News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 2655 - 2679 of 3733
Although attended by only a handful of voters, a forum with town council candidates was a pleasure to “moderate” last Wednesday night. The three candidates (of a total of six) were well-spoken and voiced definite ideas on their preferred priorities for the town. Broken sidewalks and neglected trees, the wastewater treatment plant project, bolstering police coverage, and addressing fire protection and ambulance service needs were all addressed, and more. I had prepared a list of questions but didn’t need most of them, as I suspected would be th... Full story
Recently, The Star held a Coulee Dam forum. Three of the six candidates actually participated. We had hoped to have “actually” seen and heard and exchanged between the good, bad, and the disagreeable...with all six. It was a fair and open discussion for the three candidates. Some of the other candidates chose to present their separate issues via a letter to The Star (October 21, 2015) and I suspect that it was a pretense as a substitute for “balance?” During a campaign, the people want to know more than just silence and/or a litany of honey a... Full story
This summer, agrochemical, biotechnology, and seed giant Monsanto dropped their bid to acquire their Switzerland-based competitor Syngenta. Initial merger serenades were sternly rebuffed by Syngenta, and Monsanto’s interest turned into a $46.5 billion hostile takeover. Monsanto had no fear of backlash from U.S. antitrust officials. And there’s the rub, the reason a failed merger is still worthy of note and cause for concern. What level of seed industry consolidation would have to be achieved to trigger interest, let alone action, at the Dep... Full story
Sometimes it is hard to predict what is going to happen in a sporting event. That was the case in the last two senior nights at Lake Roosevelt High School. Volleyball and Football had their celebrations of graduating seniors, who in turn were playing in their last games at home for their respective sports. The volleyball match was Thursday and to say it was an easy night would be an understatement. Five senior ladies stepped onto the hard wood for the last time in their Raider uniforms. They got off to a great start, and balls were being hit... Full story
Maybe there is finally something Democrats and Republicans can agree on — fixing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. From the day it was signed into law in 2010, Republicans have tried unsuccessfully to repeal Obamacare, saying it is unworkable and unaffordable. Until this year, Democrats have held the line for the President. But not now. After the President leaves office, change will come. The first is repeal of the so-called Cadillac Tax, the 40 percent excise tax on generous health care plans, which is scheduled to b... Full story
Recently, I had the privilege of spending time with three of the candidates running for the Coulee Dam Town Council. Although I spoke with each individually, I was very surprised to hear how similar their actions and views were. I told them I would be writing to The Star to share what I had heard, and if any mistakes have been made, the responsibility is mine. Ben Alling was the first to talk with me, followed by Bonnie Femling, with Keith St. Jeor last. Here is a summary of our discussions: All three are long-time residents of Coulee Dam. Ben... Full story
On behalf of the Grand Coulee Dam and Nespelem School Districts, we would like to thank everyone who helped make the 2015 Cultural Awareness Gathering a success. We were blessed to have perfect weather that day. We would like to thank the following people and groups: Coulee Dam Credit Union, Zion Lutheran Church, Faith Community Church, Nazarene Church, Grand Coulee Fire Dept., Coulee Dam Fire Dept., Colville Tribe Public Works Dept., Colville Tribes Employment and Education, CCT K-12 Program, CCT Diabetes Program, CCT Donations Committee, CCT... Full story
The closing of the Fusion Café comes as an unfortunate loss to the community and to myself as well. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the customers I have had the privilege and honor of serving in my job as waitress these past seven years. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. I appreciate all of you for being part my life and would like you to know you will be missed. Thank you for touching my life. With heartfelt thanks, Wiyaka Steinke... Full story
I remember my first day of high school football practice. What I remember more is the next day barely being able to get out of bed. Every muscle, joint and bone seemed to scream with an extreme aching that had never been felt before by this young teen. Fast forward to this past weekend. It was the opening day of hunting season, and as I write this, those same muscles are singing the same tune they sang many years ago. Of course, on many occasions over the years between our youth and our current status we have all put in many a hard day’s w... Full story
South end of government camp. – 1934... Full story
When small talk between two guys outside a sports event can be interpreted as a terrorist threat, you know we’re not living in our fathers’ time. No, we live in an age that seems to be increasingly dominated by both fear and the unwavering conviction that we all have the absolute right to be kept safe from every threat, two conditions that often seem to rub up against each other hard enough to cause sparks. While the perception that we have a constitutional right to be kept safe, even from our own stupidity, has been fertilized by the cou... Full story
Soon there will be two important days coming up. One is fun for kids and adults – Halloween; the other is for adults – Election Day. We have several big problems to address. Among them are the planning and building of a new waste-water treatment plant, streets and sidewalks that need attention; an aging infrastructure; public safety; trees that need attention; our relations with our neighboring communities; and the Colville Confederated Tribes, just to mention a few. Therefore, it seems logical to elect the most capable people we can. In con... Full story
On behalf of “everyone” here at Colville Tribal Convalescent Center, Nespelem, Washington, I would like to extend the most appreciative “THANK YOU” to the Lake Roosevelt High School for taking care of us during the recent fires by allowing our facility to stay at their most beautiful school. All of our staff and residents are overwhelmed by your kindness. We were treated with respect and dignity by everyone at Lake Roosevelt High School. During the recent “Resident Council” meeting, one of the first things on their agenda was to send a “tha... Full story
