News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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You didn’t train, but still want to take part in the Grand Columbian Triathlon this Saturday? You can; become a volunteer. Those competing will tell you how important volunteers are and how they appreciate them. There’s still time to register as a volunteer. All you have to do is visit the following website: volunteer@trifreaks.com - you can register there. Also, a volunteer meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille in Grand Coulee. Attend the meeting, register as a... Full story
Susan Miller is retiring this week after serving 14 years as manager of the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce. It was her day, last Thursday, as members met at the Eagles Lodge to say farewell to the popular Electric City resident. She was congratulated by chamber president Scott Hunter who laughingly referred to her “long lists” from which she worked. “We probably will be finding some of these lists for a long time,” he said. Prior to the past 14 years, Miller worked eight years f... Full story
The Rotary Club is holding its annual spaghetti feed this Friday night at North Dam Park picnic area to raise what members hope will be enough money to complete the club’s handicapped-accessible fishing pier at Steamboat Rock State Park. The project has been on the Rotarian agenda for about 10 years. Club President Jerry Kennedy said the feed should raise enough money to complete it. The new pier would be part of a major improvement at the state park. In the past three years the park has added two new camping section, the latest addition i... Full story
The Ridge Riders’ second Ranch Rodeo of the season gets underway Saturday, Sept. 22, officials said last week. The Saturday event opens at the Rodeo Grounds at 2 p.m., with cowboy activity beginning at 3 p.m. Vice President Monty Fields said the beer garden and other concessions will be open at 2 p.m. The event, which featured a bull riding segment at the last ranch rodeo, will not do so this time. Fields said that tickets will be on sale at the gate for $6 each, with children 10 and younger free. Ranch rodeos feature four events - bronc r... Full story
A Wenatchee man who walked away from an Okanogan County Jail work release program was spotted by local police in the Lakeview Terrace Mobile Home Park area and chased into the tall sagebrush by Grand Coulee officers before he got away, temporarily, last Thursday. The fugitive, Nathaniel David Smallbeck, 18, was later apprehended by Okanogan County Sheriff officers on farmland at the top of the hill off the highway to Wilbur. Grand Coulee Police Sgt. John Tufts picked up the pursuit last Thursday about 9:30 a.m. and was later joined by Police... Full story
A public hearing on Electric City’s new transportation benefit district could be held Sept. 25, City Clerk Jackie Perman said this week. The city planned the hearing to let the public speak to the fact that the city will charge residents $20 for each licensed vehicle they own. Perman said that the Sept. 25 date was the earliest that the public hearing could be set. Through a new law, the city can now charge a $20 license fee for each licensed vehicle a resident owns. The fee would be collected when a person purchases their tabs. Mayor Jerry S... Full story
Grant County Port District 7 put another $6,000 into Banks Lake Golf Course’s operation during the month of August. It was one of the golf course’s better operating months, and there are still two months to go before the end of the season. Receipts for August at the golf course totaled about $12,500, port commissioners learned last Thursday night. The port district has invested nearly $110,000 in its promise to keep the course open this year. While there has been some discussion about the next golf season, the fact remains that the Port Dis... Full story
McKinstry, a company that had helped Grand Coulee Dam School District with an energy conservation grant that was finally tanked, is trying again. This time, district Superintendent Dennis Carlson told board members, would be for a $714,000 grant for energy conservation and upgrading for the present Lake Roosevelt High School gymnasium and industrial arts building. The previous energy conservation grant, which was approved, was turned back because it had been granted for Center Elementary and the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School, as well as parts... Full story
A Grand Coulee woman was struck by a truck Friday while walking on Alcan Road and flown by helicopter to Spokane for treatment, but may face drug charges when she returns. The truck was driven by Wayne Fowler, 58, who said that Angelette Joy Obendorf, 33, was talking on a cell phone and just stepped in front of his vehicle on the “s curves” on Alcan Road. Fowler loaded Obendorf into his vehicle and took her to Coulee Medical Center’s emergency room, where she resisted treatment and hospital authorities contacted the police. While placing Obendo... Full story
The south wing of A. E. Wright Elementary School started tumbling down Monday. That’s when Elder Demolition pulled heavy equipment in to start tearing the structure apart, but not before the 1949 school building performed two more functions. First, about 100 people turned out mid-morning Monday for a ceremonial program that allowed those present to swing a sledgehammer to start the demolition process. It wasn’t that much demolition was done with the sledgehammers, but it permitted those who tur... Full story
Lake Roosevelt High School is one of 10 schools in the nation that got word last week that it has been awarded a million dollar federal grant to help students succeed. The Grand Coulee Dam School District was advised late last week by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray that Lake Roosevelt High School has received a four-year demonstration grant for Indian children totaling over $1 million. Demonstration grants provide financial assistance to projects to develop, test, and demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs to improve the educational... Full story
Center School’s principal duties will be shared by the district superintendent and the middle school principal, at least for the first three weeks of school, the school board learned Monday night. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson told the board that a “lead teacher” program would be installed at both Center School and Grand Coulee Dam Middle School to help take care of normal scheduling events. The closed session of the school board Monday night to discuss Cente... Full story
