Foundation board member Loren Huse said the golf tournament is one of the top events for the foundation each year.

“The golf tournament is one of our major fundraisers of the year. It gives us enough to fully pay for our Heritage Banquet and usually a little left over to fund other activities,” said Huse.

Huse said the tournament is a strong indicator of the community’s commitment to celebrating education.

“It appears everyone in this area feels education is very important. This is why we have had such amazing support for the foundation and the tournament,” said Huse.

Huse also said the tournament is a point of pride for organizers.

“It is one of the best attended tournaments of the year in American Falls, and we are often told it is one of the most enjoyable for golfers to play in. This is a premier event for our community and it is our pleasure to put it on each year,” said Huse.

The tournament features sponsors on many levels. Companies and individuals each year sponsor holes, provide prizes and food. Lamb Weston is a perennial sponsor. Huse said the food is almost as big of an attraction as the golfing.

“Each year Lamb Weston provides us with French fries and some of their other products. I know there are a lot of people who come just to eat those potato and jalapeno products Lamb Weston makes, they are delicious,” said Huse.

The tournament will once again feature a hole-in-one prize. The lucky golfer that aces a hole will win a golf cart.

For more information about the American Falls Education Foundation Golf Tournament or to register a team contact the American Falls Golf Course at 226-5827.

As of Monday morning no word has been received from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), the agency providing the oversight for the Downtown Revitalization Project, as to when the pre-construction meeting for the project can be scheduled or when the city can begin its conversations with the project’s contractor Depatco. We are on schedule for the meeting to be held this Friday, June 14. Please check the city website, http://www.cityofamericanfalls.com, for a confirmed date, time and location.

Once the project begins, weekly meetings will be scheduled and the affected property owners will be contacted so they can take part if they choose.

The first annual Outdoor Recreation Swap Meet was a huge success this past Saturday, June 8. I extend a very special thank you to Tricia Mitchell, Debbie Brady and the members of their committee for the tremendous amount of work they did on behalf of the city of American Falls. I eluded to it last week but it is the selfless “we-can” attitudes of people like these who make so many great things possible.

My contribution to the event was insignificant by comparison to the committee’s but it did take my breath away over 20 times as I was plunged into cold water at the dunking booth. I am glad the money from the booth went to such a good cause, although it makes me wonder how my students and FFA members feel about me when they bought over 90 attempts to dunk me.

All the proceeds from the Swap Meet will be used on amenities for the Downtown Project.

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) will host a meeting on Thursday, June 20, at 7 p.m. in the American Falls Fine Arts Auditorium. The Idaho Fish and Game will briefly describe the role of native fish in Idaho’s fishery management plans and how they affect reservoir operations. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will outline water quality programs including TMDL’s and water quality standards related to the operation of the American Falls Reservoir. Irrigation interests will be present to describe the reservoir system’s role on the agricultural industry in Idaho. I will briefly address the role of fishing and other water recreational activities and its impact on our local economy. The BOR will a have a presentation which will include a brief history, 2007 and 2012, of the operations of Water District 1 as well as some projections for this year and their operational constraints, along with considerations and rationales for their operations.

This meeting is open to anybody who is interested in any of these areas as they are affected by the resource we know as American Falls Reservoir.

Also this week the city will begin our budgeting process. Early indications predict budgets and services will be much the same as they have been over the past five to six years. The budget meeting schedule has been submitted to The Power County Press for publication and is also available on the city website.

Until next week…

Donald Lee Kraupie, of Pocatello, ID, passed away Friday, June 7, 2013. The funeral service was at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 11, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Aberdeen First Ward, Aberdeen, ID. A viewing was at 10 a.m. before the funeral at the church. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.davisrosemortuary.com.

Eileen attended grade school in Arbon and Malad. She would start school in Arbon as fall work was not finished until October or November, then move to Malad to go until March or April until she was in the fourth grade. Her family then moved to Malad for their schooling because her older siblings were in high school. She graduated from Malad High School in 1946 on her birthday.

Eileen married Luther Estep on Oct. 25, 1947, in Malad, at her parent’s home. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple Aug. 24, 2002.

Eileen worked with her husband, Louie, on their farm in Arbon growing wheat, barley, and raising beef cattle until their retirement. When retired, they enjoyed traveling to Arizona and Texas. Eileen was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She always supported her family in their activities and spent time with them whenever she could.

Eileen was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings. She had many interests including sewing, knitting, ceramics, wheat weaving, tole painting, photography and cooking, just to mention a few. She shared her love of teaching and her artistic skills as a 4-H leader. She demonstrated at the Blackfoot Fair several times sharing her talents. She reported the Arbon news with stories and photographs for The Power County Press for several years.

Eileen and Louie were selected to serve as Grand Marshalls over the Power County Stampede and American Falls Day activities in 1993.

