News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Damon Landeros is my great grandson. He’s really more than that; he is one of my best friends. Damon is a frequent visitor to our home and has the run of the place. He has two TV locations, the computer, and of course, the refrigerator. He has also been a great help around the house and does things to help without being asked. He has been here for almost all of the Gonzaga games, and probably knows more than anyone about Gonzaga’s program, except for Mark Few. He knows all the players, their numbers and most of their statistics. During the gam...
While at the Statesman Newspaper in Boise, I was assigned boxing and covered a single pro wrestling event. The promoter of both boxing and wrestling in Boise was Al Berra, who operated a tavern in the downtown area. Al was constantly finding ways to build the gate for his events, and of course filling his pockets at the same time. He had built a stable of pretty good boxers, with two of them ending in the top 10 in their weight division. I was at ringside for all the boxing events and remember once getting splattered with blood, ruining a new...
When I moved here, I thought with all this water I would get some boating and fishing in. I was wrong on both ideas. First, I bought a boat, a nice little boat, 17 foot long, as I recall. Paid $2,000 for it. I had been told that the two days that stand out are the day you purchase a boat and the day you sell it. The only boat I had ever used before was a rowboat, a fishing vessel rented by several of my high school buddies and trolling by dipping the oars slightly in the water. I got a hitch put on my rig and wondered how I was going to do...
P.Y. Yee put clothes on you that fit and were of superior quality. He was one of the infamous tailors in Hong Kong, and I got to know him visiting his tailor shop in Hong Kong during my several visits there. It was like getting new skin, his coats and suits fitting so well. He had a remarkable memory, greeting me by name though my visits were a year apart. I learned of Yee through someone who had used him on an earlier occasion. His shop wasn’t fancy, and I often wondered what he thought of my store-bought clothes. He must have quickly g...
Things look pretty bad right now for the people of Burma. In my visit to Burma, I found the people of a peaceful nature, but governed by military men who at the time stayed in the background. Since that time, there was a peaceful transfer of power to an elected government. That didn’t last long. Power grabs people and doesn’t let go. We have seen the evidence of this here in our own country. While there, I observed uniformed men carrying rifles on most street corners. They weren’t threatening, but their presence was unsettling. While everything...
If you asked someone who the heroes of World War II were, you would probably get FDR, Gen. MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Gen. Patton, and so on. And they would be correct. But what about the unsung heroes? The kids across America did their part in the winning of World War II. They became a gigantic salvage yard operation in collecting aluminum, rubber and iron, and buying Savings stamps and bonds. When the country was asked to bring in salvage items to help the war effort, millions of young boys and girls really rolled up their sleeves and got...
It is said that a dog is man’s best friend. If this is true for you, then you have a serious problem. I’ve only had one dog that ever came close, and I will get to that in a minute. My first dog was a collie/shepherd mix, called “Scottie.” I remember how he would sit out on the lawn until he could see me in the distance coming home from school. He had a body clock that would tell him that I would come into view soon. He could see me drop down off North Hill when I was about an eighth of a mile away, and he would come running down the road to...
It’s on again! Here’s the good news: the Bureau of Reclamation plans on restarting its fire station project. The bad news is that no one has any confidence the bureau will ever finish the project. This project has had more starts than the fleas on a hound dog. You can tell it’s a government job because it’s going to take deep pockets to pull this out. Now the bureau is going to find another contractor for the restart. It seems the contractors are only part of the problem. The rest lies with inspecting the work that is being done. The bureau...
You could call them the formidable four. There was my mom, Mrs. Hollenback (a widow), Mabel Brantner (local tavern owner’s wife), and the preacher’s wife, Mrs. Stott. They spent a lot of time together. They attended church together and sat as a unit in one of the front rows. Their mission was to get the Rev. Stott to stop preaching on time. They set the time, 12 o’clock sharp. The four carried some soda crackers in their purses and would pull them out and start eating them. When he could contain himself, his message was over. I enjoyed the l...
Joe Emerson joined our class as a junior at Palouse High School. He became my closest friend and remained so for several years. His older brother had ties with a motorcycle group in Spokane and we soon followed him there. Our hangout was the British American Motorcycle shop on East Sprague, and the XXX Drive In. We frequently went to Spokane and stayed at one of the motorcycle houses Joe’s brother frequented. After graduation we were at the motorcycle shop one weekend and we both purchased BSA motorcycles. BSA stood for British Small Arms, a n...
I started college when I was 25, and already with a family. That required that I had to work a lot to pay my way, and of course the bills. While I had several jobs, carried a full course load, I found time for personal activity. I had a 16-gauge, single-shot shotgun and at the time enjoyed hunting. I took a couple philosophy courses from a Professor Reeves, only slightly older than myself. He was one of the best professors at the school, and his classes reflected that. Since I was older, Reeves and I were close, and during our chats he...
