News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Early November teased us a little bit with measurable snowfall that apparently has stalled. Not to worry, ski fans and snow junkies, it will snow again. I spent some time looking at what winter may look like here in the Coulee. The discussions about La Niña, a recurring event that has a direct result on global weather, are stating some weaknesses, with “only a 65-75 percent chance that it will continue at least through the winter. Similar to last winter, the event is predicted to be re...
The Coulee Area Park and Recreation District (CAPRD) has five commissioners. As of our December meeting, two commissioners’ terms have expired. The remaining three are on board until the end of 2019. Two of us are “gentle retirees” and likely won’t be looking at re-election. Certainly, there are some vibrant, younger folks out there looking for an interesting and rewarding challenge to donate their time to! Well, CAPRD has the challenge and rewards. We are actively recruiting now, so raise your hand and say, “right here — me!” What does CAP...
In the 1700s, when weapons of war were still primitive, the Founders of our constitution were wise enough to know that war could ruin nations, and they gave the congress the sole authority to declare war. Congress last declared war 75 years ago. Since then, the congress has forfeited its authority while presidents initiated wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the current undefined conflict in the Middle East, Africa, and Pacific countries. Members of congress were recently surprised to learn that the U.S. is engaged in combat operations in Niger. That...
Christmas. The word brings a wonderful excitement to children all around the world. Visions of presents, Santa, hot chocolate and goodies galore dance between the temples of the little ones. Blinking lights, snowmen and reindeer flicker on the lens of the young minds as we pour into them the commercialism that has become Christmas. Debt, stress and the busiest of all months as we go from party to party, indulging in everything, is what we show and teach during this season. All in the name of, well, in the name of what, really? It is a time of...
For the last two decades, federal legislation allowing oil and gas exploration in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has been stymied. Now, it is part of federal tax reform which Congress is likely to approve. Allowing new oil and gas leases would greatly help Washington refineries, workers and state and local economies. Current crude supplies from Alaska’s North Slope are declining and refiners have looked elsewhere for replacement stocks, e.g., oil-by-rail from North Dakota. ANWR is not the picturesque landscape you might imagine w...
Parents and school employees spoke loud, clear and long at a long school board meeting Monday about a lack of discipline in Grand Coulee Dam School District schools, an issue that involves much more than the schools alone. This community is not alone in wrestling with the consequences of society’s wrong turns. Although school personnel complain that they should not feel unsafe at work, and neither should their students, similar complaints can be found in school districts across the state. If you imagine, as an adult, that the norms you were rai...
The Care and Share Food Bank has received over one ton of donations from our small communities with big HEARTS in the last two weeks. The Boy Scouts, Coulee Medical Center, and Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union, plus other smaller drives, did a great job of adding to our stores, and we would like to THANK YOU each and every one. The high school did a hygiene drive during homecoming, and the products have been well received — items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, plus bar soap, deodorant, shaving cream, and razors, to n...
Life on our eastern side of Washington’s so-called “Cascade divide” certainly offers many natural advantages: less rain, more time spent outdoors in the sunshine, and an ideal climate for apples, wine grapes and many other crops, just to name a few. Communities in Central Washington, and across the West at large, depend heavily on capturing water through surface-water infrastructure projects that support our way of life. Water projects such as dams and reservoirs are enormous undertakings that take years of planning and investment, but when com...
Sometimes Thanksgiving Day just does not go according to plans. But Sunday Night, when I was eating turkey, I realized it was very well worth the wait. I heard there were many who had Turkey Day debacles this year. A two-hour wait for a tow truck, followed by cheeseburgers for Thanksgiving for one family, and a halfway home, turn around and retrieve a purse situation for another, but the joy of family always shines through. Sometimes things just get messed up. Like the flu hits your family, the bird is still frozen after thawing for four days,...
To stimulate the U.S. economy to “levels you haven’t seen in many years”— President Trump is proposing to cut federal income taxes, for most folks in general, but predominately for really affluent families and mega-corporations. His proposal is so skewed to the wealthy that over the next 10 years, more than half of his multi-trillion dollar tax cut will go to the wealthiest one percent. Big business does well too, gaining an estimated $4.1 trillion tax cut during the next decade. And that’s not the only justification offered for the president...
Dr. Ann Diamond has retired from her career as our small-town doctor and entered the race for state representative of Legislative District 12. Her campaign kickoff was great fun, with beautiful pies, hot cider and wonderful bluegrass music by The Apostles. The place was packed with people interested to hear Ann’s message. The message I heard was one of deep concern and caring for the people of the 12th Legislative District. With her 24 years of experience in serving the medical needs of our community, Ann has gained a wealth of knowledge a...
There are those moments in everyone’s life that you can look back upon and realize the importance of a pivotal decision. Two young ladies made those decisions this weekend and it made me think back a bit. On Easter morning in 1993, I went under the water in The Assembly of God Church in Electric City. It has since been converted to a home, but I can remember vividly that day. It was a powerful moment that can be looked back on, and it puts a smile on my face. Since then, I have been a part of a...
