GLOBAL GAME IS PILOTS’ ADVANTAGE University of Portland tennis team shines — SEE SPORTS, B1 PortlandTUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 • TWICE CHOSEN THE NATION’S BEST NONDAILY PAPER Tribune • PORTLANDTRIBUNE.COM • PUBLISHED TUESDAY AND THURSDAY Wyden support for Fast Track trade puts re-election on line Democratic allies blast global competitors as China. Local business leaders say bill, say it will hurt they will benefit small, medi- jobs, environment um and large Oregon busi- nesses that export their goods, or would with more By JIM REDDEN incentives. The Tribune Many of the opponents were represented in Satur- Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron day’s downtown protest. Ex- Wyden has risked his politi- isting organizations include cal career by co-sponsoring the Oregon AFL-CIO, the Or- so-called Fast Track trade egon Working Families Party, Portland legislation with Republi- the Sierra Club, PCUN, Voz cans in Congress. and Causa. Many of them also Although Wyden is a Demo- are represented in the Ore- crat, he is being denounced gon Fair Trade Campaign. by a coalition of traditional They argue previous interna- Democratic party allies op- tional treaties have shipped posed to the legislation, offi- American jobs overseas, may dodge cially known as Trade Promo- where U.S. labor, environent- tion Authority. They mental and social jus- include many labor tice policies are not unions, environmental “I am not followed. They do not organizations, con- running believe the safe- sumer groups and hu- guards in the Fast man rights activists, against Ron Track legislation are parching hundreds of whom ral- Wyden.” strong enough. lied in Pioneer Court- — Brad Avakian, Some of the oppo- house Square on Sat- Oregon Labor nents are threatening urday. Oregon Labor Commissioner to run an anti-Fast Commissioner Brad Track candidate Avakian and other op- against Wyden in the ponents criticized May 2015 primary drought both the legislation and the election, when he is up for re- new treaties it could autho- election. So far, no viable can- rize. Similar protests were didate has announced against held in Bend, Salem, Eugene, Wyden, however, and two po- TRIBUNE PHOTOS: JOHN M. VINCENT Medford and Coos Bay. tential challengers have tak- ■ ABOVE: Normally the slopes of The legislation is supported en themselves out of the race Bull Run reserves bene t city, Mount Hood would be nearly by much of the business com- — Avakian and 4th Congres- completely covered by the mid- munity, including the Port- sional District Rep. Peter De- February date of this photo. land Business Alliance, the Fazio. but rest of state in for dry year Recent snows have hardly made a Retail Industry Leaders Asso- Although Avakian spoke at dent in the snowpack defi cit. ciation and the National As- the Portland rally, he told the About 9 feet of wet snow would be sociation of Manufacturers. Portland Tribune his opposi- By JOHN VINCENT from the mid-elevation Bull Run Water- They say the TPP and other tion to Fast Track does not needed to bring the level to The Tribune shed, where most of the precipitation new treaties are needed to mean he will challenge Ore- normal, according to the Natural falls as rain. make America more competi- Resources Conservation Service. On April 1, 76 percent of the snow “The rainfall has been fairly normal tive against such growing See WYDEN / Page 3 survey sites across the state were at for the winter and into the spring,” ac- their lowest levels in recorded history. cording to Gerald Macke, a meteorologi- INSET: Hydrologist Julie Koeberle At a survey site near Timberline cal technician for the Portland offi ce of of the Natural Resources Lodge, hydrologist Julie Koeberle mea- the National Weather Service. “We got a Conservation Service sured just 17 inches of stored water con- lot of precipitation, but it all ran off be- demonstrates the tools used in tent, compared to its average 60 inches. cause it wasn’t cold enough to make the agency’s snow surveys. Snow The Natural Resources Conservation snow at higher elevations,” he says. depth is measured, and the snow Service doesn’t use snow depth as a Facilities at Bull Run were able to cap- in the cylinder is then weighed to gauge of the snowpack condition, but ture that runoff. The drinking water res- determine its water content. As rather the amount of water stored in the ervoirs that serve Portland are currently of April 1, 76 percent of their snow. Recent snows have added a bit to full, according to the Water Bureau. Offi - testing sites across Oregon were the total, but Koeberle estimates that cials anticipate a relatively normal sum- at record low levels of stored the site