News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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It’s a typical practice around the new year to examine the year we are leaving behind. Sometimes it’s worthwhile to examine any personal gains or losses, or to assess a resolution made at this time last year. Sometimes, it’s interesting to wonder what, if anything, from this year was truly memorable. Did anything happen that will live in your mind, or the mind of the country, for years to come? Earlier this year, I wrote a column about the coincidental fact that both the Oreo cookie and the G... Full story
Statement issued by Colville Tribes Chairman John Sirois on loss of longhouse: Our community, especially the Longhouse Community, stand in a state of shock a day after Christmas. At approximately 12:30 a.m. this morning, a fire broke out at the Chief Joseph Nez Perce Long House and it completely burned to the ground despite a valiant effort to save the structure. It is reported the fire response team arrived minutes after the blaze started, however the flames were such that the fire rendered the building a total loss. Tribal Police are...
Bending trees shed their excess snow naturally due to a change in weather LEAVENWORTH –Dozens of snow-laden trees slumped over the roadway since Saturday shed the excess snow on their branches, straightened, and are no longer threatening to fall onto US highway 2 east of Stevens Pass. Warmer than forecast temperatures and a steady breeze overnight caused most of the snow and ice on tree branches to release. By Christmas morning, no more trees had fallen. With continued warmer temperatures, a breeze and much lighter than expected snowfall, by m...
You could say that the fourth time was the charm. That’s how many times over the years the 2012 “Volunteer of the Year” has been nominated for the honor. This time Eloise Bowman won it. Bowman received an overwhelming number of votes out of the eight candidates for the honor. Most people will know the 2012 winner as one of the most faithful volunteers at the Senior Center Thrift Shop, where she works twice a week sorting, pricing and selling items donated by the community’s citizens. She per... Full story
Vigil cancelled Two members of an honor guard from American Legion Post 114, among others, showed up for a planned candlelight vigil for the victims of the recent school shooting in Connecticut Wednesday night, but the event at Mason City Park was cancelled due to weather. Donations made The school board accepted three $100 donations at its last meeting. Providing the gifts were the United Methodist Church women, who gave $100 each to Center School, Grand Coulee Dam Middle School and Lake Roosevelt High School for dietary snacks. Wilson Constru... Full story
Colville Tribal members are able to hunt gray wolves in designated areas through Feb. 28, or until the quota of nine wolves is met. Business Council Chairman John Sirois said recently the decision has been a long time coming and has been controversial. The tribes’ reason for the wolf hunt is that the predator is denting the local population of both deer and elk herds, Sirois said. The tribes elected to allow a wolf hunt in order to protect the tribes’ food supply. Many tribal members and families rely on deer or elk for their winter meat, Sir... Full story
Police officer Joe Higgs told Grand Coulee City Council members last Tuesday night that the city had a crosswalk problem. Higgs noted that crosswalks on Midway Avenue, from city hall to the post office, three of them, don’t meet Department of Transportation standards. He cited numerous times that motorists don’t see pedestrians who are getting ready to cross Midway on one of the crosswalks. Signage is poor, lighting is worse, and as some city council members affirmed, vehicles parked along the roadway hide good visibility of the cro... Full story
It’s official now … Electric City’s water and sewer rates are going up. The council had indicated a willingness two weeks ago to increase both utility rates in 2013 and 2014, and passed resolutions to do so at its meeting last Tuesday night. First to get the hike is the sewer rate which goes up $5 a month Jan. 1, 2013. Look for another sewer hike of $5 a month on Jan. 1, 2014. Water rates start going up July 1, 2013, with a $5-per-month hike, and another $5 a month on July 1, 2014. Mayor Jerry Sands explained recently that the increases were ne... Full story
Electric City’s council approved the city employee salary schedule for 2013 at its meeting Dec 11. The schedule includes a 1.6-percent cost-of-living increase. The annual schedule: • mayor, $3,000; • clerk/treasurer, $55,634.64 • deputy clerk 1, $39,840,04; • deputy clerk 2, $17,483.98; • public works director, $56,031.51; • maintenance position 1, $46,290.96; • maintenance position 2, $38,439.91; • transfer station operator, $47,286.18; • gate attendant 1, $10,658.55; • gate attendant 2, $13,277.09; • gate attendant 3, $8,113.78; • back-up tr... Full story
Members of the Colville Tribes gather in protest outside the tribal government headquarters Wednesday, objecting to leaders’ decision to stick to an earlier decision on allocation of a $193 million settlement with the federal government. Those calling for recall of elected officials wanted all of that amount paid to tribal members. The Colville Business Council decided in October that half would go to tribal programs. — Roger S. Lucas photo... Full story
