News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Holy Toledo! Holy Moly! Holy Whatever! As the old saying goes, Come Rain or Shine,” the freaky t-storm that blew through the Coulee on Thursday last week didn’t put a damper on the yard sales starting early Friday morning in Grand Coulee and near Elmer City. The stampede was on. At the Liz and Felix sale on Granger in Grand Coulee, a dining table and chairs set, living room end tables and bedroom furniture sold fast, followed closely by piles of tools of all kinds, including a complete set of tools for working with concrete. The prices on tho...
A famous baseball player named Yogi Berra made some hilarious comments on his view of life and everyday activities, using the English language and word combinations to get his points across, so here’s a Yogi-ism that Detective Frankie D. overheard at a recent yard sale: “Cash is as good as money!” Now, that makes sense. The word cash has a nice ring to it. So, when you see an ad for an estate sale or a yard sale that states cash only, no checks or credit cards, remember what Yogi said. C-a-s-h! Oh my gosh! Or as Robin said to Batman in those...
Hello shoppers! Did you miss me? Detective Frankie D. here at The Star again after taking a break for summertime activities like broiling up some hamburgers and hot dogs and hanging out on Lake Roosevelt. The truth of the matter is, and the matter in this instance is braving the high temperatures to be in the first wave at 8 a.m. yard sale start times, it takes a little bit of effort to get going on Friday or Saturday mornings. But like always the hunt for those bargains waiting to be snapped up and finding the good stuff makes it all worth whi...
One of the unique attributes of the Coulee is that when you return to this area after a long departure, it appears that nothing has changed. It is the same as when you left. I have heard this hundreds of times from people who have left this area after high school and returned as adults. I think that is kind of a cool way too look at our area. On the other hand, that can also have costly retributions as well. I think we could find a balance of growth and keep the small town atmosphere, if we all...
I was sitting here trying to figure out what I wanted to write about this week and lots of ideas danced in my head but none became a solid column. I sat at my new writing area looking at the pictures on the wall. Our daughter’s graduation picture, big smile, professional pose, beautiful girl. Our son with his hand held above his head, exhausted look on his face but victory in his eyes. A black and white group. One of Terry Sieker, in fire gear, leaning on truck, exhausted from fighting the senio...
June was wetter than the month’s mean. We measured 1.32 inches of precipitation at the home weather station compared to a mean of 0.99 inches. Our high temperature was 92.9°F and occurred on the last day, while the coldest day of June was on June 1 at 44.8°F. Records for June are: highest rainfall - 4.29 inches in 1937; lowest rainfall - 0.04 inches in 2003; one day maximum - 2.31 inches in 1996. I was recently asked by a reader of this column to define the difference between the words “average...
When I was a kid the Fourth of July meant fireworks, swimming, picnics and family. We would beg our parents to buy us fireworks and of course fire crackers were my favorite. Back then I did not think of wildland fires or the dangers of explosives; we were just kids and wanted to hear the booms and see the magnificent colors and the sparks falling back to earth. My Grandpa Utz would always spoil us and purchase what seemed to be the biggest box, and, of course, he supplied us with firecrackers....
Welcome back to the epic event called the 30-year class reunion of the class of 2013. We are back stage now at this glamorous gala of quite possibly the best class ever to graduate from LRHS. The crowd is still recovering from the awesome illusion just pulled off by Magician Justus DeWinkler and we are now getting prepared for a special honor. World renowned security specialist and founder of the Men in Black Investigative Services, Abe Batten is going to demonstrate his sharp shooting skills....
Hello, my name is Emily Williams, host of Entertainment Tonight, and we are here today at the social event of the decade. It’s Lake Roosevelt High School’s class of 2013 30-year reunion, possibly the greatest class in the history of high school graduations. You will find out why because I am outside fighting the crowd that has gathered here at this red carpet event, and, oh my, here comes the first car now. It’s a long white limo and exiting the car is Abby and Libby Williams. Look at them,...
A dry April into a dry May I’ve been checking into the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s three-month prediction (June, July and August), and it states, “…an equal chance of above or below normal temperatures and below normal precipitation.” April 2013 wasn’t a wet one with only 0.91 inches of precipitation. We seem to be on course, here’s a review of some past Aprils (2012 – 1.08 inches, 2011 - .84 inches, and 2010 – 1.12 inches). The high temperature in April was 78.5°F wh...
If you were out and about in any coulee towns this past Memorial Weekend, you probably noticed the car caravans, driving slowly up and down the streets but sometimes stopping abruptly where the crowds were gathering for - gasp! - yard sales. Yes, the yard sale season is in full swing now. If the sales — some held both Friday and Saturday, but most underway by 8 a.m. on Saturday morning — are any indicator of this summer’s yard-sale-a-rama, we’re in for a heck of a ride. What items will yard sale buyers spend their cash on? Well, here’s a great...
I decided that at least once a week I would dig up a gem of a person in the Grand Coulee area and write about him or her, someone who might do pretty cool things or have an amazing heart that might go unnoticed. So here is my first installment of Gems in the Coulee. Many people in the area know John Huston. He has been around a long, long time. I mean he is old. I’m kidding. (I had to do one old joke, John; it’s out of my system now.) Some might know him as Mrs. Huston’s husband and somet...
Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Here is a recap of how the weekend went for this homegrown Colorama combative. For me, like many of the chamber members, it started months ago, but I will spare you the boring setup and jump to the steak and potatoes. Heat was the story of the weekend. I would have to say this was the hottest festival I can remember and I think it brought out the masses. I think we should schedule Mr. Sunshine to perform every year for Mother’s Day weekend. Everywhere was full w...
[Editor’s note: Frankie will be reporting weekly on findings at local sales and culture right here. Let us know what you think, and don’t believe everything you read.] Detective Frankie D. here with what some shoppers might consider extremely important news about the junking phenomenon in the Coulee Corridor, plus some other junkie comments thrown in for the heck of it. So it’s up to you to decide if what’s dished up here is extreme, important, or just plain junk. First off, think back to those long gone days when shopping sales was simply...
This week's photos from The Star are now online, including hundreds not used in the photo or in online stories. Click through to view larger images and to order photos. 5-1-13 Star...
As with most breakup letters, this one may come as a shock, but I wanted you to hear it from me first. Small towns being what they are, I began to get worried that you would hear it from someone else before you heard it from me. So I wanted to set the record straight and tell you that although we’ve had our good times, its time for me to move on. In short, I’m leaving you. As cliché as it sounds — and I’m sure you’ve heard others spout this well-used platitude — it’s not you, it’s me. Fortu...
The mean precipitation for March was 0.82 inches, though here at the home weather station we only received 0.36 inch, a huge variance from last year’s March total of 2.64 inches. What a difference a year makes, hey. Temperature-wise, this March we had a mean of 42.5°F (41.1°F mean) with a monthly low of 22.2°F (record low 0.0°F) accompanied by a monthly high of 71.6°F (record 74.0°F). So, we were off by a half inch in precipitation and generally near averages for temperatures. As I write t...
Many people have come up to me over the last two weeks telling me they agree with consolidation [that the four towns should be joined]. I suspect there are many more of you out there. So let’s rally the troops and talk more about this. As a matter of fact, let’s talk about all the issues in the area. It would be a chance for the citizens of the area to voice their concerns in a public setting. Not in a council meeting or in the grocery store. It would also be a chance for incumbent mayors and...
I recently heard a term in passing that immediately piqued my interest. At first I thought it was a made-up psychological disorder or simply a catchy term to describe a growing problem. But after doing a little research, I found that Nature Deficit Disorder is, in fact, a very real condition that can affect our children’s health and future. The term was coined in the 2005 book “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv and encompasses the growing disconnection the current generation of child...
Dry indeed, February brought a parching 0.09 inch of precipitation that included 0.6 inch of fresh snow. The mean precipitation is 0.92 inch while we had a high of 3.58 inches back in 1940. Mean snowfall is 2.5 inches. So, as you can see, we were behind by about 90 percent. Temperatures were higher, as well. The mean for February here at the home weather station was 34.2°F, while the historical mean is 32.7°F. That’s a 1.5°F uptick from the mean. The low for the month was 24.1°F (average minim...
Someone recently asked me, “Why should I volunteer?” After I answered the question and had more time to let the question really soak in, I wondered why some people give their time openly and easily while others drag their feet to help out. So I reflected back on why I volunteer. I remember my father was always volunteering at the Moose Lodge, helping with the Christmas traditions they had. The Christmas party for kids of the area at the Moose Lodge was a big deal back then. I also remember my mo...
This Christmas, with some trepidation, I received my first smartphone. I was very excited about the larger screen size (so I could more easily view pictures) and the ability to connect to the internet when I needed to. But it wouldn’t be stretching the truth to say I was a bit reluctant to be connected to the virtual world at all times. For one thing, the very idea of choosing the right app for the right moment is overwhelming. Without the help of more technologically savvy friends and f...
I have always been aware of good service. Like in restaurants and with good business owners that put this quality first. My family and I always return again and again to those places that provide a “customer first” rule. Also, with most of my family having been in the restaurant or service fields, we know the importance of a happy customer. And so the saga goes… State wrestling, as you already know, had its big weekend not long ago and the family made the trip for the final time with immed...
Reviewing data from the past four Januarys shows we didn’t have any changes from the normal. We had good, measurable snowfall this year (2013, 7.3 inches) and last (2012, 9.9 inches). Here’s how it broke down for 2013 and showing all-time records in parenthesis. High temperature 46.0°F(record is 61°F), low 12.7°F (record -17°F), mean 26.5°F (record 36.1°F), total precipitation 0.60 inches (2.25 inches) and snowfall 7.3 inches (21.6 inches). January was nothing to write home about. Given the...
Growing up in Los Angeles, Academy Award night was a citywide celebration. By the time my brother and I would tumble inside, ready for our afternoon snack, the glamorous stars were already pulling up in their shiny limousines to strut down the red carpet. My mom would prepare special dishes and drinks, and family and friends would crowd around the TV together. Mostly we would gossip about the stars’ choice of wardrobe, but we would also root for our favorite movies and argue the merits of e...