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NEWPORT – Public Utility District No. 1 of Pend Oreille County is celebrating 90 years of serving the community with the return of Pops, Brats & Kilowatts during Public Power Week, Oct. 4-10.
Customers and community members are invited to join PUD employees for free food, drinks, games and activities at two events, one in Newport and the other at Box Canyon Dam. This year’s celebration will also include a special historical display from the Pend Oreille County Historical Society, which will give visitors a look back at the PUD’s nine decades of service.
The event will be in Newport on Monday, Oct. 5, from 3:30-6 p.m., at the PUD Administration Building front lawn on Washington Avenue.
Thursday, Oct. 8, the celebration is from 3:30-6 p.m., in the Box Canyon Visitor Center parking lot.
Local fire districts will also be at both events with booths and fire-safety information as Public Power Week coincides with Fire Prevention Week.
Pend Oreille PUD was formed in 1936 under Washington’s public utility district law as part of a statewide movement to bring locally governed power to rural communities.
“Ninety years later, that local connection remains at the heart of the PUD,” stated a press release from the PUD. “What began as an electric utility has grown to provide electric, water and broadband services throughout the county, while also generating clean, carbon-free hydropower.”
Today, just over 90 employees work in Newport, Ione and at Box Canyon Dam, with the PUD governed by a three-member, locally elected Board of Commissioners.
“Public power has always been about neighbors serving neighbors,” said Joe Hathaway, Public Information Officer for the PUD. “For 90 years, Pend Oreille PUD has been part of the communities we serve, and we are proud to do so. Pops, Brats & Kilowatts gives us a chance to celebrate that history, visit with our customers and say thank you for being part of the PUD.”
Free coffee, cookies and cocoa will also be available at PUD offices throughout Public Power Week. For more information on the events, visit popud.org or call 509-447-3137.
