Through a variety of changes and challenges, local store owners stay true to their customers By Rodger Nichols On May 1, 1940, Jared Sawyer’s great-grandfather, Shirley Sawyer, took over ownership and management of a modest-sized grocery store on Ninth Street in The Dalles. This month, the family-owned store— expanded, relocated, and refocused several times in […]
By Rodger Nichols Laurie Layton has lived in The Dalles since she was 9 years old. “Before that, my dad was in the Air Force, and we lived all over,” she says. “He retired in The Dalles.” Whether that early exposure to different places and people played a part in it, Laurie says she has […]
Behind-the-scenes team keeps Northern Wasco County PUD running By Rodger Nichols While utility lineworkers are often known as the face of Northern Wasco County PUD (NWCPUD), it takes many people in many roles to make the power flow smoothly. Chris Allen An unexpected benefit of the pandemic has been the expansion of the available labor […]
Music aficionado has been bringing tunes to The Dalles since 1989 By Rodger Nichols Record store owner Mark Thomas may not be the biggest Beatles fan in the world, but he could be in the top 10. The first record he owned was “Meet the Beatles,” gifted to him on his 10th birthday, just three […]
A trip to Richland can take doughnut lovers back in time Story and photos by Rodger Nichols Before Colonel Sanders discovered his 11 herbs and spices or McDonalds raised its first golden arch, Spudnuts were food franchise superstars. In the post-World War II era, former soldiers were eager to open their own stores selling doughnuts […]
By Rodger Nichols The Columbia River and its tributaries— including the Snake River—impact nearly every resident of the Northwest in some way, providing hydroelectric power, recreation, navigation, water supply, flood risk management, and more. To meet the many river uses requires managing a complex operation that includes storing and releasing water at just the right […]
Northern Wasco County PUD’s customer service and key accounts manager emphasizes everyone’s value By Rodger Nichols Although Justin Brock was born on the Oregon Coast, he is a mid-Columbia success story. Justin graduated from Goldendale High School in 1996 and has lived in the Gorge most of his life. After high school, he attended Clark […]
More Americans are working from home, and more time spent at home means more energy used throughout the day. If you are punching the clock from home, here are 5 steps you can take to reduce your energy use and save on electric bills: Use a Smart Power Strip Plugging your most-used devices—such as computers, […]
Freebridge ended a century-long brewery drought in The Dalles Story and photos by Rodger Nichols Some states enacted their own prohibitions prior to the 18th Amendment. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho went dry January 1, 1916. August Buchler, who operated Columbia Brewery at the base of Brewery Grade in The Dalles, was quoted at the time […]
Safety is a priority at Northern Wasco County PUD
