Celebrating 50 years at the Panama Canal

It is 2020, a leap year; happy birthday to those with birthdays on Feb. 29th. And, if you have been hiding somewhere without communications, it is also an election year. Everyone running wants endorsements and much needed contributions. I remember this phase of elections, having run for office four times in the last 20 years. There are candidates I respect and support, as I am sure most of you do, too. The question is, how invested and involved do we want to be, which is personal. As I look around and visit with folks, I see every level, from over-zealous to not wanting anything to do with the chaos. We have a great democratic system that allows for this. All I can say is, do what you are comfortable with and support the candidate you believe in.

Back to 2020, this year is a big year for Judy and myself. In 1970, I asked a young gal to marry me. She said yes, not having a clue where it was headed; 50 years later, here we are. We started celebrating this past month with a trip we had talked of doing when we retired: A trip through the Panama Canal, put on hold the last three years due to my Senate appointment, election and sessions. Long story short, we did a cruise from L. A. to Miami with six stops along the way.

Being on the Senate Education Committee, I was interested in the school systems we encountered on the trip. On our stops, I asked locals about their culture of learning. Initially, I was surprised by the fact that schools are optional, but there are also state-funded schools. In some areas, I saw large numbers of students on their way to school wearing uniforms. These schools, and many others, are sponsored by the Catholic Church, who seems to have a vast education system in the countries we visited. Wages for an English tutor are less than $3 an hour. Other wages for teachers range from $500 to $1000 a month, depending what state or city in which you work.

The Panama Canal is a feat of engineering and amazing in size and function. The insight those folks had in the early 1900’s is hard for me to wrap my mind around. I feel much the same when I see the projects of our northwestern forefathers with the St. Mary Diversion, the Ronan irrigation and the Carston to Taber Ditch. Unlike the Panama, which has been updated, our systems all need improvements and updates. Happy Valentine’s Day to my wife of half a century.

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State Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, can be emailed at [email protected].