News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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When citizens come into conflict with elected leaders or officials, it’s easy to forget the most important position the other holds: that of a human being. Passions can flare when one knows one is right, or when one feels under attack. But cooler heads should prevail at just such a point, remembering that it’s likely everyone has the same ultimate goal in mind, even if the path to it appears different. Truly, everyone who wants the best for a cause or a community is on the same side, eventually. Coming to that realization and ultimate agr...
A blood collection drive scheduled for today (Monday, Jan. 28) has been cancelled. The collection was cancelled after Inland Northwest Blood Center personnel arrived at Coulee Medical Center’s Professional Building A (the former clinic building) and found it not ready. “They chose to go back to Spokane and hopefully return in a couple of days in one of their coaches,” local drive coordinator volunteer Bonnie Femling said. “Please hang on to your blood and come to donate it when they return!” Coulee Medical Center spokesman Steve Becker sa...
For Rayne Rabe, a distinct connection exists between belting out a tune and barreling through your opposition. Practicing one has given her the ability to do the other. Before moving to Coulee Dam in July, Rabe had earned a reputation by another name, “Chick Norris, Derby Rayne-ger.” That was in Orange County, Calif., where she rolled with the Orange County Roller Girls roller derby team. Now she can’t wait to start a team here. Demonstrating her moves last week at the skate park in Grand Coule...
Development of Coulee Dam’s wastewater treatment plant upgrade is on hold for three months. The council made the decision at a hastily called meeting Monday afternoon on Martin Luther King Day. Even though the meeting date wasn’t announced until late Friday, the council chamber was packed and fireworks started immediately as community activist Greg Wilder and Mayor Quincy Snow tangled over the timing of the meeting. The council, which normally meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of the mon...
Greg Wilder, 69, a Coulee Dam activist, said last week that he plans to file for the office of mayor as an “agent of change” when the filing period opens in May. Wilder has been at odds with two-term Mayor Quincy Snow, and the town administration as a whole, for the past two years, largely over the proposed wastewater treatment plant. Wilder says he has determined that the present $4.92 million plant now being designed is being overbuilt and that it will cost the citizens of Coulee Dam too high of sewer bills for the next 20 years. He has con...
The new K-12 school complex is being advertised for bids this month. Design and school officials went over the project, estimated to cost $24 million, with townspeople last Wednesday night at a meeting in the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School library. Plans will be ready for review by prospective bidders on Jan. 29, and a pre-bid meeting for general contractors has been set for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 at the construction site. Bids will be opened, Superintendent Dennis Carlson said, on Feb. 25,...
A local group of stakeholders will get the first look at the text for the all new laser light show within the next couple of weeks. Participants include the Colville Confederated Tribes, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Coulee Area Chamber of Commerce, the National Park Service, a representative from each town and someone from the irrigation district, as well as others. The inaugural showing of the new laser light show is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, but Bureau of Reclamation officials said it might not make that date. The old laser light...
Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow, Greg Wilder and Elmer City Councilmember Larry Holford all met with the Colville Tribes Community Development Committee Tuesday to discuss the proposed wastewater treatment facility. The meeting, originally set for 9:30 a.m. was rescheduled at Snow’s request for 9 a.m. He told the group that the town had decided to delay proceeding with the facility plan, taking 90 days to get a fresh look at it, and he encouraged the Colville Tribes to participate. Holford and Wilder, who were expecting the meeting to begin at 9:3...
How wonderful it was to see so many citizens of Coulee Dam, energized and organized, at the special meeting held by Coulee Dam’s Town Council on Monday. The outcome of this meeting was to announce the Council’s intent to stop the WWTF project for a period of 90 days so that more information can be acquired, more relationships can be explored and so that the community can increase involvement. It must be disconcerting to the Council to have citizens show up at this late day to become involved. Honestly, that is always annoying in ANY end...
Piccolo to coach baseball Ted Piccolo, a member of the school board, has been named the Lake Roosevelt High School head baseball coach. He was named at a meeting of the school board last Wednesday night. Flu causing some absences School officials said this week that the flu season has hit the district, but not too hard to date. Lake Roosevelt High School reported that an average of about 10 are missing school each day. The high school has 212 students. At the Middle School, absences are running from 10-15 a day. There are about 200 students...
I have been asked to give a definition of the word Okanogan, and decided to let everyone know because it is a word you hear every day and have never understood. Though there is no real consensus as to the definition of the word Okanogan there is a definite way to explain the word to you. The people who speak Nsylixcn (Okanogan) lived from Wenatchee to Vernon, from Revelstoke to the Kettle River and from the Cascade Mountains to the Kettle Falls. This is Indian Country to me, and a couple of ways to define “Okanagan.” The Okanagan People hav...
