News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Recent large funerals for icons of music and democracy were cause to reflect on what it means to be American. We weighed heavy words: honor, respect, teamwork, service, greatness; this reminds us that our country is based on liberty and equality for all with a free press. Let these words not only be whispers, but a roar! Our country needs “lions” in Congress, those strong enough to reach across the aisle for the good of the people. In November, I will be voting for Christine Brown, a candidate with the strength to cross the aisle. Go to Chr...
My occupation as a tree fruit consultant for the past 23 years has afforded me the opportunity to work with Cindy Carter, not only as a consultant, but as a concerned citizen. Grant County currently possesses roughly 55,000 acres of tree fruit. The present acreage in the county boasts almost 40 million trees, making Grant County the highest apple-producing county in Washington as well as the U.S. Apples generate $4.7 billion (yes with a B) and potatoes create $686 million in annual sales to the state every year. Grant County captures the...
Terry Brewer and Patti Paris think residential and irrigators’ power rates are subsidized. By whom … the data centers? The residents and farmers of this county built Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams 60 years ago at the cost of $100 million each and put in all the infrastructure to run power to everybody in the county. Who is subsidizing whom? The data centers came in and gobbled up a lot of our cheap power. They have only been here maybe 10 years and they think they’re subsidizing us ... come on. The data centers have negotiated with the current...
Sometimes a subject, a number or an object comes up over and over again in a person’s life. This object or phrase seems to keep showing itself in conversation, dreams, stories or testimonies, and it makes one think to themselves, “God, what are you trying to tell me?” I have a good friend who is always seeing the numbers 18 or 19. On the clock, in scripture or in normal conversation, when she hears or sees these numbers, she takes notice because God seems to be telling her something and she h...
THANK YOU from Douglas County Fire Protection District #3 to the Grand Coulee Dam area communities and firefighters for all their support, food and monetary donations to the firefighters during the Grass Valley Fire on August 11-14, 2018, and the Pendell Road fire on August 21. The non-local firefighters were amazed and really appreciated the professionalism and generosity they encountered while in this area fighting fire. Douglas County FPD #3 appreciated all the help also. Dale Rinker Chief, Douglas County FPD#3...
Cindy Carter didn’t get an endorsement from the County Cool Kid Committee (Grant County GOP) for an unknown reason. Maybe she didn’t hold her pinky finger correctly at the soiree or some such. It’s probably because Cindy’s finger was broken from changing hand lines or fixing fence at the family farm in Royal City. Cindy and her parents have done five decades or more for the Republican Party and a huge amount for the community in general. This isn’t the first time Cindy ran against an anointed favorite son of the party hacks. The voters wi...
In 2016, Okanogan County’s voters made a clear statement on values by ousting the two county commissioners who were up for election at that time. Issues included: lack of transparency regarding plans for housing juvenile offenders; failure to listen to the public regarding vacation of Three Devils Road, which is needed for public egress during wildfires and for access to public lands; lack of accountability in expenditure of county tax dollars for travel expenses to promote transfer of ownership of public lands to the states and counties n...
It’s so easy these days to despair about the future of our country. It feels like half the people I run into just want to pull the covers over their heads and ignore the news. There’s dysfunction at the highest levels of government. Recent reports — the new book by Bob Woodward and a New York Times op-ed — reveal that top administration officials are so worried about the President’s impulses that they’ve formed a sort of “resistance” movement to thwart them. Many Americans express their disappointment in so many other Americans for supporting...
As you all know by now, I like to profile some seniors at Lake Roosevelt so you can get to know them a little better before they go out and conquer the world. This year there are some outstanding students that I am excited to tell you more about, but I decided to start with the man in the class who has accomplished so much already. I will start with a name you know well already: Kaleb Horn, the youngest of Jason and Erica Horn, brother of Kody Horn, and a man on a mission for his final year as...
As the nation’s students head back to classes after the summer break, choosing whether and where to attend college is a major focus for many high schoolers. In 2017, 44 million Americans had student-loan debt, and with rising tuition costs, it is more important than ever to empower families with the facts so that financial literacy keeps them from pitfalls of a cycle of education-related debt. Knowing which questions to ask can be as important as finding the answers. Just ask any student or parent if they feel well equipped to make informed dec...
Can you feel it? That seasonal change is coming — tree leaves are starting to turn color, temperatures are dropping a little. The official day for Autumn Equinox is Sept. 22 this year. Cool, crisp air and clear skies, if we don’t get any more wildfire smoke — fingers crossed! We’ve been blanketed again this season with much smoke and fine particulate matter. We’ve seen an active wildfire season and smoke has filtered into our region from considerable distances. Early in August, we got hit with...
Over the weekend, our God showed me he is still present and listening, but more than that, he is moving among his children in awesome and powerful ways. I know some of you read the title and turned to Coulee Cops, but those of you whose attention was caught by the title of this column and are still reading, well, let me explain my weekend the best I can. It starts in 1992. Yep, that long ago. Right after I gave my life to Christ, a couple of ladies took me to a youth camp for the weekend. I slept most of the way and really had no idea where thi...
