News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Mill to reopen The Omak Wood Products mill will have a private grand opening, Monday, Oct. 7, The Star newspaper learned Friday. A spokesperson said that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee will be one of the dignitaries at the event. The mill, closed since 2009, has employed from 200-300 workers. The actual start-up date was not made available. The gate at the mill will open at 11 a.m., the spokesman stated. Port picks lawyer Port District 7 commissioners named Josh Grant of Wilbur as the port’s attorney of record at their meeting last Thursday. The c... Full story
The latest failure of Congress to compromise has shuttered two local branches of federal agencies but not affected operations at Grand Coulee Dam. The federal government went into shutdown mode Tuesday as the U. S. Senate and the House of Representatives failed to compromise on a continuing resolution that would allow the government to pay the bills already spent and approved by Congress. Locally, barricades and recorded messages greeted many who tried to contact federal agencies or receive... Full story
The pumpkin patch at Shaw’s Fruits is open. Here Roy Hamilton shows off two near perfect pumpkins out of what is probably a couple of thousand growing in the patch next to his fruit stand.Last year the pumpkin patch yielded some 10,000 pounds of pumpkins. - Roger S. Lucas photo... Full story
Police Chief Pat Collins made a little headway in his efforts to retain at least one of his patrolmen after the town of Coulee Dam was axed from its contract for law enforcement coverage with the Bureau of Reclamation. The contract, which affords the town four additional patrol officers, their patrol cars, training and equipment, was up Oct. 1. The town was already short two officers, and the contract’s end means the loss of two more. “I don’t know how I can provide coverage with only three officers,” Collins told the council last Wednesd... Full story
A 34-year-old man hanged himself in the tribal corrections center Sept. 24, a press release from Colville Tribal Police stated Tuesday. Police Chief Cory J. Orr said police responded last week to the Colville Tribal Corrections Center near Nespelem and found Aaron J. Swan in a cleaning closet. “Mr. Swan had hanged himself with a bed sheet,” Orr stated. Swan had been in the facility for two days, held on tribal charges of rape and indecent liberties, the release said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Dis... Full story
A plan to match kids and horses as part of a school program got stalled when the school district stated that its insurance carrier wasn’t too high on the idea. The idea was hatched by Chris Holman, president of “The Nourishing Hand” group, an equine rescue organization. His idea was to match kids from the school with mistreated horses and create a bond between school-age children and the animals. The idea was met with enthusiasm at the time, but got stalled by the school’s insurance carrier, Canfield & Associates. Superintendent Dennis Carlson... Full story
The Missoula Children’s Theater is coming to town. Sponsored by the Grand Coulee Dam PTA, the popular theater group will be here to train a host of children from local schools, then put on performances Nov. 9. Representatives from MCT will come here to begin after-school rehearsals Monday, Nov. 4. A request by the PTA to Coulee Dam’s town council for use of the Village Cinema venue was approved last Wednesday night. The council agreed on a $25-a-day charge for use of the theater, an amount that council members said would take care of ele... Full story
The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $2.5 million contract for asbestos abatement work at the Grand Coulee Power Office and at the Hungry Horse Power Office in Montana. The contract was awarded Sept.16 to Modecor Corporation of Dallas, Texas. The work involves removing asbestos-containing material and asbestos contamination from power plants, switchyards, pumping/generating plant, and other structures at Grand Coulee Dam and Hungry Horse Dam. The contract is awarded for up to a five-year period. Hungry Horse Dam is located on the south fork of... Full story
Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson told his board Monday night that the K-12 school construction venture is back on schedule. “The elementary side of the project will be enclosed by the end of October, allowing workers to be indoors during the winter,” he said. Time had been lost early on when excavation survey mistakes were made, placing the schedule at a risk. The ground floor of the secondary wing was scheduled to be poured Wednesday. Carlson stated that the 1,100-foot-long retaining wall is essentially complete.... Full story
A long line awaited Thrivent Financial and Zion Lutheran workers as they gave away some 10,000 pounds of free food last Friday. It was Thrivent’s second outing of the season and its annual visit to Grand Coulee. Called a 2nd Harvest event, the free food distribution was scheduled from 10-noon. The mobile food bank provided fresh produce and perishables free. The only requirement was that people bring their own boxes. Shown are volunteers preparing food for the crowd. - Roger S. Lucas p... Full story
Port District 7 approved its preliminary budget for 2014 last Thursday and has scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 24 for review and public input. The meeting is at 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24, at the airport office, the port’s normal meeting place. The public hearing will precede the port’s regular monthly meeting. The port’s preliminary budget shows revenue of $458,000 and expenses of $440,200. A large portion of both revenue and expenses is some $254,500 of anticipated grant monies from the Federal Aviation Administration. The port’s major o... Full story
Coulee Dam rejected a bid of $21,000 to clean up a burned-out house at 611 Holly Street last Wednesday night. The lone bid had been submitted by Deckwa Construction, a Grand Coulee firm. The council did so because they weren’t sure where the money would come from. At issue also is how the town would recover the cost of cleaning up the property. One council member suggested that Okanogan County would probably end up owning the property because of unpaid taxes. The county wouldn’t pay off any lien the city would have on the cleanup effort. Cou... Full story