Eileen is survived by her children, Ken (Valaree) Estep of Arbon, ID, and Pam (Weston) Christensen, of Inkom, ID; grandchildren, Chad (Cindy) Christensen, Jenny (Travis) Thurston, and Holly (Scott) Vernon; great-grandchildren, Michael, Paighton, Chris, Brylee, Thayne and Tayler; and sister, Nelda Williams of Arbon, ID. She was preceded in death by her husband, Louie; her parents, Elmer and Susan Ward; brothers, Elmer and Darrell; and sister, Helen.

Funeral services were held on Monday, June 10, at noon in the Arbon LDS Chapel, 1358 Church Road in Arbon, with President Darrel Ward officiating. Friends visited with the family on Monday at the church prior to services from 10 to 11:45 a.m. Burial followed the service at the Arbon Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction Horsley Funeral Home, Malad, ID.

Donations may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Please make checks payable to JDRF and mail to Eileen’s daughter, Pam Christensen, P.O. Box 305, Inkom, ID, or donate online to JDRF Crazy Pancreas 5k 2013 event. Go to the Crazy Pancreas 5K website at http://idahocrazypancreas5k.blogspot.com/. Click the ‘Donate Now’ button. Condolences may be sent to the family at horsleyfuneralhome@hotmail.com.

I originally thought to myself no one likes being in a catch 22, and I believe that I am correct in this assumption. There are, however, people who chose to place themselves in a catch 22 as a career. These are the people that choose public service as an occupation.

I am sympathetic to the plight these individuals face each day. Trying to make the most beneficial decisions for the greatest amount of people at any given time in a wide and varying range of scenarios these people move along suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune to make their communities a better place.

The select group that I am most sympathetic toward is that group called school administrators. The differing opinions in any community decision can clash, most times in unexpected ways, but you throw children into the mix and navigating the waters of administration jumps to an entirely new level.

On the opposing side I have very little sympathy for those people that create a catch 22 for others to figure out.

Such is the case of Joki versus the Meridian School District.

Russell Joki is a former superintendent of the Nampa School District, but has grandchildren that attend school in the Meridian district. Joki attempted to sue over a dozen school districts for charging students fees. Joki claims it cost an extra $100 per year for his grandchild to attend school. It is Joki’s contention the fees are burdensome and unconstitutional.

“It’s discriminatory. I think parents are sick and tired of this. They expect a free public education. To have to open their wallets, when they take kids to public school, to register their kids for public course is a violation of the Idaho Constitution,” Joki told the Associated Press.

Joki was also seeking to have the case certified as a class action so that every K-12 student in the state could be named as a plaintiff. Fourth District Judge Richard Greenwood did not certify the case as a class action suit. In fact Greenwood dismissed 12 of the school districts and state superintendent Tom Luna as defendants saying Joki had no material claim of harm as a basis to sue other school districts, but left Meridian as the sole defendant.

Joki told the Associated Press he is disappointed by the judge’s decision but will continue to press forward.

Here is the catch 22 of the situation: the state constitution does guarantee every child in the state a free education through 12th grade. It does not mention what that education should consist of; rather the constitution delegates the detail work of setting required curriculum to the Idaho Department of Education. Unfortunately state funding has not matched the cost for schools to teach the requirements and offer the bells and whistles many of us experienced in school. This would be the “rock” part of the equation.

The “hard place” is that many parents expect their children to receive those extras. Most people want their children to experience the things they did as children. These are things like field trips, art classes, assemblies and such. All of these things cost money, but again most of the money that is coming in is being used to cover the basic requirements.

This is not to lay the fault of a declining education system singularly at the feet of parents; parents should demand these experiences for their children. Think back on your favorite memory from your school years. The memories that stick out for a large number of people are the special experiences; field trips, a special science experiment or something of that sort. I am guessing any one of us would be hard pressed to find someone that thinks back to a standard lecture on quadratic formula usage as a favorite school memory.

I am not familiar with Joki’s resume but just about every school administrator I have ever come into contact with has a progression through the ranks on their resume. Most start as teachers and work their way up. Most administrators are painfully aware of the monetary situation facing school districts statewide.

I believe that Joki has also forgotten or chosen to ignore the compromise student fees represent. Schools are like any other public institution: they have contingency funds and functions to accommodate people that cannot afford the outside charges. If Joki’s grandchildren are so disadvantaged there are ways to keep them involved, but there is a need to offset the extra costs. This is usually accomplished by stout management and shared expense coverage.

The thing I find most out of sorts with Joki’s lawsuit is that it is an expense for these school districts. Joki is willingly narrowing the gap between that rock and the hard place by forcing these school districts to spend money on lawyers and not on keeping extracurricular costs at a minimum. The alternative result will be that the Meridian School District will have to silence the bells and whistles, no more art, theater, field trips, or sports.

