News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Ah, small town life. Country living. Old pickup trucks, down-home diners. You gotta love it. Sometimes it's a bit dull, but only boring people are bored, so you have to create your own excitement. If you need a little help with that, then these 10 small-town movies might give you the entertainment you so crave. Here they are, in no particular order: the top 10 movies to watch in a small town. The Last Picture Show 1971, rated R directed by Peter Bogdanovich "The Last Picture Show" epitomizes sma...
In a few days the University of Washington Huskies will be in the Rose Bowl. It will be their 15th appearance in Pasadena and the Huskies will have the opportunity to tilt the record in their favor, currently having a 7-7 record. Washington’s first appearance was in 1924, and their last in 2001. But this column is about Washington’s sixth appearance, in 1960, when they defeated the University of Wisconsin, 44-8, and how I got there. I was working for the Idaho Statesman in Boise at the time. One day the owner of the paper, Jim Brown, came and...
A young child cannot sleep the night before Christmas. Visions of the toys that will be there, the stockings overflowing with goodies, and the mouthwatering feast all keep a young mind from drifting off. Also, the thought of the little fat man in the red coat delivering something special and eating the cookies left for him, and the child’s desire of catching a glimpse of the mythical being add to the sleeping dilemma. These hopes and ideas are as pure as the freshly fallen snow when we are y...
I wish to express my concern about the proposed changes to the access at “geezer” beach. I see no reason for the proposed changes, other than paranoia over the possibility of some incident which might occur. I do not recall an incident actually occurring in that area; I can find no justification for the paranoia which apparently caused these changes to be considered. More actual incident reports (facts) are needed for any changes to be implemented. Gary Esmond retired U.S. Army, retired USBR...
I respect the electorate. Some had vetted — and others did not. And for my good reasons, I voted the minority (Gayle Swagerty) for mayor, based on my own vetting process … and she lost. After all, “it’s just an election”… and in a small community we expect changes of policy and paradigms. It’s a process — and an expected outcome. However, from that, it offers nothing until the future actions define it … and I, for one, am now redefined and very much awake! You should be too. Yes, I took the time to vet the process for both candidates: I did the...
Last week, Congress voted 369-47 to pass the 2018 Farm Bill, sending this critical legislation to President Trump for his signature into law. The agreement sets us on a better path for our country’s farmers and ranchers, for our rural communities, for small businesses, and for consumers across the country at the grocery store and at kitchen tables. In March, I traveled across Central Washington to speak with farmers from every county in the Fourth Congressional District about their goals for the Farm Bill. With passage of the bill, I am p...
12 is almost here! Are you searching for a New Year resolution but aren’t exactly sure what you should resolve to do? Do you love children and think they deserve to be cared for in a safe and nurturing home? If you answered yes to either of those questions, you should consider becoming a foster parent to one (or more) of the thousands of children who are currently in foster care in Washington state. What’s that you say? You’d love to foster but fear you would get too attached to the children in your care and it would break your heart for t...
Christmas is a difficult time for anyone grieving the death of a loved one. It is especially hard when they were slain in the line of duty while protecting our country. It hit home again last month when Army sergeants Eric Emond, 39, Brush Prairie, and Leandro Jasso, 25, Leavenworth, were killed in Afghanistan. Both were experienced elite soldiers who served multiple tours in combat zones. Normally, the fallen are remembered on Memorial Day, but thanks to a Maine family and over 800,000 donors and volunteers, more than 1.8 million Christmas wre...
Continuing on with profiling a senior in Lake Roosevelt High School, this month I chose a senior who follows a family tradition of being profiled right here in these pages. Quincy “The Kid” Williams and the superstar Chasity Williams are ones I have written about in the past two years, so it is a time-honored tradition that this time I write about Gloria “Roo” Michel, little sister to the other two. “Pretty good” is how she answered my first of many questions as we sat down for an impromptu o...
Solutions to serious problems should not require contortions of logic that look like the loser in that old game of Twister. You know the one: where players try to reach different spots on a large surface on the floor with different parts of their bodies until one of them finally falls over. The solution the state Legislature came up with after the state Supreme Court ruled the state was neglecting its primary constitutional responsibility — basic education — was a partial solution that will not last because it does not address fundamental ine...
I had my heroes, just like every kid. Mine really got started by getting to know the owner of one of the three active taverns in Palouse in the late 1930s. His name was Pop Brantner. I never did learn his first name. The unlikely friendship began from my bringing in empty beer bottles, for a penny a “stubby” and five cents for a quart bottle. Kids could go in the back door of the tavern, up to the pool tables with their retrieved bottles, and Pop would come back and pay us for them. For some reason, Pop took a liking to me and started tal...
A couple weeks ago, I told you about my moment of reflection during Natural Helpers. Well, Sunday night I found myself reflecting again, and this time things got personal. Sometimes it is hard to write this column without giving you a deep look into my personal life and little peeks into my family and friends. Especially this week. So, be gentle to me and anyone I mention. It was during the baby shower for Levi and Davida and the precious little package that is on the way. It was fun, and a celebration and laughs were had many times during the...