As the 2015 season comes to an end, the Ridge Riders Inc. would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their incredible support. We appreciate all that you have done to help us in the past to help make us successful again. There was a time a few years ago that we thought Ridge Riders and Colorama Rodeo was going by the wayside. Thanks to our corporate sponsors, city councils, local businesses and community, we have come back stronger and hope to continue to grow in the future. We added several events, including bringing back the... Full story
North Cascades Bank would like to say “thank you” to all the generous individuals who donated to our School Supply Drive and to the businesses who also made generous donations, including the Grand Coulee United Methodist Church, Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union and the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. Donations received during the drive go the Grand Coulee Dam School District. Both the school and the students greatly appreciate the much-needed items to help the school year gear off to a great start. Sjana D. Bird Branch Operations Manager Nor... Full story
I recently heard a question asked to a small group of kids: If you had three wishes, what would they be? The answers varied, but it got me thinking what my answer would be. It is a very difficult task to take on but I think I finally broke it down to three things that would help not only me, but the rest of the world too. Selfish thoughts are what come first; and maybe my three wishes are selfish too, but I tried really hard to pick things that were smart and worthy of only three things. So here we go. Wish number one: that my family would be... Full story
Interior of Left Powerhouse. Here are 9 of the world's largest generators. There are 9 more in the right powerhouse. Each generator is rated at 108,000 kilowatts, but often produces 125,000 kilowatts or more continuously. The total nameplate capacity of the power plant at Grand Coulee Dam is 1,974,000 kw, but the maximum output has been 2,324,000 kw for one hour - a WORLD RECORD. Record annual production (1952) was 13,825,279,000 kilowatt hours - another world record. The powerhouse is 765 feet... Full story
Wade Burnside’s DNA may remain in his apple trees. Burnside was a determined sort who loved deeply and acted on it, not necessarily in ways that were easily understood. But last Friday, standing amidst his legacy high above Delano, a glimmer of his spirit came through. There, on top of a high, rocky hill, stood his flagpole, newly adorned with a fresh American flag, flying higher than any other around, just the way he intended, a symbol of his love for the nation. Nearby, a less obvious symbol struggles for life, and even less obviously, s... Full story
A few months ago, we presented the community a gift of a 40-foot banner to hang in the high school. This banner was presented to honor the veterans of the Grand Coulee area. Next month we will take time to honor all of those who are serving and those who have served. It’s Veterans Day. Along with that banner was a dream to purchase a new scoreboard for the high school football field! I feel like that dream has “fallen by the wayside,” been “put on the back burner’’ or just plain forgotten about. I wanted to work with local veterans groups, fam... Full story
Represent Okanogan County (ROC) first met as a group on June 28, 2015, to discuss the need for effective county leadership and thoughtful, well-informed decisions for the future. ROC does not represent any political party and remains committed to the election of strong leaders who will truly represent the people in November 2016. Our mission is to identify, encourage and elect qualified individuals to run as candidates for Okanogan County commissioner. We seek those who are dedicated to transparent and responsive government. Issues such as the... Full story
That dirty word is in the news again: consolidation. But this time it is being brought up in city halls. First off, I will stand up and give a standing ovation to those members of government who are finally voicing smart ideas in a forum that can actually get something done about it. Evoking the conversation is the first step. Yes, there will be those old dusty voices coming off the shelves again to give their same old opinions. The same voices that spoke against consolidation of the schools... Full story
So many folks speak of the autumn months as one of their favorite times of the year, and I’m one of them. Temperatures are moderating from the heat of summer, and there’s a bit of a chill in the morning air as leaves begin to turn those brilliant colors. We’ll return to this subject shortly. First, let’s take a look at the month of September and see what it brought us weather-wise. As you may have predicted, we were down on precipitation. We measured just 0.17 inches of precipitation here at the home weather station, and most of it came on... Full story
Nothing is more important than our children. They are the future, so providing for them strengthens us all and the society in which they live, in which we all live, inseparable, whether we acknowledge it or not. That’s why the top story this week is about a good program at Nespelem’s school, which has seen a decline in student behavior over several decades. If the PAX program is successful, it could reverse that decline, leading to better lives for all the community’s children, in both the Nespelem and Grand Coulee Dam school districts. Teach... Full story
So, let’s say someone said to you, “You can only take 10 things with you for the rest of your life.” All of the rest of your stuff will be destroyed, and the clothes on your back don’t count against you. What do you take? My mind instantly goes to survival mode, thinking of knives, guns, ammo, filters and so on. But soon I become overwhelmed. I know I will want at least one picture. What about food? Does my wife count as an item and does she get to bring 10 things too? Can I choose 10 friends and select their 10 things? My mind soon becomes... Full story
October is National Farm to School month (#F2SMonth). “Farm to School” refers to schools serving local, farm-fresh foods ranging from fruits and veggies to honey and meat. The more local foods we serve our kids, the better. One-third of U.S. children are obese or overweight, and only 2 percent of children get the recommended serving of fruits and vegetables each day. Farm-to-school programs increase students’ daily fruit and vegetable consumption significantly. Moreover, each dollar invested into Farm to School stimulates an additional $2.16... Full story