After nine days, some McKenzie Bridge residents are seeing the first flickers of electricity following a power outage caused by last week’s snow storm. For some, the loss of power created a serious risk. But for those river inhabitants secure with “the basics” to survive (warmth, water, food,) some found hidden joys in letting go of extras and just taking it easy.
Sheri Smith Holgate and her husband live on King Road off of Highway 126. Their power went out last Sunday. Holgate says Lane Electric crews worked day and night to restore it.
“Oh my gosh, if I had an oven to bake them cookies, I would love to thank them all,” Holgate tells KLCC. “They did what they could. It was a mess up here and we’re so grateful.”
Holgate has lived in the McKenzie Valley since 1973 and has never seen anything like the heavy snow that blanketed the region and downed trees and power lines. While being without power was hard, she says it had an upside.
“We slowed down,” Holgate says. “We had the basics and it all worked out fine. Slowing down is a good thing.”
Crews are still at work to restore the last remaining customers in the McKenzie area who remain in the dark. (This story has production assistance from Cookie Swetland.)