When one approaches the Tri-Cities, it is impossible to ignore Lampson International’s monstrous cranes in its Pasco assembly yard. Those gantries stand out like the Space Needle in Seattle and reach over 560 feet into the sky. Like the Space Needle, Lampson is built on a solid footing. Last month, Construction Review Online (CRO) ranked Lampson as the world’s third-largest crane company. “Lampson International has been a world leader in the Heavy Lift and Transport industry for over 65 years. Initially started as a small drayage company, they...
Morgan Spurlock, a documentary filmmaker, went on a 30-day McDonald’s fast-food diet and he ended up with health problems. He documented his feast in his film “Super-Size Me.” When we satisfy our daily news diet, it can be analogous to fast food. Add some social media and a boatload of websites that many feed themselves and we have an even bigger diet of “news.” It all boils down to our personal choice and acceptance. We all live in a self-created bubble of some sort. We surround ourselves with...
About three months ago, I ended up in the hospital due to a medical condition similar to the one that killed my mother 10 years ago. Faced with the unknown, I looked back, and questioned whether I lived a good life or not. During this self examination I confessed to God that so much was left undone, and not a single aspect of my life felt complete. Foremost, before everything, I am a Christian. My vision of this lifelong walk has been to shine a light on the love of God through his son, Jesus Christ. I hope that no matter who came into my...
Someone I know recently came home from a trip to Spokane and declared, “You have to watch this movie.” He was pumped and said that the flick had even moved him to tears. Well that got me thinking: What inspirational movies would I recommend to others? So, I decided to only go with movies that moved me in a dramatic way. This is not a list of action-packed thrillers but of soul-searching, sometimes tear-jerking movies. The first movie that comes to mind is “The Lion King.” It is a good movie,...
With today’s tension and rancor, we need a dose of Yogi Berra’s wit and wisdom to put things into perspective. Let’s start with “You can observe a lot by just watching,” because seeing what is happening now is very disconcerting. We need less sarcasm and to alleviate the vilification of one another that we constantly witness in the news and on social media. To quote Yogi: “It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.” Yogi’s humorous way of sizing up a sit...
The person who called it “the last great race on earth” was probably right. The Iditarod is run each year the first weekend in March, with the next one is kicking off March 2, 2019. It’s the sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, a distance of nearly 1,000 miles. There are actually two routes they use, one for even numbered years and another for odd numbered years, each just shy of the 1,000 miles. The race tests the endurance of man, beast, and equipment, with the elements usually taking their toll. It was in 1993 that I met Stan Smith...
A column on needed forest management reforms last week by Rep. Dan Newhouse, the 4th District’s congressman, was mistakenly attributed to Lee Hamilton, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. We regret the error....
I’d like to start this letter off with telling you that I work for the media. I’m also a liberal, so you can stop now if you’d like. As an employee of a media outlet, I’ve done nothing more than get a job to support my family, pay my taxes, and my bills, a job I’ve had for the past 17 years. While my job, radio, is not media driven — I am still an employee of an outlet that is considered media. In recent times a target has been painted on my back, and the backs of thousands of others who simply “work” in media. The leader of our country says on...
We have all taken a different path to get to right where we are today. For some, it has been a long and windy road of ups and downs, mountains and valleys. For others it has been a quick hop, skip and jump, and before you know it you have arrived. Some have been on this path for many years while others are just getting started. So how did we all end up right here, right now? Most of us, when we started this journey, had grander visions and ideas of where we would be five years, 10 years or 20...
The sight and smell of choking haze and dangerous levels of smoke from burning forests have become all too common during our Pacific Northwest summers. Major fires have struck Central Washington time and again, year after year, and nothing will change until we decide we have had enough. This year, Central Washington communities are grappling with the Boyds, Cougar Creek, Crescent Mountain, Grass Valley, McCleod, and Miriam fires, adding up to thousands of burned acres. Okanogan County Fire District 8 volunteer firefighter Brett Read was...
Last April, Washington wheat, apple and cherry growers hoped U.S. and China trade negotiators would resolve differences and prevent imposition of damaging tariffs on our state’s leading crops. Unfortunately, that did not happen and the costs are adding up. Thousands of Washington farmers now find themselves on the front lines of a battle between the two largest economies in the world. Here’s what has happened so far. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump imposed a 25-percent tariff on $34...
All the members of Public Schools Employees Local Union #1001 would like to personally thank all of you involved in our Stuff the Bus for school supplies campaign. It was a huge success, and that reflects the generosity of this community and those around us. We collected just over $2,000 in cash donations, with more coming in. We also gathered a large amount of school supplies and we will use the cash gathered to go buy more supplies. Around 100 individuals and businesses came and stuffed the bus with supplies and cash. We live in an awesome...
It is that time of year again. It seems to come earlier and earlier every year, and our summers get shorter and shorter. It is time for the awesome employees of school districts across the nation to go back to their classrooms, buses, custodial carts and offices. Summer has come and summer has gone (it may be hidden behind the smoke), but nonetheless the school bell has rung. The floors are shiny, the buses are running with a purr, everything is organized, and curriculum is ready to be taught. O...