Ever hanker for a good ice cream cone? That’s the story behind the Delight ice cream truck you see parked near Sunflower Graphics on Grand Coulee’s Midway Avenue. Nate and Raehanne Piturachsatit had the desire for some good hard ice cream about a year ago, and when nothing here matched their taste, they started their own business. Now they can have their ice cream of choice anytime they want to. First they purchased a step van; then Nate wired and plumbed it and got it ready for the tourist sea... Full story
It’s time to replenish the “Care and Share” Food Bank. Director Fern Blaylock said last week that the food bank is open only two times a month now instead of every week because of limited food supplies. The food bank currently regularly serves 120 families. One business is trying to do something to help. Last week the Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union announced that it will kick off a food-and-money donation campaign to help the food bank on Aug. 29, and continue taking donations through Sept. 14. Bring your canned food items, or a check, to th... Full story
Some East Heights residents will see improvement in water service this week after city crews installed an 8-inch plastic water line along Boulder Avenue. Others in the neighborhood will see a similar improvement when city crews do the other side of the loop next year. Residents in East Heights have complained about the quality of their water and water pressure for several years. Last week, public works director Dennis Francis told the city council that the line has been filled with chlorine... Full story
Becky Billups showed up at Grand Coulee’s council meeting last Tuesday to complain about the looks of her neighborhood. She has appeared regularly at council meetings and told mayor Chris Christopherson that she planned to continue doing so. “We want you to, it’s your city also,” the mayor responded. While things are a bit better, Billups stated about her Burdin Boulevard neighborhood, it still isn’t what she would like to see. Her earliest complaints were about old cars, trucks and junk lying around. Since that time a lot of that has been... Full story
Elmer City has advised the town of Coulee Dam that it will put in its own wastewater treatment plant, and leave the larger town to foot the entire bill for its planned sewer plant upgrade, already set to nearly double rates. In a letter to Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow, Mayor Mary Jo Carey stated: “Based on the refusal of Coulee Dam to acknowledge Elmer City’s role as the joint operator of the plant that the two towns constructed jointly, we have come to the conclusion that Coulee Dam no longer recognizes the existence of the joint operating agr... Full story
Center School Principal Sue Hinton may not return this fall. The Star learned Tuesday that Hinton has been the subject of an investigation. She could not be reached for comment. Superintendent Dennis Carlson, who is vacationing in Idaho, confirmed Tuesday by phone that Hinton is on paid administrative leave. He wouldn’t confirm that she will not return to her position this fall, but word that she had already cleaned out her office was circulating in the community this week. “Sue is on paid administrative leave, and I have a meeting sch... Full story
A Burdin Boulevard dispute between the Toulous and Becky Billups cropped up again at Grand Coulee’s city council meeting Aug. 7. Shirley Toulou told the council that exhaust generated from vehicles using the graveled parking lot south of their residence is being sucked into their home through their air conditioner. It wasn’t the first time that the Toulous have complained about this. However, this time Mayor Chris Christopherson said city staff would look into the matter, but that it might be a civil issue. Christopherson had earlier war... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District board settled two contracts dealing with the district’s K-12 building project at a special meeting Wednesday night. The board formally awarded the construction management contract to Wenaha Group of Pendleton, Ore., for a total amount of $437,472. Wenaha was selected from a group of companies that interviewed before the board in July. A construction management firm makes certain that all procedures, plans, permits are in place and followed. One is required by the state when using public money in a building p... Full story
Two tall stumps at Mason City Memorial Park in Coulee Dam may soon be sculpted into animals and bird images. One of the huge trees was blown over and the other damaged during the area’s rain and wind storm July 20. The debris was cleared away and the stumps, one about 14 feet tall and the other 10 feet, were saved. Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow, with an artist’s eye, wanted the huge trunks saved for possible sculpting. Likewise, area resident Reg Morgan wants the stumps saved and something done w... Full story
The Button family continues its strong presence on Grand Coulee’s Main Street with the doubling of its present graphic design and signage business, Button It. Richie and Amanda Button also own the building next to them which was occupied by their jeweler grandfather Dick Button and purchased from Button’s aunt. The new portion of their storefront will house a large drive-in bay for sign installation and steel fabrication. “We are continuing the present roofline and eventually will do the same... Full story
Get out your sledge hammer and gold paint, you’ll need it Aug. 27. That’s the day set aside by the Grand Coulee Dam School District for a special “golden sledgehammer” ceremony connected with the demolition of A.E. Wright Elementary School. At 10 a.m., Monday, Aug. 27, friends of Wright, interested citizens, teachers and former students will get an opportunity to say a few words about their experiences at the school, and maybe even take a whack with a sledge hammer. Members of the Wright family might be invited to attend, Superintendent Dennis... Full story
Port District 7 commissioners decided to continue operation of the Banks Lake Golf Course even though the agency has lost over $100,000 in the past four months. Only a handful of citizens turned out for a meeting held at the airport office last Thursday, called after commissioners learned of the extent of the losses July 26. David Comrie asked commissioners, “Who is the port district accountable to?” The response was that the port uses taxpayer money to operate. New Commissioner Jerry Birdwell expressed the attitude of the board when he sai... Full story
About 30 people turned out Monday night at Electric City’s fire hall to show support for a community watch program. The meeting largely was to determine what kind of interest people had in developing a community watch plan to help fight crime in the community. Birdie Hensley, who has been behind the idea, read a list of the type of police report incidents the past month in Electric City to show the group that there is a lot of illegal activity in the city. The idea of a city curfew came up again, but the group was reminded that the city m... Full story