A few days ago, we had a new baby in the family. Actually, it was a great grandchild, the fourth for us. She joins Kaylee, Damon and Westlyn as great grand babies. I guess it is a sign of getting old. But what a joy to see them come and grow up. The mother and father are Camille and Mark Fabian. Mark is from The Philippines. Camille came into the family through adoption by our daughter, Kathy, and her husband, Will Beck. I remember clearly the day she arrived at Sea-Tac. She was accompanied by a representative from South Korea. Most of the...
When you travel, expect the unexpected. Always have money on you for the country you are visiting. My first trip to Vietnam started out as an embarrassment, and nearly was a disaster. I forgot to exchange money before leaving Hong Kong, so when I got off the plane in Saigon, I only had U. S travel checks with me. I got my bag and headed to the bus for transport to my hotel. Before I could get to the bus, a Vietnamese man grabbed my bag to carry it to the bus. It was obvious he wanted a tip. All I had with me, except for travel checks was a...
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...
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...
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...
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...
No shopping for expensive wedding clothes here The cost of our marriage was $15. And that was for the license. No bridal gown, other gowns, tuxes, limos, flowers, receptions, wedding planners or a host of other folks with their hand out when the wedding bells ring. I had quit my job with Potlatch Forest Inc., in Potlatch, Idaho, and left for southern Idaho. I had met my wife Dorothy while she was at the University of Idaho for a glee club gathering. She was with the Buhl High School group. Shortly after that, I made the 600-mile trip to see...
Ever think of the influence others have had in your life? When I went to college, I had no idea or hope that I would become a journalist. I took a college course in journalism, mainly so I could learn to write. Things went well, and my journalism professor, Helen Wilson, encouraged me to take a follow-up course. Late in my sophomore year I got a call from Jack Scudder, editor of the local daily paper to drop by for a visit. Wilson had encouraged Scudder to hire me to write for the paper. I had become editor of the college paper and had written...
Once upon a time there was this rock along the Snake River just out of Melba, Idaho. It was an Indian map rock where ancient natives had etched the route of the Snake River along with other helpful information. While a reporter for the Idaho Free Press, I did a story on the rock map that later was picked up by the Salt Lake Tribune magazine. When living in the Boise Valley, I had visited the rock many times. Friends of mine, Myron and Gwen Finkbeiner, reported to me recently that they went out to see the rock and it was gone. Myron has been...
I just can’t shake it! I have a suggestion for Bureau officials concerning the stalled fire station. It would be incredible if someone from the Bureau would step up to the plate and tell the story of what went wrong at the fire station, what this is costing us taxpayers and what will be done about it. Dream on! Transparency ...
Steptoe Butte lies 12 miles north of Colfax, the Whitman County seat. Its elevation is 3,612 feet, hovering over the Palouse wheat fields. It is said that on the horizon you can see the high mountains in Montana. For me, the view affords me a visit to many of the places that made my Palouse childhood so pleasant. To the southeast are the hills in Idaho where my family spent many a fall day picking huckleberries. The picking was always good, and my dad would scout the area so we would have success. I spent many a day probing huckleberry bush....
Colleen Leskinen has had her eye on Nespelem for a very long time, essentially since her birth year, 67 years ago. Some people know her as the lady who runs the daycare, within the shadow of the town limits. Others know her as the town mayor and councilwoman and town administrator. Everyone knows Colleen. Currently, she runs a daycare on an 80-acre ranch, just a stone’s throw from town center; maybe a hefty toss. Colleen welcomes some 28 kids on weekdays. Her daycare acts as an extension of the public school system, with 15 students and a...
This week I would like to recognize and honor service personnel, past and present. I came from a military family. My father was in the army in World War I. I still have his papers from when he was called up, and his discharge. My three brothers served in World War II, one in Navy, one in the Air Corps and the other in the Army. All were in the fighting, two in the Pacific and the other in the African and German theaters. I remember how proud my father was when my oldest brother was home on furlough midway in his Army career. He had just...
The first time I saw Glenn Yarbrough was at a small roadhouse on the eastern edge of Seattle, just off I-90. It was the first time I saw him on one of his farewell tours. I had seen a small ad in the Times and took a chance that I would enjoy him. And indeed I did. The roadhouse was one of those places where you paid for dinner, four watered-down drinks all served up front, and the entertainment. Yarbrough had been the lead singer for the Limelighters from 1959-63, and had been striking out on his own. It was a small crowd, maybe 100 people....