Internet News RecordLibertyNewsprint.com U.S. Edition09/10/09 - 11/10/09
Dam breaching celebrated on famed Rogue River (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 10/10/2009 5:12:26 PM
ROGUE RIVER, Ore. – Thewild and scenic Rogue River hasbecome even wilder with thedemolition of a dam that hadhindered passage of salmon andsteelhead to their spawninggrounds for 88 years.A flotilla of some 80 people inrafts, driftboats and kayakscelebrated the breaching of theSavage Rapids Dam on Saturdayby floating through the remains of the concrete structure insouthwest Oregon.Among them was Jim Martin,rowing his own driftboat. His first job as a young fisheries biologistfor the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was monitoringhow many salmon and steelheadwere killed each year by theirrigation dam."Forty-one years ago I stood onthat dam as a young biologistfresh out of school watching thefish die, and thinking how thisdam had to come out for thehealth of this river," said Martin,who rose to be chief of fisheriesfor the department and now isconservation director of PureFishing. "People said, `Jim, berealistic, it will never happen.'And it's happening."Since the dam was completed in1921, the logging and mining thatonce sustained Southern Oregonhave faded. Farms that the GrantsPass Irrigation District onceserved have sprouted homes thattap the water for lawns andgardens. And the salmon andsteelhead have struggled, with anestimated 58,000 adult salmonand steelhead blocked fromspawning grounds each year.The battles to restore thewaterway started in 1988, whenthe conservation groupWaterWatch, which organized thecelebration, Rogue Fly Fishersand the American FisheriesSociety filed a protest to stop theirrigation district from drawingmore water from the Rogue.The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation took a look anddecided the cheapest and bestsolution to provide waterefficiently without harming fishwas to remove the dam andreplace it with pumps.The irrigation district initiallywent along, but later flip-floppedand fought to save the dam.Lawsuits were filed. Battles flaredin the state Capitol. The Rogue'scoho salmon were declared athreatened species, and morelawsuits were filed.By 2001, after losing everylawsuit and spending more than$1 million on legal fees, thedistrict agreed to remove the dam.The next year the OregonWatershed Enhancement Boardpledged $3 million, and a yearlater Congress started approvingfunding that would eventuallycover the rest of the $39.3 millioncost."One reason this project took solong is people had to adjust theirnotions of what progress was,"said John DeVoe of Portland,executive director of WaterWatch."There was a lot of opposition toremoving the dam because it wasviewed as a symbol of progress."The good feelings were marredby the death of a local manrunning a jetboat through theremains of the dam on Friday,who hit a rock downstream andflipped. Three others in the boatsurvived.The Rogue, one of the originalrivers to get federal wild andscenic protection in 1968, hasgiven up its steelhead to suchnames as Western writer ZaneGrey and movie star GingerRogers. This section is milesabove the wild section of theRogue, where people come fromaround the world to float thewhitewater, camp and fish. Herethe river is hemmed in on all sidesby houses — some with docks nolonger reaching the water —Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 97.That didn't stop Roger Funk, acarpenter from Talent, from joining the celebration. Herecalled sitting on the banks of theriver as a child and watching forhours as the salmon movedupstream. But over the years, thenumbers of fish steadilydwindled. He joined the flotillawith his 15-year-old son, and aneighbor, nursing student MaddyMorse."I have been rafting the Roguefor 35 years," Funk said. "Takingthe dam down to have afreeflowing river is exhilarating."Another old diversion dam,Gold Ray near the city of GoldHill, is likely to join SavageRapids soon. The NOAA hasoffered federal stimulus money tohelp with the cost. Another smalldiversion dam at Gold Hill hasalready come out. And a half-builtdam on a major tributary, Elk Creek, has been notched."This is the greatest number of significant dam removals in thecountry," said WaterWatchspokesman Jim McCarthy.It wasn't always so.Martin recalls seeing adultspring chinook salmon throwingthemselves against the dambecause they couldn't find thepoorly designed fish ladders, andthose that did jumping out of theladders and dying on the rocks.The more insidious harm fromSavage Rapids and other dams onthe river was caused by slowingthe river in reservoirs, allowingthe sun to raise averagetemperatures 1 degree, to thepoint that fish die from warmwater many years."Those things aren't a big dealwhen the river is plenty cold,"Martin said. "But when the riveris starting to get marginally toowarm as it is with moredevelopment and climate change,those things can be crucial."Construction crews built acoffer dam and started jackhammering half of the dam topieces last April, and on Fridayremoved the piles of rock andgravel holding the river back,allowing the river to flow freely.The rest of the dam is to beremoved by December.The river quickly cut downthrough the huge accumulation of sand, gravel and rocks that hadbuilt up behind the dam the past88 years."What this really representstoday is our culture being capableof backing up a little bit and doingsomething differently," Martinsaid as he pushed off from thebank and rowed his driftboatdown the newly freed section of river.
