It’s going to be a rough year for water. It isn’t because of salmon | Opinion

Op-ed nailed down salmon and dams

After reading the article published April 22 (“Eastern WA dam spill for salmon could increase NW blackout risk this summer”), I was gratified to see the actual truth make an appearance in the op-ed published May 20 (“Power officials are bending the truth to dismiss their harm to salmon”), which dispelled the Public Power Council’s false claims that salmon will be to blame if we have blackouts or significant electricity rate increases this summer.

As the May 20 op-ed makes clear, other factors, and not salmon, will be to blame if that happens.

The Bonneville Power Administration has been court-ordered to spill water over the Columbia Basin dams in basically the same amounts as last year. So any BPA claim that spill levels this year are some huge new burden is just not true.

And the court order also provides that spill levels may be reduced if there’s an emergent need for more power and the salmon-saving effort might put human lives at risk.

Low water flow, increasing heat waves and our outdated, vulnerable power distribution system may endanger us this summer. Salmon are no part of that threat, however, and it is untrue to suggest that they are.

Marjorie Millner, Vancouver

Diahann Howard worth supporting

As a developer who has worked on projects in both Benton and Franklin counties, I understand how important competent, steady and ethical public leadership is to economic development.

I am writing in support of Diahann Howard.

In my experience, good development requires more than land, buildings, infrastructure and capital. It requires confidence. Developers, investors, tenants and community partners need to believe that public agencies are being operated fairly, transparently and professionally.

Howard has been associated with major economic development efforts at the Port of Benton, including positioning the port as an energy, innovation, transportation and business-development asset for the region. That kind of leadership should not be casually dismissed or politically punished.

I do not pretend to know every fact behind the current dispute. But I do believe public servants should be treated fairly, whistleblower concerns should be taken seriously and investigations should be completed rather than paused or buried.

The Tri-Cities deserves port leadership that protects the public interest, encourages development and respects due process. From what I have seen, Howard deserves support, fairness and a full opportunity to be heard.

John C. Laney, Clarkston

Richard Schram is right for sheriff

Richard Schram has the experience, knowledge, and understanding of the issues in Walla Walla County, making him the right choice for sheriff. I’ve known him since 2016, and he has shown absolute commitment to safeguarding the lives, property, and individual liberties for all people in Walla Walla.

When I first met Schram, I immediately knew he was someone I could trust. He is dedicated to serving the community in ways that are hard to fathom. When Schram does something, he does not do it halfheartedly. He is all in.

Schram is committed to developing deputies; making sure they have what they need to do their jobs well. He knows policy and holds those around him to a high professional standard that he embodies. He is approachable, trusted and highly respected by his peers and those who know him personally.

Schram instructs boating classes, attends Sheriff’s Round Tables, Superhero Runs, career fairs and much more. He makes it a priority to be involved and deeply invests in the community. With his 23 years of experience, he knows what is demanded of this profession.

Joseph Henderson

Patrol corporal, Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office

Time gets away if you don’t take care

Alright, here’s something I rarely say out loud, though I doubt I’m the only one who feels this way. I don’t always make the most of school — not the way I should, anyway. I show up, I do the assignments, but sometimes I find myself just coasting through the day, barely thinking about what I’m actually working toward in the long run.

Even when I promise myself I’ll focus or try harder, I slip back into old habits. It’s not that I don’t care — it’s just too easy to get comfortable and stick to what’s familiar. Kennewick High School offers a ton of opportunities: sports, clubs, interesting classes and even programs that help with careers after graduation. But honestly, most of us don’t really take these seriously, and I get it because I don’t always either.

Picking the easiest option always feels tempting, even when it’s not what’s best for your future. Distractions are everywhere — phones, friends or just that urge to zone out.

You can physically be in class and still not pay attention. It doesn’t seem like a big deal in the moment, but later you realize those missed chances start to matter. Time really does slip away.

Abdel Hassan, Richland

Questioning Snake River dams

Cracks are appearing in the four lower Snake River dams. Not literally, but nevertheless damaging.

Over the past five years, the average amount of electricity these dams produced each year is 669 megawatts — compared with average production of the previous 20 years, a decline of 29%. Each dam now provides six-tenths of one percent (0.6%) of the Pacific Northwest’s power load of 26,145 megawatts.

Bonneville Power Administration’s 2026-28 wholesale price for electricity it sells to Public Utility Districts is $40 per megawatt hour (MWh).

Over the past fifteen years, the cost of utility-scale solar energy has plummeted 85%. Solar Power Purchase Agreements in the West now provide power for around $24/MWh.

The average cost of utility-scale battery storage has fallen an equal amount. Hybrid installations match solar with battery back-up, negating the argument that solar energy cannot provide firm power.

BPA owns 75% of the Pacific Northwest’s transmission capacity. Bonneville has limited the growth of solar energy by not allowing potential solar producers access to its transmission grid. Plans for new non-BPA transmission lines are now forming in Oregon and Washington.

BPA’s generation costs are rising, production falling and a near monopoly on transmission is slipping away.

Those cracks will widen.

Linwood Laughy, Moscow, Idaho

Duresky is the ‘comfortable fit’

If you sense we are engaged in a political civil war that is dividing us through distrust and disdain, you know the up-coming mid-term election is unusually important. Its outcome may well determine whether our dedication to equality and inalienable rights endures.

But left or right, we know something is wrong. Politics should not consume our lives this way. Walking down the street, we should see those we pass as neighbors, not as enemies engaged in a struggle.

We want, instead, a shared sense of community and belonging, of self-worth and respect, a sense that there is no right and wrong side of the tracks.

So, we need to seek, work and vote for candidates, like John Duresky, whose background demonstrates a commitment to ensuring a civil, civic life within the communities we call home.

Duresky is a Democratic candidate engaged in a likely close election, in a traditionally Republican stronghold, against a candidate whose commitment may be colored by partisan conflict.

Fortunately, traditional strongholds need not hold. If our political divides make you uneasy, see where Duresky stands. If you find a comfortable fit, make sure you vote. Who votes will make a difference.

David H. Dunbar, Ellensburg