News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 28
Three local leaders recalled a time when the community was more united than it currently is, and called for revisiting a list of goals drawn up in the 1980s that remains relevant today. Jim Keene, David Schmidt and Mary Jane Bailey attended last Thursday’s chamber of commerce meeting to remind people of the effort that helped spawn many initiatives we see as realities today, including the laser light show, the formation of a park district, building ball fields at North Dam Park, and constructing entrance signs to the “Grand Coulee Dam” commu... Full story
A banner thanking local veterans was unfurled in the high school gym Monday, both as a project and a prelude to another. Proposed by Soy Redthunder, the banner is about 40 feet long and will be hung in the high school gym. American Legion Post 157 also wants to spearhead a drive for a new scoreboard for the school's football field. The current one, installed in 1983, often no longer works. The banner cost of $644 and the estimated scoreboard cost of $20,000 will be funded by donations. An "LRHS... Full story
Grand Coulee may move to aggressively enforce its own nuisance laws to clean up the city and add a part-time employee to do so. A woman who lives on Burdin Boulevard, finally got her message about trash in her Grand Coulee neighborhood across to the city council at its meeting June 2. Becky Billups found a friend in Mayor Pro-tem Paul Townsend, who will be the city’s next mayor, and in a council poised to act on her complaints. The council listened again to Billups Tuesday night, periodically breaking up as she told how her neighborhood was goi... Full story
A new metal sculpture called "Raider" will soon stand near the entrance to the new school complex in Coulee Dam. The Grand Coulee Dam School District's art committee had hoped to have the sculpture placed before school was out but it will have to wait a few more weeks before all the things are in place. The 7-foot high metal work was created by Virgil "Smoker" Marchand cost $12,500, part of some $70,000 worth of public art that will eventually be associated with the new school. Marchand said... Full story
Grand Coulee’s council inched closer to a deal to address the Four Corners traffic question last Tuesday night. The council voted to ask the Department of Transportation to move forward and install two “Your Speed Is” radar signs on SR-155 to improve the compliance rate of vehicles to the existing speed limit of 35 mph. This is one of the steps that the DOT had suggested to the city in a memo sent to city hall a week ago. The council isn’t ready to take on the idea of reducing the speed between Four Corners and the turnoff to Delano. There h... Full story
Graduation section inside this issue The Star newspaper this week features a special section on Lake Roosevelt graduates. Read about this year’s graduating class at Lake Roosevelt High School this week and attend Saturday’s graduation ceremony. Bullet proof vest for dog Douglas County’s only K-9 dog is now wearing a ballistic vest, safeguarding it from bullet and knife attacks. The dog, Hamu, is handled by Deputy Mike Baker. A national organization, Vested Interest in K9s, has teamed with Groupon, to provide funds to purchase the special K-9 v... Full story
The Regional Board of Mayors is looking at some type of recycling program for the area. The idea of starting a recycling program is not new for the mayors, who are still trying to figure out how to pay for it. The group heard a proposal from Sunrise Disposal Monday that would limit product to cardboard and aluminum, both easily sellable and possibly able to pay their own way. Most items that are considered recyclable don’t pay their way. Start small, and do what’s doable, seemed to be the message. Sunrise would supply bins and place them in... Full story
The low bid for the proposed Federal Avenue/Main Street sidewalk project in Grand Coulee came in about $80,000 over the original engineer’s estimate, Grand Coulee’s council learned last Tuesday night. The low bid of $440,292 was submitted by Halme Construction of Davenport, who did work for the city during the covering of the landfill project some years ago. At the meeting, Jeff Stevens, of Gray & Osborne, the city’s engineering firm, said he was working with the low bidder to see if there was some wiggle room that would get the project withi... Full story
