News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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One of my favorite memories of my childhood is Christmastime. I loved it when family would come over and we would gather together. The adults would sit around the living room and share stories and laughter from their childhood. The joy was contagious. Playing with cousins whom you did not see very often was a treat in itself. But eventually we all ended up sitting around the tree, trying to guess what each package was. The highlight, though, was when old Saint Nick himself showed up and had a gift for each of us. (Spoiler Alert) It was not...
No, I am not going anywhere. But sometimes the dreams we build up get temporarily postponed. Now, the title is about goodbyes and I am not going to elaborate on who is the good or the bad, or even the ugly; you can figure that out for yourselves. Goodbyes are difficult, no matter who you are. Well, I take that back. Sometimes they might be good, depending on who you are saying goodbye to. I will leave that one to interpretation as well. My wife and I now live back in the Coulee. We said goodbye to the ranch lifestyle, not entirely by choice,...
This year, at this time, it is important that we think about the last 365 days and think of the things that we are most thankful for. (I know, that is a lot of words beginning with “th.”) We have watched on the news recently or read online the terror that is striking numerous other countries around the world. It reminds us of the day the towers fell in New York, and we know what those citizens are going through right now. It also reminds us to keep watch out our own backdoor for the same type of thing. Panic is not an option, but preparedness a...
A few months ago I inducted the first two unofficial Raider Hall of Famers: Shawn and Nick Ford. Today I am inducting a few more former Raiders and coaches into the hallowed halls of Raider Nation. Now, you can’t have a Raider Hall of Fame and not put in a world champion. Shane Proctor, champion bull rider and rodeo star is now placed in the hall. A graduate of Lake Roosevelt High School, he went on to big things following his love of rodeo. He comes back every summer, too, and puts on a first class, all-star rodeo camp for future champions. N...
The insert in this paper, honoring the men and women who served our country, has the pictures of not only heroes in our community, but heroes that belong to our whole nation. I will never know the hell on earth that some of these soldiers went through. Nor do I want to. But because they went through it and are still going through it, we more than likely won’t have to. The ones who know danger and possible death lie ahead of them and yet they continue to step forward, with brothers falling to the ground beside them, thinking not of themselves b...
What would this country look like if we did not have men and women who gave their lives for us? Think about that a second or two. Yes, our country, at times, is pretty screwed up, but that is what freedom can do. It can give us a false sense of entitlement. Or is it false? Everything we say and do in this country has been bought with a price. That price that was paid in full on foreign shores, on salty seas and even on our home soil; it was paid in blood by Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and civilian men and women. Entitled, some...
Sometimes it is hard to predict what is going to happen in a sporting event. That was the case in the last two senior nights at Lake Roosevelt High School. Volleyball and Football had their celebrations of graduating seniors, who in turn were playing in their last games at home for their respective sports. The volleyball match was Thursday and to say it was an easy night would be an understatement. Five senior ladies stepped onto the hard wood for the last time in their Raider uniforms. They got off to a great start, and balls were being hit...
I remember my first day of high school football practice. What I remember more is the next day barely being able to get out of bed. Every muscle, joint and bone seemed to scream with an extreme aching that had never been felt before by this young teen. Fast forward to this past weekend. It was the opening day of hunting season, and as I write this, those same muscles are singing the same tune they sang many years ago. Of course, on many occasions over the years between our youth and our current status we have all put in many a hard day’s w...
I recently heard a question asked to a small group of kids: If you had three wishes, what would they be? The answers varied, but it got me thinking what my answer would be. It is a very difficult task to take on but I think I finally broke it down to three things that would help not only me, but the rest of the world too. Selfish thoughts are what come first; and maybe my three wishes are selfish too, but I tried really hard to pick things that were smart and worthy of only three things. So here we go. Wish number one: that my family would be...
That dirty word is in the news again: consolidation. But this time it is being brought up in city halls. First off, I will stand up and give a standing ovation to those members of government who are finally voicing smart ideas in a forum that can actually get something done about it. Evoking the conversation is the first step. Yes, there will be those old dusty voices coming off the shelves again to give their same old opinions. The same voices that spoke against consolidation of the schools...
So, let’s say someone said to you, “You can only take 10 things with you for the rest of your life.” All of the rest of your stuff will be destroyed, and the clothes on your back don’t count against you. What do you take? My mind instantly goes to survival mode, thinking of knives, guns, ammo, filters and so on. But soon I become overwhelmed. I know I will want at least one picture. What about food? Does my wife count as an item and does she get to bring 10 things too? Can I choose 10 friends and select their 10 things? My mind soon becomes...
If I said the words, “Faith Community Church,” one of your first thoughts would be the Archers. They have been here since the beginning. In an era that pastors don’t usually stay in one place longer than 10 years, the Archers have been here over 30. They raised their kids here and now their grandkids come to visit here. All the while, they pastor the little church in Electric City. Faith Community started in a home many years ago. It grew and soon was in a garage. It grew again and the members said it was time for a building and a pasto...
The first week of school is in the books and the positive atmosphere is already showing itself. Remember when we all said we wanted to see some change in Raider Country? Well, here it comes and it feels good. Volleyball, football and cross country have all completed their first matchups and all are feeling really good about where things are at. Kasey Rey-Garvin saw a squad of girls that just would not quit against Liberty Bell. Teamwork was obvious and some tenacious hitting, not to mention some outstanding serving. These girls will be hard to...
