Editorial

Making lemonade
    Given the vast amount of snow-free slopes ringing the valley, the past few days of rain plus the slow demise and closure of many of the cross county ski trails, one could equivocally say winter is over in the Methow. One could almost ask, especially if you are a fan of the skating rink, was it ever really here?
    With a statewide snowpack average at 75 percent of normal, water managers are already concerned about drought conditions this summer while folks hoping to be busy during the wildfire season can look forward to what may be a very active year. A Department of Transportation crew did their annual late February snow assessment of Highway 20 last week and, not surprisingly, found low snowpack conditions and minimal avalanche debris. The estimate is for a three-week effort – half the normal clearing time – starting on March 22. Of course, the roar of March storms could change all of that.
    So it was somewhat of a paltry winter. If it had snowed each time it had rained, it goes without saying that we would have done a lot more snow removal. Yet the cold temperatures were there from time to time. Remember the crop-freezing low temperatures in October? Then there was that cold, dry snap in December. There were some definite Old Man Winter moments, but overall they were few and far between. The big snowfalls just didn’t happen. The winter of 2010 will most likely be remembered for its balmier temps, soupy weather and insistence on rain instead of snow on the valley floor.
    Nonetheless, as with last year, it seemed folks did what they always do and made the best of what Mother Nature threw our way. With plenty of hand-wringing and Herculean efforts, the MVSTA’s big SuperTour event went off splendidly with a miraculous bluebird day and fantastic ski conditions ushering in the big race. On the flip side weather-wise, the celebratory Olympic festival at the closed ice rink had less than ideal conditions with the gloomy rain pouring down harder as the start of the opening ceremony in Vancouver approached. Still, as at any Methow event, come rain or shine, participants had a merry time, enjoyed the fireworks, skied with torches and made the best of it in true Methow spirit and fashion.
    It goes to show, especially at the lower elevations, that we don’t need that much snow for people to enjoy themselves. There were plenty of excellent days out on the ski trails – look at the recent holiday weekend – the valley was packed and the groomed trails were in fine condition. Even the Loup has had a stellar – and still ongoing – season despite the potential in the early season for another disastrous winter up on Little Buck.
    We are fortunate to be here to experience a Methow winter, no matter what size and shape it may come in. But we are always the better for making the best of that over which we lack much control.
– Paul Butler

Letters to the Editor

Boys' responsibility too
Dear Editor,
    I wanted to respond to John Hanron’s editorial on Feb. 17 because it contained an important point that I wanted to emphasize. John says that, “As parents, we can help by raising kids – especially our boys – to respect women, to abhor violence and genuinely feel love and compassion for their fellow human beings.” It was refreshing to see violence against women portrayed as not solely a “women’s problem” as it so often is.
    Sexual and physical violence against women is a problem that continues to be seen as something women need to protect themselves against, rather than looking at the role men play in rape culture and the entitlement men seem to feel to sex, even if forced.
    Rape victims are often thought of as “asking for it” by drinking, wearing revealing clothing, or simply walking down the street at night.
Women have also been taught that preventing rape or assault is our responsibility, that we must always be vigilant. At most colleges there are classes for incoming freshman women on how to keep themselves safe. Keeping oneself safe (i.e. not getting raped) is something on a woman’s mind daily.
    But where are the men in all of this? Where are the classes teaching them that they are not entitled to sex, that women need to be treated with respect and kindness, what consent is and how to obtain it and how to stop this culture of violence against women? Why aren’t there more men out there speaking out against rape and domestic violence and educating others? Why is it women’s responsibility?
Our schools need to be educating boys from an early age that preventing rape and violence against women is as much their responsibility as anyone’s. Society needs to stop victim blaming and the aggressors need to be held accountable for their actions.
    This is not a condemnation of all men at all, rather a call to recognize the fact that violence against women is a problem that affects all of us and we need to confront it by educating both sexes, not just women.
Marisa Monteverde
Olympia/Winthrop


