News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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The Great Depression was a great teacher. You’ve read about it, but few of you experienced it. As a youngster it wasn’t as bad for me as many others. I credit my parents for sparing me the suffering that hit America. It didn’t hit and then change. It hit and held on for my entire childhood. I still remember the fun I had growing up, more so than my three older brothers and sister. I don’t remember any of them who expressed any fond memories. Along came the war and suddenly I was cast into the real world. First, my oldest brother Richard...
Every year, on Veterans Day, we pause to honor the men and women who have worn the uniform of our country and served in defense of our freedom. It is a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who stood guard over our nation’s ideals, from the founding of America to today. As a proud representative of Central Washington, I have the privilege of meeting veterans who have devoted their lives to preserving the freedoms we hold dear. From their courageous service on battlefields around the world to their ongoing efforts to support the local...
November 15, 1777, the second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation. It was submitted to the states two days later for ratification. A letter from the congress accompanied the document. The letter was emphatic, stating that the document should be, “…reviewed under a sense of the difficulty of combining in one general system the various sentiments and interests of a continent divided into so many sovereign and independent communities, under a conviction of the absolute necessity of uniting all our councils and all our str...
As a mother of a special-needs adult man, I feel the need to share with the community how he was mostly treated great throughout the Trick or Treating community, but of course there were the houses that will probably make him stop. With my son’s kind heart and love for children and his own child-like demeanor, he looks forward to wearing his “cop costume” every year and going out with his nieces and nephews to have one of his most memorable nights. For the last few years, his sister takes him out with them and, unfortunately, both years they co...
I want to thank Claudia Hartman Bjorklund for her touching letter sharing her memories of the Coulee Dam Theatre and for her support in seeing Village Cinema brought back to life. Stories like Claudia’s show just how important this theater has been to our community, and we’re excited to create new memories with the Village Cinema Revitalization Project. As Claudia suggested, we are inviting community members to contribute toward this effort. We’re currently raising $20,000 to fund essential equipment, such as a projector, audio system, and H...
My son Paul is finally returned from Alaska. I had written about his “once in a lifetime” camping and exploring trip to Alaska. He left his home just north of Everett on May 15 and got back Oct. 4. He described it as his retirement dream. Paul drove 16,996 miles, went through a new set of tires, and cooked a lot of meals. His goal was to see a lot of Alaska. He did! Paul said he was on all major roads and a host of minor ones. He retired last year and spent the better part of six months planning the trip. A return trip is being discussed. Pau...
Washington’s agriculture is a $12.8 billion business with 33,000 farms — and it runs on gasoline, diesel, and natural gas. The hundreds of big rigs hauling crops and food products are not electric. Even though new trucks have reduced CO2 and other pollutants, some politicians are hastily charging ahead to replace fossil-fueled trucks with unproven technology. According to 2021 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data, transportation was responsible for 30 percent of greenhouse gases of which 80 percent comes from cars and trucks. A qua...
November 9, 1731, Benjamin Banneker was born in Ellicott’s Mills, Maryland. Banneker was a self-taught Astronomer and Mathematician. He was one of the first African Americans to gain distinction in the sciences. Most of his life was on his family’s farm outside Baltimore. He taught himself by using borrowed textbooks. In 1789, Banneker made astronomical calculations that enabled him to successfully forecast a solar eclipse. His mechanical and mathematical abilities brought him acclaim by building a clock out of wood. In a letter to then Sec...
I want to share how much I enjoy seeing the progress of the reopening of the Village Cinema. My sister, Cecilia, and I subscribe to The Star and enjoy sharing what is happening. My parents, Rod and Anne Hartman, ran the Coulee Dam Theatre when I was growing up. I have such memories of having my parents own the theatre. Some good, some great, and some embarrassing. We’ll start with the embarrassing. My mom would cruise the aisles with her flashlight, watching for those that were not watching the movie but were choosing to make out with their d...
Northwestern University reports that, during the past 20 years, 3,200 print newspapers have closed. That is a savage blow to our nation. The traffic and the advertising money moved to social media. Traditional newspapers are edited for accuracy and truth. Social media are not edited, and anyone can publish their own agenda on social media. Foreign countries that are enemies of the United States can post on social media using fake identities. Community newspapers provide social stability, what economists call a public “good.” Social media is...
Over the past two years, as a member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, we have uncovered the malign influence the CCP has in American institutions. With these revelations, we have committed to finding real, actionable solutions to prevent the CCP from tightening their grip on our nation’s security and way of life. The Select Committee has exposed numerous CCP schemes aimed at undermining our national security. From increased land purchases near sensitive sites to di...
I have been in the writing business almost 70 years. It started under difficult circumstances and almost ended the same way. I took a couple of journalism classes early on and my prof, Helen Wilson, took a liking to my work. When an opening came up on the staff of the small daily paper in Nampa, Idaho, she arranged for me to go in for an interview. I talked with the editor, Jack Scudder, who sensed my hesitation. He explained that as sports editor I would be following and writing about sports events in the area. After I said I didn’t think I wa...