The city council at Grand Coulee agreed to a resolution setting salaries for the city clerk, utility foreman and police chief at the council meeting Tuesday night. The city clerk’s wage was set at $21.70 an hour, or $3,762.26 a month; the utility foreman’s pay was set at $27.95 an hour or $4,845.71 a month; and the police chief’s salary was set at $47.07 an hour or $8,159.39 a month. The resolution pointed out that the police chief is required to be on call 70 hours a month, and compensation for being on call is included in the salary figur... Full story
Students in Glenna Whitelaw’s first-grade class at Nespelem Elementary get ready to sing — guess what song — in the school’s annual holiday program Wednesday night. From right: Summer Lowery, mMixat Vargas-Thomas, Cylia St. Pierre, Alaki Cawston. — Sheri Edwards photo... Full story
Following recent public hearings, Grant PUD commissioners approved a $305.7 million budget for 2013. Commissioners also approved a plan to increase rates by 6 percent for all Grant County electric customers. The new rates will impact customers differently depending on their rate class and individual usage. For an average residential customer, the change represents an increase of approximately $5 per month (based on an average use of 1,500 kW). The new rates go into effect for all meters read after Jan. 1, 2013. The budget includes significant... Full story
Wilson Construction of Canby, Oregon, was awarded the contract to replace some 25 power poles for the town of Coulee Dam. Wilson is the firm that built the towers and ran the new power lines from the Third Powerhouse to the switchyards, a project that was just recently finished. Public works director Barry Peacock told the council last Wednesday night that Wilson provided the low bid of up to $155,000 for the pole work. There were two bidders, Peacock stated. The poles were either destroyed or damaged by the most recent range fire that swept... Full story
I am writing to counter Yvonne Swan’s statements in The Star newspaper and advise that many, many Colville Confederated Tribal Members were quite happy to receive the first 50 percent of the Salazar Settlement funds and want the remaining 50 percent to remain with the Tribal Government. More than 9,400 Tribal Members received more than $10,000 each in the past three months. Most of these funds were well spent to help improve the conditions of our membership. While another $10,000 would be a boon to our personal incomes, our Tribal Leaders p... Full story
The recent deaths of three Washington teens--a 14-year-old Bellingham girl, a 17-year-old boy in Shoreline, and an 18-year-old Washington State University student -- remind us just how dangerous alcohol is for minors. As parents and co-chairs of the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking our hearts go out to the families and friends who are suffering these terrible losses. Before we lose another child, grandchild, student, and friend, let’s ask ourselves what we as adults are doing to encourage or discourage underage d... Full story
Ten Years Ago The city of Grand Coulee’s police department will return to policing Grand Coulee Dam next year under an agreement the city reached with the Bureau of Reclamation. A program started locally gives families unable to afford fishing gear for their children at Christmas the chance to give the gear gift wrapped at no cost. The Rod and Reel program accepts rods, lures, bait and any other gear dropped off at NAPA Auto Parts in Grand Coulee, Quincy, Ephrata, Moses Lake and Omak year-round. The Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department and Am... Full story
Coulee Dam Community Church-Presbyterian Mon., Dec. 24 at 7 p.m. a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be held. St. Henry’s Catholic Church Mon., Dec. 24 at 8:30 p.m. a Christmas Eve Mass will be held. Tues., Dec. 25 at 9 a.m, Christmas Mass to be held. Zion Lutheran Church Mon., Dec. 24, 7 p.m. - Candlelight Christmas Eve Service here. 9 p.m. - Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at Bethel in Coulee City. Tues., Dec. 25, 11 a.m. Christmas Morning Service. United Methodist Church Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, begins at 6:30 p.m. St. D... Full story
Grand Coulee Police 12/17 - An Electric City woman who left her purse unattended while she used a restroom at Coulee Medical Center reported it missing. She said she forgot to pick it up when she left the restroom and when she returned for it, the purse was gone. - A man reported that a dog wearing a sweater was sitting in the middle of the road near NAPA Auto Parts. The man surmised that the dog might be lost. Police checked the area, but the dog was gone. - Police checked on a 911 call from a home on “D” Street. No one was home and the off... Full story
Ceth, Charlene and Craig Leonard, along with their St. Bernard Crystal, stand in front of their Aspen Street home in Coulee Dam Wednesday night. “I really wanted to do it for the kids,” said Ceth, who remembers the lighting tradition making a much bigger local impact during his childhood....
Update: WSDOT issued this statement after 4 p.m. Christmas Eve: With dozens of snow-laden trees still slumped over the highway, the Washington State Department of Transportation is keeping US Highway 2 closed from Stevens Pass to the west end of Leavenworth. Skiers can still get to the summit from the west side, but cannot continue east toward Leavenworth. Through traffic must detour via US 97 Blewett Pass and Interstate 90 Snoqualmie Pass. “At least four more large trees crashed to the r...