A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
EO Media Group/Sierra Dawn McClain
Oregon farmer Jim McKay with his nursery crops.
Oregon leaders
need to address
water challenges
T
he Oregon Legislature
has hit on a winner with
the Irrigation District
Temporary Transfers Pilot
Project.
While the name sounds a
bit off -putting, the project is
eff ective. It allows some irri-
gation districts to internally
make temporary transfers
between water users. The proj-
ect has been in operation 18
years. During that time it has
been extended and expanded
to 15 of the state’s 40 or so
irrigation districts.
The beauty of the proj-
ect is its simplicity. A farmer
or rancher within an irriga-
tion district with an unused
water allocation can transfer it
temporarily to someone who
needs it.
This not only addresses
some of the water shortages
that have arisen over the years,
but it helps farmers and ranch-
ers hold onto water allocations
that otherwise might be lost,
courtesy of the state’s “use it
or lose it” law.
While not perfect — noth-
ing is — the project brings out
the best in cooperative spirit
among farmers in addition
to getting water to where it’s
needed.
It is time for the legislature
to expand the program to all
Oregon irrigation districts and
make it permanent.
While they’re tackling
water issues, legislators should
take a close look at the Ore-
gon Water Resources Depart-
ment, which appears to be
chronically underfunded and
understaff ed.
The department has a
national reputation for its slug-
gish performance. Daugh-
erty Water for Food Global
Institute at the University of
Nebraska has found the state
has an unnecessarily complex
and bureaucratic water trans-
fer system.
Year after year, the depart-
ment also reports that it is
behind in its work, in part
because of red tape and in part
because the Legislature does
not provide enough money
from the general fund.
Some believe water users
should provide most of the
department’s funding, but
since the state owns the water,
all citizens should pony up
adequate funding to manage it.
After all, everyone eats the
food grown with that water.
More also needs to be done.
Water issues in Oregon will
not go away. The state needs
a fl exible game plan for man-
aging the water that grows our
food and powers our econ-
omy. Leaders need to take a
close look at everything from
recharging aquifers in the win-
ter to lake taps to increasing
water storage behind dams.
Instead of constantly talking
about taking out dams, we
should be looking at ways
to increase their number and
capacity. That’s because scien-
tists say the mountain snow-
packs that serve as water stor-
age will continue to shrink.
We should also come up
with a statewide plan to trans-
fer water from locations with
plenty of water to those facing
drought and other shortages.
California, for example, has a
massive intrastate water trans-
fer system.
Climate change means
Oregonians will have to be
smarter in how they manage
water.
In Idaho, a years-long eff ort
is underway to replenish the
Eastern Snake Plain Aqui-
fer. In the past fi ve years, 2.3
million acre-feet of water has
been added to the aquifer, a
remarkable achievement.
Idaho legislators know they
have their work cut out for
them, and continue to invest
in aquifer recharge, adding to
dam capacity and other eff orts
that will keep that state’s econ-
omy healthy and growing.
They have a collective vision
for making that happen.
Oregon’s leaders would do
well to take a close look at
how innovation and invest-
ment can address the many
water challenges facing them
in the near and distant future.
Expanding the Irrigation
District Temporary Transfers
Pilot Project statewide and
making it permanent is just a
start.
EDUCATION CORNER
Time for school supplies
I
t’s back-to-school time. After
this last year, our children expe-
rienced many futuristic forms of
back to school. Very few were what
we would consider normal with the
pandemic happening around us. The
question is: What will school look
like this coming fall? For the most
part, something more traditional.
Some good and not-so-good strate-
gies happened over the past school
year. Now we’ll see which ones
remain and which ones do not.
One thing that won’t change for
sure and is so important to kids is
school supplies. The excitement
of what is to come, the organiz-
ing of new pencils, rulers, crayons
and scissors marks the beginning of
school. The anticipation for that fi rst
day of school and the days ahead
makes this an exciting time of the
year for children.
The beginning of the school year
is also an excellent learning oppor-
tunity for kids with the planning and
anticipation, evaluating and adjust-
ing they are, full of questions as
they anticipate the coming school
year. It can be frustrating for par-
ents, however.
Use this time to expand your
children’s minds. Students after fi rst
grade should be able to create their
own supply lists. Ask them to calcu-
late what the cost would be for you.
You can also provide them with an
amount to spend (budget) and create
their shopping list. Don’t limit it to
just school supplies. Clothing is an
important part as well.
That simple
activity provides
your child with the
opportunity to use
multiple life skills
that will provide
a strong founda-
Dr. Scott
tion for not only the
Smith
school year ahead
but lifelong under-
standing of shopping and the oppor-
tunity to guide them. It reinforces
their writing skills as they create
their lists. It forces them to use eval-
uative skills as they decide which
items would be best. Having to stay
within their budget amount or even
just letting you know how much
it will cost forces the use of math
skills.