Two bills making their way through Washington State Legislature aim to take away the public's right to transparent government and review of public decision making. If your city, or the state ever made a decision you questioned, or if you joined a committee to have your city council members or state officials hear your side of a controversy, then write your senator and representative immediately and STOP House Bills HB 1128 and HB 1185. Laws on our books protect citizens’ right to information. RCW 42.56.030 states "The People, in delegating a...
Ten Years Ago Jerry Beiermanwas selected as Volunteer of the Year for 2002. A long-term plan for Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area’s new superintendent will develop after she gets to know the area for a couple months. “I intend to develop a vision in the next six to nine months for a five year plan,” said Deborah Bird. She plans to watch, listen and observe in order to discover ways that Grand Coulee, Electric City, Coulee Dam and Elmer City can work together in a mutually efficient way with the Colville Tribes in the area. The Raider wre...
With the holidays in the past, it seems that the darkest, coldest days of the year are upon us. But any student will tell you that with the advent of the second semester of school, it is just a quick downhill slide toward summer. For high school students, especially those who are just about to graduate, there might be a level of anxiety that comes along with this rapid approach to the end of school. What will you do after school? Some of you, undoubtedly, will be looking for work to fill those l...
Laurel Geraldine Beck (Stokes) passed away at her home on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. A complete obituary and pending services will be in an upcoming Star issue....
Sharon Ann “KIST” Redthunder’s obituary mistakenly listed her brother Martin Comedown (and Sherry) as having predeceased Sharon. Sharon’s family wishes to assure their many family and friends that KIST is also survived by Martin and Sherry Comedown....
Tasha Enochs and Lady enjoy some Sunday skate time on the ice of tiny Thompson Lake near the entrance to Steamboat Rock State Park. The ice was 4 to 6 inches thick. — Brian Walters photo...
Chamber to Meet at Noon at Pepper Jack’s The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will meet Thursday, Jan. 24, at noon at Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille. Merle Kennedy of Foisy and Kennedy Inc., will speak on the housing market in the GCD area. Grant County Fire Dist. 14 to Meet Grant County Fire District 14 will hold its regular monthly meeting Monday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Electric City Fire Station....
Keep your rechargeable batteries out of the garbage and the environment by properly recycling them. Coulee Hardware is now a recycling collection site for rechargeable batteries with the abbreviations Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, Li-ion, or Pb imprinted on the battery pack. Small sealed lead batteries with the abbreviation, Pb, must weigh less than two pounds each. Alkaline, lithium, and other non-rechargeable batteries are not accepted. The batteries may be brought to Coulee Hardware during normal hours of operation. The batteries must be placed...
Kali and Sergio Alvarez of Wilson Creek, Wash., are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Olyvia Nichole on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. She weighed 7 lbs., 3.2 oz., and was 19 inches in length at birth. Maternal grandparents are Patricia Winfrey and Vince Winfrey. Paternal grandparents are Teresa Garay and Oscar Garay. Great-grandparents included Jackie and JimWinfrey and Juanita Chavez....
Richard and Juliane Westra of Grand Coulee are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Haley Ann on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. She weighed 8 lbs., 8 oz., and was 20 inches in length at birth. Siblings include Richard Westra IV, age 3 and Hunter Westra, 1. Maternal grandparents are Ron and Donna Kopezynski of Quincy. Paternal grandparents are Rick and Laena Westra of Quincy. Great-grandparents include Ann Perry and Ella and Richard Westra all of Quincy....
Francine Vargas and Matthew Heppner of Nespelem are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Alexis Ezell Heppner on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. She weighed 6 lbs., 13 oz., and was 18inches in length at birth. Maternal grandmother is Guadalope Vargas. Paternal grandparents are Bobbi Lee Heppner and Bejamin Deen Carrywater....
With a victory over Oroville last Friday, the Lady Raiders moved into first place for the Central Washington North. The victory also extended their win streak to four games. In a rematch with Liberty Bell on Jan. 15 at home against the winless Mountain Lions, LR put on an early press which quickly led to points, but kept Liberty Bell scoreless until the last three minutes in the first quarter, which ended 25-4 for LR. The Lady Raiders led at half 42-12 and racked up a 40-plus point lead by the...
The Raiders’ win streak moved to four with a victory at Oroville last Friday. The four-game win streak has also placed the Raiders atop of the Central Washington 2B North. The coaches liked the drive the players showed in both games. Against Liberty Bell on the 15th, the Raiders were able able to learn from their previous mistakes against Liberty Bell at Brewster. The Mountain Lions jumped out early but the Raiders responded quickly with a 8-0 run to take the lead in the first quarter. Raider r...
Raider wrestling traveled to East Valley last Saturday to take part in the Dream Dual Wrestling Tournament which featured most of the top teams in Eastern Washington. At the 2B ranks, Liberty-Spangle and Selkirk did not team up to fill out their rosters, instead competing as separate teams to give the field four 2B squads. To fill holes, the coaches of the 4A and 3A schools sent their extra wrestlers for exhibition matches against the 2B competition. The Raiders defeated Liberty-Spangle 48-4 as...