This
is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE (1-06-04)
Well, 2004 has arrived!
Before we talk
about the new year, let’s take a glance back at the old year that has just
vanished.
Locally it was
a better year for the farmers in our area in that the water in the canals was
not shut off as it had been before.
However, the
struggle for control of that water continued, and apparently will continue.
A big fish die
off down the Klamath River brought new cries that the fish deserved more of the
waters of Upper Klamath Lake. The
struggle for that water has been a three-pronged assault....the irrigators, the
fishermen and the Klamath Indians.
The threat of
the farmers to reopen the water gates of the canal brought new funding and a new
look to the irrigation headgates, and a successful effort to divert the sucker
fish from the canal back into the Lake.
Many efforts
were underway to solve the water problem including drilling more wells, letting
some lands lie idle....selling some lands and some water rights to environmental
groups.
The Basin
itself felt the downturn in the economy when the Sykes operation closed, and
late in the year when Sterling took over Klamath First Federal with a future
move to Washington. Both big job losers.
The Klamath
County Commissioners endorsed a study on the best ways to attract tourists,
narrowing the proposals down to two...accepting one and then later reversing
themselves in a display of animosity among them.
The only
noteworthy addition to the business area, outside of some small endeavours, was
the arrival of Home Depot.
It was a
somewhat lackluster year....fraught with more problems than possible solutions.
So....that
brings us to 2004.
We’re happy
to see the County Commissioners reverse themselves once again and settle on a
single tourism promotion, although we still have reservations as to how the
approved effort will function. We
certainly hope that the new group and the Chamber of Commerce can work
successfully together.
Commissioner
Steve West has indicated he will not seek re-election and Commission Chairman Al
Switzer will be seeking another term.
The election should be an interesting one.
We understand
that new activity may be arriving at the old Safeway store as well as at the
former Swan Lake Moulding building.
But let’s
take a good look at our community. True
the recent effort at annexation has been declared dead, but there is much to
recommend our community.
As I’ve said
before....we are perhaps the best prepared area for growth in the entire state.
Our transportation system has been well organized and ready for growth.
We have a rail line that provides access both north and south.....we have
an airport with one of the longest runways in the state.....we have industrial
land both at the airport as well as at Oregon Tech.
We have great educational opportunities with our schools...Oregon Tech
and the Community College. We
have excellent recreational activities with three eighteen hole golf
courses...and a fourth at Running Y along with all the resort amenities.
We also have the new Sports complex for our youngsters.
We have an
excellent downtown core that provides a beautiful backdrop, and increasing new
businesses along South Sixth and Washburn Way.
We have
expanding medical facilities with Merle West Medical as the hub.
Yes and we have geothermal potential as well as the natural gas fired
power plant south of town.
Add to that
such other features as boating on Upper Klamath Lake....bird watching along Lake
Ewauna.....the future potential development of the Timber Shores
Development.....two of the most beautiful county courthouses in the
state......and certainly I could go on and on.
Sometimes we
overlook the trees for the forest as it were.
We have a great community.....and in my book this new year should be an
excellent one to take stock of what we have....and build on that.
So...in this
new year.....let’s all accent the positives and move ahead.