The elections always generate a lot of enthusiasm and competition. Overall, that’s a good thing — a sign of a healthy Democracy. But when things get too heated, it become corrosive. People who oppose Donald Trump aren’t “haters.” They disagree with his positions. Kamala Harris isn’t “retarded” (an antiquated and cruel word for people with intellectual disabilities). She is an accomplished, intelligent woman. Democrats are not “Marxists,” “Socialists,” or “Communists.” That’s a ridiculous assertion on its face, at least to those of us who know...
When I was a kid, I was taught lying was very bad. Up until the last few years I wasn’t aware of hardly any outright lies. Then in 2015 Donald Trump lied to the whole world that he didn’t know anything about Russia. He had never been there. Since then, the lies are unending. People don’t care anymore. Don Andrews...
At 94, I am still not old enough to answer what I think I owe my present age to. I suppose I could say that I drank sparingly and quit smoking when I was 20 years old, or more accurately when I met my wife. I was born on a farm and lived there until I was 6. My parents often told me that we moved to town so I could start school. That was in 1936, in Palouse. I never was comfortable on the farm. My siblings and I always were wondering what was going on in town. We lived four miles out. So we moved to town, and I started what some might call my...
Throughout my time in Congress, I have been fortunate to be part of numerous committees and caucuses that allow me to directly impact the constituents of Central Washington. One of these caucuses, the Western Caucus, has allowed me to advocate for issues that all of rural America struggles with, and as Chairman, I have been able to ensure the priorities of Central Washington are not forgotten. The Western Caucus is a bipartisan caucus with over a hundred members from across the United States, which advocates for rural policy issues throughout...
When President Biden warned FEMA does not have enough money to finish the hurricane season let alone the entire year, it was surprising. Suddenly, we discovered federal disaster relief money may be insufficient for future hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes relief. The frequency of major hurricanes and massive wildfires is draining federal accounts, and replacement funds only add to our soaring national debt. That debt is weighing on our ability to operate our national government. For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, which stretches...
October 23, 1941, the Senate passed a supplemental Lend-Lease bill of $5.98 billion. This action brought the United States closer to direct involvement in World War II. The Lend-Lease Act was approved by Congress in March. It gave President Roosevelt nearly unlimited authority to direct war materials and food to the war effort in Europe without violating the U.S. position of neutrality. The aid assisted in the defense of nations whose security was deemed vital to the security of the United States. Of course, on December 7, 1941, the United...
After being closed for 11 years, Village Cinema is making a comeback, stirring up fond memories and sparking excitement among community members. This past weekend, during the saʔtitkʷ (River) Artist Celebration, we offered special pre-renovation theater tours, and I witnessed a touching moment that speaks volumes about the community’s connection to the theater. James and Cassandra, both in their early 20s, were volunteering to help move old seat parts when they stumbled upon a nostalgic memory. As we worked, I pointed out that while there isn...
I read and listen to all of you Trump Haters out there and ask myself how can you possibly hate someone like him? I guess Biden/Harris has done such a marvelous job of allowing 20.000,000 illegal aliens to enter our country. Not the best of the best either. Murderers, Rapists, Gang Members, and known Terrorists. Let’s not forget our National Debt, that is something to be proud of. What about the draining of our oil reserves, the cost of food, gas, housing, out-of-control crime, and the list goes on and on? Do you look at demented Biden with p...
This is not about Donald Trump. It’s not even about the sad souls seduced by him. The insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power were primarily guilty of being gullible. They fell for the fraud. They did not do the defrauding. Many have been held accountable for their actions. Most of the ones who fooled them have not. Yet. I refer to Republican Party leaders who cashed in their moral courage to ride a demagogue’s coattails to power. They learned from their adored leader how to spew out coded calls to...
On one of my recent volunteer activities with Spokane Public Schools, I was happy to hear first-hand a school employee’s personal immigration story very similar to many I’ve heard in my 88 years but more recently drowned out by cruel lies about immigrants. She recounted how her father, who immigrated with her mother from Mexico, followed the seasonal agricultural crops throughout the Pacific Northwest in order to obtain full-time work with long hours. But he insisted that she stay in one place throughout her childhood to get a good edu...
I marvel at how lucky I’ve been with neighbors and other local people. In the fall, about every three days, Howard and Denise Anderson deliver a couple of containers filled with the prettiest dahlias imaginable. They have been doing this for years. I think this is the reason I like fall better than any other time of the year. The Andersons plant in the back of their house where they get just the right kind of sunshine. Add to that the special care they give the dahlias. Years ago, when I could tend a garden, I tried my hand at raising dahlias....
October 19, 1781, British General Cornwallis surrendered his army of 8,000 to General Washington at Yorktown. Cornwallis had marched his army to the port of Yorktown, Virginia that summer expecting to meet British ships sent from New York. There were no ships. About 17,000 American and French troops led by General Washington and French General Rochambeau, surrounded the British occupied Yorktown. Off the coast, French Admiral de Grasse naval fleet-controlled access to the Chesapeake Bay and the York River. Cornwallis’s surrender effectively e...
The presidential election is going to be one of the most important elections of our lifetime. Before anyone votes for Trump, I think they should think about how they are going to like living under a dictator. Don’t say this I all baloney; Trump has said he will do it and he has plenty of evil people to pull it off for him. His power to take our fundamental rights away from us will happen. Don’t laugh, it happened to other countries and not long ago. Don Andrews...