Yet another takeaway? As a disabled fisherman, I, along with many other disabled, aged friends, have fished Geezer Beach for many years. We fish this area exclusively four to five times per week from January to June. Due to our disabilities and very limited walking capabilities for many of us, it is the only alternative for fishing the area. In all of my years of enjoying fishing Geezer Beach, I have never seen or experienced any of the suggested scenarios. I am proud to say that due to our appreciation of the ability to fish there, we are...
I would love to see the cinema start showing movies again. I know a lot of people were disappointed when it closed, and with so little to do around the area it would be a big win to see it reopened. I hope the town keeps supporting Kimberly Christensen and her efforts to make this happen. I will be there ready to buy her popcorn at the first movie shown! Winona Simons Coulee Dam...
When the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced proposed possible changes to the way it manages a local fishing beach, it used in an official document the popular name given it by the folks who use it, a name first made popular in the writings of a Star columnist. Reg Morgan wrote about all kinds of things in decades of writing Morgan’s Musings, frequently about local hunting and fishing, which he loved. During the course of those writings, Reg applied the moniker “Geezer Beach” to the shoreline on Lake Roosevelt behind the Third Power...
I would like to congratulate the Grand Coulee City Council for their support for the Republic, Washington police chief’s stance on the Initiative 1639 gun law. I would also like to thank Councilmember Tom Poplawski for his succinct comments on the matter. It is my hope that more cities and counties join in on this. For too many times, the east side over here has been subjected to the political tyranny of the socialist/progressive/atheist agendas of King County and Olympia. Today, my “Liberty, founded in Truth” flag is flying. John Overb...
I was asked where Electric City sewer goes. And if we do this, how much more will w/s/g go up after we just got a hike in this? And our zip codes would change; how many people would have to be notified and have to get a mail person to deliver our mail? You, Birdie, have started a lot of stuff that has cost money and never gets done. Like the parks. And this is what we need to think about, people. I think Electric City’s council needs to take control of their council. M.S. Townsend...
My wife and I appreciated the stewardship article written by Roger Lucas. We’ve traveled extensively throughout the USA with a special focus on small towns, and we have yet to find a place as amazing as our area. Long before the vehicle and property shows became the rage, we realized the intrinsic and environmental value of restoring and preserving vintage and historical things. Presently, we’re restoring two trucks from 1964 and ’70. When we moved here almost 40 years ago, my wife’s wish was to live in the Women’s Dormitory in Coulee Da...
It happened for me on Thursday night at the K Diamond K Ranch. As I sat in this big circle with 21 students from Lake Roosevelt and nine adults, I realized that a dream had come true. Natural Helpers had indeed rebooted itself and was happening. Not only was it happening, but I was one of the leaders, leading it back into the halls of Lake Roosevelt. As all 30 guests and the ranch owner shared their stories with the rest of us, it became abundantly clear that this retreat needed to happen and...
When Congress convenes next year, lawmakers must focus on the cost and quality of health care. In November, voters made it clear health care was on top of their minds. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a third of voters said it was the “most important” issue. It ranked higher than the economy and jobs. What is driving Americans is their fear of losing health insurance, their home, and savings to battle cancer or other life-threatening conditions. According to the Washington Post, our...
The subject of consolidation has come up many times over the years, and the benefits seem to always outweigh the negatives. Sometimes it comes down to the personal feelings of the sitting councils and what they are willing to look at in their own governmental establishment. How the end game ends up is unknown, but the talk and discussion should still be had. This huge, but needed, change will only benefit the citizens of our area. Yes, growing pains will be there, but it will be worth it. Here are some of the things I think about. County...
This is about stewardship. I have always been impressed with the organizations and individuals who understand the need to preserve historic buildings in this area. The Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union immediately comes to mind. The way the CU has kept its headquarters, the old Columbia School, looking like it’s a new building — not bad for a building that was constructed in the 1930s. The credit union also has protected and keeps improving the looks of the grounds around its building. I imagine it has been a huge expense over the years, but bei...
Patriotism has been on a lot of people’s minds lately. French President Emanuel Macron recently criticized President Trump and other world leaders for their “us versus them” view of patriotism. “By putting our own interests first,” he said, “with no regard for others, we erase the very thing that a nation holds dearest, and the thing that keeps it alive: its moral values.” Meanwhile, just ahead of the midterm elections, The New York Times noted that two clashing visions of patriotism were heading to the polls. President Trump and Republicans s...
A few years after Rod Hartman had retired as the 10-year mayor of Coulee Dam in 1996, he tried to impress upon me the absolute necessity of merging the local towns. I agreed, and always have, that it would probably make sense to do so, even if it would be complicated. But having found too many die-hard old-timers too entrenched in old arguments during the last round of discussions on consolidation, I told him I didn’t think it was time to try it again. Now it is. Hartman knew, from decades of working with city budgets and local, region-wide c...
In Grand Coulee and throughout eastern Washington, physicians are the backbone of our communities. For the past 45 years, UW School of Medicine faculty and clinical partners have taught and mentored our students as a way of “paying it forward,” and today, our network has grown to nearly 1,000 individuals. You are truly fortunate to have teaching physicians in your community. Not only are they outstanding clinicians, they are dedicated to providing our students with the best medical education possible. When these students become the next gen...