News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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When you live in the same area for a lifetime you come to know some things. So let’s have a little fun and I will take you on a scavenger hunt with clues to certain locations to be discovered by you and your family. Disclaimer: There are no prizes or hidden treasures waiting for you, this is just for fun. So let’s start. There is a little building that packs the making for punch. Under the white domed entrance you just may find Hershey’s and Hooks. Back when baseball cards were a thing to be co...
It was a sultry Saturday evening, July 24, 1937. The blaze started about 9:15 p.m. in the rear of the Public Market grocery, and quickly ate the half block of frame buildings located in the heart of the business district. The flames threatened the entire business district for over four hours as they raced down the block of buildings before a high wind. The Kozy Korner restaurant, the Hub Clothing company, Ross department store, Public Market, Stone's Market, and the Grand Coulee News office and...
I’ve spent a long time in politics, and over those years one thing has remained constant: a lot more Americans criticize government than serve and do something about it. There have been times when I’ve felt a bit resentful. It’s hard to enter the fray, listen patiently to criticism from all comers, and then look around to find that many of them are nowhere to be found when it comes to the hard work of improving our communities and our system. But mostly what I’ve felt is amazement at the immense but often un-grasped opportunity our system...
In the 20 years it took for the United States to dig itself in, then out, of Southeast Asia in the Vietnam War, more than 58,000 American military personnel died. In the last 173 days, an invisible enemy has killed more than 135,000 Americans — two-and-a-third times as many as the Vietcong killed in 20 years — and has sickened 3.2 million more. For many of us, the coronavirus pandemic seems an extreme inconvenience. But if we don’t decide on a united effort, it will be far worse for far more, and quickly. Some are calling for another compl... Full story
I got to witness something very special last week. I will tell you about that in second,d but first I just want to remind you that it is summer. It happened when we were not looking, while we were in quarantine and trying to stay healthy. The summer showed up, and it’s here in full effect. So what goes best with summer? Ice Cream! It started with a sweet little light melody coming from the distance. It got louder and louder as it got closer and closer. Now, growing up here in the Coulee, I have...
The proposal to introduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades Ecosystem has been looming over the communities of Central Washington since I was elected to Congress. I have worked with officials in the past two Administrations to ensure that all aspects of this proposal – and all effects of the decision to introduce another apex predator into our rural, agricultural communities – were considered before a final decision was issued. Our public lands, including the North Cascades, are critical to our region – for species conservation, enjoy...
The United States is the most powerful country in the world. By any measure, we are preeminent. We have challenges and vulnerabilities, and we are not as dominant as we once were, but no one else comes close to America’s military, economic and political might. Whether we like it or not, we cannot escape the responsibility for global leadership our power places upon us. Many Americans are ambivalent about this. They like having the U.S. out in front, but they have doubts about paying the price. They wonder if the benefits of being a world l...
Siphons were a large part of the irrigation project enabled by the pumping plant at Grand Coulee Dam. Most of them were placed in locations where a simple canal would not be feasible, due to an extreme elevation change. Siphons near the main canal, such as this one of the East Low Canal, were about 22 feet in diameter. This October 10, 1948 view, is located near Adco, about 6 miles east of Soap Lake. Notable about this particular siphon is what it is crossing under. Note the body of water on...
As I have said in the past and will continue to vocalize in our nation’s capital: Hydropower is truly the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest. From the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest power producing hydroelectric dam in North America, to the dams along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, Central Washington has come to rely on the clean, affordable, and reliable power these dams produce. We should be encouraging innovation and expansion of hydropower as the United States moves toward a clean energy future. These critical water infrastructure p...
A highway sign “beware, rocks” would have been better stating “be aware of rocks.” Those of us who have lived here for a bit are fully aware that we live in a rocky environment that has historical significance. My fascination with rocks could stem from the fact that my mother gathered a rock from every place she visited. The rock pile was in our mud room off the back porch. I think she could have told you where every rock came from. I never get tired of driving our lake canyon picking out unique rocks and rock formations. There are a number...
This past week our family has lost three men who were mentors or treasured icons in our eyes. They were irreplaceable, and that got us as a family to really treasure those memories. As we look to the future, we seek to create time and moments with the ones who are left. Especially during this time of social distancing and creating space, it can be challenging to just hang out with the people special to us. But it is also a significant time to cling to those people who have lived through the...
In August 1933 the Wilbur Commercial Club contacted Washington Senator Clarence Dill proposing a postage stamp commemorating the start of construction at Grand Coulee Dam. This request was denied in October 1934 by postal authorities who stated that the beginning of construction was not important enough to merit a stamp. In November 1951 a commemorative stamp was again proposed by Washington state's U.S. Sen. Warren Magnuson, who suggested a stamp be issued honoring the first delivery of...
We know all too well the complete destruction that wildfires can cause. Over the past several years we’ve witnessed numerous, nearby, destructive wildfires. We are not immune to the outcome of wildfire. Can we better suppress and understand wildfire and the elements that comprise wildfire? The answer is probably yes. The past few decades, engineers, scientists and wildfire managers have collaborated to jointly create new tools and techniques to better fight and understand wildfire. My first expo...
