News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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by Roger S. Lucas Grand Coulee police officers can no longer operate within the town limits of Coulee Dam, according to a letter sent last Wednesday to Police Chief Mel Hunt. The letter from Coulee Dam Chief Pat Collins revokes permission for Grand Coulee officers to operate within the town of Coulee Dam, even when they are covering for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Collins said Tuesday that the decision was prompted by Grand Coulee getting a bureau contract when Coulee Dam didn’t. The bureau awarded the three-year, $1.6 million contract t... Full story
The National Park Service (NPS) has reopened all 401 national parks, including Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, LRNA announced Thursday. Visitor facilities normally open during this time of year including campgrounds, boat launches, and the Kettle Falls Information Center will be open as quickly as possible. All park programs and special events scheduled to take place will go forward. In addition, National Park Service websites, including Lake Roosevelt’s, will be available again for information. “We are proud to be a part of this are... Full story
Towns to put up lights The city and town crews from Electric City, Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam, will put up the Christmas lights this year. This came out of the Regional Board of Mayors meeting Monday as Electric City Mayor Jerry Sands said he had heard from the other mayors who were willing to share the lights and have their respective crews put them up in their own municipalities. Sands said that the lights would be shared, new bulbs put in them, and that they would be up just before Thanksgiving. The lights would be turned on, Sands said, ri... Full story
A handful of citizens from the Faith Community Church in Electric City held a “Blessing of the Steel” at the Grand Coulee Dam School District’s new K-12 school complex in Coulee Dam Friday. Workers laid the last of the steel girders Thursday, and the crane that has been lifting the steel beams was taken from the area. Taking part in the event were, from left, Pastor Steve Archer, Janice Archer, Barbara Mooney, Geary Oliver, Superintendent Dr. Dennis Carlson, Janis Heuvel and James Heuvel. After... Full story
The Star will publish next week responses to questions recently posed to candidates for local office. Star readers will decide among 22 candidates in 11 local races this year. We sent each candidate an email asking for their responses to a set of questions. If no email address was provided on their candidate declaration on file with the county, we placed a phone call to them. Voters will soon receive their mail-in ballots for the election that concludes Nov. 5.... Full story
Electric City’s council approved a request for a $2,000 contribution to the Grand Coulee Dam/Coulee City Nutritional Program at its meeting Oct 8. The council will take a formal vote on the resolution at its next meeting, Nov. 5. The request, made by Myrna M. Schryvers, director of the program, is for the city’s 2014 budget. This budget year Electric City gave the organization $1,500. Schryvers, by letter, explained to the council how costs have risen and how popular the program has become. The organization has a budget this year of $15... Full story
A school bus accident Oct. 4, in Elmer City, ended up with some students getting shook up, but with only minor damage to the bus, school officials said this week. A number of middle school-age students from both Grand Coulee and Nespelem were checked out at Coulee Medical Center and released. The accident occurred shortly after 5 p.m., with an after-school bus near the old Tillman Store. The bus was struck by a vehicle driven by Daniel Parks Conant. School officials said that bus driver Stephanie Anderson saw that Conant’s vehicle was going t... Full story
Tribal natural resource officers shot two black bears last week that have been repeated uninvited guests in Coulee Dam. The town has been bothered by black bears visiting both the commercial and residential areas recently. One bear was shot on Fir Street early in the morning about the time that children were going to school, and the other was shot on Tilmus about 10:30 at night. A resident near Tilmus said it sounded like a shooting war. Both bears were 2-year-olds. “Please do not feed the bears,” states an informational poster sent out fro... Full story
Help with understanding the new healthcare landscape and signing up for coverage is available from at least two local sources: Coulee Medical Center and Foisy and Kennedy Insurance. Both are taking appointments for people needing assistance enrolling in Washington Health Insurance Exchange that opened Oct. 1. “By calling in advance and making an appointment, we can make sure everyone who needs help, gets it,” said Coulee Medical Center Patient Access Manager Melanie Slatina. She noted that anyone can also sign up for coverage online via the... Full story
A lawsuit filed against members of the Colville Business Council by Colville Tribal member Yvonne L. Swan and the “Colville Members for Justice” was dismissed by the Colville Tribal Court Oct 8. Citing tribal law, the tribes’ sovereign immunity and tribal constitutional provisions requiring a separation of powers between the judiciary and the legislative branch, Chief Judge Cynthia Jordan ruled that the Colville Tribal Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case and ordered the case dismissed. The suit, Yvonne L. Swan and Colville Members for J... Full story
Birdie Hensley looks over historic area scrapbooks delivered to the Coulee Pioneer Museum last last week. The museum was open last week for four hours on Thursday and Friday. Hensley, who has pushed the museum, has a home for it in Electric City and needs volunteers to man the opening hours and to help develop order to the materials being supplied to the museum. The museum will be open from 10-2 on Thursdays and Fridays if there are enough volunteers to staff it. — Roger S. Lucas p... Full story
Timing is the key to progress on any building site, Rotarians learned at their meeting last Wednesday. Speaking was Jim Crowley, Walker Construction superintendent on the K-12 school project in Coulee Dam. Crowley explained the importance of getting materials delivered on time and how it relates to subcontractors and their efficiency. The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam School District’s K-12 building project is back on schedule after a delay that occurred several months ago when the o... Full story
