News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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The Star newspaper followed one rancher’s plight after the big fire destroyed much of his pastureland last year. Jim and Michelle Hemmer have managed to find enough hay for winter feed for their 400 head of livestock. Jim said last week that they have trimmed their herd of 500 cattle down to less than 400 and spent countless hours finding winter hay and repairing fence, all because of the fire, Hemmer would be the first to tell you that many ranchers up in the Delrio flats suffered as much loss as he did, if not more. But it has been a s...
An electrical malfunction was named initially as the cause of a fire that destroyed the Nez Perce longhouse south of Nespelem the day after Christmas. Firefighters responded to a 12:30 a.m. call Dec. 26 and found the structure engulfed in flames. Firefighters arrived minutes after receiving the alarm and the fire was so hot that they couldn’t get close to the structure. Soy Redthunder, who has been active in the longhouse, said the structure was 70 feet by 80 feet and insured for $350,000. ... Full story
The bad news came in waves last Thursday for port district commissioners. First, their hope that they could secure grant funding to put in an RV park at Banks Lake Golf Course to help it pay its bills faltered. Second, airport Manager Bob Babler put commissioners on the spot about an outdated and poorly performing snow plow. And to top the evening off, longtime Secretary/Treasurer Kary Byam resigned. The port district is trying to find a way to keep the 18-hole Banks Lake Golf Course open again this year. But it will have to find a different... Full story
A story about Coulee Dam resident Carol Netzel feeding deer at her home got an unusual and welcome response from a man in Pateros. His letter to Netzel included an $80 check to help her with her feeding chores, and this note: “I read the article in the paper about you taking care of some deer and quail. “I don’t have any deer that come into my yard, but I’m feeding about 50-60 quail a day and some chickadees. “The best value I found for quail is at Big R (Omak) it’s for chickens and poultry and... Full story
Grand Coulee’s council made it a “happy new year” for Police Chief Mel Hunt last Wednesday, when in a special meeting it voted to buy up 787 hours of his compensatory time for $42,922.50, according to city officials. In a document signed by Hunt and Mayor Chris Christopherson, Sept. 2, 2011, the city had agreed to 787 hours of compensatory time dating from March 25, 1976, the beginning of Hunt’s employment, to Aug. 1, 2011. Compensatory time is figured at time and one-half the regular hourly rate. Since Aug. 1, 2011, the chief has been under a... Full story
Cell one at the old Delano Landfill is officially closed. All four towns that participated in the landfill, Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam and Elmer City, have approved final closure of the seven-acre garbage landfill. Final closure, placing cover material over the landfill was completed a year ago, with minor additional work this year by Halme Construction of Davenport. Then the issue went to the four municipalities that jointly own the landfill project for approval. While covering the landfill is complete, the issue of monitoring... Full story
You could say that the fourth time was the charm. That’s how many times over the years the 2012 “Volunteer of the Year” has been nominated for the honor. This time Eloise Bowman won it. Bowman received an overwhelming number of votes out of the eight candidates for the honor. Most people will know the 2012 winner as one of the most faithful volunteers at the Senior Center Thrift Shop, where she works twice a week sorting, pricing and selling items donated by the community’s citizens. She per... Full story
Colville Tribal members are able to hunt gray wolves in designated areas through Feb. 28, or until the quota of nine wolves is met. Business Council Chairman John Sirois said recently the decision has been a long time coming and has been controversial. The tribes’ reason for the wolf hunt is that the predator is denting the local population of both deer and elk herds, Sirois said. The tribes elected to allow a wolf hunt in order to protect the tribes’ food supply. Many tribal members and families rely on deer or elk for their winter meat, Sir... Full story
Police officer Joe Higgs told Grand Coulee City Council members last Tuesday night that the city had a crosswalk problem. Higgs noted that crosswalks on Midway Avenue, from city hall to the post office, three of them, don’t meet Department of Transportation standards. He cited numerous times that motorists don’t see pedestrians who are getting ready to cross Midway on one of the crosswalks. Signage is poor, lighting is worse, and as some city council members affirmed, vehicles parked along the roadway hide good visibility of the cro... Full story
It’s official now … Electric City’s water and sewer rates are going up. The council had indicated a willingness two weeks ago to increase both utility rates in 2013 and 2014, and passed resolutions to do so at its meeting last Tuesday night. First to get the hike is the sewer rate which goes up $5 a month Jan. 1, 2013. Look for another sewer hike of $5 a month on Jan. 1, 2014. Water rates start going up July 1, 2013, with a $5-per-month hike, and another $5 a month on July 1, 2014. Mayor Jerry Sands explained recently that the increases were ne... Full story
Electric City’s council approved the city employee salary schedule for 2013 at its meeting Dec 11. The schedule includes a 1.6-percent cost-of-living increase. The annual schedule: • mayor, $3,000; • clerk/treasurer, $55,634.64 • deputy clerk 1, $39,840,04; • deputy clerk 2, $17,483.98; • public works director, $56,031.51; • maintenance position 1, $46,290.96; • maintenance position 2, $38,439.91; • transfer station operator, $47,286.18; • gate attendant 1, $10,658.55; • gate attendant 2, $13,277.09; • gate attendant 3, $8,113.78; • back-up tr... Full story
The city council at Grand Coulee agreed to a resolution setting salaries for the city clerk, utility foreman and police chief at the council meeting Tuesday night. The city clerk’s wage was set at $21.70 an hour, or $3,762.26 a month; the utility foreman’s pay was set at $27.95 an hour or $4,845.71 a month; and the police chief’s salary was set at $47.07 an hour or $8,159.39 a month. The resolution pointed out that the police chief is required to be on call 70 hours a month, and compensation for being on call is included in the salary figur... Full story
