News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Hundreds of children took part in a 45-year-old tradition Friday by running races on the grass in perfect weather on the athletic field below Lake Roosevelt Schools. The first Mini Bloomsday occurred in 1979. The idea came from a first-grade teacher at the time, Carolyn McNeil. Mrs. McNeil and Mrs. Selle had their first-graders race to Acre's Drug Store, where the owner gave each student a free ice cream cone. The next year, in 1980, second- and third-grade students joined in on the fun, and...
Having family at Grand Coulee, I have relatives who work at the dam and it mystifies me how little attention presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., pays to hydro-electric power. True, I mention wind and solar, but rarely (if ever) hydro. The man comes from a rich family and most of them have disavowed him as “dangerous” and called his make-believe candidacy a “vanity project”. He shows images of his father (RFK, Senior) and his uncle (President JFK). But one thing is for sure, “Junior” cannot hold a candle to either of those gentl...
Young soldiers sometimes cite a particular military weapon and pose the question: Is that a defensive weapon or an offensive weapon? Almost invariably, the answer is: It depends on the intent of the user. Whether artificial intelligence is good or bad could be described the same way. Regardless, artificial intelligence is coming to us in an overwhelming way. Computers can be programmed to “learn.” Because of their speed and vast information storage capacity, scientists believe that computer programs will make it possible to solve problems tha...
The United States recognized the state of Israel 11 minutes after formation of the state was announced in 1948. We have maintained a very close relationship since the founding. Israel is now receiving widespread criticism for its mass destruction of Palestinian civilians, and the process is causing political repercussions in the United States. Israel has internal political divisions just as we do in the United States. Some Israelis want Israel to be a democracy while others want it to be a religious state replacing, for example, the Israeli sup...
The picture of the LRHS Boys’ Basketball Team (in color) on the cover of The Star newspaper last week was amazing! They have been exciting to watch all season and this picture captured the joy and fun they’ve shown. So much class and poise in these young men on this Raider team … very special. Coach Adkins and her Raider cheer squad and Leadership class did numerous things throughout the entire season to support the team. The Head Cheer coach also collaborated with the Brewster Band Director. It started as a gesture of good sportsmanship with...
Have you noticed how many retired school employees regularly volunteer throughout our Okanogan County communities? Retired school employees have told me that helping community members is hard work but extremely satisfying. You may find them working throughout Okanogan County’s many organizations: local, state and federal citizens’ committees, hospitals, clinics, OBHC, senior citizen centers and Community Action. They also serve their communities through groups such as Okanogan County School Retirees’ Association (OCSRA), Kiwanis, Rotary, Mason...
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all originated in the greater Middle East. The most fundamental believers of each of these religions treat women as second-class citizens. Why? During most of the time that humans have existed, there was no formal education process. Most people were illiterate. There was no science to investigate the cause of disease or anything else. People could only believe, and they certainly did. In the book Encyclopedia of Gods, Michael Jordan cataloged 2,500 gods that people have invented and worshiped. People believed...
Beware of people who are oblivious to the obvious. People who lose an election, and believe they won. Not based on evidence. But based on what they “feel.” I am a conservative. Many Republicans today delude themselves by calling me a RINO (Republican In Name Only). True conservatives believe in the Constitution, Democracy, and the rule of law. Donald Trump only believes in himself. Every other value, or person, is expendable. Don’t believe me? Pay attention when he speaks. Then watch what he does. Do you really believe if you are loyal to him,...
Having family in Grand Coulee, I read The Grand Coulee Star opinion piece “Those early postal days” (Feb. 7 issue). I can relate to the penny postcards. My late grandmother Dora (White) Marples had a shoebox full of them. Most were from her twin daughters Ida and Ina Marples. A few were from her eldest son Bill Marples (my Dad). I enjoyed seeing the unique stamps and designs as I was growing up. When I was age 6, a first-class stamp cost 6 cents. When I was 10 years old, postage was 10 cents. This parallel theme occurred when I was ages 15,...
Commercial companies, non-profits, government agencies, and military organizations evaluate their performance periodically. The U.S. Constitution requires that the President of the United States “… shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union….” George Washington delivered the first address in 1790. These addresses often deal with major issues of the moment. Very probably, the forthcoming Feb. 7 address will include something about Israel and Palestine. Other measurements of the state of our union are cit...
Disclaimer: No pets die in this column (but they sometimes smell like they did). As I write, I’m trying to relax in my recliner on a cold winter’s day next to a roaring fire, yet my feet are freezing because a large, semi-elderly cat named “Missy” AKA “The Loaf” is lounging on the fireplace hearth directly in front of the firebox and hogging all of the heat. “How did I reach this state?” you might wonder. So do I. When my middle daughter was 6 years old, she looked up at me with her big, manipulative green eyes and said, “All I ever wanted was...
Remember the Coulee Card. It was handy and fun and I wish it would make a comeback. It is awesome to call the Coulee home. Here are a few people and places I’m proud of that make the Coulee area so special – Caden Portch represented Lake Roosevelt well at the State Cross Country Championships. Kasey Garvin did an amazing job with the high school Volleyball team. She’s always been a winner! “Clap for the Wolfman” Edward Wolfe and his staff have the top ranked Raider Boys Basketball team rolling with the 1000-point club member Chase Marchand...
