News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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On June 14, I was part of a group of interested people who met with the Okanogan County Commissioners and staff members of the Juvenile Justice Center to listen to a presentation of their work with our troubled kids. The presentation included statistics, but most interesting was a description of how the group worked with our kids. Two statistics did stand out to me. The Center, over the past four years, has served an average of 16 kids daily. Over the past month there were 73 visits to the kids by family members. This, to me, indicates that a...
On May 10, a public meeting was held in Okanogan involving a possible change on where our troubled juveniles would be housed over a period of time. The three Okanogan County commissioners were there, also three commissioners from other counties who gave a presentation on their experiences with Martin Hall, a private, not-for-profit group who handles juvenile offenders from nine counties. A standing-room-only group of people from all over Okanogan County was there to listen as the Martin Hall program was explained to us by Lincoln County...
I wish to commend Mayor Wilder, the Coulee Dam Town Council, and the Natural Resources and Parks Board for the time and effort they have spent on bringing our Comprehensive Plan for the town up to date. In researching the history involved, I discovered that the first ordinance was passed in 1959. It is very short, establishing a Parks Board. Since then, the town has gone through many changes and revisions. Changes took place in 1990, 2006 and 2008. Now we are faced with possibly more changes. In 1998 a very comprehensive plan was completed...
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...
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...
The Coulee Dam council meeting on July 8, which had the keeping of chickens on its agenda, was a very well-attended meeting with a very lively audience participation. The group seemed to split into three categories. There were those who loved the birds and being able to use their property as they saw fit. There was the opposition group who believed chickens have no place in the townsite. The largest group seemed to be concerned with our present ordinances regarding pets for two reasons. Their wording is unclear in some cases and even...
I have lived here for 65 years and I have never seen such quarrelsomeness among the entire community. In the past we have had our shares of disagreements between the towns and between the people of the towns. But now we seem to have reached a state where it seems like we can make no progress going forward, only backward. For example, Coulee Dam cannot go forward with their waste-water treatment plan until Elmer City decides whether or not it will join in a communal plan. Electric City is faced with a lack of police protection until it can...
In discussing the possibility of attaching water meters to the irrigation system of West Coulee Dam, one fact has not been brought to the attention of the townspeople. It is a factor that should be considered very carefully before we arrive at a decision. The sewer, potable water and irrigation water lines were installed in 1935-36. This makes them almost 70 years old. The type of piping used in the irrigation system is susceptible to rust and corrosion and becomes more brittle as it ages. Sections of the irrigation line have begun to leak or,...
Recently our entire community went through a major upheaval which in one way or another involved all of us. We saw that, when aroused, the people of this area can effect change. Our local hospital is such an important factor in our lives that we were ready to speak up, difficult as this can be for many of us. Our latest board meeting set us a fine example of a group listening to the community and acting together. Now, it seems to me, that we must speak up in an even more important way. It is the community, acting together, that can bring back a...
Having been a recent patient at our community hospital and having been a nurse’s aide for several years I would like to present my observations of patient care. In January I was hospitalized for four days. During that time I observed nurses and doctors attempting to give the best care possible, and they were great. What I did not see were the chores usually done by nursing assistants. For example, no towels or soap in the bathroom until after two days I asked for them. No clean gown or bed linen for four days and no Kleenex until I asked the c...
At the last Coulee Dam Council I asked that the city make tourists aware that hiking the Crown Point Trail could be hazardous after the fire, the windstorm and the torrential rain. They agreed to put up a sign and one was there the next day. They also agreed to find volunteers to take on the project. The next day as I came home from running errands an angel, wearing a black and red shirt and a backpack came walking down the trail. It was Frank Ward, who had hiked the whole trail, clearing and cleaning as he went. And the next day he was back,...
I have lived here since before we had a city government, under the rule of USBR. When we formed our first government we were very lucky to have a group of people whose sole goal was the good of the town. Through the years we have continued to have able, hard-working citizens who considered it as part of their duty to give the town their best. I have watched the towns around us over years of acrimony, name-calling and just plain mischief making while our mayors and council members gave their time and energy to give Coulee Dam a stable and...
Last evening I took a favorite walk along North Columbia, around the Credit Union and down past the old wildlife, garden area. I was shocked to see all the fruit trees gone, the bird-friendly habitat, the flowering shrubs. Nothing left of the old “green field” that so many children played on when the building was Columbia School. The rose garden was gone, the lovely walk down from Fiddle Creek bridge. Now we have rock piles, artificial edging and bare dirt. No one I asked seemed to know why so much had been destroyed, so much that was bea...
I want to thank you for the article and the pictures of my deer feeding project. People have been so kind, stopping me to visit in Safeway, sending me notes, asking about them when they meet me out and about. Many gave me contributions toward keeping them through the winter. Right now they are all in good shape, coats good, no ribs showing, frisky and on time every day for breakfast and supper. The fawns are holding up well, the bucks are busy chasing each other away from the best food. I have five big red squirrels and two small black ones of...