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Mint Farm set to power up The Daily News by Evan Caldwell Aug 21, 2007 A long-delayed power project is about to fire up at Longview's Mint Farm Industrial Park. Minnesota-based Wayzata Investment Partners says it will test-fire generators of its natural gas-fired Mint Farm Energy Center early next month. The plant first was announced seven years ago but had been mothballed, half finished, since 2002. Wayzata, the project's third owner, bought it through bankruptcy proceedings and resumed construction last June. The plant, which will generate enough electricity for 200,000 homes, could power up for commercial use by the end of October. "The build-out is going well," said Scott Magie, president of the Mint Farm Energy Center. "We're looking forward to the test fire." The plant will employ 16 people, 14 of whom have already been hired. Most of the employees will move here from other parts of the county, Magie said. "You need people with experience." Magie declined to say who will buy the power or its selling price. "Both of those are confidential and competitive pieces of information," he said. Wayzata's plant joins five other power projects proposed or under construction that could make the Lower Columbia region one of the Northwest's new energy centers. If all plants on the drawing board get built, the region would produce enough electricity to power about 1 million homes. Portland General Electric fired up its Clatskanie-area natural gas plant in June, and Energy Northwest and Summit Power Group are each proposing to build $1 billion coal-gasification power plants near Clatskanie and in Kalama. Power developers Avista-Steag conceived the Mint Farm project in 2000 at a cost of $150 million. The plant was expected to create 300 construction jobs, 15 to 20 permanent jobs and about $1 million a year in property taxes. Atlanta-based Mirant Corp. bought the project and started construction in 2001, but it stopped work a year later. The Enron debacle soured investors on energy-trading firms. Wayzata acquired the plant late 2005 for $27 million through bankruptcy court. Cowlitz County Assessor's Office has not yet determined the plant's value, but Longview Finance Director Kurt Sacha said the project will continue to boost the city's coffers and economy. "We are very excited to see this project completed --- in terms of construction taxes, construction jobs, the assessed values," Sacha said. Wayzata hired JH Kelly of Longview to complete the power plant. Construction employment peaked at about 200 on and off during the past 14 months, said Toby Dahl, assistant project manager for JH Kelly. "We have mostly little things left," Dahl said. "An electrical group and a start-up group are walking through checking on things." Dahl said most of the construction workforce will be shifted onto other projects. "Most won't see much down time," he said. "We'll continue to help (with the power plant), but for the most part we're done."
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Curtain falling on Movie House By Christy Caballero For The Daily News September 3, 2007
RAINIER — After two decades of bringing movie magic to Rainier, the flicks are flying off the shelf forever at the Movie House. Complete liquidation started Saturday, the final step toward closing the doors of the business.
“So many people come
in with sad eyes and say, ‘What are you going to do, Ina?’ and I can’t
even Falk started work July 7, 1987 — a month after the business opened. “I guess we’re the last of the diehards, because originally there were about five places to rent videos in Rainier.” Customer Lee Tilander of Goble said she would “come into town just to see these nice people. I’m so sad the Movie House is going. It’s a heartbreaker. They have a piece of my heart.” Gail Crandall, 64, has owned the Movie House for eight years. “It is a tough thing. It’s a really tough thing to decide to move on, but that’s kind of where we’re at,” Crandall said. “We’ve run into competition with Netflix, Blockbuster, the technology of the times. I just can’t keep an inventory to compete with that. “I hate for this to happen to my employees. I hate to pull the plug on things, but I want to really truly retire myself, too. ... I think I’m ready to be done. “It’s hard though; Ina’s been here more than 20 years, Heather for 16 and Teresa for seven or eight, plus a lot of great part-time employees.” Two decades is a big slice of life. “We’ve watched kids be born, grow up, have their own families,” Falk said. “You’re not only losing a job, you’re losing friends and family.” For employee Heather Siltala, customers have been like an extended family. “I kind of grew up while working there. I was 18, extremely shy, and it was my first job,” she said. “Thinking back, I remember when I was 21, single and pregnant, and so scared. Instead of being judged I was loved and nurtured and showered with well wishes by our customers. ... People do care and we have seen the proof over the many years here.” Customers have opened windows into their own lives, as well. “We’ve been blessed to share in our customers lives, too,” Siltala said. “They bring us photos, we’ve celebrated births, been invited to weddings and attended funerals. We have both felt — and been shown — compassion.”’ ‘It’s never been just about movies to us.” Rainier Movie House will have its liquidation sale 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily at 210 B St. W. Movies and video games are for sale, along with shop fixtures and equipment. The building also is for sale.
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think about it right now,” said Ina Falk, a Movie House employee for 20
years.