News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Thank you to the beautiful and magenta Maple trees on Ferry in Coulee Dam who provided shade, habitat, cooling for 90 years. I am sorry you were mowed down for a sidewalk for people to walk on. Which nobody wants to walk on because it is too hot. So sorry nobody could figure out that a walkway through you would be a nice place for people and habitat to live and thrive. I’m so sorry for your loss. Gayle Swagerty...
As you probably know, the current Coulee Dam mayor has chosen not to file for another term, and with that decision, we need to elect a new mayor. I’ve been active on Town Council for almost four years. I serve on town committees with well-thought and balanced service. I have worked with the current administration from the beginning of the Waste Water Treatment Facility, Transportation Improvement Board roads/sidewalks grant applications, and other projects and programs, and am able to provide a seamless transition as we construct the f...
A group of hikers from Spokane, Cheney, Anacortes, Tri-Cities and Coulee Dam assembled at the trailhead of Candy Point Trail Sunday to walk it with scientists who would explain the geology of the rocks over which they were walking. At the trailhead at 432 Columbia, in Coulee Dam, Dr. Gene Kiver and Bruce Bjornstad led the group. Kiver retired from Eastern Washington University after teaching geology there for over 32 years. He has conducted an active research career that emphasized landforms...
The Parks & Natural Resources Board of Coulee Dam has developed a survey regarding the parks and natural resources. The Board desires community input as to usage and enjoyment, and on needed improvements of the parks, trails, and natural resources in this area. Community input will inform the board what the community desires in our continuing effort to maintain, develop, and improve the parks and natural resources. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard in this important issue. Whether you are a resident of Coulee Dam, reside in a...
The town of Coulee Dam has declared by ordinance that it is in the best interest of the public that the trees be maintained and encouraged. The municipal budget supports the maintenance of the trees as directed by the ordinance. Knowing the appraised value of the trees within the urban forest of Coulee Dam gives context to the budgeting, planning, and management of this portion of the infrastructure of the town. So how is this value determined? The appraised value of the trees in Coulee Dam is based on replacement costs and a process of...
Can we Americans trust the government? According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, 81 percent say sometimes or never. Yet we American citizens state we want the government to act in their behalf and provide services we want and need. In the same poll, 55 percent of us stated “ordinary Americans” would do a better job of solving problems. Who and what is the government? The preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America reads that the government is “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union...
The town of Coulee Dam is spearheading an effort to create and establish a monument to honor 81 persons who died during the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. Friday, Karen Struve, president of the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society, and Susan Dechant, vice president and researcher for the society, visited the area to discuss the monument project with Coulee Dam Mayor Greg Wilder and myself. The group viewed two possible sites for the location of the monument: Cole Park, near the...
Perennial ground covers are low growing plants usually only 1-3 inches high that spread along the ground and come back year after year. Perennial ground covers serve to help retain soil moisture, fill in empty spaces to help reduce weeds, and provide habitat for beneficial insects and small animals. The addition of perennial ground covers to a garden enhance the look and feel of the garden for years. They come in a variety of types. Some are fast spreading, making them valuable to prevent erosion on steep banks or to cover large open areas....
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, has proclaimed the week of April 13-19, 2014 as Washington State University Master Gardener Volunteer Week. The program, which is celebrating its 41st year of service, was begun in the state of Washington as a result of expanding interest in gardening in rapidly growing urban areas. Today the horticulture “master” volunteer concept is so effective it has spread throughout the United States and several provinces in Canada. The initial training curriculum, which was developed by the area extension agents in col...
April 9 is Arbor Day in Washington state and April 25 is National Arbor Day. So let’s talk about trees. Neighborhood and street trees provide shade for streets and parking areas, add to the value of your property, cool the air, absorb carbon dioxide and add to the diversity of habitat for birds and beneficial insects. Neighborhoods with well-shaded streets can be 6-10 degrees cooler than neighborhoods without trees, and shaded parking lots keep automobiles cooler, reducing emissions from fuel tanks and engines, both of which help reduce the h...
This is the time of year to prune your shrubs that will bloom on this season’s growth. Generally these are shrubs which bloom after June. Some of these shrubs common in our landscapes are the Butterfly Bush, Spirea, Beauty Bush, and Snowberry. The spring blooming shrubs bloom on last season’s growth. Minor corrective pruning can be done now. This can include removing dead wood and broken branches, branches that lay on the ground and suckers at the base of the shrub. After the shrub blooms you can do more detail pruning described below. Som...
As winter ends, gardeners, get out that ladder and spruce up the shrubs and trees in your landscape. Ladders can be very useful to help you get into position to make appropriate cuts, which will improve your trees and shrubs. They can take the wear off your shoulders by allowing you to be at the height of the cut rather than constantly reaching up for that high branch. The downside of ladders is you can fall. So here some pointers to insure your safety while using your ladder. First of all, always use a tripod ladder to prune trees and shrubs....
Thank you to my friends and neighbors for your overwhelming support in my bid for Town Council. I plan to work to improve communication between town leadership and everyone in our town, so let me hear from you both with your ideas and concerns so we can work together to create a community we are proud to reside in. Gayle Swagerty...
What will people do after the garden is gone? What will people know after the garden is gone? Where will people, and rabbits, toads, butterflies, hummingbirds, ladybugs, song birds, moths, soil live stock, etc., go after the garden is gone? Someone who believes to have power can hide behind a desk and hire machines to destroy but where will all of us and these creatures go after the garden is gone? Gayle Swagerty Coulee Dam...
Important issues regarding a Waste Water Treatment Facility to serve both communities are being discussed at the town’s town council meetings and will affect every household in our communities. So PLEASE, young and old, come help. Your participation in the decision-making process will insure we all can be beneficiaries of the best solution regarding our Waste Water Treatment Facility. In Coulee Dam the town council meetings are held at the Coulee Dam Town Hall the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 6 p.m. Gayle Swa...
I mourn the loss of the peonies, asters, rudbeckia, gladiolas, sedums, chrystanthemums, anemones, day lilies, dahlias, amaranth, cannas, datura, daphne, calendulas, cosmos, snap dragons, lupines, poppies, iris, dianthus, ferns, columbines, echinacea, hens and chicks, morning glories, hollyhocks, batchelor buttons, hostas, bergenias, portulaeas, carnations, weigelia, pansies, violets, daffodils, tulips, crocus…which were stoned! Gayle Swagerty...