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gop's Michael Steele tries to make money from Obama's Nobelprize - Christian Science Monitor
(Most Popular - Google News)
Submitted at 10/10/2009 4:45:48 PM
Mocking that President Obamawon the Nobel Peace Prize for"awesomeness," GOP chief Michael Steele sent a fundraisingletter out shortly after Friday'sannouncement. Steele said "trulypatriotic Americans" shoulddonate to prevent worlddomination.(NEWSCOM)Photos ( 1 of 1) By Jimmy Orr|10.10.09Score one for creativity…President Obama wins theNobel Peace Prize and RepublicanNational Committee chief Michael Steele is trying to makemoney off of it.No, he’s not going to go all“commando” on the White Houseand try to wrest it away from thepresident in hopes of putting it upon Ebay or anything.Instead, he found it soridiculous that Obama wasawarded the honor that he’s usingit as a fundraising tool. Steele sentout an email late last night notonly lampooning the award butasking “truly patriotic Americans”to ante up to fight the forces of world domination.“The Democrats and theirinternational leftist allies wantAmerica made subservient to theagenda of global redistributionand control,” Steele wrote. “Andtruly patriotic Americans like youand our Republican Party are theonly thing standing in their way.”Steele seemed to disagree withthe Nobel Peace Prizecommittee’s reasoning forawarding him the honor. Thecommittee said Obama deservedthe award because of his“extraordinary efforts tostrengthen internationaldiplomacy and cooperationbetween peoples.”Steele, on the other hand,opined that Obama won the awardfor “awesomeness” — beforetrashing the whole affair.“It’s a stunning, if not trulysurprising, indication of just howmeaningless a once honorable andrespected award has become,”Steele wrote.Steele is not alone in hissurprise. As we told you earliertoday, many people — supportersand opponents — don’t quiteunderstand it. In fact, it’s madesome strange bedfellows. RushLimbaugh and the Taliban, forexample, are united in theirconsternation.It’s not as though the talk showhost and the Taliban released a joint statement expressing theirthoughts. But Limbaugh notedthat they were aligned.“Folks, do you realize somethinghas happened here that we allagree with the Taliban and Iranabout and that is he doesn’tdeserve the award,” he said.“Now that’s hilarious, that I’m onthe same side of something withthe Taliban, and that we all are onthe same side as the Taliban.”The Taliban, on the other hand,didn’t mention Limbaugh in theirremarks — although that wouldhave made their comments moreinteresting. Instead, a spokesman(incidentally from an undisclosedlocation), said Obama’s actions inAfghanistan should disqualifyhim.“We have seen no change in hisstrategy for peace. He has donenothing for peace inAfghanistan,” a Talibanspokesman told the AFP. “Wecondemn the award of the NobelPeace Prize for Obama.”If you’d like to watch Obama’sspeech yesterday discussing thehonor, click here. Or you canwatch a more emotionalacceptance speech from theOscars below.———Hey, we’ll never condemn youfor winning any prize! Unless it’sone that we should have received.So follow us on Twitter!| MainComments 1. roy| 10.10.09“Folks, do you realize somethinghas happened here that we allagree with the Taliban and Iranabout and that is he doesn’tdeserve the award,” he said.“Now that’s hilarious, that I’m onthe same side of something withthe Taliban, and that we all are onthe same side as the Taliban”– This means you are on thewrong side. 2. kcsurfer| 10.10.09Is Obama the first Kenyan towin the Nobel? 3. blablabla|10.10.09fund raiding you mean… 4.Joyce Becker| 10.10.09Leave it to those foolRepublicans trying to makemoney he dishonest way. 5. Tom|10.10.09I like Michael Steele, alot. Hisviews and attitude. 6. romeo unix|10.10.09I would say the RNC chairmanhas nothing better to carry onabout. Our country needs to cometogether. Both political parties aretearing this country apart. Is thiswhat we want to teach our kids?Why can’t you just be happy forthe President. Does everythingneed to be so complex.Next thing you know thePresident will be blamed for allthe economic woes the countrygot into and the Republicans whoran this country for the last 8years did a tremendous job.Sad to see what some of you arethere are becoming - Polarized 7.Susan| 10.10.09There are good Republicans.And there are nasty ones. Why dothe latter fail to learn the lesson,“when you’re in a hole, stopdigging”? 