News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Someone broke into the old middle school in Grand Coulee last Friday night or early Saturday morning, tried to start a fire in the exercise room and caused at least $28,000 in damage. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson told school board members Monday that the parties responsible got in by breaking a window in a downstairs door. Carlson said material from a number of fire extinguishers had been sprayed throughout the gym area, at the front entrance and down the classroom hall. The fire extinguishers were not found...
The closed bowling alley in Coulee Dam was broken into twice last week, the third time burglars have entered the business since the middle of September. Coulee Dam police were notified Monday, Oct. 19, of the first break-in last week and notified again on Thursday, Oct. 22, of the second break-in. Owners Pat and Sara Zlateff were not sure of the exact time of the two burglaries because the business has been closed since late summer. The Zlateffs are in the process of cleaning up the lanes in preparation for an eventual sale and are not there...
Lake Roosevelt and Nespelem students at Lake Roosevelt Schools look up at a rocket just launched by University of Washington Professor Robert M. Winglee Friday at a rocketry event. Teacher and organizer Ralph Rise said the school was awarded a grant for the "Rocketry Blast Off" event, to which Nespelem and Keller school district's fifth-graders were also invited. Rise, Lee Largent, and Steve Hood have been working with the UW's NASA Space Grant Consortium to bring rocketry to the schools, Rise...
Grand Coulee and Electric City will soon be back trying to negotiate a new police contract. Earlier in the year, the Electric City Council decided to make an agreement with Coulee Dam for police services. But the agreement was never signed. The issue took a turn when meetings with regional law enforcement officers revealed that problems with how the Okanogan County dispatch is set up might cause delays in Coulee Dam’s ability to make rapid response to emergencies. Last Tuesday night Grand Coulee Mayor Pro Tem Paul Townsend instructed his law e...
Pride in their community was the overall theme of the town council candidate forum in Coulee Dam last Thursday night. Three of six candidates showed up and had an opportunity to connect with some 15 people who attended. One candidate, David Schmidt, spoke of maintaining the appearance of the town, one of its greatest assets. He proposed more attention to parks, sidewalks and trees. Schmidt serves on the Natural Resources (tree) board. Another candidate, Herb Sherburne, who serves on the town Civ...
A group of Tilmus Street residents in Coulee Dam asked the town council for better care of the sycamore trees lining the street. They said the trees, which once were taken care of regularly by the town, have become overgrown and possibly dangerous. “They’re the worst I’ve seen them since I’ve lived on Tilmus … since 1966,” said Merv Schmidt, a former town council member. “Why we got out of the plan of taking care of our trees on an annual basis, I’d like to know.” Mayor Greg Wilder said the town’s volunteer board dedicated to tree issues has...
Cody Wilson gives local teenagers a lesson on how to scare people at their assigned posts in a haunted house at the Grand Theatre on Grand Coulee's Main Street. Wilson said the theater has 18 youth volunteering at the event, which started Monday night and opens each night at 7 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 30. - Scott Hunter photo...
Moose Lodge offers party for kids You are all invited to the Moose Lodge Halloween day party, an event especially designed for kids. The event will be from noon to 3 p.m. at the lodge, 216 Continental Heights in Grand Coulee. They’ll offer ghoulish games, a freaky fun cake walk and frightening food. Wear your Halloween costume because there will be a “best costume” contest. Parents are advised to attend and to supervise their children. Summer hours remain at transfer station The Regional Board of Mayors has agreed to make the summer hours...
The Electric City Council has passed a “complete streets” ordinance that will enable the city to move forward with a half-million-dollar pathway project. Phase one of the project would connect Coulee Playland and North Dam Park and is estimated to cost about $500,000. The overall project is estimated at $2.5 million to $3 million. Councilmember Brad Parrish has stated that the pathway could eventually connect Sunbanks Lake Resort to North Dam Park. The ordinance reads: “The City of Electric City shall, to the maximum extent practical, scope...
Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson submitted his letter of resignation Monday night to the school board. He will remain until his current contract expires June 30, 2016. In his letter, Carlson stated that “it has been an incredible journey where I have met and worked with some incredible and dedicated people to change the face of our school and positively impact our community.” When Dr. Carlson came to the district, he had only planned to be here a short time. But a massive building project got in the way, and, in...
Those falling leaves! You can do something about them in November when the Regional Board of Mayors have their free dump at the Delano Regional Transfer Station, Nov. 14 – 21. The governing board has set two free dates each year in an effort to help residents get rid of their lawn and garden waste. The other one is in the spring. The transfer station will allow residents within the garbage district to bring their lawn and garden debris to Delano and discard it without charge. There are a few regulations, though. It’s yard waste only. Off...
Although attended by only a handful of voters, a forum with town council candidates was a pleasure to “moderate” last Wednesday night. The three candidates (of a total of six) were well-spoken and voiced definite ideas on their preferred priorities for the town. Broken sidewalks and neglected trees, the wastewater treatment plant project, bolstering police coverage, and addressing fire protection and ambulance service needs were all addressed, and more. I had prepared a list of questions but didn’t need most of them, as I suspected would be th...
