News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Opinion


Sorted by date  Results 658 - 682 of 3557

Page Up

  • Launching of a new look

    Roger Lucas|Nov 23, 2022

    While I was at the Citizen Newspaper in Bothell we were purchased by the Persis Corporation. They owned a number of newspapers and we were placed under the daily paper they owned in Bellevue. It was 1987. It created a lot of problems and opportunities. Instead of printing on our own small press, we started printing our paper in Bellevue. That’s where the opportunities came in. One of the Persis executives, Phil Gialanella, who was headquartered in Hawaii, would come over about once a month and hold a big show and tell time. He was instrumental...

  • We have so much to give thanks for

    Congressman Dan Newhouse|Nov 23, 2022

    In Central Washington, we have so much to be thankful for. This Thanksgiving, as we come together with our friends and family, don’t forget to take a moment to give thanks to our hard-working farmers, processors, and food bank workers throughout Central Washington who work to provide the food on our plates. From the turkey to the stuffing, our farmers probably played a part in your Thanksgiving dinners. Many of the potatoes, onions, winegrapes and other Thanksgiving favorites you consume were grown right here in Central Washington, making up a...

  • Forty Years Ago

    Nov 23, 2022

    The 1982 Raider Volleyball Team had a terrific season this year. Front row - from left: Kim Vordahl, Janae Parker, Dawn Zimmerman, Nancy Kuiper,Deanna Hamilton, Shelley Brashears, Brenda Boyd; back - Coach L.C. Curtis, Billie Shelby, Rose Somday, Lisa Loe, Jinger Higginbotham., Not pictured Rhonda Erickson Assistant Coach, LeaAnnSnyder and Kendra McDermott....

  • Concerned about big retail interest here

    Janis Heuvel|Nov 16, 2022

    I read the recent Star news article appearing in the October 26th issue of the Star. It was reported, at the October 18th Grand Coulee City Council meeting, during the public comment period an attendee, Darryl Hackworth, spoke. Mr. Hackworth said he had been working with “Dollar General” regarding setting up a retail shop in Grand Coulee on property located on Federal Way, behind where it intersects with Midway Ave. As an area resident, I personally feel the possibility of a Dollar General locating in Grand Coulee would be deleterious to our...

  • Huge gas tax increase will be a New Year present

    Jim Catlow|Nov 16, 2022

    Nothing says Merry Christmas and Happy New Year like a 46-cent additional gas tax, coming January 2023, as part of the Climate Commitment Act, from the people who look out for our welfare and wellbeing. We already pay 49 cents per gallon, so what’s another 46 cents per gallon? It will be a total of 95 cents per gallon just for the Washington State tax, along with the Federal tax for a total of $1.14 per gallon just in taxes. This will be the highest gas tax in the Nation, we can’t let California be number one. I hope this makes Gov Inslee and...

  • Credit where its due

    Norm Luther|Nov 16, 2022
    1

    Give President Joe Biden some credit for mid-term election Democratic successes when most everyone, including the media, predicted otherwise. Instead of focusing on himself, he quietly avoided states where he’s unpopular and helped Democrats win Pennsylvania where he grew up and is still popular. He presented us with our country’s greatest challenge: to save our democracy from autocratic ambitions of the MAGA faction that dominates the Republican party. He inherited a mess and time spent cleaning it up detracted from time for positive acc...

  • From the margins

    Roger Lucas|Nov 16, 2022

    A recent column on my motorcycle days put me in touch with one of the sons of my old friend Joe Emerson. Someone had sent him a copy of my comments about his dad and of our friendship while we were both living in Palouse. He said that his dad was in the Air Force, not the army, and that Joe was not a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes. I had misunderstood when Joe told me of his family’s property along the Columbia River when the dam backed up the water submerging the family home. Joe had said that his family was given land higher up f...

  • Central Washington has (already) spoken: grizzly bears are a threat

    Congressman Dan Newhouse|Nov 16, 2022

    For decades, Central Washingtonians have had to fight to make our voices heard over the noise of outside interest groups and government bureaucrats who think they know what is best for our communities. Unfortunately, last week’s decision by the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reopen discussions on introducing grizzly bears, an apex predator, into the North Cascades Ecosystem proves that, once again, our voices are being ignored. The debate over grizzly bear introduction in Washington state is nothing new. In 1995, W...

