News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Who would have thought that a small Oregon natural grain mill owner’s death would make national news or be the subject of a lengthy feature article in the New York Times (NYT)? However, 94-year-old Bob Moore’s passing in February did. The Times is published just off Broadway in the heart of Big Apple’s network television and theater district. Moore, with his white beard, wire-rim eyeglasses, newsie cap and bolo tie became a “food poster person” approaching the notoriety of KFC’s Colonel San...
Sometimes city governments run smoothly, but as they operate with humans in a democracy, rough patches happen. Balancing human needs, egos, ambitions, desires, skills, or a lack of them, all within the confines of public perceptions, budgets, legal restrictions, and politics sounds like the kind of idea that might cause many stalwart business pros to run screaming from the room where it was suggested. But that’s exactly what it takes for a city, or any municipality that serves us, to operate. It’s natural when tensions rise, and they can be...
I was just a kid during World War II but I still remember a lot about that time. I remember how America was very close to being beaten by the Axis (Germany, Japan and Italy), they did unspeakable things against the rest of the world, but they didn’t count on how America was all together on defeating them. We lost a lot of heroes to keep our freedom. Today, we are seeing the same kind of people trying to divide us with lies, lies and more lies. Maybe some people think it’s just exciting to divide us. I think lies are awful and so are the peo...
Answering an advertisement started my love of the railroads. I saw the ad in our hometown newspaper, The Palouse Republic. The ad was seeking people to apply for menial labor on our section of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The section ran from Palouse to Tekoa, about 50 miles of track. I was a junior in high school, but 16, the minimum age suggested in the ad. The track foreman, Bill Fisher, did the interview. He went on to complete 50 years as track foreman, a distinctive achievement. I was hired on to work Saturdays that could lead to...
A growing number of Americans think the American Dream is out of reach, but I think they are wrong. According to a recent Wall Street Journal poll, only 36% of voters said the American Dream still exists, way fewer than the 53% who believed so in 2012. Half of the poll’s respondents believed that America’s economic and political systems are “stacked against people like me.” These are troubling findings, but I think more of our native-born non-believers need to start dreaming — and acting — like American immigrants. Many immigrants still belie...
Among Cathy McMorris Rodgers’s negative legacies she leaves as US Representative, her most impactful may be on immigration. However, she still has time to improve that. Donald Trump cares nothing about our country, just his election. Accordingly, he recently ordered all Republicans to scuttle the bipartisan, long-negotiated Senate deal supporting Ukraine and limiting immigration that would be a victory for President Joe Biden. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, an election-denier, obeyed Trump by withholding a full House vote, despite e...
The recent snowstorm in the Sierra Nevadas will cure a lot of ills for the people of California. Officials predicted that the storm would dump some 12-14 feet of snow there. The spring runoff will do wonders for farmers and fruit growers in the valleys below. I have been over Donner Pass, made famous back in the days of the movement west. At the time I was there, it didn’t seem like much of a grind getting over the mountains. Donner Pass is barely 7,000 feet above sea level. Of course, my trip over the pass was in good weather so it was a sceni...
The United States recognized the state of Israel 11 minutes after formation of the state was announced in 1948. We have maintained a very close relationship since the founding. Israel is now receiving widespread criticism for its mass destruction of Palestinian civilians, and the process is causing political repercussions in the United States. Israel has internal political divisions just as we do in the United States. Some Israelis want Israel to be a democracy while others want it to be a religious state replacing, for example, the Israeli sup...
Twenty Years Ago Concerned about the effect a new sidewalk would have on the parking and safety of his building, a Grand Coulee businessman disputed the cities plan to repair Burdin Boulevard. Milt Snyder does not want a sidewalk placed in front of the alley that runs beside and behind the west end of his building. The council said they would give it another look. A proposed curriculum plan at Grand Coulee Dam School District may affect athletic eligibility. Unless some kids raise their reading and math levels in the next couple of years they...
The picture of the LRHS Boys’ Basketball Team (in color) on the cover of The Star newspaper last week was amazing! They have been exciting to watch all season and this picture captured the joy and fun they’ve shown. So much class and poise in these young men on this Raider team … very special. Coach Adkins and her Raider cheer squad and Leadership class did numerous things throughout the entire season to support the team. The Head Cheer coach also collaborated with the Brewster Band Director. It started as a gesture of good sportsmanship with...
Have you noticed how many retired school employees regularly volunteer throughout our Okanogan County communities? Retired school employees have told me that helping community members is hard work but extremely satisfying. You may find them working throughout Okanogan County’s many organizations: local, state and federal citizens’ committees, hospitals, clinics, OBHC, senior citizen centers and Community Action. They also serve their communities through groups such as Okanogan County School Retirees’ Association (OCSRA), Kiwanis, Rotary, Mason...
We view voting as an acknowledged right here in the United States. In Washington state, we receive our ballot in the mail, we do our personal research, make our choices, and mail in our completed ballot. Currently, eight states allow mail in ballots for all elections, while two states allow counties to opt into conducting elections by mail. Nine states allow specific small elections to be conducted by mail, and four states permit all-mail elections for certain small jurisdictions. The remaining...
This is about ice skating. I wish I could claim to be good on a pair of ice skates. But, no luck. When I was growing up in Palouse, we were able to ice skate on the Palouse River. It would nearly freeze solid so there wasn’t much danger in falling through the ice. I wasn’t much good because my ankles let me down, but I gave it a whirl anyway. We had the type of skates that screwed onto your shoes. That was the state of the art, Palouse style, at the time. Later, much later, I got regular ice skating shoes. It didn’t change my proficiency on th...