It is the season of giving, forgiving, renewal, and hope. If you could give a gift to America, what gift would you give? We all appreciate our country, and we are grateful for all that it offers. But we also know that there are things that could be better—and should be better. If we identify some of those issues, perhaps we can then focus on making the improvements. The rulers of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt gave their citizens the gift of survival by collecting grain, as a tax, during years when the harvest was good, storing it, and d...
The Grand Coulee Police Department is critically understaffed, yet the city council has declared a hiring freeze for an unspecified length of time. Currently, the department has six full-time officers. A fully staffed local police force would be eight officers. Interestingly, mandatory overtime has become the norm as the city refuses to search for qualified candidates. Presumably, the reason behind the hiring freeze is an unbalanced budget. However, typical monthly overtime for our officers averages 30-40 hours per month, and we all know...
At the close of World War II in Europe, the Allied Forces closed on Berlin from the west, and the Russians closed from the east. Control of Berlin became an issue. In 1948, the Russians blockaded Berlin, disallowing the U.S. ground access to the city. Memory of the recent war that claimed 50 million lives prevented a direct military confrontation between the U.S. and Russia. But the U.S. found a solution, an airlift. During the next 11 months, the U.S. and allies conducted an airlift that saw cargo planes bringing supplies and landing in the...
I have waited approximately eight years for a determination on when we, Colville Tribal Members, were going to be compensated for the 2015 North Star fire. Since I haven’t heard of any compensation, I decided to file a FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] request with the BIA Regional office in Portland, Oregon. I filed this request on January 13, 2023, and I have received two answers as of this writing and will receive a final third response in the near future. I am going to share a portion of what I received because I believe it is in the b...
The behavior of individuals and nations sometimes challenges our belief that we are a civilized species. When we feel dismayed by what is happening, it is time to remember the good things we do. Americans donated $484 billion to charities in a recent year. We Americans also volunteer between four and five billion hours of our time each year doing things that make life better for other people and for our community. In 1917 when young men were drafted to serve in World War I, authorities discovered that the typical draftee had only a sixth-grade...
Yes, it’s that glorious season that so many pumpkin-spice addicts claim to be their favorite. I must admit that, I, too, succumb each year to the autumnal charms of fall, except for my seemingly never-ending battle with leaves, or, as I like to call them – tree dandruff. So what is it that ironically draws us to a season that marks the end of long, carefree summer days when the sight of a shirtless dad bod outdoors is slightly less disturbing? Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first, the aforementioned king of all seasonal seasonings, pu...
Congratulations on your prestigious WNPA award. You are sooooo worthy of being recognized for all the hard work you have put into The Star for so many years. We certainly recognize the problems that go with owning a business. But providing local information in an unbiased way is a big talent. We also thank you for all of your work promoting and improving the Grand Coulee Dam community. Jim and Mary Jane Bailey...
Immigration has been one of America’s long running problems. Historically, climate irregularities have induced famine, civil conflict, and migration. If scientists are correct about the climate change in our future, the world will again experience those disruptions of life including large scale migration attempts. We need to solve our immigration issues. Immigration is a responsibility of the federal government. Our national government has abdicated a significant measure of that role to border states. The individual states should not be taxed w...
I don’t think Uncle George did things because of a will to succeed; he did that many times over. I think he was so driven because he saw how never giving up, always stepping up, and always saddling up helped so many others to succeed. I don’t think he ever told me no when asked to borrow his truck and trailer, boat, camper, tractor, or whatever I may have needed. Uncle George traveled many different trails in his life, but the constant was service, family, and friends. He was a big John Wayne fan. I smiled when I read a magazine not long ago...
Elon Musk used his privately owned (satellite) communication relay system called “Star Link” to prevent a Ukrainian marine drone attack on Russian ships. Musk’s stated reasoning was that destruction of Russian ships in the Black Sea could generate a much broader war. Preventing expansion of the war is commendable. But the affair raises some serious questions that need to be answered. If any ordinary citizen had done what Musk did, that person would probably be in a federal prison. We are allowing individuals and corporations to accum...
Observers sense American discontent with a rapidly changing world. A recently cited indicator is a suddenly popular song called “Rich Men North of Richmond.” Citizens seeking public office need to be wealthy or sell their allegiance to wealthy benefactors. Government has become confusing, with our national government and our state governments making an array of conflicting laws and an endless stream of court decisions and reversals that deliver uncertainty. Opinion polls indicate substantial pessimism regarding our rancid political env...
I love this Coulee…the scenery, the climate, the people. It will be my home until I leave this earth. I started running in the Coulee nearly 25 years ago. The Coulee has a way of reaching into your soul to bring peace and calm. Run The Dam (formerly The Over The Dam Run) became my baby in 2016. I wanted to share the unique course and beauty of the Coulee with the whole world. Run The Dam, now a nonprofit organization, has a mission to provide healthy outdoor activity in the Coulee. The annual event, always the third weekend of September, now b...
We are all different. If we were not, it would be impossible to recognize people we know, including our close friends and relatives. Sometimes we don’t like people who are different, whose beliefs differ from ours, or whose behavior we find objectionable. But we can tolerate people we don’t especially like, and we need to encourage tolerance. Nine countries have nuclear weapons, and additional countries are striving to acquire nuclear arsenals. We humans have the technical skills to destroy ourselves. Whether we have the political skills to...