Serving the girls
Dear Editor:
    We at Calvary Chapel wish to thank you and the Methow Valley News for your helpful coverage of our fundraising efforts on behalf of the girls at Torre Fuerte Family Home for Girls in Arequipa, Peru. Additionally, Keziah McGregor, Bart at the Red Apple, Hank at Harvest Foods, Sharon at the Valley Hub, the folks at Okanogan County Electric Co-op and others too numerous to mention, all have made great contributions to the success of this season’s efforts to raise support for these at-risk girls.
    Whether abandoned physically or emotionally by their families, our little sisters at Torre Fuerte (Strong Tower) would live in extreme poverty and danger of abuse were it not for the generosity of the people of the Methow Valley and elsewhere who have opened their hearts and responded to the need. Several thousand dollars have been donated toward their housing, schooling, clothing, nutrition and emotional well-being through craft sales, kitchen ministries, a bake sale and a quilt raffle. 
    During a brief rest, we will seek God’s direction and vision for the next phase of serving the girls of Torre Fuerte. We hope our neighbors will continue to support us as we strive to support them. Thank you everyone.
Chris Meyer-Rogers, Carol Sorg
and Nancy Elvig
Quilt creators from
Calvary Chapel of the Methow Valley


Fiddlers and ice cream
Editor,
    Greetings! I just found out that the annual North Cascades Fiddle Contest will be held this year on Aug. 28. I can guarantee that fiddlers across the state (and beyond) will be preparing for it soon. It’s a BIG DEAL! There are many wonderful small contests in our state, but this one is set apart for it is in such a beautiful setting and is so well attended. There will be hundreds who will drive a long way to get there. And to think, you who are blessed to actually live in the Methow Valley will have this event in your own “backyard.” What an opportunity to hear the best fiddlers our state has to offer and even some national champions!
    This is a relaxing family event. There is much laughter, good jamming, good fiddling and even an insect contest for the kids! Just to give your kids a “heads up” about the insect contest... they’ll get extra points if their insect does something creepy while being judged. They’ll probably win if their insect bites a judge!  (Just make sure it’s not poisonous!)
    One of my own family’s personal highlights is the trip into town for ice cream. We go twice and get the honkin’ big cones. Man! They’re good!
    Well, Winthrop, beautiful Winthrop, thank you for hosting the contest again. Get ready for us, ‘cause we’re getting ready for you!
Cheryl Burwell
Maple Valley, Wash.


Using common sense
Dear Editor,
    The intent of the “three-strikes” law was to incarcerate the “worst of the worst” violent criminals. Of approximately 281 now incarcerated for life, some 200 were convicted of second-degree robbery and/or second-degree assault.
Robbery 2 does not involve any weapons and does not result in any injuries. Assault 2 can be a simple barroom brawl. Granted, these are crimes and must be punished but they are not the most serious offenses and these people are not the worst violent criminals. Do they deserve life in prison? No, and the argument here is against the sentence of forever.
    The law should be repealed especially in light of the extreme budget crises that are cutting back on essential services. Millions of dollars are being diverted from public safety into warehousing people who are not violent.
Tom McBride, Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, has stated that they are applying this law in a more “rational manner” in recent years. Plea bargains are allowing “three-strikers” to be charged with offenses other than those considered “strikes.” This accounts for so many fewer in prison than originally predicted. Dan Satterberg, King County prosecutor, has even gone so far as to investigate injustices in earlier cases. The professionalism of prosecutors applying the law more fairly and being willing to address past injustices is commendable. Leaving this law remain is not. To learn more, visit www.fix3strikes.org and www.justiceisnogame.org.
Shirley White
Omak


Cross-border cat
Editor,
    My friend and yours, “Bob” the bobcat, was seen just south of Carlton on Wednesday, Jan. 27, and again 200 or 300 miles northwest on Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Olympics at Whistler, B.C.
    I would like to know how “Bob” could travel to Canada, without a current passport, and get into the Olympic games without paying for an expensive ticket!
Darrell D. Miller
Seattle / Winthrop


An inspiration
Editor,
    In my opinion, Pat and Claude Miller provide – and are – very great examples of people with a quality of personality, fortitude and “stick-to-it-ness.” We should all be so lucky. I wrote this for them.
    Inspiration:
    With a nod and a grin, they knew they were in. Pat and Claude were married, not too many years and, despite fears, children blessed them. Life was harried.
    Through thick and thin, and blows on the chin, they lived the sanctity of marriage, proving love conquers all, despite how you fall.
    What an inspiration to all.
Craig White
Winthrop



