News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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An open registration for the SHARP Kids Summer Programs will be held Thursday, May 17, from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the GCD School District Office. These programs are open to any students enrolled in the GCD School District or homeschooling within the boundaries of the GCD School District. All students must be re-registered to participate in the SHARP Kids Summer Program. For more details on the program available this summer please refer to the 2012 summer guides available at LRHS, GCDMS, Center Elementary and the GCD School District office. P... Full story
Visitors to three Columbia River dams, including Grand Coulee, can join in on a high-tech educational treasure hunt that could earn them a special patch simply by taking part in the “D3 Geocache Challenge” beginning May 27 and continuing through Labor Day. Check out the details in our Visitors' Guide here: http://ow.ly/b0zd3...
The Keller Ferry will be closed Friday, the state Dept of Transportation announce Thursday afternoon. The ferry that shuttles travelers, workers and school buses across Lake Roosevelt every half hour will not do so from 6 a.m. until as late as 9 p.m., the DOT said in a general email sent just after 2 p.m. Thursday. Drivers should seek alternate state routes while crews move the north terminal from the low water ramp on the San Poil Arm to the main location on the Columbia River north shore. The ferry normally operates from 6a.m. until...
The Colorama Pro-West Rodeo last weekend attracted 202 contestants that competed in 270 events, officials said this week. That participation stood as a marked difference from a year ago, when the event almost didn’t happen. “It was the first time I remember when the stands were full,” Ridge Rider President George Kohout said. Contestants came from British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The Colorama Rodeo is one of the first of the season and this year’s event drew a record... Full story
Moratorium on pot growing extended Electric City’s council voted to extend its moratorium on medical marijuana collective gardens for another six months at its Tuesday meeting last week. The old moratorium ended April 30. Solar eclipse viewing set up for Sunday You can join local astronomers as they gather at the Crescent Bay Lake area beginning at 4:45 p.m. on May 20 to view a once-in-18-years solar eclipse. The annular solar eclipse in this area will be a view of the moon covering 78 percent of the sun, “not as much as areas farther sou... Full story
Tick, tick, tick … the clock is ticking on the Grand Coulee Dam School District’s plan to “fast track” its K-12 facility project. Superintendent Dennis Carlson said last week that the district has received word from the state superintendent’s office that the new school project can move ahead immediately and that its schedule of going out for bid next January now is a reality. Accordingly, the school board last Wednesday gave its architectural firm, Design West, the OK to prepare complete drawings for its K-12 educational wing as well as the ne... Full story
Six area post offices could lose some hours but remain open under the latest U.S. Postal Service plan to reduce overall costs. The Postal Service had earlier released a plan to close 3,700 rural post offices across the nation in an effort to stop the flow of red ink that has plagued the agency for several years. The new plan was formally announced May 10, and provides options for rural post offices that were slated to close. The change of heart came on the heels of political pressure legislators felt from citizens living within service areas... Full story
Coulee Dam officials Wednesday night defended their decision to remodel the town’s wastewater treatment plant. “We’re not going to just patch it up and leave the problem for our kids to solve later,” Councilmember Bob Poch stated in response to the idea that less extensive fixes could be applied to the plant for less money. “I’m not a friend of breakdown maintenance,” Mayor Quincy Snow added. The town has come under fire for the extent of an update planned for the plant, which last underwent a major revision in 1976, when Elmer City’s effluent... Full story
Elmer City’s town council got another look at Coulee Dam’s wastewater treatment plant project at its meeting Thursday night. Gray & Osborne, Coulee Dam’s engineering firm, put on a 30-minute PowerPoint program and answered questions from the council along the way. Elmer City has stated that it has hired a law firm to help the council examine a current 50-year agreement between the two municipalities on handling Elmer’s City’s sewer needs. The dispute, which keeps coming up, is whether Elmer City is a partner in Coulee Dam’s wastewater... Full story
Parade watchers wave to the photographer (who was in the parade and took shots of most of the crowd) along the Colorama Parade route Saturday. If you were watching, there’s a good chance your photo is available online at The Star’s photo website, linked from grandcoulee.com. — Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Two sitting Colville Business Council members were voted out in the tribal primary election held May 5, not receiving enough votes to make it to the general election. The election was certified Thursday. Losing their seats were Sylvia Tatshama Peasley, Keller District Pos. 1; and Ernie A. Williams, Omak District Pos. 2. And it appears that some additional council members may have a difficult time hanging on to their seats in the June 16 general election. Harvey Moses, Jr., in the Nespelem District Pos. 1 race, trails challenger William... Full story
Arm wrestling champion Douglas Goodman, Rathdrum, poses with his awards and children Bret and Natalie after winning both the left and right-arm competitions at a contest at Pepper Jack’s Saturday. — Scott Hunter photo... Full story
It appears that the community Christmas lights may go up this year. Coulee Dam Councilmember Ben Alling said Wednesday night that he had attended Electric City’s Hotel/Motel tax committee meeting, where it was suggested that the community Yule lights be divided between the three municipalities and put up by their respective public works departments. The Coulee Dam Town Council agreed that it was a good idea. The lights include the leaping deer, a Jack in the box, bears in a snowball fight, angel figures and a host of other light subjects. E... Full story