We need to give thanks to the people of the American Legion of Electric City for all the work they are doing at the Spring Canyon Cemetery. Starting right after Memorial Day, they have come to the cemetery every Saturday and have spent the day cleaning and digging out headstones. It is hard work as some of the headstones are completely grown over. Thank you very much; what you are doing means a lot to a lot of people in the community. Garey Clements Grounds keeper, Spring Canyon Cemetery...
The COVID-19 pandemic made us reconsider how we work, attend school, seek medical care and interact with family and friends. One thing is clear – access to affordable broadband is more important than ever. As leaders in fiber infrastructure development, Public Utility Districts must be allowed to compete for federal funding to serve the most hard-to-reach rural customers. Policy makers recognize that broadband access is critical to a community’s success. Congress and the President are considering broadband as part of their respective inf...
At its founding, the United States of America was the first of its kind: an experimental government based on the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Gaining our independence from Britain was, in a way, a changing of the tides – for those who declared themselves Americans, our future generations, and everyone in between. Over the past 244 years, our country has grown and evolved into – what I believe to be – the greatest country in the world, and we must defend her with patriotism and pride. As Independence Day appro...
On July 4, 1975, America proudly celebrated its Bicentennial as the world’s greatest nation while Poland was a suppressed Soviet satellite state. Poles had no right to free speech, were hungry and impoverished. If you wanted a job, you played ball with Communist Party bosses. If you disagreed with their ideology, you likely were imprisoned. Poland was a rather bleak land which had not recovered from the German Blitzkrieg in 1939. Meanwhile, in Washington, the Business Week program started at C...
According to the legend, in a fit of rage, Coyote flung Rabbit from the top of Steamboat Rock, where he landed and stuck in the side of the coulee wall below Salishan Mesa. Rabbit was then changed to stone and became Rabbit Rock. One of the earliest postcards from the 1930s identifies the rock basalt column as Rabbit Ears Rock, and at one time the ears stuck further out the top than they do today, giving the rock an even more rabbit like appearance. At one time the Old Speedball Highway ran...
As we all wish everything could return to normal, some things just shouldn’t. The crisis we’re dealing with makes a habit of forcing us to embrace change, and some of those are for the better. One in particular could have the effect of making governments more open, more democratic. And it’s easier and cheaper than other alternatives. When local governments (and even state and national agencies) make their meeting available via a video streaming or conferencing service such as Zoom, anyone with an interest can get involved, or just liste... Full story
Grand Coulee Dam isn’t what it used to be. I first saw Grand Coulee Dam in 1948. The dam was just 6 years old. Construction started in 1933 and was completed in 1942. Several seniors along with me had taken a couple days off from school with the excuse that we were going to Spokane to visit the “Freedom Train” that was touring the country. It contained, for everyone to see, several of the country’s original documents. We had arranged to be away so we could visit the train with the understanding that we would write a report about it. We had no i...
As we look around during this time, we can see a lot of negativity. It can be heavy and burdensome to carry on with our lives when it appears the turmoil of the world is ripping apart society. It can be hard to go into your day without an attack or bout of uncertainty that can lead to depression or panic like clouds surrounding us. So when a spark of positivity shines bright, it is important grasp it and blow it into a flame. Last Saturday I found myself sitting under the awning at North Dam...
In early June, the financial website WalletHub released its rankings of “Best and Worse State Economies” and Washington led the field of 51 as best by a healthy margin. WalletHub economists viewed the states from three key dimensions---economic activity, economic health and innovation potential. Then the analysts from Dartmouth and Carthage colleges and the University of Texas-Austin looked at 28 key indicators of economic performance and strength when comparing all 50 states and the Dis...
In 1946, a state park at Crown Point was proposed to attract tourists to the Northwest and Grand Coulee Dam. That initial park design showed a 320- by 220-foot state relief model and exhibition building, along with a 500-foot aluminum tower equipped with an elevator and topped with a rotating searchlight; estimated to cost $2 million. Work to build a road to Crown Point began in 1950 and the park property obtained from the government shortly thereafter. That initial design would subsequently be...
It may be easy to feel relatively insulated here from the coronavirus because of the relatively few cases we’ve had, but we’re just entering the period of time when it’s most likely to make its way here repeatedly. With this area’s lakes an annual destination for many during summer months, vectors to introduce it here point to the Coulee like the target lines to the bullseye on a dart board. And county health authorities report their cases are climbing fairly rapidly. Grant County has added nearly 30 percent of its cases in the last week, 9... Full story
What do you think of the fact that the USBR has closed the parking area on the top of the dam? It is a wonderful place to park and look out at the lake and surrounding country. It is a great place to watch the moon rise and visit with friends and family or make new friends. I contacted them today (June 11) and asked why it needed to be closed 24/7. They use the area for checking temperatures of employees for maybe up to 60 minutes a day, four to five days a week. I asked why they couldn’t open it up for the community and tourists and was t...