Recently, The Star held a Coulee Dam forum. Three of the six candidates actually participated. We had hoped to have “actually” seen and heard and exchanged between the good, bad, and the disagreeable...with all six. It was a fair and open discussion for the three candidates. Some of the other candidates chose to present their separate issues via a letter to The Star (October 21, 2015) and I suspect that it was a pretense as a substitute for “balance?” During a campaign, the people want to know more than just silence and/or a litany of honey a...
This summer, agrochemical, biotechnology, and seed giant Monsanto dropped their bid to acquire their Switzerland-based competitor Syngenta. Initial merger serenades were sternly rebuffed by Syngenta, and Monsanto’s interest turned into a $46.5 billion hostile takeover. Monsanto had no fear of backlash from U.S. antitrust officials. And there’s the rub, the reason a failed merger is still worthy of note and cause for concern. What level of seed industry consolidation would have to be achieved to trigger interest, let alone action, at the Dep...
Sometimes it is hard to predict what is going to happen in a sporting event. That was the case in the last two senior nights at Lake Roosevelt High School. Volleyball and Football had their celebrations of graduating seniors, who in turn were playing in their last games at home for their respective sports. The volleyball match was Thursday and to say it was an easy night would be an understatement. Five senior ladies stepped onto the hard wood for the last time in their Raider uniforms. They got off to a great start, and balls were being hit...
Maybe there is finally something Democrats and Republicans can agree on — fixing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. From the day it was signed into law in 2010, Republicans have tried unsuccessfully to repeal Obamacare, saying it is unworkable and unaffordable. Until this year, Democrats have held the line for the President. But not now. After the President leaves office, change will come. The first is repeal of the so-called Cadillac Tax, the 40 percent excise tax on generous health care plans, which is scheduled to b...
Recently Sonja Everett had the privilege of a five-generation photo with her family. Right to left: Sonja Everett, her son, Richard Avey; his daughter, Elizabeth White; her daughter, Bridget Sanders; and, on Richard's lap, Bridget's daughter, Emily Sanders. – submitted photo...
An annual assembly that had become a big tradition in the now- closed middle school will become a bigger event next month with the all grades attending at Lake Roosevelt Schools. Organizer and teacher Sandy Hood said all grades, from kindergarten through 12th grade, will attend the Nov. 6 assembly to honor veterans at 9:30 a.m. Many classes have prepared songs and tributes, the high school band and choir will perform, and seventh- and eighth-graders are writing letters to known local veterans. “While I have many veteran names and addresses o...
Eighth graders sign for early state funds commitment Olympia — Over 33,000 — 91 percent — of last year’s eighth-grade students signed up for the College Bound Scholarship program by the June 30 deadline. This cohort, the graduating class of 2019, is the largest since the program’s inception in 2007, the Washington Student Achievement Council said Monday in a statement. This year, 110 school districts had sign-up rates of 92 percent or higher. Of these, 77 school districts, including Grand Coulee Dam, saw 100 percent of their eligible students s...
In keeping with its decision to make the change at its meeting a month ago, the city of Grand Coulee revised its municipal code last week to strike out references to compliance with “federal law” for those seeking a business license. With the “federal law” revision ,the city opened the way to issue a business license for a marijuana retail store if an application is made again. Earlier this year, an application for a marijuana retail store was rejected by the city because the “federal law” reference was still in its municipal code. But the pas...
Chamber Meets at Pepper Jack’s The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will be meeting this Thursday, Oct. 29, at noon, at Pepper Jack’s Bar & Grille in Grand Coulee. Debbie Bigelow, CEO at Coulee Medical Center, will be the guest speaker. Okanogan County School Retirees Association to Meet Okanogan County School Retirees’ Association meets at 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 30, for a general meeting/no-host lunch at Koala Street Grill, 914 Koala St., Omak. Okanogan High School’s small group chorus, under the direction of music teacher, Kathy B...
Mercedes Nault and Seth Labro of Keller, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Alexander Idej Labro, born Wednesday, October 14, 2015, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee, Washington. He weighed 8 lbs., 3.9 ozs., and was 20 inches in length at birth. Siblings include Joclynn and Isis....
Samantha and Jesse Brunner, of Almira, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Paige AnnaKarin Brunner, born Tuesday, October 20, 2015, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee, Washington. She weighed 7 lbs., 11 oz., and was 19.5 inches in length at birth. Sibling is Curtis Brunner, age 2. Maternal grandparents are Darrin and Leonor Moir. Paternal grandparents are Richard and Molly Brunner....
Ashley Johns and Alfred Wynne, of Creston, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Dawn Jean Wynne, born Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee, Washington. She weighed 8 lbs., 11 oz., and was 20 inches in length at birth. Siblings include Koby Waterfall, age 5, and Kalayah Johns, age 17 months. Maternal grandmother is Laurie Johns, of Creston. Paternal grandmother is Louise Wynne, of Wellpinit, Washington. Great-grandparents are Norm and Dolores Willett, of Republic....
Interceptions, long touchdown runs and a good air attack earned Lake Roosevelt its first football win in weeks Friday night at home against Kittitas. With the 28-12 win, the Raiders ended a three-game losing streak and put themselves in a mood for this Friday's rematch with Soap Lake. LR had moved some players around due to injury, and played a successful game that keeps them in the running for a crossover game spot. "Our kids rebounded after a difficult loss last week," Raider Head Coach Geary...