Scott and Gwen and Roger, Thanks for putting the information on the golf course in THE STAR this week. I was so so sorry to hear about your embolisms, Scott. I hope the surgery solves your problem and be sure and listen to the doctor regarding recuperation! I saw in my notes to THE STAR that I had mentioned Greg Haag as helping. He and Nita moved to Spokane. I meant GARY HAAG. Could you put a correction in the paper next week? It was my fault. Thank you. Sally... Full story
Remember when you were a little kid and had to learn, likely through repeated lessons, that you just can’t always get your way? That you have to learn to give a little just to get along in this world? That’s not just a childhood lesson, it’s a basic principal that undergirds the healthiest societies, keeps disagreements civil and greases the wheels of democracy. It makes civilization itself possible. But a new faction within the Republican Party rejects that premise, insisting that compromise is evil. Many in the House of Representatives got el... Full story
I was very disappointed several months ago when I read that the annual low-cost blood screening would no longer be available at Coulee Medical Center during National Hospital Week and our local health fair. My husband and I have found this to be a convenient yearly event in which we could participate to help detect any health problems before they become a major concern, as well as fulfill the required screening to update prescriptions. I question CCH Administrator Scott Graham’s interpretation of the law that governs public hospital d... Full story
I had the honor and privilege to serve on the town council of Coulee Dam for six years. Mayor Snow represented the town with integrity at all times. The mayor does not make the decision of running the town. The council does. Mayor Snow has been vilified unfairly by his opponent. We do need four more years of honesty and integrity, not divisiveness. I strongly urge a vote for Quincy Snow to be reelected mayor. Ray Duclos... Full story
Now let me get this straight. A couple of people are complaining to the city to stop a resident from helping out his friends and neighbors because it may be costing their business clientele? And in order to sweeten the complaint, they tell the city council, “Look, you’re losing money too.” This is so ridiculous. And a waste of my tax dollars while the city wastes their time “looking into it.” So basically, if I wanted to help my friends and neighbors with their yards by going around and mowing the lawns, and they paid me for my gas, and maybe f... Full story
Sometimes I think I know a lot of things about our area. Other times I have no idea. So I thought I would throw some things out there and see if any of you can answer these things for me. So here we go. I know why or how Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam got their names. And I’m pretty sure I can figure out Electric City and Delano. But Elmer City? I am gonna guess that it’s named after someone named Elmer. But Elmer who? Lone Pine? What tree is the lone pine and is it still there? I mean that tre... Full story
Ten Years Ago A spaghetti dinner and auction was held at the Electric City Vets Center to raise money for Cindy Corpe to help pay her medical bills from a recent accident at work. $8,000 to $9,000 was raised for her medical bills and Cindy said she cried when she saw how many people showed up. It was standing room only and nearly 100 items were auctioned off. Raiders Cross Country took first at Connell Invitational last Saturday. The team consisted of Victor Camarena, Shane Marchand, Johnny Berg, Nick Barnaby, Chancy Cawston and Vernon Reyes.... Full story
Now let me get this straight. A couple of people are complaining to the city to stop a resident from helping out his friends and neighbors because it may be costing their business clientele? And in order to sweeten the complaint, they tell the city council, “Look, you’re losing money too.” This is so ridiculous. And a waste of my tax dollars while the city wastes their time “looking into it.” So basically, if I wanted to help my friends and neighbors with their yards by going around and mowing the lawns, and they paid me for my gas, and maybe f... Full story
Bernard Joseph “Bernie” Morin, 77, passed away at his Elmer City, Wash., home early in the morning of Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013. Born during the spring at the southern edge of the Fort Peck Reservation in Poplar, Mont., on May 3, 1936, to Joseph and Isabele Morin, Bernie left high school during his junior year to join the U.S. Navy. He served his country as an Aviation Boatswain Mate on seaplanes from 1954 to 1957, moving to Coulee Dam, Wash., upon his separation from the Navy. On May 15, 196... Full story
Senior Meals Wed., Oct. 2 - Dinner Roasted Chicken, Buttered Baked Potatoes, Spinach, Waldorf Salad, Dessert-Cook’s Choice. Thurs., Oct. 3 - Dinner Lasagna, Green Salad, Garlic Bread, Fruited Jello with Whipped Cream. Shopping and Errands with Sara. Fri., Oct. 4 - Breakfast Denver Omelet with Ham, Green Pepper, Onions & Cheese, Hashbrowns, Toast, Applesauce, Orange Juice. Mon., Oct. 7 - Breakfast Bacon & Eggs, Hashbrowns, Fruited Muffins, Applesauce, Orange Juice. Tues., Oct. 8 - Breakfast Bean and Ham Soup, Assorted Veggie, Pasta and Fruit B... Full story
The Arbor Day Foundation will brighten up your fall by offering five free crapemyrtle trees when you join the Foundation in October. The free trees are part of the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation’s Trees for America campaign, a program dedicated to environmental stewardship through tree planting. “Crapemyrtles are especially beautiful in the fall and were selected for this campaign because of their elegant color and form,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Crapemyrtles make an attractive addition to the... Full story
The Methodist Church’s annual rummage sale and luncheon held Friday drew a lot of early shoppers. The sale continued through Saturday. Profit from the sale and luncheon goes to the Church Women’s Mission project. — Roger Lucas photo --... Full story
Chamber to Meet The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will meet at noon, Thursday, Oct. 3, at Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille. Singers Wanted The Coulee Community Choir meets Mondays at 7 p.m. at St. Henry’s Catholic Church. Singers are welcome. Come and check it out. Rodeo Queen Tryouts Deadline is Saturday The 2014 Colorama Rodeo Queen Tryouts are set for 10 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 13, at the Rider Rider Rodeo arena in Grand Coulee. The deadline for entries is October 5. Call Janet Doughty 633-1263 or Cindy Edwards 633-0430 for more inf... Full story