News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 2380 - 2404 of 3733
Judicial elections are non-partisan, but judicial candidates’ political leanings are important. Judges makes judgment calls. Judgment calls reflect jurists’ worldviews, which correlate to their political leanings. And examining who supports a particular judicial candidate helps us determine whether the candidate’s judgment aligns with ours. In our Superior Court race, the contrast is stark that Nick Wallace’s political leanings and judgment are consistent with Grant County voters. David Estudillo was appointed by our far-left leaning Democra... Full story
We are called parents of murdered children and labeled co-victims by the judicial system. Victims and co-victims have been given “Victims Rights” and are now included in the justice that is sought. It is imperative that we elect a JUDGE who can afford us the “Victim Rights” and the fair justice we seek. We insist on a judge who has proven experience, core values and is totally dedicated to the robe of justice, hence our support for Judge David Estudillo. Since his appointment Judge Estudillo has proven his ongoing experience in criminal cases,... Full story
Tenets of the U.S. Constitution basic to our democracy lie forgotten on the dusty back shelf of our Okanogan County Commissioners’ office! Democracy is a government wherein decisions are made not only by elected representatives, but also by the people. Our commissioners have violated this basic philosophy too often, by: (A.) Ignoring citizen input regarding water issues, year after year. (B) Turning people who had a right to testify against the vacation of Three Devils Road away from a public hearing. (C) Astonishing unawareness of important c... Full story
True to form, members of the group claiming to Represent Okanogan County (ROC) are taking a little bit of fact and putting their own spin on it in an attempt to suppress open dialogue among the citizens of Okanogan County when that dialogue pertains to them or their county commissioner candidates. Members most recently took offense regarding a letter I wrote questioning the tactics used at public “forums” of which they were an active part of. Quoting only a portion of what I said and adding that I wrote they had “sponsored” the forums, they pr... Full story
Incumbent County Commissioner Sheilah Kennedy’s campaign slogan is “accountability.” But, has she really been accountable and listened to the citizens’ concerns these past three-plus years? She and the other commissioners were not accountable to the hundreds of citizens who protested against the Three Devils Road closure. She ignored their comments and voted to close the road to people living near the road, for tourism and ATV use. She has not been accountable to the taxpayers nor the county’s finances when the commissioners decided to litiga... Full story
I have worked in the Okanogan Co. Treasurer’s office for 34 years, 17 years as the Chief Deputy Treasurer and the last 10 years as your Okanogan Co. Treasurer. As Treasurer, I am the chairperson of the Finance Committee along with the Okanogan Co. Auditor, Financial Mgr., and the three County Commissioners. We have monthly meetings to watch very closely the budgets and cash on hand of each Current Expense Dept. (27 depts) and all of the Public Works Funds (10 funds). Between Current Expense and the Public Works Co. Road Dept., the total b... Full story
There is another fire storm happening in Okanogan County. No…thank goodness it is not another catastrophic forest and rangeland fire. It is a storm however just as dangerous to our way of life. The Firestorms of 2014 and 2015 are the direct result of the environmental groups dictating policy and management of our public lands for the last 27 years. This has proven to be disastrous to our people, destroyed private and public lands, burnt over a million acres of our natural resources and threatens the very survival of Okanogan County. These s... Full story
We are finally moving forward in Okanogan County government, and many people are sensing the positive change that is coming. I am supporting Ashley Thrasher for county commissioner because she is smart, has the work ethic of a Hot Shot Firefighter, and will carefully listen to what people need before she makes difficult decisions. Chris Branch has more than 20 years planning experience here in all corners of the county and will compliment Ashley as they take a step into the future and tackle some important improvements. I see this ballot as... Full story
As most of us are trying to decide our political view on things, there are others out there who are struggling with much more serious issues. No, not clowns, and, no, not Cougars or Huskies, but a struggle that hits a little closer to home. The fight is personal, just to get through the day. We are all under attack and we must take up our arms and fight back. The enemy is not the person who sneaks into our yards and steals some material thing. Our enemy is the evil spirit behind it. I have friends that are struggling financially, emotionally... Full story
A concrete train and operator on the deck of the elevation 1180 construction trestle – Oct. 6, 1939... Full story
Since becoming a 12th District legislator 20 years ago I have avoided endorsing political candidates from my district. The reason is simple: I would be working with the person the voters chose, and by remaining neutral I ensured there would be no hard feelings resulting from the election. Now that I am leaving the Legislature, however, I am free to endorse the candidate whom I believe is best suited to serve as our district’s next state senator. That candidate is Jon Wyss. I met Jon more than a decade ago when he briefly served in place of a f... Full story
Relating to Coulee Dam police chiefs and officers, prior to the current administration, the “process” was relaxed and lacking under the civil service procedures. And, yes, it might be more expedient. However, Washington state law (RCW chapters 35 and 41) and case-determinations govern and/or limit certain authority under the Civil Service processes … and for good reason! As well, I value a civil service board and/or a procedure under policy. This board prohibits a mayor, council member(s), or a committee to just hire a brother or sister, a spo... Full story
