News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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A community meeting to discuss improvements to the Banks Lake Golf Course was held last Thursday night with about 40 people showing up. Port District 7, which owns and operates the golf course, was in a brain picking mood last week and explained that it hopes to put in for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant sometime this next spring. Port district chairman Orville Scharbach told visitors at the golf course meeting room that community input was needed as part of the grant application. He introduced Frank Andrews Jr., a grant writer for... Full story
We should expect inches of snow today, the National Weather Service says. Below is their winter weather alert issued this morning: . Urgent - Winter Weather message National Weather Service Spokane WA 432 AM PST Fri Dec 20 2013 ...Heavy Snow accumulations today and tonight... Upper Columbia Basin- including the following locations...Ritzville...Grand Coulee... Odessa...Wilbur...CouLee City 432 AM PST Fri Dec 20 2013 ...Winter Weather advisory in effect from 7 AM this morning to 7 PM PST this evening... The National Weather Service in Spokane...
The Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department held its annual awards dinner at the fire station Saturday night. Charles Pope was recognized as "Rookie of the Year." Mike Day was named "Firefighter of the Year," receiving the "Terry Sieker Award." Danielle Florenzen received the "Robert McGuire Award," as the EMS person of the year. Brian Walters was recognized for making the most fire calls, and Diane Canady was recognized for making the most ambulance calls and for 25 years as an emergency... Full story
Nominations for The Star’s annual volunteer of the year award will remain open until Dec. 26., and will be published in the Dec. 30 issue and online. Nomination letters will be published in our Letters from Our Readers section on page 3 in each issue. The selection will be made by the community through your votes. That can be done with a slip of signed paper delivered to The Star, or via an online poll, the link for which will be published after nominations conclude. Your votes will be accepted until Jan. 8. The Star will announce the h... Full story
A Grand Coulee man was found dead on the Crescent Bay boat ramp Sunday. The police report stated that James Carol Arbaugh, 68, of 37 Division Street, had been fishing and apparently left the edge of the water to return for something above the ramp, collapsing on the way up its steep slope. He was found by Larry Rehn of Electric City who was in the area with his dog about 1:45 p.m. Rehn said he was in the area to wash his dog off and found Arbaugh laying on his back on the ramp. The man’s wife, Christie, told police that her husband had a h... Full story
Engineers will determine just how far Grand Coulee’s recent $232,656 grant from the Transportation Improvement Board will go for street improvements, public works director Dennis Francis said last week. The grant should cover improvements to sidewalks on both sides of the street on Federal Avenue from Spokane Way to Seaton Street with ADA ramps on all corners. Francis said that any improvements on Main Street will have to wait until Gray & Osborne does the engineering work and establish what can be done with the money included in the grant. M... Full story
Bull rider of the year standing escaped Shane Proctor’s reach last weekend at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, but he still finished with a good paycheck. The Lake Roosevelt High School graduate won his first two go-rounds for $30,649.04, and for placing third in the averages he picked up a total of almost $73,000. Proctor entered the finals in 10th place in bull riding but finished fourth. Proctor placed fourth in the all-around standings with his earnings of $158,100 this year. Proctor, born and raised in Grand Coulee, c... Full story
Seniors were in a festive mood last Wednesday night when they gathered at Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center for their annual Christmas dinner. Officials said 88 turned out for the affair. Pictured from the left are Betty Bruseke, Santa Claus, Dick Jacobs, Myrna Schryvers, Susan Miller and Bob Schryvers. . - Roger S. Lucas photo... Full story
Early deadline for two weeks Publication dates and deadlines for The Star newspaper have been altered because of the holidays. The paper will publish on Monday instead of Wednesday for the next two issues. Ads and news copy for the Dec. 23 paper must be in by noon Friday, Dec. 20; ads and news copy for the Dec. 30 issue must be in by noon Friday, Dec. 27. New officials to be sworn in early Three elected officials from Coulee Dam and one from Elmer City will take part in a special and early swearing-in ceremony in Coulee Dam’s community room a... Full story
Electric City will put some teeth into its nuisance ordinance in January if Councilmember Brad Parrish has his way. Parish asked at the last city council meeting Dec. 10 that the issue of cleaning up properties in the city be put on the agenda at the city’s next council meeting, Jan. 14. Parrish told Mayor Jerry Sands that he spent the afternoon driving throughout the city recently and was shocked at some of the sights he saw. He said he would like to discuss the city’s nuisance ordinance and put “more teeth” into it and get things cleaned... Full story
An Alaska resident who owns a house at 301 Columbia in Coulee Dam has tossed the town a difficult request. Patrick Wilson, who now lives in Petersburg, Alaska, owns the home on Columbia where he plans to retire soon. He says that excess water running off of Columbia Avenue, which is also State Route 155, runs down his driveway and into his garage and storage room, causing water damage. He has asked the town to do something about it, but town officials claim it is a state highway problem. When contacted, highway officials have bounced... Full story
Quincy Snow wrapped up 16 years as Coulee Dam's mayor last Wednesday at the last town council meeting of the year. He personally thanked members of the council for their support and hard work, particularly two council members, Karl Hjorten and Andy Trader, who were also defeated in the November election. The meeting was his last as mayor because the council voted to cancel the next meeting, which would have fallen on Christmas day. The town operated without much turmoil for most of Snow's 16...