We do not want the Russians — or anyone else — to influence the outcome of our elections. But interfering in elections is an everyday occurrence. According to historian Alfred W. McCoy, citing research at Carnegie Mellon University, between 1946 and the year 2000, the U.S. intervened in 81 elections in foreign countries. Stephen Kinzer writes in his book “Overthrow” that the U.S. has overthrown 14 foreign governments. Interference in elections has also become a homegrown problem in the United States. An elected official who represents the peo...
Feeder canal formwork in slide area - Forms for the transition section from "square-to-round" in the "cut-and-cover" portion of the feeder canal. - November 8, 1949 photo...
Growing up, I would earn a quarter per chore — a quarter each for washing dishes, dusting, sweeping, and more. I pocketed the quarters, hopped on my bike, and rode four blocks to the main thoroughfare in my town of 1,000. I would peruse toy racks at the pharmacy and hardware store, drool over bulk candy at the grocery store and the flower shop, and peer at notepads in the glass case at the newspaper office. These locally-owned businesses received all of my hard-earned quarters. At age 8, I didn’t realize I was supporting small businesses or...
Cathy’s craven role in “money-changing” the U.S. Tax Code to aid “The Money-Changer’s Tax Paradise” in offshore tax shelters is shameful! The $1.5 trillion-dollar tax giveaway is the biggest tax giveaway to giant corporations in modern history, a bill so insulting to working families that it actually provides Wells Fargo — the same company that is guilty of creating millions of fake accounts to cheat its customers — the largest tax break of all. Cathy’s Tax Paradise on earth is a secret she doesn’t tell anyone in her usual newsletters in snai...
As Republicans in Congress move forward on their tax plan, it’s worth remembering one thing: whatever the legislative particulars, keep your eye on the plan’s impact on the federal debt. Our debt load is already worrisome. It’s almost certainly going to get worse. At some point, this will become unsustainable — we just don’t know exactly when. One common measure of the debt problem is to compare the total federal debt to our gross domestic product, or GDP. This basically measures whether a country’s economy is healthy enough to carry its d...
Much of the nation’s attention has rightly been focused on Congress’ current push for historic tax reform — the first major effort in more than 30 years. While pro-growth tax reform is a critical topic, I would like to share an update on recent legislative progress that is important for Central Washington but has not received as much focus. Just last week, Americans observed Veterans Day. I believe that the people’s representatives in Congress should honor veterans with our words as well as our actions. Every step we take to improve the car...
Transition Section from square to round in the "cut-and-cover" portion of the Feeder Canal across the slide area. Each of the two barrels has a capacity of 3,600,000 gallons a minute, and the discharge from both barrels would provide a domestic supply for 100,000,000 people 2/3 of the nation's population. In other words, these two barrels running full could supply domestic water to all the people of the United States living in cities and towns of populations over 1,000. - November 8, 1949...
The average citizen in modern American is too far removed from the reality that keeps our country demanding more of those who choose to serve the country with military service. So inside this issue of The Star, we include our annual salute to our veterans, with photos and names of those who have served, and who have ties to the local area. We add more each year; some who served long ago, some who served more recently or are serving now. Page after page shows us the cost of war and the sacrifice and dedication required to support our nation, eve...
I hope everybody saw Dapper Dan Newhouse’s latest screed, wherein he pats himself on the back for a number of things, not least supporting the new Republican bill to renew CHIP. Give me a break. CHIP never should have lapsed: kids don’t quit getting sick just because the governing party has their collective hair on fire to hand tax cuts to rich folks. That’s just one more indication of the rot we’ve come to expect. But trying to re-up CHIP with a bill that’s loaded with poison pills, then trying to fasten the blame for failure on people wh...
Doublespeak supports the unfair and morally obscene Is Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers ignorant about what is going on, literally, on the ground? She gives “doublespeak” about her support for the destruction of public lands in supporting House Resolution 3990 and in support of the newest House bill on budget and tax reform. First, on the budget, Congresswoman Rodgers’ support would do deep harm to tens of millions of working families, women, kids, the sick, the elderly, and the poor. It cuts Medicaid by more than $1 trillion over 10 years...
These people are unreal. One-time bite and he’s dangerous. Really, but you can drive drunk and get five and six DUIs and go out to try and kill again, but a dog being protective is all of a sudden dangerous. You people need to really get your priorities together. Try upholding some city ordinances like some of the people who’ve got trash in their yard, or the yards need to be cut down, or their house needs to be torn out of there and demolished. Let’s do something about some of that stuff instead of focusing our energy on a dog prote...
This weekend was jam packed with sports, emergencies and some really good impromptu conversations with strangers and friends. Here are the highlights. Raider football is headed to the state playoffs. Yes, you read that right, and we could not be prouder here in Raider Nation. In a cold, bitter game, the Raiders overcame mistakes and the wind-chill factor to pull off a back-and-forth game that saw them sitting on top of the scoreboard over Kittitas. We have a pretty young team, if you did not...
Spillway bucket repair, block 54: this view, inside the working chamber of the floating caisson, shows the finished surface of the replaced concrete in the apron section, which is at the downstream end of the bucket. Workmen are removing I-beams that were used to hold the forms for the pour. Pacific Bridge Contract - March 20, 1950...