This is an open email I sent to Gov. Mike Rounds today concerning how to end the drought in western South Dakota.

Dear Gov. Rounds:

I haven’t heard much from you about the drought lately.  I’m sure part of it because our state has actually received some rain.  Also, that short older gentleman I worked for for a time last year who ran against you for governor also liked to bring up some of the things you didn’t do to mitigate the drought before the drought got really bad.  I noticed he kind of got under your skin for a while then you just kind of ignored him and you won the election handily.  I know you’ve been busy with other issues like the DUSEL at Homestake and deciding whether to run for the U.S. Senate or not.

Anyway, in a spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship, I’ve come up with a way to help western South Dakota end its drought.  While I’m not one to question your call to pray to the Almighty for help, I think some other measures are needed.

I noticed that this spring here in Sioux Falls, every time I scheduled a soccer practice for my son Matt’s U12 soccer team, it almost always got rained out.  Well, they got rained out about 60% of the time.  If you throw in all the actual soccer games that also got rained out this spring in Sioux Falls, we spent a lot of time in April and May watching it rain.  And rain.  And then rain some more.

As I’ve traveled this great state for many years, one thing I’ve noticed is that they don’t play a lot of soccer between Pierre and Rapid City.  And ironically, that’s where the drought is.  If you throw in the area bordered by Pierre, Aberdeen and Huron where they also don’t play a lot of soccer, that’s real dry too.

Thus, besides asking people to pray for rain, I suggest the state require Mobridge, McLaughlin, McIntosh, Buffalo, Bison, Faith, Murdo, Wall, Wessington, Wessington Springs, Highmore, and Presho (and anywhere else it is dry) to field youth soccer teams this summer.  (For some odd reason, Belle Fourche has a very active youth soccer program yet they have not been spared from the drought.  My guess is that there just isn’t enough critical soccer mass despite Belle Fourche’s heroic efforts in establishing an effete European game in the heart of rodeo country.  But I digress.)

Look at the track record of communities with soccer teams this spring.  Aberdeen, great soccer town—flooding.  Huron, developing soccer town—flooding.  Groton, great little soccer town—plenty of rain.  Sioux Falls, wacko soccer community—plenty of rain.  Yankton, a good soccer town—plenty of rain.  Vermillion, another good soccer town—plenty of rain.  Rapid City, good soccer community—doing better than towns that don’t have soccer teams.

See my point? 

Anyway,  you have the power to make it rain.  All it takes are a few soccer balls, some grassy fields, and a couple of cases of shin guards.  After the practice and game schedules are set in these drought-stricken communities, you’ll be asking President Bush for more flood relief rather than more drought relief.

Your humble fellow citizen,

Todd D. Epp

E Licensed Soccer Coach/Grade 9 Soccer Referee and U12 Boys Davita Metros Coach

Harrisburg, SD 

P.S.—Say “hi” to my good friend Mitch Krebs if you get a chance. 

I received the following response from Jerry Oster, WNAX Radio’s news director, re my recent posting (Did the S.D. MSM Miss a Major Drought Story in December?) about the lack of coverage of the passage and signing of the drought monitoring bill by President Bush late last month.

I had to respond to your comments on the drought story. We had the governor on at Dakotafest in August, talking about that very subject. If he didn’t originate the idea, he and his staff pushed it, a lot. Michelle Rook did at least two talk shows on the same subject, and chased Mike Johans around on it when he came out for the drought tour in September. It was pretty much old news for us when the President signed it last month.

My rath should not have been directed at WNAX as I know they covered the issue extensively prior to signing. (Also, I can’t find an RSS feed for WNAX and they don’t seem to pop up in searches.)  My wrath is directed at the other major, non-farm media in the state who neglected to follow and report this important story. 

Kudos to WNAX.