My previous letter to you was not published and I didn’t think much about it, assuming you seek to balance the public input for fairness. I feel compelled to write again after reading the letter from Mayor Snow’s daughter that was recently published. I can understand why a loving child would feel the need to defend and support her father. What I can’t understand is why the father (Mayor Snow) can’t defend and support himself! I haven’t seen one letter from him either promoting an issue, or defending his position. Why is that? To be fair, I w... Full story
Let me make it VERY clear. NO ONE is to blame for the theater closure. We were not able to raise the $90,000 needed to upgrade from 35mm film to digital. Our 35mm projector broke and the part we needed, they did not make anymore. We asked the community for help. Very few offered to help us. We had raised a pledged amount of approximately $2,500 — no where near what we needed to open the doors again. My grandmother, Carole Fisher (now deceased) had bought the theater to try and keep it up and running to give back to this community — before she... Full story
Time for new leadership I read the letter to The Star written by Mayor Snow’s daughter and asked Mr. Wilder if he was going to respond, and he said that he “wasn’t going to argue or debate the issues with a father’s daughter or any other stand-in!” And he asked me, “Where is the mayor himself? What does HE have to say?” Mr. Wilder is right; we never really seem to know where Mayor Snow stands on the issues. We want a more open government with fair and impartial leaders willing to actually listen to their constituents and to think the important... Full story
Answers for Jesse given Here is some of the history Jess Utz asked for. I moved here 51 years ago. Rawe and Rauch now houses All American Spacers where airplane parts are being built. Brown’s Department Store, it is not being used now. The old Wild Life Restaurant is now Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille. The Wild Life started on B St., now located on Midway, highway 155, Grand Coulee. The Eagles Lodge is still on B Street and still is being used. The city hall in Coulee Dam is very old and still is the city hall. The Credit Union used to be an old sc... Full story
The blame game hit home recently when Scott Hunter (the Star editor) blamed the Tea Party for the country’s woes. I’m not a Tea Party member but know a lot of good people who are. It seems people have a short memory. The billions of dollars the stimulus plan that was supposed to revive our economy just didn’t work. Fannie and Freddie were bailed out for over one hundred bllion dollars, mostly for wrecking the housing market and causing real hardship on a lot of people. Watching the news one evening, it was pointed out the president had lied... Full story
Duane Johnson has chosen to oppose Andy Trader in the upcoming Coulee Dam Council election. I support Duane and feel that his experience and education as a manager in the public sector will be a welcome addition. He is articulate, sensitive, and respectful. Duane graduated from Lake Roosevelt High School, went on to get a master’s degree, and adds a cultural perspective to the mix that has been too long missing! Likewise, I support Gayle Swagerty’s bid to unseat Karl Hjorten. Karl has been at the center of, and instrumental in, shoving the ove... Full story
But I was not the only one. This column was supposed to be about a father and son going on what was most likely their last hunting trip together. It was going to conclude with the father getting a monster buck, one that he and as his son would never forget. Well, that could still happen, it just did not this weekend. It sounds like it was a very successful opening day out there in Coulee Country. For a while it sounded like everyone got deer opening morning, including some really big bucks... Full story
Ten Years Ago Skateboarders banned from business district in a new law passed by Coulee Dam Council. The new ordinance states that its unlawful to ride on any street, alley, sidewalk, park or publicly owned parking lots in the central business district of the town. Raider football wins league opener against Liberty Bell 28-6. Coach Matt Bona pointed out the excellent play of the defensive backs as the key to victory. Jamie Williams, Zach Thiefault, Jarred Erickson and Neil Johnson all had remarkable games on defense. Spusman Wilder had 206... Full story
The high temperatures we had up to mid-September, 80s and 90s, have dropped off measurably. As we transitioned into October we’ve had nothing above the high 70s. I think it’s fair to state we are now in autumn weather. My home weather station recorded a high temperature of 95.9°F on Sept. 13 (all-time high was 104°F in 1938) and a low of 39.5° on the September 25 (all-time low of 30°F in 1970). Precipitation was on the light side though above the mean (0.72 inches) with 0.88 inches recorde... Full story
The following are Center Elementary Students of the Month for September, They include, left to right, Front Row (left to right) – Aidan Palmanteer, Emry Piturachsatit, Simon Beery, Amy Dorman, Veronica Tynan; Back Row (left to right) – Casey Timentwa, Elijah Palmanteer, Ashley Baker, Hunter Armstrong, Jaydyn Nanamkin, Jaelyn Cleveland, A’mya Adrian...
Chamber to Meet The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will meet at noon, Thursday, Oct. 17, at Pepper Jack’s Bar and Grille. General business and Chamber Executive Director Peggy Nevsimal will talk on world traveling. CMC Guild to Meet Coulee Medical Center Guild will hold its regular meeting on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at CMC. The guild is in need of new members. Please attend. 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... Full story
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP Publication Title - The Star. Publication No. 518-860. Filing Date – October 9, 2013. Issue Frequency - Weekly. Number of Issues Published Annually - 52. Annual Subscription Price - $24.00/$33.00/$37.00. Contact Person: Scott or Gwen. Telephone: (509) 633-1350. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication and Headquarters - #3 Midway Ave., P.O. Box 150, Grand Coulee, Grant County, Wash. 99133-0150. Publisher/Editor/Managing Editor - Scott Hunter, P.O. Box 150, Grand Coulee, WA 99133-0150. Owners - Star P... Full story
Raider cross country ran its only two-race week of the season as they travelled to Omak Oct. 8 and to Quincy Saturday. At Omak, the Raider boys’ team finished fourth overall with better times from the top five. “We had a very strong team run in Omak with an improvement in time for all, while still keeping our team splits under 2 1/2 minutes,” Head Coach Gary Darnold said. Ray Yazzie led the Raiders at Omak, finishing 14th overall with the time of 18 minutes, 10 seconds. Dominick Cotton came in s... Full story