An effort may still be made to complete the new K-12 school project by the end of August, 2014, and begin school around Sept. 8, in the new building complex. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson told the board of directors Monday night that he had asked Walker Construction, the general contractor, what it would take to meet this deadline. Previously, the guestimate has been for an early October finish. School and construction officials meet each Tuesday to check how they are coming on the timeline on construction.... Full story
Local health care providers in Grant County have reported an increase in the number of patients they are seeing with flu-type symptoms, according to Dr. Alexander Brzezny of the county’s health district. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The report stated that some patients are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea. Those who are experiencing flu-like symptoms are asked to stay home at least 24 hours after their fever leaves, the health district advises. Additional s... Full story
All I want to say is my mom finally found a good doctor in Grand Coulee, instead of having to drive her into Spokane all the time. Her doctor is Dr. Chaffee, and I was so relieved when she and my dad found him! He is very caring and he gives my mom a hug every time she goes in to see him. He makes time for her, and it was a worry off me knowing she finally has a good, caring, and not a rush, rush out the door doctor. But now there are problems with the hospital, etc. Whoever you are that is in charge, please dont mess this all up with your... Full story
After not patrolling Geezer Beach for almost a year, C.C.T. is again bullying and terrorizing local legal anglers. The Bureau (of Reclamation) owns and controls the land known as Geezer Beach. C.C.T. is in Boise, at the regional offices of the Bureau of Reclamation, asking permission to get regulatory control of said beach. Obviously, they do not have control now! This is when we must get united and call the Boise office and tell them what we think of their considering giving control of the beach to an entity that does not respect laws already... Full story
As a representative republic, our country is founded on the rule of law. Some regulations are necessary. But when the citizenry is subjected to too much regulation, (over 40,000 enacted last year in the U.S.) they become burdened under the weight. Mr. Hunter states that we need more regulation. There are, however, a plethora of laws that prohibit ‘Harmful/Hazardous’ activities on one’s property. Regarding Mr. Hunter’s question, “If you build a 20-foot tall shop that blocks my view and so devalues my property, is that your right?” I contend tha... Full story
We’ve often commented upon the actions of our now out-going mayor and some town council members. Their lack of concern, bullying tactics and adverse actions towards our town and its citizens have been duly noted and as a result YOU removed them from office. Not surprising but amazing is the fact that Quincy Snow has refused (through non-response) any sort of transition meeting with Mayor-Elect Greg Wilder. A facilities tour was requested and denied. A request was made for the mayor-elect to attend a meeting this month regarding the Bureau Secur... Full story
I would like to nominate Jerry Birdwell for 2013 Volunteer of the Year. Jerry has stepped up far beyond the call of duty to help keep the Banks Lake Golf Course open for the community this past year. Day after day, as the golfers hit the course, Jerry was at the course with his own truck, his own chain saw, his own tools working on the sprinklers system. Some times you could see Jerry’s truck, and finally you would see Jerry’s head pop out of the hole he had dug to find and repair a leak in the system. Right after the several wind storms, Jer... Full story
I would like to nominate Jerry Birdwell for Volunteer of the Year. When the call went out for volunteers needed to keep the Banks Lake Golf Course open, Jerry was one of the first in line. He has worked tirelessly repairing and maintaining the water system, the electrical problems, as well as mowing and anything else that needed attention. Jerry is the “go to” guy when things need fixing. No job is too big or too small, and he sticks to the task until the problem is solved. He doesn’t need a committee before tackling the job. Jerry Birdw... Full story
I would like to nominate Heather Downs for the Volunteer of the Year award. Heather has her hands in many different organizations and has been helpful to many different people in many different ways throughout this last year. Heather runs the local pageant program for girls and boys from the ages of 0 to 18. This youth activity program runs all year long and helps teach these kids that their shape and style is okay (without makeup) and not to be ashamed of it no matter what the media says. In this program she is also helping these young girls... Full story
To whom? Well this date in history has given birth to some pretty important and down right famous people. Some notorious, some infamous and some local cool cats. So where do we start? Well, let’s start with a bad guy. In 1878 a really bad guy was born on this date. He would have been considered one of the most evil bad guys in history if it wasn’t for a buddy of his who is conceivably worse. His buddy was Hitler, and we know what he did. He was Joseph Stalin. Joseph Stalin rose to power as gen... Full story
After a long and fruitful life, Harold Eugene Dunlap died surrounded by family at the home of daughter Flora Long and son-in-law, Ken Long. Raised on a homestead ranch in the foothills of Keller Butte prior to the building of the Grand Coulee Dam, Gene was very much a child of his era. Though very shy, he had the confident can-do and make-do of a rancher, while at the same time the the eye and precision of an engineer. Some of his handiwork still functions today. One of Gene's earliest work expe... Full story
John W. Magers, 71, of Republic, Wash., passed away Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013, after a short battle with cancer. He was born to R.W. Magers and Marion(Danekas) Magers of Ritzville, Wash., on July 27, 1942, in Spokane. John married Carol Lee Fowler of Republic on December 25, 1963. After they married, they moved to Coulee Dam where John began his teaching career. John was well known in eastern Washington by hundreds of students and faculty as he taught or administred at Coulee Dam, Odessa, Northport, Almira-Coulee-Hartline and Curlew School... Full story
Andrew McClure and Scoutmaster Bob Bond participate in a ceremony bestowing the Eagle Scout rank on McClure Monday night at the Vets' Hall in Electric Cit. More than 60 attended the occasion, including four of McClure's scoutmasters.- Scott Hunter photo... Full story