The simple math is that it would be cheaper for Joki and the Meridian School District if he were to just pay for his grandchildren’s fees. But if you have paid attention to the budgeting debacles in the Nampa School District it is easy to see why this cost-benefit analysis has eluded Joki.

Most of us have picked careers and jobs that keep us out of a catch 22, but in choosing a career in education administration these people have volunteered to be constantly between the rock and hard place for the sake of making our children better people. For that we should be grateful, not eager to make their jobs a harder place.

Our entire backyard looks like a forest, the dandelions are so tall. This was after I had liberally spread weed killer. Somehow, somewhere, there is a weed-killer factory next to a dandelion seed factory and the wrong substance got poured in the wrong bag.

And I think dandelions are a somewhat beautiful flower, at least for the 15 minutes or so before they turn to seed. I don’t mind them in early April, when they speckle the landscape. But now, it’s no longer speckling. It’s coating the landscape. It’s smothering the landscape like chocolate on a hot fudge sundae. Only replace the chocolate with tartar sauce.

My grandfather’s garden was once overrun by an equally pretty weed, known as the “Star of Bethlehem” which has small white flowers. He is a deeply religious man, and thought “Star of Bethlehem” was too benign of a name for the impossible-to-get-rid-of flower. He called them “Star of Satan” instead.

Our kids love to pick dandelions and give them to us. After some painful lessons in what flowers you can and can’t pick, they know that dandelions are always okay to pick, and they make a pretty gift for mommy or daddy. Little do they know that inside our heads we are smirking that at least one flower will no longer live to reproduce, and the smiles on our faces are not so much the worth of the present, but the thought of generations of flowers gone forever from the earth (it is, of course, the thought that counts).

We could eat them, of course, and we would probably never go hungry again on the bumper crop we have this year. But there is something unappetizing about eating weeds. If it was something we could buy in the store, then we wouldn’t mind at all.

What we’ll have to do is set up booths on corners, but instead of selling lemonade, we’ll sell dandelion greens. Everybody should come and buy them. They’re all natural. Just ask the people at the dandelion seed factory.

by Kurtis Workman
Press Staff Writer

Water managers in the region are predicting a dire year for irrigators in Power and Bingham counties.

When asked about indications that 2013 would be a light water year, Aberdeen/Springfield Canal Company General Manager Steven Howser said the indications are much worse.

“Saying it is a ‘light water year’ is a very nice way of saying it. I would characterize this year as a drought emergency. I liken it to what we saw in 2003,” said Howser.

Falls Irrigation Company Manager Terrell Sorensen is seeing similarities to other low-water years.

“This is a lot like 1992 or 2002 when were almost down to river flow,” said Sorensen.

Sorensen called the 2013 season unusual.

“The snow pack looked good, but last year was so dry the runoff soaked straight into the ground,” said Sorensen.

Water managers are hopeful, but cautious, that a full water season can be accomplished if water users are vigorous about conservation.

“I have asked our users to maximize their irrigation systems by replacing nozzles, washers and heads that are leaking. I have emphasized proper pond management for those using a pond. It is really important that all of our irrigators make the most of their 24 hour cycle by moving lines effectively. Irrigators need to work with the ditch riders to eliminate losing unneeded water that can be moved to a place where it is needed,” said Howser.

Sorensen said farmers in the Falls Irrigation District are very conservation minded, but more is needed to make a full season.

“Our water users are very tight about their conservation efforts because we pump water. We hope to have a full year, but so much depends on how low the reservoirs in the system get. This year it is important that our users call when they don’t need water and don’t spill the extra water,” said Sorensen.

Sorensen said the differences between Falls Irrigation and Aberdeen/Springfield will make a notable difference between users in each system.

“We are a bit different than Aberdeen/Springfield. Most of our water is in storage and we had some carryover from last year that will help move us through this year,” said Sorensen.

Aberdeen/Springfield is primarily dependent on surface flow to fill customer orders, but does have some storage in the Snake River Basin. Howser said even the storage situation is bleak.

“We have 100 percent fill of our storage in Jackson Lake, but that is a small percentage of our actual storage water. Most of our storage is in Palisades Reservoir, about 63 percent of our total storage is in that reservoir, however, we only have approximately 20 percent fill of our storage in Palisades,” said Howser.

Howser said the Aberdeen/Springfield Canal Company is taking other steps to help irrigators this season.

“Our board of directors instructed me to write letters to the Bingham and Power county commissions requesting a drought emergency declaration. Many people are surprised by just how desperate the water situation is this year,” said Howser.

Howser said an emergency declaration will simplify some steps to getting much needed extra water to farmers.

“Asking the commissioners to make the declaration is the first step in the process. Once a declaration is accepted it will make things like emergency water right transfers much easier,” said Howser.

