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Rogue River folks fight long-distance fees By SANNE SPECHT for the Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER - Fed up with paying "outrageous" local long-distance charges, resident Shayne Maxwell is petitioning the Public Utilities Commission to reduce Rogue River calling rates to Gold Hill, Central Point and Medford. Currently, the extended calling area for Rogue River only includes portions of Grants Pass. Other areas outside the 582 prefix incur long-distance charges of about 9 cents a minute or more. Maxwell said she decided to take matters into her own hands after waiting 12 years for the phone companies to "do right" by their customers. Several petitions to increase the extended calling area have been launched in that time, the most recent in 1994. In less than two weeks, Maxwell gathered more than 1,300 signatures. She's determined to collect 2,500 signatures by a 90-day deadline of May 15. "The response in Rogue River has been overwhelming - the businesses, the people," said Maxwell. "Everyone's paying outrageous fees and they're tired of it." Maxwell said there are 5,050 listed phone accounts in Rogue River. The PUC requires signatures from 25 percent of the accounts (1,263) for a verified petition. Maxwell said collecting signatures has been easy, but hearing the hardship stories from community members has been difficult. "I've become the Phone Complaint Line," she said. "You wouldn't believe the stories I'm hearing, especially from seniors. Because it's long-distance to call their doctors, many will not call until it's their last resort. One lady told me she has many friends who don't even have a land line because they can't afford it." Maxwell said the school district, library and other local businesses are suffering financially because of the high phone rates. According to Maxwell, curriculum and technical-services support at the Rogue River School district are outside of the local calling zones. Additionally, 72 of the 137 teachers live outside the calling area. Calls to these services and teachers increase costs to the district. The Rogue River Library is also feeling the pinch from the long-distance charges, said branch librarian Mary Ann Ross. "We serve as the local reference headquarters for Rogue River, Gold Hill, Central Point, Jacksonville, Ruch and the Applegate libraries," Ross said. "We do research and often have to call patrons or librarians back. Those are all long-distance calls. "We did institute a toll-free 800 number for patrons and branch librarians, but we're paying for that. Everyone thinks toll-free means free. The cost is passed on to the county." Local Realtors also are hit with heavy phone bills. Many agencies show property in both Jackson and Josephine counties. Most agents show buyers three to six homes a day, usually requiring multiple phone calls for each showing. Nancy Bradley of Nancy Bradley Realty in Rogue River installed an 800 number for her business, but feels the long-distance fees need to be cut. "It's very expensive for us," said Bradley. "And it's really kind of silly. We're all here in the same county!" Mary Healy, spokeswoman for Qwest in Oregon, said fees are regulated by the PUC and it is up to that agency to grant or deny changes. "We have no control over extended-area service rates. It's all set by the PUC," said Healy. "They (the PUC) just approved extended service between Newport and Lincoln City." Maxwell said the PUC has been very cooperative in explaining the petition process. Maxwell said her goal is for Rogue River to enter into a cooperative exchange with Gold Hill, Central Point and Medford in which the lowered rates would be reciprocal. After collecting the necessary signatures, Maxwell said, the next step will be to hold a town hall meeting. Maxwell stresses the meeting will be the most important part of the process. "It is here that we can present evidence that our community does indeed interact with the target areas of Gold Hill, Central Point and Medford," said Maxwell "A strong showing here will be the difference between success and failure." The meeting will be called by the PUC and presided over by an administrative law judge who will make a recommendation on whether the PUC should grant the cooperative exchange. If the PUC accepts, Maxwell said, there still will be a slight increase for Rogue River residents to call outside their 582 prefix; but overall phone bills will be significantly reduced for those who regularly call the outlying areas. Additionally, customers can decide if they want a measured or flat rate for the new reduced-rate extended calling area. Petitions are available at many Rogue River, Wimer and Gold Hill locations including Main Building Supply, the Community Center, the Wimer Market, Foots Creek Country Store and Gold Mountain Produce. For more information or to volunteer to collect signatures, contact Shayne Maxwell at 1-541-582-2020 or Marilou Crowell at 1-541-582-4024. Marlene Gorsuch of the PUC did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment. Sanne Specht is a free-lance writer living in Rogue River. Reach her at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.