8. julescator| 10.10.09Michael Steele is a waste of human flesh. He is sooooo jealousof Obama that he is making a foolof himself. Leave it to the Right tonot only **** off most of America (the voting public) butmost of the world with theirinsane arguments and stupidObama wannabe heading theirorganization. If this made had abrain he would collect money fora brain transplant - immediately.Keep working against Americaand OUR President and Americawill continue to kick you to thecurb at the polls. Keep it up. 9.Donna| 10.10.09You don’t have anything betterthan that? Just playground name-calling? 10. luke bohannon|10.10.09This is what has become of us.Our president wins a nobel prizeand immediately the other side of the aisle comes out and mocks it.This is so sad, so maddening, butthen so numbing also. If thispasses without a firestorm of anger from the decent folk of theGOP, this country is screwed. Ourpartisanship and cynicism willdestroy all effort, all hard work and all that is good about ademocracy. When will weremember that even if we are ondifferent sides of the aisle, we areon the same team. 11. julescator|10.10.09The RNC ran out to get theirvery own Obama. What they gotwas Kanye West on Steroids.Open mouth, Steele, and insertfoot over and over again. ThisPresident is working hard FORthis country. Michael Steele andhis party are working AgainstAmerica. 12. julescator| 10.10.09When in the company of thehateful Right I behave in kind! 13.Oy| 10.10.09It’s not Obama’s fault. Heprobably wishes it hadn’thappened. Having said that, thefact that his policies are liked bythose fruitcakes sends off redflags in my mind. 14. KarlKemerait| 10.10.09You know, I don’t quiteunderstand why President Obamawon the award myself, and I aman admirerer of the man. Thataside, it seems that maybe someof his detractors might take alesson from family politics. Imight disagree with my wifeabout something, and we mightdebate about it for days, but westand united to the outside worldand set our differences aside. Ihave to wonder about thecommon sense of most of theGOP and some liberals as wellwho, while they have a right todisagree and to voice thatdisagreement, seem to have no
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problem being disrespectful to theman and critical of him to the restof world. 15. Paul Stewart|10.10.09“Folks, do you realize somethinghas happened here that we allagree with the Taliban and Iranabout and that is he doesn’tdeserve the award,” he said.“Now that’s hilarious, that I’m onthe same side of something withthe Taliban, and that we all are onthe same side as the Taliban.”Indeed, it is no surprise, itseems you are made of the samestuff. Inciting Americans againsttheir own President’s success andagainst the efforts of worldleaders to gain a greater level of peace and civility. I am starting tothink the likes of Limbaugh andthe Taliban and the bottom fishingRepublicans are maybe cut fromthe same cloth….. The onlydifference is that they wearwestern clothes and businesssuits….. 16. maurice johnson|10.10.09Don’t you think the republicans just wish micheal steele (thepuppet) would only speak forhimself and stop embarassing theparty with his ridiculouscomments. Maybe he should haverush limbaugh’s job. 17. Rhianna|10.10.09Michael Steele is doing his jobas RNC Chairman. I have a lot of respect for the man and littlerespect for people who don’tmake allowances for differingopinions. Julescator…. speakingof working against thepresident… I suppose GWB hadyour full support while in office,right? 18. Rennie| 10.10.09I am no longer a Republicanbecause of the likes of MichaelSteele. He is ruining the party andmaking them look so silly. It is ashame that his party cannot evensupport the President for at leastthe first year, but no, the party isso sore in losing the last election.By his actions the Republicanparty has not where to go exceptdown. 19. Kie| 10.10.09The GOP is going to whine andcry over anything positiveaccomplished by the Democrats.Just shows how immature theyare. 