Articles written by Roger S Lucas
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 1380
A different way to judge travel
Our oldest son Paul is on Yellowstone Lake on a two-week canoe venture. It is his seventh canoe trip on the lake that lies within Yellowstone National Park. He is alone in a part of the country where there are grizzly bear, moose,... — Updated 9/14/2022
It takes a family
My wife Dorothy has suffered from dementia for the past several years. We have been able to care for her in our home for these past years until recently all the family agreed that the level of care she needed could no longer be... — Updated 4/6/2022
Karen is playing the violin again
Karen is married to our son Nathan, and they live in Portland. An injury while riding her bicycle interrupted her play. She worked for Nike at the time and rode her bicycle, rain or shine, to the Nike campus where she worked. She... — Updated 3/30/2022
Levy nixers shortsighted
Taxpayers, if you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Educators here are going to try again to get our levies passed. You wonder what it takes to convince people that educating young people costs money, and too long this d... — Updated 3/23/2022
Be aware of rocks
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 fascina... — Updated 7/8/2020
The lady has lost her charm
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 s... — Updated 6/24/2020
I joined ITDF for $1
Somewhere between Honolulu and Tokyo flying at 35,000 feet I became only the third member of the International Tap Dancers Federation. I was enroute to Vietnam and had the lucky or unlucky seat next to a guy by the name of Tom... — Updated 6/17/2020
Don't forget to take your shoes off
It’s been a long tradition in some homes to take your shoes off when entering. This was a common practice in earlier days when it was so easy to track in because everything around was dirty or muddy. Now most homes have cement s... — Updated 5/27/2020
Acts of kindness
During our lives we experience a number of acts of kindness that help make life more pleasant or easier. With the coronavirus here, we all have an opportunity to perform meaningful acts of kindness by observing a few procedures to... — Updated 5/13/2020
Sometimes you have to learn the hard way
A short item in the Sunset Magazine caught my eye just as we were planning a quick early summer vacation. lt featured a bed and breakfast in Lamoille, Nevada, only a few miles from where Dorothy and I were married in Elko. Over the... — Updated 5/6/2020
Rutabagas, turnips and parsnips
I never saw one that I didn’t hate. I hated the taste and texture and when possible I scraped them off my plate. These so-called vegetables were frequent dishes my mother prepared while I was growing up during the “Great Dep... — Updated 4/15/2020
Local efforts make a difference
I just read a story that some 1,400 communities lost their newspapers in the last year. That’s to say nothing of papers publishing less frequently. These communities will feel the loss. People get their news now from a lot of s... — Updated 3/25/2020
I just got back from Tillmanville
Tillmanville? You won’t find it on a map. But if you are looking for it on a map try Elmer City. Elmer City could just as well have been named Tillmanville. The Tillman family has, and continues to be, a leading factor in this t... — Updated 3/11/2020
Good move for Electric City
Electric City will soon have a new city clerk. Peggy Nevsimal is leaving her post as executive director of the local chamber of commerce to accept another community challenge. It was a wise move by the council there. Peggy has... — Updated 2/26/2020
Nominated for 2020 Nobel Peace Prize is a start
Deny! Deny! Deny! When it comes to climate change, that seems to be our current national policy. This administration has systematically turned aside most climate policy tasks set by president Obama. The climate change problem will... — Updated 2/12/2020
Caught up in the Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year kicked off Saturday, Jan. 25. It’s the year of the rat, which I could suggest was named for a number of people I could name! The lunar year is divided into 13 categories, all named for an animal. While travelin... — Updated 2/5/2020
Main Street was a big part of growing up
My earliest and most vivid memories take me back to when I was 6 years old. That was the year I started the first grade, and also when I started to get store-bought haircuts. My father, who could do most anything, cut my hair until... — Updated 1/8/2020
A politician you truly can admire
We live in a day when the caliber of our elected officials is in question. And for good reason as it becomes apparent that they continually lie to us, often when the truth would serve them better. I like a bumper sticker I saw... — Updated 12/13/2019
The best candidates want to give back
There are a lot of reasons why people seek public office. Probably the best reason is when people feel the community has been good to them and they want to give something back. It usually, but not always, comes after families are... — Updated 10/30/2019
Rediscover your roots
Every once in awhile a person should visit his or her roots. I did so a couple of weeks ago, returning to Palouse, Idaho, where I was born and raised. It was the annual Palouse Days celebration, which occurs on the second weekend... — Updated 10/16/2019
Three weeks in a car with four kids - fun!
Try taking a three-week vacation to Houston with four of your children in your car. Actually, I can’t say enough what a positive experience it was. I had determined where we would be each night and made reservations so the o... — Updated 10/2/2019
Working as wildfire support staff was hard work
Where would anyone be without the support staff? My wife and I spent two summers as part of the support staff for firefighters. We worked for Okay Cascade, a firm out of Bothell, that supplied food, laundry and shower services for... — Updated 9/18/2019
Gifts from a once-captive doctor
Sometimes new friends can result in strange gifts. I was in Vietnam just after the Tet offensive in 1968, partially to pry about the war and to visit parents of students I had met at the University of Washington. I had visited one... — Updated 7/10/2019
Port and Bureau: a public service study in contrasts
The next time you tee up your ball at Banks Lake Golf Course, take a second and say a word of thanks to the three Port District commissioners who made it possible. The three, Jim Keene, Gary Haag and Leonard Sanders, deserve some... — Updated 7/3/2019
My Norwegian roots
My maternal ancestors go back to a farm near Lillehammer, Norway, where the 1994 Winter Olympics were held. Most of my mother’s family immigrated to the United States and to, you guessed it, Minnesota. My grandmother left Norway r... — Updated 5/29/2019