News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Grand Coulee creates an image in our minds - the Grand Coulee Dam or the City of Grand Coulee, maybe the general area around the dam. Of course, the Grand Coulee, as well. However, where is Grand Coulee National Park? Well, the story of what could have been a national park goes back some 108 years to1912. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the American Geographical Society of New York, an organized excursion was planned and implemented — The Transcontinental Excursion of 1912. Geologists and ge...
The area around where Grand Coulee sits today was sparsely populated around the turn of the 20th Century, and the few settlers and ranchers all knew each other. They also knew Texas Jack, a loner who lived down in the bottom of Rattlesnake Canyon, in a cave. One day, Texas Jack returned home with a young mixed-race woman. He never called her by name in public and referred to her as 'Woman" as if that was her name. She dressed rugged and in men's clothes. Some people in the community took pity...
To the Grand Coulee City Council and mayor: Why do you hate our community? We are in the middle of the worst pandemic in our history! Businesses closed, people out of work, and mask shave to be worn at all times, and you pass an ordinance that lets anyone from anywhere rent our neighbors’ houses for weekends or vacations! (“Short-term rentals will be allowed in Grand Coulee” Star, July 29). Are you crazy!? You let an out-of-towner run our town, people who don’t even live here! We have to say enough! Did you ever check with the CDC? Did you eve... Full story
In past columns, I’ve shared information regarding climate change and the measurable impacts that are occurring. The impacts are measurable, and the science on climate change is being documented around the world. Back in June 2017, the column was about tree species migration. The most recent column provided information about the declining populations of songbirds. This column, we will read what researchers at the University of Wyoming are doing. Their published work addresses Climate Change impacts on mule deer habitat and migration. The r...
A drive through the Hartline area the other day showed piles of wheat forming outside granaries, an indication of an abundant harvest. I was born on a farm about four miles south of Palouse, delivered by my aunt while my dad went to town to get Dr. Dart, the area medical czar. I was on the farm until age 5, when the family moved to town so I could start school the next year. There was a custom, a sort of a rite of passage, that young kids could ride the harvest trucks during harvest. We would go down to the warehouse, and when the trucks would...
The first locomotives to haul construction material for the dam were old and tired. Two were on hand in 1935 and had been bought by MWAK to get trains moving. For the section from Electric City down to below the dam, an old logging locomotive, built in 1926, was purchased. It was of the Shay type of geared steamer, in that it was designed to move via pistons turning a common shaft via gearing attached to the wheels. The speed wasn't high, nor was the pulling power great, but it was perfect for...
It’s almost unimaginable. Music, whether we realize it or not, plays an important part in all our lives. My earliest recollection of music was when I was very young and my father sang to me. My father had an ocean of Irish ditties that he would sing while I was sitting on his lap. What I wouldn’t give to remember all of them. But I do remember one “Froggy went a courtin.” I don’t remember why this one stuck to me. I don’t even remember if my dad had a good singing voice, but it was magical to me. We can be depressed, lonely, sick, but music is...
America desperately needed some positive news and a reprieve from the coronavirus pandemic and rioting which is ripping apart our country---most notably in Seattle, Olympia and Portland. We needed reaffirmation that our political leaders can come together, set aside bitter partisan differences, and act in our country’s best interests. That actually happened in the course of the last month. The result would undoubtedly please the legendary U.S. Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson (D-WA) — the master...
Many years ago, a local family uprooted and went east. They left behind the oldest son who had just graduated and laid down some roots of his own, but they took the middle child and the youngest and set out for North Dakota. This is the story of the youngest daughter. She had just passed the fourth grade and was looking forward to summer when she got the news. They were packing up and going to the middle of oil country. They were going to live in a place called Wildrose. Population, not much....
If you have ever visited Washington, D.C., or even looked into planning a trip to the nation’s capital, you know there are quite a few sights to see. Washington, D.C. is a hub for both American history and cultural exploration, from the U.S. Capitol building and the Library of Congress, the world’s largest library, to memorials to great presidents and soldiers who fought in past wars. Some of the most notable cultural attractions are the Smithsonian museums, where special artifacts, exhibits, historical memorabilia, and more are displayed for...
Once, long before anyone even decided to put a dam at the Columbia River, there was a small community in the north end of the Grand Coulee. At first, sparse pioneers with cattle roamed the land approximately where Electric City is now located. Just a few miles away, in Rattlesnake Canyon lived the last of the outlaws, and the most notorious of the Grand Coulee area, Texas Jack. When he spoke, he spoke with a Texan accent, but he didn't have much need for people and kept to himself mostly, in...
