News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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If we could partake of the pain of others, and so lift a small portion of it from them, how would it change the world? Perhaps not much, judging by the reaction and feelings spread throughout the community when news hit of young man, full of promise, cut short. The sharing of some small portion of the pain of his family by a large part of the community seemed very evident over the last week — from Facebook posts to meetings canceled, even by some not directly affected. The loss of such a life is not something we can, or should, get over. I... Full story
Three-card Monte, what a wild game that is. In my 60 years I have learned a few things. One thing I learned is that there are only two possible winners for that game. The first possible winner is the people running the game, they control the deck, they make the rules and they have a couple goons ready to pummel any victim that objects to losing money. The only other possible winner, is the people who refuse to play that game. This is exactly why I have chosen not to participate in our political process. I don’t expect everyone to agree with m... Full story
As you watch the healthcare proceedings on Capitol Hill, imagine what things might be like if we lived in more functional political times. In particular, what if Congress were run by pragmatists? It would not change the issues at hand. On the one side, you’d have the Republican majority in Congress, which for the most part believes that the healthcare system should be left to the private sector. On the other side would be Democrats who, to varying degrees, see an important role for government to play. What would change would be how the two s... Full story
Back when I was younger, (yes, that long ago), I found something on television that would change my Saturday-morning cartoon watching forever. If I got up early enough I could watch the Lone Ranger (in black and white) and Sergeant Preston before Bugs Bunny and Road Runner came on. Then one day I got up extra early. Whammo, my imagination was changed forever. Names like Hulk Hogan and Super Fly Snuka became legends in a child’s mind, leading to new games and characters to pretend you were. Sergeant Slaughter and Tommy “Wild Fire” Rich becam... Full story
USBR barge taking soundings of the river bed below Grand Coulee Dam for a study of the erosive effects of summer floods. - March 1, 1943 photo... Full story
I am very concerned about the current state of affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bills are being voted on willy nilly with minimal input from constituents, across the aisle, and from the Congressional Budget Office, apparently in a quest to meet an arbitrary legislative agenda. In the words (through Twitter) of Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) regarding the replacement for the Affordable Care Act: “House health-care bill can’t pass Senate w/o major changes. To my friends in House: pause, start over. Get it right, don’t get it fast.... Full story
I had to chuckle at Scott’s editorial about the speed limit change above the dam, as I too had done the mental calculations! After driving 40 mph through that stretch for 16 years, it’s apparently made its way into my DNA as I catch myself on a daily basis still driving 40 and having to slow myself down. I understand changing the limit during construction of the new fire station, but after completion, my personal feelings are that the limit should be raised again, as I know most law-abiding Americans already know to slow down and pull over whe... Full story
The Moses Lake School Bond passed officially Friday February 24, with a very small margin. For the last few months, I had been encouraging everyone to vote yes for the school bond and our kids. I specially wanted to urge the young people to vote. In talking with them, I got the impression they thought their one vote wouldn’t make a difference. This school bond issue sure shot that theory down, as it was a four-vote difference at one point. I’m not exactly sure when Washington state started mailing out our ballots — but, I do remember befor... Full story
Throughout my time representing the people of Central Washington in the U.S. Congress, constituents from across the 4th District have shared with me their deeply personal stories about the struggles and hardships they’ve faced under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. In late 2016, a gentleman from Yakima wrote me in distress as his insurance provider was pulling out of his county: “My wife and I are losing our healthcare coverage. Our financial lives are about to radically change and a literal risk to our health is upon us. The cha... Full story
Although spring does not officially start until March 20, I feel something in the air. Along with feeling the brisk morning air, I am smelling the morning wetness, seeing the sprouting buds, hearing the early-morning song birds and feeling the itchiness that comes with pollen. Yep, spring is here. After being held captive by the ice queen of a winter and the grumpy ground hog, we’ve made it to the thawing and warming process. Gardeners will be out tilling, weeding, raking and pruning, preparing for the bountiful harvest of seeds now in their h... Full story
Mining raw aggregate at the Brett Gravel Pit with a power shovel and conveyor system. - March 16, 1938 photo... Full story
It’s not easy to get used to driving 10 miles per hour slower on a short stretch of highway you’ve been traveling daily for decades. That’s a problem many folks face trying, straining, braking to navigate the multi-lane stretch of highway 155 by the Bureau of Reclamation’s Grand Coulee Project, which the bureau slowed from 40 to 30 mph because it’s building a new fire station across from Pole Park. Even if traveling more slowly in front of a fire station is warranted, slowing the entire stretch seems a bit much. Admittedly, that complaint sound... Full story
On Feb. 23 constituents of the 4th Congressional District of Washington gathered at the Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp to participate in democracy and make our voices heard by you, our elected representative. You were not present. Had you or a member of your staff been able to attend, here are some questions I would like to have asked. 1. Thank you for your recent support of the BRIDGE Act. You stated on your Facebook page that Congress will come together to build “a reasonable and accessible immigration system going forward.” Wha... Full story
