ORDER NO. 97-355

ENTERED SEP 11 1997

This is an electronic copy.

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

OF OREGON

UM 853

DISPOSITION: NO COMMUNITY OF INTEREST FOUND;

PETITION DENIED.

On July 25, 1997, an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for the Commission issued a proposed order in this matter. Based on a review of geographic and calling pattern data, the ALJ found that petitioners had failed to establish a community of interest between the Reedsport exchange and the Florence, Lakeside, Coos Bay-North Bend, and Coquille telephone exchanges. Based on that finding, the ALJ recommended that the petition requesting EAS between Reedsport and those exchanges be dismissed, unless the petitioners request a hearing to establish through demographic, economic, financial, or other evidence that a community of interest exists. The proposed order advised petitioners that such a request had to be filed within 15 days from the date of service.

Petitioners made no such request, and the time for doing so has expired. The proposed order, attached as Attachment 1, has been considered and is adopted.

ORDER

IT IS ORDERED that:

1. The following interexchange routes do not meet the community of interest requirements of Order Nos. 89-815 and 92-1136:

Reedsport/Florence

Reedsport/Lakeside

Reedsport/Coos Bay-North Bend

Reedsport/Coquille

2. The petition for EAS between these telephone exchanges is denied.

Made, entered, and effective _________________.

A party may request rehearing or reconsideration of this order pursuant to ORS 756.561. A request for rehearing or reconsideration must be filed with the Commission within 60 days of the date of service of this order. The request must comply with the requirements in OAR 860-014-0095. A copy of any such request must also be served on each party to the proceeding as provided by OAR 860-013-0070(2). A party may appeal this order to a court pursuant to ORS 756.580.