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 Star is truly a community newspaper that provides information and publishes varied opinions for its readers. I often agree with those opinions that appear on its Opinion Page, sometimes disagree but seldom have no interest in the opinions expressed. I rarely respond to those opinions with which I disagree. However, a reader’s perception of what is being stated can often become that reader’s truth if the opinions are stated without the factual background from which readers can decide for themselves if they agree or not with the writer. I h...
With the handoff of power from one president to another, we enter this new phase of our national life in deep distress. We are polarized, struggling to communicate reasonably with one another, and seemingly unable to find common ground on basic issues. Yet the path forward is neither new nor, really, difficult. We all know what needs to happen. We just need to do it. To heal as a nation, we need to return to our traditional ways of doing business. We need to rediscover our skills at negotiation and compromise. We must rekindle our...
January 3 found me calling 911. This is about the responders... Such a fabulous team effort...at a time of need. I was in dire straits and they had an obstacle course with the gurney. I am sure they had a huge part in saving my life that day. EMTs here are not heralded enough; they were as professional as Lifeline, who transported me to Spokane. Hats off to you guys, and a “heartfelt” Thank you. Connie Williamson...
Dropping in for a three-day trip to Siem Reap, and a visit to Angkor Wat, a temple complex nearby, was a change of plans, and a welcome one at that. Rediscovered by a French archeologist in the mid 1800s. Siem Reap was Cambodia’s ancient capital, now with a population of 249,000. The temple itself was built in the 12th century and is a little over 399 miles north of Phnom Penh, the current capital. Early the morning after my arrival, I hired a pedal cab for the three-mile hike to Angkor. Like the French explorer Henri Mouhot, who must have b...
Central Washington is one of the most agriculturally rich and diverse regions in the United States. Since coming to Congress, I have had the honor of representing our agricultural producers, advocating for strong trade agreements and market protection measures, and securing the tools and resources our state needs to remain at the cutting edge of agriculture innovation. I was recently appointed to serve on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration — a priority of mine since I was n...
Last week›s opinion page had two contrasting letters about President Trump›s recent impeachment. Both letters inspired a reaction from me, so I decided to pipe up. Many have said that President Trump was responsible for what happened at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. His speech from that day and his challenge to the 2020 election are being blamed for the mayhem that ensued when the mob entered the Capitol. First of all, the challenges to the election were Constitutional and not without precedent. In 2004 Senator Barbara Boxer and...
I just wanted to thank Roger Lucas for his kind article that mentioned FIUTS a couple of weeks ago. We always enjoy learning about connections and bonds that people form as a result of our work, and it’s even more meaningful when those bonds last as long as his have with his friend Khien. Please thank him. [Editor’s note: At the University of Washington, FIUTS (The Foundation for International Understanding Through Students) advances international understanding through cross-cultural experiences, student leadership, and community con...
Our small community has many exceptional people. I want to take a moment to highlight just a few that have earned my admiration over decades, years or recently. Their messages during this extremely challenging, chaotic time are wonderful and heartwarming. Roger Lucas – I’ve known Roger for decades. Like fine wine, he just gets better over time. I look forward to his articles because he knows that simple things in life are by far the most rewarding, and his sense of humor always makes me smile. Almost 70 years ago, sneaking away with his gir...
I guess if I had to name my favorite vacation spot it would be Teton National Park. We first visited the park shortly after the park added thousands of acres that were gifted from the Rockefeller family. This added space was designated as a national monument to avoid a major fight with people who had opposed national park status in the first place. We probably have returned a dozen times or so. The Rockefeller family had secretly been buying up acreage to preserve the Jackson Hole valley as an adjunct to the park. One reason why it is our...
If you are a resident or landowner concerned about how water, air, and land resources in our county will be managed for humans, wildlife, and natural occurrences such as wildfire in the coming decades, you should read the County Legal Notices with the eyes of an eagle in the next week or two. This year, the Omak Chronicle is the county’s official newspaper of record for these legal notices. According to the County Commissioners’ proceedings, your first deadline for comment on new draft Comprehensive Plan documents will be February 10th. The...
Rep. Dan Newhouse’s vote to impeach the president took guts. There’s no two ways about that. Representing a red meat Republican district, he rose to meet his obligation to defend the Constitution when he saw what clearly took place in the capitol on Jan. 6 — a mob incited by the president, angered after months of listening to him insist that that there was no way he could lose, unless the other side cheated and then direct them toward the People’s House. Newhouse, newly elected to another term, may have enough time on his side to quell the ang...
Representatives Dan Newhouse and Jamie Herrera Beutler last week voted to impeachment President Donald J. Trump in a one-day rush. Both Representatives Newhouse and Beutler gave an oath of office, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same… So help me God.” They both went against this oath and decided Conscience was an excuse to violate the United States Constitution and their oath to Go...
Trees of Sharing began Nov. 1 with a modest amount of uncertainty about what it might look like in the current COVID environment. True to form, however, the Coulee community enthusiastically supported the project, providing for delivery of wrapped Christmas gifts to 114 children in 50 families on Saturday, Dec. 19. Thank you to every person who made a cash donation or purchased a gift to brighten the Christmas season for children in our area. Based on your generosity, in addition to providing a gift for each child, Trees of Sharing was pleased...
