Newsbriefs

Just say no

to used bulbs

Electric City Mayor Jerry Sands reminded the city council last Tuesday night that come Jan. 1, 2013, it will be illegal to dump mercury-containing light bulbs in landfills in the state of Washington. He said that the Delano Regional Transfer Station will not accept mercury bulb after that date. He didn’t know of a place where you can turn them in.

Clean audit

Elmer City Mayor Mary Jo Carey said this week that she was very pleased with the town’s recent state audit. It noted that the town’s internal controls were adequate to safeguard public assets and that the town complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures in areas examined. Carey stated that Town Clerk Renée Tillman has been very thorough in keeping town records.

Seat open

Town Councilmember Cliff Layton has resigned his position on the Elmer City council. Council members accepted his resignation at their meeting last Thursday. Anyone interested in serving on the council can submit a letter of interest to the town clerk’s office.

Meeting

cancelled

Coulee Dam has cancelled its Dec. 26 council meeting due to the holidays and will next meet on the second Wednesday of January, Jan. 9, at 6 p.m. in the city administration building.

Students counted

The Grand Coulee Dam School District reported an average of 622 students for the month of December, compared to an average of 636 for the same period last year. The district has budgeted an average of 610 for the year. Last school year’s average was 628.

Senior trip

approved

The school board learned of and approved a senior class trip to San Francisco. Shelly Black told school board members that many of the details are still being worked out and that she would return with more information at a later date. She said the trip would be over Memorial Day weekend, running Sunday through Tuesday. The trip is paid for from money raised during the four years the students are in high school. About 30 students will be going on the trip.

Chair selected

GCD School Board Chairman Joette Barry was re-elected for another year at the board meeting Monday night. Ted Piccolo was elected as vice chairman.

WSP not

soliciting

for donations

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) has received reports from citizens who received calls soliciting donations to support “AMBER Alerts.” In part of the solicitation, the callers report the money being raised goes to support the AMBER Alert program, including 30 percent of the funds for overhead costs . At least one solicitation indicated they were calling on behalf of WSP. This information is inaccurate, says the Patrol, which does not rely on public donations for the administration of the AMBER Alert system.

These calls appear to be a scam. WSP oversees the AMBER Alert system in Washington State. Most local agencies across the state have their own approved plans, which are implemented when a child is abducted or goes missing under suspicious circumstances. The origin of these calls is unknown and WSP currently lacks sufficient information to begin an investigation. Before donating to a charity, it’s important to research the charity before you make a contribution,” advises the State Patrol’s press release.

The Washington state Secretary of State’s website provides resources to help the public identify legitimate charities:

http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/consumer_faq.aspx