Nick Ford and Shawn Ford, two country brothers from Grand Coulee, and Lake Roosevelt graduates, were gear heads who felt more comfortable under the hood of an old car in Mr. Hood’s auto shop class than they did anywhere else. Back then, their last name was Adams. Owen and Betty Adams raised their kids to be hard working and live life with a sense of humor. Today, not much has changed except the type of cars they work on. Now they are professional Indy cars. Nick and Shawn are on separate teams. Shawn, the older brother, works for Rahal R...
Those were the words spoken by the two leaders of Lake Roosevelt School, where I work, as they prepared their staff for the upcoming year. That is the plan for Raider Nation going into the 2015-16 school year. Can it be done? Yes, but there must be a buy-in. From whom? All of us, and there is a lot to be excited for too. The leaders Liberty and Lakin are pumping up staff and students with their positive message. Change is coming, I can feel it. Get ready, the Raiders are about to change their...
As I write this, and probably as you read it, there are firefighters on the front line of a fire, battling the smoke, heat and flames. There is also a homeowner deciding if they should evacuate or stay and defend his or her home. There are also loved ones worrying about their better halves, praying that they will be safe. There is someone with asthma who can’t wait until they can go outside again. There is a citizen wondering what they can do to help? I have a past in firefighting. In the e...
As I write this today, my mind is wandering. You see, I just finished burying a neighbor’s pet, and my heart is broken for the Hearne family at the same time. Also, all day long we were going through boxes that have been in storage, some since our house fire years ago. A day of remembering. My first memories of Kenny Hearne go back to our grade school days. He was in my brother’s grade and I remember him vividly. Kenny was a one-of-a-kind kid who did not take teasing easily. He was a serious person, but once you got to know him, he would ope...
Sometimes you never know when a revelation of life will hit you. The past few weeks I have been in a few different weed patches, from Belvedere to Electric City and many in between. A few kids (Mason, Marisha, Ronan, Cole and Kaden) along with Karrie and I have been providing a service to those in need. We have dug trenches, put in fence posts, bucked bales, painted a garage, and stained a deck, but yard work seems to have become our specialty. Weeds have become our Achilles’ heel. The kids n...
I spent the weekend with some of the most dedicated, passionate and hardworking school employees from around the state. I was at a conference for Washington Public School Employees, where during dinner they gave out awards. It was a very eye-opening moment for me. There where great stories of how each winner had given up so much for a job they loved, and that got me thinking about the school employees who had touched me over the years. So I went back in the database of my mind, and a few names...
Have you heard this statement lately? “What is going on with our world today?” Or “That kind of stuff just did not happen when I was a kid.” Well, to be honest with past generations, “that stuff” probably did happen but it was behind closed doors and “it,” whatever it might be, was not used to get viewers to tune in to their station. It may have been less of an issue then, but it still happened. That being said, it does seem that certain issues have been amped up or played up lately as the moral compass seems to have disappeared. If...
My Grandpa Utz delivered the Wenatchee World newspaper locally after he retired. He was the local distributor and on many, many occasions I traveled with him as he drove around the Nespelem area spreading the written news. We had many conversations as we put miles on his little Chevy Luv and papers in your hands. The conversations were about music, (he was old school western fan) driving and many other subjects. He told me stories of his childhood and life in the military. He tried to instill in me the importance of work ethic and honor. As a...
There are winners and losers, plain and simple. Yes, we have altered our youth sports over the years to develop a mentality of, “If I just participate, I will get a trophy like everyone else.” But that is not reality. Yes, we want the warm fuzzies for our kids; we must make them feel adequate and encourage them, but we cannot all be winners. The rough truth is that as our kids grow up they will be measured and tested and evaluated and put on a list and ranked. School will start keeping a class order, sports will be measured by wins and los...
It’s hotter than a woolly mammoth in a sweater factory. There are lots of classic sayings out there to describe the current heat wave. Has anyone tried frying an egg on the sidewalk yet? Or barbecuing without turning on the gas? Just curious because it has been that hot. Most are probably sitting in our “cool spot” in the house with a wet rag on your head, a mason jar of ice water in your right hand and an icepack under your undercarriage. If you’re lucky, you don’t have to go outside too much. Just long enough to water plants and move spri...
If you have watched the world news at all, you know that a lot of very troubling things are occurring across the world and in our very own country. A shooting in a church in the south, escaped convicts that could be anywhere by now, and the epidemic of terrorism that quietly hides in our backyards, waiting for its call to perform. Add unemployment, drugs, immoral behavior and corrupt leaders and we have the recipe for major fear. With all that said you are probably ready to run for the hills and hide out for a while. You would be justified in...
Ask any senior, this past week was a stressful one. First there were the deadlines for assignments and papers. Then the Senior Dinner. Followed by Oral Boards. Then Baccalaureate. Then Practice for graduation. Then the event itself, followed by the numerous receptions around the area. The seniors had a busy week, but it was all worth it. They were not the only ones busy. So here are a few things I noticed along the way. There was a handful of kids, you know them as the procrastinators, which had to cram a quarter full of assignments into a few...