With proud red hats — as Arnold Schwarzenegger describes the analogous brownshirts at Kristallnacht — they storm the citadel of Democracy, confident of the approval of their Commander-in-Chief. Liz Cheney sayeth, ’he summoned the mob, he assembled the mob, and lit the flame of the attack.’ The STOP-THE-STEAL was a completely fraudulent, psychotic vision, hypnotically entrancing the mob. The chant reverberating in the halls of the Citadel, but only temporarily disrupting the affirmation of the electoral procedure. Even Mitch McConnell sayeth, ’t...
The atmosphere that encircles our planet protects and sustains all living things. The Stratosphere is home to the Ozone layer, some 12 to 25 miles above us, protecting us from solar radiation. The layer we spend our lives in, the lower portion of the Troposphere, provides that sustenance we all need - breathable air. What we breath includes various gases -- about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, and 0.1 percent other gases. What happens when human activities and...
Whether you’re a local CEO of an organization, business owner and/or a community member, I’m thankful for many of you who’ve been appreciative of the thoughts I’ve shared about our local school district. I’m especially thankful that most of you know me and realize how much I care and how hard it was for me to finally say something. School district officials are ignoring current reality when they keep informing people that issues can be resolved by following the chain of command. This has not been working for quite a while. Also, blaming f...
As Superintendent of the Wellpinit School District, I am very fortunate that all of my staff have been at work in person. This has taken extensive collaborative preventive preparation and is due in a large part, to the support and actions of the Spokane Tribe. The Spokane Tribe arranged for COVID-19 Vaccinations for my staff. This tremendous gesture has given assurance and confidence to everyone involved and we are extremely thankful and grateful. If possible, I would appreciate it if the Colville Tribes would help the Nespelem and Grand...
To me, any cow, is one too many. My personal experience with cows goes back a number of years. Growing up, I lived on a farm, moving to town when I started school when 6. Oh, we had cows then, but my three older brothers and my sister had the chores then. We had a couple of milk cows that obligated the family members to go to the barn and milk very early in the morning and also in the evening. I got my shot with cows when we moved back to the farm when I was in the eighth grade. We had one milk cow, and I was it. I was saved from milking becaus...
President “only I” committed political suicide during the final days of his term. Unfortunately, the pirate captain took the Republican ship down with him. His hour long, January 2nd, phone rant to Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger revealed, unequivocally, what some insiders knew and other people suspected about President Trump’s character flaws and his willingness to subvert American democracy. President Trump’s incitation of his fanatic followers resulted, on January 6th, in an assault on the United States Congress while in session...
President-elect Joe Biden ran on a platform that promised to “Build Back Better” while also pledging to take the steps needed to address the harsh realities of a changing climate. For rural Americans, the level of investment required to secure the goals promised by the president-elect and his new team is long overdue. For too long, presidential administrations have given lip service to rural folks while failing to put forth the resources and policies required to facilitate economic and societal prosperity in rural communities. As the new adm...
With COVID-19 vaccines being widely dispensed, will an end to this pandemic halt “work from home?” Will workers return to downtown offices at pre-pandemic levels? Not likely! However, it is not an either/or question, said Stanford Professor Nicholas Bloom, who is co-director of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s productivity, innovation and entrepreneurship program. “Working from home will be very much a part of our post-COVID economy,” he added, “so, the sooner policymakers and business (employers) think of the implication...
I wanted to share a few parting thoughts as I step down as the Okanogan County Health Officer. First and foremost, it has been a privilege to serve this community for the past 16 years. I am confident that my successor, Dr. James Wallace, will provide stellar leadership moving forward. Over the last 10 years, I have truly enjoyed working with “Jimmy”; he will be excellent in this role. Community Health Director, Lauri Jones, has been the backbone of our PH response to COVID-19 in Okanogan County. She has been stalwart in her work for us. Our...
Although I have no political party affiliation I will most likely be vilified for what I am about to put forth as I live in a bastion of the Republican Party. Honestly, I hate the two-party system of politics that run this country. I am 67 years old and for the last 50 years have watched as through the shenanigans of current and former members of both parties we are now stuck with an extremely polarized, exclusive, winner-take-all system of governance. Hopefully, we are viewing the culmination of this process, the failed deterioration into...
I first met Khien Theravit when our family sponsored him through the FIUTS program at the University of Washington. It became an exciting time as we met a lot of foreign students, mostly from Asia. Through the FIUTS (Foundation for International Understanding Through Students) individuals or families could sponsor students, giving as much time as you wanted to the student. There were no financial obligations. Khien was a professor of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. He already had two master’s degrees, and a l...
Now that vaccines are available, we hope our lives will return to the way they were before the coronavirus pandemic blanketed the globe. That is not likely to occur. Last March our booming economy was clobbered by COVID-19. A worldwide pandemic ensued. There was no vaccine to counter it and even though vaccines were developed at “warp speed” lots of things changed and have become imbedded in our daily lives. Futurist Bernard Marr, columnist in Forbes, believes employers quickly adapted to a remote workforce. While less than ideal, working fro...