The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Sometimes words or phrases said around town can only be associated with our area, and I think it is kind of the uniqueness and charm of our cities. So here are a few things that I have heard.

In response to the question, “What are you doing this weekend?” A local lady responded “Yard sales, yard sales and maybe some Jeopardy.” Yard sales have been a big hit around Coulee Country for as long as I can remember. When I was pretty small, Grandma and Grandpa Utz introduced me to the endeavor of getting up early, scraping up some change and going to find some treasures that someone else did not want anymore. We would always come back with at least one new/used toy. As I got older I realized that it was a social gathering, really. Yes, there are those shoppers that are looking for the good deal or a specific item but mostly I think it is about seeing those fellow Couleeites and having a few words of conversation over a stack of dusty books.

“Have you tried the new restaurant?” That has been heard a lot lately. Speaking about the new Coulee Grill and the New Melody. Great food always seems to follow. We are collecting a good group of eateries in our area, despite economic troubles. It seems we still like to eat in the Coulee.

“When are the streets going to be finished?” That was said a lot over the summer, and it seems to be slowly getting there. Reminds me of a slow motion running scene on the beach somewhere. This has got to be the slowest street fix job of all time. Well, wait a second. Van Tyne in Grand Coulee has that distinction. But if it is never started, then it can’t be finished.

“Where can I go to buy underwear in town, it’s an emergency?” a tourist asked a fellow shopper in the store one day. Now that can be a dreadful emergency; trust me, I know. So just in case someone ever asks you the same question, The Variety Store and the Seniors Center Gift Shop have those emergency britches. There may be a few other places, too, but those are the ones I know for sure.

“That line was four cars long at the gas pumps!” was recently said by a local driver as he waited to fuel up at the new gas station in town. “Well, at least you don’t have to drive out of town anymore to gas up,” was quickly shouted back at him by one other waiting consumer. The emergence of a secondary choice for fuel shoppers has caused a new problems for some, longer lines. If it is not one thing it is another, right?

“There are two kinds of drivers in Coulee … those that have hit a deer and those that have not yet,” was recently spoken to a brand new driver over the weekend. As a matter of fact, I have heard of two people that actually got hit by deer. The deer ran right into the side of them. It happens, deer get road rage too. I heard it was because they never got royalties from the Department of Transportation for those signs with their image. Kinda like Hansen not getting a dish named after him at Siam. Too costly.

OK, Coulee Country, keep your ears open for other interesting things said in the Coulee and for anything else you might see that looks strange or out of place. You might even here a conversation like I did that had this in it: “I wanted to hit that Scott Hunter in the nose.” Well really, haven’t we all said that. I’m just saying.