News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Many years ago, a local family uprooted and went east. They left behind the oldest son who had just graduated and laid down some roots of his own, but they took the middle child and the youngest and set out for North Dakota. This is the story of the youngest daughter. She had just passed the fourth grade and was looking forward to summer when she got the news. They were packing up and going to the middle of oil country. They were going to live in a place called Wildrose. Population, not much....
If you have ever visited Washington, D.C., or even looked into planning a trip to the nation’s capital, you know there are quite a few sights to see. Washington, D.C. is a hub for both American history and cultural exploration, from the U.S. Capitol building and the Library of Congress, the world’s largest library, to memorials to great presidents and soldiers who fought in past wars. Some of the most notable cultural attractions are the Smithsonian museums, where special artifacts, exhibits, historical memorabilia, and more are displayed for...
Once, long before anyone even decided to put a dam at the Columbia River, there was a small community in the north end of the Grand Coulee. At first, sparse pioneers with cattle roamed the land approximately where Electric City is now located. Just a few miles away, in Rattlesnake Canyon lived the last of the outlaws, and the most notorious of the Grand Coulee area, Texas Jack. When he spoke, he spoke with a Texan accent, but he didn't have much need for people and kept to himself mostly, in...
No matter what you think of the plans for the upcoming school year, the good news is that along the way to hacking out a path through an impossible situation, the Grand Coulee Dam School District directors Monday displayed what could well be the future model of civic engagement. The board, while holding its latest Zoom online meeting accessible by the public, did exactly what they are supposed to do in full view of all. Usually, when citizens call up a board member about an issue, the elected representative of the people takes the information a... Full story
Ever wonder why some of our elected officials have it in for immigrants? All of us could easily trace our citizenship back to the time that our forebears arrived on our shores. In a sense we are all immigrants, some more mindful of it than others. I have always wondered what my first immigrant families might have uttered when they first saw the USA. My Lucas family came by sailing vessel to America in 1710. They had escaped religious persecution in France and escaped to Germany in what would be a hardship journey. The family was in Germany for...
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...