12-31-08 5PM - HAPPY NEW YEAR - MORE STORMS COMING

We have several new weather fronts coming...cold, warm, wind and snow storms are predicted for the next week. We are gearing up. I will try to post my backlog of info from that last storm...and the courageous efforts of community volunteers, county agencies, churches, Red Cross etc. to help the needy citizens in Jewell/Elsie. It depends on how long I have power. KEEP CHECKING THE BLOG FOR MORE UPDATES. Deb

The following story was just sent out by our local newspaper...the Daily Astorian.
Jewell residents in need of helpDonations sought for storm-battered communityThe Daily AstorianAs the new year looms, electricity has been restored to almost all customers in the Jewell area, but many local residents are still coping with the aftermath of severe winter storms that cut off power and blocked roads and driveways for more than a week.There has been little or no electricity around Jewell since winter storms began blasting the region with ice, heavy snows and freezing temperatures Dec. 19.Volunteer organizations and community members are seeking donations of firewood as well as monetary contributions, to help area residents who've endured days of dark, cold and isolation.Many Clatsop County residents have critical needs following the storms and continuing loss of electricity. Volunteers are supplying food, firewood and other basic needs. The Seaside Chamber of Commerce has arranged for a contributions account at Wells Fargo Bank for those wishing to make cash donations. "The East County Rescue Account" will be managed by the Nehalem Valley Community Church, 80803 Highway 103 between Elsie and Jewell.The storms caused the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners to declare a disaster for the Jewell area. The disaster declaration authorized the county Public Works Department to assist residents by clearing blocked driveways and private roads, and to coordinate with the local power provider, West Oregon Electric Cooperative, and the Oregon Department of Transportation in restoring power to the area. The declaration also allowed the county administration to make unplanned expenditures to respond to the situation without formal prior approval of the board of commissioners, and set in motion the process for the county to call on state assistance.Electricity was finally restored to many early this week.Last week, Clatsop County and the American Red Cross, assisted by ham radio volunteers, set up comfort stations at Jewell School. The school was in operation for about five days before its water supply was exhausted. Nehalem Valley Community Church has been acting as the area Emergency Operations Coordination center in a partnership with the Elsie-Vinemaple Fire Department since. Volunteers from both organizations have been dispatching crews delivering food, fuel, wood, water and a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The Clatsop County Sheriff's Office offered its Nehalem Valley Substation to local residents for showers to replace the school's facilities.Nehalem Valley Community Church is the primary dispatch location for food and supplies. Members are still conducting safety and welfare checks and providing supplies to those in need.This week the church has been offering 24-hour shelter and supplies of food, water, firewood and other items for people in need.Mike Carter, assistant pastor and a member of the Elsie-Vinemaple Fire Department, said the church is handing out self-contained "Heater" meals, coffee, water and soup provided by community members. The church has also been helping residents buy gas, prescription medications and such miscellaneous items as a car battery.With power restored to most residents, fewer people are coming to the church, Carter said. But there still remains a critical need for dry firewood. Many people who normally use their wood stoves and fireplaces only occasionally were forced to burn through their stockpiles of wood to stay warm, and have little or no fuel left, he said.People who have dry firewood they would like to donate may bring it to the church, located at 80803 Highway 103 in Jewell. The church can be contacted at (503) 755-2376. The church will also accept monetary donations to help cover the cost of food and other items given out to local residents.Despite the warm temperatures and rain that have melted snow at lower elevations, many roads and driveways remained impassable, especially where snowplows pushed snow from the roads into large berms. To reach residents unable to drive from their homes, CERTs from Astoria and Lewis and Clark responded Monday and went door-to-door checking on residents. The teams continued to provide assistance Tuesday.Scott Reuter, a ham operator and Astoria CERT member, said the team found two people with diabetes whose insulin was running low. Other people were given food, firewood and water."Lots of people were just happy to see us walking up to their doors," he said.