft Energy Bill with Heavy Focus on Nuclear Power
- Small Nuclear Reactors in the Offing?
- Texas - Electric Co-Op Companies Say Deregulation Slowdown Is a Good Thing for Customers
- Florida - Angry Customer Punches Utility Truck, Goes To Jail
- PETA Peeved Over Pike Place Fish-Throwing Demo
- Wimping Out? Veterinarians Visiting Seattle Rethink Fish Toss
- Study: Hatchery Trout Have Reproductive Problems
- Yakama tribe pulls out of cleanup council for Portland Harbor
- Activists Say Port of Olympia Work Violates Clean Water Act
- Chelan Falls - Just Add Water: Temporary River Gets Its Test
- City of Bend Considers Building a Hydroelectric Project on Tumalo Creek
- Not So Windy: Research Suggests Winds Dying Down
- United Kingdom - School Installs A Turbine To Harness Sea Breezes
- Google Closing In On Cheap Renewable Energy
- New Report Says Energy Efficiency not a U.S. Consumer Priority
- Salem OR Statesman-Journal Editorial - Clean coal, clean carbon: is this really a good idea?
- Could Carbon Prices Hit $180?
- One-Third of U.S. Doesn’t Have Broadband
- Traffic Jam Ahead? Cisco Predicts Massive Web Growth
- The FCC Gets Bombarded With Broadband Opinions
- Broadcast TV Never Converted Its Digital Dream
- Broadcasters compete to fill new analog gaps
- Major Firm Drops Plan for Arizona Data Center Site amid Concerns over Cost and Reliability of Delivering Electricity
- Tennessee City Considers Suing Dell – Claims the company failed to live up to an agreement
- Verizon Asks Comcast to Halt ‘Don’t Fall For FiOs’ Ads
- Seattle Times Op/Ed - Internet Access: Neutrality Is Misguided
- Bones Found At Port Orchard Construction Site Are Human
- Mason County Resident Concerned About Use of Mental Health Funds for Balancing County Budget
- Testosterone Thief Guilty
- Ruling OKs Brinnon resort, but opponents consider appeal
- Cruise Ships Chartered For Vancouver Olympics Lodging

WORD OF THE DAY

Trepidation • \trep-uh-DAY-shun \ • noun – Timorous uncertain agitation: apprehension

“Just remember,” the teacher told his nervous speech student, “it’s against the law for them to kill and eat you.” The sage advice did little to avert the trepidation that the student had as he prepared to speak to a full audience about the fascinating topic of curing concrete.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

California - Two Shocked In Long Beach Electrical Accident (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2059453~2_shocked_in_Long_Beach_electrical_accident.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Construction to Begin on BPA Transmission Line (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/608855.html

BPA offers reward in Lexington wire theft investigation (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/06/10//area_news/doc4a2f18fcba441758886748.txt

Grant PUD Progresses With Manager’s Contract (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/06/09/news/doc4a2ecaad69b3f525280365.txt

Alaska - Matanuska Electric Association Board Limits Manager's Authority, Looks To Hire (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/story/825371.html

Final Run For A River Watcher - Rob Campbell, operator of Lake Chelan Dam and powerhouse (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090609/NEWS04/706099974/-1/SPORTS02?Final-run-for-a-river-watcher

Congressional Republicans Draft Energy Bill with Heavy Focus on Nuclear Power (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/us/politics/10energy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Small Nuclear Reactors in the Offing? (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/small-nuclear-reactors-in-the-offing/

Texas - Electric Co-Op Companies Say Deregulation Slowdown Is a Good Thing for Customers (KTRE-TV, Lufkin, TX)
http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=10505694&nav=menu118_1

Florida - Angry Customer Punches Utility Truck, Goes To Jail (WFTS, Tampa, FL)
http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Angry-customer-punches-utility-truck-goes-to-jail/sMZ3QlIaU0idtrYi19T9oQ.cspx

FISH & WILDLIFE

PETA Peeved Over Pike Place Fish-Throwing Demo (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_060909WAB-peta-fish-KS.6438183a.html?rss