  • 83 years ago

    Nov 16, 2022

    Welding in progresson the installation of an 18-foot diameter steel penstock liner section. The scaffold is used by the welders to makethe circumferential seam joining this section with the one previously installed. - Dec. 1939...

  • Laughs to ease your election pain

    Tom Purcell|Nov 9, 2022

    This week half the country will be upset by the midterm election results and half will be elated. Regardless, politics is causing every one of us more stress than it ought to, but, believe it or not, there is, hopefully, still some humor that we can all enjoy. Since Congress has a lower approval rating than polio, here are some fun lines to share: It’s so cold today, the congresswoman had her hands in her own pockets. The opposite of “pro” is “con,” so the opposite of progress is: Congress. Q: What did the corrupt congressman order for lunch...

  • Honoring fallen heroes goes beyond lowering flags to half-mast

    Don Brunel|Nov 9, 2022

    Lowering our flags to half-staff is a solemn act that recognizes our fallen heroes, whether they be men and women in our armed forces or police officers killed in the line of duty. It is a vivid reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by those who serve us. Unfortunately, after those flags return to the top of the pole and time passes, we tend to forget that the suffering for the friends and families continues. The loneliness, financial stress, and emotional strain lives on. That is when those husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and parents need...

  • Provided help along the way

    Roger Lucas|Nov 9, 2022

    Lloyd Meeds represented Washington’s 2nd District in Congress for a number of years and was a frequent visitor to our newspaper in Bothell. He spent a lot of time in the district and would come by the paper for interviews and to report on what he was doing back in Washington. Quite often, his wife, Mary, would accompany him. I told the two, on one occasion, of my plan to travel to the far east, and they quickly suggested that I include Taiwan as one of the countries to visit. Mary Meeds was Chinese and a personal friend of Madame Chiang K...

  • Caring for our veterans

    Congressman Dan Newhouse|Nov 9, 2022

    Central Washington is lucky to be home to over 33,000 veterans. As our nation observes this upcoming Veterans Day, we reaffirm a solemn promise to remember and honor the men and women of the United States Armed Forces — past and present. Although Veterans Day was established to remember and revere the sacrifices of so many, our veterans deserve to know their country is looking after them and their families each and every day. I have spent much of my time in Congress meeting with veterans across Central Washington and learning about the i...

  • Raider Pride

    John Adkins|Nov 2, 2022

    I didn’t believe my wife when she told me there were 80 students at the elementary Raider cheer clinic last week. So, I went to the game and once again she was correct – darn it! It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Totally awesome! A fan by me said the mini cheerleaders were adorable. Great job Coach A. and Coach Tufts. My wife said she could not have done it without her wonderful assistant coach and hardworking high school cheerleaders. Appreciated the simple fun, enthusiasm and tremendous energy so much! John M. Adkin...

  • In response to the Coulee Cops report dated 10/26/2022

    Jarret Chavez|Nov 2, 2022

    “Police spoke to a man at Safeway who was reported as acting strangely and not speaking. The man did speak to police, saying he wanted a drink. Police told him he wasn’t welcome at the store, and then found that he was wanted on a felony warrant out of Okanogan County for assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, theft, and another assault charge. Officials in Okanogan were unable to speak to the officer, who was told to call back in 30 minutes. The officer found this to be an unreasonable amount of time to detain the man outside of Safeway, so...

  • Contemplating what nuclear winter would mean

    Bob Valen|Nov 2, 2022

    Join me on a deep dive into the limited use of Tactical Nuclear Weapons. You ask, why this subject, it’s just unthinkable! Unthinkable yes, though it is plausible. The questions I wanted answered are: What effects these weapons may have on both short-term weather and long-term climate. Tactical nuclear weapons are generally characterized by “their size, their range, or their use for limited military targets.” For nine months, a war has been ongoing in Eastern Europe. Lately, the leader of the a...

  • Veterans looking for next career may find opportunities in rural communities 

    Don Brunel|Nov 2, 2022

    Transitioning from military to civilian life can be challenging for veterans. As they contemplate what’s next on their career path, the answer may lie in a rural community. Returning veterans are a perfect fit for the next generation of rural small business owners, farmers or ranchers. Some, however, face challenges, including difficulty accessing capital and acquiring training. But with the help of programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), veterans can access the financial and educational resources they need to get a...