Wilson Construction of Canby, Oregon, was awarded the contract to replace some 25 power poles for the town of Coulee Dam. Wilson is the firm that built the towers and ran the new power lines from the Third Powerhouse to the switchyards, a project that was just recently finished. Public works director Barry Peacock told the council last Wednesday night that Wilson provided the low bid of up to $155,000 for the pole work. There were two bidders, Peacock stated. The poles were either destroyed or damaged by the most recent range fire that swept... Full story
The town of Elmer City last week took the first steps towards developing its own wastewater treatment plant and leave Coulee Dam to pay all of the costs of a plant upgrade its been planning for both towns. The town council and Mayor Mary Jo Carey expressed disappointment Thursday night in the way officials in Coulee Dam the night before had treated Elmer City. They see development of their own sewer facility as the best alternative they have. Town officials agreed to look at a site between Elmer City and Seaton’s Grove, get an engineering f... Full story
A letter Coulee Dam prepared for interested parties in its wastewater treatment plant project drew reaction from the town of Elmer City last Wednesday night that would eventually lead to a decision to end a decades-long collaboration. The letter, designed to advise all parties that the ownership of the plant would rest with Coulee Dam, and that the only official representatives of Coulee Dam authorized to speak on the project were elected officials, the town’s attorney, engineers from Gray & Osborne, Public Works Director Barry Peacock and C... Full story
The fight to get a Veteran’s Administration disability claim settled for a Coulee Dam man took action by U.S. Senator Patty Murray. Daniel Johnson’s cancer showed up in February last year and was attributed to his contact with Agent Orange, while he was in the navy in Vietnam. Johnson said contact with Agent Orange occurred after the cease fire while his ship was still in Vietnam, through the ship’s ventilation system and eventually the ship’s water. Johnson was on a large amphibious ship that transported marines and their equipment into battle...
Coulee Dam police have been advised that a man sought in an alleged armed robbery of the Smoke Shop might do it again. Police received word from Colville Tribal Police that a man reported he had heard that Phillip Cody Ruiz, 23, the man sought in the Nov. 27 robbery, had told others on the Colville Indian Reservation that he was going to rob the store again. Town Police Officer Glenn Steffler went to the Smoke Shop to advise Cassandra Watters, the clerk who was robbed the first time, about what... Full story
Electric City shot the rest of its hotel/motel budget for 2013, at its meeting last Tuesday night. The city council Dec. 11, held to its policy of budgeting just half of what it took in during 2012, and putting the other half into its hotel/motel reserve fund. In its 2013 budget, the city grants just over $20,000 to the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce; $6,000 to Coulee Area Park & Recreation District for North Dam Park maintenance; $5,300 to the Ridge Riders; and $1,200 to the Coulee Corridor Consortium. The city took in about... Full story
School patrons will get one final look at the design and color scheme of the new K-12 school complex before it goes out to bid, Grand Coulee Dam School District board members indicated at their Monday night meeting. While the date hasn’t been set for the public look, it will likely be after the holidays, and probably just before the project goes out for bid. Superintendent Dr. Dennis Carlson said the design of the complex hasn’t materially changed; however, the board felt that local school patrons might like to see the color schemes and mat... Full story
A rally of tribal members who have sought by petition the other half of a $193 million settlement with the United States government, will be held at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Colville Tribal Administration building Wednesday, Dec. 19. Yvonne Swan, coordinator/moderator, said that members of the group plan to appear before the Colville Business Council on Thursday. Swan said over 2,700 Tribal members have signed the petition. The Tribes received the one time $193 million payment for the mismanagement of tribal natural resources. The council...
It’s still Thanksgiving time at 432 Columbia in Coulee Dam. The resident, Carol Netzel, sets the table twice a day and feeds anywhere from four to 14 visitors. It’s not an ordinary feast, but appreciated just the same. Netzel feeds deer. Early morning and late afternoon, every day, the feast is on. Countless boxes of apples, and store-bought deer food is involved. Netzel has purchased a number of boxes of apples from Shaw’s Fruit and Produce in Belvedere. “These are apples that they couldn... Full story
Port District 7 has applied to Grant County’s Strategic Infrastructure Program for $7,500 to pay for its feasibility report on a plan to build an RV park at the course. District Chairman Oroville Scharbach said he and others will meet with the county’s committee Dec. 19, to go over details of the overall plan. Port commissioners got a sticker shock when the overall study by USKH engineers last month showed a cost of nearly $1.5 million for the facility. Allowing for overages, the estimate swelled to $1.749 million. Since then, com... Full story
It will cost more now to ride in an ambulance in Grand Coulee, according to a new rate schedule and ordinance passed by Grand Coulee’s city council last Tuesday night. The more notable hikes in fees include: • a $50 increase from $250 to $300 for basic life support, for one client, for a one-way ride; • a $50 increase to $300 for a return pick-up or second transport for the same client, same 24-hour period. Residents get a $60 break for each of those categories. Fire Chief Rick Paris explained that the new charges will bring ambulance billi... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District was awarded a $484,738 energy grant from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction Friday. The school district was one of 21 throughout the state that shared in $14.9 million in energy grants. Almira School also benefited from the OSPI grant, receiving $894,000. Grand Coulee Dam District had earlier been awarded an energy grant that would have serviced needs in schools that the district plans to close. That grant was eventually turned down. Friday’s grant was one of three rounds of grants i... Full story
A program will soon be underway to encourage high school dropouts to continue their educations through a new online program approved by the school board at its last meeting, The board authorized the hiring of American Academy, a national group, to seek out students who have dropped out of school for one reason or another and encourage them to get back on track. American Academy will hire mentors for the students to stay with them as they work online on specific subjects that will earn them high school credits and lead to graduation at Lake... Full story