News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Opinion


Sorted by date  Results 1601 - 1625 of 3459

Page Up

  • Thank you for the school supplies and donations!

    Aug 22, 2018

    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...

  • Back to school…what?

    Jesse Utz|Aug 22, 2018

    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...

  • Fake news

    Carl Russell|Aug 22, 2018

    With all the news media in the United States complaining about President Trump calling them fake news, just look at the coverage. CNN and MSNBC, according to reports, are 93 percent negative along with NY Times, NBC. The news media, before he announced for president, was making fun of him for even thinking about running. When he did run, all the same news media and entertainment made fun of him and almost every one of them stated he would never be president; even President Obama made that same statement. Then when we won the party nomination,...

  • Riding Japan's bullet train

    Roger Lucas|Aug 22, 2018

    The long, sleek train reeked of speed as it pulled into Tokyo station. I was finally going to ride Japan’s world-famous “bullet train” at speeds over 100 miles an hour. It was difficult to reference speeds on rails of such proportions. I was traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto, and later to Osaka, a total distance of some 375 miles. This was to be new to me of rail travel for a number of reasons — the speed, of course, but also for the absence of the constant clickety clack of the wheels of the train passing over the joints of the rails beneath...

  • Columbia River Treaty talks too vital to ignore

    Don Brunell|Aug 22, 2018

    While most of our attention in the Pacific Northwest these days is on trade wars, tariffs and wildfires, there are critical talks underway between the U.S. and Canada over future allocations of the Columbia River system’s water. The two countries are renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty, which went into effect in 1964. It is a 50-year agreement under which both nations can redo, providing there is a 10-year advanced warning. That occurred, and negotiators are now busy meeting. A new a...

  • A community effort

    Cheryl Hoffman|Aug 15, 2018

    At approximately 8:45 p.m. Saturday night, the Grand Coulee Senior Center received a call from the Department of Natural Resources with a simple but somewhat daunting request: Could we feed the firefighters breakfast and dinner on Sunday? Within the hour, we were able to contact enough volunteers throughout the community to answer with a somewhat nervous yes. What happened over the next 24-plus hours was amazing. We were not expecting it when we accepted this challenge, but the senior center ended up getting paid for it, so we do not need any...

  • No excuse for fake news rhetoric

    Fred Obee|Aug 15, 2018

    The plight of a grieving orca who continues to carry her dead calf for weeks is reported by the Seattle Times. The Spokane Spokesman-Review lets people know for the first time the Legislature is forming a task force to exempt lawmakers from portions of the Public Records Act. The Columbia Basin Herald in Moses Lake warns that air quality for the county fair may be unhealthy because of wildfire smoke pollution. The Omak County Chronicle reports that Wally Richards is this year’s Omak Stampede grand marshal. The Nisqually Valley News in Yelm t... Full story

  • Heroes in our coulee

    Jesse Utz|Aug 15, 2018

    All of us have stories of this past weekend. I also know that the fire is far from out as I write this, but many of us are taking a breath of not-so-fresh air and relaxing for the first time in days. In the midst of disaster and facing possible loss, heroes emerged for many of us. Some in the form of neighbors and community members; some in firefighters, both local and from across the state. Strangers became a comforting face in the smoke-filled unknown that stared many of us down. Sometimes...

  • Paper tariff could kill small newspapers

    Andrew Johnson|Aug 15, 2018

    It isn’t that easy to drop everything in the middle of the week and fly to Washington. If you’re a community newspaper publisher, going anywhere in the middle of the week is a challenge. That is when the newspaper has to be edited, wrapped up in color, printed, labeled and distributed to readers. People in Mayville, WI, where I publish the Dodge County Pionier, count on my paper. It is how they find out what is happening in town. We don’t have a local TV station. Facebook and Google are here, but the internet has no journalists in my town. That...

  • Thanks for the levy support

    Karen Depew|Aug 8, 2018

    Citizens for Quality Education would like to thank those who voted for the Grand Coulee School District Levy and also say a thank-you to those who put signs up in their yards. Thank you to the businesses that supported the levy and a “shout out” to the people who wrote letters in The Star. With your encouragement and involvement in our classrooms, the school and teachers can help our kids to succeed and become valuable citizens in the community. Yard signs can be taken to the Farmer’s Market at North Dam Park in Grand Coulee (Wednesdays 4-7p....

  • A more perfect union

    Lee Hamilton|Aug 8, 2018

    You know these words, but how often do you stop to think about them? “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” They belong, of course, to the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. That remarkable document is not just the blueprint for our political system. Its Preamble is also a profoundly aspirational call to arms. Because when you read...

  • El Niño and the ENSO

    Bob Valen|Aug 8, 2018

    In past columns I’ve talked about the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), or as some call it, the Southern Oscillation. Let me briefly review what this thing does. There are two ocean temperature and wind actions that occur down along the Tropical Pacific Equator that can, and do, affect global climate. These fluctuating ocean wind and temperature events also play a role in our winters here in the Pacific and Inland Northwest. One is referred to as El Niño (the child, Spanish) and the oth...

  • Simply the best

    Jesse Utz|Aug 8, 2018

    At a recent conference in Kennewick, Wash., two local stars from our school district were honored with high awards. I had the honor and privilege of being on hand when these two powerful superstars in education received their hardware from the elite in the Public School Employees Annual Conference. Our school was definitely well represented, and our school has been put on the map by these two outstanding classified employees. Aaron Derr received the President’s Award for his hard work and d...

  • An Idaho boy who beat the Yankees

    Roger Lucas|Aug 8, 2018

    Sometimes sports heroes come from unlikely places. Take the case of Vernon Law, right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Vernon came from Meridian, Idaho, a few clicks out of Boise, and midway between Boise and Nampa. Law won two games during the 1960 World Series as Pittsburgh turned away the New York Yankees in a seven-game series. A tall, lanky kid at the time, Law threw from the right, and distinguished himself over a long career, interrupted by three years in the military. That World Series year, Law ended with a 20-9 win-loss...

