News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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The Grand Coulee Dam School District will be proposing an “enrichment levy” for 2019 meant to bring in approximately $450,000 each year, the second part of a two-levy approach intended to replace the single levy now taken over by the state. Needing to submit a list of items that match up to $450,000 to the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the district board Monday night approved the following list of areas the money would support: Special Education - $120,000 Pre-School - $80,000 Driver’s Education - $8,000 Scien...
The universe, estimated by scientists to be about 14 billion years old, vast and full of mystery, will be the topic of a presentation at the Grand Coulee Library this Thursday. Astronomer Kevin Manning, a former consultant with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and founder of Look Up to the Stars, will host the family friendly presentation that explores the universe from the very small to the very large. "Learn about the beauty and harmony of the universe on this virtual journey...
Lake Roosevelt graduate Calen Farmer spent six years in the Navy before pursuing an electronics engineering degree, and the experience took him around the world. Farmer graduated from Lake Roosevelt in 2008 and enlisted in the Navy in February of 2012, just two days before his 22nd birthday. " Like most young people, I was lost in life and didn't know what to do with my future," Farmer said. "I tried going to school, but it just was not for me at the time. After realizing I wasn't going...
Sixth-graders at Lake Roosevelt Elementary look up with a wow a second after launching a group of three rockets Friday afternoon. They, and high schoolers earlier in the day, had just assembled the rockets inside the school, with coaching from University of Washington students and faculty in coordination with NASA. The program had also visited Nespelem Elementary and schools in Keller and Inchelium. The group is hoping to recruit young students into science fields and is offeirng a contest...
Eyeing free grant money to help stretch local dollars, school leaders Monday told a consulting company to go after grants that would help modernize the heating and cooling system in the old gym at Lake Roosevelt High School and more. The Grand Coulee Dam School District board voted to continue to have the company McKinstry pursue grants for upgrades to school buildings. The district hired McKinstry to look for repairs and upgrades that could be made to the former middle school, the annex to the middle school where the Alternative Learning...
Coulee Dam rates heading up Residents and electric ratepayers in Coulee Dam can expect an increase in rates next year, town councilmembers indicated during discussion at a budget workshop Monday. Citing the need to replace large transformers and other electric system needs, councilmembers were leaning toward an increase greater than 20 percent, boosting the charge per kilowatt hour to 6 cents, plus increasing a base charge from $6 a month to $13. Charges for sewer service, currently at $56 a month, will likely go to about $67, a jump planned...
The annual veterans assembly at Lake Roosevelt Schools will be held this Friday at the gym in Coulee Dam. Changing things up from previous years, the event will be split into two segments: one for kindergarten through sixth-grade students, and another for seventh through twelfth grades, with an intermission in between. "Veterans and public are welcome to join us for either or both," said teacher Sandy Hood, who organizes the event and felt that one assembly with the full student body was a bit t...
Strong opinions surrounded a post on The Star’s Facebook page when The Star shared an article from the paper headlined “Transgender policy, club approved at school board meeting.” Opinions on both sides of the argument centered around the idea of boys using the girls’ restroom. “So this means that a BOY who thinks he is a girl or wants to be a girl can now go into the female bathroom with my daughter? If that’s the case I do not agree with it,” a Michael Dennis wrote on Facebook. “If you have a wiener you go into the bathroom where the sign...
STATE MEASURE 1631 G O L D Statewide Yes 3,585 2,448 718 1,825 850,861 No 16,005 6,414 4,040 6,288 1,097,277 STATE INITIATIVE 1634 G O L D Statewide Yes 14,474 5,441 3,362 5,374 1,062,381 No 5,731 3,395 1,394 2,726 876,921 STATE INITIATIVE 1639 G O L D Statewide Yes 6,316 3,153 1,207 2,962 1,181,218 No 13,900 5,730 3,549 5,177 775,902 STATE INITIATIVE 940 G O L D Statewide Yes 7,775 4,071 1,630 3,367 1,151,495 No 12,232 4,719 3,049 4,728 793,581 SENATE BILL 6269 G O L D Statewide Repealed 15,190 5,967 3,647 2,236 982,524 Maintained 4,239 2,451...
The Grand Coulee branch of North Cascades Bank (NCB) is collecting new or gently used coats for local children in need. Gloves, scarves, hats and other warm outerwear for children are also welcome. Cash donations will be used to purchase new coats. All items will be distributed to schools in the Grand Coulee Dam School District. Donations will be accepted at NCB through the end of October. Please help keep our local kids warm this winter! If you have any questions about the coat drive, please call 633-1700. NCB, Member FDIC...
I had a friend at the age of 10 who swore to me that she was a boy. We were just kids playing in sand and gravel of a pit behind my home outside Missoula, Montana. Her statement didn’t really make any sense to me. She looked like a girl to me, although her interests seemed to indicate she was different. Neither one of us had any idea what sex was all about. But one day she felt compelled to tell me she was really a boy, not a girl. The memory of her informs my opinions on the current international struggle in society to recognize those we now c...
As we near Thanksgiving, I hope the Raider Nation will join me in being thankful for the vision and passion Rob Williams had for starting the Lake Roosevelt youth football program 11 or so years ago. Many of the players on this year’s team had the opportunity to grow up playing football and getting better because Rob wouldn’t take no for an answer when pursuing his passion to create a youth football program in the Coulee that would be safe, fun, and make kids better people and players. Although it has been 10 years since we lost Rob, it is awe...
