News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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To be specific, my wife let her little dog of 50 years out with a very short leash and held up a rolled-up newspaper as if to whack my backside if I didn’t behave. She put a muzzle on me until the latest GCDSD levy passed and took it off only for kibbles and bits. I’ve been a good boy so I didn’t have to sleep in the dog house. She’ll tell you my bark is much worse than my bite. As a longtime community member and taxpayer, no one has been a bigger fan and loved our local school district more than me until the upper brass and their hired hand co...
My wife and I have always thought the world of Lisa Carlson (Loe). Lisa is more LR Raider than anyone I know. I used to tape her ankles before basketball games (This was the second time I worked in a hazard zone!) and then I’d sit back and marvel at her basketball prowess. Lisa came from an exceptional basketball family so her fundamentals and game time “on the fly” IQ were exceptional. She was not the most athletic — slight of build, not that tall or fast — but she was a gamer, always reliable, who never backed down from anyone. It was amazi...
The U.S. national debt is now $30.4 trillion dollars. The government has spent that much more money than it has collected in tax revenue. Per person, it means that every U.S. citizen, including diapered infants, owes $95,000 dollars. The U.S. Congress has allowed the debt to increase every year, except four years, since 1970. The George W. Bush Administration increased the national debt by five trillion dollars in eight years. The Trump Administration increased the national debt seven trillion dollars in four years. We have two problems:...
Bob Hendrickson “The Fix It Man” is definitely in my local Curiosity Hall of Fame. Sometimes he’ll stop by just to visit because he’s curious. He’s fixed really old appliances for me at different times and they still work! However, he fixes things way beyond appliances — he is a people whisperer! Sometimes I’ll deliberately break stuff and have him fix it so I can watch him in action and listen to his wisdom. You don’t need a quarter or a wind-up key, just shut your yapper and enjoy. He’ll clearly tell you what needs fixin’, why, and...
Looks like our lawmakers and Department of Ecology have decided not to raise our gas tax 46 cents per gallon at this time. Instead, they are planning to have the businesses pay a CO2 (carbon) tax. It will no doubt put some small businesses out of business, but as usual they don’t care. This all falls under the Climate Commitment Act, which was passed on April 24, 2021. It was quickly signed into law by our Governor Inslee, who wants to be like Al Gore. The fools on the other side of the mountains want to mirror California. I’ve got an idea for...
When I was in college I struggled to get through two graduate programs. Working on research and lab projects I’d get marked down for being too robotic and not curious enough. As a youngster I enjoyed Dorothy, Groucho, Curly Joe, Elmer Fudd, Big Bird, Bert & Ernie, Winnie the Pooh, Barney Rubble, Yogi Bear, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Alice in Wonderland, Br’er Fox, Peter Cottontail, Goldie Locks, Little Red Riding Hood, Pinocchio, Goofy, Wilbur, Horton, Thing 1 & 2, Sylvester, Bullwinkle, George Jetson, Alvin, Casper, and others. They were optimisti...
The former Soviet Union (USSR) had an immense stockpile of nuclear weapons and radioactive material distributed in several places in Russia and the 15 countries that formed the USSR. Some of those nuclear weapons and materials were loosely controlled. With the collapse of the central government in 1991, there was concern that those weapons might be sold to or stolen by the wrong kind of people. Indiana’s U.S. Senator Richard Lugar performed a very important role in gaining control of those “loose nucs.” Humanity owes a measure of grati...
We recognize and honor physical bravery, but we seldom recognize moral courage. Both physical bravery and moral courage benefit society. We should give those who exhibit exceptional moral courage the recognition that they deserve. An appropriate annual date for Moral Courage Day in America is the first day of January when we reflect on the past and the future. The first two citizens who should be honored for moral courage are: • Michael Richard Pence Vice President of the United States • Bradford Jay Raffensperger Georgia Secretary of State Bot...
The powers that Google and Facebook have over economic and political power in society - especially over the news industry - has caught the attention of lawmakers in Washington, DC. After a close election and many worries over the quality of public debate, many ask if social media have played a role in the misinformation that erodes our free press and plagues our democracy. Nowhere is this power more daunting than in the social media giants' use of news organizations' reporting, which the...
I read the recent Star news article appearing in the October 26th issue of the Star. It was reported, at the October 18th Grand Coulee City Council meeting, during the public comment period an attendee, Darryl Hackworth, spoke. Mr. Hackworth said he had been working with “Dollar General” regarding setting up a retail shop in Grand Coulee on property located on Federal Way, behind where it intersects with Midway Ave. As an area resident, I personally feel the possibility of a Dollar General locating in Grand Coulee would be deleterious to our...
Nothing says Merry Christmas and Happy New Year like a 46-cent additional gas tax, coming January 2023, as part of the Climate Commitment Act, from the people who look out for our welfare and wellbeing. We already pay 49 cents per gallon, so what’s another 46 cents per gallon? It will be a total of 95 cents per gallon just for the Washington State tax, along with the Federal tax for a total of $1.14 per gallon just in taxes. This will be the highest gas tax in the Nation, we can’t let California be number one. I hope this makes Gov Inslee and...
Legendary Raider wrestling coach Steve Hood, who retired in 2019, is being inducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Hood will be inducted into the hall of fame in Yakima on Nov. 5, and a community dinner will be held at the American Legion building in Electric City on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. That free dinner will include a main dish, and attendees are encouraged to bring sides, salads, and desserts for a potluck. More information can be found by...