Indian Health Service Acting Director Robert McSwain presented long-time National Indian Health Board Member Andy Joseph, Jr. with the 2014 IHS Director's Special Recognition Award on May 29. Recently re-elected chairman of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and member-at-large to the National Indian Health Board, Joseph was recognized for "his significant contributions and unwavering leadership to advancing the health agenda in Indian Country," an IHS press release stated. Joseph... Full story
Coulee Medical Center is “planting a seed,” actually a lot of seeds, with an intent to grow into a better facility far less dependent on outsourcing its work. From billing to building medical staff, CMC is getting a handle on its future, staff reports last week indicated to hospital district commissioners. Three new health care providers are scheduled to begin practice in August, and CEO Debbie Bigelow said there may be a fourth ready to start, too, relieving the load doctors and mid-level providers have carried for years. The hospital has bro... Full story
In recent years, this community has grown apart. It’s time to reverse that trend. While municipal leaders always tend to watch out for their own interests, that propensity doesn’t have to get in the way of the whole Grand Coulee Dam community moving forward together. The difference may be as simple and as subtle as one of perspective. If decisions are made for the good of one’s own town, fine. But another over-arching consideration should also be, how does this move us all forward? A presentation last week on Project REV (see story on the f... Full story
To all the wonderful folks that call the Coulee their home: This is a letter of appreciation, thanks and a bid farewell. Our greatest pleasure was meeting and interacting with each and every one of you! The people and areas most to be missed will be Steamboat Rock State park, the best short few years my wife Annmarie and I have ever experienced. Thank you for the ones we met there. Some are still there, some have gone; however, our lives were blessed more than any would know while we were there. (If any one from out of town is reading this,... Full story
There seems to be some confusion about what a public utility district is intended to accomplish. The large corporations who have come into Grant County will attempt to lower their rates if they can, and in that attempt, they will urge a cost analysis because it will support their request to lower their rates. If you are closer to the point of distribution or you are ordering larger quantities of power, a cost analysis will show that it costs less for the PUD to distribute short distances or provide large quantities of power to one customer.... Full story
Well class, the time has come. The time to become an adult, to make your own decisions and time to be on your own. You have been awaiting and dreaming a long time for this and it is now here. It seems like only yesterday that you were sitting in Mrs. Gilman’s ISS for chewing gum and it WAS only yesterday that you sat in Mrs. Nichols’ for, um, chewing gum. Some lessons are hard to learn. Lessons. It seems like your entire career has been a life of lessons so far. Stand in a straight line. Don’t talk in class. Don’t stick things in your mouth a... Full story
1 years ago All 10 Lake Roosevelt athletes brought home medals from the WIAA 1A Track and Field Championships held at EWU, Cheney last weekend, including: Omar Fercha, 3rd, 110-meter hurdles, 15.92; Tiffany Barry, 2nd, 800-meter run, 2:21:10; Jake Atkins, 2nd, triple jump, 42 ft.1 inch; Jessica Monteagudo, Tiffiany Barry, Lachelle Ives and AdriAnn Smith, 2nd, 4x200 relay race, 1:50:18, and 8th, 4x100, 53:12; Tiffiany Barry, 5th, triple jump, 33-8; Lachelle Ives, 8th,100-meter dash,13.69; Omar Fercha, Mike Stanger, Nick Stanger, and Vernon... Full story
Peggy Lea Sandgren, 64, was born December 7, 1950, into the Walla Walla, Washington home of Lee and Beverly Dodson and died Thursday, May 28, 2015, at her Grand Coulee, Washington residence. Peggy graduated from Walla Walla High School then attended Walla Walla, Spokane Falls and Pasco Community Colleges and following in her mother - Beverly's footsteps became a cook in restaurants, eventually preparing meals side-by-side with Beverly for members and guests of the Grand Coulee Senior Center.... Full story
Jack Raymond Green, 86, formerly of Wapato, Wash., passed away in his sleep Monday, June 1, 2015, at Othello, Washington. He was born September, 19, 1928, in Spokane, Wash., to Raymond and Dorothea (Lamb) Green. Jack grew up on the family ranch near Elmer City, Wash., farming with horses. He rode his horse to school at North Star, and Nespelem, and graduated from Mason City High in 1947. He attended 2 years of diesel mechanic training at Spokane Trade School. Jack was a cattleman and loved horses. He worked all his life as a rancher and... Full story