 

My Turn by Paul Taylor

Calling co-op rates “fair” doesn’t make them so
    The electric co-op’s new rate structure has two radical components – a monthly demand charge based on each member’s peak 15 minutes use, and an imbalance between the (high) monthly base charge and (low) kilowatt-hour rate. The senselessness of a demand charge that is not linked to the co-op’s peak demand periods is obvious to just about everyone. Worse, the co-op has spent much money replacing its 3,600 standard meters with meters that can record each customer's peak 15-minute demand, but can’t keep track of daily time of use.
    The co-op’s new high monthly base fee (now $40) and reduced kWh rate of 3.84 cents follows the ideology espoused by Marty Blake, a consultant for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which he promoted in a recent article published in that Association’s journal for co-op managers. Blake argues that, ideally, all of a co-op’s costs should be shared equally by its members, regardless of how much electricity each customer uses. He advises co-op managers to overcome “pushback” from co-op members on such a rate structure by calling it “fair.” But just calling it “fair” doesn’t make it so. Like the new meters that are unable to track daily time of use over a month, our co-op has somewhat gullibly bought Blake’s approach without a critical eye toward its consequences.
    The idea that all users should pay the same for a service, regardless of how much product they consume and benefit they receive, is anathema to what Americans are used to and think of as ‘fair.” Other utilities are clearly not rushing to adopt Blake’s approach. For example, a review of the other 13 Washington co-ops’ rates show that they balance their cost recovery between their monthly base rates and kWh rates. On average, their monthly base charge is $14, and their kWh rate is just over 6 cents, which is well below the national average of 10.6 cents/kWh.
    Loading a co-op’s costs so heavily into the monthly base charge, as Blake suggests and our co-op has adopted, places an extraordinary burden on low and average users – almost doubling the monthly bills for many, and it fails to provide an adequate incentive for energy conservation. We are now stuck with the new meters, but we don’t have to be stuck with the radical new rate structure. Let’s not have the Methow serve as a guinea pig for Blake’s ideology.

    Paul Taylor is with the Members for a Democratic Co-op, a group of co-op members wanting a more balanced rate structure and greater transparency, and a candidate for the upcoming co-op board election.
 

My Turn by Lee Hatcher

Make water decisions while we still can
    As Methow Watershed Council coordinator, I was recently asked the question “When it comes to water supply, what do we need to do – long term – to benefit all of us in the Methow River Valley?” As I pondered the question, I thought of the words of a council member who reassured me during the hiring process: “At least they don’t shoot at the watershed coordinator anymore!”
    As most of us know, the 40-year history of water regulation in the valley has been and continues to be highly contentious. Many agencies and organizations in the Methow watershed are working on future water supply and water-related habitat issues; others are working on the new comprehensive plan for future land use, and a shoreline management plan attending to shoreline habitat and development along rivers and lakes. All are interdependent. Yet now, at the beginning of the 21st century, there is little clarity or consensus on how to best adapt to rapidly changing conditions.
    One thing that is clear to me is that the longer we continue to argue among ourselves, without working toward agreement, the fewer choices we will have. In all cases, water availability will increasingly determine (and limit) our decisions. An added complication is water law, our complex network of incremental regulations that evolved over the last century to clarify and protect water rights and claims.
    The population in the Methow continues to grow despite the economic recession, increasing water demands. At the same time, climate change makes precipitation more unpredictable: some years precipitation may be close to historical norms, while other years it may be substantially lower than usual lows. There are a limited number of people the natural environment and existing agriculture can support. As climate change becomes more pronounced, it is vital that we have respectful and engaged discussions with each other in order to make wise decisions on difficult issues, before our choices become limited or nonexistent.
    What can individuals do toward solving this increasingly urgent issue of water in the Methow? Of course, taking steps to reduce water use wherever possible is an important first step. But in order to make wise decisions, we need accurate information about current water use. People who are forthcoming with information about their water use and are willing to have it measured voluntarily will greatly contribute to wise planning  – planning based on facts rather than arguments. Above all, get engaged with the discussions and decision-making around water. We will all be much better off having the difficult conversations that lead to changes addressing water, climate change, and population growth now, before our choices become increasingly limited.  
    Standing by and letting the “status quo” remain will inevitably lead to failure: failure to grow responsibly, failure to protect our water, wildlife and shorelines, and failure to protect the water rights of farms, ranches, and citizens of the Methow.

