News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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An eventual contract for law enforcement services between the Bureau of Reclamation and local agenices will probably end up looking like this -- Grand Coulee, four officers; Coulee Dam, two officers; and two officers from the Colville Tribal Police department. While discussions are still going on, and no date has been set for a final decision, The Star has learned that the bureau has realigned its five zones of coverage to just two. Grand Coulee would cover zone 1, which goes from the switchyards to the Washington Flats on the west side of the... Full story
Directions in the management of Coulee Medical Center are aimed at providing for the long-term survival of the hospital, despite shorter-term difficulties, its top administrator and board chairman said this week. Chief Operating Officer Scott Graham and hospital district President Greg Behrens spoke with The Star Monday, seeking to add their perspective on the developing controversy that has filled recent board meetings with citizens concerned about everything from prices charged for services to cutbacks in staff scheduling. The hospital... Full story
–Patrons of the penny auction last Saturday listen for the winning numbers for hundreds of items they'd bid on during the auction and lucheon. The fund raiser for Lake Roosevelt's sophomore class will likely clear about $3,200, class advisor Cheryl Garvin said. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Mayor-elect Greg Wilder will be sworn in Dec. 23, as Coulee Dam mayor by U.S. Attorney Mike Ormsby from the U.S. Department of Justice Eastern Washington, Wilder stated last week. Others elected to office in the town of Coulee Dam will likely take advantage of the special ceremony. Those include council members Gayle Swagerty, Duane Johnson and Bob Poch. Wilder said the swearing-in ceremonies will be in the community room at city hall early in the evening. Wilder stated that state law allows that swearing in can occur 10 days before newly... Full story
Port District 7 commissioners voted Thursday night to purchase 21 golf carts that they have had on lease since 2008. District President Orville Scharbach told commissioners that the carts would be paid for in three years. The package includes the 21 carts and some 96 batteries, and includes a utility cart used for work around the golf course. Scharbach said the current batteries have been in the carts since 2008, “and that’s about the only thing that can go wrong with the carts.” Separately, the port district is leasing a new fairway mower... Full story
Roy Moon installs electrical components in the K-12 new school project, which is making fast progress now that workers can work inside. The elementary school side is completely boxed in and workers closing in the high school side of the complex. - Roger Easling, Wenaha Group, photo... Full story
Star observes holiday The Star Newspaper office will be closed both Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29, for the observance of Thanksgiving. The newspaper office will open at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 2. LR soft soled for NA month Lake Roosevelt High School observed Native American Month by having a “wearing your mocassins” day. Staff and students participated in the event. The special day, Nov. 15, was organized by Kim Stanger. Eagles get water rebate Grand Coulee’s council agreed to a near $1,400 rebate to the Eagles Lodge on a year-long water... Full story
Port district commissioners approved a plan at their meeting last Thursday to seek a grant to fix up the Banks Lake Golf Course. The idea came from Frank Andrews Jr., a planner and grant writer for the Colville Confederated Tribes. Andrews called commissioners’ attention to grants offered by Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office that cover golf courses, as well as other types of projects. Commissioners listed and then quickly approved a plan to proceed with the grant plan. Accordingly, Port District 7 will hold a public meeting a... Full story
They are lighting up Main Street. Grand Coulee Main Street merchants have bundled some money together to purchase special holiday season lighting in an effort to make the local season more delightful. A large number of stringed white lights were placed along Main Street Friday by Grant County PUD workers using their boom truck. Kevin Portch from Loepps said the lights will be turned on immediately. Merchants participating in the lighting project include KISSed Quilts, The Wolf's Den, the Senior... Full story
Grand Coulee had a bit of sticker shock when officials learned that it would cost about $20,000 to make repairs on its brush fire truck. Fire chief Rick Paris told the council last Tuesday night that the fire truck had blown a head-gasket and when mechanics looked it over, they discovered that there was a factory error on the diesel engine that would have to be fixed -- with a hefty price attached to it. Paris explained to the council that one of the head bolt holes had been drilled crooked and it had caused major damage to the engine. It was f... Full story
It’s light the library time. A special program is planned for the Etheta Anderson Grand Coulee Library on Thursday, Dec, 5. from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. A special lighting of the library, a repeat of last year’s program, is planned. The library, a branch of North Central Regional Library, is located at 225 Federal Avenue. The ceremony will usher in the Christmas season in Grand Coulee with door prizes donated by local businesses, caroling and refreshments. And both the young and old will see Santa Claus arrive in a Grand Coulee fire truck. Vis... Full story
An art committee made up of local residents will soon begin the process of selecting some $140,000 work of artwork for the new K-12 school complex. Under state law, 1 percent of public funds for construction projects must be put aside to purchase artwork. Covered by this requirement this is the original $14 million provided by the state for the project. About half of the art allowance will come through the Washington State Arts Commission, which will provide ideas of specific professional art for selection. Those named to the art selection... Full story
When our family moved to the Airport Addition of Coulee Dam from the northeast corner of Wyoming in 1980, we were where we wanted to be, hopefully for the rest of our life. Lake Roosevelt High School was just around the corner, grocery shopping was another two blocks away, fishing and hunting were a few feet further, as were the medical facilities. It seemed that after we arrived, unrest began in the medical community that continues to this day. We have resided through one hospital “shake-up” and it appears that we may be heading there tod... Full story