  • The reasons to vote yes on the school levy

    Amanda Burton|Aug 1, 2018

    I strongly encourage a yes vote for the levy that Lake Roosevelt School District has requested. The proposed levy will allow the school district to break even, but it will also allow it to address some of the major issues that the community has been voicing concerns over. The following is a chart that breaks down what the school district is asking for: http://www.grandcoulee.com/home/customer_files/images/screen_shot_2018-08-01_at_2.59.26_pm.png Over the past year, I have taken the opportunity t... Full story

  • On a vote that matters locally

    Dennis Carlson|Aug 1, 2018

    I, along with all voters in the Grand Coulee Dam School District, received my primary election ballot in the mail last week. Since it is a primary election, I was almost overwhelmed by the long list of names of people who are seeking to be selected to run in the general election in November to represent us in the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives or state Legislature. While I engaged a momentary urge to vote for GoodSpaceGuy in the U.S. Senate race, common sense finally ruled and I marked the box next to the name of the person I believe...

  • Relationships

    Jesse Utz|Aug 1, 2018

    In this day and age, the word “relationships” can have a skewed meaning. The younger generation may immediately think of the number of friends they have on Facebook or their followers on Instagram. Others may think of something more intimate, like boyfriends and girlfriends or spouses. But there is more, and I was reminded of that over the weekend at a yard sale, a funeral and a family reunion. The yard sale: Sometimes we can misread a person when first meeting them. This became very app...

  • Re: "Students express desire to change dress code, school system," July 25 issue

    Lorraine Niderost|Aug 1, 2018

    I applaud your board for listening to these young people and that they encouraged them to attend more and bring more students to be involved. It shows how truly STRONG ALL of you are. What a lucky community to have young people who are learning how to express themselves and are willing to be involved. The world needs success and I’m pretty sure you are all on your way. Lorraine Niderost...

  • My opinion of our educational system

    Jason Whalawitsa|Aug 1, 2018

    I think the young ladies have valid points on the dress code concerns (“Students express desire to change dress code, school system,” 7-25-18), and I think they should carry on their concerns and recruit more of the student body to address such issues that go on in “Raider Country.” An added concern: issues of the continual “bullying” at our schools. NUMEROUS Raiders come to me and my counterparts asking what could be done and where to go. I do refer them to what is written in the school handbooks and the proper way to address the issue. One...

  • Stop the specialist merry-go-round

    Stephanie Graves|Aug 1, 2018

    I have lived in this area for almost 19 years, and in that time I have seen good specialists come to this area, be here for a year or two, and leave. This leaves those who need a good orthopedic or heart doctor forced to go to Spokane or even further to see someone. I have to ask WHY. Why is it that this hospital and clinic are unable to keep these doctors? I will have to blame the hospital administrator(s) for this. The hospital needs to do whatever they need to do in order to keep these great doctors. Pay them according to their contracts,...

  • Some factors to consider

    Carol Schoning|Aug 1, 2018

    I keep thinking it has to be full-moon time from the actions of people around me, but no, it wasn’t that. Then I read your article on the number of suicides — seven in a week (“Many take their own lives in last two weeks,” 7/25/18). Living in a depressed area where jobs are scarce and many minimum wage jobs are not full-time, people cannot afford rent, many are homeless or living with other people, which causes extra stress for all. Hot weather, we know, can cause anger and other issues. It is probable that all of these factors play a part; h...

  • Patience in the heat

    Scott Hunter|Jul 25, 2018

    Summer heat seems to make us a little surly at times, but we’re better off keeping our cool. Like when you come across road maintenance work. In the heat. When you’re in a hurry. Time for a deep breath, often needed when traveling out of town, but this summer, locals may be in for patience-testing even close to home. You know about that if you live in east Coulee Dam, where crews are building improved sidewalks and curbs in spots lined out in a Transportation Improvement Board-funded project in much of the area around the school buildings. Pat...

  • She appreciates Spring Canyon, and the town should too

    Maggie Andersen|Jul 25, 2018

    I have been coming to the Coulee Dam area for over 30 years as an annual visitor. As time has gone by, I have grown to appreciate your quaint area’s unique and distinct setting. Summer memories are made here. Families can easily create lasting bonds observing your grand vistas together. Who can argue over the last piece of barbecue chicken when there is such spectacular and varied scenery to appreciate! I have especially noticed that Spring Canyon beaches seem cleaner, brighter and more welcoming the last year or so. You should be proud that t...

  • A golf champion gets the nod of history

    Roger Lucas|Jul 25, 2018

    In the late 1950s and well into the ’60s, a number of Idaho athletes were at the edge of dominating their respective sports. Shirley Englehorn, from Caldwell, Idaho, at the west end of the Boise Valley, was one of them. She won 11 times on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour and posted another win, not part of the tour. She was born in 1940 and turned pro in 1958, winning her first tournament, the Eastern Open, by a three-stroke margin in 1962. Her career was closely watched by everyone at the Idaho Statesman, where Publisher James B...

  • The tale of a cat and a motorcycle

    Jesse Utz|Jul 25, 2018

    Let’s start with the cat. We have a very cuddly and cute kitty named Camaro. She has the sweetest temperament and has stayed pretty small for her age. We adopted her many years ago into our family and she joined Nova and Chevelle in our feline garage. In the beginning, I was not a cat guy. But they grew on me. With every cuddle and purr, I grew fonder and fonder of them. About a month ago, when I was neck deep in graduation and everything that erupts at the end of a school year, we came home lat...

Page Down