would need about 9 feet of heavy, mer water supply situation as long as we water content. wet snow to make up the defi cit. That’s experience typical late spring precipita- simply not going to happen this late in tion totals. the season. Other parts of Oregon won’t be so for- That lack of stored water will have tunate, as they rely on the snowpack for Helping the situation is wide-ranging implications across the agricultural irrigation. the fact that even as state — unless you live in Portland, “Water is the lifeblood of Oregon agri- where the impact should be minimal. culture,” says Bruce Pokarney, spokes- population has increased, The Portland outlook would only change man for the Oregon Department of Agri- Portland’s use of water dramatically if we get a sustained period culture, “and irrigation is the key to our has decreased during the COURTESY OF HOLLY M. GILL of high temperatures through May and lifeblood.” Farmers across the state are US. Sen. Ron Wyden responds to education concerns from Madras High June. past 15 years. See DROUGHT / Page 2 School teacher Carrie McPeak, left, during his annual town hall The bulk of Portland’s water comes meeting on Feb. 14 at the Madras City Hall. Cyclist recalls crash that sparked movement Petition questions Portland’s bike-friendly THE CITY THAT CYCLES ■ The increase in biking to work status, and transportation of cials respond since 2000 has been a primary reason single commuter trips have By JENNIFER ANDERSON The 31-year-old North Port- dropped from 64 percent in 2000 The Tribune lander was on the job March 31 to 57 percent in 2013. like any other day, delivering ■ Bike transportation captured Cedar Knoll never thought organic soup by bike to Soup- the biggest share — 34 percent — he’d be the poster child for Cycle customers. of the 40,350 increase in daily bike activism in Portland. He rides 20 to 25 miles each commute trips by Portlanders since day twice a week. On this day 2000. Bikes are leading the city’s Cedar Knoll he was pulling a trailer with efforts at limiting congestion. rides a rental ■ about 30 soups on board head- Students ride to school at bike down eight times the national average. ing east on Northeast Dekum Northeast Biking and walking to school has Dekum Street, Street, approaching Martin Lu- increased 35 percent since 2006. near where he ther King Jr. Boulevard. ■ The city recently installed its What happened next helped 125th bicycle corral. A Portland collided with a spark an accidental movement State University study shows peo- truck a few for bike safety that has rever- ple who arrive at commercial dis- weeks ago. “I’m berated through the bike com- tricts spend more over the course not unique at munity and City Hall. of a month than people arriving all,” he says. any other way. As Knoll entered the inter- “So many people — Portland Bureau of section with a long green light, Transportation have been hit; he says he was startled to see a there’s so much box truck cruise through the frustration but same intersection on MLK go- hit it,” Knoll recalls. “It was ter- little they can ing south, blowing the red light. rifying.” do.” “I didn’t know if I was going He hit the brakes but couldn’t TRIBUNE PHOTO: to go under the truck — it was JONATHAN HOUSE real high up. Or if I was going to See BIKES / Page 4 “Pamplin Media Group’s pledge is to Portland Tribune deliver balanced news that re ects the DOWN ON THE FARM stories of our communities. Thank you — SEE LIFE, PAGE B10 for reading our newspapers.” Inside — DR. ROBERT B. PAMPLIN JR. OWNER & NEIGHBOR A2 NEWS The Portland Tribune Tuesday, April 21, 2015 Drought: Fisheries will feel effects State wrangles ■ From page 1 Hydrologist Julie Backcountry travelers should ex- with cost hike Koeberle of the pect restrictions on fires and open natural flames soonerin the season, due to an currently making decisions on what resources earlier-than-normal drying of fuels in crops to plant, and it’s expected that the forest. for wildfire conservation some will choose less water-depen- service talks The winter was dismal for Ore- dent crops. In many cases, those about this year’s gon’s ski industry, but Mt. Hood’s Ski crops won’t generate the high values record low Bowl already has opened its summer- insurance of their normal harvests. oriented Adventure Park. It’s sched- snowpack. As of With most of the state predicted to uled to be open weekends, weather April 9, the Lloyd’s seeks higher premium, be in moderate-to-extreme drought permitting, until its summer schedule snowpack at the conditions, many Oregonians are starts on May 25. deductible for this year’s coverage asking questions about what it all survey site just means to our everyday life.