The letter to the editor Nov. 6 by Roberta Warden Gamble brought back memories. I knew Billy Bell in the 1930s. He had two bands of sheep. There were 1,000 ewes and 1,200 lambs in a band. The reason there were more lambs in a band was because several ewes had twins. Belvedere was Billy Bell’s headquarters. His sheep were wintered there. The lambs were born in the spring and the sheep sheared of their wool. The sheep grazed the nearby hills until driven to the mountains for the summer. The summer range included Coyote Creek, Armstrong Mountains,... Full story
I live in Electric City and I know the rules on how many dogs we can have. There are three Shepherds on our block that bark at trucks, deer and birds, it doesn’t matter what it is. When you work nights and come home to sleep and get woke up at 3 a.m., 4 a.m. and on…. It isn’t good. We have complained to the city and the mayor and nothing has been done in the last three months. What they are getting away with why can’t we? M. Townsend... Full story
Not too many years ago, I almost died. Literally. My wife called everyone she could think of and told them they better come visit me before it was too late. My memory of those days are very foggy, and I did not think I was that bad at the time. But since then, I have heard Karrie and my doctors speak about it and I now know how serious it was. But I didn’t die, and a long recovery period followed, during which, at times, I probably wished I had. But enough of that. Over the weekend, this all cam... Full story
Thanksgiving is a day that we as a nation take time out from our busy lives to gather with family and friends to give thanks for our many blessings. America’s first Thanksgiving celebration is traced to 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After an exceptionally difficult first year in the New World, the Pilgrims overcame a lack of adequate food and housing, illness, and the bitter cold. Their fall harvest was a success and the Pilgrims feasted and celebrated for three days with the Wampanoag people. Over time, a custom developed among settlers t... Full story
Ten Years Ago The man who threatened to blow up Grand Coulee Dam was released last week from Spokane County Jail. Richard Vialpando was released after five months in jail. Laura Dick, of Nespelem, won a statewide contest on anti-drugs at the Washington State Substance Abuse Prevention Summit in Yakima. Laura’s motto was “Show the world that we can be drug free.” A team of four freshman isfinding out that academics can be cool. James Harrington, Sam Rise, Wade Roberts and Steve Henke qualified for the state math finals this week. Super... Full story
Norman Hudnall passed away on Monday, Nov. 18, 2013. He was born June 13, 1927, in Omak, Wash., to Clyde and Lucy (Holt) Hudnall. He married his wife of 65 years Helen (Bush) in Omak, Wash., on October 23, 1948. Norman was a descendent of the Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai, Idaho. Norman was an honorary Pilgrim member of the Moose Lodge #504, the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, American Legion Post 157 and a proud Navy veteran of WWII. Norman worked as a union iron worker and owned many businesses in... Full story
Dennis Conway, 63, of Conway, S,C., died suddenly Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013. Dennis was born December 28, 1949, and grew up in Coulee Dam, Wash., creating a network of lifelong friends. He graduated from Eastern Washington University. Served his country in Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and retired as SSG Counter Intelligence U.S. Army. Completing his career, he worked in the Walla Walla County Jail as a corrections officer. Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Jon and Edna "Pete" Conway;... Full story
Zion Lutheran church members Ray Duclos, left and Evelyn Russell, right, present Care and Share Food Bank manager Fern Blaylock with a donation of $1,770, the results of the congregation's giving, plus and $800 match from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The church has made similar donations for the last 10 years. "We feel very blest as a congregation to be able to participate in this," Duclos said. The food bank had 170 Thanksgiving week packages of food ready to hand out Monday at its... Full story
The Trees of Sharing trees, decorated with ‘wish’ ornaments for more than 140 local children, are all around town. Trees are located in Grand Coulee at Funzee’s, Safeway Pharmacy, and Glacier (formerly North Cascades National) Bank, and at the Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union and Harvest Foods in Coulee Dam. You can contribute to a child’s joy by taking one or more ornaments from any one of the trees and shopping locally for a gift based on the information given on the ornament(s). Many excellent gift choices for children are available at stor... Full story
No Chamber Meeting The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will not be meeting this week due to the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Regular meeting will resume on Thursday, Dec. 5 at noon at the American Legion Post for decorating for the Vintners and Brewers event. Ski/Snowboard Club Meeting Those interested in joining the Ski/Snowboard Club should attend the sign-up (and pay) meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m. in the LRHS library. Parents need to attend this meeting with their child. This club is open to fourth graders and older. For... Full story
The home weather station measured a trifling 0.14 inches of precipitation for October. Looking back at past years shows we’ve had more — 1.15 inches in 2012, 0.54 inches in 2011, 1.23 inches in 2010 and 1.36 inches in 2009. The mean for October is 0.72 inches. We’ve been above the mean three of the last five years. Temperatures were generally on par with a high of 70.7°F occurring on the 6th of the month and a low of 29.1°F on Oct. 30. The all-time mean for October is 51.1°F; all-time high was... Full story
Hospital Dist. 6 PUBLIC NOTICE OF MEETING CANCELLATION The regularly scheduled Public Hospital District #6 Douglas, Grant, Lincoln & Okanogan Counties Board of Commissioners scheduled for November 27, 2013 has been cancelled. (Publish Nov. 13, 20, and 27, 2013) Public Notice Town of Coulee Dam Notice is hereby given that the Town of Coulee Dam will hold a Preliminary Budget Hearing on Wednesday, December 4, 2013, 6:00 p.m., a Final Budget Hearing will be held on Wednesday, December 11, 2013, 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall. Copies of the 2014... Full story
