A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Governors need
help in building
water storage
A
s many member states
wrestle with the impacts
of multi-year droughts,
the Western Governors’
Association has written a
letter to the Senate Energy and
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recommending policies that
could help remedy the situation.
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water woes is a bit of mystery to
much of the country.
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no less important but is far more
abundant. It reliably falls as rain
in the spring and summer to
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snow in the winter to recharge
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problem most farmers there face
is how to move water off their
land, not pump it onto their land.
Not so in the West.
Without adequate water
storage and the infrastructure
to move it, many of the crops
American consumers have grown
to depend on could be in short
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$51 billion in crops are grown
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milk, vegetables, grains, berries,
fruits — more than 300 different
crops in all — to Americans and
much of the world.
What’s needed is a
comprehensive plan to increase
water storage with dams,
reservoirs and aquifer recharge.
Only a few storage projects are in
the works around the West.
And the governors know why.
Storage and infrastructure
costs money — a lot of money.
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access to money available in
already established programs,
and have suggested some private-
public partnership initiatives.
While money is a formidable
hurdle, a greater obstacle
in getting projects built is
often regulatory paralysis
and legal challenges from the
environmental lobby.
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water policy needs to coordinate,
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to infrastructure planning and
permitting guidelines, rules and
regulations.
And something needs to be
done to stop environmentalists
from running to the courts to
resist any and all efforts to build
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challenges all but block any
effort and drive up the costs.
With more winter
precipitation coming in the form
of rain instead of mountain
snows, common sense dictates
that it should be stored. Western
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and regulatory tools to get that
done.
Rik Dalvit/For the Blue Mountain Eagle
F ARMER ’ S F ATE
Tupperware and socks
By Brianna Walker
For the Blue Mountain Eagle
Getting ready for the upcoming
holidays and friends and festivities
has prompted our annual fall closet
cleaning. And with each cupboard
and shelf that is cleaned out, I am
both pleased and puzzled. Pleased
because it always feels good to min-
imize, puzzled because I never am
quite sure how all the junk got there
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followed me throughout the house.
In the living room, there were
books I’ve never seen, written by
authors I don’t read; magazines I
don’t subscribe to, nor have ever
bought; and a few ugly knick-
knacks I don’t remember collecting.
In the bedroom, I found a box in the
EDFNRIWKHFORVHW¿OOHGZLWKXQPDW-
ed socks. Why did I keep them? I
have no idea. Why they ended up
in a box in my closet? Just as good
a question, with just as bad an an-
swer. I have no idea.
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WKDWQRORQJHU¿WDQ\RQHVKRHVQR
one wore even when they were new
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had in three years.
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in the bathroom. Half empty (or
often completely empty) bottles of
hair and skin care products lined the
shelves in the cupboard. Why do we
keep these things? Or put them back
W HERE TO WRITE
GRANT COUNTY
Grant County Courthouse — 201 S.
Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City 97820.
Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-575-2248.
Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon
City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax:
541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@centu-
rylink.net.
Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville
97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541-
987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net
John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day,
97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541-
575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.net.
/RQJ&UHHN — P.O. Box 489, Long
Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax:
(PDLOLQIR#FLW\RÀRQJ-
creek.com.
Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument
97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025.
Email: monument@oregontrail.net.
0W9HUQRQ — P.O. Box 647, Mt. Vernon
97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax: 541-
932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net.
Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie
City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax:
820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net.
Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca
97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161.
Email: cityseneca@centurytel.net.
SALEM
*RY.DWH%URZQ' — 254 State
Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378-
3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www.
governor.state.or.us/governor.html.
Oregon Legislature — State Capitol,
Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180.
Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes
Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised
Statutes).
6WDWH5HS&OLII%HQW]5-Ontario (Dis-
trict: 60), Room H-475, State Capitol, 900
Court St. N.E., Salem OR 97301. Phone:
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
503-986-1460. Email: rep.cliffbentz@state.
or.us. Website: www.leg.state.or.us/bentz/
home.htm.
6WDWH6HQ7HG)HUULROL5 — (District
30) Room S-223, State Capitol, Salem
97310. Phone: 503-986-1950. Email: sen.
tedferrioli@state.or.us. Email: TFER2@aol.
com. Phone: 541-490-6528. Website: www.
leg.state.or.us/ferrioli.
Oregon Legislative Information —
(For updates on bills, services, capitol or
messages for legislators) — 800-332-2313.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
7KH:KLWH+RXVH 1600 Pennsylvania
Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500;
Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch-
board: 202-456-1414.
866HQ5RQ:\GHQ D — 516 Hart
6HQDWH2I¿FH%XLOGLQJ:DVKLQJWRQ'&
20510. Phone: 202-224-5244. Email:
wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.gov
Website: http://wyden.senate.gov Fax:
202-228-2717.
