News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Fall is a colorful time to hike Steamboat Rock, nearly as iconic an image to the area as the Grand Coulee Dam. Not only does the state park of the same name offer camping and beaches, but you can also climb to the top of this majestic basalt landmark that stands 800 feet above beautiful Banks Lake, which almost completely surrounds it. In Steamboat Rock State Park, which requires a Discover Pass to park, the trailhead starts in two separate places, both fairly close to each other, across the roa...
Having served on the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors since 2009, Ken “Butch” Stanger would like to serve one last term to see certain things get accomplished. Stanger, who lives in Belvedere, between Elmer City and Nespelem, graduated from Coulee Dam High School in 1961 after attending both Nespelem and Grand Coulee schools before that. Having grandkids, nieces, nephews, and lots of other relatives in the district, Stanger told The Star over the phone that “we all need to pay special attention to general education as it re...
Buffy Nicholson has a vested interest in being a Grand Coulee Dam School District director, having two daughters in the district, a son who will be, and other family members, as well. Nicholson is running for the School Director #2 position against incumbent Butch Stanger in the Nov. 2 election. The Elmer City woman has an eighth-grade daughter who attends Lake Roosevelt, Cora; a fifth grade daughter, Claire; and a son who will attend when school age as well, she told The Star in an email. She also has a large and extended family with many...
Unfortunately, what happens in Taiwan doesn’t just stay in Taiwan, it impacts us. So, when President Xi Jinping announced China’s plan to step up “unification” efforts, it gets our attention. “U.S. ties with Taiwan, a Cold War ally, are a lightning rod in the testy relations between Washington and Beijing, which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province and vows to use military force if needed to annex the island,” the Wall Street Journal reported recently. Xi’s words are not idle threats. “Over the p...
The true spirit of hard work and helping others is demonstrated on a daily basis in rural communities. However, those attributes weren’t developed overnight, and need to be nurtured for a strong sense of community to continue. Individual actions for the greater good can start with each of us. From volunteering for a local organization or event, and working with local leaders on an issue, to running for public office, rural residents can make an impact in many ways. It can be as simple, yet meaningful, as welcoming new residents, attending s...
Current Councilmember Donald Redfield, who brings with him experience in law enforcement and on various clubs and committees, wants to keep his seat on the Electric City council. After being appointed to a vacant seat in June, Donald Redfield wants to stay in Council Position #1, which is up for election in November. Redfield first lived in Electric City in 2002, then after some time in Grand Coulee, moved back to Electric City in 2013. His wife Lynette Redfield owns Changes Salon in Electric...
Birdie Hensley would like to be back on the Electric City council after just a couple of years being off it. Hensley has served six years total on the council, most recently finishing a four-year term in 2019, which she lost to Bob Rupe in that year's election. Having lived in Electric City for 22 years, Hensley said in an email to The Star that she believes, "If you do not take an active part in city council you do not have any idea what is going on in the community." She said she would like to...
Being that she is unopposed in the election for Grand Coulee Dam School District's Director #1 position, it looks like Shannon Claire Nicholson of Coulee Dam will fill the seat. Carla Marconi, who currently holds it, did not file for reelection. "As a school board member," Nicholson wrote in a candidate statement, "I intend to serve as an open and honest channel of communication between the school district and the community, ensuring that the decisions of the board reflect the diversity of our...
Crows might be afraid to fly through the Coulee - with a scarecrow contest coming to decorate local towns. The 2021 Scarecrow Trail is being held by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce and will place scarecrows made by locals at local businesses for people to see and choose their favorite. Those wanting to build a scarecrow have just until Oct. 11 to register with the chamber, and the scarecrows will be displayed from Oct. 16 until Nov. 7 at businesses in Electric City, Grand Coulee, a...
Together we have experienced another astronomical event, we are now in autumn. Temperatures are falling and many of us are breathing a slight sigh of relief. Wildfire smoke has dissipated, yet we are still in drought. Nationally, our region is in the sixth percentile of Exceptional Drought, also known as “D4.” Areas to our south are still burning. The largest wildfire still active, the Dixie Fire in Northern California, is well over 900,000 acres. Here in Washington state, the Schneider Spr...
The Lady Raiders lost two volleyball games and won one this past week, giving them a 4-3 win-loss record. On Sept. 28, the Lady Raiders lost a home game against Manson in three sets, 25-15, 28-26, and 25-19. "Our girls played really hard, but we got behind and just couldn't quite ever catch up," Head Coach Meagan Caudell said. Lake Roosevelt lost another home game Sept. 30 against Okanogan in three sets, 25-23, 25-14, and 25-12. "Manson and Okanogan were definitely both learning experiences for...
The Lady Raiders lost a Sept. 28 home game to Okanogan with a final score of 9-1. "The game against Okanogan was a tough loss," Assistant Coach Merlee Liberty said, "but it was great to have the opportunity to compete against such a strong team. Every game, win or lose, is a great experience for these girls to have and to learn from." The Lady Raiders won 2-0 on the road against Bridgeport. "The game against Bridgeport was a great one!" Liberty said. "We were able to bring home a win. Hopefully we can carry that same energy into our next game a...
The Lake Roosevelt Raiders cross country team ran in Tonasket Sept. 30. "Tonasket was a little wetter than I'm used to," Head Coach Matthew Timentwa said. "It rained buckets for about ten minutes right after we arrived, but it calmed down before the kids actually had to run." "The course is still as tough as ever with all the hills that are involved in the course," he continued, "but every team has to run the same course." Colton Jackson was the fastest Raider there, finishing third out of 31 boys' varsity runners with a time of 20 minutes,...