A 16-year-old Coulee Dam youth, Dakota William Weed-Butz, was sentenced to 52 to 65 weeks incarceration after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide in the death of Rickey Burris, 15, also of Coulee Dam. Weed-Butz will spend his sentence in the state Department of Social and Health Services’ Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration facility. Weed-Butz is the son of Colville Tribal Police officer Dave Butz. Burris was killed April 18, in an accident on Gold Lake Road just outside Nespelem. Weed-Butz was driving at the time of the accident and s... Full story
Grand Coulee 5/3 - Police assisted a family in Electric City who had found a male member of the family deceased. - A man on Roosevelt Drive told police that someone had used a glass cutter around the lock on his sliding glass door trying to get in. - An Electric City woman told police that her son was the victim of sexual harassment at a location in Lincoln County. Police are investigating. - A Spokane man, breaking up with his girlfriend at a Hill Avenue location and trying to get his things, called police when his girlfriend’s mother started... Full story
We have to wonder what they were thinking when they signed an agreement with another town for 50 years with no way out. Elmer City’s town council in the 1970s agreed to a deal with Coulee Dam to pay that town to take their wastewater for 50 years. It states they can’t back out unless both towns agree and Coulee Dam owns the plant, the upgrade of which will cost its residents a quarter of the $5 million price tag. Kudos to the community on an excellent start to the summer with a great Colorama Festival, including thanks to Susan Miller, the cha... Full story
I am just wondering why the gas prices are SO high in our area? Every morning I wake up and watch the news a little before getting ready for work. The national news said today (5-11-12) that gas prices are 22 cents less per gallon now than they were a year ago. Other reports say how the cost of oil is dropping. I think on Monday it said that it had gone down 5 cents a barrel. I just wonder if there is something I am not aware of or what? I noticed that the service station in Coulee Dam raised their prices again. I guess I don’t understand h... Full story
A young man named Jake, I believe, has put in two days cleaning up along the fence next to the city park playground. I've seen at least three pickup loads of brush and trash hauled away. We appreciate this work and say a big thank you to Jake and the city. Interested resident Elmer O. Rinard... Full story
After nearly 80 years of state control, the voters of Washington have decided to privatize liquor sales. As the implementation of I-1183 begins, questions start to arise. Will liquor be cheaper? Doubtful, as the current 10 different taxes remain and 1183 adds two new ones. In addition to that, distributor and retailer margins will more than replace the current state markup. Will selection increase? Again doubtful as most retailers will focus on the fastest moving sellers. Will cities and counties be financially impacted? The city of Kent is... Full story
In 1942, the completion of Grand Coulee Dam was hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Seventy years later, most of us aren’t aware of what that dam or the others on the Columbia River continue to do for us. To commemorate Grand Coulee’s completion, the Bonneville Power Administration commissioned legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie to write songs praising the dam that harnessed the mighty Columbia River. Guthrie toured the region from the Bonneville Dam to Grand Coulee, and within a month... Full story
As the days have lengthened, the sun has once again become our constant companion. And although I am still shocked every day at just how early that sun makes its appearance, I am warmed, literally and figuratively, by its presence. With the sun have come warmer days, bright, fragrant blossoms and the promise of those long-remembered days at the lake. Colorama has rung in the unofficial start of the Grand Coulee summer, and Memorial Day is almost upon us, signaling that the rest of the country... Full story
Marjorie Lou Walden Johnson came into this world on May 5, 1923, and went home to glory on May 8, 2012, after 89 years. She was born to Daniel Blinn Walden and Esther Louise Harp at Clinton, Ill. Her parents preceded her in death. Marjorie started her schooling in Clinton and graduated from Hirsch High School in Chicago, Ill. On March 14, 1942, she was united in marriage to Charles William Johnson at St. Louis, Mo. To this union two children were born, a daughter, Marsha L. Johnson Fields of... Full story
April brought us a wide spread of temperatures here at the home weather station. I recorded a low of 27.3°F (April 1) and a high of 84.6°F (April 23) for a spread of 57.3°F. Precipitation for April was 1.08 inches, with the heaviest rainfall on the 26th. Mean precipitation for April is 0.82 inches, putting us about 0.2 inches above. We’re seeing a grand entrance of spring weather in May. Fanciful flowers blooming and busy birds nesting. May does bring some warm temperatures. Back in 1986 we h... Full story
Michael L. Larsen died on Monday, Apr. 2, 2012, in Spokane, due to complications from a stroke. He was 64 years old. Mike grew up mostly in the Seattle area. He spent a few years in Vancouver, Wash., returned and graduated from Shorecrest High School in 1965 and then the University of Washington, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1970. Following his undergraduate studies, Mike obtained his Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga Law School 1974. As a passionate attorney a... Full story
A youth event will be held at the Grand Coulee Nazarene Church Sunday, May 20, at 6 p.m. A youth group from Tonasket host an evening of worship on Sunday, May 20, at 6 p.m. at the Grand Coulee Nazarene Church. This event with a worship band, message and snacks. All students in the middle school and high school are welcome to attend.... Full story