20. Michaela| 10.10.09Over and over again it isshocking how truly ignorant orsadly underexposed so manyAmericans seem to be: how onthis earth - yes, I mean This Earthand not just the United States -could any human being react likeMichael Steele ?? Like a small,pittiful, jealous, pathetic,uneducated fool that cannot seebeyond his own nose! Get over it,GOP, you lost the last electionsbecause of specific reasons. If youwant to win again some day, youmay have to change! Really, it issickening for us ‘commoners’ tohave to watch you, our leaders,behave like egotistical littlechildren. The moment one of yougets elected, you seem to forgetthat you are supposed to work forUS and not the other way round.You are supposed to do what isbest for this country and not justrigidly adhere to a completelyoutdated point of view or servesome lobbyists! Because Barack Obama still seems to be holdingon to the thought of hope and thatgood will outlast evil, you reactstubbornly. You know he has abrilliant mind - and you don’t. 21.Conservative Crusader| 10.10.09The demoliberals are nothingmore than whining saps. Obamadid absolutely nothing to win theNobel Peace “Prize” (and I usethat term loosely). Thenominations for this year’s winnerwere closed on February 1, 2009.Obama was the President all of 11days when the nominationsclosed. What could he possiblyhave done to earn this “honor” in11 days? He was still learningwhere the bathroom was in theWhite House. It’s a fix and itcheapens the value of the prize.22. Brian| 10.10.09Good job Steele, you just madean *** of yourself. I can see nowwhy Democrats are in control of the country again. 23. Greg|10.10.09So basically he’s saying that“truly patriotic Americans” arehard-headed, uneducated bigotsthat don’t support our presidentunder any circumstances? He’swon the Nobel prize for a reason,and it seems that some of usremember all the work he’s beendoing to rid of nukes in Iran andtake wars where they belong. ButI guess we’re not patriotic sincewe like our president and we’reglad that he’s won this award andwe’re thrilled that the worldseems to like us again. I’m afraidof where we’re going socially as acountry where you’re only apatriotic American if you hateyour leader and don’t care whatthe world thinks of you. 24. WES|10.10.09SHAME ON STEELE! 25.Dave9| 10.10.09It’s basically a backhanded slapat the last administration:“His diplomacy is founded in theconcept that those who are to leadthe world must do so on the basisof values and attitudes that areshared by the majority of theworld’s population,” thecommittee said of Obama.Bush and Cheney were certainlydisconnected from the Americanpeople and the world at large(Cheney was in fact proud of it.)26. kay b| 10.10.09I’m sick that the Republicansseem to have lost their middle;even the chair is sinking to thelows previously set by G Beck and Limbaugh. The thing thatmakes me feel the sickest,however, is that this tactic seemsto work on the people they’retalking to. 27. Duende| 10.10.09It’s like Jon Stewart saidrecently, “conservatives hateObama more than they loveAmerica.” 28. aleXander|10.10.09We need a new second, maybethird and fourth, party - becauseRepublicans are becoming moreand more inconsequential by theday - becoming nothing more thana loud voicebox for the leastinformed and the most easilyscared and manipulated.The clowns of Fox (how doesthe FCC allow that to be called“news”?) Sarah Palin, MichaelSteele. . . indeed the blind leadingthe blinded. The era of their greedpowered ignorance is ending - andthey are going down crying andscreeching.As these folks present it, theRepublican party has nothing tostand on - their only platform isbeing negatively reactionary tothe (much needed) changes thatare happening to a country thatwas allowed to nearly sink in thelast 8 years under the worst,greediest, administration EVER.29. carmen| 10.10.09Poor Michael Steele crying likea little baby, cause PresidentObama won again!!!!!Trackbacks/Pingbacks Leave aCommentWe do not publish allcomments, and we do not publishcomments immediately. Thecomments feature is a forum todiscuss the ideas in our stories.Constructive debate - evenpointed disagreement - iswelcome, but personal attacks onother commenters are not, andwill not be published.Tip: Do not write a novel. Keepit short. We will not publishlengthy comments. Come up withyour own statements. This is not aplace to cut and paste an emailyou received. If we recognize it assuch, we won't post it.Please do not post anycomments that are commercial innature or that violate copyrights.Finally, we will not publish anycomments that we regard asobscene, defamatory, or intendedto incite violence.
Unknown Civil War soldier reburied in Tennessee (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 10/10/2009 3:06:52 PM
916 buzzed up: Turkey, Armeniasign historic accord (AP)1 minute ago 2009-10-10T17:38:22-07:00
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