866HQ-HII0HUNOH\'— 313 Hart
6HQDWH2I¿FH%XLOGLQJ:DVKLQJWRQ'&
20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email:
senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202-
2UHJRQRI¿FHVLQFOXGH2QH
World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St.,
Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; and 310
S.E. Second St., Suite 105, Pendleton, OR
97801. Phone: 503-326-3386; 541-278-
1129. Fax: 503-326-2990.
865HS*UHJ:DOGHQ5 — (Second
District) 1404 Longworth Building, Wash-
ington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730.
No direct email because of spam. Website:
www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-
0HGIRUGRI¿FH1RUWK&HQWUDO
Suite 112, Medford, OR 97501. Phone:
541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-0204.
Pending Bills: For information on bills
in Congress, Phone: 202-225-1772.
kitchen I went through was home to
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bermaid containers.
By the time I was done, I had
found a couple of dishes without
lids, but I had a whole stack of lids
without dishes. How does one end
up with so many extra lids — espe-
cially since I seem to clean them out
every few years?
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neat stack and put them back in (on
the off chance I found them later),
but then I remember my husband’s
advice about putting things in the
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Still not quite able to just toss them
in the trash, I put them in a box and
hauled them out to the Junk pile in
the living room. I’d let my husband
haul them out, so I wouldn’t feel
quite so bad about tossing perfectly
good lids. I set it right next to the box
of single socks.
Chatting with my mom later
about these oddities, she laughed.
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socks die and come back as mis-
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From now on, I will have a less
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matched socks and lids. As long as I
toss them out together I can think of
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like reuniting lost loves.
Brianna Walker writes about the
Farmer’s Fate occasionally for the
Blue Mountain Eagle.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
County Court should
have attended
Nov. 28 meeting
more than enough to bear. Now
the threat of flooding to Canyon
City and John Day should have
prompted the court in learning
anything that will be beneficial in
To the Editor:
protecting the county now and in
7KH *UDQW &RXQW\ &RXUW the future.
Wednesday, Nov. 25, sent a let-
7KHFUHGLWDELOLW\RIWKH&RXQW\
ter to the Forest Service invoking Court was further tarnished by their
coordination. In August, when absence at an important meeting
citizens informed the court about that over 75 citizens from around
coordination after attending a WKHFRXQW\VDZ¿WWRDWWHQG
three-day workshop in Baker City,
Frances Preston
the court showed no interest. Only
Prairie City
after the sheriff introduced a natu-
ral resource plan and invoked co-
ordination did the court respond.
Volunteers make
On Nov. 28, Fred Kelly Grant,
a preeminent attorney on coordi- Thanksgiving dinner
nation, was in John Day to speak successful
on the issue. Although the Coun-
ty Court members were invited to To the Editor:
attend, not one of the men repre-
I am expressing my gratitude
senting Grant County were pres- and appreciation for all the volun-
ent at the informative meeting.
teer help during the Elks Communi-
Is it arrogance from the court W\7KDQNVJLYLQJGLQQHU7KLVGLQQHU
that they know more than anyone was provided at no charge by the
else or simply disdain for the cit- John Day Elks Lodge, thanks to a
izens they are supposed to repre- grant from the Elks National Foun-
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Creek Complex fire destroying we receive to share our benevo-
homes and shattering lives is lent work with the community, the
others helping with the Halloween
children and teen parties and the
high school proms.
Prep work started at the begin-
ning of the week, including setting
up the dining room with assistance
IURP%RE9DQ9RRUKLV7KDQNVJLY-
ing Day started at 5 a.m. with Char-
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XS WKH 7UDHJHU WR VPRNH DQG WKHQ
cook the 16 turkeys. Other helpers
during the day included Chris Bare,
Lance Barker, the Comer family
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² 'DOH )LQOH\9HUQ )ODQDU\ 5RQ
+DQVRQ$ODQDQG5RQL+LFNHUVRQ
Greg Irwin, Garrett Jennings, Steve
Summers and Mark and Aileen
Womer. Over 80 meals were deliv-
ered to homes from Mt. Vernon to
Prairie City by Chris Bare, Charlie
Caughlin, Garrett Jennings, Sharon
Kimberling and Steve Summers.
Only 100 meals were served at the
Lodge; the low number was proba-
bly due to bad road conditions.
7KLVWHDPHIIRUWPDGHWKHGD\D
great success.
Tom Winters
Exalted ruler, John Day Elks
Lodge
L
etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is
good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters.
Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original
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must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle,
195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
in the cupboard? I
asked myself this
over and over as I
tied my second bag
of trash.
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was no less full
Brianna
of random things
Walker
we didn’t need. I
found spices I don’t
know how to use, boxes of crackers
no one has ever liked and home-
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I can’t identify — in jars that are
not mine. Under the sink, I found
more almost empty bottles of dish
soap and cleanser and other clean-
ing supplies. Is there some kind of
subconscious thing that prevents us
from using something all up before
opening a new bottle?
I kept going through the cup-
boards, dishes I didn’t know where
came from, spoons that didn’t
match any utensils I own, even a
tablecloth I’ve never seen before
was tucked away in the back of a
drawer. I must say, though, that even
though each cupboard brought its
own puzzlement over the contents,
I was still feeling mighty pleased
with myself for all I’d accomplished.
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at least double check his junk before
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