Wimping Out? Veterinarians Visiting Seattle Rethink Fish Toss (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009319936_apwapetathrowingfish1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Study: Hatchery Trout Have Reproductive Problems (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/06/08/daily30.html?ana=from_rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Yakama tribe pulls out of cleanup council for Portland Harbor (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_portland_harbor.html

Activists Say Port of Olympia Work Violates Clean Water Act - Officials defend site preparation work as safe while agency waits for final permits (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/875721.html

Chelan Falls - Just Add Water: Temporary River Gets Its Test (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090609/NEWS04/706099980/-1/PRINTINDEX?Just-add-water--Temporary-river-gets-its-test

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

City of Bend Considers Building a Hydroelectric Project on Tumalo Creek (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5174-bend-considers-building-hydroelectric-project-tumalo-creek/

Not So Windy: Research Suggests Winds Dying Down - The wind, a favorite power source of the green energy movement, seems to be dying down across the United States. And the cause, ironically, may be global warming - the very problem wind power seeks to address (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009321621_apusscidiminishingwinds.html?syndication=rss

United Kingdom - School Installs A Turbine To Harness Sea Breezes (Kent News, UK)
http://www.kentnews.co.uk/kent-news/School-installs-a-turbine-to-harness-sea-breezes-newsinkent25143.aspx

Google Closing In On Cheap Renewable Energy (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersINCOnlineReport/idUSTRE5592X120090610

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

New Report Says Energy Efficiency not a U.S. Consumer Priority (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=364261&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Salem OR Statesman-Journal Editorial - Clean coal, clean carbon: is this really a good idea?
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090610/OPINION/906100436/1049

Could Carbon Prices Hit $180? (BusinessWeek)
http://www.businessweek.com/investing/green_business/archives/2009/06/could_carbon_pr.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

One-Third of U.S. Doesn’t Have Broadband (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/06/10/one-third-of-u-s-doesnt-have-broadband/

Traffic Jam Ahead? Cisco Predicts Massive Web Growth (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/06/08/daily34.html?ana=from_rss

The FCC Gets Bombarded With Broadband Opinions - Everybody, at once, chimes in on new broadband plan (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/The-FCC-Gets-Bombarded-With-Broadband-Opinions-102861

Broadcast TV Never Converted Its Digital Dream (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/09/AR2009060903144.html?wprss=rss_technology

Broadcasters compete to fill new analog gaps
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009320391_tvfuture10.html

Major Firm Drops Plan for Arizona Data Center Site amid Concerns over Cost and Reliability of Delivering Electricity to the Site (Arizona Daily Star)
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/296454

Tennessee City Considers Suing Dell – Claims the company failed to live up to an agreement to provide 1,000 jobs (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12549110

Verizon Asks Comcast to Halt ‘Don’t Fall For FiOs’ Ads (Philadelphia Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/06/08/daily28.html?ana=from_rss

Seattle Times Op/Ed - Internet Access: Neutrality Is Misguided
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestvoices/2009319503_internet_access.html?syndication=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Bones Found At Port Orchard Construction Site Are Human (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/47520092.html

Mason County Resident Concerned About Use of Mental Health Funds for Balancing County Budget (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7497/reftab/1632/t/RESIDENT-CONCERNED-ABOUT-USE-OF-MENTAL-HEALTH-FUNDS-FOR-BALANCING-BUDGET/Default.aspx

Testosterone Thief Guilty (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/876817.html

Ruling OKs Brinnon resort, but opponents consider appeal (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090610/news/306109984

Cruise Ships Chartered For Vancouver Olympics Lodging (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5165-cruise-ships-chartered-vancouver-olympics-lodging/

DIVERSIONS

Drawing on a Hobby during Delays – Harmonica fills the bill
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/business/09flier.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Toilet Planters Create Stink in Illinois Town - Woman Told To Remove Planters or Face Fine
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19694134/detail.html

Wash. Judge: Blaring Car Horn Is Not Free Speech
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/876432.html

Woman Junks Mattress with Almost $1 Million Stuffed Inside
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12560432

SONG OF THE DAY

Bobby Sherman - Julie Do You Love Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsMONykezJM

Here Come The Brides opening theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr9f1FaXbV8&feature=related