News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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The last four years of inaction at the southern border resulted in over 10 million illegal immigrant encounters nationwide and a record-high number of violent, illegal criminals encountered throughout the United States. By terminating catch-and-release policies, ending the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program and a full stop on construction of the border wall, President Biden and Vice President Harris have created a crisis that now permeates through the entire country. Last week, to address the ongoing crisis caused by an unmanaged border, the House of R...
The Star Archives The Star Newspaper, January 20, 1955, food prices in the Grand Coulee area 70 years ago. From a Safeway advertisement: Large “AA” eggs, one dozen – 49 cents. Grapefruit, 8-pound bag – 39 cents. Pork-Beans, 20-ounce can – 2 for 29 cents. Sliced Bacon – 59 cents per pound. Fresh, Cut-up Chicken Fryers – 45 cents per pound. Dutch Mill Cheese, 2 pounds 89 cents. Dungeness Crab Meat, 7 ounces 55 cents. Source(s): The Star Archives Compiled by Bob Valen...
If you’re on your way to work this week and see your neighbor’s kids heading to the bus stop or if you come across a Facebook post by grandparents celebrating their grandkids after a game, you understand that the Grand Coulee Dam School District directly contributes to our feeling of community. We feel it at games. We feel it at graduation ceremonies. We feel it when we take pictures of our kids in formal outfits before Prom. When I first moved here (don’t ask how long ago), I was struck by how close the community is and I immediately saw t...
As a community, we are approaching an important special election on Tuesday, Feb. 11, the outcome of which will clearly impact the quality of education received by our school-aged children. This election will require a decision by voters on whether our community will continue to financially support the Grand Coulee Dam school system by approving a replacement school levy, or not. Why, you may ask, is a levy even needed? The short answer is that the state of Washington has provided insufficient revenue to adequately fund all of the programs,...
Saturday, Dec. 21 was Trees of Sharing gift delivery day. Four “elf” teams made the rounds, taking gifts to 90 children in 41 families in the Coulee that misty morning. In addition to the delivery elves, many others contributed to the success of this year’s project, keeping the tradition going for more than 40 years. Included are those who made and filled out a gift tag for each eligible child whose name was submitted in November; selected tags from the trees, shopped, wrapped and returned gifts to one of the tree locations by mid-D...
January 13, 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded. Explorers, scientists and scholars met on this date to discussed the need for an organization for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge. On January 27th a certificate of incorporation was signed. The National Geographic Society has and continues to contribute to science, exploration and conservation. Their efforts assisted with the establishment of the National Park Service, mapping vast areas of the world, and restoring archaeological sites. Source(s): National...
I pick the Grand Teton National Park as one of my favorite places. The scenery, the animals and that wonderful range of mountains make it a grand place to visit. The biggest attraction is how the mountains make you feel. On one visit, I took the raft float trip through the park on the Snake River. It was dirt early in the morning, scheduled so you could see the sun illuminating the snow-capped mountain range. It seemed to change color as the sun had its way with the view. It was cold – bitter cold. There was just me and my oldest son, Paul, t...
This week marks the beginning of the 119th Congress and just the third time in the last 70 years that Republicans have controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House. Over the past four years, we have had an administration that sidestepped Congress and wielded the executive branch to tighten the federal government’s grip on taxpayers, small businesses, farmers and ranchers, and countless other industries while pushing inflation to record levels. I am optimistic about the opportunities that this Congress will provide. As a t...
S Last week I commented on my least favorite place, the entire state of Texas. This week I am commenting about the Hagerman area, a small town with under 1,000 population. The interesting part includes the area within five miles of the town. I first was drawn to Hagerman when I was a college student back in 1956. I had heard about the fossil beds, and a couple of friends and I drove east from Boise some 100 miles. The fossil beds are in a gravel-packed hill above the Snake River. At the time there were no restrictions on digging in the area. So...
E President-elect Donald Trump is claiming a special mandate by winning the popular vote, though only by a little over 2 million (1.5%; and getting below 50% of total popular vote) compared to President Joe Biden’s winning margin of about 7 million (4%; 51%) over Trump in 2020. If the electoral college had already been scrapped, would the popular vote have been significantly changed by the candidates campaigning in all states, not just battleground ones? Why did Washington state have its’ lowest turnout in 28 years? Why was California’s histo...
Did you hear jokes about Old Fascism and New Fascism? Exactly! It’s no laughing matter! “America’s democracy was destroyed by the two ruling parties who sold us out to corporations, militarists, and billionaires. Now we pay the price.” Chris Hedges continues at https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/how-fascism-came 12/23/2024, “President-elect Donald Trump does not herald the advent of fascism. He heralds the collapse of the veneer that masked the corruption within the ruling class and their pretense of democracy. He is the symptom, not the disea...
‘Tis the time of year to be joyful, to celebrate and show appreciation, thankfulness and gratitude. Previously, I’d mentioned how I am keen on Jim Keene and many others but recently Addison Hansen, our previous neighbor, triggered this outpouring of appreciation here. She surprised my partner of 52 years with a thank you - happy holidays greeting and a beautiful piece of her artwork signed off with much appreciation. Addison is a former Raider and fine arts major. Her message to Mrs. A said, “Thank you for encouraging my creativity and culti...
