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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2020)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 THE OBSERVER — 5A LOCAL DAMS Continued from Page 1A Ellen Morris Bishop/EO Media Group Despite snow, 32% of Washington and 24% of Oregon are in a “moderate” drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Region weathers moderate drought By Don Jenkins Capital Press SALEM — December snow in the Cascades hasn’t been enough to make up for a dry fall in Oregon and Washington, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported. Some 32% of Washington and 24% of Oregon are in a “moderate” drought, according to the monitor. There was widespread rain and high-elevation snow across the Pacific Northwest in mid-December, but streamflows and snowpacks were still far below normal. Drought conditions in both states are mostly in the Cascades. The snow- pack in the Willamette basin was only 29% of normal on Dec. 27, while it was 27% of normal in the Lower Columbia basin in Washington, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. WITTEN Continued from Page 1A most of the time the photos come out good.” One of the models Witten has worked with is Britt McNeil of La Grande. McNeil has posed in costumes and cosplay with photographers in- cluding Witten, and said she enjoys the collaboration. “I like a photographer who knows what they want and gives direction,” McNeil said. “I’m all for it. (They) are the one with the vision.” Witten said their vision for photos is often whimsical and rooted in fantasy. While Witten would like to explore doing shoots closer to reality, they said APPEAL Continued from Page 1A decision. He said he was not against the warming station but found the location a bad fit because of its proximity to downtown. He also ex- pressed concerns about how the station operated. Before the shelter can open in suite B at 2008 Third St., the building re- quires some renovations to meet city codes. The firewall now in place needs to be extended to the ceiling, Vela said, and a sprinkler system for fire prevention must be installed. The place also needs illuminated emer- gency exit signs and better outdoor lighting, which is to accommodate neighbors. Improved lighting, Vela said, “will provide peace of mind by helping people view dark areas around the facility.” Vela explained contractors did not want to start to work while a threat of an appeal hung overhead, and the shelter board was not will- ing to spend money on work that could be for naught. “We want to be good stew- ards of our money,” he said. Vela said he does not know when the Union County Warming Station will open. Better Homes Construction of La Grande is handling the renovations. The company did building work for the Union County Warming Station when it operated on Willow Street a In Washington, the snowpack state- wide on Dec. 27 was 47% of normal, almost as low for the date as the 46% in 2014, the winter of the “snowpack drought.” NRCS water supply specialist Scott Pattee said that Washington typically has about half its snowpack by now. The snowpack probably won’t fully recover and be at full strength by the time it begins melting, but could reach about 80% of average if typi- cal weather prevails for the next few months, he said. “I think there’s going to be some concern now, but not a lot,” Pattee said. “January and February can be huge snow months for us.” The National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration reports that the Pacific Ocean along the equator remains slightly warmer than average. The agency does not expect the warm water to turn this winter into an El Nino. Nevertheless, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center predicts January, February and March will be warmer than average in most of Washington, Oregon and Northern California. The odds favor normal pre- cipitation, according to the center. The snowpack never recovered in 2014. By April 1, it was a record-low 22% of normal. A dry and hot summer followed, and Washington suffered a severe drought. Warm temperatures caused the 2014 low snowpack. Precipitation was above normal. This year, the low snow- pack has been caused by dry weather. As of Dec. 27, Washington had received only 69% of its normal precipitation so far this winter. they will always keep an element of imagination in the work. As a self-taught artist, Witten still is learning about how to take and edit photos and how to get their work out to the public. They have taken a class on digital photography, but they get most of their education through videos on YouTube and tutorials on skill- sharing websites. Witten said it is a cost-effective way to develop the craft and also allows for more creativity. “I find work I admire and then I’ll look up how to do what (that artist) did,” Witten said. “It is like building a college course for a lot less money. I am missing the critique I would get from classmates, but I am able to follow a path that makes sense to me. Rather than spend- ing hours photographing architecture, which is interesting, I can focus on what is relevant to what I want to do.” What Witten likes the most about photography, though, is the confidence it can build in them and especially in models. “I hope (the models) look at them- selves and feel that euphoria, joy and feel beautiful,” Witten said. One of Witten’s favorite experiences was working with a model who said Witten truly captured them. “I see a lot of beauty in the world,” Witten said, “lot of beauty in people, and I want to show people that.” year ago. The renovation plans must first acquire city per- mits. Boquist said the pro- cess of approving and issuing building permits normally takes about two weeks. Adelsberger recently