    Lee Hatcher is the coordinator of the Methow Watershed Council. These comments reflect his personal opinion and do not represent the position of the Methow Watershed Council.

 

Writers on the Range

Build in the wrong place and you’re on your own

By Linda M. Hasselstrom
    Recent news stories lament the “disaster” of mudslides in Los Angeles caused by heavy rainfall on steep slopes where wildfires have burned off trees and shrubs. “Let the buyer beware,” the old saying goes; but somehow, the buyers always say, “We didn’t know.”
    Ignoring logic, developers bulldoze fragile soil, remove rock and create flotillas of houses on hills covered with mesquite and other brush rich in flammable resins, all guaranteed to be set on fire by lightning or arsonists. Every time the slopes burn, every time the houses slide, the rest of the nation holds its breath and watches dramatic videos of frightened people evacuating. Firefighters risk their lives to save people who choose to ignore evacuation orders. The same thing will happen again next time.
    Yet none of this uproar, expense and suffering is necessary; it’s a consequence of ignoring natural law. The causes are clear and the effects predictable, and they’re expected to get much worse as climate change accelerates.
John McPhee’s 2000 book, The Control of Nature, summarizes how Los Angeles got into this mess and predicts what will happen next. (The book also describes the likely consequences to New Orleans of the Corps of Engineers’ playing with the Atchafalaya River.)
    How often have you seen this scenario? The TV camera slow-w-wly pans over a devastated landscape while a solemn voice describes the latest tragedy. The camera focuses on a disheveled man standing in front of wreckage. He’s lost his dog and his pickup truck and his family members are distraught. But when that microphone appears, he grins pluckily and says, “We’ll rebuild.”
    “There oughta be a law....” say some of the voters who pay for these foolish choices. In fact, there already is: natural law. And as Ann Zwinger wrote in Credo: Shaped By Wind and Water, “Ignorance is no defense in the court of natural law.”
    A 2008 study by Stanford University scientists demonstrated that humans have learned how to ignore cause and effect because our culture aids and abets them in doing so. Unfortunately, says Deborah S. Rogers, who participated in the study, people have learned how to avoid natural selection in the short term. But ignorance is unsustainable.
In short, we’ve rewarded people for being uninformed by providing rescue from Mother Nature. Hike up a mountain without adequate knowledge or gear? No problem; volunteers from Search and Rescue will save you. Lost in the desert? Just dial 9-1-1.
    It’s past time to start obeying a law that’s been on the books literally forever. You say you want to build your mansion among dense pine trees on the side of a mountain? Use fireproof materials, thin the trees, and bulldoze escape routes. Good luck: You’re on your own.
    A few years ago, fire threatened a subdivision in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The subdivision had only one narrow access road. Two firefighters tried to save a house as the woods blew up, and got trapped on the porch when the fire crowned. A helicopter-load of slurry saved both the men and the house. But the homeowner tried to sue; he wanted the fire department to pay for cleaning up the pink slurry.
    A team of citizens – I was a member – was formed to plan how to avoid such scenarios in the future. Firefighters offered to educate subdivision dwellers and suggest tree-thinning and more escape routes. We decided that the driveways of homeowners who didn’t comply would be marked, and no attempt would be made to save those houses. Judging by recent Western fires, however, not all fire departments have followed our lead.
    The attempt to repeal natural laws is expensive. We reward people who make ignorant choices when we rescue them from the consequences of their actions. But natural selection is still in force, and the more we reward ignorance, the more of it we get.
    You want your desert house to have a lawn? Sorry. Desert living requires sand, rock and cactus, and no swimming pool. Water is too precious to waste on self-delusion. You want a lawn? Move to where grass grows naturally.
    You want to build in the trees? Stock your own firefighting tools. You’ve built on a flood plain? Buy a raft and water wings. Please don’t call on the public for help – and don’t count on a bailout from an insurance company or the federal government.

    Linda M. Hasselstrom is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). She writes in Hermosa, South Dakota.