The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability (WCPA), a group that claims credit for recent Washington laws restricting law enforcement, has announced that its legislative priorities for 2025 include qualifications for, and restrictions on, the office of Sheriff. The Washington State Sheriff’s Association (WSSA) opposes the WCPA’s proposal and is recommending alternatives that empower our communities and invest trust in our electoral process. The entire legislative record and agenda of the WCPA are rooted in distrust of law enf...
The Star Archives December 26, 1946, article from The Star newspaper archives. “Install Telephone Cable. A special crew from Spokane under the supervision of Virgil Zickler is in the area working on the installation of a 400-pair telephone cable under the bridge at Coulee Dam. It is expected that it will take about a month to complete the job, and when finished it will have a capacity of service for 700 to 800 additional subscribers.” Source(s): The Star archives Compiled by Bob Valen Source(s): Library of Congress Compiled by Bob Val...
Everyone who has traveled much has his favorite and least favorite places. Texas, all of it, gets my nod as my least favorite place. I have been to Texas on four occasions, but my brother David, was the convincing factor. He like me, got his start with Potlatch Forests, Inc. I worked at Potlatch and he worked at their plant in Lewiston. Along the way he accepted a position with the compliance arm of the outfit that checked construction ptojrcts to see if you were using the lumber quality that was required. They sent him to Texas. My brother...
The death of cursive handwriting reared its ugly head during the recent presidential election. Since 2010, according to Yahoo News, many states have dropped cursive writing from their curricula as they shifted to Common Core State Standards for English. As a result, many Gen Z Americans lack a distinctive cursive signature, which posed a problem for Gen Z voters who used mail-in ballots last month. Since officials had great difficulty matching Gen Z mail-in-ballot signatures to the signatures the government had on file for them, many of their...
In the aftermath of the catastrophic fire which gutted Paris’ Cathedral of Notre Dame in 2019, President Emmanuel Macron announced it would be rebuilt within five years and promised it would be “more beautiful than before!” Macron, who remains head of a divided French government, saw restoration of the 13th Century church as a way to restore national pride and unite fellow French citizens. When interviewed just before Notre Dame’s massive doors re-opened on Dec. 7, Macron called the restoration a miracle—an accomplishment of the unthinkab...
December 23, 1783, General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander and Chief of the Continental Army. The resignation took place in the Senate Chamber of the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland where the Continental Congress was meeting. Washington left Annapolis having bid farewell to his officers on December 24th. His distention was his plantation on the Potomac River in Virginia. He arrived late afternoon on Christmas Eve, now a private citizen for the first time in nearly nine years. Source(s): Library of Congress...
My wife and I took a temporary job in Livingston, Montana back in 1953. It was temporary because I planned to return to Grand Coulee when the mill where I worked was ready to open up in the spring. I graded lumber at the planing mill above the dam for a guy named Kirkpatrick. They closed down in late fall when they ran out of logs. I saw an ad in the Spokane paper that Downer Lumber Company in Livingston was looking for a lumber grader. I promptly answered it. I got a quick response and we packed a few necessary items in our car and drove to...
During the previous administration, illegal border crossings were at an all-time high. Border security is national security, and as we transition to a new administration, it is crucial the federal government focuses on common-sense solutions to address our border crisis. Over the last four years, we have seen over 10 million illegal migrant encounters nationwide and numerous executive orders aimed at weakening our border security. With the termination of catch-and-release policies and the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program, coupled with the rise in...
I turned 63 on Dec. 4. Unlike many women of my vintage, birthdays are a very public celebration in my house. It’s always been that way. From the time I understood the concept of getting older, the 4th day of the last month has been a chance to revel in the joy of having made it safely through the birth canal — thank you momma — and into this amazing world. For youngsters with their hopes of presents and sugary delights, that’s a normal thing. But as we get older, we’re supposed to hate, or at least ignore, our birthdays. That’s especially...
December 15, 1791, the United States of America ratified the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, confirming the fundamental rights of its citizens. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, and the rights of peaceful assembly and petition. Other amendments guarantee the rights of the people to form a well-regulated militia, to keep and bear arms, the rights to private property, fair treatment for accused criminals, protection from unreasonable search and seizure, freedom from...
President-elect Donald Trump is about to resume a second term as president with such a slim GOP majority in the House of Representatives that it offers the party little if any room for error. Republicans deliriously reveling about their supposed “huge election mandate” may want to keep a lid on such unabashed glee. As final results are being tabulated from California, the party appears to have the smallest House majority in more than a century. Republican Rep. Michelle Steel lost her Orange County seat to Army vet Derek Tran, while as of this w...
The Lucas family had a logging operation during the Great Depression near Bovill, Idaho. My oldest uncle, Ralph Lucas, was in charge, but the crew was full of members of the family, including my dad. It was all virgin forests then and had never seen a saw nor work crews. The logs were so large that you could only get three on a truck or railroad car. Only a few mills had saws large enough to cut the logs, so they sold to the mill at Potlatch, Idaho. There wasn’t much machinery in those days, so timber was cut by crosscut saws with two men on t...
One of the most significant shifts from our recent elections is America is headed back to an “all of the above” strategy that expands our energy options rather than further restricting them. In the last four years, there has been an expensive shift away from carbon fuels (gasoline, and natural gas) to subsidizing wind, solar and electric vehicles (EVs). President Trump would be wise to look at inclusive strategies incorporated in the 2005 Energy Policy Act signed into law by President George W. Bush which focused on incremental imp...