Times change, and they always will. I can remember when county commissioners only met on Mondays to take care of all the business that had to be done. Now, because of so many laws and regulations, a county commissioner has a full-time job. A lot of decisions have to be made, and the public isn’t always aware of all the reasons. There are just too many for us to be able to keep up. Sheilah Kennedy has the ability to assess problems and make the right decisions better than anyone I know. Things have changed in Okanogan County but it is still a s... Full story
Regardless of political leanings, people want their taxes to be spent wisely and efficiently. Having observed our current Board of County Commissioners during their regularly scheduled meetings, I am convinced that efficient use of our tax dollars is not a top priority. Here is an example: on March 21st, a county Public Works employee brought the commissioners a report comparing the costs of outsourcing vs. in-house equipment repairs. The time period addressed was between Sept. 17, 2015, and Feb. 26, 2016. In that time, the additional amount... Full story
Public safety is one of the core needs and single most important services that county government is obligated to deliver. When citizens dial 9-1-1 they have an expectation that a sheriff’s deputy is coming to their reported emergency and is coming now. It is my experience that most tax-paying citizens seldom use the services of their local public safety officers, but when they do it’s an immediate need. As your Lincoln County Sheriff, I am reaching out to you with something to consider while reviewing the November ballot. The Board of Cou... Full story
I had a busy weekend, just like a bunch of you did, so here is a synopsis of big things that happened over the weekend. Football was huge this weekend. LR Raiders 5-0 and an epic comeback and win in overtime in Oroville. Huskies win, Cougars win, Seahawks win. OK, back to the Raiders. Something special is happening in Raider Country. Football is undefeated in its first five games for the first time since Brad Oliver and Levi Seekins put on the colors for LR. Ironically, both have their fingers in the success of this team too, but APX, the... Full story
Not sure where to start. We have gone from a nice town with services to nothing in a few short years. We are being told to call 911 after 5 p.m. and on weekends. We have over 18 single ladies in this town, over half over 70. We have only six or seven single men and over 11 empty houses. Some for sale, others just there. Our drug problem has doubled and we have no police to take care of us. I felt very safe in my home when we moved here, but not any more. Plus, if we try to sell our place, no one wants to move to a town with no services. It’s b... Full story
The three of us have over 75 years of experience practicing law in Grant County. All of us have been both prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys at some point in our careers. We have practiced in front of numerous judges in Grant County. Based upon these experiences, all three of us can without any question say that Judge David Estudillo is a great addition to the Grant County Superior Court. He commands respect, by giving respect. He understands the law. His decisions are fair and well thought out. He has no problem making tough... Full story
After hearing and reading a lot of misinformation about the race between Judge David Estudillo and his challenger, Nick Wallace, I feel compelled to set the record straight regarding two issues: campaign financing and judicial experience. According to Wallace, Judge Estudillo’s campaign funds come largely from western Washington. This is absolutely false. According to Public Disclosure Commission records, 41 percent of Judge Estudillo’s campaign funds come from donors residing in eastern Washington. Another 35 percent comes from Judge Est... Full story
Eyebrows rose when a young woman not born in Okanogan County rallied more votes than the incumbent, moving on to the Nov. 8 general election for District 2 Okanogan County Commissioner. But the excellence Ashley Thrasher has shown in managing her campaign should come as no surprise. As a voter in District 3, I will now able to cast my vote for her and would like to share my reasons: As a wildland firefighter for seven years, Ashley internalized Hot Shot training in the five principles of High Reliability Organizations, later practicing this... Full story
I think what people may not know regarding the road closures in the South Okanogan County, from 2001 until the recent Three Devils Road in 2015, is that there are thousands of acres of public land that the public no longer has access to. The only access is for the large landowners — Gebbers/Gamble corporations and DNR & Forest Service agencies (who have keys to the gates). This vacation of roads in favor of the Gebbers/Gamble corporations has been occurring for years. We are currently in appeals court to determine whether our current county c... Full story
This weekend the class of 1986 from the great halls of Lake Roosevelt will celebrate 30 years out in the real world. Classmates will come back to the streets of Electric City, Elmer City, Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam, their old stomping grounds, to reunite with friends and reminisce. But this celebration does not come without some pain, considering the recent loss of their classmate who held maybe more Raider Spirit than the rest of the class. Danny “Squeaker” Williams, the former president of the “BRA” group (Boys Rooting Association) back in... Full story
A section of rubble masonry retaining wall is completed for the pumping plant parking area and for the highway grade change in this area. - Sept. 6, 1939.... Full story
I read and agreed with Larry Price’s letter in The Star 9/14/2016 issue, “Concerning the current drug and crime issues in the Coulee Dam area.” I see it 24/7 in my area, day and night. I can get up in the middle of the night seeing groups and/or loners with back packs, and they all go to one place in particular, but there is another that is growing in popularity too. GCHA (Grant County Housing Authority) finally stepped up and evicted/removed some of the problems in their housing. It took much corresponding, but it finally worked. I got discour... Full story
The towns of Coulee Dam and Elmer City entered an agreement in 1975 defining a set of terms and procedures to treat sewage wastes. After 40 years of arguments and misunderstandings, clearly both agencies are in an impasse. We are not a litigious agency — except but for good reason and purpose. I suppose that Elmer City feels much the same. As it is, Coulee Dam is not looking for a blame, but rather for a resolution. Through this, “we” hope that some clarity and understanding will vacate the angst and ambiguity. Our mayor, attorney, and town... Full story