Housing developments in Elmer City and Keller are being built in the hopes of attracting health care professionals to the areas. On June 8, the Colville Business Council "voted to move forward with a commercial general contractor for the construction of two professional housing developments," Chairman Andrew Joseph Jr. said in an email. "Both sites will be completely developed, however we will only build seven houses on each site at this time," Joseph explained. Out of the seven houses on each...
Grand Coulee will be spending federal money towards a new waterline, a new ambulance, and more. The Grand Coulee City Council on Sept. 21 approved how they would spend about $292,500 in American Rescue Plan Act funds received from the federal government. The city has already received half of the funds, and will receive the other half in May of 2022. Included in the agenda packet for the meeting was an outline of how the money could be spent, which the council approved without much discussion. Trees at the wastewater treatment facility have...
Lake Roosevelt students have been spending Fridays focusing on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) projects. Junior/Senior High Principal Sara Kennedy shared several photos of students working on STEAM projects in her report to the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors on Monday. "Teachers have been doing lots of fun, creative lessons," she wrote in her report. "Students and teachers seem to be enjoying STEAM Fridays," she told The Star on Tuesday. "It...
The Lady Raiders soccer team suffered a pair of losses this past week. In Omak on Sept. 21, LR lost 9-1. In Grand Coulee on Sept. 23, the Lady Raiders lost 4-1 against Brewster. "I am very proud of these girls with every game," Assistant Coach Merlee Liberty said. "Even though we've lost more than won, these girls play their hearts out every game. It's been amazing to watch them take what they learn at practice and apply it in a game. Many of them haven't played before, so to see how quickly...
The Lake Roosevelt Raiders football team lost 28-8 to the Davenport Sept. 23, unable to stop the Gorillas' running game. Davenport put the first points on the board with a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion to go up 8-0. In the second quarter, Raider Gabe Waters recovered a Gorilla fumble but the Raiders were unable to cash in. Later in the second quarter, with under a minute left in the half after Davenport punted to LR, Raider quarterback Brit Egbert threw a long pass to Chase...
The Lake Roosevelt Raiders cross country team ran at the Okanogan Valley Golf Club Sept. 21, “always a pleasant area to run,” according to Head Coach Matthew Timentwa. “The course itself is pretty flat and grassy so it is easy on the legs,” he said. “I thought all of our runners ran really well.” Timentwa said sophomore runner Brandon Pino stood out in the race. Pino placed 45th out of 68 total runners with a time of 21 minutes, 55 seconds. Timentwa also highlighted eighth-grade runner Tor Chaffee as a standout for the middle school prog...
The Lady Raiders volleyball squad had a busy week this past week with a win, a loss, and some tournament play. Lake Roosevelt defeated Oroville 3-0 at home in Coulee Dam Sept. 21, then lost to Liberty Bell 3-1 in a road game two days later. The Lady Raiders participated in the Quincy Invitational tournament Sept. 25, where they competed with Tonasket, Royal, and Ephrata. Results were unavailable for the matches at the tournament. LR was scheduled to host Manson yesterday, results of which will be reported next week. A home game is scheduled...
Elmer City has been awarded a grant to study a critical piece of its wastewater infrastructure, which, if it needs replacing, could tip the decision on building its own treatment plant and splitting from Coulee Dam’s service. Elmer City received a $30,000 Community Development Block Grant from the state Department of Commerce for an assessment and feasibility study of their “force main,” a pipe that carries sewage from Elmer City to the wastewater treatment plant in Coulee Dam, to see if it needs to be replaced. Town Public Works Direc...
Games could be forfeited at high school sports events if fans don’t comply with mask requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Raider fans need to wear masks and wear them correctly at Raider indoor events, the school district superintendent says. A Sept. 15 notice from Superintendent Paul Turner addressed to “Raider Boosters” seeks to get everyone “on the same page” and asks them to adhere to the masks mandate. “During these unprecedented times, there are many inconveniences that we need to adhere to in order to keep school staff and student...
If you have contacted my office in recent years, you know that I pride myself in delivering personal responses to you. My office staff and I work very hard to make sure you receive prompt and detailed information related to your questions and concerns. Despite the high volume of communications my office receives, I still try to respond personally to each. Unfortunately, I was unable to respond personally to thousands of inquiries last month following Governor Inslee’s statewide mask and COVID vaccine mandates. In an effort to provide you w...
The Lady Raider volleyball squad defeated Tonasket 3-0 Sept. 16. “The girls did an amazing job,” Head Coach Meagan Caudell said. “Our focus going into this match was to take each set one at a time. All three sets were really close, so our girls worked really hard to get the W in those first three. All of our girls at one time or another knew that they needed to dig deep and play smart. They were really focused in on making sure that we could place the ball, but also read where the ball could go on our side. I was really proud of them for how t...
Local voters will decide whether to support at least one school levy in the spring of 2022 that would take effect in 2023. The Grand Coulee Dam School District currently has three levies, all expiring before 2023. Superintendent Paul Turner described them to the district board as an “original” levy which charges $1.50 per $100,000 of assessed property value for a person’s property taxes; a “supplemental” levy of $1 that supports it; and a “capital” levy of $1.70 that goes toward facility expenses. Turner said the school district board of dire...