Ernest “Ernie” Donald Jones, 71, passed away at the Desert Springs Hospital, Las Vegas, Nev., on August 8, 2014. He is survived by his wife of 50 years Cheryn “Chey” Jones; his children: Cory Jones and Caycee Jones (Jimmy) Hamilton. Ernie cherished his family and always placed them first.. He also devoted his life too public service. After graduating from High School in Coulee Dam in 1961, he served four years in the U.S. Navy, obtained a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice and worked as a mediator for the U.S. Department of Justice in Atlanta,... Full story
Erika Garcia and Ben Covington are proud to announce the birth of their daughter Odile Marisela Louise Covington on Monday, June 1, 2015, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. She weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz., and was 21.5 inches in length at birth. Maternal grandparents are Marisela Poeynoso-Evira, Jesus Alberton Garcia-Hernandez. Paternal grandparents are Kathy Desautel and Wayne Covington. Great-grandparents are Gary Desautel and Maria.... Full story
Wed., June 10 -Dinner Pot Roast, Potatoes, Carrots & Onions, Gravy, Fruit Bowl, Pie. Thurs., June 11 - Dinner Dr. Pepper Chicken, Loaded Baked Potato Salad, Corn, Fruit Salad, Ice Cream Sundae. Fri., June 12 - Breakfast Biscuit & Sausage Gravy, Eggs, Fruit Bowl, Orange Juice. Senior Center General Meeting 10 a.m. Mon., June 15 - Breakfast Sausage Links & Eggs, Blueberry Pancakes, Fruit Bowl, Orange Juice. Tues., June 16 - Dinner Taco Bake, Salad & Fruit Bar, Coolwich. Wed., June 17 - Dinner Pork Roast, Mashed Potatos & Gravy, Peas & Carrots,... Full story
Chamber at Pepper Jack’s The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will meet Thursday, June 11, at noon at Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille in Grand Coulee. Conn Williams-Klimes will be talking about Honor Flight. Care and Share Food Bank The food bank at the Church of the Nazarene normal operating hours are every Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. It is located at the Church of Nazarene, hwy 174, Grand Coulee. The bank still can use clean plastic grocery bags. Local AA Meetings Confused in the Coulee AA meetings are held on Mondays at 7 p.m., Friday at... Full story
Visitors to the coulee area over the July Fourth "Festival of America" festivities will get to hear the "Big Band" sound at the park below the Visitor Center. Tuxedo Junction, a 21-member band, is made up mostly of "teachers," according to music director Craig Catlett. There will be an added twist to the band's appearance; there could be up to five Lake Roosevelt High School band members playing during Tuxedo Junction's second set at the park. "I still have some things to get settled before I... Full story
Raider Tennis received the CWL Sportsmanship award from the Central Washington B League for the 2015 season for the excellent sportsmanship exhibited by both boys' and girls' tennis squads. This is the first such award for LR in some time. "I am very pleased that our teams' sportsmanship was recognized by the other schools," Head Coach Steve Archer said. Archer had included a program this season to emphasize sportsmanship as part of team expectations. "We have a team focus, F. I. T. which... Full story
The Banks Lake Bass Club Monday awarded Jazmine Sumner, graduating senior from Lake Roosevelt High School, a $500 Scholarship. Sumner resides in Grand Coulee and plans on attending Spokane Community College to study medical sonography. She will graduate Saturday with a grade point average of 3.668 and was one of five graduating seniors that applied for the $500 Banks Lake Bass Club Scholarship.... Full story
OLYMPIA – June 3, 2015 – The Friends of Spokane House (FOSH) re-enactors will present a weekend of local fur trade history from the years 1810 through1826 at the 2015 Fur Trade Symposium and Encampment in Riverside State Park. The free event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 13 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 14 at Riverside State Park’s Spokane House Interpretive Center, 13501 N. Nine Mile Rd, Nine Mile Falls, WA. (Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/a1xIQ) On Saturday afternoon, guests can attend a symposium on the Spoka... Full story