While a declaration will simplify the political and paperwork process of securing water Howser said he faces the same difficulties with or without the declaration.

“Having a declaration will give us more options to find emergency water, but the situation remains the same without a declaration. We have to find the water to keep our farmers going,” said Howser.

Sorensen said getting water into the system is the base problem for canal managers.

“It is looking like it is going to be a tight year, but a good rain could change everything,” said Sorensen.

Howser said much of this year will be about managing the things that can be controlled.

“A solid rain storm or two could really make a difference this year. Right now we need to be watchful about the stuff we can control. What we really need is cooperation. We need to share our water. If we can share effectively we can still make a year of it,” said Howser.

Both Sorensen and Howser are reluctant to give a specific date for water shutoff because there are still too many variables to account for. Howser did, however, project a best-case-scenario.

“If we conserve all that we can and manage everything perfectly I could see the season lasting until mid-September. But, perfect is a lot to ask for,” said Howser.

People travel around the world to view pretty sunsets, but they don’t come much prettier than those right here at home, as can be contested to by this sunset view from the American Falls Golf Course looking out over the American Falls Reservoir.

Choices for the event are: all three events (nine-hole golf scramble, dinner and Blackjack) for $50 per person; golf and dinner for $40 each; Blackjack and dinner for $25; or dinner only $15 each.

Prizes will be: first place two-person team scramble; last place two-person team scramble; and Blackjack winner takes first.

Blackjack rules are five members to a table, winner of each table moves on to round two. Winner of round two tables moves on to the championship round.

Sign up at Hazard Creek Golf Course or contact Debra Hart at 397-2547 or email to debra.hart@simplot.com or Tonia Stone at 244-1727 or tonia.stone@simplot.com.

The first 40 people who sign up for golf will get the use of a golf cart for free.

The “Relay For Life” event is being hosted by Hazard Creek Golf Course and Simplot Relay for Life Teams.

With a twinkle in his eye and tongue-in-cheek, I remember my Dad asking, “Do you know where people consider the most popular place to go?” We would offer our ideas and then finally admit that we were stumped. He would say, “A cemetery! Everyone is dying to get there!” We may chuckle and see the humor in his statement, but there is also much truth to ponder. Everyone dies. The statistic remains: 10 out of 10 people die and that includes me and you. Paradoxically, something that is so common to the human experience is seemingly so taboo to talk about. Even as you read this article, I wonder how many people will just simply stop reading because of its “deadly” topic. Some may say, “I want to read something more inspiring and fun.” But what can possibly be more inspiring than discussing the solution to our greatest fear?

Leighton Ford, Christian author, relates how Neil Simon, who wrote The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park, was asked on the “Dick Cavett” Show whether making a lot of money concerned him. The studio went dead silent when Simon answered, “No…what does concern me is the fear of dying.”

Fear of dying is also exposed in last words people utter before they breathe their last. Voltaire, famous skeptic, during his life once said of Jesus, “Curse the wretch!” and “Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror…Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion that has ever infected the world.” Upon his death bed, Voltaire cried out, “I am abandoned by God and man! I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months’ life. Then I shall go to hell; and you will go with me. O Christ! O Jesus Christ!” Ludwig van Beethoven lamented, “Too bad, too bad! It’s too late!” Contrast these fearful pronouncements with confident declarations anchored in hope from believers facing death. For example, Martin Luther’s last words were, “Our God is the God from whom cometh salvation: God is the Lord by whom we escape death.” John Knox proclaimed, “Live in Christ, live in Christ, and the flesh need not fear death.” The Bible, God’s Word, asserts that the fear of dying is a form of slavery which only Jesus can provide freedom (cf. Hebrews 2:15).

Death is not a subject to be avoided. The awareness of our impending death ought to motivate us to prepare for it. Thomas a Kempis, in his Imitation of Christ, affirms, “Thou oughtest so to order thyself in all thy thoughts and actions, as if today thou wert about to die. Labor now to live so, that at the hour of death thou mayest rather rejoice than fear.” How can you be ready for your hour of death?

It’s interesting how most people believe or at least hope that they will go to heaven after they die. Yet, most do not have a biblical rationale of why God should welcome them into heaven. Truth is, the Bible teaches that everyone is a sinner and deserves hell, not heaven (cf. Romans 3:23; 6:23). Heaven is a perfect place for perfected people. How can an imperfect person become perfected? Not through religion, good works, or even church membership. The only way to be ready to die is faith in Jesus. The only solution to the fear of dying is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, who died on the Cross for our sins and rose again on the third day (John 1:1-3, 14; 3:16; 14:6; Romans 10:9-10).

A cemetery may be the most popular place people go, but faith in Jesus is not. Be a non-conformist. Be an eternal trend-setter. Call upon Jesus and give your life to Him. You will be eternally glad you did. And, you’ll be ready when death comes knocking.