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 civil discussion at the Coulee Dam council meeting was a welcome relief from the tension building over the wastewater treatment plant issue. More than that, it was a model of how a town council meeting should be run. Kudos to all involved. Concerns about cleanliness and snakes notwithstanding, one has to wonder about our misgivings about chickens in town, when reportedly they can exist unknown to neighbors until a fence blows down. We’ve seen enough government audits to know when one would disapprove of not depositing government-held c... Full story
Two days earlier, people on opposite sides of a contentious issue hadn’t gotten along so well, but the regular meeting of the Coulee Dam Town Council Wednesday progressed with civility remarkable by contrast. The town council accepted without comment a 275-signature petition by citizens to submit plans for a wastewater treatment facility upgrade to third-party engineers for “value engineering,” a formal process performed on many projects by engineers who do nothing else but look for ways to save money in such proposals. The petition also said... Full story
Ice climber Craig Pope, of Moscow, Idaho, makes his way to the left, looking for a path up on icicles clinging to the coulee wall at Million Dollar Mile along SR-155 Sunday. At one point, he said, the ice was only about an inch thick. Ice and rocks fell from a higher spot as Pope was about 160 feet from the bottom. He was there with three climbing colleagues. — Scott Hunter photo... Full story
City to get sexual harrassment training Department heads and staff at the city of Grand Coulee will attend a sexual harassment training at 4 p.m. this Friday, according to mayor Chris Christopherson. He stated that he didn’t want to comment on the reason for the training. Christopherson said that members of the city council have also been asked to attend Friday’s training class, or one scheduled for 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7, which is scheduled for firefighters and ambulance workers. Canfield & Associates, the city’s risk management firm, will... Full story
A safe with an estimated $2,800 inside was taken from Banks Lake Golf Course during the night hours Monday. Thieves dragged the 300-pound safe out the back door after gaining entry with a crowbar, police stated. The loss was discovered by Port District 7 Commissioner Orville Scharbach, along with Mike Parisian. The port district operates the golf course and Parisian is an employee. Grand Coulee Police Chief Mel Hunt said the safe was dragged across the floor and through the same entry door. Police suspect that there had to be at least two... Full story
If they allow chickens in the city, they might attract snakes that would come for the eggs. That and a declaration that chickens are “filthy birds” were among comments The Electric City Council heard Jan. 22. Ken Doughty, who was against the city allowing chickens, said that he drove around his neighborhood on Sunset Drive and estimated that there could be 300-400 chickens there if they were permitted. He said that chickens could attract raccoons. The issue is still before the planning commission and will be a subject at a February council mee... Full story
Grand Coulee Dam School District board members took next year’s calendar and turned it upside down at their Monday night meeting. A printed calendar for the 2013-14 school year was given to board members at the district’s last meeting a month ago to give them an opportunity to look it over. Look it over they did, and they were quick to note they didn’t like it. Board member Ted Piccolo jumped in first, stating that he didn’t think the district needed to take so many days off. The calendar that had started with Wednesday, June 11 being the las... Full story
The local housing market is surviving a bumpy ride and is showing signs of improvement, real estate broker Merle Kennedy told chamber of commerce members at a Thursday luncheon last week. Kennedy said that the housing market last year looked bleak but with a number of sales late in the year, 2012 nearly matched the value of homes sold the year before. Before the international financial crisis, home sales through Foisy & Kennedy in 2007 totalled over $8 million, with 75 units sold. In 2011 sales totaled $6,638,600 and home sales came to... Full story
A Grand Coulee woman is seeking information on the whereabouts of her 14-year-old son, who was reported to police as a runaway Jan. 15. Keyana Gendron told The Star newspaper Monday that her son, Terrance Jim, has been missing for more than two weeks. In the original police report, which was published Jan. 23, it was stated that Terrance had run away three times previously. The family lives on Bowen Street. The Jan. 23, report stated that the boy had left with a friend. Gendron said that if... Full story
The school board gave the Rotary Club a list of possible projects that it could take on to enhance the new K-12 school. The Rotary Club advised school officials that it had $15,000 and would like to see how far it could leverage the money toward something at the new school. The Rotary Club plans to apply for a Rotary District grant to double its monies and continue leverage with other possible grants. The school board picked student plaza tables, a gathering spot for students and also visitors to the gymnasium. Cost of this project was... Full story
• In a story last week, it was reported that Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow had requested that a meeting with the Colville Tribes Community Development Committee on Tuesday be changed from 9:30 a.m. to 9 am. An agenda from the committee emailed the prior Friday showed that Snow had been given the 9-10 a.m. time frame in the meeting. He gave a presentation, asked if he could answer any questions and left. The meeting was held to supply information about the town’s planned wastewater treatment plant. Snow had not responded to two phone mes... Full story
Coulee Dam has received a grant from the federal government to re-do lower Crest Drive from River Drive to the city limits, a distance of under a quarter mile. The federal grant was for for $302,750, with the state Transportation Improvement Board paying the town’s match of $47,250, for a total of $350,000. Work is expected to be done in April if the bids come in OK, according to public works director Barry Peacock. The work includes removal of guardrail, excavation of the road material, re-paving and flaggers for one-way traffic while the w... Full story
An American bald eagle perches in a tree at Crescent Bay on Lake Roosevelt Tuesday morning. — Scott Hunter photo...