  • Recycling lithium batteries must accelerate

    Don Brunel|Nov 2, 2022

    Demand for Electric Vehicles (EV) is soaring---accelerated by climate change concerns. EVs reduce tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and buses which are responsible for 30 percent of our greenhouse gas pollutants. The switch to EVs is worldwide and growing. The Simply Insurance website projects that by 2040, 58 percent of global vehicle sales will be electric. In 2021, China’s EV sales jumped to 3.3 million. Chinese government officials told automakers that electric vehicles (EVs) will make up 40 percent of all sales (39.78 million) by 2...

  • The good old days

    Roger Lucas|Nov 2, 2022

    Remember when our elected officials represented their constituents? That was before they found it better to represent themselves. Senators Warren Magnuson and Henry Jackson come to mind. Let me explain. When living in Bothell, I bought my youngest daughter a horse and kept it at a pasture nearby that was owned by a crusty old cowboy named Homer. I would go down and stand at the fence and watch the horse and chat with Homer. On one occasion, I met a local attorney who also had become friends with Homer, another cowboy of sorts. He told me that...

  • If levy doesn't pass, we give up extra state dollars too

    Bonita Radtke|Nov 2, 2022

    My ballot for the November 8 election came Friday and is now completed, waiting to be dropped back into the mail. We're fortunate it's so easy here to contribute to the success of our community by voting. This election's school levy request is especially important to keep providing for our local kids' education needs. If the pared-down levy (half the levy we've been paying) passes, GCD School District will receive substantial matching dollars from the state to support athletics, Drivers Education, Special Education, technology classes, and...

  • Hawley 4 Sheriff - Rodriguez 4 Coroner

    Laura Wright|Nov 2, 2022

    I have worked in some form of law enforcement in Okanogan County for 31 years having started in Winthrop. The last 3 years have been a rollercoaster ride with COVID and the negative changes in the laws that were passed in WA State. Sheriff Hawley has made his way through unprecedented times and has succeeded, with more hard work to come. His education and experience have all been in the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office and living in Okanogan County which makes him the best choice. He has gone from Corrections Officer to Deputy then Sergeant a...

  • What the district is getting right and why you should support it

    Lisa Carlson|Oct 26, 2022

    The upcoming levy is VERY important to our students, staff and community. To reiterate what you’ve already been reading/hearing, you are currently paying just over $4 per thousand and with a “yes” vote it will DROP almost half to just over $2 per thousand. And what’s important to know is IF the levy were to fail, we will NOT receive matching funds from the state so it’s a “double whammy” to the district. When I was a sophomore here at LR, yes long ago, the levy failed. It’s been long enough now that people don’t remember the detrimental effec...

  • Kriete inspires wholehearted trust

    Dustin Canfield|Oct 26, 2022

    I have had the pleasure of knowing Joey Kriete for 30-plus years and was honored to have worked alongside him in Law Enforcement for nearly half that time. Not only is Joey a true and loyal friend, but a phenomenal mentor and partner with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He is someone I wholeheartedly trust at the helm of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and is a proven leader who will continue to do great things for our county. Coming up through the ranks, Joey was one of my biggest fans. He continually provided great advice and d...

  • We could us a little optimism; here's some

    Jack Stevenson|Oct 26, 2022

    A century ago, people in the Western world were excited about the future. The automobile was coming online, and the Wright brothers put an internal combustion engine on their flying machine and were performing demonstrations flights for crowds of enthusiastic people in France, Germany, and the United States. The demonstration flights drew crowds of 200,000 thrilled spectators. The automobile offered the freedom of easy mobility, and the airplane’s defiance of gravity sent people’s imagination to soaring heights. Flying was deemed to be so com...

  • Heavy Harleys and my biker gang days

    Roger Lucas|Oct 26, 2022

    I had a few years as a motorcycle nut, riding a BSA. The BSA was built by the Birmingham Small Arms Company, which stopped building motorcycles and built war materials instead during World War II. I and my friend, Joe Emerson, a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, bought our bikes the same day. Joe had moved to Palouse when his mother, Bertha, took a job with the Northern Pacific Railroad as a telegrapher. They had moved into a house just a few blocks away and the two of us were constant companions. Joe had an older brother, Guy, who...

Page Down