Repealing and replacing “Obamacare” is necessary to prevent Americans from suffering the consequences of this failed and unraveling law. Promises of affordability and lower premiums have turned into the reality of diminishing choices, rising prices, and less competition. Replacement must allow more affordable, more personalized health options. Replacing Obamacare has become a rescue mission to provide relief for American families. I recently had constituents reach out to me to explain that the situation they face because of this law is uns... Full story
I sat down with the young lady I call “Live” and learned a bit more about what makes her tick. I have known the Arnold family for a long time and have watched this senior at Lake Roosevelt bloom into an amazing adult, but I heard more than I expected in my sit down chat. When I asked how her senior year is going she answered with an enthusiastic “Great,” followed by, “It is a lot less hectic than I thought it was going to be.” She said all this with that bigger-than-life smile she gets. She went on to explain that she had to make up extra cr... Full story
Workmen operate prepakt grout equipment as they pump grout into prepakt areas at the base of the right training wall. Equipment shown here includes, at top, two double-drum grout mixers; center, two F.S. Simplex pumps; and bottom, four triplex grout pumps with hose connections. This work was performed by the Pacific Bridge Company, as part of their contract to repair the spillway bucket section of Grand Coulee Dam. - March 1949 photo... Full story
Yet again, local cities are forced to waste time, effort and money in a disagreement that wouldn’t exist if they did what may be the logical thing and merged. Electric City is objecting to a spike in their metered sewage flow into Grand Coulee costing Electric City more than a month does on average. If the two cities were one, it would be a technician’s problem only, with nobody else even needing to be aware of it. Like every other time the two cities have disagreed — police services contracts, charges for water or other intercity servi... Full story
Imagine if President Donald Trump’s much-touted wall cost nothing to build. And if it deterred not only illegal border crossers, but also those who legally come to the United States and then overstay their visas. And if it could be erected almost instantaneously. Impossible? Actually, that wall already exists — electronically. E-Verify is a free, online resource that empowers employers to check whether employees are eligible to work in the United States. It can ferret out illegal workers in seconds. Requiring all businesses to use E-Verify wou... Full story
Congress is currently in the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as the ACA or Obamacare. This seems like a good time to look at the ACA healthcare benefits that are provided to members of Congress and their staffs at taxpayer expense, and how they differ from ACA coverage available to the rest of the citizenry. The exchange from which they may obtain coverage is The District of Columbia’s Small Business Health Options Program, DC SHOP, also known as DC Health Link. For members of Congress and staff the premiums a... Full story
Ask any married couple who has a successful marriage and the word “communication” will come up as a key to a healthy, long partnership. Also, any successful business will use the word communication as a key to a thriving venture. In the last week I have taken two trainings on communication, each focusing on different phases and approaches. In the world we currently live in, communication should be so easy, yet we still find ourselves struggling. Communication with our spouses, kids, friends, bosses and co-workers is still a major obstacle in... Full story
John Berry, a Bureau of Reclamation engineer, observes tensiometer readings of the cable pull during puller machine tests used for maneuvering the floating caisson, maintaining contact with shore stations by short-wave radio. These tests were made by the Pacific Bridge Company, a contractor, as part of repairs made to the spillway bucket section of Grand Coulee Dam. - March 9, 1949 photo... Full story
With so much turmoil in Washington and around the country these days, it’s easy to get caught up in the crises of the moment. These are, indeed, worth our attention — but so are longer-running developments that threaten the health of our representative democracy. I want to lay them out in one place, so that the most serious problems confronting our system don’t slip from our attention. First, it has become very hard to make our system work. Our country is so large, so complex — and, at the moment, so polarized and divided — that it’s toug... Full story
This week, February 18-26, is an in-district work week for the House of Representatives, during which members of Congress are supposed to be meeting and communicating with constituents. Yet it appears that Representative Dan Newhouse will not be attending a single event open to the public, despite numerous requests that he do so. Furthermore, he hasn’t made clear what exactly he’s choosing to do that takes priority over holding a public event. A staffer in Washington, D.C., said she “cannot give [me] the congressman’s schedule for security reas... Full story
Justice has never flourished on the Colville Indian Reservation (CIR) for tribal members, although federal Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) funds are intended for the very purpose of providing law and order for the benefit and protection of Colville Tribal Members (CTM). Before I mention one major Colville Business Council-administered injustice, let me first show you how tribes may find justice from time to time: On page 3 of the Colville Tribal Tribune February 3, 2017, is a partial story of how Canadian company... Full story
“It was a dark and stormy night.” This is considered one the worst beginnings of a suspenseful novel. But we have been living it. Cold weather, lots of snow and now the melt-off. Add very little sunshine and the winter blues hit you where it counts. Multiply in Christmas shopping recovery, political turmoil, tragedy in the area and the yuck bugs going around; we all might lock ourselves in our houses with nothing but Net-flix and Theraflu until the sun shines again. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As the mud rises and the sno... Full story