We are a Gonzaga household. Not the usual kind of specific fans. For instance, I don’t focus on the individual players. I don’t know them by number and can seldom identify any of the players while watching the games. I leave that to my great grandson, Damon Landeros, who often comes up to the house to watch Gonzaga games with me. I started watching the Zags several years ago when I was intrigued by how a small university could develop such a strong basketball program. I haven’t been disappointed. The Zags give me something to watch up to and i...
Looks like James Tweed must be a Democrat in sheep’s clothing of a Rino. We have the most inept destructive administration in my lifetime. Over 13 million illegals’ coming across the border from Mexico not counting the ones coming from Canada. Highest increase in inflation from President Carter days. All because Biden war on fosil fuel stopped the keystone pipeline stopped the drilling in Anwar that was to start in 2020. His total administration were not qualified for the job they were put in, there only qualifications was they were part of...
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all originated in the greater Middle East. The most fundamental believers of each of these religions treat women as second-class citizens. Why? During most of the time that humans have existed, there was no formal education process. Most people were illiterate. There was no science to investigate the cause of disease or anything else. People could only believe, and they certainly did. In the book Encyclopedia of Gods, Michael Jordan cataloged 2,500 gods that people have invented and worshiped. People believed...
As a third-generation farmer from Sunnyside, I understand the crucial role agriculture plays in our region. From tree fruits and hops to apples, potatoes, and wine grapes, Central Washington farmers produce over 300 different products and contribute over $9 billion in agriculture production to our economy. But without prioritizing our next generation of farmers, this level of impact will soon become impossible to replicate. The average age of farmers in the United States is 57 and a half years old, with only 9% under the age of 35. Children...
Beware of people who are oblivious to the obvious. People who lose an election, and believe they won. Not based on evidence. But based on what they “feel.” I am a conservative. Many Republicans today delude themselves by calling me a RINO (Republican In Name Only). True conservatives believe in the Constitution, Democracy, and the rule of law. Donald Trump only believes in himself. Every other value, or person, is expendable. Don’t believe me? Pay attention when he speaks. Then watch what he does. Do you really believe if you are loyal to him,...
The United States produces the cleanest and safest energy in the world from traditional resources like oil and natural gas as well as from emerging resources and innovative technologies. This is something we should be celebrating, but instead, President Biden has waged an unprecedented war on American energy producers since taking office, which has caused our energy prices to skyrocket in order to appease the extreme climate lobby. On January 26, 2024, President Biden announced he will pause all pending approvals of liquified natural gas (LNG)...
Winters in Palouse were much worse when I was growing up than what they are experiencing now. I can remember when we got our first refrigerator. That was in 1938. My mother was still using it in 1971. There was an emblem on the front telling it was a Philco Advanced Design refrigerator. It was still being used when my mother died. I doubt that many refrigerators last that long. It was a big deal for me. It meant that I didn’t have to go to the icehouse for a block of ice a couple times a week. It wasn’t unusual for snow drifts in the middle of...
In 2017, I wrote a column titled: “America needs more welders and fewer philosophers.” It was a slogan Florida Sen. Marco Rubio used in his 2016 presidential campaign to call attention to the need for more skilled workers. Rubio hit the nail on the head without disrespecting philosophers. The American Welding Society (AWS) estimated our country now requires 400,000 new welders. This scarcity is primarily due to the substantial number of skilled workers retiring and fewer young men and women entering technical training programs. The enc...
It became clear as crystal last night. Within the time allotted for one city council meeting in Electric City, at least three issues were discussed that require regional attention of two, three, or four local cities, all of which would benefit from cooperation among or between them. That’s why interest in at least one meeting among all their leaders, with the public invited, is an encouraging sign. The new kid on the block, Grand Coulee Mayor Mike Eylar, proposed last week at the Regional Board of Mayors meeting, that all the councils come t...
Having family in Grand Coulee, I read The Grand Coulee Star opinion piece “Those early postal days” (Feb. 7 issue). I can relate to the penny postcards. My late grandmother Dora (White) Marples had a shoebox full of them. Most were from her twin daughters Ida and Ina Marples. A few were from her eldest son Bill Marples (my Dad). I enjoyed seeing the unique stamps and designs as I was growing up. When I was age 6, a first-class stamp cost 6 cents. When I was 10 years old, postage was 10 cents. This parallel theme occurred when I was ages 15,...
Hello, I am Silas Powers. For the complex and difficult work of ensuring that all state routes, interstates, county, city and other roadways of Washington state are properly striped I have great respect. Why do the roadways show the following signs? • Lack of striping altogether • Heavily faded striping • Completely faded striping • Lack of retro reflectivity • Almost total invisibility of striping at night with light rain • Interference of road repairs or sealing with visibility of striping • Low quality of paint (in my opinion a 3 out of 10...
Affordable, plentiful energy is the root of a society that enables economic growth. It’s easy to forget our community’s biggest asset even though it affects everything we do. Now more than ever, our customers need to understand hydropower’s role in the rapidly changing energy landscape, and how we’re preparing for the future. It’s no secret that the public utility districts of Chelan, Douglas and Grant counties provide very low electric rates. Thanks to the vision of local citizens who voted to create public utility districts, and the commi...