said he decided against press- ing the issue to the state land use board when Mayor Steve Clements made a commitment at the Dec. 4 hearing to involve the city council in working toward a more comprehensive solu- tion to address homeless- ness in the community. Adelsberger, Mountain Life Church Pastor Jared Upwall and others at a meeting Dec. 16 unveiled their proposal for a tran- sitional housing facility. Upwall said the church, which is near the Island City Walmart, owns about 20 acres that would be a good fit for such housing. Other members of the local faith community said they were on board with the idea, including Hanna Voetberg, co-founder and president of the charity Neighbors Together of Union County. Adelsberger at that meet- ing said while the proposal has no funding, the early stages are getting people involved and sharing a common vision to tackle homelessness. No matter when the warm- ing station opens, La Grande Police Chief Brian Harvey recently said his department To view Shay Witten’s photos on social media visit @shay.c.photo on Instagram. is preparing to handle the possibly higher call load the shelter will generate. The department respond- ed to 25 calls to or near the warming station when it op- erated at 1609 N. Willow St. during the winter of 2018-19, Harvey said, while that same location a year before drew zero calls for police. Some calls were innocuous, such as letting police know guests who no longer were welcome at the shelter were trespassing. Other calls de- manded more caution or effort. In one instance, three officers responded to the shelter on a report of a guest with a gun. The weapon turned out to be a BB gun, but Harvey said police did not know that until they arrived. And a check revealed a warning out of Washington state flagged that person as violent and a threat to law enforcement. Harvey stressed he un- derstands the need for the shelter, but the volunteers and board need to under- stand he has to keep the city safe, and 25 calls for service in the span of a few months is a significant spike for La Grande police. “So what we look at is we now have an additional burden on public safety with no additional resources to address it,” he said. Harvey and representa- tives of the Union County Warming Station met again after mid-December to further discuss the situa- tion. The police chief said the meeting was productive. He said the station adopted some police suggestions and is continuing to refine its procedures. Observer editor Phil Wright contributed to this report. farms coming online, Miller said they can’t fill the gap cre- ated by coal plant closures be- cause wind and solar sources generate power intermittently, and power use and supply have to be kept in balance. The advantage of using hydropower, along with solar and wind, is what Miller called the “second-by-second gap filling regulation.” Hy- droelectric dams fulfill this requirement by holding back water, and then releasing it through power-producing turbines as needed. Although the new report doesn’t guide policy, Miller said it does recommend con- tinued regional stakeholder discussions. Greg Haller, executive director of Pacific Rivers, is closely following the rising tide of concern around breach- ing or keeping the dams. He said he didn’t feel the report moved the conversation. “I feel like we didn’t need a $750,000 report to tell us it’s a divided issue,” Haller said. “It offered no solutions. Hopefully, our elected leaders will build on or move toward a solution rather than rehashing the issues that are the sticking points.” When Haller mentioned elected officials, he said he was specifically referring to the House of Representatives and momentum created by Rep. Mike Simpson, R- Idaho, who broached the topic of how the region can meet its energy needs while maintaining transporta- tion, irrigation and securing the future of Bonneville Power Administration, which markets power produced by the four lower Snake dams. Haller said Simpson looked at the transportation concerns about dam removal and suggested making the railroads farmer-owned. “I am disappointed in our elected leaders in Oregon and Washington didn’t use Simpson’s opening to bring to- gether a legislative solution,” Haller said. “Only Congress can make the dams go away.” With the ultimate author- ity residing in Washington, D.C., Haller said elected lead- ers need to forge a solution that everyone can live with because the status quo isn’t working. “We still have a steelhead run in the toilet, chinook on a trajectory toward extinction and sockeye aren’t faring any better,” he said. As fish runs continue to decline, Haller said BPA struggles as well. “We are in a new kind of energy environment,” he said. “Meanwhile, I think the salmon have given all they can give. Something else has to give, now.” The pivotal release of the Draft Columbia River System Operations Environ- mental Impact Statement by the federal action agencies is due in February. The report will analyze the societal, environmental and economic costs and benefits of breach- ing the four lower Snake River dams. Associated Press file photo The Lower Granite Dam is on the Snake River near Pomeroy, Washington. A $750,000 report, which looked at the possible effects of breaching the four lower Snake River dams, summarized the issues around protecting endangered species while maintaining renewable en- ergy supplies, riverine transportation and irrigation. La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR 975-2000 www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst ACDelcoTSS T O Y OUR H EALTH HEALTH CARE DIRECTORY CHIROPRACTIC SPECIALISTS BLUE MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATES, LLC Joel D. 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