Preschool, kindergarten and fi rst-
grade students have not had expo-
sure to school supply preparation,
but they are aware of it and get
excited. Time and conversation with
them are pivotal in the building of
their understanding and for develop-
ing life skills. They are also able to
start making some guided choices.
Giving them the options between
which pencils they would like to
buy and telling you why they made
their choice builds their understand-
ing of language at their level. Ask
questions such as, “What do you
think you will be using these scis-
sors for at school?”
We live in a busy world, and
there are times as adults and par-
ents that our “to-do” list is so long
it seems easier to go get school sup-
plies bought and ready for kids. If
this happens, there are still ways
to build that experience with your
child. Have them check and see if
what you bought matches the list
from the school. You can have the
kids add up what you spent by using
the receipt and locating the price.
They can check to make sure every-
thing you bought is there (pull
something out and leave it in the car
and have them fi nd it). These are life
problem-solving skills your chil-
dren will always use, and the activ-
ity makes for signifi cant interaction
with them. It may even keep them
busy and give you a chance to catch
up on other items.
Setting a couple of hours aside to
take your children school shopping
is one of the biggest keys to mak-
ing this activity a success. Having
them create their list before going
will provide discussion points and
boundaries that should make for an
enjoyable experience. As busy par-
ents, we want the job done, but
don’t miss an opportunity for you
and your child that they may carry
on when their children are headed to
school.
Dr. Scott Smith is a Umatilla
County educator with 40-plus years
of experience. He taught at McNary
Heights Elementary School and then
for Eastern Oregon University in
their teacher education program at
Blue Mountain Community College.
He serves on the Decoding Dyslexia
— OR board as their parent-teacher
liaison.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
‘The supreme law of every state in this union a Republi- laws contrary to the supreme law
can form of Government and shall
of this land I am not liable to com-
this land’
protect each of them against inva-
ply with.
To the Editor:
The supreme law of this land
is the Constitution of the United
States of America as stated in Arti-
cle Six of that document.
Article VI: “This Constitution
and the laws of the United States
which shall be made in pursuance
thereof ... shall be the Supreme
Law of the land and the judges of
every state shall be bound thereby,
anything in the Constitution or
laws of any state to the contrary
notwithstanding ... and the mem-
bers of the several state legisla-
tures ... shall be bound by oath
or affi rmation, to support this
Constitution.”
I believe that’s pretty plain so
let’s turn back to Article IV, Sec-
tion Four.
Article IV, Section 4: “The
United States shall guarantee to
sion, and on application of the leg-
islature or of the executive (when
the Legislature cannot be con-
vened) against domestic violence.”
A republican form of govern-
ment includes the legislature. The
legislature being the body of per-
sons in a state invested with power
to make, alter and repeal laws. Our
state legislature has excused them-
selves from this responsibility vot-
ing 28 to 27 to have no oversight
(watchful care or supervision) of
our governor’s powers. They have
surrendered their duty and given
us over to an arbitrator (one with
absolute power of deciding).
The defi nition of dictator is
quite similar, being “one who exer-
cises or in whom is vested supreme
authority in a state.” Without a leg-
islature our state has abrogated
the constitutional guarantee of the
United States of America and any
Michael R. Christensen
John Day
Seeking support
from the sheriff
To the Editor:
I am writing a letter of support
for the articulate, well-spoken let-
ter Union County Sheriff Cody
Bowen wrote to Gov. Kate Brown
on Aug. 16 regarding the latest mask
mandate.
I cannot add one word to it. What
I can say is I would like to see our
Sheriff Todd McKinley add his own
support to what Sheriff Bowen said.
Grant County, let’s take a
stand against more mandates and
restrictions.
Leslie Barnett
Long Creek
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 and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for
questions. We 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.
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Published every
Wednesday by
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(including online access)
Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com
One year ..................................................$51
Monthly autopay .............................. $4.25
Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60
Reporter ...................................................... Steven Mitchell, steven@bmeagle.com
Sports ........................................................sports@bmeagle.com
Multimedia ............................................................. Alex Wittwer, awittwer@eomediagroup.com
Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com
Subscriptions must be paid
prior to delivery
Online: MyEagleNews.com
POSTMASTER
send address changes to:
Blue Mountain Eagle
195 N. Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845-1187
USPS 226-340
Offi ce Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, offi ce@bmeagle.com
MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Periodicals Postage Paid
at John Day and additional
mailing offi ces.
Phone: 541-575-0710
Copyright © 2021
Blue Mountain Eagle
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication covered by the copyright
hereon may be reproduced or copied
in any form or by any means — graphic,
electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, taping or information
storage and retrieval systems — without
written permission of the publisher.
facebook.com/MyEagleNews
@MyEagleNews