No matter what you think of the plans for the upcoming school year, the good news is that along the way to hacking out a path through an impossible situation, the Grand Coulee Dam School District directors Monday displayed what could well be the future model of civic engagement. The board, while holding its latest Zoom online meeting accessible by the public, did exactly what they are supposed to do in full view of all. Usually, when citizens call up a board member about an issue, the elected representative of the people takes the information a... Full story
Ever wonder why some of our elected officials have it in for immigrants? All of us could easily trace our citizenship back to the time that our forebears arrived on our shores. In a sense we are all immigrants, some more mindful of it than others. I have always wondered what my first immigrant families might have uttered when they first saw the USA. My Lucas family came by sailing vessel to America in 1710. They had escaped religious persecution in France and escaped to Germany in what would be a hardship journey. The family was in Germany for...
When you live in the same area for a lifetime you come to know some things. So let’s have a little fun and I will take you on a scavenger hunt with clues to certain locations to be discovered by you and your family. Disclaimer: There are no prizes or hidden treasures waiting for you, this is just for fun. So let’s start. There is a little building that packs the making for punch. Under the white domed entrance you just may find Hershey’s and Hooks. Back when baseball cards were a thing to be co...
It was a sultry Saturday evening, July 24, 1937. The blaze started about 9:15 p.m. in the rear of the Public Market grocery, and quickly ate the half block of frame buildings located in the heart of the business district. The flames threatened the entire business district for over four hours as they raced down the block of buildings before a high wind. The Kozy Korner restaurant, the Hub Clothing company, Ross department store, Public Market, Stone's Market, and the Grand Coulee News office and...
I’ve spent a long time in politics, and over those years one thing has remained constant: a lot more Americans criticize government than serve and do something about it. There have been times when I’ve felt a bit resentful. It’s hard to enter the fray, listen patiently to criticism from all comers, and then look around to find that many of them are nowhere to be found when it comes to the hard work of improving our communities and our system. But mostly what I’ve felt is amazement at the immense but often un-grasped opportunity our system...
In the 20 years it took for the United States to dig itself in, then out, of Southeast Asia in the Vietnam War, more than 58,000 American military personnel died. In the last 173 days, an invisible enemy has killed more than 135,000 Americans — two-and-a-third times as many as the Vietcong killed in 20 years — and has sickened 3.2 million more. For many of us, the coronavirus pandemic seems an extreme inconvenience. But if we don’t decide on a united effort, it will be far worse for far more, and quickly. Some are calling for another compl... Full story
I got to witness something very special last week. I will tell you about that in second,d but first I just want to remind you that it is summer. It happened when we were not looking, while we were in quarantine and trying to stay healthy. The summer showed up, and it’s here in full effect. So what goes best with summer? Ice Cream! It started with a sweet little light melody coming from the distance. It got louder and louder as it got closer and closer. Now, growing up here in the Coulee, I have...
The proposal to introduce grizzly bears into the North Cascades Ecosystem has been looming over the communities of Central Washington since I was elected to Congress. I have worked with officials in the past two Administrations to ensure that all aspects of this proposal – and all effects of the decision to introduce another apex predator into our rural, agricultural communities – were considered before a final decision was issued. Our public lands, including the North Cascades, are critical to our region – for species conservation, enjoy...
The United States is the most powerful country in the world. By any measure, we are preeminent. We have challenges and vulnerabilities, and we are not as dominant as we once were, but no one else comes close to America’s military, economic and political might. Whether we like it or not, we cannot escape the responsibility for global leadership our power places upon us. Many Americans are ambivalent about this. They like having the U.S. out in front, but they have doubts about paying the price. They wonder if the benefits of being a world l...
Siphons were a large part of the irrigation project enabled by the pumping plant at Grand Coulee Dam. Most of them were placed in locations where a simple canal would not be feasible, due to an extreme elevation change. Siphons near the main canal, such as this one of the East Low Canal, were about 22 feet in diameter. This October 10, 1948 view, is located near Adco, about 6 miles east of Soap Lake. Notable about this particular siphon is what it is crossing under. Note the body of water on...
As I have said in the past and will continue to vocalize in our nation’s capital: Hydropower is truly the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest. From the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest power producing hydroelectric dam in North America, to the dams along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, Central Washington has come to rely on the clean, affordable, and reliable power these dams produce. We should be encouraging innovation and expansion of hydropower as the United States moves toward a clean energy future. These critical water infrastructure p...
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 fascination with rocks could stem from the fact that my mother gathered a rock from every place she visited. The rock pile was in our mud room off the back porch. I think she could have told you where every rock came from. I never get tired of driving our lake canyon picking out unique rocks and rock formations. There are a number...
This past week our family has lost three men who were mentors or treasured icons in our eyes. They were irreplaceable, and that got us as a family to really treasure those memories. As we look to the future, we seek to create time and moments with the ones who are left. Especially during this time of social distancing and creating space, it can be challenging to just hang out with the people special to us. But it is also a significant time to cling to those people who have lived through the...