In a follow-up to my Oct. 29, 2012 letter requesting handicapped access parking signs at The Eagles and Pepper Jack’s, there has been progress. The Eagles reinstalled their sign and I purchased handicapped signs at the local hardware store and took them to Pepper Jack’s and Fusion, which they have installed. So far so good. You’d think problem taken care of, which it seems to be at Pepper Jack’s with the sign on the east wall of the building. The Fusion restaurant has been another story. Cars continually park in front of the handica... Full story
It’s been over a month since Team USA 4th Grade did their coaches, American public school teachers, proud by coming in fourth in the world’s reading rankings. Yet, there’s been very little celebrating in this country of ours so famous for making the most out of success in international competition. An Olympic Bronze in synchronized swimming would have garnered more praise. According to the 2011 PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study), the only countries with better 4th Grade reading levels are Russia, Finland, and Singa... Full story
California and Texas are like the two biggest kids on the block going toe-to-toe for bragging rights. Who’s the biggest? Who’s the best? Bravado aside, comparing the business climate in these two states reveals why one state is lagging while the other is thriving. California, once the most attractive business environment in the nation, is today caught in a downward economic spiral while Texas is on the upswing. Between 1960 and 1990, more than four million people moved to California, attracted b... Full story
Ten Years Ago A local woman and her family must deal with mixed emotions as the nation prepares for war. She left Sunday to assume her post in the Army for at least the next several months in western Washington. Sara Zlateff, who makes her home on the outskirts of Lincoln County with her husband Pat, reported to Ft. Lewis Monday. Starting Sept. 1, the sounds of concrete trucks and pile-drivers will replace motor homes and families at the Bureau of Reclamation’s Visitor Arrival Center. Public A... Full story
Laurel G. “‘Gerry” Beck, Gerry aka: “Tootie” to her family, 89, was born February 26, 1923, in Cathay, N.D., to Hjalmer “Jonie” and Hulda Stokes. She passed away from her Grand Coulee, Washington home into the arms of her Lord Jesus the third weekend of January, 2013. Eleven-year-old Gerry moved with her family from North Dakota to Grand Coulee, Washington, in 1934 and graduated from Grand Coulee High School in 1940. A longtime member of Grand Coulee’s Zion Lutheran Church, Gerry wore seve... Full story
Bertha Ann Mustard, 80, passed away Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee, Washington. She was in the arms of her daughter Mary at the time of her passing. Bertha was born to Otto Clinton Mustard and Margaret Mae (Novotne) Mustard on September 17, 1932, in Lewiston, Idaho, one 12 children. Bertha often loved to recount her many fond memories of growing up in Lincoln, Washington, where everyone was family. Bertha came to Nespelem, Washington, in 1951, after meeting... Full story
On Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, Clarence “Lee” Chafin II left his earthly body and flew to the heavens to join his family that went before him after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56 years old. Lee was born to Clarence and Alta Chafin on May 13, 1956, in Weisbaden, Germany, and was the youngest of three children. His father Clarence was an active military man and the family soon moved from Germany, back to the United States to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, then to Miami, Okl... Full story
Income tax time is here! Free tax preparation is being offered at the Grand Coulee Senior Center again this year. Volunteers trained in cooperation with IRS and AARP will be available every Tuesday, Feb 12 - April 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This service is available to anyone with low or middle income. You do not have to be seniors or members of the senior center to take advantage of this free help. However, special attention is given to those 60 or older. Free e-filing is also available. Taxpayers need to bring: A copy of last year’s tax r... Full story
Chamber to Meet The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will meet Thursday, Jan. 31, at noon at Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille. Steve Becker, marketing director at CMC, will speak about CMC marketing plans for the community. Port Dist. 7 to Meet Grant County Port District 7 will hold its regular monthly meeting Thursday, Jan. 31, at 5 p.m., at the GCD Airport office.. Grand Coulee PTA to Meet The Grand Coulee PTA will meet in the elementary school gym on Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Come join for some food and fun. Wenatchee V... Full story
Shoshannah Jordan and Uriah Palmanteer of Coulee Dam are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Milliana Vanae Palmanteer on Friday, December 21, 2012, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. She weighed 8 lbs., 2oz., and was 21 inches in length at birth. Milliana is also welcomed by her 3 big brothers: Elijah, 9, Alonzo, 8, and Aidan, age 6. Maternal grandparents are Shirley Wak Wak and Larry Jordan of Coulee Dam. Paternal grandparents are Tina Palmanteer of Bridgeport, Wash., and... Full story
Front - Aaliyah Cheeney, Sadie Desautel, Lucy Budravage, Nathan Garcia, Jerusalem Picard Adams Back - Raven Clark, Kiley Short, Adriana Garcia-Atchison, Jenna Cleveland, Anthony Vu. Not pictured - Tatyana Catchings, Julia Stair, Amanda Marconi. — submitted photo... Full story
by John R. McNeil II Victories over Bridgeport and Manson last week placed the Lady Raiders solidly atop the Central Washington North with just five games left in the regular season. Against the Fillies Jan. 22, the Lady Raiders took to the court without leading senior scorer Danielle Laramie who took time out to heal some minor injuries. Katelynn Schilling stepped up to fill the void, putting together a double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Lady Raiders to a very convincing... Full story