If you live in the Grand Coulee Dam area, you know that the large volcano-looking structure beside the high school is called “the sand hill.” It is one of the markers of our little area that has become part of the town. Very much like our dam, North Dam Park, Banks Lake, Siam Palace, Loepps and the TeePee, it has become a part of our community. But the history it holds tells a story that only a large sand hill can tell. Most of us know it is the leftover sand from the construction of our Gra...
In the last column, I wrote about the physical changes occurring in and around the Arctic Ocean. Those changes are occurring due to climate change. Shipping lanes are being used for commerce, significantly cutting travel time and saving fuel. Other transformations are happening as a direct result of climate change in that part of the world as well. The geopolitics of the Arctic is affected as much as the physical body of the region. Several nations are looking at the region and envisioning...
Meet the late Will Chaussee. On the outside, he was a cedar lumber owner-dealer. On the inside, he was a mountain man, and he owned a sapphire mine between Hamilton and Philipsburg, Montana. He retired and annually invited me to his place up in the mountains, where we fished, explored a bit and told stories that were mostly true. He had returned to Bothell on business and looked in on me at the newspaper there where I worked, and said, “Look what I found at the mine, a sapphire fit for a king.” That started it, and for the next several mon...
Bill Phillip Niendam, 91, passed away Sunday, October 28, 2018, at Grand Coulee, Washington. Bill was born January 10, 1927, at Paris, Arkansas, to Bill and Edris Niendam. Bill was a Shriner and a 32nd-degree Mason. He was a longtime resident of Elmer City and retired from the Bureau of Reclamation. He is survived by his wife, Agnes “Dusty” Niendam; son, Mark (Marcy) Niendam; stepchildren: Bill (Marcy) Williams Jr., Connie Klimes and Cindy (Chuck) Giese. Bill is also survived by grandchildren Damon (Kim) Broers, Dr. Tara ( Dr. Tyler Lesh) Nie...
Gary L. Pierson passed away Thursday, September 20, 2018, from a heart attack in Ephrata, Washington. He retired from the Bureau of Reclamation at Grand Coulee Dam in 1995. A memorial service will take place Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, at 2 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Ephrata, Washington....
Delores "Toots" Juanita George, age 82, of Nespelem, passed away on October 23, 2018. The Rosary was held October 26, 2018, at the Nespelem Catholic Longhouse. Funeral Services were held October 27, 2018, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Nespelem, with Father Jake Morton SJ and Radford George officiating. Final resting place is at the Nespelem Community Cemetery. Delores was born in Nespelem to Orie Radford "Bud" and Juanita Runnels Gallaher on May 30, 1936. She graduated from Nespelem Hig...
James Arthur Stansfield, M.D., 94, completed life's journey Nov. 1, 2018. Born the second son to Nell Hillie and Joseph W. Stansfield on June 5, 1924, in Juneau, Alaska. His parents moved to Alaska soon after WWI as school teachers. They also raised mink in Haines, which they sold through dealers in England and Russia for good prices and "never felt they were cheated." They lived on a ranch out of town with minimal contact with people. Upon starting school, Jim possessed few skills in games...
Allan Peterson, of the Small Business Development Center in Moses Lake, talks with chamber members at Voltage Coffee Thursday. Peterson, who takes appointments for free small-business consultations once a quarter in Electric City, presented demographic information on the Grand Coulee Dam area indicating a population of 4,266 within 10 miles of Grand Coulee. He said software available to SBDC can help a small business figure out what opportunities are available locally. As an example, more than...
Chamber This Week This week’s meeting will be held at noon at Voltage Coffee House in Grand Coulee. General business is on the agenda. American Legion to Meet The American Legion Post 157 next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Vets Center in Electric City. Show and Share Event All crafters/sewers/quilters are invited to a Show and Share, Monday, Nov. 12, 9-10 a.m., 412 Federal Ave., east entrance, room 207. Contact Marlene Oddie at KISSed Quilts 509-386-5715 for details. Celebrating Life in Recovery A 14-week program entitl...
All 30 North Central Regional Library branches in Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan and Ferry counties will be closed on Nov. 14 for an all-staff training day. The library district’s Distribution Center in Wenatchee will also be closed, and the community and rural schools bookmobiles will not be operating. People can still access library services online at www.ncrl.org....
Lake Roosevelt continues to go undefeated in football, defeating DeSales on Friday, and now prepares to take on Onalaska on Saturday. On Nov. 2 in Coulee Dam, the Raiders defeated the Irish with a final score of 22-6. The Raiders scored first with a six-yard pass from Steven Flowers to Hunter Whitelaw. Flowers scored a touchdown on a 36-yard run in the third quarter, and the Irish scored a touchdown on a pass, also in the third. Flowers ran for another touchdown in the fourth, closing the game...
Hannah Wapato placed 11th and Soarin' Marchand placed 53rd at the state competition for cross country. Wapato and Marchand each competed in 5,000-meter races at the 1B/2B state competition at Sun WIllows Golf Course in Pasco on Saturday, Nov. 3. "It was a great day," said Coach Ann Green. "A little cold, cloudy, slightly windy also. The course was slightly different than years before and had at least six tough hills and about 99 percent grass." "To be honest, I was nervous and anxious for Hannah...
The Lady Raiders’ volleyball season came to an end in Royal City with a close loss against the Manson Lady Trojans last Thursday. On Nov. 1, the Lady Raiders traveled to Royal City for a postseason game with Manson, from which the winner would progress to the state tournament. The Lady Raiders lost 3-2, with scores of 13-25, 25-17, 17-25, 25-17, and 7-15. “It was a tough five-set loss,” said Head Coach Teri Sue Reed. “I’m proud of the girls for taking Manson to five; it’s the best they’ve done all year against that team. Of course I’m di...