A Veterans Day assembly will be held at Lake Roosevelt on Nov. 10 from 9-10 a.m. in the high school gym, and veterans and their families are welcome to attend. Middle school and high school bands will be performing patriotic marches, and a slideshow will be presented showing veterans from the local area, their names, dates of service, and which branch of the military they served in. Further submissions for that will be accepted up until Nov. 8, band teacher Gabriel James said. "The more the...
I didn’t believe my wife when she told me there were 80 students at the elementary Raider cheer clinic last week. So, I went to the game and once again she was correct – darn it! It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Totally awesome! A fan by me said the mini cheerleaders were adorable. Great job Coach A. and Coach Tufts. My wife said she could not have done it without her wonderful assistant coach and hardworking high school cheerleaders. Appreciated the simple fun, enthusiasm and tremendous energy so much! John M. Adkin...
“Police spoke to a man at Safeway who was reported as acting strangely and not speaking. The man did speak to police, saying he wanted a drink. Police told him he wasn’t welcome at the store, and then found that he was wanted on a felony warrant out of Okanogan County for assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, theft, and another assault charge. Officials in Okanogan were unable to speak to the officer, who was told to call back in 30 minutes. The officer found this to be an unreasonable amount of time to detain the man outside of Safeway, so...
The Raiders shut out the Tonasket Tigers last week and are now moving onto their football postseason. In Coulee Dam Oct. 27, the Raiders defeated the Tigers 41-0. Quarterback Brit Egbert completed eight out of 15 passes for 124 yards, including two touchdowns, one to Chase Clark and one to Chase Marchand. Clark also ran for two touchdowns, Egbert ran for one, and Tanner Kiser ran one in as well. Kiser also led the defense in tackles with four tackles and an assisted tackle. Next for LR is the Di...
The Bonneville Power Administration is in negotiations to take over three switchyards in the Grand Coulee area. “The Bonneville Power Administration and the Bureau of Reclamation are negotiating the transfer of ownership, operations and maintenance of three Grand Coulee switchyards and the associated switch gear from Reclamation to BPA,” reads a joint statement from the two agencies in response to a Star inquiry. “The agencies have drafted multiple Memoranda of Understanding that will facilitate the transfer,” the statement continues. “It is im...
Retail chain Dollar General is looking to build a store in Grand Coulee. During Grand Coulee’s Oct. 18 council meeting, a man named Darryl Hackworth spoke during the public comment period, and said he has been working with Dollar General for the past few months, and said they are interested in acquiring city property on Federal Way behind where it intersects with Midway Avenue. “I think it would be a good move for the city,” he said, adding that he works for the Bonneville Power Administration, which plans on doing work locally that could...
by Jacob Wagner School is an institution built around educating students, and now the local school district has student representatives. The Grand Coulee Dam School District approved the appointment of two student representatives from the student body during their Oct. 24 school board meeting. Juniors Layla Flett and Celeste LaPlace will fill those positions. LaPlace, the daughter of the Board Chairman George LaPlace, had made a presentation to the board back in January about having student representatives. “A lot of my friends think no one car...
A century ago, people in the Western world were excited about the future. The automobile was coming online, and the Wright brothers put an internal combustion engine on their flying machine and were performing demonstrations flights for crowds of enthusiastic people in France, Germany, and the United States. The demonstration flights drew crowds of 200,000 thrilled spectators. The automobile offered the freedom of easy mobility, and the airplane’s defiance of gravity sent people’s imagination to soaring heights. Flying was deemed to be so com...
Nothing is easy, not even at a place called Playland. An estimated million dollars of upgrades are needed at Coulee Playland to bring it up to Americans with Disabilities Act standards, the Electric City Council learned last week. The popular campground that includes a tackle and camping gear shop, boat launch, and more has been in the process of being sold to new owners this year. That process has been slowed as the Bureau of Reclamation reviews the new agreement between the city and the potential new owners to make sure it doesn’t contradict...
Elmer City appointed a new council member in addition to other business they took care of during their Oct. 13 council meeting. Long named new council member Flora Long expressed her interest in Council Member Position #4 during the meeting, saying that she is "just trying to do my civic duty." She has lived in the community for 40 years, she said, adding that her parents grew up in Elmer City. Long is also the sister of Councilmember Bill Dunlap. The council approved her appointment. She will...
The Electric City Council took a formal stance last week against the idea of consolidating their city with Grand Coulee. Mayor Diane Kohout told the council that because of a renewed interest in the topic of consolidation, and multiple residents asking about it, she would like the council to say whether they support the idea. Councilmember Cheryl Hoffman, formerly a member of a committee for consolidation, said that although she likes the idea of consolidation in theory, in practice it is not so practical. Councilmember Brian Buche said of all...
The topic of forming a local Emergency Medical Services district continues to be discussed, most recently at Electric City’s Oct. 11 city council meeting. Nic Alexander, who serves as assistant fire chief to Chief Ryan Fish for the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department and the Grand Coulee Ambulance, spoke at the meeting, explaining many of the same details he made to Grand Coulee’s council in August. He said the area needs a full-time, paid ambulance director, plus additional staff. The current EMS boundaries reach from Leahy Junction to abo...
The Regional Board of Mayors is continuing to look into forming a cemetery district. At their Oct. 5 meeting, the RBOM discussed different factors they’ll need to look into regarding trying to form a cemetery district that would take over management of the Spring Canyon Cemetery, currently managed by the local Lions club. Complications include that the cemetery is located in Lincoln County, but none of the four cities of Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam and Elmer City are in that county. Also, the RBOM was formed primarily to take c...