Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part two, with part one having appeared in Saturday’s Tribune.

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KOOSKIA — When school resumed recently at Clearwater Valley Elementary in Kooskia, students and parents were greeted by a new principal, one with a familiar face and name.

Melanie Martinez was raised in the Clearwater Valley where her interest in education began, and where she was influenced by her grandparents Douglas and Donna Graves. He was a principal at Kooskia High, and she was a teacher and librarian at local schools. Martinez is a graduate of Clearwater Valley High School.

“I am blessed to be from here,” Martinez stated, “and equally blessed to return.” She serves as principal for both CV Elementary and Elk City School.

She attended the University of Idaho for her undergraduate degree, and continued there for her master’s in curricular studies and later another in educational leadership. Martinez is a 19-year veteran of classroom teaching beginning in Elk City, then Kooskia, and concluding with several years in Asotin. She is experienced in middle school and all elementary school grade levels.

“My highest goal for CV Elementary and the Elk City School is to provide a nurturing environment for all students; a safe place for every child to explore and discover his or her interests.” And, she added, “where they will learn to become good citizens.”

CV Elementary has all returning teachers this year, with the only new hire being at Elk City. There are a few new paraprofessionals added to the Kooskia faculty, and all are “top-notch!” Martinez said.

“This will be a big growing year with extensive training for teachers and paraprofessionals to build a collaborative culture across all subjects,” Martinez said.

Originally looking to do her bachelor’s in biology before majoring in education, Martinez is especially excited to expand students’ science learning through the STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), which encourages students to explore their individual interests through hands-on learning. There is also a new reading program, Amplify, which aims to bring and maintain all students’ reading at or above grade level.

— Lyn Krzeminski, The Clearwater Progress (Kamiah), Thursday

SEL president bashes Cap-and-Trade tax

PULLMAN — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories President Edmund O. Schweitzer sent a statement to chambers of commerce, utilities and elected officials across the state Aug. 30 stating that he opposes concealment of Cap-and-Trade tax for utility customers.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson recently made a directive preventing Puget Sound Energy (PSE) from disclosing the reason for new utility rate increases on customers’ bills, which Schweitzer said he opposes.

In his statement, Schweitzer said that the state’s Climate Commitment Act imposes cap-and-trade charges on utilities distributing natural gas.

The charges are a tax paid by utilities including PSE, Avista Corporation, Cascade Natural Gas Corporation and Northwest Natural Gas Company, Schweitzer said in his statement.

“PSE applied to the Washington Utilities and Transporation Commission (WUTC) for a rate increase to cover the cap-and-trade taxes,” Schweitzer said, adding that WUTC approved the rate increase, which passes the cap-and-trade tax onto consumers.

The increase comes with a catch, though, Schweitzer said, “Utilities are forbidden from showing the cap-and-trade tax charge in our bills,” he added. “Evidently, the Attorney General’s office expects utilities to bury this new tax in your bill.”

Schweitzer added that Ferguson is running for governor and may not want anyone to think he has anything to do with natural gas price increases.

“Public utility commissions in America date to the early days of Thomas Edison and Samuel Insull,” Schweitzer’s statement read, noting that in exchange for regional franchises, utilities agreed to open their books to public utility commissioners acting on the public’s behalf.

“Their mission is to ensure utilities make a fair and reasonable profit for their shareholders and do not overcharge us for their services,” Schweitzer said, adding that PUCs are intended to protect ratepayers.

Schweitzer said the gag order has the opposite impact, forcing utilities to hide the tax. “The AG is interfering with the very purpose of a public utility commission,” he said, noting that the commission should immediately push back on the gag clause and encourage utilities to disclose their costs.

“Our utilities should be permitted to prepare bills as they see fit,” he said, adding that this would be in a manner compatible with the open-book concept of regional franchises.

Schweitzer ended his statement by asking what else are they hiding from the public.

“Let’s elect officials to Olympia who believe in our economic and political freedom, who are open and transparent with their political agendas and who treat citizens, taxpayers and utilities with respect,” Schweitzer said.

— Teresa Simpson, Whitman County Gazette (Colfax), Thursday